Hostage Hearts

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HOSTAGE HEARTS

By

Trudy Thompson

© copyright June 2005 by Trudy Thompson Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright June 2005 ISBN 1-58608-586-7 New Concepts Publishing Lake Park, GA 31636 www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

PROLOGUE

Turas: Agro Planet 1

“We can no longer wait like docile creatures while Hobard destroys us. Nor can we continue to meet in secrecy to complain but do nothing to ease our plight. We must act now.” Marcus Nilon, commander of the revolutionary forces on Turas did not have to wait long for the response of critical importance to their future. A multitude of voices rose in agreement. “This is treason, Marcus. Jardane’s life has already been forfeited. How many more must die?” a louder voice argued from the center of the crowd. “As many as necessary to free our planet from oppression. We agreed when we joined this group that death defending our cause was honorable. To die meekly accepting our fate and doing nothing to prevent it is to die in shame. “Only a matter of months remain until we have insufficient Krystallum to power our generators, to drive our transport vehicles. Already the foliage wilts from lack of moisture as the soil cracks like a dry riverbed. Every available drop of fluid not necessary to sustain life diverted to the agro-spheres to maintain our crops. Our supply of Krystals dwindles rapidly. Soon our crops will die. Our stored food supplies will be depleted. With no fuel to escape our failing planet, we will be left with no hope of survival.” “I agree our cause is just, but the Colony Management Council should be contacted. Surely it will not allow this travesty to continue.” “We’ve learned by previous attempts to have our voices heard, Council will not entertain accusations unless we have solid proof of Hobard’s treachery. Council did not listen or act when Rodic Jardane pleaded our case before their Tribunal. Turas’ Agro-Advisor was put to death and his holdings stripped away because Hobard brought counter-charges stating he’d been falsely accused of withholding Krystallum. He insisted Turas received a share of Krystallum equal to that of other planets in the System, but wasteful mismanagement consumed our allotted provisions. “Who among us will petition another audience knowing what happened to Jardane?” No one answered. “We must protect ourselves,” Marcus continued. “If Hobard, acting as Council’s Planetary Chief on Colony III, will not supply the necessary Krystals to assure our well being, we must take matters into our own hands.” Ignoring the arguments around her, Kayla Jardane glanced up through the transparent roof of the agro-sphere into the blackness of the sky. She looked back to the hundreds of people seated near. All were dressed in familiar green jumpsuits, denoting their participation in the movement to save Turas. All but a few insisted upon their right to be included in the plans.

After her father’s failed attempt to warn Council of Hobard’s crimes, Council forbid political gatherings of any type on Turas. The revolutionists suspected Council also seeded informants among the general populace to report any such activities. If those speculations were true, any moment a patrol sent by the Colony Management Council might discover their meeting and apprehend everyone present. Kayla tried to caution her brother, Danel, seated to her right but found him absorbed in the heated conversations. He passionately believed it long past time to cease discussing Nathan Hobard and do something about his heinous crimes. The Jardane’s, up to the point of her father’s execution, had no involvement with the underground forces working to free Turas from enslavement by Hobard’s cruelty. Their father had done everything in his power to see the revolution abolished, pleading instead for a peaceful team of negotiators to go to Hobard’s mining planet and work out a settlement to restore full shipments of Krystallum to Turas. After their father’s death, Kayla and her brothers were quick to join the cause. Kayla understood what the leaders advocated and agreed--to a point. Involvement in subterfuge was one thing. What the revolutionists now planned was quite another. Piracy had been abolished centuries ago when the Colony Management Council was created to rule the Givonte System. To be caught in such a forbidden act would mean certain death to all involved and further jeopardy for their planet. “I demand my right as Jardane’s eldest to be among the members of this team, Marcus.” The crowd fell silent. Kayla turned to find Danel standing at her side, fist held high. Her younger brother Rand soon joined him, making the same claim. She tried to dislodge the lump that suddenly tightened her throat and fought to still the trembling of her limbs as she rose to her feet. Her parents were gone. Her home stripped away. Whether she agreed with their plans or not, she did not intend to be excluded. “I, too, demand my right to be among those who will see Hobard’s reign ended.” “You will not be permitted to go,” Danel stated emphatically. Kayla notched her chin higher. “Hobard’s crimes touch each of us. Some more deeply than others.” She raised her fingers to rub the scar about her neck. “I demand the right to reclaim my honor.” No one denied her claim.

CHAPTER 1

Mining Colony III - Givonte System

Hobard’s Planet

Kayla Jardane tightened her grip on reins slippery with perspiration. She swallowed hard to force air into lungs burned raw from the dust thrown up by the stolen mare’s hooves as she raced across rocky flatlands that hadn’t seen moisture in over a quarter of a century. Her leg muscles quivered from exertion as she gripped her knees against the sides of the saddle. She pushed all physical discomfort aside. Nothing she endured now would compare to what Hobard’s Searchers would do if they caught her. A quick glance left then right revealed league after league of near empty, sun-scorched orange land stretched out to meet the horizon in both directions. The setting sun elongated shadows caused by the few large boulders and auspus trees scattered across the wasteland and cast a blazing red glow over the skyline behind her. A rocky outcrop surrounded by tall blue auspus on the western horizon offered her only hope of rest. Another backward glance revealed the dust cloud created by the Searchers’ hovercraft closing faster. Without a miracle, she’d never make her appointed rendezvous or the stones’ promised protection. Kayla jammed her heels into the mare’s flanks. A laser blast whizzed by her head. Another blast struck the ground beneath the mare’s hooves. The mare jerked, missed a step, and recovered. Kayla leaned low over the beast’s neck. She’d found a blast rifle in the pouch tied on the saddle, had a laser holstered at her waist, but she couldn’t take a chance on drawing either weapon or returning fire. Her only prayer of survival laid less than a half-league ahead and she needed to use her remaining energy to reach it. Damp hair stuck to her face. Perspiration beaded on her forehead, mixed with the dirt from her flight, and dripped into her eyes. She wiped her face on her tunic sleeve and spurred the mare harder as the barrage of laser fire continued. The mare screeched then stumbled. Searing pain sliced through Kayla’s thigh. Hot moisture ran down her leg, soaked the leather leggings she’d borrowed from her brother Rand, and pooled in her boot. She kept her seat by grasping the mare’s thick mane. She had no time to check her injury or to discover what caused the mare to falter. The rocks were within a few hundred feet. Ignoring the pain, Kayla shifted to judge the distance between her position and the Searchers. Through the storm of dust created by the propulsion unit beneath their hover, she counted six silhouettes. She saw several more flashes of light, heard the whine, and felt the static singe of a laser blast streak past. If six Searchers were after her, how many hunted her brothers? Had they escaped the mines? Were they dead? If so, would she soon join them?

The mare stumbled again. Kayla looked down to find the terrain beneath the animal’s hooves scattered with larger pieces of rock. She looked up to discover she’d finally reached the outcrop. She glanced over her shoulder. The sun dipped below the horizon. Deep purple haze filled the sky. Darkness would be upon her before she could find a good place to hide. Trusting the mare’s instincts to be better than her own in the failing light, Kayla gave the beast free rein and allowed it to pick its way over the scattered rocks. Well within the outcrop, she stopped the mare and tried to climb out of the saddle. Excruciating pain flashed through her injured thigh, causing her to lose her balance. She hit the ground with a bone-rattling thud that forced the air from her lungs. She bit her lip to stifle the impulse to cry out when she touched the side of her right thigh and found a gash cut through her leggings the length of her hand. Gritting her teeth against the agony that started in her thigh and engulfed her entire body, she rolled to her side and pushed up. She braced her weight with her left knee, willed strength she wasn’t sure she still possessed, and managed to get to her feet. She limped to put as little weight as possible on her injured leg as she hid the mare in a ravine formed by several large boulders. Though the air was still hot, chills rushed over her body. She leaned against a boulder and hugged her arms over her chest to ward off dizziness. She yanked the sweaty rag she’d used to cover her face at the mines from around her neck, stuffed the cloth into the slit in her leggings, and pressed hard to slow the blood flow. Kayla desperately needed to lie down and close her eyes, but knowledge of the Searchers pursuit killed the impulse. Instead, she concentrated on the stillness of the night, listened for any indication the Searcher team was near. Only the mare’s frantic breathing filled the heavy silence. After a deep breath and a quivering exhale, she staggered as quietly as she could over the bed of blue auspus needles that formed a thick, brittle mattress beneath her feet. She felt her way hand over hand in darkness to a break in the boulders and looked up. The dual moons of Colony III had yet to make an appearance in the black night sky. Heavy branches above her head created an even darker void. The boulders too tall to see beyond. Every muscle screamed with agony as Kayla used her hands and left leg to push between the gaps in the boulders and heave upward until her fingers bled. At the top, she wrapped her arms around the peak to assure her hold. She pressed her forehead against the warm stone and bit down hard on her bottom lip as another sharp pain knifed through her thigh. A fire burned about one hundred yards from the outcrop, well beyond the range of her blaster. Four Searchers were setting up camp. What happened to the other two? Kayla could hear little over the wild pounding of her heart. Dizziness muddled her thought process. Nausea followed. Her hands slipped and, without thinking, she braced with her right leg to

prevent a fall. Debilitating pain flooded every nerve in her body before she plunged down into the ravine, landing with a heavy thud against the auspus needles. **** Dolph Rynard shoved the scope back into the packet of his belt and closed the strap. For over an hour he’d trailed six Searchers in a hovercraft chasing a lone man. He wondered why the chase had been prolonged. The hover could have overtaken the beast and rider at any time, yet held back as if the Searchers waited for the rider to lead them to something. Whatever happened below in the outcrop wasn’t any of his business. His job on Colony III was complete. He’d returned the Marianian criminal who’d escaped transport to Hobard’s commander, collected his bounty, and debriefed the informant who supplied data on Hobard’s activities. Curiosity piqued, Dolph hid his skimmer in a stand of auspus and made his way in slowly through the boulders. He slid down the face of rock and watched the prone man for any sign of life. Dolph nudged the man’s side with the toe of his boot and, after no response, reached over to determine why the beast was down. Blood covered his hand when he drew his fingers from the beast’s neck. Strained, hoarse gasps for air indicated a serious injury and he suspected the creature’s death would be long and painful. He slipped the Tung knife from his boot and ended the mare’s anguish. He removed several small pouches, a coil of rope, along with a thermoteen of liquid and a blaster from the saddle and placed the items beyond the fugitive’s reach. He pressed his palm flush over the man’s brow and cursed the predicament he’d managed to land himself in. One feverish, injured fugitive, one single-passenger skimmer, and one nosey Hunter who should have minded his own damn business. With Searchers combing the area, he couldn’t light a fire to see how badly injured the fallen man might be. Nor could he risk having Hobard’s Searcher party discover his identity when they stormed the outcrop to finish what their team members started. Dolph grasped the man’s arms and dragged him over to the bottom of the boulder. He slipped the gear he’d taken off the saddle over one shoulder, draped the coil of rope over the other, and started to climb. At the top he dropped the gear, tied the rope off to a tree, and descended. He reached to secure the rope around the fugitive’s mid-section, and brushed a rounded softness that shouldn’t be there. A new set of questions flooded his mind and scattered his previous theories like dust. No matter what she’d done, he couldn’t leave a helpless female at Hobard’s mercy. “Don’t touch me.” Her words were soft and slurred, but he had no trouble understanding her demand. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m trying to help.” She thrashed her head back against his chin, sending a streak of pain past his temples.

“Get your hands off of me,” she said as she struggled against his arms when he tried to stretch the rope beneath her flailing arms. “Your mare’s already dead. Unless you wish to join it, I’d suggest you cease struggling and let me help you.” “No. Gotta get away. Not going back.” Her frantic attempt to escape ended as her body went slack in his arm. Dolph secured the rope around her waist before she regained consciousness. He climbed the rock and drew her up slowly to avoid further injury. He stowed their gear on the skimmer, lifted her into place at the front of the inline seat, straddled the seat behind her and touched the ignition. He eased the propulsion lever forward and hovered for a few seconds while he made a check of the area to make sure he hadn’t left any clue of his involvement behind, then sped off into the mountains as III’s moons disappeared behind a bank of clouds. The first pink light of dawn edged over the horizon as Dolph landed the skimmer before the isolated shack he’d used for shelter the night before. He slid off the skimmer and picked up the limp female as she fell into his arms. He carried her inside and deposited her on the bed. After lighting a phos-lantern someone had left on the rickety table, he went back outside to hide his skimmer. He gathered the packs from her mount, his gear, and returned to the shack. He thought about the information he’d received from his informant and how he might pass it on now that he’d taken on the burden of the woman’s temporary care. He shook his head as he walked toward the front of the shack. He froze in the doorway. The bed was empty. Dim light filled the center of the room and part of the bed. The corners of the one room shack cast in shadow. Making his way cautiously across the packed dirt floor, Dolph raised the lantern until soft blue light filled the interior. He turned to find the woman huddled in the corner, a look of terror on her face. The laser he’d failed to take away from her pointed directly at him, the distinctive whine alerting him the weapon was fully charged. He raised his hands and took a step closer. “I’m not going to harm you.” **** Kayla stared at the stranger through the dim light, wondering whom he was, where she was. She concentrated on her faculties not dulled by pain and assessed her condition. Fever burned from her insides out. Nausea roiled through her stomach. Chills spread over her flesh. It took a supreme amount of energy to keep her teeth from chattering as she studied the man in the shadows. She struggled to shout at him to go away and leave her to die in peace, but her throat was too dry to utter even the smallest sound. Instead, she offered a silent prayer for strength to hold the laser steady as she braced her hands on her bent knees.

Her legs wobbled. In a final effort to control her Fate, she tightened her fingers around the laser, raised her chin, and stared defiantly into his eyes. Kayla’s vision blurred. Her neck suddenly felt too weak to support her head. The stone wall at her back was the only thing holding her upright. The stranger’s face wavered as the room grew steadily darker. **** Dolph grabbed the laser from her hand before she fell into his arms. He threw the weapon to the floor. He grasped her forearms, hauled her to her feet, and accepted her weight as she fell against his body. With her boots on she fit him thigh to thigh, belly to belly, chest to breast. He shook off his amazement at her unusual height and lifted her into his arms. He placed her on the dirty mattress and dropped to one knee beside the bed. The orange glow of the sun poured in through the open door and combined with the soft blue light of the phos-lantern, allowing him to see the dark circles beneath her eyes, the pasty color of her flesh. “What did you do so wrong Hobard’s Searchers would want to kill you?” He shook off the question. He’d never know unless he took care of her wound. He grabbed his packs, opened the pouches, and dumped the contents on the floor. Two black jumpsuits, a half-liter of Berman Draft, and three packs of rations fell free. Her pouches added little to their food supply, a change of clothing, and a hairbrush. He untied the strap holding his sleep sac, shook out three thin blankets, and then turned back to the bed. He removed her boots and struggled to remain unaffected as he divested her of the leather leggings. He lost the battle and studied her long, muscular legs, her small waist and ample breasts, the length of her dark hair that covered the side of the dirty mattress. He shook his head as he remembered her wound. Using the Draft and strips torn from one of his jumpsuits, he dabbed the clotted blood and dirt from her wound so he could examine the extent of her injury. A laser burn six inches long and a half an inch wide stretched across her thigh. The heat of the laser cauterized most of the damaged flesh, leaving redness and swelling around the injured area. Another strip of jumpsuit provided a clean bandage large enough to cover the wound and allow her natural defenses to fight any remaining infection. Dolph watched her sleep for several moments before he covered her with one of the blankets. He knew fatigue played as much havoc with her system as the wound and fever and, with proper care, her wound should heal within a few weeks without the risk of further poisoning. He turned away from the bed and walked to the open doorway. The setting sun rode low in the red sky. The shadows cast by the boulders sheltering the shack cut wide across the path down the mountainside.

