Zen (21 page)

The shuttle went through the main spaceport city, then past it, further out to the manmade desert canyons. That’s when it came to a stop.

“Stay here while I speak with the driver,” the other woman said, stepping out of the back of the shuttle.

Shannon had a bad feeling. None of this was happening the way the Tate woman said it would. Shawna was not supposed to be hurt. Also, the shuttle was to take them to the next flight station so Shannon could take Shawna home with her. Instead they were taken to a remote location.

This was all her fault. She moved Shawna and tapped her face. “Honey, can you hear me?”

Shawna started to wake a little but she couldn’t move much. Her arms and legs felt heavy. “Mother?”

Tears started to trail down Shannon’s face. “Baby, I am so sorry. It’s my fault. I never should have listened to that crazy woman.”

“Where…where…” Shawna was thinking the words but they weren’t coming out.

“I don’t know where she has taken us.” Shannon tried to look out the window to see where the Tate woman went, but she didn’t see her or the shuttle driver.

“Get out…we have…get out,” Shawna said.

“Honey, stay put. I’m going to see if I can go out and climb into the driver’s seat.” Shannon laid Shawna’s head down gently as she moved away from her.

“No,” Shawna whispered. She thought it was too dangerous, but her mother was already opening the door.

“Going somewhere, Shannon?” the voice of the other woman asked.

Shawna turned to look but she only saw a woman’s hand holding a weapon pointed at her mother.

“I was going to see if you needed any help, Callista.” Shannon tried to cover herself.

“Why, yes I do. I want you to pull your daughter out here. Then I want you to pull the security guard out and tie him. After that we can all have a nice talk,” the woman said.

Shannon didn’t have a choice. She went back to her daughter who was trying to sit up on her own. She put her arm under Shawna’s shoulder and half pulled-half lifted her daughter out of the shuttle.

“Over there.” Callista pointed toward a big rock not far from the canyon edge.

Both Shannon and Shawna sprawled down on the ground. Shannon looked around and saw how completely isolated they were. There would be no help for them. And it was all her fault.

Callista pointed the gun at Shannon. “Get the security guard right now.”

Shannon stood and went back into the shuttle. Callista remained with Shawna outside. The halfsie was much heavier than Shawna. It was hard for Shannon to pick him up. She moved him around and felt something in his pants pocket. She reached inside and pulled the object out. It was his phone. Callista must have missed it when she took the man’s weapons. She opened it up.

“Hurry up in there!” Callista yelled, sounding closer to the shuttle door.

Shannon had to hurry. She flipped the last number dialed and pressed send. She shoved the phone under the seat. Then she pushed and pulled the man out of the shuttle. He fell to the ground unceremoniously.

“Drag him over by your daughter and use this rope to tie him up.” Callista was holding a wad of rope in one hand while holding her gun in the other.

Once Shannon had done everything she asked, Callista made her sit down. “Now, for the fun part.”

Tex looked down at his cellphone. It was Fang calling. “Hello? Fang?” He listed but didn’t hear Fang. He heard a female’s voice but he couldn’t detect what she was saying. He didn’t hang up, afraid he would lose connection and their only real link. He went over Rachel.

“Fang just called my line but he’s not talking. He’s still on,” Tex told her. He handed the phone over to let Rachel and Trig listen.

“Tell the IDJ we need to get this line traced now!” Rachel yelled out. Guy dialed the number for the IDJ and told them what Rachel needed.

Ten minutes later the local IDJ team showed up. The call was being traced. Rachel, Trig, Rage, and Zen all rode with the IDJ captain. Guy and Tex rode with another IDJ team.

Zen closed his eyes for a moment. He had never been religious. He wasn’t raised that way and had never attended church unless someone was getting married. But at that moment, he sent up prayers they would find Shawna safe and sound. He would totally lose it if something happened to her. She had to be okay.
Please let her be okay.

Shawna was now more aware of her surroundings. She was able to move her body more. She looked at her captor and wondered, then asked, “Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

The woman with the gun glared down at Shawna. “I am Dr. Callista Tate. I am doing this because you are trying to steal what is rightfully mine, Zen.”

“I do not understand. How is Zen yours?” Shawna was trying to get the woman to talk, distract her until her strength returned. Then she planned to try to overtake the woman.

“He came to my breeding facility all gangly at first. No one thought he would amount to anything. I knew different. I adjusted his nutrient supplements. Soon he filled out and changed into a beautiful specimen. I grew attached to him. We had a special relationship. Unfortunately, my supervisor wanted to have Zen breed. I hated it, but we were all being watched so I had to let them breed him.” Callista started pacing back and forth as she told her story.

