Depths Of Desire XW5 (24 page)

“Even so. Now’s the time to move.”

“Agreed.” Torque nodded. Everything was
coming together. Even without direct communications—as long as the squadrons
targeted Daegal’s sting fighters—which he knew they would, this could still
work. “Are your people ready with the diversion we need to take attention off
what we’re doing?”

“Yes. But the Egesa inside the facility
will know that something is happening when we power up and the laser energizes.
This whole building is going to shake. They’ll report.”

“Can Kirk set off more charges at the same
time? The Egesa will think that’s causing the instability issues and additional
noise. Maybe it will fool them long enough for us to take out Daegel.”

“I don’t know.” Jaeda shook her head. “Are
you sure something that simple will fool them? Even amid all the chaos, it
wouldn’t fool me.”

“They’re not as smart as you are…I’m
hoping. But I’m flexible. Do you have a better idea?”

Her expression eased and she chuckled.
“Actually, no. Not at the moment and we’re pressed for time. I’ll get Kirk on
it. Stand down until I give the signal.” She turned and rushed from the room.

Torque smiled. A hell of a situation they
were in but he loved the way Jaeda’s mind worked. She didn’t just listen to
what he said and accept it like many who felt too intimidated to speak up or
challenge him. She analyzed his ideas and questioned him on everything that felt
off to her. He respected that.

* * * * *

Earth’s Orbit

Daegel turned from the computer as one of
his non-Egesa soldiers entered his quarters. “I know,” he said before the man
spoke. “Xylon ships have been tracked on the outer limits.” One of their supply
ships, heading back to Marid, had picked them up before they cloaked. “Do you
have a location on my brother? I can’t raise him on his comm unit.”

“No, Sir. I was coming to tell you that in
addition to the warrior ships detected, we’ve been unable to find the
commander. I didn’t want to comm you about it, in case anyone was listening in.
It’s as if he’s disappeared.”

Daegal thought on that a moment and worry
filled him. Could his brother have been captured? If so, then it meant that
someone on this ship had betrayed them. Maybe a highbred assassin had turned
back to serve Xylon. Or maybe Frost had somehow gotten one of her assassins on
board. He’d gotten spies aboard her ship. “Put the ships on high alert. Send
two squadrons out to intercept the warriors. Continue the search for the
commander. If you can’t key in on his comm then try his trans-conn unit. What’s
the status on enslaving the humans who are still on the planet?”

“The Egesa have hit a snag with the humans.
The militaries are stronger than we’d anticipated. The Egesa soldiers are
starting to drop at an alarming rate—some from wounds by the Earth soldiers,
some from an unknown cause.”

“How alarming a rate?” This made no sense.
The humans were a weak species next to his Egesa soldiers.

The soldier checked his handheld device.
“Those on planet have decreased by thirty percent. More have been sent down to
compensate.”

“And what’s the status on capturing Jaeda
Spargo?”

“We’ve been unable to penetrate the central
control area where she and some others are barricaded. We can get in, but if we
use what we need, we can’t guarantee her safety and we might destroy the access
controls to the vaults.”

He didn’t like the way this was going. He’d
be better off cutting his losses now and regrouping. “Destroy the facility.
We’ll figure out a different way to bring the shifters to heel when the time
comes.”

“We’ll lose all the bounty stored there.
Powerful items that could advantage us.”

“We’ll go in and salvage whatever’s left
after the place is destroyed.” Even if they weren’t able to save many items
from the facility, he’d still gain an advantage, since Earth would no longer
have access to the advanced technology either.

The soldier nodded. “Anything else, Sir?”

He lowered himself into a chair in front of
his computer. “Yes. I’m feeling ill. Send me a healer with a shot of HSF.” He
didn’t like admitting his weakness in front of anyone but it all just sort of
slipped out before he could stop himself. Seemed weakness of mind, as well as weakness
of body, had afflicted him. No matter. After he received another shot of human
spinal fluid, he’d be at full strength again.

“Right away.” The soldier practically ran
from the room.