Another day almost gone and he was no closer to the stellar station at Stone Pass. He glanced over his shoulder to the woman sleeping on the dirty bed and wondered what she’d done to warrant Hobard’s attention. He’d spent most of his life hunting criminals, returning them to stand trial. He’d also faced the other side of that scenario. He’d been tried and sentenced to death for a murder he didn’t commit. Who was he to pass judgment on another? Guilty or innocent, he didn’t care. When she was strong enough to travel, he’d carry her to the stellar station where they’d go their separate ways. The less he knew of her circumstances, the better. **** “Danel! Rand! Don’t.” Dolph pushed the thin blanket aside, rose from the pallet he’d made on the floor, and walked to the bedside. He watched her struggle against some unknown demon in her nightmares. Uncapping the thermoteen, he poured a small amount of water onto another strip of jumpsuit and tried to place it across her forehead. She turned away, exposing the length of her neck, her ear, and something he hadn’t noticed. He reached for the phos-lantern and held it closer to her face. He unfastened the two snaps on her tunic and pushed the fabric aside. He traced a thin mark around the base of her neck with his fingertip. She turned her head from side to side in her sleep and whispered words he couldn’t understand. He watched as she tried to ward off the dream that had caused her to call out and took a step back when she finally opened her eyes. Anger burned through his gut. Someone had placed a collar of some sort around her neck and kept it there long enough to scar. More questions surfaced. He watched her pale face, the pulse that fluttered in her throat. Her startled gasp echoed through the shack. He reached for the lantern and held it higher. She scrambled to the farthest corner of the bed, drew her knees to her chest, and crossed her arms over her legs. She searched the shack, obviously looking for a means of escape. Dolph stepped closer. She stared at him like a panicked, cornered animal. Fever-induced delirium was the only explanation he could think of for her reaction. He held out his hand. “I won’t hurt you.” “Get away from me.” Dolph raked his fingers through his hair. He’d faced his share of enraged men, fought numerous

battles to subdue creatures twice his weight. Killed beasts in every shape and size from one end of the Galaxy to the other, but he had no idea how to console this terrified female. “I won’t touch you.” He stepped back two paces. “You’re delirious. Your fever’s making you imagine things.” He took another step away. “I’m going to leave you here for a while. Go back to sleep.”

CHAPTER 2

Kayla squinted against the faint light to study her surroundings. Brown walls of cut stone, sprinkled liberally with specks of Krystallum, slowly came into focus. Turning her head slowly from side to side, she discovered her neck pillowed against a hard surface. She reached down to run her fingers over whatever lay beneath her. Someone placed her upon a bed. Who? Why? Memories of Hobard’s Searchers flooded her mind. She had no idea how much time had elapsed since she climbed the boulder in the outcrop. No clue how she’d arrived in what appeared to be an abandoned shack. Had the Searchers brought her here? Was she now their prisoner, waiting--without any hope of meeting her brothers at the stellar station--for Hobard to arrive and inflict whatever punishment he deemed necessary for her crimes? Kayla listened for any noise to indicate the Searchers presence. Heard nothing but the rapid beat of her heart. She raised her arms and slid her bare feet across the hard mattress, surprised to find no bindings. She dared another glance around the structure, searching for anything that might prevent her escape. The open door provided a view of the red-orange sky and tall rocks much like the ones she’d found at the outcrop. A table with a low-burning phos-lantern and the bed were the only furnishings. After a moment to assess her physical condition, she eased to the side of the mattress and tried to raise her head to see the area better in the faint light. She ignored the searing pain that ran up her neck and lodged behind her eyes when she raised her head. Panic gave her strength to overlook the dizziness that washed over her as she forced her legs over the side of the bed and stared at her flesh in confusion. Who took off her leggings and bandaged her wound? Kayla stood carefully, using the stone wall and the bedstead for support until she gained enough strength to search for her clothing. She discovered her leggings on the floor at the foot of the bed. Not trusting her shaking legs to walk the short distance, she sat on the side of the mattress and eased along until she reached the end, then bent to gather her leggings. Relief flooded over her when she discovered her laser folded inside the soft leather.

She grasped the foot of the bed to steady her balance, bent and wrapped her fingers around the sleek silver weapon. She stood carefully to avoid another bout of dizziness, and froze when she discovered a man lying on the floor, back toward her. Three cautious steps tested the use of her injured leg. She found the pain tolerable if she didn’t make any quick movements. Two more steps brought her to the table. She touched the phos-lantern and raised the blue light just enough to see the man better. Kayla studied him for several seconds. He never moved. She edged the table until she stood above his prone body. It took every ounce of stealth she could muster in her depleted state to bend and raise the thin blanket covering his body. Her exertion paid off when she found a laser holstered at his hip. Careful not to touch his body, she slid her hand to his holster, seized the laser, and tossed the weapon to the mattress. She pressed her laser to the side of his head. “Don’t move.” He reached for his weapon. “I said, don’t move. Who are you? Are you a Searcher?” she demanded. “A friend,” he offered. She straightened slowly to her full height. “Get up.” He took his time rising. “I mean you no harm.” “Enough.” He stared into her eyes. She never blinked. “Let’s start over, shall we? Who are you?” He took a step closer. She raised her chin a notch and continued to stare into his eyes. “Why were Searchers chasing you?” “I don’t believe that’s any of your business.” “I think it is.” Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist with a strong grip and pulled the laser out of her hand. He tossed the weapon to his pallet as he took a step closer.

Kayla refused to be daunted. She also refused to reveal her constant pain and continued to stare into his eyes. His intimidating presence would never undermine what little strength she had left. Instead of backing away, as every cell in her body demanded she do, she steeled her determination and studied him in much the same manner he perused her. Her height had always given her an advantage, but she’d met no other man who towered over her as this one did. Even her brothers were several inches shorter. His shoulders were wide and extremely muscular. His waist narrow. The strange black jumpsuit he wore clung to his broad chest, skimmed his lean hips, and emphasized the strength in his long legs. The short sleeves of the jumpsuit stopped midway down his biceps, exposing strong upper arms and forearms, powerful hands. Long, dark hair touched his breastbone, framed a determined jaw, and hard, chiseled lips. His stance broadcast raw power and danger. Her brothers taught her to defend herself, to use her size to assure no man would ever gain an advantage. Serious doubts rose about defeating this man. “Answer my question.” Kayla tensed every muscle in her body and prepared for the worst. She stretched her fingers, fisted her hands, and waited. He stepped closer until only a matter of inches separated his body from hers. “Answer me.” “No.” “I mean you no harm.” Did he believe she’d lost control of all of her faculties? She’d never answer his questions or wait around while he decided to use his brute strength to haul her to Hobard. “I’m leaving.” She stepped toward the bed, bent and grabbed her leggings and boots. She dropped to the side of the mattress. He continued to stand in the middle of the floor, arms crossed over his chest. Kayla fought past the debilitating weakening of her muscles, the pain that threatened to bring tears to her eyes, and struggled into her leggings. She took a moment to position the tear in the leather over the bandage on her thigh then pulled on her boots. “How?” She swept away the hair dangling in her eyes and met his intense gaze. He arched one dark brow. “How are you going to leave? Do you have any idea where you are or where you’ll go?” She didn’t know her current location, but it didn’t matter. Somehow, she had to get to the stellar

station at Stone Pass. “How far do you think you’ll get on foot?” “I have a mare.” “The animal’s dead.” She searched for the lie in his eyes. “The beast was severely wounded by laser fire. I had to put it down.” Kayla stood slowly, stepped around him, and walked on shaky legs to the doorway. She leaned against the frame. Poor beast. It served her well by helping her escape Hobard’s mines. It didn’t deserve death as a reward. She shook her head and studied the bright orange sunlight filtering down through the rocky pass that hid the shack. Darkness blanketed the flatlands when she rode into the outcrop, the dual moons just beginning to rise. Danel and Rand, along with the other members of the revolution team, would be waiting for her at Stone Pass. They would continue to wait, endangering their lives and mission, until she arrived. Kayla stepped through the doorway out into the hot sunlight. “It’ll be dark in a few hours.” The conciliatory tone of his voice fired her temper. She turned to find him leaning against the doorjamb. “Either do your job and take me back or leave me alone.” Kayla knew that due to the relatively small size of Hobard’s penal planet, colony III rotated quickly on its axis. a full day consisted of eight hours. The nights were a bit longer as the dual moons filled the black sky. She needed to get away fast before it was too dark to navigate the path down the mountainside. **** Dolph noted her stiff posture, squared shoulders, the way she spread her feet apart for balance and flexed her hands. The prospect of a wrestling match with this woman intrigued him. He fought down the unexpected heat that erupted in his groin at the thought. He watched her wobble. Realized her fever and the infection in her wound drained her strength. He also knew she hadn’t eaten for well over twenty-four hours, had taken less than a few ounces of fluid. He admired the courage it took to stand before him, prepared to fight for her freedom. “Go back to bed. You’re too weak to be up.” He stared into her eyes, at the obstinacy that flashed in the pools of blue, the flush across her face, rigid spine and fists planted against her hips. This woman bore no resemblance to the frightened female from hours before.

Few men would have challenged him as she did. Fewer still would have ignored his presence and dressed as if he wasn’t even in the shack. Although, her inattention gave him the opportunity to study her fluid movements, the graceful way she bent when he knew she had to be in serious pain, the flex of muscle beneath her flesh as she tugged on her leggings. “Who are you?” He wanted to ask why Hobard’s Searchers were chasing her. How she’d gotten the scar around her neck? The steeliness of her gaze made him realize he’d get nothing from her. Earlier, she’d asked if he was one of the Searchers. He wondered what her reaction would have been had he told her that he was much worse than one of the Searchers. The Searchers were Hobard’s special police that followed his commands to the letter. Dolph played a dangerous game of espionage that could destroy an entire galaxy. His profession demanded secrecy, using the cover of Hunter, a man who, for the right price would go anywhere, hunt anyone, and return him or her dead or alive to his benefactor. He’d keep his profession secret. Not knowing might save her life. He watched as she stepped through the open doorway and turned to walk down the narrow trail that led through a break in the boulders. Dolph shook his head in disbelief. Her pack, thermoteen, and laser--everything she needed for survival--were still inside the shack. He cursed, then followed her. **** The crunch of rock beneath her captor’s boots echoed between the boulders on the path behind her. Kayla tried to pick up her pace, but each step increased the pain in her leg to a point she feared she might collapse. She hobbled along, dragging her right leg, scraping her boot against the dusty ground, and leaving a trail wide enough for a blind man to follow. A glance side to side along the narrow, rocky path provided no easier way down the mountainside. Tall boulders were so close together, even if another path existed on the other side, she’d have no way to reach it. She looked up. He hadn’t lied. The sun had started to set. The sky would darken considerably in a few moments. Huge auspus growing in thick patches behind the jagged boulders would cause deep shadows along the path. Kayla ignored her growing apprehension and continued her flight, around another bend, down a steep incline. The crunch of rock behind her grew louder. Closer. “Halt.” She tried to walk faster.

“Have you lost your mind? I didn’t take care of your wound to have you injure it again on some fool-hearted jaunt across the flatlands.” He grabbed her shoulder and forced her around to face him. Kayla jerked free of his hold and backed away until her spine pressed against a jagged boulder. “Don’t ever touch me again.” She ignored the hand he held out as an offer of peace. He dropped his hand and turned back toward the shack. “Fine. Have it your way. I should have been in Stone Pass days ago. I don’t have time or patience to--” “You’re going to Stone Pass?” His destination was Stone Pass? Not Hobard’s? Could she trust him? Did she have a choice? She couldn’t get far on foot even if the Searchers were nowhere around. Did he lead her into a trap? Would Hobard be waiting when they reached the stellar station? Trust wasn’t an issue. Her life, her brothers’ lives, and those of the others aboard their transport depended upon escaping Colony III. Stone Pass was the only way off planet. He obviously had some mode of transportation. If she could convince him to take her with him, it would be a simple task to evade him once they reached the station. “Are you?” He turned to meet her gaze. “Are you going to Stone Pass?” she asked again. “Name’s Rynard.” “I don’t care what your name is. Answer my question.” “Not until you answer a few of mine.” Kayla stared into his eyes. He baited her, hoping she’d reveal her secrets. He had no idea how stubborn she could be, especially when her brothers’ lives were at stake. She met him stare for stare, praying he’d give in soon because her leg hurt so badly she thought she might drop. Tiny lines creased the corners of his eyes. She dropped her gaze just enough to discover a twitch of a smile spread over his lips. She knew he thought he’d won their battle of wills. She fought down the urge to slap the smile off his face. Instead, she blew out a disgusted sigh, stepped around him, and limped toward the shack. **** Dolph watched her go. “Stubborn female,” he whispered, then followed. He paused in the doorway and watched as she shoved her few belongings into the pouch he’d

recovered from the downed mare. She ignored him as she tore a thin strip about two feet long from the jumpsuit he’d used as a bandage and tied it behind her neck to hold the fullness of her dark hair. She looped the strap of the pouch over her shoulder and stepped toward him. “Move.” She was either the bravest woman he’d ever met or the most foolish. She believed him to be one of Hobard’s Searchers yet openly challenged him to restrain her. He crossed his arms, stood his ground. “Why?” Her dark brows arched. “I’m leaving.” “No, you’re not. I’ve changed my mind.” Dolph watched her eyes. He knew the exact second she determined her course of action. He didn’t have to look down to know she slid her hand closer to the laser at her hip. “Don’t do it.” “Are you planning to hold me here against my will?” “Why would I do that?” He kept his voice low, his face expressionless. “Do you always answer a question with another question?” “Do you ever answer questions?” He stepped closer. She backed up, maintaining a distance great enough to react should the need arise. “It’ll be dark soon. Too dark to travel across the flatlands.” “I must.” “Why?” She narrowed her eyes, said nothing. He’d never been a patient man, but she tested the boundaries of his limits. Less than three feet remained until her back was against the stone wall. He took a step. She held her ground. “If you tell me why you’re so intent about reaching Stone Pass, I might be persuaded to take you there.”

She continued to hold his gaze, giving nothing away. He wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her. He backed down from her silent challenge. Time was too short. Each second he wasted was crucial to complete his investigation of Hobard ’s activities, find enough evidence to have the Colony Management Council’s domain destroyed, and gain his freedom. “How?” she asked. “How what?” “How will we get to Stone Pass?” Dolph tightened his throat muscles to keep from smiling. Deciding to give her enough lead to trip, he said, “I have a skimmer behind the shack. At first light, if your reason for going to Stone Pass is important enough, I’ll see you arrive safely.” He noted her quick glance around the shack and wondered what thoughts were rushing through her mind. “There’s food in my pouch. Berman Draft in the liter if you’re so inclined. You need nourishment and sleep to restore your energy. We’ll leave at first light.” **** Kayla watched as he removed several ration pouches from his belt. He handed one to her then sat on the other side of the shack to devour his own. She walked to the bed and sat down on the side of the mattress as she opened the seal on her own pouch then took several bites of the dried protien bar. She ate as much as her queasy stomach could endure then shifted to rest her back against the bedstead. She watched him in the faint light of the phos-lantern. His body was now loose, legs spread and arms crossed. Despite the few feet separating them, she could still feel the intensity of his gaze. She knew he waited for her to fall asleep before he took his own rest. If she had to pretend to sleep so he’d relax his guard, so be it. She knew where his skimmer was hidden. He had to sleep sometime. When he did, she’d slip away. Alone. **** “Going somewhere?” Kayla’s fingers froze less than an inch from the ignition switch. She squinted into the shadows to find him standing beneath a tall auspus, back pressed against the trunk. She estimated the distance between his position and the skimmer, her reaction time, and touched the switch. The skimmer came to life with a soft hiss.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The familiar whine of a laser reached her over the hiss of the skimmer. “Shut it down.” Auspus needles crunched beneath his boots as words she’d heard repeated numerous times by the revolutionists on Turas whispered through her mind. ‘Death while defending our cause is death with honor.’ She swallowed hard when he stepped to her side. The last light of the moons glittered off something other than the laser in his hand as he reached forward to touch the ignition switch and the skimmer shut down. “I’d hoped this wouldn’t be necessary.” He grasped both of her wrists in one hand and drew the laser from her holster with the other. Kayla shivered when he slipped cold Tung cuffs on her wrists and snapped the locks with a finality that erased any thought of escape. Sudden memories of another time when she was forced to wear similar cuffs churned through her mind before she shoved the nightmare away. The chain joining the cuffs jingled when he released her hands. She resisted the urge to struggle against the cool metal because she knew what the cuffs would do to her flesh. Though the cuffs weighed less than a few ounces, no known force was strong enough to cut through the Tung. He stepped back. “There are still a few hours until first light.” He turned and walked back toward the shack. Defeated, Kayla threw her leg over the seat and followed his retreating form. She watched from the doorway as he laid back down on his pallet. Kayla shook her head, walked slowly across the dirt floor, and sat down upon the mattress. She pulled her knees to her chest, draped the chain over her legs, and rested her chin on her knees. After a few seconds, she shifted to lie down and stare up at the shadows entwined on the ceiling, the cobwebs swaying in the faint breeze that blew through the open door. The robbery attempt she and her brothers had made with other members of the revolution on Turas, to steal Krystallum that fueled her dying planet, had failed. Each team member had been forced to find their own means of transportation and make their way to the stellar station at Stone Pass and the waiting transport to get off planet. Her unsuccessful attempt to flee Hobard’s mines left her wounded, captured, cuffed, and stranded with a man she assumed to be one of Hobard’s Searchers. With only one possible way of escape.

