True Traitor (First Wave Book 7) (12 page)

Grai shook his head.

“That bastard had been screwing with the genetics of other species for thousands of years. It’s how we have so many different kinds of Relian hybrids, like Decano. Hybrids like Decano immediately defected with me the moment the opportunity came for us. They are all proof that not everything can be painted in all black or all white,” Grai said, wanting no lies or half-truths between them that could allow mistrust to thrive.

Lauren and a few others shook their heads at how wrong Fiorn had been—about a lot of things—and they wondered why they hadn’t questioned him sooner when they’d seen Grai’s mission in Africa. It didn’t make sense to them at the time that he would try to save some human girls if he was such an evil man. Now it made sense.

The news traveled quickly through the mountain hybrids as each told someone what they were learning, and several more mountain hybrids trickled into the room, all looking to help in some way.

*****

Ivint stared at the screen, listening to the different reports coming in from everyone in the field and around the mountains. It was quiet—eerily quiet—around the mountain. There were no more explosions or reports from the teams that had gone inside. Jax had checked in earlier and told him Grai and the others were free and joining with the mountain hybrids in a central location to wait out the arrival of the DF.

Ivint smiled at the reference, convinced that Reven had to be right—the woman had to be a huge beast in order to put up with Fiorn. What he was doing right now was so reckless that Ivint himself was waiting to see the man specifically so he could kick his ass for this.

There were in upwards of a thousand people, human friends like the sheriff, Valendrans, and hybrids of all kinds trying to keep their existence a secret from the humans. They’d even shut down the Internet and cell towers in and around the mountain and surrounding counties.

Mountain and Dillon hybrids were securing the safety of the humans and their safe exit from the area while the Valendrans expanded the perimeter and caught anyone who might have slipped through the net of personnel they had combing the area with enhanced night vision equipment.

Jax and Sam had redirected the animals from their non-existent conflict back into the forest where they became an extra set of eyes and ears to hunt out any humans that were still in the area.

Cristali, Risk, Lagor and Randor easily accessed the government spying systems and were currently going through all of the device data of the local population to remove any pictures, emails, or other communications regarding the current events.

Ivint was thinking of what else they had going on when everyone around him suddenly became silent. He looked up as a large hybrid male stepped through the stunned crowd and into the living room of the cabin where they had set up a temporary command.

The man was wearing a dark suit, white shirt and nondescript black tie, his sunglasses in his pocket. His short, dark hair was slicked back and his piercing green eyes took in everything around him. Without missing a step he walked right up to Ivint and Reven, who’d moved to protect Ivint when the stranger had walked in.

The stranger put his hands behind his back and stared at Ivint for a moment, as if assessing his worth.

“I’m Blade, leader of the Fiorn’s Folly Men in Black Division. I’m here to help you coordinate with our people inside to end this,” he said, calmly standing at attention while surrounded by what Fiorn wanted them to believe was the enemy.

Ivint reached out his hand.

“I’m Ivint Torenson, Commander of the Valendran forces on the planet. This is Reven Debreskii, my second. We would appreciate all the help you can give us; we’ve been feeling kind of blind here,” he admitted as Blade shook his hand then Reven’s.

Reven asked the most pressing question.

“Why don’t your fighters cloak? We could avoid most of this if your ships would cloak!”

Blade looked at Reven and shook his head.

“Fiorn never cared if the humans or anyone else for that matter could see the ships. He had them built for long term space travel and crash retrieval. He almost enjoys going up against the human military and showing them how bad they screwed up in fucking with him,” Blade said as he pulled a comm from the inside of his jacket.

He handed the comm to Ivint and pressed a button. Grai popped up on the screen and Ivint was thrilled to see him.

“Son, you had me worried for a while there. How is everyone?” he asked, feeling like he’d been holding his breath the whole time and could breathe again.

Grai stared at Ivint through Leif’s comm and grinned.

“My daughter has decided that now would be a good time to greet the world. We have a few stragglers that Tristan is bringing to us, but we’re good. How’s it going there?” he asked, wondering if they were safe.

