Autonomy: Book 2 in the Invasion Day series (3 page)

By that evening, they had hundreds of photos, and Gage backed them up while Kyra changed into a figure hugging dress for another night out on the town. They started at one of the clubs their new friends at the bar had told them about the night before, and it wasn’t long until they were both chatting with civilians like the pretend couple of friendly tourists they were portraying. There were young men and women all over the old city, and she knew now that it was a bustling metropolis for the up and coming middle-classes. Kyra hoped that if she hadn’t joined the army, she might’ve eventually found herself in a similar place to this in a business sector role, and found herself dreaming of the different life she could’ve had away from the strict regime she’d pledged her life to after leaving high school. In another life, she could’ve truly become like Kiki, and she had to wonder if it might’ve been a better or worse life without her new Thrakorian friends in it.

On their way back to the hotel, the pair stopped by the same bar from the night before for a nightcap, and were pleased to find a warm welcome awaiting them. Both Kyra and Gage made an effort to talk with the locals and other tourists again, and by the time they returned to their hotel, each had made up their minds.

“I want to attend the meeting,” she told Gage, after they were sure the room was clear. “They trust us, and by the looks of things, there are far more humans interested in joining the rebels than we ever anticipated.”

“I agree,” he replied, and Kyra was glad. “This is bigger than we could’ve imagined, and these symbols were clearly meant for only the middle and upper-class humans to find. Those two recruiters—Andreas and Marko—aren’t looking for scumbags to fight for their cause. They’re looking for clever, educated people to join them, and expressed a clear interest in the pair of us,” he added. Kyra was pleased to hear it, and had noticed Gage talking quietly to the two men before closing time at the bar again. At the time she’d played it cool, but was happy to hear they had seemingly picked Gage out as a prime candidate.

Kyra kicked off her high heels and was just about to unzip her dress, when the door burst open, and an entire squadron of police officers stormed into their hotel room with their weapons held high. She spotted a mixture of humans and Thrakorian’s in the team, but wasn’t given the opportunity to ask any of them what was going on when she was forced down onto her knees. She was then stunned into silence when a face she knew well appeared from around the doorway. Silas’ older brother, Tarquin stormed over to where the strong Thrakorian soldiers had them at the ready, and he scowled down at her. Their hands were then tied behind their backs, and each of them stayed silent while the officers took their places in a circle around them.

“Timmy and Kiki Paynter, you are both under arrest,” he told them in a loud tone that she assumed was for the benefit of any other travellers who might’ve met them over the past two days and could possibly be listening in on the chaos.

Kyra was pleased to discover he wasn’t keen on blowing their cover, and she nodded in understanding, then looked over her shoulder when she heard rustling from behind her. A human soldier was quickly packing up their equipment and notes, and he handed the pack over to Tarq. He then leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Anything else I need to grab before we go?”

“Wardrobe, there’s a backup drive,” she answered almost silently, and he quickly searched the small cupboard for the device. Once located, he stashed the drive and then nodded to his men, two of which grabbed the prisoners by their bound wrists from behind and pushed them towards the doorway with a forceful shove. Kyra played her role right until the doors closed on the police truck, and fought the entire way down the stairs and out into the street. She cursed and kicked at the hold the policeman had on her, and in the end, a Thrakorian soldier stepped in to take charge of their prisoner, as it seemed she was too much for the human one to handle. Once inside the van, she ceased her struggle and grinned at the man who’d initially led her.

“You kicked me in the nuts,” he informed her, clearly annoyed that she was so pleased with herself, and she shrugged.

“Whatever. You should’ve been ready for a bit of a fight. Where are you taking us, anyway?” she asked, and it was Tarquin who answered from the front of the truck.

“Out of the city to a holding facility, just as we would with real rebel threats. We won’t blow your cover though, so I hope you’re ready to sit in cuffs for a few hours,” he told her, and Kyra wriggled her shoulders before pulling her arms beneath her and around to the front.

“I don’t mind at all,” she answered with a smile, and then turned to look at him again. “So, who intervened with our mission?” she quizzed, and Tarq laughed loudly at her gall.

