Alien Refuge (45 page)

“Stop,” Ospar ordered. “No such thing will happen. Officially or not, we are your clan, Iris. Nothing will change that.”

My clan. Forever
. She tried to feel as definite about that as the Dramok sounded, but fear insisted on fighting for a foothold in her gut.

Chapter 14

Maf paced across the guest quarter’s greeting room. His form of striding was more of a lurch, and he was aware of how crippled he might look to Dramok Borl right now. However, his excitement over the next step in his plan left no room to worry how lame he might appear to his agent. Their very next move could very well make Haven explode like a powder keg.

He asked Ospar’s aide, “You are sure Hoover is on board?”

Borl grinned, apparently as thrilled as the Basma was over the coming trouble. “I appealed to the governor’s sense of injustice. I reminded him of all the things he stood for and his devotion to the E.I.K. It was enough that he got over his initial reaction to the woman’s obvious fear of her husband.”

“He has no doubts at all, Borl? This is important.”

“I convinced him Iris Jenson was ashamed that her liaison with the governor’s clan had been discovered. That it was her guilt that made her react the way she did. Hoover wants to believe I’m right because this is his chance to finally get rid of Ospar. He hates him.”

Maf felt a rush of excitement. What was that saying the Earthers had?
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Well, Hoover was no friend, only an ally. Maf did not like Earthers. The more he saw of them, the more he was convinced it was his duty to Kalquor’s legacy to keep them separate from his people.

He told Borl, “Very good. We will be ready to strike the moment we have the first opportunity.”

Borl’s enthralled expression faltered a little. “I do have concerns about the Earther priest. He is becoming more reluctant to cooperate. When I told him what his role in the plan was, he balked quite severely.”

Maf scowled. He put all the determination in his tone he could muster, seeking to impress Borl with the importance of their mission. “This is our chance to strike a blow for the revolution. Something that will make the Imperial Clan and Royal Council sit up and take note. It will make all of Kalquor pay attention. This must succeed, Borl.”

“It will. I swear it.” The man’s stature drew up straight and certain.

Maf walked up to him and looked the other Dramok in the eye. “The fools cannot ignore a child snatched from its mother. We can’t have anyone backing out now.”

“I will not fail you, Basma.” Borl used the councilman’s revolutionary title with absolute reverence. “The priest has been assured the boy will not be harmed, because Father Stephen himself will be in charge of his care as long as Thomas remains on Haven. The priest will comply.”

“At any sign of hesitation, you must remove him, Borl.”

“Gladly.” Borl’s grin left no doubt he would take great satisfaction in taking Father Stephen out of the equation.

Maf let the excitement take him again. “It is too perfect. This will show how deceitful Earthers are. How treacherous. That they would put a helpless, disabled child in the hands of a known abuser just to keep one of their own from Kalquor’s reach. And it will show the revolutionaries are willing to sacrifice anyone to keep our people from being sullied by these lesser creatures. That we will do anything to save the greatness that is Kalquor, even though it means we disappear from existence.”

“We will not be stopped by anyone, Basma, whether it be Earther or foolish Kalquorian. I swear it.”

Maf was gratified that Borl shared his vision. The road to salvation had been halting so far. The fifteen Mataras they had abducted on the home world had not detoured Kalquor from its destructive path. That was about to change. The boy Ospar’s clan would make their son was the perfect sacrifice.

* * * *

Ospar’s clan sat down to a calm breakfast the next day. Thomas seemed himself again as he enjoyed scrambled eggs with melted cheese and a slice of bacon. Waking in his room at the clan home and finding his mother and adoptive fathers in their sleeping room had restored his sense of rightness apparently.

Iris was feeling better too. She was sure they’d find a way out of the trap Conrad had attempted to set for them. Thomas would remain safe with her and the clan.

Assured of this, she asked Rivek, “Are we going to the temple today?”

All three men looked at her with surprise. Jol’s eyes narrowed with concern, but he remained quiet as the Imdiko asked, “Is that what you wish?”

Iris nodded. “Thomas needs his new routine established. We’ve barely gotten started with his work with Copin, and he’s asking to see him. I think it’s important we return to normalcy as soon as possible.”

“I agree.” Rivek looked to his clanmates.

Ospar and Jol exchanged a glance. The Dramok asked, “Your opinion, my Nobek? I know you may have security concerns.”

Jol considered, his gaze traveling from Thomas to Iris to Rivek and back. He licked his lips. “I am worried, but Slade would be a fool to try anything with Rivek around.” He grimaced and gave the priest his attention. “You do have exemplary fighting skills. That man has no chance against you, my Imdiko.”

Rivek smiled at the praise. “Thank you. There are the other priests to consider too. Slade won’t be able to get through the temple door without someone noticing. As for Thomas’ safety, Copin is quite the accomplished fighter himself.”

Iris thought of kicking her estranged husband’s ass and couldn’t restrain a ferocious grin. “Someday I will be too. I can’t wait for today’s lesson.”

All three men responded with predatory smiles of their own. “Tough Matara,” Ospar said with great approval, making Iris feel good.

Jol looked to his Imdiko again. “I ask your permission to send additional guards however. Just to make sure you’re all properly guarded in case Slade convinces someone to be foolish with him. The fact we found weapons yesterday, weapons that were probably planted, gives me pause. The E.I.K. no doubt has more illegal firearms somewhere.”