Ivint laughed.

“We’re scrambling to keep the humans unaware. We need to get this over with and soon. When is Fiorn’s mate arriving?” he asked, hoping like hell that it would be soon.

Grai looked over at Leif for the answer before turning back to Ivint. “Hours. Just hours. Could be two minutes from now or 12 hours. Apparently, the delicate flower is fickle, but eventually arrives when asked,” Grai said with a sigh, wishing there was some way to hurry the woman up.

Ivint looked at Blade incredulously and Blade just shrugged and nodded. Ivint sighed heavily.

“Can you guys get out of there? We can contact her from here when she arrives,” he said.

Grai wiped a hand down his face.

“Yes. Everyone but Traze, Tristan, my unborn daughter, my hybrids, and I can leave. There is a protocol in place to kill anything leaving that has Relian blood. Only Fiorn’s mate, Fiorn, or his son can deactivate the system,” Grai admitted.

He’d went through this minutes ago with his people and he was beyond frustrated that none of them would consider leaving, determined to protect he and his family. Although he was grateful, Grai didn’t want a potential massacre on his soul either.

Amun interrupted.

“Grai, how is Tricia? How is her labor progressing? Is there a way they can get me inside? I can bring some portable gear . . .” he began before Grai shook his head.

“I appreciate it more than I can ever express, but stay there. They have a great doctor here, who is a hybrid healer. She’s taking really good care of Tricia and the baby. Keep everyone else away. Leif is giving me this comm and he said Blade is giving you his so we can stay in touch. I need to go for now. Get me if anything happens, and I will do the same,” Grai said, looking behind him.

Ivint agreed and cut the communication. He tried to hand the comm back to Blade, but the man put his hands up.

“Hold it in case he calls back,” Blade said, watching the Valendrans curiously. And learning.

Ivint nodded, his mind elsewhere, and put it in his pocket so he wouldn’t set it down somewhere and forget where he put it.

“If we can’t get your ships cloaked, can you get them to land?” he asked, staring at the aerial view of the opposing craft facing off, covering ground forces who weren’t even fighting.

Blade shook his head and moved to the screen.

“Those are Fiorn’s personal pet hybrids. They are loyal only to him and won’t listen to anyone else but the DF or Ass 2,” Blade said, wishing it’d be that easy.

“Ass 2?” Reven asked, wondering who could be so disliked.

Blade chuckled.

“Leif Erikson Senior. We call Fiorn Ass 1. Or the both, legendary asses,” he clarified.

Ivint turned to Blade and looked at the hybrid curiously.

“Can you tell me a little about what is going on? I can’t help but feel like somehow we walked into a war that was already going on and we were just in the wrong place with the wrong kind of spark,” Ivint said, wondering if the man would tell them anything helpful that could end this or at least give them a clue to Fiorn’s dangerous mindset.

Blade seemed to consider what Ivint had said and appeared to be speaking to someone else through the Shengari’. Whoever it was, he or she was also outside the mountain, and Ivint was concerned something had gone wrong.

Blade looked at Ivint, his green eyes looking deeply into the Valendran Commander’s as if to try and study him. As if coming to a decision, Blade nodded his head.

“Let me first explain that I was sent here because my ability is uniquely suited to my position in our men in black division. I’m what the legends call a mutant—at least among our kind. I’m a multi-hybrid. I’m the product of two hybrid grandparents and two hybrid parents,” Blade said, seeing the confusion on the faces around him, he smiled and continued his explanation.

“Normally, when two hybrids produce a child, the passive abilities go to the male offspring, the aggressive to the female. It’s nature’s way of balancing the males and females among the beast species. I am one of only three known anomalies among our kind. I have all four abilities of my parents and grandparents,” Blade admitted, waiting for the information to sink in and the questions to start. He didn’t have to wait long.

Reven cleared his throat and moved closer to Ivint, in case he needed to protect his friend and leader.

“So, why were you sent? What are your abilities?” he asked, not sure he wanted the answer to either of those questions.

