Cosmos' Promise: Cosmos' Gateway Book 4 (15 page)

Terra shook her head and smiled. “Only about fifty times. But I’m not complaining,” she added teasingly.

“Cosmos, sweetheart. I’m sorry to break up your intimate moment but your folks are calling,” RITA’s cheerful voice sounded over the sound system.

Cosmos lowered his head with a groan. He had only talked to them a couple of times over the last four months. They had been in Hong Kong working on a huge project and except for a few brief conversations he hadn’t had much time to ask more than how the project was going and how they were doing. He tried to contact them at least once a month knowing that both of his parents lost track of time when they were in the middle of something. He had always been the glue that kept them together. They weren’t bad parents, just single minded when they were working on something which was almost always.

Raising his head and releasing his breath, he looked into Terra’s eyes. She had a supportive, if teasing, smile on her face. They had talked about how he was going to introduce her to them. He was still stuck on the part where he said, ‘Hey mom - dad, I’d like you to meet my mate. She’s an alien.’ Yeah, that just didn’t sound like something you told your parents over the phone.

“Patch them through, RITA,” Cosmos called out before he grinned at Terra. “Maybe I could ask them to take a few days off and we could fly to Hong Kong and meet up with them.”

“That would be wonderful,” she said, nervously biting her lip.

“They’ll love you,” he assured her just as his mother’s voice came over the speaker.

“Cos… Cosmos,” his mother said in a trembling voice.

Cosmos knew immediately that something was wrong. He could hear the fear in her voice. His head jerked around toward the monitor and to the picture of the man standing next to Afon Dolinski. The man’s cold eyes stared silently back at him. Dread clawed at his stomach as he realized he was right – Avilov was not only alive but the son-of-a-bitch was declaring war on Cosmos.

Chapter 14

Cosmos typed in a command for RITA to trace the call and record it. A quick flash across the screen showed she was already on it. Cosmos took a deep, steady breath even though his heart was pounding.

“Hi Mom, how are you?” Cosmos asked casually as his fingers flew across the keyboard.

“She is not doing too well, Mr. Raines,” a slightly accented voice smoothly replied. “It would appear that she and your father do not care for their current accommodations. A shame, don’t you think?”

“What do you want, Avilov?” Cosmos demanded, not even bothering to pretend he didn’t know who was behind the call.

Avilov’s cold chuckle sent shivers down Cosmos’ spine. “I want information, Mr. Raines. I have something of yours and I want to know where it came from. I thought to ask your parents for help but it would appear they were blissfully unaware of your little experiment and your new friend. Unfortunately, I didn’t believe them at first.”

“You son-of-a-bitch, I’ll kill you if you hurt them,” Cosmos snarled out. “I’ll fucking rip your heart out and shove it down your throat.”

Avilov laughed again. “I believe you really think you could kill someone but I’ve studied you, Mr. Raines. You are too much like your father. You like to keep your head in your inventions and your eyes on the pretty ladies, including the one by your side now. Such beauty, much like your mother. It is a shame about your father. I’m sure he was wishing he could have protected her as she watched him die.”

Cosmos’ hands trembled as he gripped the desk in front of him. “Mom?” Cosmos called out hoarsely.

“He killed him, Cosmos,” his mother cried. “Your dad… he killed him,” she sobbed out.

“Your mother will join your father but not as quickly if you are not in the following location by midnight tomorrow night,” Avilov said coldly. “Do not try anything, Mr. Raines, or I will send her to you piece by piece.”

Cosmos sat frozen as the connection ended. Terra reached over with a trembling hand to touch his shoulder but he jerked away, standing up and walking over to the railing looking over the initial Gateway. His fingers turned white as he gripped the railing, wishing fervently that it was Avilov’s neck instead.

Cosmos?
Terra called softly.

Grief raged through Cosmos as he thought about his quiet, eccentric father who loved to tinker on things that would make the world a better place. He closed his eyes as he fought the pain swamping him knowing that he was the reason his kindhearted father was dead. He hadn’t even taken the time the last couple of months to see his parents much less talk to them for more than a few minutes. He turned, opening eyes that burned with tears that he refused to let fall. He had brought this darkness to his family, he would end it. He would get his mother away from Avilov and he would kill him.