“Who do you think? He’s meeting us there and then taking you two back to The Tower for debriefing.” That shut her up, and Kyra sat back in her seat while Gage tried his hardest to wriggle his arms beneath him like she had. He seemed to be struggling though, and soon gave up.

Kyra knew they were in for a huge telling off when Thrayke caught up with them, but she decided to do her best to ensure Gage wasn’t punished for taking her on the mission that was all her idea. She’d make him listen to their findings, even if she had to take the brunt of Thrayke’s anger first. They had conclusive evidence of immense rebel activity, and she wasn’t sorry for having sneaked away in order to get it.

Chapter Three

Kyra, Gage, and their team of police officers were barely through the door when Thrayke stormed over to intercept them. He was bristling with anger, just like she’d thought he would be, and for the first time she felt the true force of the hardened soldier and renowned warrior’s wrath. He was terrifying, and so far all he’d done was stare her down. She trembled, cowering before him, and couldn’t quite meet his gaze.

“Take them both to holding cells, and send an Inquisitor in to get this one’s story,” he bellowed, and chest poked Gage before he was led away.

“No, please don’t interrogate him. It was all my idea,” Kyra pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears. Thrayke wasn’t entertaining any niceties, and he seemed intent on punishing them both for having put together a secret mission while his back was turned.

“She’s with me,” was all he said, not even looking at her. He then stalked away, and she followed behind him with Tarq and a couple of the others. When Thrayke reached a room at the far end of the hallway, he opened a door and ushered her inside, but then put up his hand to halt the others from following her in. “I’ll take it from here,” he told them, and after Kyra took a seat behind the huge desk she finally looked up at him properly. The daunting Besieger watched the men retreat, as though not wanting to be overheard, and her suspicions were confirmed when he then unplugged the recording system and pressed a button that she knew would deactivate the two-way mirror.

“Please just hear me out,” she mumbled, but knew he wasn’t in the mood to listen to her appeal. Thrayke marched up and down before her, and Kyra was becoming more and more uncomfortable as she watched him pace. “I did what I had to so we’d know for sure—”

Thrayke cut her off before she could finish her plea by roaring with such powerful rage that she froze. Kyra went to cover her ears, but realized her hands were still tied, so was forced to sit trembling in her seat as he bellowed. She watched him in shock, and knew she’d messed up tremendously. She’d never seen Thrayke raise his voice at all, let alone give out a pained war cry like that, and silent tears quickly fell from her eyes. Kyra didn’t dare say another word, but held her head high regardless of her fear.

He slammed his huge hands down onto the table before her, and then wrenched the heavy metal desk up off the ground with ease. It went flying against the wall and broke into pieces, but Thrayke wasn’t done. He trashed everything in sight, from the light fittings to the camera equipment still mounted on the wall, and eventually the walls themselves. He pounded holes the size of melons into the cement, while Kyra could do nothing but sit in wait for his rage to subside.

“You defied a direct order from the King,” he eventually yelled, and turned to face her at last. Thrayke peered down at Kyra in the dim light coming only by the glow filtering in from the hallway now that he’d trashed everything else, and he then fell to his knees before her. His face was just inches from hers, and she could feel his panted breath on her face. “He’ll have you punished for this, or worse, and I won’t be able to protect you. Not from him. Why would you do this? Your covert mission is tantamount to treason…”

“No, he wouldn’t do that,” she replied, shaking her head. She had to believe Kronus wouldn’t hurt her, even though he’d treated her terribly during their meeting. “I told him I was correct with the symbols, and how I wanted to serve him. He said to leave it alone, but it wasn’t an order.” Thinking back, his words had been for her to give it up and go back to her other work, and the sinking feeling in her gut told her Thrayke was right to be so angry. She’d underestimated how Kronus’ word was clearly always law, and immediately began to panic.

“He told me to get you in line or else send you away,” he told her, and leaned in to kiss her cheek so delicately it was as though his outburst from just moments before hadn’t even happened. His lips then trailed to hers, but he only gave her a chaste peck. “And he demanded I stop seeing you.”

“What?” she blurted out, and grabbed his face as best she could with her bound hands. Thrayke pulled the cuffs free without batting an eye, and he then leaned into her hold for just a moment, clearly struggling with the order that he walk away, too. “He can’t do that,” she told him, but knew it was pointless. Of course he could, and for reasons she couldn’t understand, it seemed Kronus was intent on making her life hell simply for having come back into his. “What will he do to me?” she had to ask, even if she despised his answer.

