The Bond That Ties Us (19 page)

Now he felt it change. A deeper caring now supplemented the heat.

Her lips finally reached his, gently probing. He felt her tongue slide over his lips in search of its mate. He moved his hands into her long, thick hair to draw her closer.

Their pace didn’t increase, but the intensity of the contact did.

Kamran’s eyes were closed, but the rest of his senses were heightened. Her moans were honey to his ears as she writhed against him. Her scent fed his hunger. He needed her now.

It only took a second to roll Haylie onto her back. Her hair spilled over the white of the soft sheets. Her uniform slid off her with some difficulty, causing Haylie to chuckle.

“I haven’t had this much trouble with my clothing since high school.”

“I hope you weren’t doing
this
in high school.” He covered her breast with his hand, squeezing her nipple until it peaked.

She moaned again and thrashed her head from side to side, once, twice.

“That’s good.” Relief relaxed him. He knew she was experienced, but he didn’t want her thinking about the others.

Only him.

His own clothing was easily discarded. Soon he slid the length of his naked flesh beside hers. The soft contact gave him strength, his body drawing what it needed to heal itself from her. Her leg hooked around his, drawing it up. He shifted his body so he lay on top of her, covering every inch with himself.

They didn’t speak. Haylie opened her legs wide and wrapped them around his back. Her wet pussy now lay against his throbbing shaft. One thrust forward and he was buried to his hilt. He didn’t move at first, relishing the feeling. Then need pushed him on. She met his every action. Never a misstep.

He found her lips again and eagerly kissed her. She clung to him, moaning her pleasure into his mouth, rubbing her nipples against his chest. Her body began to shake, a sign he now knew meant she was close to orgasm. Increasing the tempo, he ground his pelvis hard against her clit. One stroke, two and she cried out with pleasure.

119

He moved his hands to clutch the sheets on either side of her head. He furiously began to pump into her, his own release shouted into the dark of the room.

The sounds of their panting echoed in the otherwise quiet room. He rolled off her, but pulled her back against him, refusing to give up their contact. She said something softly against the pillow.

“What was that?”

She rolled to face him and smiled. “Nothing.”

He couldn’t be sure, but he thought it sounded like she said she loved him. He wanted to ask her about it, but he couldn’t keep his eyes open. His body had used its energy reserves, leaving him spent.

He could hear her steady, deep breathing. She was already asleep. With his eyes shut, it was only a moment before he joined her in oblivion.

At first he thought he was dreaming. A quick look at his surroundings revealed an alien landscape. This time, he was sharing Haylie’s dream. Her mind was warm and welcoming. Kamran sighed and let her peace of mind wrap itself around him. He felt a wisp of her silken hair brush his cheek.

The serenity was suddenly shattered. Kamran jolted as Haylie’s mind screamed out.

Snatches of images of a long hall flashed in his head. She was running, something close behind her.

Haylie!

He tried to warn her, but too late. She turned a corner and right into the arms of a dark man. He couldn’t quite make out the face, although Haylie seemed to recognize him. She opened her mouth to scream, but Kamran couldn’t hear the noise. He was too far away to help.

No, no, no.
He was beside her in bed.
If he could only wake up.

He forced his way through the fog and fought his way into her dream that wasn’t a dream. He stopped suddenly as everything became clear. She was being attacked through her dreams from the outside. They all were.

A surreal feeling of nausea washed through him as he walked down the hall in the direction that the dark man had taken Haylie. The floor and walls rose and fell, twisting in unnatural directions. An eternity seemed to pass as he climbed and crawled his way to Haylie’s last location.

He heard the voice, not with his own ears, but somehow through Haylie’s

“Tell me.” The voice was distorted, highlighted with tin and feedback.

No.
“No.” Haylie’s voice vibrated from the walls.

“I’ll kill him. Then you. You won’t be able to stop me.” The dark man’s voice was smiling at her, teasing in its torture.

Haylie stiffened slightly, before raising her chin. “Bastard.”