Blade smiled and Reven noticed that it didn’t reach his eyes. Blade kept his eyes trained on the commander as everyone waited to hear what he had to say.

He didn’t disappoint them.

“As my name implies, I am naturally gifted with bladed weapons, thanks to my mother. I’m a mind reaper, meaning I can take things out of your mind and replace them with anything I want— good or nasty bad,” Blade said with a smile.

Blade knew he had everyone’s attention and continued.

“I’m a compulsive, meaning I can use compulsion to make someone do something against their will. And finally, I’m also a remote viewer. Which is the main reason I am here. I can see your people and your teams wherever they are within the mountain and keep you updated on their condition and status, even if we lose communication through the comms,” Blade said, used to the look of amazement and fear on their faces.

Ivint cleared his throat and shook his head to clear the thoughts of what this one man could do to a person. He hoped like hell they could call him a friend.

“You definitely seem to have acquired some unique skills,” Ivint said, trying to figure out why the man was really there.

With an imperceptible flick of Blade’s fingers, Ivint and Reven began moving towards the hybrid, unaware that they were doing so. Blade moved quickly to the men before he could be stopped and put one hand on Reven’s head and one hand on Ivint’s. And he began reaping.

Chapter Ten

Countdown Clock to Human Discovery

15:00 Hours

This is a WSBC Channel 9 News special update. Authorities are reportedly making their way to the area where the landslide began. Officials with the US Forestry Department hope to view the area by helicopter later today.

Until the area can be reached, we are still in the dark as to when cell phones and the Internet will be back online. It is still unknown if there are more unstable areas with the potential for collapse.

Authorities again ask that you avoid the area. Stay with WSBC News for updates.

True had checked on Tricia and Tristan and was heading back to Leif and Grai—mostly to keep them apart—when she saw them arguing and ran to break them up. Again.

“I will go with you,” Grai said, his fists clenched at his sides while he stared down at the slightly smaller and leaner Leif.

Leif wasn’t going to back down and stood toe to toe with the intimidating warrior.

“You need to stay here and keep this place under control! We have more people coming—yours and mine—and they need to be led! True and I can get them and get back here faster!” Leif said more calmly than True would have expected.

She had to admit she was a little impressed. True wasn’t the least bit afraid of Grai, but that look on his face would still give her instincts pause before her mind caught up and realized she wasn’t in danger.

True walked directly to both men.

“What the hell are you fighting about this time? One of you forget your tampons and the other refuses to share?” she teased.

When neither man stopped the scary staring contest she flicked a fireball in her hand and Leif immediately backed away but still stared at Grai, who didn’t even twitch a muscle.

True, feeling like she needed to shower off the testosterone hanging thickly in the air, threw the ball at Grai and allowed it to dissipate in front of him. Finally, he turned to her.

“You’re not going,” Grai said.

True sighed and threw her hands in the air.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” she said, frustrated that these two were getting along in every way except where she was concerned.

Leif glared at Grai while he spoke to True.

“Tara and Traze need some help. They’re trying to get to the Valendran and gathering supplies to lay in for the next few hours and I suggested that you go with me,” he explained.

True looked at Leif for a moment, waiting for him to get to the part that Grai was protesting. When that didn’t come, she realized that Grai just didn’t want her alone with him. Technically, she wouldn’t be if Traze and Tara would be there.

True smiled at Leif.

“We taking one vehicle or two?” she asked.

“You’re not going!” Grai snapped.

True turned on him.

“Why? Because he might be my mate? If he is, I’m going to end up doing more than be alone with him at some point, don’t ya think? I can handle being alone with him, but I love you too, big guy!” True said the last with a big smile before she hugged him, walked over to Leif, and hopped on the back of the vehicle he already had revved up and ready to go.

True waited until they were inside one of the tunnels leading from the chamber before she spoke.

“Why don’t you try to get along with him more?”

Leif was so startled by her comment that he jerked the wheel and had to correct it before he answered.

“Did you miss the part where he glares down at me like I’m a bug under a microscope? Or how he specifically tries to intimidate me? I’m trying to get along with him!” Leif sounded defensive.