His skimmer. Her last coherent thought before she drifted off to sleep was a prayer her captor wouldn’t seek his own revenge by leaving her stranded as she’d planned to leave him.

CHAPTER 3

“Time to leave.” The chain tangled in her hair when Kayla wiped the gritty residue from her eyes. Cursing the chain, her captor, and the circumstances that placed her into his presence, she yanked hard then winced at the amount of dark hair entwined about the links. A tall shadow filled the doorway. “It’s time to leave if we’re going to make Stone Pass before nightfall.” She sat up too fast and grabbed for the bedstead to prevent a fall. She sat back down upon the mattress until her dizziness passed. Once her head cleared enough she scanned the shack. He’d removed all of their possessions. Kayla tested her balance with slow steps and followed him out the door to the skimmer he’d brought down from behind the shack. “Get on.” She studied the seat of the skimmer. It was only three feet long. He obviously expected her to ride in front of him. She’d walk to Stone Pass before she assumed that vulnerable position. “Get on,” he demanded again. “Wouldn’t it be better if you sat in front? The controls would be easier to handle if you didn’t have to reach around me.” She tensed at the hard glint that claimed his eyes. “Give me your hands.” Her moment’s relief at the thought of having her cuffs removed evaporated when he unhooked his belt, looped the belt through the chain, and fastened the belt back around his waist. Her options were to spread her legs to accommodate the width of his buttocks, scoot close enough to flatten her body against his, or fall off the edge of the seat.

Kayla sighed then took her position on the seat. She desperately needed to get to Stone Pass, no matter how uncomfortable she might be with this stranger. She sat as close as she dared without touching him and closed her eyes when he touched the ignition and the skimmer took flight. Kayla opened her eyes to see the sun no more than a sliver of red on the horizon, the sky a deep purple. She closed her eyes again only to be jarred awake when the gentle rocking motion that cradled her stopped abruptly and she discovered her face pressed against a hard shoulder. Bolting upright, she almost slid off the seat. “Time for a rest.” He threw his long leg over the guidance arm and stepped away, leaving Kayla no choice other than to follow. “I wish you’d warn me before you make sudden moves.” Instead of responding, he unfastened his belt and the chain slipped free. Kayla stepped out of his reach and studied the horizon. Empty orange flatlands stretched outward in all directions, blending into the darkness of the sky. No sign of civilization appeared to give her a clue to their whereabouts. Before they’d left the shack, he’d told her they would reach Stone Pass by nightfall. He’d either been mistaken or intentionally brought her to some other location. “I thought we’d reach Stone Pass by now.” He ignored her observation. “Where are we?” He continued to gaze out over the horizon instead of meeting her gaze when he said, “Stone Pass is over the next rise. I thought you’d like a few minutes to relax before we traveled the last couple of leagues.” Suspicions confirmed Kayla scanned the area again. At any moment she expected to find a hovercraft filled with Searchers to take her back to Hobard. She searched the sandy ground for a weapon substantial enough to disable her captor so she could steal his skimmer and flee. She found nothing. Kayla considered using the chain between her cuffs to strangle him, but discarded the idea as soon as it formed. She’d be no match for his considerable strength. She cast another glance at the horizon where the sun disappeared only moments before. The

need to run overwhelmed her, but she knew she could never attempt it. he was too powerful an adversary to overcome. She gave into the logical approach and turned back to the skimmer. Kayla glanced at him and saw the glitter of warmth and compassion in his deep green eyes. He obviously knew she’d make every effort to escape, but figured she was smart enough not to attempt it. Instead of commenting, he reached into one of the pouches on his survival belt and removed the tiny key to her cuffs. He slipped the key into the locks at her wrists, freed the cuffs, and stowed them in a pouch on his belt before he boarded the skimmer. “We have another dangerous hour of travel before us in darkness until we reach Stone Pass. Whether you stay or go is your choice.” He touched the ignition switch. **** The closer they got to Stone Pass, the brighter the light became until the horizon glowed with a green phosphorous haze that filled the black sky and lit their path. Crafts in every shape and size imaginable lined the transport station from horizon to horizon. Strange markings covered the fuselages of the vessels, making it impossible to identify their origins. He dismounted to stare at the station, hand raised to shield his eyes from the light. Kayla slid off the seat and stood at his side. She also raised her hand to ward off the silvery-green glow of the recessed field lights. When members of the revolution docked at the transport station days ago, only a few other vessels lined the landing surface. With hundreds of vessels now filling the area, how would she find her transportation off Colony III? She wondered why so many vessels were on this desolate, dry planet. The revolutionists had passed no one on their journey from Stone Pass to Hobard’s stronghold. Nor had she and the Searcher encountered anyone on their return journey. Kayla glanced at the man standing beside her. His brows creased in concentration beneath the hand he’d placed over his forehead. His jaw rigid, muscular body tense. Alarmed by his apparent concern, Kayla stepped away. “Let’s go.” He grasped her arm. Kayla dug her heels into the sand and pulled her arm free. “Don’t.” “Would you prefer the cuffs?” The cuffs would prohibit escape inside the station and hinder her reaction time if the need for self-defense arose. “No.”

He climbed aboard the skimmer and touched the ignition. “We’ve wasted enough time.” Kayla turned to again study her surroundings. They were a quarter of a league from the station--a distance she could easily walk. The skimmer was the quickest way to gain her freedom. She climbed aboard the seat behind him and made sure enough space remained so she wouldn’t have to touch him. She grasped his belt and hung on as the skimmer lifted off the ground. Awed by the multitudes of beings inside the station, Kayla shook her head. She wondered what business these persons had on Hobard’s penal planet, but pushed the thought aside when she realized she didn’t care as long as they didn’t hinder her escape. Secluded most of her life on Turas, her limited knowledge of the different worlds and cultures in the Universe gave her no hope of identifying most of the beings. Strange creatures with fur instead of flesh, others with massive bodies too large for their legs to support, some who floated rather than walked, gave her pause and sent her unknowingly closer to her captor. Being careful as possible since her captor was so close to her side, she frantically searched for beings with her fair skin and dark hair wearing the familiar green jumpsuits denoting their membership in the revolution on Turas. Instead of the revolutionists, she found an enormous creature covered with fur and a lethal smile, exposing a mouthful of very sharp teeth. **** Dolph noted her apprehensive glance over the assemblage in the station while trying to ignore the fact that she eased closer to his side. A behavior opposite to the one she’d previously adopted. He didn ’t expect her right hand to clasp his biceps or her fingernails to dig into his flesh. He scanned the boarding area to discover what caused such a reaction and found a huge brown Worsel standing near. He eased his arm around her waist, turned her until her body pressed against his. He positioned her forehead against the curve of his neck. She attempted to pull away. He whispered in her ear, “Worsels are flesh-traders. Unless you want to be his newest conquest, I’d suggest you appear very happy with my company.” The enormous, ape-like being pushed and shoved his way through the waiting crowd until the frightened passengers moved freely out of his way. He paused in the open area he’d created and raised his arm to stroke the long tendrils of yellow hair that fell from his chin to graze his mammoth chest with the thick black claws protruding from the tips of his fingers. Dolph remembered the felon he’d hunted on the Worsel’s jungle planet and the encounter that almost cost his life. He dropped his hand to rest against the laser holstered at his hip. The Worsel stepped closer, pausing less than six feet away. He smiled, giving Dolph a clear glimpse of sharp teeth Dolph knew could tear off a man’s arm.

“Yours?” The beast’s comment was more of a grunt than any known language, but the woman at his side apparently understood his meaning and responded by inching closer to his side. “Mine.” “Pity, Hunter. Female would provide soft cushion,” he grumbled, clutching at his crotch and the evidence of his lust. Dolph released the laser strap and closed his hand over the handle. The Worsel recognized him, or at least his profession. He waited for the expected response from the woman, but she either hadn’t heard or didn’t grasp the significance of the Worsel’s statement. “Mine,” he repeated. The Worsel turned and disappeared into the crowd. His abrupt departure made Dolph nervous. Worsels didn’t back down from a fight. His attention suddenly divided between the female, the Worsel’s odd behavior, and the beings exiting the transport station, Dolph mentally logged everything of a suspicious nature, each culture represented--few of which were members of the Federation. He silently prepared the report he’d give to his superiors, along with the information he’d obtained from the informant on Colony III, as soon as he reached his ship. Someone bumped against his side, jarring his hold on the woman. He locked his arm about her waist for a surer grip and took a moment to reevaluate her presence on Colony III. He considered what her involvement might be with Hobard. And who she searched for so desperately. Until he noticed the smile that creased her lips and knew she’d met her goal. He tensed, prepared for a confrontation, when a hurrying traveler slammed into his side and caused his arm to slip. **** Kayla shivered at what might have happened to her had she entered the transport station alone. She had to get off this forsaken planet. She needed no more horrors to remind her of Hobard or his world. A tall man clad in dark green materialized for a few seconds before the throngs of beings hid him again. Kayla recalled his shaggy hair, his light blue eyes, and searched the spot where he’d appeared, rising to her toes to see above the crowd. He’d turned to leave the station. “Rand!” Kayla pushed and shoved her way through the waiting boarders to reach her brother. She could see his head above the wave of beings attempting to leave through Corridor 4.

He paused and turned back at her call. Before Kayla could make her way across the station floor, someone grasped her shoulder. Hard. “Change mind, female?” A muscular arm snaked around her waist. An enormous clawed hand grasped her breast and gave a painful squeeze. Kayla fought the terror that threatened to overwhelm her. She screamed, raised her knee, and met the soft sac between the Worsel’s powerful thighs. The creature howled in pain and loosened his grip, giving her the seconds she needed to pull free. She could see Rand only a few yards away, having difficulty making his way through the crowd. She shouted his name as she elbowed a stubborn passenger aside and reached out. Her fingers were less than inches from his. Someone grasped her from behind and yanked backward. A cold cuff clamped shut about her wrist. Kayla gulped oxygen into her depleted lungs, looked left and right but saw no sign of her brother’ s tall form. She eased her hand down to her side only to find her laser gone, then turned and bumped into her captor’s wide chest. “Damn you.” “Damn me all you want, but I’d suggest you do it someplace other than here. Look around.” During the seconds she’d stared into his furious green eyes, a sea of gray uniforms filled the transport station. Hobard’s Searchers. She glanced to her left. Two other dangerous creatures joined the Worsel. The taller of the two resembled some type of animal with golden fur that covered the exposed portions of his face and body. His eyes were dark as a preditor, his shoulders very muscular. But it was the smaller one of the trio that gave her the most pause. Several feet shorter than the Worsel or the furry creature, the smaller man was obviously human. Scars from burns and cuts disfigured his entire face. the deadly gleam in his eyes disturbed her greatly. She looked down to discover he was missing his right arm. But it was the feral glint in the flesh-trader’s eyes that sent a chill racing over her flesh. “Run. Now!” “I can’t.”

A sharp tug on the short chain brought Kayla’s attention to the cuff about her wrist, then down the length of the chain to find the cuff on the other end secured about her captor’s wrist. Before she could protest, the crowd swarmed closer, threatening to trample her. She noted the laser in her captor’s hand and discovered her own mission weapon secured beneath his belt. The crowds in the station then began a frantic shuffle, pushing and shoving to make their way to the docking areas and escape the confusion. She didn’t know whether they fled the worsel and his companions or the hordes of Searchers storming the area. She looked up to find Hobard’s uniformed puppets pressing nearer. Whether the Searchers spotted her or if they only investigated the commotion, the crowd offered too dangerous a gamble to risk. Another impatient tug tightened the cuff about her wrist. Given no choice, Kayla followed her captor as he made his way in the opposite direction from which they’d entered the station. “Get on.” Kayla wanted to resist, but a sharp tug on the short chain stilled her defiance. “What gives you the right--” “Later. I don’t know who might pursue us first. Those Searchers or the Worsel you so unwisely angered.” Hobard’s Searchers didn’t frighten her half as much as the Worsel. Kayla jumped on the seat behind her captor. She noted his posture was stiff, his shoulders taut. She felt a strange tingle streak her through her fingertips when she thrust her cuffed arm forward around his body to give him enough chain to operate the guidance arms. She closed her eyes as the skimmer took flight. She prayed Rand witnessed her abduction before he escaped, then choked back tears as she realized she’d missed her only chance of a reunion with her brothers. The purpose of the revolution was too important to risk for the sake of one individual. Her fate was now in her own hands. Kayla opened her eyes and paid close attention to the numerous vessels they passed as the skimmer sped along the landing pad. Alien markings confused her, but one symbol was prevalent on a great number of the crafts. Three joined triangles. The familiar insignia of the Federation, a hexagon with a flame at its center, was present on a few of the vessels, but Kayla didn’t have time to consider further as the skimmer came to an abrupt halt. Two dark shapes blocked their path. “If you blink, you’re dead.”

Heart in her throat, Kayla stared at the large form that stepped from the shadows into the green glow of the phos lights. The Worsel. Another being moved out from behind a Federation vessel. She gasped as the creature approached, noted how its golden, fur-covered flesh shimmered against the eerie fluorescence of the landing lights. The creature’s facial features were shadowed, except for the feral gleam in his dark eyes. The distinctive whine of a primed blaster located somewhere behind her sent a streak of fear along her spine. Kayla turned to discover another creature waited beneath a darkened vessel armed with a blaster. “I will have female now.” Her captor stiffened beneath the hand she’d clasped around his belt. “I thought I made myself clear earlier, Worsel. She’s mine and I don’t take theft of my property lightly.” A throaty, grating laugh sent another set of chills over Kayla’s flesh. “Those in your profession usually are not so lax they are taken off guard.” The Worsel waved his hand in dismissal. “You are not my concern. Female owes me.” Kayla swallowed hard when the Worsel reached down and rubbed the area between his thighs. The beast obviously still felt the sting of her attack. “Female will bring many credits after she is taught proper respect.” The Worsel and the fur-covered creature stepped closer, blocking the skimmer’s path. Kayla felt the tension mounting in her captor’s body and eased closer. “Be ready,” he whispered. Kayla flexed her fingers against his back to let him know she understood. She couldn’t run shackled to his arm, but she could fight. She remembered her laser tucked into the front of his belt and eased her hand under the flap of his jacket. She heard his sharp intake of breath and knew he’d guessed her intention. Inching her hand forward until she could wrap her fingers around the laser, she used her thumb to slide the device into the stun position. She understood her captor could do nothing to assist in her attack. The Worsel or one of his companions would kill him instantly. She had one chance. Leaning as close to him as she dared, she whispered, “Now.” He jammed the acceleration bar forward. The skimmer jerked into motion, knocking the

animal-like creature aside and causing his weapon to discharge a blast of laser fire dangerously close to Kayla’s side. She shifted the laser into her free hand, hung on to her captor’s belt with her cuffed hand, turned and fired, aiming first at the smaller creature brandishing a charged blaster hidden in the shadows. The skimmer accelerated. Kayla watched over her shoulder as the Worsel gave chase, surprised to find, despite his size, he exhibited tremendous speed. With a ferocious roar, the Worsel reached out, grabbed a handful of Kayla’s hair and tugged, almost unseating her. She ignored the pain, took careful aim, and fired. A streak of red light arced toward the mammoth creature less than an arm’s length away then disbursed in a fiery ball that distorted her vision. The Worsel released her hair and fell to the landing field. The animalistic creature gained his feet and leaped for the guidance arm. Her captor maneuvered into a mid-air spin, thrusting the beast backward, and allowing Kayla enough time to take aim and fire. The skimmer stabilized then accelerated, leaving three prone figures in the middle of the approach path. Adrenaline depleted, Kayla rested her forehead against her captor’s back and closed her eyes. “Are you alright?” How could she possibly be all right when she had no control over her life? She’d been pursued by Searchers, injured by laser fire, been taken captive by a maniac. Her rendezvous with her brothers was now thwarted, and her life threatened by creatures she hadn’t even known existed. Cuffed to her less than trustworthy captor racing across the landing area to only the Gods knew where, with no way to escape. Her mental tirade died when the skimmer slowed to a halt and settled to the landing pad. She looked over her captor’s shoulder and watched as he pressed some sort of a button on a strange black object he held in his hand. She glanced up to discover the cargo door opening on an enormous black vessel.