Once more, Daegal hailed his brother on
their private comm channel. Where was he? He suddenly wondered if the soldier
who’d just left might be part of a group waiting for him and his brother to
become too weak to command. Maybe that was paranoid. But he hadn’t attained his
power by trusting others. Instead he’d eliminated anyone in his way, including
his own mate, when he’d discovered her betrayal.

Daegal laid his head on the desk and
muttered, “No fucking loyalty anymore…”

* * * * *

Planet Earth, State of Colorado, U.S.A.

Underground Tracking Facility

A group of Egesa soldiers ran down the
corridor.

Halah pulled Leila into a side passage.
“This way.”

Leila peeked around a column. “What’s going
on?” she asked, pulling out of Halah’s grasp. She was getting tired of being
dragged around by the woman. Movement could be seen and heard everywhere.
Something was definitely happening.

“There’s a major power drain going on.”
Corridors began to go dark around them. “Looks to me like the Egesa are getting
the hell out of here. Fast.”

“The facility is breaking down.” The
realization hit Leila like a rock to the head. That was the only reason she
could think of for them to be racing out of here as if their lives depended on
it.

“Or the Egesa are getting ready to blow the
place. Either way, it’s bad news. Make your way back out the way we came. I’ll
find the others.”

Run away? Like a coward? Hardly. “I’m
staying with you. I’m a warrior too and will not abandon our people here.”

“I’m ranking officer. Do as I say. Go!”
Halah took off and disappeared among the guards.

“Halah!” Leila gave out a sigh of
frustration. That woman had no concept of how to lead or work with others. She
was a one-woman ticking time bomb.

Halah had probably headed toward the
control section, but she’d seen a facility map and decided to make her way
toward the artillery section. That’s where the weapons were. That’s where the
special bullets to defeat the Egesa were being created and housed. That’s where
Torque would go, eventually. She knew the man better than Halah. When the area
looked clear, she took off and headed for the stairs. The lift would be too
dangerous and could open up to a whole team of Egesa on the other side.

The staircase door creaked when she pulled
the handle. She cringed. It probably sounded louder to her ears than it really
was. She looked inside. Deserted. Good. She slipped past the door and let it
fall closed behind her. Then she headed up. Her boots clanked on the metal
steps. Damn human construction. She could take them off, but if she had to run,
she could move faster with them on. Instead, she slowed her steps to cover the
sound, stopping every few feet to listen. All remained quiet.

Suddenly her vid-cell crackled and a
garbled voice spoke. She jumped and her heart about leapt out of her chest. She
grabbed it from her jacket. “Torque?” She adjusted the volume.

“Leila?”

“Erik! Is that you?” A huge weight lifted
from her shoulders. She hoped she wasn’t just hearing what she wanted to hear.

“Yes, it’s me. It’s so good to hear your
voice, baby. Xylon’s grid is back online. We modified the signal, hoping we’d
be able to pick one of you up. Are you all right? I thought the Egesa had you.”

“They did. I got away. I’m in an
underground tracking facility but I don’t have the exact coordinates. Halah
took off inside without me. Torque is here somewhere too. Brianna and Sam are
outside the facility, but I don’t know where they are. Erik, the Egesa are
rushing out of here in droves. Halah thinks Daegal is going to blow the place.
Erik, can you hear me?” She shook the unit. “Erik? Damn it!”

She really hoped they were already orbiting
Earth and in a position to help. She continued up the stairs. When she reached
the floor where the artillery section was located, the door swung open and an
Egesa soldier stepped out. They both froze and stood staring at each other. She
could actually hear her own heart beating.

He made a guttural sound and reached toward
the weapon on his belt. She reached inside her jacket and curled her fingers
around the disruptor she’d stolen while aboard Daegal’s ship…

* * * * *

Deep Space

“Sting fighters are heading our way,”
Braden told Erik.

“I’ve lost contact with Leila.”

“I need your attention with me right now,
man.”

“Yeah.” Erik turned from the comm panel.
“I’m with you.” He studied the tracking screen. “The Egesa are creating a
blanket. They know we’re out here somewhere. I recognize this pattern. They’re
going to try to force collisions. Do we evade or engage?”