“All I know is that the Lawbringer is on his way to sentence you. He might even go as far as to order you to be killed for treason, or perhaps sent to the convict camps to serve out the rest of your days there. Either way, you’ll potentially lose everything you’ve worked so hard for, Kyra.” Thrayke wrenched himself away from her and sat a few feet away with his head in his hands. “What did you say to anger him?” he mumbled, and she could tell he was genuinely dumfounded by King Kronus’ response to her visit.

Kyra slid off the chair onto her knees so she could shuffle over to him, and when Thrayke looked up at her, rather than hold him again like he clearly expected, she delivered the hardest slap across his cheek she could muster.

“You coward!” she cried, and then crumbled in defeat, folding in on herself. “All of this, I did for you. I did it because you made me promises and let me believe in this cause—in
your
King. He’s a bored aristocrat and you’re all a bunch of ‘yes-men’ who run his planet for him.” Thrayke pounced on her before she could utter another word, and he pinned her to the floor using her arms and the sheer force of his powerful body.

“I suggest you shut your mouth right now, Kyra. You don’t know anything about him or our cause,” he shouted down at her, but still didn’t deny that her words might be true.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I met him once, a long time ago,” she informed him, and then smiled when his eyes widened. “Back when he cared and was kind enough to show it. He saved my life.”

“You’re the girl, aren’t you?” Thrayke asked incredulously, and he paled, climbing off her. “The soldiers who escorted him that night were talking about a girl he found on Invasion Day, and how he saved her from being caught in a rose bush. It was the first humane thing he’d ever done, and probably the last. How hadn’t I put it together when you told me the story before? And why didn’t you just tell me the full tale of that night in the first place?”

“Because she never told anyone,” a voice from the doorway answered him, and they both turned to look up at the man who’d joined them in the now devastated interrogation room. King Kronus stood in the beam of light streaming in from the hall, and he almost blocked it out thanks to his immense frame.

Thrayke jumped up to his feet and pulled Kyra along with him. They both stood staring at Kronus like he might be some shared apparition, and he gave them a few seconds to let his presence register. “Can I have a word?” he then asked, and Thrayke walked toward him.

“Of course, sire,” he answered, but Kronus shook his head.

“With her,” he corrected him, and while he wasn’t happy, Thrayke seemed to accept the fact he had no choice but to acquiesce and leave them alone. He stepped out past the King, and Kyra heard him slam the door at the end of the hall closed in his temper. Kronus ignored his adviser’s upset, and instead watched her intently. She could just about see him in the dark, and despite the fact he hadn’t said anything, felt relieved that he’d come instead of the infamous Lawbringer.

Kyra hoped his presence meant he’d changed his mind, or at least come to pardon her misdemeanors, and she silently implored him to say something, anything. “He’s right, you know,” Kronus finally said, and she stepped closer to the light so she could see him properly. “You’re the one and only kind deed I ever did. All of this,” he indicated the facility, and she guessed he was referring to the entire world around them. “Was my soldiers’ doing. They advised me how and why it was worth keeping you humans alive and in servitude, and have governed for me ever since. I honestly don’t care what happens to your race, only whether or not my people survive.”

“You have to care, surely?” she replied, and couldn’t believe his words might be true, regardless of the evidence she’d seen. “What else would you do? Who would you lead if not this world you claimed? Your people forced us to accept the invasion, to praise you and your reign. And yet, just days ago you treated me like it was the most idiotic person alive to want to serve you.”

“I lead because I was forced to accept this world from my father, not because I care a thing about your kind or this planet,” Kronus answered with a sigh, and he held out his hand for her to take. Kyra hesitated. She didn’t know if she could trust the man standing before her, and wondered if he was about to belittle or chastise her again. Everything about the way he looked, so huge and powerful, yet gentle and kind, reminded her of Invasion Day, and it was confusing being in his presence again. She’d dreamed about that moment her entire life since, and remembered how scared she’d been, however he’d calmed her. She was just as terrified now, but didn’t find comfort in his presence the second time around. “Come here,” Kronus whispered, his hand still outstretched.