CHAPTER 4

Kayla shuffled back on the seat of the skimmer until the short length of the chain forced the cuff to dig painfully into her wrist. She ignored her discomfort to study the vessel before her. If by some miracle she managed to break free of the cuffs, she needed to gather all the information she could to identify her captor. Long, sleek lines of the black fuselage gave the illusion of a huge black bird of prey. The enormous tail section held yet another foreign symbol. A silver lightning bolt.

She glanced over her shoulder toward the landing area they’d just left, hoping someone other than the Worsel and friends might be in pursuit. At this point, she’d almost be grateful to see Hobard. Hobard she could fight. And this muscular stranger cuffed to her arm was no one she seriously wanted to challenge. Her only saving grace was that she had possession of her laser and wouldn’t hesitate to use it as a last resort. Without a word of explanation, her captor engaged the skimmer and flew through the open cargo door before she could devise a solid plan. The hydraulic hiss as the cargo door closed behind her sent another set of chills racing along her spine. Any chance of escape had suddenly been taken away. “Lights.” Recessed phos-lighting filled the bay, illuminating black walls, floor and ceiling. Other than the skimmer, the bay was empty. He turned and said, “Give it to me.” Kayla followed his gaze to the laser in her hand, the cuff on her wrist, then traced the chain to the matching cuff on his arm. She realized resistance would be futile as he snatched the weapon out of her hand. “Let’s go.” He dismounted and stood close to her side. Her choices narrowed to following him or having her hand severed at the wrist. At his voice command, the interior cargo door slipped open. Kayla followed him out into a long, black corridor that led down the length of the vessel for about thirty feet to another portal. She waited while he gave another command, wondering if the locking device responded only to his vocal pattern or if she might deactivate the locks. The panel opened to an enormous bank of computer equipment. Kayla didn’t have time to give the area more than a cursory glance before he led her across the metal floor and pushed her down into one of the two padded black chairs facing the console. “The Worsel--” “Should be unconscious long enough for us to get off planet,” he finished as he took the seat next to hers. “Ignition.” Every light on the panels that covered both sides of the compartment came to life at once. Sequences of color flashed at overwhelming speeds. Strange beeps, buzzes and clicks methodically checked, then double-checked the entire takeoff protocol and readied the vessel for flight.

“Strap in.” Her padded chair began to vibrate as the power from the vessel’s engines grew in velocity. She quickly strapped the harness over her body. He strapped into a similar harness, reached forward to run his fingers over a series of lights, then leaned back against the padding of his chair and closed his eyes. Immense pressure suddenly pushed against her chest, crushing her deeper into the seat padding and held her immobile as the weight increased. Kayla gasped for breath as her lungs tried to deflate. She fought the threat of unconsciousness that rushed through every cell in her body. The roar of the engines grew, expanding in her ears, vibrating through her body. She closed her fingers tighter around the arms of the chair. Seconds passed as her body appeared to compress and her bones tried to melt through the thick padding of the chair. Within the blink of an eye, the physical discomforts reversed. Weightlessness expanded her body beneath the harness. Her neck muscles felt too weak to lift her head. The vessel’s gravity stabilized. Finally able to draw a deep breath, Kayla forced her tense body to relax. She’d traveled many times on numerous vessels used for transportation on Turas, but she’d never experienced a liftoff similar to the one she’d just passed through. She wondered about the difference in the way her body responded, but pushed the thought aside as she watched her captor’s fingers skim over the light panel. A scraping sound captured her attention. She followed the noise to discover two immense panels opening in front of her. Total blackness streaked with tiny patches of white light zipped past the view shields. The panic she’d forgotten during liftoff turned quickly into terror. “Excuse me.” He met her gaze. “My name’s Rynard. Use it.” “Okay, Rynard. I think it’s time we got a few things straightened out. First, I’m not here of my own free will and I don’t appreciate your terse tone. Second, I didn’t force you to drag me through the stellar station, nor did I consent to having this cuff placed around my wrist. Where I come from, kidnapping is a serious crime.” He ignored her entire tirade and continued to punch colored lights on the grid panel. Kayla glanced around the padded back of her chair and studied the hatch. Where were the other members of his crew? A vessel this size must carry at least twenty in comfort. With so little faith in her captor, she thought at least one of his crew might offer a suitable plan to rectify her predicament.

The scar about her neck began to itch as it did whenever she found herself in a dangerous situation. She needed a solution. Fast. Before this vessel sped out of range of any communication she might be able to send to the transport vessel. She turned to stare at Rynard. “Who and what are you?” He didn’t bother to look in her direction when he said, “Who or what I am is none of your concern. Had I meant to do you harm, I could have left you in the rock bowl on III and taken care of my own damn business. I didn’t have to treat your wound. I could have turned you over to the Searchers, or worse, let the Worsel and his friends have you.” He’d saved her life. Why? If he was too stubborn to offer explanations, perhaps others on board might. “Where are the other members of your crew?” He sat back, rested his dark head against an even darker chair and closed his eyes. “There is no crew.” “A vessel this size must have a crew.” “Its computer piloted. No one’s aboard but us.” She raised her hand and shook the chain attached to her cuff. “Since it’s obvious I can no longer escape, don’t you think these are unnecessary?” Without the cuffs, she might be unable to overpower him, but she might find a weapon to disable him long enough to send an inner-space message to the transport. He turned his head, opened his eyes, and smiled. Tiny lines creased the corners of his eyes. “Nope.” Kayla gripped the arm of her chair until her knuckles turned white. She didn’t want to hear his answer, but needed to know nonetheless. “Why not?” “I can’t.” He reached over and captured a lock of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. He tugged her closer. “I don’t have the key,” he whispered. “You don’t have the key?” she shouted, each word increasing in pitch and volume. He shook his head. Kayla pounded on his chest with her free hand. “You locked these--” She shook the chain. “These cuffs about our wrists and you don’t have the key?”

He offered a nonchalant shrug. “Must have lost it somewhere between our little escapade in the flatlands and our escape from III.” Kayla wrapped her hands around his neck and squeezed. Hard. He captured her wrists and dislodged her fingers with ease. “Gray uniforms were swarming all over the station. You had that Worsel hot enough to rape you on the station floor, and it was a sure bet your comrade in green couldn’t reach you in time to save your beautiful butt. Do you think I took time to consider whether or not I had the damn key?” Kayla flopped back into her chair. She studied her wrist enclosed in Tung then the two-foot chain. She glanced toward the man in the chair beside hers--attached to her arm for the rest of her life. Knots formed in her stomach then tightened. Just when she thought her situation couldn’t possibly get any worse, it did. “Relax, I’ll think of something.” Kayla watched Rynard’s eyes and saw the devilish twinkle caused by the blinking lights reflected from the command console. The grin that creased his lips did little to calm her rapidly deteriorating composure. “What?” He reached forward to run the tips of his fingers over the multitude of lights then leaned back to rest his head against the leather of his chair. “Don’t you think it’s time you told me your name? How about whom you were trying to meet at the transport station? Why you were on Hobard’s planet to begin with?” He arched one dark brow. “You obviously aren’t one of the criminals Hobard uses to mine his Krystals.” Frustrated by his constant attempts to attain knowledge, Kayla responded, “My name is Kayla. Other than that, who I am and what I was doing on Hobard’s planet is none of your concern.” She received a jolt of satisfaction when he grimaced at having his own words hurled back at him. The sensation disappeared when he raised his arm and jiggled the chain. “We’re stuck with each other, Kayla. Since our joining is a fact neither of us can eradicate, I’d suggest you consider how much easier co-existence will be if you cooperate.” He disengaged his harness, rose and stood next to her chair. Kayla noted he kept his arm loose, his hand positioned near the arm of her chair so not to put undue pressure on the chain. She wondered about his simple act of kindness when before, as they fled the station, he hadn’t cared if he severed her arm as he’d dragged her behind him through the crowds. “Come with me. It’s been hours since we’ve eaten.” With little choice other than to concede, Kayla stood and waited as he issued the command to activate the hatch. She followed as he walked the corridor that ran the length of his vessel. Several other hatches she hadn’t paid attention to on her first trip through the corridor triggered her curiosity. Before

she could ask what was behind the doors, he paused before another hatch and commanded it to open. “I think you’ll find Phantom’s galley well-equipped.” Kayla had no idea what to expect when she walked through the portal, but she certainly wouldn’t have guessed the luxury suddenly surrounding her. Her limited experience with the stark, serviceable galleys on the transport vessels of Turas did little to prepare her for this one. Thick carpeting of soft gray cushioned her feet. The same muted color covered the metal walls. Two lush leather sofas faced each other in the center of the floor, separated by a low table topped with amber glass and supported by legs of polished metal. Soft lighting illuminated the ceiling. A huge mural of swirling bright colors in no particular pattern filled the wall to her left. On her right, banks of cabinets in the same soft gray covered the entire wall. “Welcome to my home.” Kayla wondered at the strange tone of his voice when he said the word “home.” She watched his eyes for some emotion to explain the melancholy feeling she felt when she replayed his statement in her mind, but found nothing. He surprised her again when he reached forward to touch one of the cabinets. The wall vanished in a series of soft hisses to reveal a very efficient food station complete with hydrator, refreshment dispenser, and disposal unit. Another light panel drew her attention. Rynard explained a touch of the yellow light provided a selection of beverages, the red a vast array of entrees, and the green a special menu of treats he’d grown fond of as he traveled the Galaxy. “What would you like?” he asked. Kayla considered refusing, but a wild grumble from her belly stifled the urge. “You choose.” He pressed the yellow light, made a beverage selection, and then pressed the red. The hydrator unit opened to reveal a steaming bowl of something that smelled delicious and teased her empty stomach. He duplicated his selections for her. Another compartment provided a tray and eating utensils. After placing the steaming bowls and mugs on the tray, Rynard nodded toward the sofas in the center of the galley. When Kayla attempted to take a seat on the sofa opposite the one he chose, she realized the chain left no room to clear the table. To this point, her thoughts of being bound to him had been of self-protection. The enormity of their predicament finally struck at full force when she realized however long it took him to “think of something” to remove their cuffs, she’d have to share his very close company. Rynard placed the tray on the table then walked around the sofa, pulling Kayla along with him. “Help me.” She realized that he intended to shove the sofas together and added her weight to push until the

sofas were only inches more apart than the width of the table. She took the seat opposite his. Kayla took time to savor the warmth of the delicious stew before she swallowed, while studying the man only a few feet away. She wondered who he really was. He denied being one of Hobard’s Searchers and only offered the name Rynard. When she now took time to think about it, she realized she ’d never seen a member of the Searcher squadron dressed in anything other than the slate gray uniforms. If he wasn’t a Searcher, who was he? Why was he on Hobard’s planet? Kayla looked around. He’d called this cruiser home. He also mentioned gathering his favorite foods throughout the Galaxy. What type of man had the means to own such a luxurious vessel? She studied the top of his dark head as he leaned to finish his meal. A trader? She pushed that assumption aside. The cargo bay had been empty when they arrived. Had he come to Colony III to deliver mining equipment? Whatever his profession, her most pressing problem was the possibility of escaping him. She studied the Tung cuff about her wrist. Followed the chain to the matching cuff on his. She glanced up the length of his muscular arm to discover he watched her with the same curiosity. “What were you doing on Colony III?” he asked. Kayla considered what might happen if she told him her reason for being on Hobard’s planet. What would he do if she hinted Hobard would pay an enormous sum of credits to have her returned? It wasn’t worth the risk. “What were you doing on III?” she countered.

CHAPTER 5

Colony III

Nathan Hobard stood near the view panel in his chamber and stared at the streaks of purple and orange signaling the coming of a new day. He glanced down at the shadow-darkened entrances to his mines and ignored his Searcher Commander standing by the doorway, awaiting further orders. Hobard pressed his forehead against the cool pane and closed his eyes. “How were they allowed to escape?” he whispered.

Moltar’s footsteps were precise as he stepped over the threshold and walked across the carpeted floor to pause behind Hobard. “They were assisted by an unknown force.” “What unknown force?” Hobard turned to study Moltar’s chest, the golden braids denoting his rank, then met his Commander’s troubled eyes. “You were instructed to follow the fleeing members of the revolution and to discover their evacuation plans. You were also ordered to capture the female and return her to me unharmed.” Moltar nodded. “I will not tolerate another failure.” Hobard turned his back on his Commander. Moltar cleared his throat. “Someone created a diversion at the transport station and allowed the revolutionists and the female to escape. It will not happen again.” “See that it doesn’t. And, Moltar,” Hobard said as he glanced over his shoulder to look his Commander in the eye. “Discover who assisted the escapees. Have that person or persons brought to me. Spare no cost in locating those I seek. But, be warned. If you do not provide for me what is my fondest desire, I will leave you behind when I blow this planet to dust.” “It will be done.” Moltar clicked his heels together, turned and left the chamber. Hobard listened to the sound of his Commander’s footsteps retreating down the hallway. He stepped away from the view panel and paused at his cluttered desk to pour a measure of rare Iquidian into a glass. He stood mesmerized for several seconds, watching the reflection of the sunlight brighten the amber liquid. He sat in the soft, worn chair behind his desk and crossed his boots on the desktop. “The revolutionists on Turas are finally desperate,” he whispered. “Why else would they risk everything in an attempt to steal my Krystallum? Soon, they won’t be alone in their plight. Very soon, the other planets in the Quadrant will feel the burden of too little food, too little hope.” Hobard chuckled. His ultimate goals would be met. Plans drawn over his years of confinement on this doomed planet to sell precious Krystallum to the abstaining planets in the Quadrant--with no affiliation in the Federation and willing to pay enormous sums for his Krystals--were in place. His stolen cargo ready for sale. Last evening, he’d completed talks with representatives from each abstaining system, explaining to each delegate his selling price, and the conditions upon which he’d relinquish his prize. “Retribution is at hand,” he shouted. “I can feel it. Taste it. Smell it. As soon as my terms are met, I’ll have sufficient credits to flee Colony III and take with me enough Krystals to keep me in luxury for the rest of my life, on any non-Federation planet I choose.” His plans to gain retribution against the CMC for stripping away his hopes of a lucrative future on Council, for ousting him to this planet, and for allowing the Federation to dictate his Fate, would not be complete without Kayla Jardane.

He opened his mind to the memories that had haunted him for too many years and visualized Kayla’s tall, lush body, her innocent face, and the seductive fullness of her lips. Willing his memory back farther, he recalled the budding beauty that forced his breath away when he visited Turas along with officials from the CMC at his “appointment” as Planetary Chief on Colony III and controller of the Krystallum. Over several years, he’d dreamed of Kayla’s simple innocence, maintained a near constant state of arousal, thinking about introducing her to the pleasures of sexuality. He’d awakened many nights aching from his lustful thoughts, and each time, he’d renewed his vow to have the possession he coveted almost above all others. Kayla. She belonged to him. He’d invested his time. He now would have his reward. He thought about his numerous visits to Turas, of becoming a part of young Kayla’s life. Tempting her father’s goodwill with extra allotments of Krystallum. Baiting Kayla with sweet words and promises of a better life than she could make on Turas. Early in his seduction, his advances had swayed Kayla. She allowed him to touch her hand, her face, and her hair. Chaste kisses fired his passion, but his sweet Kayla wasn’t ready, her body not yet ripe for his taking. When she finally reached maturity, she rejected him. The Searchers he’d sent to Turas in retribution kidnapped Kayla and delivered her to his bedchamber. He’d had her almost on the brink of surrender when her damn brothers interfered and stole Kayla away into the protective hands of the revolution. Forcing his thoughts back to the present, Hobard brought the glass of Iquidian to his lips to savor the bitter sting as the liquor slipped down his throat. He leaned against the contours of his chair and embraced the anger flowing like hot ore through his veins. He renewed his determination and reinforced the plans he’d set into motion with the promise he’d not be denied again. **** Rand Jardane watched the small yellow blip on the screen with growing concern. Hours before, he’d barely escaped the clutches of the Searchers in the transport station and informed his brother and the other members of their team about Kayla’s abduction. After leaving Colony III’s atmosphere and the hordes of Searchers swarming the station behind, the crew of the transport had been successful in picking up an emissions trail from the vessel holding his sister. They’d been following at an undetectable distance since. He paid constant attention to the screen while Danel initiated an inner-space conference with Marcus, leader of the revolution on their home planet, Turas. Because of that conference, the members of the resistance aboard the transport received orders to divert their homeward trajectory and find Kayla. Marcus also advised they couldn’t return to home base until the trouble from their failed attempt to steal Krystallum died down. “Still tracking that vessel?”