120

From out of nowhere, Haylie produced a knife and buried it in the dark man’s shoulder. Kamran tried to cover his ears to protect them from the piercing screams of the enemy before he vanished.

Haylie dropped the knife and it vanished into nothingness before landing upon the floor. She turned to face him, a curious expression on her face.

“Why are you here?”

“I came to help.” Struggling to his feet, he managed to take several steps toward her before collapsing once more.

“It’s not safe for you here.”

“I don’t understand. What’s not safe?”

A strong wind gusted sand into his face and he brought his arm up to shield himself.

“See. You’re too weak. I need to find out what’s in the valley.”

The wind lessened slightly and Kamran could see once more. Haylie was dressed in a long wrap that covered her head, face and upper body.

“Where are you going?”

“The desert. I have to find the valley.”

“Haylie, show me. What valley?”

The landscape shifted again until they were standing in a valley he had been to once before.

“I know this place. The humans call this the Corridor.” Kamran looked around but something didn’t quite add up. The image Haylie was showing him was wrong. There were missing landscapes.

“Haylie, this isn’t right.”

Once again, they were back on the station, but this time in the observation room.

“You need to rest. Go back and sleep. I’ll figure out what is going on.” Haylie smiled.

She then reached up and buried her fingers in his hair. Kamran stilled as she reached up and moved her lips against his cheek in a light kiss. When she pulled away, she wore a sad expression.

“What is wrong?” He tightened his grasp on her waist, afraid to let her go.

“Things have changed for me, but I don’t think they have for you.”

“What things? I don’t understand.”

Kamran started awake with a gasp. The air of his quarters felt heavy and it took effort to slow his breathing down to normal.

Haylie was out of bed and dressed. Her face was pale and her body trembled where she stood. The chair where she must have been sitting was lying tipped over on the floor.

121

“What just happened?” he said softly.

She swallowed. “I woke up shortly after you fell asleep. I got dressed but didn’t want to leave. So I sat down in the chair to watch you sleep for a bit. I must have drifted off.”

“And you dreamed.”

“And you got pulled in also.”

Kamran sat up and welcomed the cool air of his room against his skin.

“This isn’t normal. Briel mates are close, can even read each other’s thoughts occasionally. But not dreams.”

“These aren’t dreams. We’re—”

“Under attack?” he offered.

“That sounds right. But by who?”

“The same person or people who altered the Briel records, organized the explosion and created other disturbances on the station.”

Before they were able to carry that thought further, the door chimed. He quickly dressed in his casual tunic and pants as Haylie righted the overturned chair. She made her way over to the office section of his apartment. It had only taken seconds to erase the intimate surroundings they had enjoyed moments earlier.

His legs shook as he managed to make his way to the door. “Computer, identify.”

“Elderwoman Calla.”

Goddess. “Computer, time.”

“Time is oh-eight-hundred hours.”

“Time is disappearing. Your meeting is when?” Haylie spoke from behind him.

“Not for another hour.”

“Shit.”

Immediately upon opening the door, a tall willowy woman pushed her way inside.

She was followed by several Briel guards he didn’t recognize and Dr. Ray.

“Elder, what can I do for you? Is there a problem that can’t wait until our meeting?”

“Chief Bond, excellent.” Calla spoke, ignoring him.

“Elder.” Haylie made a half bow. The proper sign of respect for a Briel dignitary.

She’d picked up a few of his customs. “I was taking this time to interview the ambassador on what he remembered about the explosion.”

“There’s no need. Though it is fortunate that you are here. It has come to the council’s attention that the ambassador is working with the Ecada to sabotage this colony.”

Kamran felt as if someone had slapped him. “Forgive me, Elder, but what did you say?”

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Calla sniffed her distain. “Do not play games with us. And to think the council held you in such high regard.”

Haylie was now beside him. “My own staff haven’t completed their investigation.

Nor have we discovered anything that would support such a claim. May I inquire as to the nature of your proof?”

“Of course, as humans were also killed by this explosion, we will share everything with you. But not until this villain is safety in a security facility.”