“His first try at breeding and it succeeded. My bosses were thrilled. They started making plans to have him breed with all the women there. But the woman wasn’t fit to carry Zen’s child. None of the women were good enough. I made sure the fetus and the woman didn’t make it, and I also made sure that none of the other women were successful at breeding with Zen.” She continued pacing. Shawna moved around on the ground and reached for her mother’s hand giving it a squeeze.

“I had plans for me and him. I put money away into a different secured account. I had travel arrangements made and passports with new identities for both of us. However, before I could implement my plans, the IDJ raided the breeding facility. I barely escaped being caught. I had to use the fake passport to flee the planet. I wasn’t able to take Zen. It took years for me to finally locate him again. I still wanted him. I know the attraction is still there between us. Our love is still strong. We just had to find a way to be together. I took on a housekeeping job using my fake identity. I wanted to get closer to him. But there was always other women getting in the way. Just like you.” Callista was glaring at Shawna now.

“You thought you were something special to Zen, but you are not. He is just using you until we can be together again. Our love transcends all around.” Callista was staring up at the sky with a far off distracted look.

The sound of shuttles closing in on them made Callista turn in a panic. “You have to die!” She went to fire her gun but Shannon jumped in front of Shawna, pushing her down.

“No!” Shawna screamed.

“Put your weapon down!” Rachel yelled as she and the IDJ teams unloaded in a sweep.

“I have to be with Zen. No one will keep me from him,” Callista said as she pointed her weapon toward the IDJ team. Weapons discharged and smoke rose up almost blinding everyone. There was a deafening silence. Then Zen and Rage both got out of the shuttle.

“Shawna!” Zen called out.
Please, please let her be alive.

Smoke started to clear and as they moved closer, they could make out a small female voice. “Zen.”

“Shawna!” Zen sprung to action, running past the IDJ officers that were trying to keep him back. He ran into the smoke-filled area. His eyes were irritated but he didn’t care. He had to find her.

“Zen,” Shawna called out for him.

“I’m here.” He spotted a bloody body on the ground. He knelt and turned the person over to find Shawna’s mother bleeding profusely. “We need healers in here stat!” he called out. Then he noticed that underneath Shannon was Shawna. He gently moved to lay Shannon next to her daughter.

“Baby, are you hurt?” Zen asked, running his hands along her body.

She shook her head. “I was drugged but otherwise I’m not harmed. My mother is shot.”

“Healers are on their way,” Rage said as he and some of the other IDJ officers came through the dust and smoke. He knelt down on the other side of his mother. A sharp pain in his heart caused his breathing to hitch. He had hated this female who had abandoned him and treated him like he didn’t exist. But never had he wished she were dead. He was surprised when she reached out and squeezed his hand.

“I am so sorry. I need to tell you some things,” Shannon said with chattering teeth.

“It’s okay. You can tell me later, when you are better.” Rage brushed a strand of dark brown hair back. It was so similar to his and Shawna’s.

“No, I need to…tell you now. I was out of my mind scared when I found out I was pregnant. I had been rebellious against my father and slept with what he considered alien scum. I was young and selfish. The fear of losing my status with society and with my father was strong. I went off and had you, then sent you to your father. I told myself I was doing the right thing, leaving you with your father. When I was told that you were taken to live with your grandfather, I tried to contact him. He said that you would be raised Beatial and that for both our sakes, I should leave you be. So I did.

“I have felt such guilt over it for years. When Shawna was born, I thought this was my second chance to do things right. But I was still selfish and greedy. Having another child didn’t make me feel any better, it actually made me feel worse. I hated that, and I blamed you for it,” her voice was getting weaker and weaker.

“You don’t have to talk about it now. Save your strength.” Rage was worried. All color had fled his mother’s face. “Where are the damn healers?”

Shawna moved closer to her mother and took one hand. Shannon smiled at her daughter then reached out and this time took hold of Rage’s hand.

“Funny how things that once seemed all important, suddenly become inconsequential when life is at an end. I never hated you, Rage. I kept you away because I didn’t want to face my ignorance and my fears. I love you, both you and your sister very much.” Shannon coughed up blood. Things were starting to get dark. When had the sun gone down? She put Shawna’s hand in Rage’s large one.

Shawna started to cry. “Mother.”

“Be good to each other. Be the family that neither of you got to have. I love both of you, so much.” Shannon’s tears traveled down her cheek.

Rage felt a wetness on his face. A gentle hand touched his shoulder. He looked up to see his mate’s beautiful face filled with sadness. “I am so sorry.”

Shawna held onto Rage’s hand as Zen took her into his arms. “I am so sorry, baby.”

“Take me home,” Shawna said against his chest.