“Together!” Terra said sharply, standing up and slowly walking toward him. “You are not to blame for this. The man who did it is responsible. Together, we will stop him.”

Cosmos shook his head. “Not this time, Terra. I need to do this without worrying about you. I need…” He paused to take a deep breath. “I’ll get her out of there. I need you back on Baade with your father and brothers. I have to know you are safe. I’ll send my mom through the Gateway to you. She’ll need… she’ll need support. She has never spent a night away from him. Hell, he even slept on the damn floor when I was born so they could be together,” he choked out.

“Cosmos,” Terra said reaching up to touch his cheek. She ignored the hurt when he turned his face away from her touch. “Talk to my father. He can help. We are one now. If you die, so do I. You must understand that our bond links our lives together. It is not like your world where your mother will live on. Our joining is a connection of the soul, mind, and body.”

Cosmos turned back to look at Terra. The quiet resolve and compassion in her eyes was his undoing. He didn’t resist when she wound her arms around his waist and held him tightly against her warm body. Lowering his head until it was buried in her hair, he wrapped his arms around her. His body trembled as silent tears coursed down his cheeks dampening her hair and neck. She held him close as pain and sorrow swept through him. He felt her inside of him, soothing his soul with her calm strength. After several long minutes he pulled back and looked down at her with a heavy heart.

“I need to ask your dad a favor,” Cosmos choked out.

“He and my brothers will not let you fight alone,” she assured him tenderly. “And my mother, the other women and I will be there for your mother.”

“Thank you,” Cosmos said hoarsely.

“There is no need to thank me,” Terra replied tenderly. “I love you, Cosmos Raines. You are a good man with a good heart. Never forget that. Your mother and father would be proud to know what you do for your world. Never doubt that.”

Cosmos’ eyes filled with sorrow at the mention of his father. “He’ll never know now.”

“I bet you he already knew,” Terra murmured. “Let us go. We do not have much time.”

“Fortunately, Avilov has no idea that we can be there quicker than he expects traveling through the Gateway. I need to get a few things together. Be ready to go in twenty minutes,” Cosmos said as his eyes hardened with determination. “RITA, I want the location of that son-of-a-bitch and every ounce of information, including any surrounding surveillance video, downloaded to your sister by the time we leave.”

“I’m on it, Cosmos,” RITA said quietly. “I’ll do what I can remotely. I’m sorry for your loss. I really liked your dad.”

Cosmos paused as he turned toward the lower level and the lab he had below this one where he kept his prototype equipment. He paused, pushing the grief behind the wall he had built years ago. His mind was racing as he thought of what he would need to take.

“Thanks, RITA,” Cosmos said in a steely voice. “Let’s move.”

*.*.*

Avilov nodded to the man holding the sobbing mother of Cosmos Raines. Her dead husband lay at an awkward angle on the floor of the warehouse where he had fallen after Avilov ordered Frazer, one of the new men he had hired, to shoot the man. Avilov had been furious at the man’s insistence that he and his wife knew nothing of aliens or his son’s inventions.

“Take her to a room and lock her in,” Avilov said turning away. “Get someone to dump the body,” he started to say before a malicious smile curved his lips. “On second thought, string it up. I want Raines to see it. That should loosen his tongue. If it doesn’t, his mother will join her husband.”

Afon nodded. He barked out a few sharp commands and two of the men with them quickly moved to take the body of Adam Raines. His eyes followed the man who looked nothing like he did four months ago. The visit to the plastic surgeon along with his weight loss, change in hair color and contact lenses made Avilov a totally different man. That was how they were able to travel to Hong Kong to meet up with the contacts Afon had waiting for them.

“Do you want me to give the signal for the Team Leader to move in on Raines?” Afon asked quietly. “He will not be prepared for an attack now and will be vulnerable due to the news of his father and mother.”

Avilov looked at Afon and shook his head. “No. I don’t want to take a chance of Raines getting hurt. He will come to me. Have your men go in after he leaves. I want the girl captured alive in case having his mother is not enough of an incentive. I also want any equipment they find delivered to the warehouse in Washington, D.C.”