Danel stepped to his side. Rand noted the concern on his older brother’s face. Danel hadn’t agreed with Kayla’s plans to accompany them to Colony III but, in the end, he’d relented and allowed Kayla the opportunity to reclaim her honor by helping thwart Hobard’s plans for Turas. “That’s a Starclass, Rand. We can’t hope to overtake it. Our only chance of helping Kayla is to follow and wait until it reaches its destination. We’ll just have to be patient.” “Why would someone kidnap Kayla?” Rand asked. “We’ll have our answers soon enough,” Danel said. “I just pray she’s unharmed when we reach her.” Rand pushed his fingers through his hair. “I can’t wait to get my hands on whoever’s stupid enough to take her.” “You’ll have to stand in line,” Danel growled. “It’s gone! One minute it was right here,” Rand tapped on the screen. “Now, it’s vanished.”

CHAPTER 6

Dolph wondered what Kayla’s reaction would be if he told her the truth, then discarded the thought. Too much depended upon concealing his identity until he knew her part in Hobard’s operations. A hundred different, well-practiced explanations rushed through his mind, but the usual cover that never failed seemed the best option. “I’m a Hunter, Kayla.” The horrified expression on Kayla’s face confirmed his theory. She knew exactly what his few words meant. He imagined the thoughts running through her mind, the horrors she might have heard about those in his profession--most based upon fact. He regretted having placed such a low opinion of himself into her head, but decided it was for the best. Let her think whatever she wanted. She would never know the truth, never be privy to the forces that drove him, the secrets he carried. “I was on Hobard’s planet delivering a prisoner who’d escaped transport.” “You’re paid to chase beings throughout the Galaxy and return them to whoever offers you enough credits? Of course you are. How else could you afford such opulent accommodations?”

Dolph followed her gaze as it traveled across the length of chain, climbed slowly up his arm, and settled on his face. Memories flooded him, followed by a knife of guilt that twisted in his chest. He’d wanted her to trust him, but he now realized it would be better if she kept her distance. Wary of him, she’d remain on guard. “It’s a job.” She shuffled back against the sofa to place as much distance between them as the chain would allow. “There are all sorts of professions one could engage in to earn credits. Now, I suppose I should call you Hunter.” “Try Rynard. Or Dolph if it suits you.” She shook her head. “I think I liked you better when I thought you were one of Hobard’s Searchers.” He understood the sarcasm in her voice and knew she now considered him lower than one of Hobard’s minions. “Why did you bring me with you? You should have turned me over to the Searchers. Hobard might have paid handsomely for me.” Dolph leaned closer. He used the chain to tug her hand across the tabletop so he could grasp her wrist. “Why? What makes you so valuable to Hobard?” The vulnerability in her eyes confused him. When she twisted her wrist against his hold, he released her arm. “There’s nothing for me to tell you.” She looked away. “Those I hunt are very adept at hiding secrets, Kayla. I usually find a way to break their resistance.” She met his gaze. Her eyes flashed in anger. “I broke a promise to myself and almost trusted you.” She raised her hand and rattled the chain. “Look what that got me.” “Never trust anyone, Kayla. People are seldom what they seem.” He touched his own cuff. “As for these, I had no other choice at the time, but I’ll remedy this situation as soon as feasible.” “How?” “I know a man who--” An obnoxious buzzing filled the galley. “Come on.” ****

Dolph leaned back against the padding of his chair and closed his eyes. He resisted the urge to groan only to have his agony reinforced when the chain joining his wrist to Kayla’s caught in the hair on his arm. He cursed. He’d delivered the report supplied by the informant on III, advised his superiors of the numerous non-Federation vessels he’d witnessed at the station, and awaited their response to the new evidence provided. He hadn’t been prepared for the message he received. Trivonte was on Darion 5. Memories fueled by anger filled his mind. Images of smoke and stifling air so thick it caused his eyes to water and choked his lungs with the stench of sulfur, garbage and personal waste burned through his brain. Trivonte. Why now? Dolph stared at the blank screen. For a moment, he forgot his mission to incriminate Hobard. He pushed aside everything but his hunger for revenge against the criminal who’d evaded capture for years. Trivonte. The creature indirectly responsible for his loss of freedom and directly responsible for the wound that almost incapacitated him. More memories assailed him. If only he hadn’t tried to stick to his stringent code of honor, one he’d finally given up when he relinquished his soul to the CMC. Hadn’t vowed to bring Trivonte back to stand trial for his many vicious acts, and killed the murdering bastard when he’d had the chance. He banged his free hand against the arm of his chair. Trivonte was on Darion 5. An entire quadrant away from the planet Didiron and the only locksmith in the Galaxy who could free him from the Tung cuffs. Dolph leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes. Trivonte was one of the most vicious criminals in the Universe. The villian who had almost taken his life and left him to die in a pool of his own blood as he carried out his orders and chased the Katsani warrior to Darian 5. Now, the CMC had ordered him back to Darion 5. But he couldn’t fight Trivonte with Kayla shackled to his arm. He needed to go to Didiron first. The inhabitants of Didiron were not only the creators of Tung, the hardest alloy found in the Universe, but they were the only individuals who knew how to release the Tung, when one found themselves in a situation like his. He didn’t want to take Kayla to Darian 5. The dying planet was the last place he wanted to take a woman. The atmosphere alone was enough to cause serious harm to one’s body.

Another alarm filled the command center. A second coded message flashed across the grid and his choices were once again taken away. Fury burned his gut. He silently cursed the CMC then considered his options. He could become the renegade his reputation made him out to be, disregard the CMC’s coded message, and precede with his original plan and travel to Didiron. He’d risk having the death sentence enforced and guarantee the price placed upon his head would be high enough others in his profession wouldn’t ignore it. He could act the CMC’s robot again, do what they demanded of him, and risk his life and that of the female shackled to his arm. Dolph shook his head and turned to stare at the frightened woman in the chair beside his. He watched Kayla’s panicked glance around the command center. Whether or not he liked his current situation, she was his responsibility. Some deeply hidden part of a conscience he’d no longer believed existed didn’t want to involve her in his sordid world. His instinct for survival, the part that drove him to do things he’d never believed himself capable of, warned him not to ignore the Council’s orders. Orders to go to Darion 5, capture Trivonte, and return him to Hobard’s planet. Once there, his further orders were to discover why those vessels were on III. Dolph closed his eyes and considered one serious flaw in the CMC’s plans. He’d go to Darion 5, but there was no way in hell he’d bring Trivonte back alive. “What’s happening?” He glanced toward Kayla and noted her pale complexion. It was obvious that she’d never felt the effects of Stardrive in any vessel she might have flown upon. “Stardrive is Krystal powered, Kayla. The initial thrust created by the Krystals propells a ship many times faster than light. Unfortunately, Stardrive capabilities don’t last very long because of the quick burn expended by the Krystals. But it does give the power of escape whenever necessary, and it’s saved my life numerous times throughout the years.” Dolph had made the jump to Stardrive so many times he’d forgotten the unsettling feeling the sensation could have on the body. He studied her fingers, watched her ease her hand from the death-grip she held on the arm of the chair. “Relax. The tingling you’re feeling will disappear in a few minutes.” “But--” “I had to make a minor course adjustment. Nothing you need to be concerned about.” Color flooded her face and settled in fiery patches on her cheeks. “Nothing I need to concern myself over? You bind us with these cuffs. You kidnap me and drag me aboard this cruiser. You put

me through stars know what while you make a course adjustment, and you say it’s nothing to concern me. Is this what you meant when you said you’d think of something?” “Originally, I’d planned to go to a special locksmith and have our cuffs removed, but plans have a way of becoming delayed.” He watched her gaze shift from her hand to his. “Originally?” “Something’s come up.” **** She’d thought her plight dangerous enough when she believed the man who’d taken her captive was one of Hobard’s Searchers. But a Hunter? How many times had her brothers teased her with horrible tales of what Hunters did to naughty little girls? But as she grew older, she realized Hunters were not monsters that stole children from their beds at night. Maturity also brought the understanding that, while stories used to frighten were slanted, most were born of truth. Hunters sold their souls to the highest bidders. Faithless, fearless creatures, men and women alike who, for the right price, would take any job, hunt any individual, no matter if the charges against that person were legitimate or not. Assassins. Similar to those of the Council who used their twisted laws and corrupt systems as a shield to destroy the lives of innocent men like her father. Killers low enough to work for a man like Nathan Hobard. “Damn.” Kayla ignored his curse as she scanned the strange sequence of blips and blinks on the grid. She studied the expression on his face, the way he ran his fingers through his hair before he touched another series of lights. More strange markings covered the grid, followed by answering symbols. Several different thoughts collided with Kayla’s composure at the same time. One forged forward with the strength of a blast rifle. Hunter. She glanced toward the empty screen where the messages had flashed. “Someone’s offered you an exorbitant amount of credits to perform your job, haven’t they, Hunter?” He met her gaze, said nothing. “You selfish bastard. What about me?” She jerked her cuffed arm hard, making sure he felt the bite of the Tung against his flesh. “I refuse to be a part of your heinous profession.” He dropped his head against the chair back. “I didn’t ask for your cooperation.”

“You won’t get it.” A smile creased his face and deepened the tiny creases at the corners of his eyes. He destroyed her bravado with one intimidating glance. “We’ll see.” Kayla swallowed to dislodge the lump that closed her throat and blocked her ability to draw an even breath. She summoned the last of her willpower and met his stare. “I suppose we will.” He released his harness and rose. “Come on. I’m exhausted. It’ll take twelve hours to reach our destination. Might as well put the time to good use.” Kayla gripped the arm of her chair. “No.” “I didn’t give you a choice.” She lifted her chin, ignored the chain, and crossed her arms. Their predicament wasn’t her doing. He had no right to issue orders and expect her to obey. “Listen, Hunter. I did not ask for your company, nor do I intend to be a party to whatever it is you do while you are tracking down your prey. I don’t appreciate the way you keep ordering me around as if this chain gives you control over me.” “It does, Kayla, if you want to stay alive. I know you didn’t ask for my company. In fact, I’m sorry I closed these cuffs about our wrists. But, since there’s nothing I can do now to alleviate our situation, we’ll just have to live with it for a while longer.” She refused to back down. “Suppose I refuse?” His deep, throaty laugh filled the command center. “I wouldn’t suggest you try.” He exerted more pressure on the chain. Kayla scanned his body. Differences in their physical size gave reason to accept his authority, but she wasn’t totally helpless. She hadn’t had the opportunity to use her skills to improve her circumstances, nor had she ever tested her abilities against an individual his size. Several years ago, Danel instructed her in self-defense so she’d never be a helpless victim again. Unfortunately, neither she nor Danel anticipated her current situation or the fact she’d end up alone with a Hunter. Danel trained her for defense against someone like Nathan Hobard. Kayla compared, but found nothing similar between the two men who’d taken her captive. Hobard’s face was quite handsome, though not as handsome as the Hunter’s, she silently admitted. Hobard’s blond hair and blue eyes gave him an appearance counterpoint to his personality. He wasn’t much taller than she, nor had he spent his life honing his body into a mass of muscle like the Hunter. Hobard relied on the strength of his position and power within the CMC or his Searchers to do his fighting. Another glance over the Hunter’s body created an impulse to close her eyes. The Hunter, with his finely honed physique and dark countenance, intimidated her. She suspected his rough demeanor went bone deep and suited one who followed his demanding profession. Danel also taught her to never show fear. Never to allow her emotions to be displayed upon her face or in her actions. Her major lesson had been to maintain control whenever possible.

She couldn’t escape Rynard, the cuff about her wrist, or the vessel upon which they traveled. For the time being, she’d have to play his game until she found a way to turn the tables. Without a word, she rose, squared her shoulders and looked up a couple of inches to stare him in the eye. Her silent battle of will lasted only a few seconds before he shook his head and turned to leave the command center. In the corridor, he paused before one of the black hatches, looked over his shoulder, and smiled. “You sleep on your stomach or your back?” His question was so absurd it took several seconds to sink in. “I’m not sleeping with you.” Stubbornness, she realized, was a stupid trait when shackled to someone taller and much stronger as she stumbled through the hatch seconds before it closed. She opened her mouth to offer protest but shut it quickly when she discovered a huge black bed that took up almost the entire floor area of the quarters. Recessed lighting along the top of gray walls cast strange shadows on the metal ceiling, leaving the majority of the area in darkness. A few tiny phos-lights directed toward the bed created a halo affect across the glossy black sheeting. Kayla backed up as far as the chain would allow. “Listen, Hunter--” “I’m tired. I haven’t had sufficient sleep for three days and I’ll be damned if I’m going to stay awake any longer listening to you protest sleeping arrangements. In case you’ve forgotten, we have little choice other than remain close.” He used the chain to pull her closer. “Unless you plan to stand there for the next several hours, I’ d suggest you get comfortable on the other side of this bed.” He sat down on the side of the bed. One boot hit the metal flooring. “You can’t undress.” “No, I can’t. But I can slip off my boots.” He did just that. Relieved of one worry for the moment, a far more pressing problem plagued her. She searched the area. Other than a wall cabinet, a computer link, and the huge bed, the area was empty. Tensing every muscle in her body to forgo the urge to squirm, she stared at the top of his dark head. “Hunter?” He ignored her. “Curse you, Rynard. I need a moment of privacy if you don’t mind.”

His deep, throaty chuckle echoed off the metal walls. “And how would you suggest we obtain a moment of privacy? Do you wish to sever my arm, or should I sever yours?” “Don’t be ridiculous.” “Simply stating the facts.” With her bladder about to burst, she didn’t have time or patience to trade words with this impossible male. “Where is it?” He kicked aside his discarded boots, rose and walked around the bed. He raised his left hand to press a button on the console. The wall slid silently open to reveal the facility she now desperately needed. Kayla wasted no time on embarrassment as she hurried through the open panel, only to be stopped short by a tug on the chain. “Need help?” Mortification heated her entire body, but panic set in to alleviate that worry. She struggled with the fasteners on her leggings, but with her hand suspended behind her in midair to accommodate his outstretched arm, she discovered she did need his assistance. She said, “Would you mind?” He apparently understood her desperate plea and didn’t utter a sound as he unfastened the closures on the left side of her leggings. She pushed humiliation aside to relieve her need. She stood still as a statue when he helped her close the leggings then attempted to slip past him before the tears of embarrassment she’d dammed spilled down her cheeks. “Not so fast.” Kayla froze. “Relax your arm.” She chewed her lip, shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, counted the phos along the ceiling--anything to ignore the Hunter less than two feet away. She finally breathed a sigh of relief when he left the lavatory and closed the facility. “Since the cuffs are attached to your left arm and my right, I’d suggest you take that side of the bed.” Without waiting for her to agree, he issued another command and the lights disappeared. Kayla stumbled across the metal floor in darkness, following his outstretched arm. She waited until he’d settled on the opposite side of the bed then sank into her appointed spot. She twisted and turned in an attempt to find a comfortable position with her cuffed arm stretched over the distance between them while she hugged the side of the bed with her free hand.

After a few moments, she gave up to stare at the ceiling. The Hunter seemed to take everything in stride, but Kayla couldn’t stop thinking that however long it took to be free of him, everything they did would become a joint effort. “Hunter?” “Back to that again, are we?” “Promise you won’t touch me.” “A promise needs trust, Kayla.” “Damn you.” “I have no intention of touching you. Get some rest. You’re going to need it.” “I won’t have any part of your plans.” “You’ll do as I say if you wish to stay alive.” Kayla considered his earlier suggestion that she cut off his hand. The proposition now had definite possibilities. “How can you hunt someone with me attached to your arm?” “Get some sleep.” “I won’t help you.” “Now, Kayla.”

CHAPTER 7

His warning was followed by a tug on the chain, then another, until Kayla was forced to slide closer to ease the pain in her wrist. The silky sheeting rustled as he shifted positions. Though she could see nothing in the darkness, she could feel each breath he drew, sense the tightening of his muscles. She tried to pull away. The chain was too short. “Be still.” She wanted to, but her heart thundered in her chest, and no matter how hard she tried to remain calm, she couldn’t control the trembling that shook her body.