True chuckled.

“OK, you have a point. He’s just really protective of his family and his people. He’ll come around. As long as you aren’t setting us up. If this is a setup I’ll help him gut you all,” True said with a wicked but honest smile.

Leif snorted.

“Yeah, that’s a great way to get to know your mate . . . betray her and her people. I may have gotten a little too excited about getting you to accept the connection, but most of that was teasing. I hope you’ll actually give me a chance to prove that I’m at least a decent guy,” he said, knowing she was softening towards him the more their connection deepened.

True grinned behind his back, not wanting him to see how much she liked his answer. She was OK with making small steps in getting to know each other, but she wasn’t rushing into anything until her people were out of this place and safe.

“Hey, I’ve been protecting you from Grai!” True joked back.

Leif chuckled.

“Correction. You’ve been defying Grai. I have a feeling that you do that often, so that really doesn’t count,” he said, knowing he was right by her laugh.

“OK, you got me there,” she said, really enjoying the feel of him in front of her, his chest in her hands and the casualness of the moment between them. 

Leif smiled.

“So what’s your favorite kind of movies?”

“Really? That’s all you got?” True laughed at him.

“I don’t want to overwhelm you,” he chuckled.

True’s smile vanished as a thought popped into her head.

“Where are the legends?” she asked, wondering why they hadn’t stormed the old chamber hall.

Leif sighed, wishing things hadn’t turned so serious again.

He’d been really hoping that they could get to know each other.

“They are most likely holed up in the bat cave—one of the alternate command centers used in case of infiltration. They are directing their minions from there and plotting what they’re going to do to those of us who’ve defected to the dark side,” he said, trying to sound cheerful, but True detected the sadness in his voice.

She felt bad for him.

“I’m sorry. This has to be really hard for you . . .” she said sympathetically.

Leif turned and grinned at her.

“No worries, if they don’t get over it once Nana shows up, then she’ll make them. Trust me, they don’t stand much chance with her. No one does. The question is if she’ll like Grai and your Valendran commander,” he said honestly.

“You put an awful lot of lives in the hands of a maybe?” True frowned.

Leif snorted.

“No offense, but she’s a woman. A seriously strong and hardened woman who was brought into this world at a time when you were lucky to live through childbirth. She’s also a renowned shield maiden among our people and has a deadly aim with just about any weapon there is,” Leif said, before realizing that it wasn’t helping to soothe True’s fear.

“Hey,” Leif said, “she’s also one of the most loving, understanding and level headed women I’ve ever met. She’s fierce in love, life, and her decisions. She will do whatever she feels is right. She also has a weakness for pregnant women and small children. So she’s going to love that little boy back there and his mother,” he said, thinking of the adorable but powerful Tristan.

True grinned.

“It’s hard not to adore that boy. He may not be able to communicate like we do, but if you pay attention he has his own ways of telling you he loves you and understands you,” she said.

Leif looked at her in shock.

“Did you not see the warrior? I think he makes himself pretty damn clear!”

True chuckled.

“He’s not like this outside of this place. I think the energy from the ley lines is helping him. At least, I hope it is and that it’s not hurting him in some way,” she said, now worrying if the child was trying to do too much.

Leif leaned back into her, distracting her from her thoughts, until they heard shouting followed by gunshots coming from one of the tunnels up ahead. He revved the engine as several more shots rang out, and they flew down the tunnel praying no one would be dead.

They skidded to a stop as Dog’ee threw himself at Leif Erikson Sr., while Rebecca stood over a prone Gracus, pointing her weapon at the enraged Viking explorer. Dog’ee was shredding Leif Sr.’s shins as the man hopped and tried to fire on the cat.

Rebecca was crying for Gracus to wake up as Dog’ee spit and hissed in fury, inflicting enough damage to disable the warrior without killing him—yet.

True and Leif jumped from the vehicle, each running towards the scene to find out what happened. True formed a fireball in her hand and knocked Ass 2’s gun out of his hand so he couldn’t hit the cat or anyone else while he was blindly firing at the furious cat.