With a flick of her hand, several of the guards approached him. One of whom Kamran recognized as Taber’s second-in-command faced him directly.

“I’m sorry, sir.”

There was nothing he could do. Kamran nodded once and tried to smile as the guard placed the prison bracers on his forearms.

“Does Taber know?”

“Elderwoman Calla thought it best if he was kept away from this matter for the time being.”

“Hurry up. I don’t want him paraded in front of the others.” Calla began to move down the hall, her plain gray robes chasing her.

Haylie touched his forearm. “Don’t worry. I’ll see what they have against you.

We’ll figure this out.”

“Talk to Taber and let him know what is happening. He can help.”

“As you can see, Chief Bond, we have everything under control.” Calla said, her dismissal clear.

Haylie turned to Calla, her tone brisk. “Indeed. Until I can examine your proof, this is an internal Briel matter. I would like copies of everything sent to my office within the hour.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Taber’s second spoke.

There was nothing left for her to say, so Haylie bowed again, cast one last look at him and left the room.

With her gone, Dr. Ray took her vacated spot by Kamran’s side.

“And why are you here, Doctor?”

Dr. Ray kept his voice low, “To make sure nothing happens to my patients.”

The plural use of the word told Kamran that the doctor was on their side. Haylie had at least one other ally. They may survive this after all. That is, if he wasn’t executed for crimes he didn’t commit.

123

Haylie threw her pillows at the wall and let out a wail of pure frustration. The computer beeped at her as she hit the sensor to the communication panel.

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

Sara made her way over to the wall and picked up the discarded items. “Do you want to throw them again? It might help.”

“Piss off, Fergus.”

“Hey now, I didn’t rat out your boyfriend.”

Why Kamran? That was the question that Haylie had been turning over in her mind for several hours now. She’d reviewed every stitch of evidence the Briel had against Kamran. They claimed that the forensics indicated he was the one who planted the bomb. He was caught in the blast by mistake as he was fleeing the scene.
Bullshit
. Pure and utter bullshit. They had also caught snips of an encrypted message between the station and the Ecada home world. The encryption code was Kamran’s and the message was damning.

To add insult to injury, she couldn’t convince the Briel council to let her lead the investigation. It was an “internal matter”. She took the pillow from Sara and threw it again.

“Haylie, please sit. What the hell is going on?”

There was no reason for someone to set up Kamran. They hadn’t discovered anything. Unless her investigation had gotten her closer than she realized.

Haylie stopped pacing. “Maybe ‘what’ isn’t the right question?”

“What do you mean?”

“Instead, maybe we should be asking why?”

Haylie strode over to the bed and sat quickly cross-legged on the edge.

“There have been a number of strange things going on here. The altered documents that no one seems to have changed, the bombing of the Briel meeting and now Kamran’s arrest, have all thrown the station into chaos.”

“Not to mention the increased number of sick patients that we’ve been seeing in med bay.” Sara flopped sideways on Haylie’s bed.

Haylie looked down and ran a hand over Sara’s hair, pushing the blonde strands from her face. Sara looked so tired, probably having been up as much as she had over the past little while.

“What is wrong with them? Anything odd?”

124

“Nothing major. Some broken bones, high levels of radiation showing on their scans. General exhaustion. It turns out that we had a batch of tampered EV suits that didn’t get caught until this last inspection. That sent the union rep into a complete flap.”

“That’s…unbelievable. Those suits are under close guard.” Haylie pinched her eyes.

“Okay, these events have to be related.”

“Did you see anything else in your dreams that can help?”

Sara’s question sent shivers down Haylie’s back. There was a lot in her dreams, but she wasn’t sure how it all tied together. And to make matters worse, the violence had increased.

“Well?” Sara rolled onto her back and crossed her arms across her chest.

Haylie froze. She knew what she needed to ask but desperately didn’t want to drag Sara into the middle of a political nightmare.

“Don’t question why I’m asking you this. Simply answer.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Has Administrator Donaldson come into med bay in the last day with an injury? Say a stab wound?”

“Why the hell would he—”

“Sara?”

