Alphas Unleashed (7 page)

“No!” Hanine whispered fiercely as she laid her fingers against his lips. “Evetta and I have a plan. We are both skilled pilots. I can disable their shuttles. There is an attack shuttle in the lower bay. It had been repaired but never moved. I’ve reprogrammed it. We have to get to it. I will disable all the others.”

“What about the other warship?” Ben asked. “It can still come after us.”

A cold, deadly glint came into Hanine’s eyes. “Not if I shut down the environmental system on this warship. The commanding officers are here. They will need the other warship if they want to live.”

Aaron pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Have I ever told you how much I love you when you are pissed?” He teased her.

Hanine turned and her eyes softened as she stared up at Aaron. “You promised you would perform the ceremony to bind us as is the custom of your people. I am keeping you to your promise.”

“What ceremony?” Evetta asked, turning to look at Ben.

“I asked Hanine to marry me,” Aaron replied with a wicked gleam in his eyes as he raised an eyebrow at his brother. “I want her as my wife.”

“Can we discuss this once we are out of here?” Ben asked gruffly.

“Do you want this marriage with me as well?” Evetta asked Ben as he turned to follow Aaron and Hanine who were moving down the long corridor toward the lower cargo bay again. “Well?” She demanded when he didn’t say anything.

Ben glanced at his brother’s retreating back before gazing down at Evetta who was staring at him with a slightly hurt expression. He tenderly brushed his fingers down along her cheek. Shaking his head in frustration, he brushed a kiss over her pursed lips.

“I wanted to do it right,” he admitted. “As far as I’m concerned, you are already my wife. Evetta, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

“This means you belong to me?” Evetta asked stubbornly.

Ben chuckled before bending down to whisper in her ear. He loved the sharp hiss as she drew in a deep breath and the bright glitter that shone in her eyes when he pulled back. A shaky smile curved her lips as she gazed up at him. He breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded at him.

Chapter 9

“Wait!” Ben hissed, putting his hand out to stop Evetta from entering the access door into the lower bay. “Let us go first.”

“There are only two heat signatures showing,” Hanine whispered back, pointing to the tablet in her hand. “Evetta and I can take care of them.”

“No.” Ben shook his head emphatically. “Aaron and I will take care of them. You and Evetta get to the transport and get it ready. We are going to have to leave in a hurry. You and Evetta know how to operate the transport, Aaron and I don’t.”

“Be careful,” Evetta whispered. “Kill them. It is the only way. If you do not, they will kill you or notify the others.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Aaron responded. “Just be ready to leave as soon as possible.”

Hanine ran her fingers along Aaron’s jaw. “I will shut down the environmental systems just before we depart. This will cause mass confusion. I’ve also set a disruptor to shut down communications but it will only last for about thirty seconds. This will be long enough for us to depart. It will come on about the time they realize that the environmental systems have been shut down,” she explained before brushing a light kiss across his lips. “Be careful, my husband.”

“Give us time to release the locks on the transport before you lower the platform,” Ben murmured in a low voice. “Let’s go, Aaron.”

Hanine waited a few seconds, watching as the two men disappeared further into the bay, before she turned to Evetta. “Are you ready?”

An expression of resignation swept across Evetta’s face when she realized that Hanine planned on transporting them inside the transport. She nodded as the unfamiliar tingling washed over her again. She really needed to ask Hanine where she had learned to use a transporter. As far as she knew, only the Valdier, Sarafin and Curizan races had mastered that technology.

*.*.*

Ben moved slowly behind the large storage crates. Aaron was working his way around the other side of the containers that concealed them for the moment. The two security personnel had separated and were methodically searching the lower repair bay. Ben was thankful this area was used solely for storage and to repair damaged shuttles or battle transports. It did not require a large amount of personnel to maintain it.