She held her breath. It didn’t help. She struggled to free enough chain to slide a little farther across the bed. “Damn.” He reached across the mattress, grabbed her about the waist, and pulled her back into the hard planes of his body, using one leg to hold her in position and leaving Kayla no alternative other than to retaliate. Despite the chain, she acted out of instinct and used the strength in her legs to entwine with his, then rolled him over to reverse their positions. She twisted to take advantage of his surprise, ignored the pain that sliced through her wrist and wounded thigh, and straddled his waist. Using both hands, she tugged his arms upward until she could stretch the length of chain across the base of his throat. “I won’t warn you again,” she whispered. Before she could reinforce her threat, he heaved his body upward and reversed their positions. His weight pressed down upon her, holding her immobile. Kayla struggled to breathe, forgetting she’d initiated this battle. Horrible memories filled her mind. The need to scream pitted against her mind’ s command that she beg with him not to harm her. The loud pounding of her heart and the chills that raced over her flesh, overshadowed her ability to hold a coherent thought when the heat of his body permeated hers through the black jumpsuit he still wore, the thin tunic she wore, and burned marrow deep. He leaned into her, raised her hands above her head, and whispered, “It’s not wise to tempt Fate, Kayla.” His breath wafted past her ear. His scent filled her nose. Wisps of his long hair brushed her face. Kayla imagined the heat in his eyes, the expression of anger on his face. Images of another time another place filled her mind and threatened her sanity. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t draw a breath. “Lights.” Bright light filled the chamber. **** “What’s the matter with you?” Dolph stared down into her pale face, noted her wide eyes, her bottom lip swollen beneath the white teeth that pierced her flesh. He slipped away from her body and stood at the side of the bed. “Kayla?” He watched her eyes. She never blinked.

“Please, don’t touch me.” He remembered the scar on her neck, the many times she’d jerked away when he stepped too close. He realized what he’d suspected was fever-induced delirium at the shack in the mountains actually went much deeper. Her unnatural fear presented another barrage of questions without answers. He passed his fingers through his hair. “Get some rest, Kayla. I swear I won’t touch you.” He stretched his arm out far enough to ease around to the other side of the bed and lay down, taking care to leave as much distance as possible between them. Several moments passed before she calmed enough so he didn’t hear each breath she drew echo off the metal walls. Dolph closed his eyes and tried to channel his thoughts away from the frightened woman on the other side of the bed. He fell asleep wondering if his life could possibly become any more complicated. **** “Put these on.” He thrust a pair of baggy brown trousers and a hooded woolen poncho at her. Kayla stepped back. It didn’t matter that this Trivonte creature he planned to apprehend was worth ten thousand credits. She’d never seen so many credits in her life. She couldn’t imagine a being worth such an awesome sum. Dead or alive. Nor did she care what excuses Rynard gave, or what identity he expected her to assume, she wanted nothing to do with his plans. “No.” “I’ve got a job to do, Kayla. Unless you cooperate, my mission’s doomed.” “I refuse to participate in your profession.” Kayla recalled the hours she’d spent watching him sleep in the faint light from the phos he’d left burning. After she’d forced away the memories that left her in a catatonic state when he restrained her, she’d tried to analyze their situation. The stunned expression on his face, the concern in his eyes when the lights flashed on, confused her more than his actions. Now, as she watched his eyes, Kayla decided his concern didn’t extend deep enough not to involve her in the plans he’d made when he altered course. And, apparently evaporated completely the moment he rose from the bed. “I don’t have time to argue. We’ll be landing in less than twenty minutes.” Over the last hour, he’d been very thorough in his description of what they’d find when they reached Darion 5. He’d left little out when apprising her of the type of individuals they would meet, the living conditions on the planet’s surface, and the fact the population of Darion 5 were a law unto themselves, with no outside interference from the CMC. “I can’t do this.”

He raised his arm to rattle the chain. “The sooner I do my job, the sooner you’ll be free.” Then what? She wanted to shout, but wisely held her tongue. What good would freedom do a half-galaxy away from her brothers and home? Frustrated, Kayla yanked the loose trousers over her leggings and tugged the ties tight to secure the waist. She reached for the woolen poncho, pulled it over her head, and used the cowl to hide her face. “Satisfied?” He checked her disguise, nodded, then grabbed her hand and drew her across the cargo bay to pause before a storage locker. He opened the locker, drew out several fist-sized black objects and deposited them into one of the pouches extended from his belt. He released the laser from its holster, opened the bottom of the handle and replaced the power source. “What about my laser?” She hadn’t seen her weapon since he’d taken it from her when they boarded. “Prisoners don’t carry weapons.” “Listen, Rynard--” “No, you listen.” He turned so quickly she didn’t have time to step back. He raised his hands, brought her cuffed wrist up with his, and grabbed her shoulders. Against better judgment, she looked into his eyes only to read something very unsettling. Kayla tried to squirm out of his grasp, but the pressure of his fingers increased until she stilled. “You’re my responsibility. Whether or not you agree. I’m sorry I got you into this. If I could change our circumstances, I would. Since I don’t have the ability to turn back time, I suggest we both make the best of this situation until it’s over.” His words were soft. Sincere. The sudden warmth reflected in his eyes somehow had the ability to soothe her anxieties. Contradictory thoughts clamored for dominance in her mind. Everything she’d ever heard about Hunters warred with what she’d observed since waking to find herself in the company of this strange man. Dolph Rynard was an enigma. One who challenged everything she thought about those in his profession. He wasn’t some monster that cared little about those around him, and less about his own image. He was fastidious in appearance, another fact that enhanced his already attractive physique and beguiling face. Many times, she’d read compassion in his green eyes--something she understood was foreign to those who murdered for a living.

He’d protected her from harm rather than subject her to what might have happened if one of Hobard’s Searchers captured her. So, why would he race into a situation that could bring about their demise? Hunters were an entity unto themselves. They went where they wanted, did what they chose. No one opposed them. What was so special about this particular job? He raised his free hand, swiped his fingers across her cheek, and then touched her lips. “I need your word you’ll cooperate. They know me on Darion 5. No one will question why I have a prisoner shackled to my wrist, but I can’t take the risk of having to split my concentration between what’s going on around us and worrying you’ll somehow give away the fact you’re female.” “I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered. He released her shoulders, turned and dug through the locker. “I should have taken care of this hours ago,” was the only explanation he offered when he lifted her wrist and inched the cuff up far enough to expose the reddened flesh beneath. Kayla flinched as he rubbed a sticky ointment over her abrasions. She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grasp. He removed another object from a container in the locker, slid a thin, flesh-colored band over her hand, and positioned her cuff back into place over the band that now cushioned her flesh. He forced her hand open and deposited the ointment and another band into her hand. Kayla understood he meant her to apply the same care to his wrist. Her hands shook at the thought of voluntarily touching him. She pushed past the strange quivering that appeared in her stomach, slid his cuff higher, and gasped when she saw the condition of his arm. Numerous cuts, crusted with dried blood, circled his arm. His skin swollen and bruised beneath the cuts. Kayla dabbed her fingers into the ointment. She didn’t count on the warmth that spread upward through her hand when she placed her fingertips against his skin, or the tightening of her chest when she smoothed her fingers carefully over his wounds. “Kayla.” She dropped his wrist, looked up into his green eyes. He leaned closer. Long strands of dark hair fell forward to cover his forehead, brush his shoulders, and tickle her face. He raised his hand, touched her cheek, and sent fire careening through her veins. Strong fingers mapped her cheeks, lowered to capture her chin and eased her face higher. She felt the warmth of his body, the strength he held so carefully in check, drawing her closer. Closer still. She spread her fingers against his muscular chest and felt the thundering of his heart beneath her hand. She dug her nails into the leather of his jumpsuit with the intention of pushing him away as she

remembered what happened the last time she’d sensed something other than mistrust for a male. With him, everything felt different. He wasn’t trying to force her to do anything she really didn’t want to do. His breath whispered across her face, stealing her will, making her forget everything but the feel of his arm around her back. The touch of his fingertips beneath her chin, the warmth radiating from his deep green eyes. Questions about who and what he was vanished. “Kayla,” he whispered again and kissed her. She trembled in his embrace. She knew she should pull away, understood this man was dangerous to her well being. He continuously chipped away at the walls she’d erected to shield away her pain. From somewhere deep inside, a tiny voice argued that she needed the gentleness of his lips, the power in his body that sent warmth to her very core. Unfamiliar emotions swept over her, eroding her fear until every fiber of her being yearned for him. His touch. His strength. His will. **** Thoughts of Trivonte and the CMC vanished as Dolph released her chin and swiped his fingers through her full, dark hair. He dropped his hand down her back to ease her closer until he knew she could feel his erection. When she whimpered low in her throat, the sound propelled him almost beyond control. His fierce erection grew. Hotter. Heavier. Until his defiant brain warned him to stop before he lost more than he was willing to give. The hours he’d spend holding her, watching her sleep, feeling her soft body against his own, had obviously taken a deeper toll on his rigid self-restraint. Dolph tore his lips from hers and pushed her away as far as the chain allowed. He watched her blink as if coming out of a trance. He ached to hold her, to recapture the part of his soul torn away when he’d foolishly joined the CMC. “Don’t ever do that again, Rynard.” The venom in her voice helped to resurrect the self he’d lived with for far too many years. He stared into her eyes, noted the flush on her face, her swollen lips. He considered her earlier responses and wondered why she waited until now to resist. “Are you afraid of me, Kayla?” “I’m not afraid of you. I don’t like to be touched,” she said as she met his gaze. “You’re lying.”

“Believe whatever you want.” She tried to turn away. He stepped closer. She retreated until she backed into the locker. He shook his head, causing his hair to fall over his shoulders. “It’s time to initiate landing coordinates.” “I really don’t think I can do this.” “You can. You’re tall enough to pull this off. All you have to do is keep your face hidden beneath the cowl, act subdued, and don’t let anyone know you’re female.” “Someday I’m going to get even with you for this, Rynard.” “Fine. But in the meantime, I have to land Phantom before we get caught in the planet’s gravitational pull or neither of us will have to worry about what the next hours will bring.” **** Darion 5

Kayla tried holding her breath to ward off the strong sulfur odor that filled her nostrils, clung to her skin, and caused a nasty taste in her mouth. Her eyes watered, but blinking only worsened the condition and caused her eyes to burn. She raised her free hand, tugged the air-filtration device Rynard had given her to clear the air that passed through her nose and mouth higher until the device rested just below her eyes. She glanced around but could see nothing through the dense gray haze shrouding the landing field, grayish-yellow dust thrown up by their footsteps. Accustomed to the fertile black soil of Turas that, when properly nourished, clung to her boots as she walked instead of coating her trousers and boots with a powdery substance, Kayla tugged on the chain to gain Rynard’s attention. “What is this stuff?” He kept walking, leading her along at a swift pace. “Ash. The planet’s covered with it. Centuries ago, huge volcanoes in the northernmost sectors erupted, filling the atmosphere with sulfuric ash. The ash eventually settled to the surface, destroying all plant and animal life on the planet and polluting the water sources. Darion 5 became a ghost planet until about twenty years ago when the dregs of the Galaxy decided it perfectly suited their purposes and built settlements to harbor their own kind.” Kayla stared at Rynard’s broad, leather-covered back, and noted the dust had also accumulated on the supple hide. “Why didn’t the CMC stop them?”

“Darion 5’s worthless to the CMC because there are no minerals or chemicals of value here to add to their profits. Unless the CMC stands to gain something from their efforts, they certainly won’t waste time, energy or credits, sending a patrol here to apprehend a couple of hundred criminals who can easily be caught when they leave Darion 5.” Kayla cast another curious glance around. Other than the faint red glow she could see before them in the distance, the heavy dust and ash continued to block her view of the terrain. She didn’t believe it could be possible, but the terrible odor grew with each step as they walked closer to their destination. She wondered how a being could survive in such polluted air. Rynard already explained why they had to walk from Phantom to the compound instead of using the fleet skimmer. The thick air wasn’t safe for the propulsion unit. Deadly to a machine, but sufficient to sustain life? Not hardly. She coughed to clear the chalky residue from her throat then reached down to lift the edge of her cowl higher. She blinked several times in an unsuccessful attempt to clear the grit from her eyes. A nagging thought plagued her mind. If the CMC could apprehend criminals somewhere other than this awful planet, why couldn’t Rynard? “Couldn’t Trivonte be caught just as easily elsewhere?” “No.” “But--” “We’ll be in the settlement in a few moments. Keep your head down and remember not to open your mouth,” he ordered. “Damn you, Rynard.”

CHAPTER 8

A huge fire burned in the center of the roadway that separated several dome-like structures. Squinting, Kayla could make out little more than the structures appeared to be no taller than four feet and constructed of blocks from the same yellow powder that covered the ground. A hole at the top of each building belched smoke into the heavy, dust-filled air. No windows were visible, nor did there appear to be any doorways. Rynard grasped her arm. “The smoke and ash is perpetual and too thick for the sun to

penetrate,” he said. “The fire acts as a beacon to guide travelers into the settlement.” He led her around one of the domed structures. Kayla studied the stairway cut deep into the earth by the light of several phos lights that lit their downward path. She wondered how far beneath the ash and dust accumulations one would have to dig before reaching the actual planet surface. She had no more time to be curious when Rynard placed pressure on the chain as they reached the bottom of the stairwell. He shoved aside a strange animal fur to reveal a crudely planked doorway. Eerie blue light filled the bottom of the stairwell when he pushed the panel aside and entered. He closed the door behind her as she stepped across the threshold then led her across the room to pause at some sort of a bar. Kayla eased as close to Rynard as she dared without giving up the ruse of being his prisoner. She kept her head down so the cowl would shadow her face and glanced around to study her surroundings. As expected, the high ceiling had an opening at the center to allow the smoke from the fire burning in the middle of the room to escape. The air was thick and hot. So hot, more perspiration covered her forehead, ran in snaking trails down her temples, and plastered her ashy garments against her moist flesh. She squirmed beneath her clothing and glanced at Rynard to observe that he displayed no indication of discomfort. The walls were unadorned except for a few small phos-lanterns that gave off little light. Garbage and debris from meals long forgotten covered tables created from odd shaped crates and boxes. The few occupied tables had apparently been cleared of remnants of past feasts by knocking the discards on a floor that had seen many such meals and little cleaning. The stench was nauseating. When Kayla glanced around the room again, she couldn’t decide if the odor originated from the decaying foodstuffs or the diners. Rynard’s preliminary descriptions of what to expect when they finally met the individuals who inhabited this horrible world did little to prepare her for the beings scattered about. Numerous unsavory characters, obviously from different parts of the Galaxy, were clad in layers of clothing that, perhaps, at one time had held color. The dust and ash that covered her clothing also clung to the remnants of theirs, except, in their case, the clothing appeared to form a thick shell. Thankfully, none of the patrons appeared to notice their entrance and continued to devour their meals. Kayla tried to relax, only to have her forced-calm shattered when something slithered past her foot and entered a crack at the base of the bar. She took another small step closer to Rynard to ease her need to jump atop the bar. “Hunter.” She shifted her attention to Rynard when someone spoke from the other side of the bar. She watched him nod then reach inside his jacket. He withdrew a small pouch.

“I need information, Lumas.” “Ah, and why else would you return to the place that almost brought your death?” Curiosity piqued by the barkeeper’s comment, Kayla looked at the man behind the bar. Almost as wide across the chest as he was tall, he was obviously human. At least she thought so, until he cast a quick glance in her direction and she caught the square shape of his eyes and the elongated slits that ran horizontally through his black iris. She shivered despite her resolve to stay calm when the man glanced at her and the blue light from the phos flashed in his eyes. She got the distinct impression the barkeeper saw through her disguise, but he said nothing. The clink of credit cubes hitting the bar echoed throughout the suddenly quiet room. “Your welcome here is tenuous at best, Hunter. Suggest you state your business and be out of here before one of the unfortunates you’ve had the pleasure to hunt decides to make trouble in my establishment.” “Meaning taken, Lumas. Give me answers and I’ll leave.” The barkeeper swept his hand across the bar to gather the credits. “State your business.” “Heard Trivonte is here.” “Could be you heard right. Maybe not.” Several more credits hit the bar. “Possibly, he might still be here. Maybe not.” Standing close enough to Rynard by this time to feel the tension in his body, Kayla understood what he meant to do when his hand slid slowly down his side and he freed the laser from its holster. “Listen, Lumas. I don’t have time--” “You already got one prisoner, Hunter. Suggest you forget Trivonte and stay alive long enough to collect your bounty.” Kayla glanced at the man behind the bar and discovered, while he appeared to be arguing with Rynard, he gave conflicting signals by nodding his head, shifting his odd eyes left then right, and tapping the top of the bar with the little finger on his right hand. She followed the direction he indicated and discovered a doorway she hadn’t noticed during her previous inspection. “I’ll remember this, Lumas.” “Do that, Hunter.”