Her friend sighed. “No, I haven’t seen him since my first day here. If he was injured, he attended the wound on his own. Or he went to one of the Briel doctors, but I can’t see that happening.”

“Thank you,” Haylie said, completely confused.

She’d seen him. Once more in her dream, threatening her, but this time she’d been able to gain control and fight back. She’d hurt him and damn well knew
that
would show up in the real world. Haylie lay back on the bed and rested her head next to her best friend’s.

Sara lightly tapped her head against Haylie’s. “Hon, I know that the past week has been rough on you. Shit, I can barely believe we’ve only been on the station for such a short time. You need to rest and relax. Get your head about you so you can figure things out.”

Easier said than done.

“I need to talk to Kamran.”

“Then go talk to Kamran,” Sara said, sounding very much like her mother.

“I believe I mentioned he was in jail. Accused of treason.”

“You dumbass. You’re the human chief of security on the station. Can’t you get in and see any prisoner you want?”

Haylie opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out.

Sara pressed on. “Don’t you have an in with your counterpart? Kamran’s friend?”

“Taber.”

125

“Exactly. It seems plausible that you would want to check things out. He can get you in.”

Haylie was on her feet and across the room to the computer vid screen before Sara moved.

“Taber, we need to talk.”

“Ms. Bond. I believe that would be an excellent idea. Your office in ten minutes?”

“I’ll be there.”

She stopped long enough to throw on her boots. Her sleeveless shirt and uniform pants would have to do.

“Hey, be careful,” Sara said and tossed Haylie her blaster.

She caught it easily and tucked it into her holster before heading out the door. After a quick conversation with Taber, she knew everything would be all right. They’d be able to figure out the best course of action to get Kamran out of there. Haylie ignored the few individuals she skirted in the halls. Her progress was slowed as she had to pass through several of the blast doors they’d been forced to close after the explosion. She prayed there wouldn’t be another explosion, but if there was, Haylie wanted to minimize the casualties. Once she finally reached her office, she felt like she could breathe again.

“Computer, privacy screen.”

The windows immediately darkened. The last thing she wanted was to feel like she was on display.

A quick look at her chair told her sitting was out of the question. Instead, she prowled around the room for several minutes until a blinking light from the corner of her eye caught her attention. The lights on her computer indicated a waiting message.

She reached to answer it as the doors to her office opened. Expecting to see Taber, she was surprised by her visitor.

“Dr. Ray? How may I help you?”

The Briel looked concerned, but hesitated before speaking. “Good evening, Chief. I just missed you at your quarters. Sara mentioned you were coming here. I hope I haven’t disturbed anything.”

She smiled and waved him toward a seat as she sat on the edge of her desk. “Not at all. What can I do for you?”

He accepted the chair and smiled warmly. “I’m a bit concerned about Ambassador Kamran. I think his health could very well be affected by his imprisonment.”

She felt the blood drain from her face to pool in her stomach. She fought to keep her reaction in check but knew Ray noticed. She needed to get in and see him.
Now
.

“I’m not sure what I can do to help.” She kept her voice even and tried to sound disinterested in the whole matter. She didn’t want to cause additional problems for Kamran by revealing their bond.

126

“They won’t let me in to see him. They’re limiting access to only a select few who have clearance. I was hoping you might be able to get me in so I could check on him.

Make sure he hasn’t taken a turn for the worst,” he said earnestly, taking a step closer to her.

Something nagged at the back of Haylie’s mind, but she pushed it away. “I am certainly more than willing to help. But I’m not sure what good I’d be to you. The elders have refused my assistance on this case.”

“You are more likely to persuade the guards to let you in than I am. Perhaps you can even get me in to see him. But if not, you could take some readings for me. I worked hard to get him back on his feet. I don’t want to see a good man waste away for no purpose.”

Ray reached forward and grabbed her hands. They were like ice on her palms and she snatched them back instinctively. His only reaction was to smile before he laced his hands behind his back. “Please.”

“Of course. I was planning on visiting the detention block to see if I could check on the ambassador,” she said and smiled. “I’m sure they won’t refuse to let you accompany me.”