“What should I tell the doctor holding the silver-eyed man?” Afon asked. “Should we terminate him? The doctor has grown frustrated as the man continues to resist.”

Avilov scowled. He was down to one doctor and three men thanks to that alien. The man had either killed or run off the other doctors and security personnel. Avilov had ordered the ones that ran terminated. Unfortunately, Afon had not been able to find replacements yet. They had to move the bastard a half dozen times in the past four and a half months. They were currently using a private clinic for patients with mental disorders outside of Reno, Nevada.

“I’ve told you before, until we know where he came from and what he is capable of he is to be kept alive,” Avilov snapped.

Afon’s mouth tightened but he refrained from voicing his opinion. Personally, he felt the huge bastard should have been immediately terminated. The alien was too unpredictable to be allowed to remain alive. Even sedated, he was dangerous as the last phone call Afon received proved. The man had been heavily injected with sedatives and had still managed to kill a doctor and two of his men before they were finally able to restrain him. Now, he was locked in a re-enforced cell and chained at his wrists, waist, and ankles.

“Yes, sir,” Afon responded with a bow. “I’ll let the Team Leader know to move in the moment Raines has departed the warehouse.”

“That is all,” Avilov said dismissively as he turned away.

He waited until Afon had walked away before he headed up the stairs to the room that he had converted to his private quarters. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass windows that lined the walkway. He was no longer the dark-haired handsome man he had been before. Now, silver hair and wrinkles creased a face that should have shown a much younger man. Once he had what he wanted he would find another surgeon to restore his good looks. For now, he would hide in plain sight as an old man.

A crooked smile curved his lips as he thought of the beauty that Cosmos had been living with the past four months. He only had a few blurry pictures of her but even that did not hide her soft glowing skin or her rich dark hair. He might just let Raines live long enough to watch as he enjoyed the delicate beauty.

Chapter 15

“Cosmos?” RITA called out.

Cosmos was busy assembling a collection of weapons that he would need to rescue his mother. He needed to be careful as he did not want any of the prototype devices to fall into Avilov or anyone else’s hands. The world was not ready for many of the things he had invented.

His eyes moved to the large vessel that he was in the process of building. The huge black hull was made of a new material he had developed. The craft was designed to transport a pilot and a small three-man crew into hostile areas. It was designed for stealth, speed, maneuverability, and protection against enemy fire. The odd shaped hull looked like something out of a Science Fiction or Comic Book movie.

Or, a Baade reproduction battle skimmer,
Cosmos thought distractedly.

“What is it, RITA?” Cosmos asked as he turned to focus back on what he was doing.

“I’ve been keeping a perimeter check of the warehouse and I think we might have trouble coming. All my calculations are showing a ninety-nine percent chance there is something going on,” she replied.

Cosmos frowned, running his hand over the back of his neck. “What makes you think that? Avilov knows I’m coming to him. There is no reason for him to send in a team to get me.”

“I have a higher than normal concentration of strangers converging around the warehouse. I’ve been monitoring the incoming traffic but it hasn’t varied greatly over the past few months until an hour ago when four vans and two SUVs parked along the back street about three blocks down from the warehouse,” RITA said cautiously. “I know Avilov is expecting you but something isn’t right. I’ve checked his location and it is in a warehouse based in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui District. The warehouse is located off of Cheong Wan Road. I’ve accessed all the video surveillance in the area and uploaded it to RITA2. You were right about Dolinski. He is there.”

Cosmos leaned against the table in front of him and lowered his head, closing his eyes as he tried to clear his mind and think like Avilov. The man wanted him, there was no doubt about that but he wanted something else too. Why would he demand Cosmos travel to him if he was sending a team into his warehouse after the fact?

I have something of yours and I want to know where it came from.
The echo of Avilov’s voice resonated through Cosmos’ mind as he picked up on key sentences from the conversation. His eyes snapped open when he remembered one sentence in particular.
You like to keep your head in your inventions and your eyes on the pretty ladies, including the one by your side now.