Dramok Borl entered the room, pausing the conversation as everyone issued their good mornings. The kitchen brought him a plate of food, which he graciously accepted, taking a seat next to Jol.

As the aide settled into breakfast, Rivek answered Jol. “Permission granted, not that I believe you’d listen if I said no.”

That earned a chuckle from the Nobek. “I still thought I’d be polite and ask.”

“Thank you for the offer, my clanmate. I’m not willing to take chances with our family’s safety either. Perhaps four armed men to keep watch over the grounds?”

Jol nodded. “I can spare them. I’ll assign the patrol as soon as I get to the office.”

Borl swallowed a mouthful of omelet, his eyes darting between Ospar and Jol. “Trouble?”

Ospar grimaced. “Not if we can help it. I was about to ask the same of you.”

“A quiet night, thank the ancestors. Maybe we can avoid drama for a change.”

“There is always hope, isn’t there? I have heard of miracles.”

That earned chuckles from everyone. Even Thomas joined in, imitating the adults. He sounded eerily like Ospar when he did it, which made Jol and Rivek laugh outright.

Iris wiped the boy’s milk mustache, feeling contentment. She felt strong with the clan’s support. She had no doubt right now that everything had to work out.

* * * *

Ospar settled into his workday. There were the expected complaints filing in from colonists over the curfew, some angry messages about the Griswelds being taken into custody, and an inquiry from the Royal Council about the Amgar fire. Still, it was surprisingly quiet for a few hours. Governor Hoover had not stormed into his office yet, making demands both understandable and ridiculous. A recent call to Rivek had disclosed no sign of Conrad Slade trying to reclaim his ex-family. Ospar’s work early that morning might have been called tedious, but after the last few days’ events, he welcomed such dull activities.

Then at mid-morning, everything changed. Jol’s voice called urgently from his open door. “Ospar. Come.”

The Dramok’s head jerked up at the Nobek’s command just in time to see the white blur of a snowsuited figure disappear from his doorway. The halls were abruptly alive with the sound of calls and coms going off. Members of security were racing past, heading towards the shuttle bays.

Ospar cursed, yanking off his robes to reveal his armored formsuit and racing towards the closet to grab his snowsuit. He ran to the door.

Just as he reached it, Borl appeared in the opening, blocking his path. He held his own snowsuit in his hand. “Governor! Something is happening. What is going on?”

Ospar gently but firmly pushed Borl out of his way. “That’s what I’m going to find out. We’ll put our snowsuits on in the shuttle.”

More members of Jol’s security force were zapping past the administrative workers, who faded into their offices to get out of the way. Ospar joined the rushing Nobeks to get to the shuttle bay and arrived seconds later with Borl at his heels. The two Dramoks boarded Jol’s vehicle, which was already powered up. The hatch immediately closed behind them, and Jol, with Nobek Korsmi sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, took off.

Ospar struggled into his snowsuit. “What’s happening?”

“I received a report of several armed colonists threatening the space launch pad. Strap in. I’m going to take it to top speed.”

Ospar and Borl took the passenger seats in front of the shuttle’s prisoner confinement area. They strapped in and engaged the field that would keep them locked in.

Armed colonists. Maybe the E.I.K. was getting even bolder, now openly attacking rather than skulking around. Inwardly, Ospar cursed himself. He should have known things were going too well this morning. However, he had a tendency to look at the bright side of any situation. The knowledge that the trouble was located all the way at the opposite end of the colony, away from the temple where Rivek, Iris, and Thomas were, was a comfort. As consolations went, it wasn’t so bad.

* * * *

Iris watched Rivek carefully as he readied to attack her. His stunning face was bestial with ferocity, his eyes nearly hidden beneath his lowered brows. His lips wrinkled back from his teeth in an animal snarl. To see her gentle, kind Imdiko looking every bit as violent as Jol frightened Iris on a primitive level. Had she not trusted the priest with every fiber of her being, she would be screaming right now.

He was crouched low, his body weaving with serpentine grace as he crept a little forward, trying to unnerve her and make her bolt. Running would make her more vulnerable to his attack, when it came. “You can’t defend yourself when your back is to the attacker,” Rivek had told her. “Unless you have reason to believe you can reach safety, you must be ready to face someone who would do you harm and fight them off.”

Iris understood his instruction and accepted the truth of it. However, it was one thing to know something in her head and still not obey the instinct to run from something so much bigger and more powerful than she. Even though she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Rivek would not hurt her.

Rivek crept closer, only a lunge away. Iris kept an eye on the center of his body, his naked torso complicated with undulating muscles as he readied to spring. His right hand jerked up, but his body leaned left, letting her know that was the way he was coming at her. The Imdiko rushed at her, and she hurtled down and to the right, rolling so that her body collided with his shins. He tripped over her, hitting the padded floor hard as she spun clear of him.

Iris gained her feet, bouncing up and down in triumph. She grinned, proud of herself. “I did it!”

Rivek laughed from his prone position on the floor. “Indeed you did! Well done. But instead of celebrating, you should be grabbing a weapon and finishing me off or running and screaming for help.”

“Picky, picky,” Iris said. She wrinkled her nose at the Imdiko. “Besides, I know more about defense right now than I do about attacking. With my luck, I’d only make you mad rather than hurt you.”

Rivek was on his bare feet again, moving faster than her eyes could follow. “I realize I’ve only shown you how to avoid offensive moves. Still, I’d like to see some initiative, my Matara,” he gently rebuked her. “Now prepare yourself for another assault.”