“I appreciate that, Chief. Do you think they will let us in to see him now?”

Haylie looked at the clock in her office. Taber was late.

“I actually had an appointment with Taber regarding access to the ambassador.”

Ray sat back releasing her hands. “Oh, Taber won’t be coming.”

Haylie blinked, not liking the fact that Ray seemed to know a lot more about what was going on than he should. “Really?”

“Yes, I saw him and several of his men called away as I was making my way to see you. Not sure where they were going.”

The message on her computer. “Excuse me one moment.” Haylie slid off the desk and made her way over to the console.

The light on the computer was still silently blinking. She reached up to trigger the playback. “Computer, security mode. Low volume.”

Taber’s face filled the screen, the audio silent enough that Ray wouldn’t be able to hear.

“Ms. Bond. I am unable to make our meeting. It seems that the individual who has framed the ambassador has been busy. The council is claiming they have undisputed proof of his guilt. I am taking several of my trusted investigators to examine their claims. I’ll report back to you as soon as I learn something. In the meantime, I have spoken to the guards on duty. You shouldn’t meet with any resistance if you choose to visit the ambassador.”

Haylie gently rapped her knuckles once against the cold, smooth top of the desk.

She was going to make Donaldson’s life a living hell if anything happened to Kamran.

She turned to face Ray.

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“It seems you are right. But things are in our favor. If you are up for it, I say we pay the ambassador a visit now.”

She moved forward quickly and was halfway across the room when it hit. The world began to swim before her eyes. She reached out blindly and took hold of Ray’s arm, needing support.

“Chief? Are you well?”

Blackness threatened to win out over consciousness. She was able to give her head a shake, but it didn’t help.

“Here, breathe deep.”

She did, the musky odor from something Ray shoved under her nose filled her head. It took a minute, but her vision began to clear.

“Sorry. I haven’t been sleeping well. Guess it’s starting to take its toll on me.” She looked up and smiled her appreciation.

“You’re fortunate that I carry a few essentials on me.” He showed her a small vial that held several small rocks. The odor must have come from them. “The last thing this station needs is its chief of security passing out. Are you well enough to walk or would you like to wait until later?”

Haylie’s chest tightened as momentary panic flooded her at the idea. She needed to see Kamran now.

It took a second, but she managed to calm herself, “Not at all. We’re here and ready.

Let’s go.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to push yourself.”

“Let’s go, Doc.”

Her feet moved her before her brain had registered what was going on. Ray silently kept pace beside her. When she snuck a quick peek at him, she could see the grim determination on his face. No wonder Sara had a crush on this man. They walked in silence through the bazaar and past the bars. Everything was quiet, with only a few humans milling about. The Briel had all but disappeared. Taber had told her their people mourned in solitude with prayer and song. It seemed strange yet beautiful at the same time.

The fact they were gone was probably for the best. The humans were becoming distrustful, and tensions were running high. Everyone was too scared or too busy with everything that had happened since the explosion.

Haylie frowned. “It’s too empty for this time of day. The night shift is usually unwinding right about now.”

“I heard that production is behind from an explosion in the mines. Something about a malfunction in the laser drill. Administrator Donaldson has requested that everyone pull double shifts. Which explains the massive amount of exhaustion cases we’ve seen in med bay over the past few days.”

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She stopped to look at Ray. “How do you know this? Shit,
I
didn’t even know and I know most everything around here.”

“The Briel community on this station is small. We are close enough that we are all aware of most everything that goes on. I inquired as to the situation in the mines and what was the cause of my full med bay. They told me. Why?”

Good question
. Haylie tucked her hair behind her ear and clasped her hands behind her back when she realized she was shaking.

“No reason. But you did answer my question as to how all the Briel on this station seem to know what is going on.”

“Glad I could help.” He smiled once more and led the way to the detention cells.

Something was wrong. The normally dull gray walls looked brighter. Halos outlined objects as she looked at them. She pressed her hand against the side of her head for a moment, easing the dull ache that had formed.