Braden spoke into the comm channel.
“Everyone de-cloak and engage. Don’t get too close to those fighters. They’re
setting up for a bash-and-smash. Watch your weapons’ stores and fuel. That’s
all you’ve got until our supply ships show up.”

“I’m reading another group of ships
following the sting fighters,” Erik announced. “I don’t recognize the signature
of the ships.”

Braden looked at the readout. “It’s Frost.
She’s covering from the rear.”

“Covering us or them?”

Braden shook his head, not sure what to
think. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” He spoke into the comm channel
again. “Hold fire against any ship that isn’t a sting fighter unless fired
upon. We’ve got other vessels out here and cannot absolutely confirm whether
they’re friend or foe.”

Braden knew Frost well enough to know that
she sided with whomever she thought could get her what she wanted. And right
now, they both wanted Daegal dead. Or so he suspected that’s what she wanted.
So he was bargaining that, at least temporarily, she wouldn’t shoot down any
Xylon ships.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Erik
grabbed the weapon’s control and switched to manual. “Here they come!”

Braden switched more power to the front
shields as he lead the squadron forward. The sting fighters were now close
enough for visual confirmation and Erik fired first. Not standard procedure and
Braden glanced over at him.

Erik shrugged. “Payback.”

“Works for me.” Braden flew straight at the
damaged ship, which Erik took out before it could return fire.

Their ship shook as it took fire from both
sides. Reports of sting fighters destroyed as well as damaged Xylon ships
flooded in.

“We’ve got three on our tail,” Erik
announced.

“I see them.” Braden took evasive maneuvers
but he couldn’t shake them. They fired and the ship again shook violently.
“We’ve got shield damage.”

“I can’t hit them! You’ve got to get me a
better position.”

“Working on it!” A loud pop echoed in the
back of the orbiter.

“Damn it. They’ve damaged our rear firing
system.” Erik jumped up. “I can fix it.”

Braden switched weapons’ control to
automatic. “I need rear coverage,” he shouted into the comm. The ship shook and
flew wildly to port side as they took another hit.

Erik gave out a loud moan of pain,
immediately drawing Braden’s attention. He turned to see that the man had been
knocked into the engineering alcove. “Are you all right?” When he didn’t
answer, Braden’s heart lurched. “Erik!” Three Xylon fighters were covering his
ship, so he engaged the autopilot for evasive maneuvers, jumped out of the
control seat and rushed to Erik’s side. “What happened?”

Erik jerked forward then slid to the ground
at Braden’s feet. Braden stood stunned. He fell to his knees beside his friend.
He glanced up to see blood dripping off a post. Erik had been impaled on a
steel rod and had pulled himself free. “Shit.” If he’d been wearing his jacket,
it never would have penetrated. Blood gushed from the wound on Erik’s lower
left side. Braden scrambled to his feet and rushed to retrieve a medical kit.
When he returned, he packed the injured area as best as he could.

Another blast hit the ship, almost knocking
him off balance. “Damn it,” he muttered.

“It’s bad, Braden,” Erik forced out with a
weak voice.

“You’re a warrior. You’ll heal.”

He shook his head. “Not in time. Not
without help. I need Leila.”

“We’re not close enough to materialize her
aboard.” The fighting had forced them farther out from the planet.

“Get close enough.”

Braden jumped up and returned to the
control seat. “Clear a path for me,” he spoke into the comm. “I’m heading for
Earth.” He switched channels. “Frost, I’m headed your way. Don’t try to stop me
or my squadrons will destroy your ships. I need to get Leila aboard.”

The channel crackled and he heard Frost’s
voice. “We’ll cover you, Braden. What’s wrong? I can materialize my own healer
over to you, if needed.”

She almost sounded concerned, but he knew
better. “Just move aside.” He diverted power from weapons control into the
engine and shields. Their chip tracking programs still weren’t functional, so
he engaged the computer to key on Leila’s vid-cell. He’d locked in the code
when Erik had briefly managed to raise her earlier.

As soon as he made orbit and had her
location, he lowered the shields and hit the switch to materialize her aboard.
He quickly reengaged the shields before turning toward her. As she stood in the
middle of the orbiter, she looked disoriented and blinked several times. He
jumped out of the control seat and headed toward her. “Leila—”