Kayla shifted her attention from the doorway to the patrons in the bar. She noted all but a few had stopped eating and now devoted their concentration to the bar. She inched closer to warn Rynard what transpired behind his back, but realized he knew what type of disturbance he’d created. Tension mounted for several more seconds as Rynard and the barkeeper stared into one another ’s eyes. Kayla caught the almost imperceptible nod Rynard gave the barkeeper before he backed away, tugged on the chain, and led her out the way they had entered. “What was that all about?” Rynard shook his head. “Not now.” “Rynard?” He held up his free hand. “Quiet.” He froze at the bottom of the stairwell and listened to the noise that resumed inside the bar. “Let’ s go.” He led her up the stairs and around to the back of the dome to pause in the shadows. “Lumas is a friend.” “He sure didn’t sound like one.” “He lives on this hell-hole of a planet. Every being in the bar has a price on their head, Kayla. Lumas gave me all the information I needed without endangering his own life.” “That’s what all the nodding and tapping was about.” “You noticed?” “I’m not stupid, Rynard.” “Never thought you were.” “Is Trivonte here?” “No.” “You mean we came all this way for nothing?” “I didn’t say that.” Kayla shook her head. “But you said Trivonte isn’t here.” “Not here. Over there in Compound 6.”

Kayla followed his pointed finger to another red glow barely visible through the heavy air. Thoughts of another walk through clinging dust and choking air filled her with dread. Warm fingers touched her cheek and scattered her thoughts. “Trivonte murders for pleasure. He’s left a trail of death and destruction all over the Quadrant. Should anything happen to me?.” She reached up to touch his fingers still resting against her cheek. “No amount of credits are worth your life, Rynard. Nothing’s stopping you from leaving without doing your job.” He dropped his hand. “Let’s go.” “Where?” Kayla looked over her shoulder toward the red glow on the horizon where Rynard had indicated that Trivonte hid. “Lumas offered a reprieve from the elements,” he said as he led her to the far side of the dome and down another set of stairs. He paused at the bottom, pushed away another fur hanging, and knocked three times on the wooden panel. The wind rose suddenly to blow thick ash, dust and smoke into swirls around Kayla’s body. The ends of her poncho fluttered to send even more dust into the already saturated air. Above the howl of the wind, she heard the ferocious popping and hissing of the fire burning in the center of the settlement. When she glanced up, she noted Rynard apparently felt the same change in the weather conditions. The scrape of the panel door opening drew her attention. She stepped closer to Rynard and unconsciously grasped his hand when slivers of blue light appeared. “Hurry,” the barkeeper said. Rynard glanced over his shoulder then stepped through the doorway. When she realized she held his hand, she immediately pulled away. Kayla squinted until her eyes adjusted to the luminous blue light, then looked around. They were in a storage facility filled with crates and boxes. “Storm’s brewing. Not safe to be out ’til the wind settles.” She couldn’t help but stare at the barkeeper Rynard called friend. Friend he might be, but from the hard expression on his face and the even harder gleam in his strange eyes, she wouldn’t want to cross him. Lumas stood a head shorter than her six-foot height, but he doubled her weight. She immediately altered her observation that he was very overweight when she noted the muscular forearms visible beneath the rolled sleeves of his soiled green garment. His legs, covered in similar green, resembled

auspus trunks. She swallowed hard to add moisture to her parched throat and turned to study their surroundings. Hundreds of different shaped crates and barrels lined the inside circular wall of the dome. Foreign markings made it impossible to decide the contents. Shelving units to her left were stacked high with blankets and dry goods. Another set of units on the opposite side of the dome held hundreds of small vials and provision sacks. Behind her, a living area complete with four padded cots, a crude table, and several overturned crates for chairs, curtained off on two sides. “Why’d you come into the bar?” Lumas asked. “I needed information.” “Have you lost what little sense you ever had, Dolph?” Shocked by the barkeeper’s question and the use of Rynard’s first name, Kayla shifted her attention from Rynard to Lumas. “All those creatures have bounties. Any one of them would be willing to carve you into little pieces to escape capture.” “Didn’t have a choice.” Lumas pointed a fat finger in her direction. “Guess you didn’t have a choice bringing this one in with you either, did you?” “Nope.” “You’re one stubborn cuss, boy.” Lumas grumbled some incoherent words then chuckled. “Well, make yourselves at home.” He pointed to the living area. “I’ll see if I can manage to fill your innards and find some clean water so your female can wash up.” Kayla swallowed hard. If he’d seen through her disguise, how many others knew she was female? “You knew.” A wide smile parted Lumas’ lips, revealing yellow teeth. “Weren’t hard to guess.” She glanced from Lumas to Rynard. “You think anyone else did?” Lumas shook his head. “Dolph and I wouldn’t have been able to stop the brawl that would’ve erupted if they did. Don’t get too many females here.” “How did you know?” Lumas glanced toward Dolph then met her gaze. “Known this boy for a long time. His prisoners usually end up one of two ways. Dead or unconscious. He don’t make a habit of shackling himself to anyone he hunts anymore, not after what Trivonte--”

“Lumas.” Lumas shook his head. “I spotted you immediately. Weren’t hard, especially the way you kept looking around my place then getting closer and closer to our friend here.” Lumas stepped closer, raised his hand, and tried to push away her cowl. She backed up as far as the chain would allow and swatted at him with her free hand. He waved his finger. “I ain’t gonna hurt you. Just wanted a peek at what Dolph would risk his life over.” “Let her be, Lumas.” Lumas stepped back. “Shuck those dusty clothes. Take advantage of the air-filtration system in the storeroom to clear your lungs while I get something to eat and drink.” He shuffled away and disappeared through a doorway on the other side of the dome. “Need any help?” Kayla turned to Rynard. He’d tugged his mask away. A wide smile creased his stubble-darkened cheeks. White teeth stood out in stark relief against the bronzed tone of his lower face and the grayish tint of ash covering his forehead, brows, and the top of his nose. She bit her lip to stifle the laugh that bubbled in her throat as she imagined she looked no better. She reached down, caught the hemline of her poncho, and lifted the dirty garment over her head. It settled to the floor in a cloud of dust. She wiggled out of the trousers and added them to the pile. “We could both use a bath,” Rynard said. Heat flushed her cheeks, but Kayla continued to stare into his eyes. She lifted her arm and jiggled the chain. “Any suggestions how we might accomplish such a feat?” “Several interesting prospects come to mind,” he whispered. Kayla inched closer. “Such as?” His eyes darkened to emerald. “We could start with undressing each other. I could wash your body and you could return the favor.” Kayla stomped down hard on the top of his boot. “In your dreams, Hunter.” She backed away until he stopped her retreat with a tug on the chain. Before she could resist, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against his chest. He bent his head until his nose almost touched hers. His breath fanned across her face. Several locks of ash-streaked hair fell forward to brush her cheeks. He tightened his hold, pulling her closer until she could feel his heartbeat as well as her own.

“Would you like to know what’s in my dreams, Kayla?” She tried desperately to pull away, but his grasp was too firm. She attempted to lower her gaze from his eyes, but he captured her chin and held her immobile. Memories of his lips on hers, the taste of his tongue, the warmth of his body pressed against hers, offering strength, security, and something she couldn’t form into words, swamped her. Her heart raced. Her lungs threatened to collapse, making it almost impossible to draw a deep breath. She inched closer, continued to meet his gaze, and wished he’d kiss her. Prayed he wouldn’t. Years of mistrust surfaced. She'd never again be drawn into the sensual web of a man who would only cause her pain. Kayla raised her hands to his chest and pushed away as far as the chain would allow. He leaned closer until his lips were a fraction of an inch above hers. “Well, now I see what caused you to act so foolishly, boy.” Kayla buried her face into the leather of his jacket to hide her embarrassment. “Never thought I’d see the day Rynard would get shackled to a female,” Lumas laughed. “Guess it had to happen.” He scratched his head. “I might even get convinced to shackle myself to someone like you.” He mumbled a few incoherent words then said, “I brought water so you can clean up. Stew and ale will be ready soon.” Kayla stepped back as Lumas edged closer. Ripples of alarm rushed over her flesh as he studied her head to toe then turned and walked across the room. He placed a pitcher of water and several cloths on the table beside the basin. “How’d you get that wound on your leg?” Kayla glanced down at the gash cut through her leggings and the bandages soiled from the dust. She refused to answer his question. Lumas nodded and turned away. “Remove those cuffs, boy. From what I’ve seen, you ain’t gonna let this one escape.” “Can’t.” “Why not?” “He doesn’t have the key,” Kayla supplied.

Lumas’ laughter filled the storeroom. “Well, that’s another first.” “There’s nothing funny about our situation, Mr. Lumas.” “Just Lumas. What’s your name?” Kayla dropped her fist to her hip and looked down at the barkeeper. “Kayla.” “Where’s your home, Kayla?” “A planet in the Givonte Quadrant called Turas.” “Turas?” Lumas rubbed his chin. “Don’t recollect having had the opportunity to visit that one. Want to tell me about it?” Kayla shook her head. “You can trust Lumas, pretty Kayla. I don’t give a blaze what someone’s done or not, long as they don’t involve me in their problems. Now, Dolph here is different. He minds his own affairs, takes care of his business, and I trust him to hold any confidences I might share with him. “He’s a good one, your man. But his life is on a reckless course. Maybe, you might just want to try to settle that anger boiling inside him down a bit before he meets up with Trivonte and gets himself killed this time.”

CHAPTER 9

“This time?” “I think you’ve said enough, Lumas.” “Touched a sore spot, have I?” Dolph expected Lumas to get information from Kayla, not expose his personal affairs, but Lumas ’ black eyes glittered in a way that made Dolph rethink his approach. “Thought you had food for us,” he said. “How’d you manage to lose the key?” Accustomed to Lumas’ abrupt change of subjects in the middle of a conversation, Dolph smiled.

“It’s a long story.” “We’ve got ‘til the storm subsides. Could be hours. Might be days.” Dolph didn’t have hours, and certainly not days. The sooner he took care of Trivonte, the quicker he could register his kill and make his way to Didiron. “Maybe later. Kayla needs food, rest, and a little privacy to clean up.” Lumas folded his massive arms over his chest. “How’s she gonna get privacy with you attached to her arm?” She yanked the chain to get his attention. “I don’t intend to stand around while you two carry on a conversation like I’m not here. I’m tired. Hungry. I’ve had no time to myself over the past few days. “You.” She pointed to Lumas. “I appreciate your concern and thank you for your hospitality, but this could wait until later.” “And you.” Dolph held back a smile at the thunder in her voice. “I’m now seriously considering taking you up on your offer and severing your arm. If I can get your friend to supply a blade.” “She’s got fire, I’ll give her that,” Lumas said. “I’m awfully good with locks, my friend. Want me to give the cuffs a try?” “Maybe later.” Lumas nodded. “I’ll just go get that food now.” “Thanks.” Dolph listened as Lumas shuffled away, the door to the bar opened and closed, anything to control his errant thoughts. The soothing hum of the air-filtration system filled the dome, but did little to calm the wild pounding of his heart as he struggled to concentrate on anything other than Kayla standing inches away, looking at him with troubled eyes. Who is she? Why was she on Hobard’s planet? After refusing to disclose any information to him, she’d easily supplied her home planet to Lumas. What part might she have in Hobard’s schemes--if she played any part at all? Already in deeper than he ever thought he’d sink, Dolph realized this wasn’t the time or place to work through his attraction for this mysterious woman. He needed to resurrect the wedge she’d placed between them and concentrate on his hunt. Someone had hurt her. Unless he missed his guess, that same someone had been vile enough to mark her flesh as a constant reminder of his assault.

He silently swore if he ever got the bastard’s name, ever had the opportunity to cross his path, the creature’s death would not only be very slow, but excruciatingly painful. He grabbed Kayla’s hand and led her across the dome. He poured a measure of water into the small basin, dipped one of the cloths into the tepid water, and attempted to scrub some of the grime off his face. “Here. Let me do that. You’re missing more than you’re washing away.” He never expected her willingness to touch him. When she stepped close, he could feel the warmth of her body. He closed his eyes in self-defense. **** Kayla’s intention to give his face a quick scrub dissolved instantly when her fingers touched his hot flesh. She slowly stroked the cloth over his forehead, traced the shape of his dark brows, and swiped the tip of her finger over his thick lashes. She jerked her hand away once she realized what she was actually doing and dropped the cloth back into the basin. “You need to shave.” “Can’t.” She glared at him. “Damn you and your one word answers.” He grabbed her arm when she tried to step away. “Would you rather hear that I’m burning up from the inside out? That being this close to you and not being able to touch you is about to drive me insane?” Kayla closed her eyes. She’d heard similar words before. Hobard had described explicitly what her nearness did to his body. He’d demanded that she appease his needs in ways she couldn’t understand until he proceeded to demonstrate. He’d touched her, using his hands to cause excruciating pain. Taunted her with her inability to fight him or to escape. He’d terrified her with the consequences should she fail to please him, then beat her severely when she refused his demands. Tears she could not dam poured down her cheeks. Images, stark and vivid, churned through her mind, chasing away tender moments she might have shared with Rynard. “Let go of me.” She struggled against his hold, but he refused to release her. He pulled her close. Wrapped his arms around her, cradled her gently against his chest. Tears continued to flow as she clung to him for the support her body failed to give. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” “Please, let me go.” “I won’t hurt you, Kayla.”

“Let me go.” She struggled against his embrace. He refused to loosen his grasp. “I’m going to move us over to those crates. We’re going to sit down then I’m going to wash your face.” Kayla shook her head, but he ignored it. He rung out the cloth she’d dropped into the basin. He placed his shackled hand beneath her chin. Raised her face so he could wash away the ash, dust, and tears that left trails of dirty moisture down her cheeks. “Who hurt you? What caused this scar around your neck?” She shook her head against his hand. “Give me a name, Kayla. I’ll take care of the bastard who did this to you.” “No.” He tilted her face higher. “You’re a beautiful woman. Your life should be filled with love and laughter. It eats me alive to see you like this.” “My life isn’t your concern.” He spread his hand and traced his fingertips over her cheeks. “Look at me.” Kayla opened her eyes. “Have I ever hurt you intentionally? Have I caused you any pain?” “Yes.” “How?” “You took away my freedom. You—” She turned away. “I what?” “Mind your own business, Hunter.” He dropped his hand to rest upon her shoulder. “Suppose I choose to make you my business?” She shrugged his hand away. “You’ll be wasting your valuable time.” He grasped her chin and turned her face until she looked into his eyes. “I spend my time as I wish.”