It was obvious from the way the two warriors were dressed they were not part of the normal crew. They wore a different uniform than he had seen before. He paused as the warrior he was stalking turned; as if sensing he wasn’t alone. Ben pressed back into the shadows and waited. He could only hope that the male didn’t have the same technology to detect heat signatures that Hanine did. He released a silent sigh of relief when the man turned away again.

His eyes swept the area around the transport. He and Aaron needed to pull the release pins on the two clamps holding the transport in place. The transport was bolted down to prevent it from shifting if something were to happen to the warship. Ben turned his eyes back to the male who was walking up under the transport’s left wing.

Gripping the knife he held in his left hand, he silently sprinted the short distance between them. He struck as the male turned, catching him in his right side while his right hand grabbed the male’s left hand, pulling it and the pistol in it, up and away from him. The male yelled out in pain as the blade pierced him. His finger closed in reflex on the trigger of the laser pistol, firing upward into the air.

Ben swiveled around, drawing the blade across the male’s stomach as he twisted the man’s arm behind him. The pistol clattered loudly as it hit the metal floor of the repair bay. Sweat broke out over Ben’s forehead as warm blood flowed over his hands from the deep cut. The male’s fingers blindly searched for his arm but he had already withdrawn the blade and run it across the man’s throat.

He dropped the warrior’s body and turned. He knew that Aaron must have taken care of the other male otherwise he would have been vulnerable while he fought with his target. Turning back to the transport, he rushed to pull the pin on the release holding the locking mechanism on the left side.

He swiveled defensively in a low crouch when he saw a figure approaching him from the corner of his eye. He nodded when he saw it was Aaron approaching before turning back to what he was doing. He focused on releasing the second lock as the platform on the transport lowered and Evetta stepped out.

“Systems are ready,” she called out in an anxious voice. “Hurry! Hanine has set the environmental systems to shut down as soon as the doors to the bay open. She will lock the outer doors open so that no one can enter.” Her eyes widened when she saw the blood covering Ben. “You are hurt?”

Ben stood up and tossed the heavy pin aside. “No, it isn’t mine. Let’s go,” he said, turning to look at Aaron with a frown.

Aaron nodded before stumbling as he took a step forward. His face creased in pain and he turned a deathly white under his naturally tan complexion. He looked down at his blood-stained hand before looking up again.

“I wasn’t so lucky,” he grimaced as his knees started to give out under him.

Ben’s loud curse echoed in the empty bay just as the sound of alarms blared. He rushed forward and wrapped his arm around Aaron’s waist. Evetta hurried forward and grabbed his other side.

“Damn it,” Ben growled. “Let’s go. Aaron, so help me. You keep your ass conscious. I am not losing you, bro. You hear me. We are finally getting off this damn ship! You will not die on me now.”

Aaron chuckled hoarsely before a low groan escaped him. “Are you kidding me? Hanine would kick my ass if I did something as stupid as dying on her.”

Ben gritted his teeth, ignoring his brother’s gasp of pain as he and Evetta half carried, half dragged his ass onto the battle transport. The platform closed behind them. He carefully laid Aaron down on one of the benches that lined the side and held onto him tightly as Evetta yelled for Hanine to get them the hell out of there.

“If anything…if anything happens to me,” Aaron whispered as the transport shot out of the lower repair bay and into space. “Prom…promise me you’ll take care of her.”

Ben’s face hardened as he stared down into the pain-filled eyes of his younger brother. They had been through so much together. He refused to believe he would lose him now that they had a chance of freedom.

“I promise but you better listen to me,” Ben ordered in a low voice. “We are going to get through this just like we’ve gotten through everything else that has happened to us. I can’t…” He stopped to breathe deeply when his throat tightened in fear before forcing himself to continue. “I won’t lose you, Aaron. I won’t.”

Aaron’s eyes closed. “I love you, Ben. I haven’t told you that in a long time but I want you to know,” he whispered before his head fell to the side as he lost consciousness.