“What the hell did you do?” Leif growled as he looked at Gracus and saw the man had taken a serious beating at the hands of his father.

“Get the cat off of me!” the viking roared, trying to grab another weapon as the cat continued to tear at his legs.

True stormed up to the man.

“Stop trying to hurt him or anyone else, and just stand there and he’ll leave you the hell alone!” she said angrily, flicking another fireball in her hand ready to shoot out any other weapons he thought of pulling on the cat.

Dog’ee didn’t look up from his prey when he spoke.

“No, he kill Gracus. So, he die,” the cat declared.

Leif rushed over to the large, fallen Valendran. Gracus was unconscious and bruises were already beginning to appear on his battered body.

Rebecca looked up at Leif with tears in her eyes.

“He beat him. Gracus tried to defend himself, but he said he couldn’t hurt a hybrid, and he didn’t really fight back.”

Leif turned angry, disgusted eyes to his father.

“You beat him like this even though you knew he wasn’t trying to fight back? Where is your honor?” Leif roared the last as he hefted the Valendran over his shoulder and put him in the vehicle he and Rebecca drove before they’d run into Leif Sr.

True was stunned and she narrowed her eyes at the still jumping Viking and sneered.

“You’re a real bastard. Who needs the Relians when we got soulless assholes like you among us? Dog’ee, keep him occupied while we get Gracus and Rebecca out of here,” True said coldly as Leif Sr.’s eyes widened.

Leif came up beside True and stared at his father a moment.

“You should be ashamed. I know I am,” he said before he led True back to their vehicle and hopped on.

They took off, Rebecca following behind with Gracus as Leif warned Lauren through the Shengari’ that their first casualty of this pathetic war was on his way in.

They entered the old chamber hall and the med techs were waiting along with everyone else to see who was hurt and how bad. Lauren wasn’t the only one to gasp at the sight of the Valendran, his body covered in deepening bruises, bleeding cuts, and scrapes.

“What the hell happened to him?” Lauren asked as she had someone begin the scans and she sent her energy into the man, looking for any immediate life threatening injuries.

True looked at Grai, who was growling low in his throat beside her, and she tried to think of a way to keep the tempers from flaring until Dog’ee ran in and dashed her plans.

“That . . .” Dog’ee said with a hiss as he jumped on the end of Gracus’s bed. He spit a few more times before adding,

“The big man beat him! Even though Gracus say he not want to hurt him and held his hands up! He . . . he . . .”

Leif sighed and looked at the faces around him, knowing this wasn’t going to be good.

“It was my father,” he admitted.

As expected, his own people as well as Grai’s were furious. The action was dishonorable and they never expected the exalted legends to stoop so low. It showed them all how desperate the men were becoming to hold onto their plans.

“They’re unhinged!” someone in the crowd said, while others agreed.

The furor around them was building, and Grai and Leif both knew that things were getting out of control. In an effort to contain the crowd and the calls for similar punishment against the legends, Grai whistled to get their attention.

When it got quiet, Grai spoke.

“No matter what is currently transpiring, we cannot allow our emotions to dictate our actions! I understand your anger. We all do,” Grai said, looking to Leif for support.

When Leif nodded his head, thankful that Grai was taking the lead, Grai continued.

“We may not like what they’re doing right now, but those men are only doing what they think is right for their people. No matter how wrong it may be. As a leader, I have made many decisions that I regret, but seemed like the best option at the time. I will not be a party to any talk of punishment when they are simply doing the best they can,” Grai said, to much grumbling among the hybrids.

“It’s not for us! It’s for them!” one yelled out, with a few others agreeing.

Grai turned dark eyes to the hybrid.

“If it has been only for them, then you’ve never benefitted from their decisions and leadership?” Grai asked, throwing his hands up to encompass the cavern and tunnel systems.

“What about the Valendran? He deserves retribution!” someone called out from the back.

Gracus cleared his throat and raised his hand from the bed he was still lying on as Lauren and the techs worked on his battered body.