“Am I to be punished?” Kyra asked, but he remained perfectly silent and still rather than answer. His hand was still stretching out towards her, and she got the impression he wasn’t used to being made to wait while his subjects deliberated or asked questions. “Are you going to send me away like a convict, or am I to die in the desert like a rebel?” There was still no answer from the god-like creature standing before her. “Why are you here if you don’t care?” Kyra was ranting, she knew, and still he seemed intent on not answering. His command to go to him hadn’t changed, and neither had his stance. King Kronus was a conundrum all right, and she was conscious of how no amount of second-guessing was getting her anywhere.

Kyra realized that she craved what his outstretched hand offered her more than she could say, and without another word from him, she eventually gave in. Like that child she was last time, she yearned for his support and the safety his hold promised, and just like she had on Invasion Day, she took his hand and let him pull her out of the shadows into his embrace.

He wrapped her in his arms and gave Kyra a hug like she’d never felt before. Kronus’ body was so tall and wide against hers that she couldn’t get her arms around him to fully return the hold, and so tucked her hands around his waist and gripped the sides of his dark shirt. She was trembling uncontrollably, and guessed it was all to do with the whirlwind of emotion she was currently feeling. Being close to him was wonderful, but it also made her crazy with worry and confusion. She couldn’t understand his body language or guess his moods, and knew he was something so far out of her league she might never be able to. “Why do you care?” she whimpered against him, and she heard a deep sigh fill his lungs as Kronus breathed her in.

“With you, I can’t help but care. While I couldn’t understand it, I knew I couldn’t stay away once I found you again,” he whispered to her. “You…infect me. I feel warm and worthy in your presence, like I’m ready to take the world from your tiny shoulders and carry that burden as my own, but also as if I failed you profoundly by even letting it weigh so heavily on you in the first place. I’m sorry I was so awful before, but you genuinely caught me off guard and that doesn’t happen—ever.” Kyra couldn’t fight her shock at his intense explanation, but had to admit he’d helped her understand a little better and she was glad he’d decided to be so honest.

“You were so mean,” she mumbled into his chest. “All my life I’ve taken pride in serving the man who saved me on that rooftop, and I did it out of respect and…” she paused, but forced herself to be honest as well, and to admit her feelings toward him at long last. “And love.”

“There’s nothing lovable about me, Kyra. The sooner you realize that the better,” Kronus told her, and released her from his grasp as though she’d offended him again. Kyra knew then how he had a habit of lashing out rather than face his emotions head on, and could tell he was doing the same as he’d done at that meeting. Kronus couldn’t handle her expression of adoration for him, just as he hadn’t handled her initial outpouring of devotion, and so was pushing her away again. This time though, she was onto him, and didn’t let it upset her. “You won’t be punished for defying me, but I’d better not hear about you gallivanting off on secret missions again,” he added, and she simply nodded. “Go back to The Tower and carry on with your work. That’s where I need you, not out here among the rebels where you might get hurt.”

While she was glad to be allowed back to normal work, Kyra couldn’t help feeling like he was telling her goodbye again. Their eyes met and he held her gaze, just as they had in the Chief of Defense’s skyscraper. This time, she finally saw through the pretense and could see the emptiness in them, as well as the lack of drive or purpose in his life. No matter how awful he’d been, she still cared tremendously for this huge beast of a man who seemed emptier than anyone she’d ever known, and Kyra genuinely didn’t want this to be the last time she saw him.

“Will I ever see you again?” she asked, not dropping her eyes from his.

“I doubt it,” he answered with a shrug. Kyra hated how he could switch from warm to cold so quickly, and silently cursed his aloofness. “Just do your job and stay safe. I won’t offer you anything more than you already have. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

“In that case, I’d better let you go back to your tragic, empty life with nothing but yourself for company,” she retorted sharply, and knew she was overstepping the boundaries again, but couldn’t help herself. It was her turn to be angry, and if he was allowed to lash out, then so was she. “I take it you know about me and Thrayke? Well, if you and I are nothing, I’ll continue seeing him as long as I want, which might be for quite some time thanks to the serum your scientists gave me.”