Ben looked up at Evetta. She was holding tightly onto the grip bar with one hand. Her other hand held an emergency medical kit. Tears glittered brightly in her eyes but none fell. Instead, a look of determination crossed her face.

“Hanine says several fighters have been deployed,” she informed him. “She told me to tell you to hang on. She is taking us through an asteroid belt. They will not be able to maneuver as well as the transport. Is he dead?”

Ben barely heard the strained question she asked at the end. He shook his head before he nodded to the medic kit. He needed to stop the bleeding. He was applying pressure but could feel the blood still seeping out of the wound.

“No, give me the kit. I’ll take care of him and make sure he is safe while you help Hanine. Don’t tell her yet,” he advised. “She needs to be focused on getting us the hell out of here.”

“Of course,” she replied and handed him the kit. “Please…do not let him die, Ben. Hanine acts tough but this would kill her. I cannot lose her.”

“He isn’t going to die,” he said in a fierce voice. “Go help your sister.”

Evetta nodded and turned, almost falling when the shuttle jerked sideways. Hanine’s voice yelled out from the front for Evetta. Ben watched as Evetta hurried to help her sister before focusing his attention back on Aaron.

He silently cursed when he saw the deep cut to Aaron’s side. He hoped it hadn’t hit any major arteries or organs. Pulling the kit toward him, he worked frantically to save his brother’s life.

*.*.*

Aaron floated in and out of consciousness. He vaguely heard Ben’s curses. Pain exploded through him, sweeping him back into the darkness.

Images floated through his mind. He had rushed the large warrior he was stalking when the male heard Ben’s attack on his partner. His blade had been true, striking across the male’s arm as he raised his pistol to fire at Ben’s unprotected back as his brother struggled with the other warrior.

What he had not expected was for the warrior to recover so quickly. The man had dropped his pistol but he came around with a long blade in his other hand that Aaron hadn’t seen until it was too late.

They had struggled, gripping each other’s arms in a battle of survival. The large male had shoved Aaron backwards causing him to trip. As he fell, he kept his grip on the man’s arms, pulling him forward with him. The warrior’s blade sank deep into his side as his own pierced the front of the man’s chest.

It was only his determination to get to Hanine that gave him the strength to pull the blade from his skin. He had clamped his hand over the wound and staggered to his feet.

Now, he tried to focus on Ben’s voice. He knew they were still in danger. He wanted to stay conscious in case Hanine needed him but the pain was too much. After a few feeble attempts to remain conscious, he felt the cold press of an injector against his neck. Ben was determined to shield him from the pain. A small smile curved his lips as the medication swept through his body.

Always the protective big brother,
Aaron thought before giving into the sedative.

Chapter 10

“He’s getting worse,” Hanine whispered in despair, looking up at Ben and Evetta.

It had been almost two weeks since they had escaped from the warship. They had spent just shy of a week hiding in the asteroid belt. It took another four days to reach the Kardosa Spaceport. Evetta had secured them a rundown apartment in one of the lower level sections. It was the best they could do as they were short on credits. Evetta was working with one of the local ‘traders’ to sell the battle transport they had stolen.

“He needs a doctor,” Ben said in frustration. “We have no more medicine and his wound is infected. If we don’t get help soon, he won’t make it. I am going to see if I can find one.”

“No, it is too dangerous for you to go out,” Evetta said worriedly. “I have not seen any others like you before on this Spaceport. You will draw too much attention.”

Hanine briefly glanced up from where she was sitting on a battered chair next to the bed before turning her gaze back to Aaron. She brushed the damp cloth across his burning forehead. Fear, sorrow and exhaustion swept across her face before being replaced with determination.

“I will find a healer for him. I will not let him die,” Hanine vowed. “Evetta and I will go,” she said, rising from the chair. “We will return with a healer, even if we have to kidnap him. I am the only one who knows how to use the transporter to return here. I’ve had to do some modifications to the program so it is not picked up on the Spaceport’s security grid. I may have to tweak it some more in case they have updated their codes.”