She grabbed his wrist and forced his hand away. “Like dragging me halfway across the Galaxy while you deepen your pockets chasing Trivonte? We could have gone to that locksmith and had these cuffs removed.” “Trivonte is a matter that must be settled.” She stood then turned to look down at him. “Are you after revenge? Is that why Trivonte is so important to you? Lumas said he almost killed you the last time you two met. What happens if he accomplishes his goal this time? Must I forfeit my life so you can do your job?” “Nothing will happen to you.” “Are you asking me to trust you, Rynard? I recall you telling me never to trust anyone.” “Would it be so hard to trust me?” “Yes.” “Why?” “Are you worthy of my trust?” He passed his hand through his hair. “Your life might depend upon acting when I say act, running when I command it, or fighting should the need arise.” She squared her shoulders but refused to comment. “Someone’s trained you in self-defense.” “I can hold my own,” she said. “Who trained you?” She narrowed her lashes. “What difference does that make?” “Questions won’t get us anywhere, Kayla. Suppose I tell you why Trivonte is so important. Will you at least listen?” “I suppose.” The doorway swung open and Lumas entered with a large tray of food. “News says this storm’s gonna last quite a few hours. Might as well make yourselves comfortable and get some sleep.” “Thanks, friend.” **** Gale force winds howled over the dome. Clouds of dust and ash, unhampered by the fur hanging designed to minimize the intrusion, blew through the cracks of the plank door, creating piles of

yellow-gray powder across the storeroom. Kayla listened to the wind, trying not to imagine what it would be like to step outside the protection of the dome. She considered the terrain they’d passed on their journey from Phantom. Her home planet, Turas, had once been such a desolate place. Void of life and moisture. And would be so again in the near future if something wasn’t done to halt Hobard’s hoarding. Everything her father and the other agro-settlers worked for over the years would be destroyed. Without the foodstuffs grown on the agro-worlds, the millions of beings who inhabited the twenty-nine planets in the System could not possibly import enough sustenance to meet their requirements. The Quadrant would cease to exist. Couldn’t the CMC see this? Were they so wrapped up in their own self-serving interests they ignored the needs of the people they were supposed to govern? Without the planets, wouldn’t the CMC also cease to exist? She remembered the destruction she’d witnessed before boarding the transport and embarking on the futile mission that had placed her into Rynard’s hands. Without Krystallum to power the hydro-generations, tiny sprouts failed to germinate. Mature plants shriveled and died under the relentless sun that beat down on Turas’ surface. Even the agro-spheres, gigantic clear domes constructed to protect the majority of their crops, were failing, threatening not only the agro-worlds, but also the very existence of the System. The Colony Management Council refused to hear accusations of Hobard’s treachery. Her father warned of the serious repercussions that would occur throughout the Galaxy if no one did anything to alter the destruction. The CMC dismissed his claims as nonsense and condemned him to death as a fanatic who incited riots without justification. Never once had the CMC sent delegates to verify her father’s claim. No one, other than members of Hobard’s Searchers, came to Turas, and they came not to help her failing planet, but to stop any resistance against CMC policies. Kayla drew a deep breath and tried to clear her mind of such perplexing thoughts. At present she was in no position to alter the path destiny set in her way. Something other than Fate had taken a twisted hand in her life. She’d escaped the clutches of one male to be captured by another. A Hunter, who by his own words deemed himself her protector yet led her into a situation that could claim their lives by the hand of the criminal Trivonte. Something about this particular Hunter didn’t make sense. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. She was certain he hid something from her, just as she hid her life from him. He’d also offered to tell her about Trivonte then reneged as they sat staring at the meal Lumas offered. Kayla glanced toward Rynard to find he’d leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. She studied his face, the dark hair lightened by ash that hung past his shoulders in an unruly mess. Fatigue

etched tiny lines at the corners of his mouth. He needed a shave. Badly. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. What would Rynard’s reaction be if he learned he harbored a criminal? Would he cast her into the category he assigned for those he hunted? Cease this dangerous quest for Trivonte and take her back to the CMC? **** Dolph glanced at Kayla’s stiff body, still seated as far away from him as the chain would allow. He noted that she continuously glanced overhead then toward the door. “We’re safe here, Kayla. Lumas’ place has withstood many such storms.” She finally looked into his eyes. “How much longer?” “Storms like these have been known to last days. They come quickly, without warning, and when they subside, the terrain is altered to the point that it could take days longer to dig out from under the mounds of ash and dust.” He glanced toward the ceiling. “That’s the reason for the domed construction and underground living spaces. Anything taller would create enormous drifts. As it is, the rounded roofs deflect most of the accumulation. Ventilation holes for smoke to escape are covered and the filtration systems recycle air inside the domes. With sufficient rations and water, inhabitants are in no danger.” He watched as she propped her boots on the edge of the cot and pulled her knees to her chest. “How do living things survive under such horrible conditions?” “All foodstuffs, including drinking water, are transported in. The beings that survive here do so because they must. They stay inside, breathe filtered air and spend time plotting their next excursions to wreak havoc on the susceptible populations of the Universe.” “Why? Certainly anything they gain by their unsavory acts would be worthless here.” “Numerous places in other Quadrants welcome their ill-gotten gains. Anything one might desire can be purchased if one possesses sufficient credits.” “Couldn’t they make their home on one of those planets instead of living under these conditions?” Dolph raised his hand and ran his fingers through his hair. “Establishments that cater to criminals don’t mind taking their credits. Each Quadrant has its own form of government and judicial systems. No proprietor is willing to risk his livelihood by harboring criminals from any Quadrant longer than necessary to empty their pockets.” “There must be hospitable planets somewhere in this Universe on which to live,” she whispered. “The population of Darion 5 chose this planet because it has no worth. Its climate and terrain are desolated to the point even the CMC won’t risk forces sending them to apprehend those who reside here. Hunters usually fill those tasks.”

“What if someone else wanted to find another world to settle upon? You must have traveled far in your profession. Are there more inhabitable planets in this Universe capable of sustaining life?” “Somehow, I don’t think you’re talking about criminals,” he answered. “I’m curious. I’ve never had the opportunity to travel far from Turas. I wonder if somewhere out there a world exists without crime and corruption. A world where people could start over, built a new life, and forget the troubles that might have plagued them on their previous worlds.” Dolph suspected her words were half-true. He wondered again what she was running from. “Would you like to live on such a place?” She closed her eyes. “I suppose.” He thought about Rigel, his lost home. Green pastures, clean air and sparkling water. Primitive, yet sublime. Untouched by the advances of society. Backward in terms of technology, but in his mind, millennia ahead of what the Universe had created for itself. The burning in his chest he associated with his lost life flared, reminding him his past was long behind him and his future bleak. Even if he could go back, nothing would ever be the same. Everything the CMC touched was never worth anything again. Himself included. “Tell me about Trivonte. Did he really almost kill you?”

CHAPTER 10

Dolph looked down to the chain, then up to meet Kayla’s eyes. To trust, someone had to take the first step. “Will you move closer?” Confusion spread across her face, then suspicion. “My arm’s tired from holding it in one position for so long,” he said. He tugged slightly on the chain. “Surely your arm could use a rest.” She dropped her feet to the floor and eased closer. Close enough that Dolph wished the chain was long enough he could raise his shackled arm and drop it over her shoulders. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

“Through circumstances sometimes beyond control, people often find themselves in situations they can’t escape. Trivonte created just such an occasion in my life.” He paused to allow old memories to seep back. “Five years ago, after months of search, my partner and I tracked Trivonte to Darion 5.” “Your partner?” Dolph opened his eyes and glanced at Kayla. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Giving in to his earlier urge, he raised his shackled hand to Kayla’s shoulder. She stiffened immediately. He ignored her silent protest and tightened his grasp to pull her closer until her shoulder rested against the side of his chest. She held her statue-like pose for several seconds before she relaxed. “At the time, we’d been commissioned by the CMC to bring Trivonte back to stand trial before the Tribunal for the murder of a band of travelers on a small planet at the westernmost edge of the Quadrant. Sixteen people,” he whispered. “Men, women, and children. Innocent of everything except being in the wrong place at the wrong time and running across a deviant like Trivonte.” He closed his eyes as he remembered going to that planet seeking evidence, seeing the tortured way those beings had died. For many months after the experience, he’d revisited that small caravan in his dreams. Witnessing repeatedly the anguished expressions forever frozen on those pitiful faces, the brutalized bodies of the woman and children, the castration of the men. Not one had died a quick or peaceful death. “Trivonte had learned of the bounty placed upon his head by the CMC and had gone into hiding in the one place he believed the CMC wouldn’t follow—Darion 5. He didn’t count on one of the members of the band he’d killed being a distant relative to one of the Council members, or the CMC wanting him badly enough to send Hunters to track him down.” Dolph struggled for words to describe the type of being they would face, not wanting to frighten Kayla any more than necessary. He looked down at the dark head nestled against his shoulder. The warmth of Kayla’s body burned through his jumpsuit to heat the scarred tissue on his side, reminding him of the months he’d suffered, the personal freedom he’d given up, and what Lumas had lost by helping him. “Since Trivonte’s still at large, I assume you and your partner were unsuccessful.” Kayla’s comment brought him back from his memories. “We caught him.” “Then, why are you still chasing him?” “He killed my partner and almost killed me before he escaped.” “So now you hunt not only for credits, but for revenge.”

“It’s not that simple. For months, I struggled to survive that confrontation with Trivonte. I used anger to fuel my will to live so I might have revenge. As I look back, I realize without that anger, I would have given up.” “Okay, so if not revenge, what drives you to take such dangerous chances with your life, and mine?” “Revenge is still a large part of it.” “And, Lumas? I get the impression there’s a lot more to this story than you’re telling me.” “Trivonte, always one to brag about his deeds, came into Lumas’ establishment to celebrate killing two Hunters. He paid Lumas to dispose of our bodies in case the CMC sent more Hunters to capture him. Lumas, ever eager to add to the profits of his bar, went to the abandoned dome in Compound 6.” He reached down and grasped Kayla’s hand. She tightened her fingers into a fist for several seconds then relaxed. “Lumas found what he assumed to be two bodies in a long-deserted section of the compound. He’d come prepared to toss those bodies into the central fire, not find one still breathing. He told me later he’d struggled hard to decide what he should do with me. Lumas knew what Trivonte would do if he learned I was still alive and Lumas didn’t complete the task he’d been sent to do. “Still undecided about how to handle a dying Hunter on a world where Hunters ceased being Hunters and became prey, Lumas disposed of my partner’s body in the fire, left me in a pool of my own blood and returned to his bar. “What he discovered there decided my fate.” Kayla curled her fingers against his thigh. Dolph thought she meant to tug her hand away. Instead, she turned her wrist over, opened her fingers, and allowed him to grasp her hand. “Lumas had just joined with a woman of his species and was hoping to start his own family here on Darion 5. He foolishly believed his young mate, Saracus, would be safe as long as other patrons were still inside the bar. He didn’t consider the fear those others had of Trivonte or the fact no one would risk his own life to save another. Lumas found his mate had become entertainment for the horde, then brutalized by Trivonte’s lecherous perversions. Lumas greeves for the life he could have shared with Saracus and swears one day he will avenge her death. ” “No,” she said. “Darion 5 doesn’t have a medical facility. For months, I endured less than antiseptic conditions, fought fever, then infection after infection that should have killed me.” “I’m sorry I asked you to repeat this tale,” Kayla whispered. “You need to know. You must understand what type of creature we’ll face once this storm’s

over.” “Why doesn’t Trivonte know you survived his attack? You must be well known throughout the Quadrant.” “Trivonte doesn’t care about the people he murders. He never even takes time to look at their faces.” “Your revenge is well justified, I’ll admit. But I’ll just hamper you and weaken your defenses. As soon as this storm’s over, we should leave and go to that locksmith and have these cuffs removed. That way, you’ll be free to engage Trivonte without me as an added burden,” she said. “It’s too late, Kayla. When this storm passes, news that a Hunter is on Darion 5 asking question will spread quickly. Trivonte will come to me.”

CHAPTER 11

Colony III

“Sir?” Hobard turned to Moltar who stood at attention in his doorway. He quickly shut down his telecom, erasing the delegate from Mustuf’s message of agreement to his stipulation for the purchase of Krystallum. He swiveled his chair around to face his Commander. Moltar stepped into the chamber. “After a thorough investigation at the transport station, I’ve located someone who has information about those you seek.” “Well, where is he?” Moltar turned and motioned for someone in the corridor. Hobard was taken aback when a huge, brown Worsel had to bend his head to step through the doorway. Two other beings followed that made the Worsel almost look friendly. The first companion, obviously human, was much smaller than the other two. His face scarred from numerous burns and cuts, and his right arm missing below the elbow. His clothing impeccable and expensive from the toes of his highly polished boots to the cut of his ivory robe, braided in gold that flowed from his slender shoulders. The other being, whose origin Hobard could not guess, resembled some type of an animal, with

golden fur that covered the exposed areas of his flesh, and shaggy hair that fell to his leather-covered shoulders. His nose was blunted. His eyes, little more than slits. Of the three, he appeared the most dangerous. Hobard watched the beasts carefully. He gripped the edge of his desk to withstand the urge to step back several paces. “You have information I need?” The Worsel stepped closer. “For a price.” Furious that this creature would dare charge for information, Hobard forgot his moment of fear and took a step closer. “Obviously, you don’t understand your position in my compound, Worsel.” “Name’s Koor. Wiler.” He pointed to the human. “And, Ior.” The Worsel nodded to the animal-like creature. “Obviously, you don’t understand, little man.” At the Worsel’s statement, Wiler pushed back the folds of his robe and displayed a blaster. Ior produced a laser. Hobard took a step back and squared his shoulders to hide his fear, but his voice quivered when he asked, “How much?” “Smart, little man. Information we have is worth many credits. Our services worth more. We know man you seek. Where he can be found. You have enough credits to deal?” Hobard nodded. “Five hundred?” The Worsel looked to each of his compatriots, then back to Hobard. “No.” “More?” Hobard asked, incredulously. “How much is your life worth, little man?” Hobard glanced from Moltar to the Worsel. “I have a hundred guards in this encampment. Hundreds more at my disposal in a matter of hours. How much is your life worth, Worsel?” The Worsel grunted. “Five hundred credits are all I’ll offer for information. Two-thousand more if you can deliver on your promise and get me what I want.” “Agreed.” “Now, suppose you tell me what you know.” “Credits first.” Hobard opened a drawer on his desk and withdrew a small black pouch. He dumped the

contents on his desk and counted out five hundred credits. Instead of handing the cubes to the Worsel, Hobard waved his hand across the desktop. “Your credits.” The Worsel scooped up the tiny silver squares and deposited them into his vest pocket. “Man you seek is a Hunter.” “A Hunter?” “Rynard.” “Rynard? Impossible. Rynard left Colony III days ago after collecting a sizable bounty for delivering another criminal.” Yet, the creature has no reason to lie. “Why would Rynard involve himself in helping criminals escape my planet?” “No see criminals. Only one. Rynard claimed her his.” “Her?” Hobard’s heart rate increased threefold. The Worsel raised his clawed hands to his chest to indicate ample bosoms. “Would have brought many credits.” Fury burned through Hobard’s body. “What happened to the female?” “Left with Rynard.” He’d been double-crossed. How? Why? What did Rynard hope to gain by taking Kayla off planet? “Willingly?” The Worsel shrugged his massive shoulders. Hobard clenched and released his hands. Nothing made sense. Rynard would have no reason to take Kayla off III. If anything, the Hunter should have transported her directly here. Where were the other members of the revolution and the Jardane brothers? Were they still hiding somewhere on his planet? Had they managed to flee in the confusion at the transport station? “You want Hunter and female?” “I want the female. I don’t care what you do with the Hunter.” “For two-thousand credits,” the Worsel demanded. “Two-thousand credits for the return of the female. Unharmed.” The Worsel conferred briefly with his companions, then nodded.

“It’s settled. You will seek Rynard out, do whatever you want with him, and bring the female back to me.” Again, the Worsel nodded. Hobard clasped his hands behind his back. “I won’t ask how you’ll find them. I don’t care. You won’t be safe anywhere in the Universe if the female’s hurt. Do you understand?” The Worsel didn’t respond. “Now, go. And, don’t come back here until you have what I want.” “You will not threaten me, little man.” “My words are not threats, Worsel.” For several seconds, Hobard stared into the beast’s eyes. The Worsel nodded, turned to his companions to grumble a few strange words, then they left his chamber. Hobard turned to Moltar. “Have them escorted to the transport station. See that they leave III immediately. Have a cruiser follow their vessel. Once they discover Rynard’s location, destroy them.” When Moltar left the chamber, Hobard walked across the room to the view panel and looked down at his compound. Fury roiled through his gut. “Rynard.” He closed his eyes and banged his forehead against the cool panel. He’d trusted the bastard. Paid him well to bring criminals to III. “You’ll die, Rynard. And, if I discover you’ve touched what is mine, I’ll make sure death takes months to end your misery.” Hobard knew most of Rynard’s dark secrets. In fact, he was instrumental in making sure the Hunter received a death sentence after his capture on Darion 5. He was still furious about the CMC’s reprieve , but he took advantage of it to use Rynard’s knowledge and strength to supply criminals to mine his Krystals. The Hunter still walked a fine line between life and death for a crime he didn’t committ. Hobard knew he was innocent. The CMC also knew. But neither would release the former CMC cadet. The best part was Rynard was aware of their knowledge, and Hobard knew the Hunter was eaten up inside by the fact he had little control of his own destiny and would be put to death for one false move. “Your orders have been carried out, Sir.” Hobard turned to find Moltar standing in the doorway. “Good.” “Are you going to notify the CMC of Rynard’s treachery?” “No. I’ll take care of the Hunter in my own way. But, I will contact my informant within the CMC and request Rynard’s whereabouts. He should be happy to supply the information, especially if I offer to increase his coffers.” Hobard laughed.

“Leave me.” His Commander left the chamber. Hobard reached down to rub his crotch. “Soon, Kayla. Soon you’ll be back where you belong, and this time, I’ll make sure you never escape.” **** “You trust that devious serpent?” Ior asked in the Worsel’s language as he piloted the hovercraft across the flatlands toward the transport station. Koor glanced over his shoulder to the cloud of dust that followed their hover. “No more than he trusts us.” “We should have taken all of those credits while we had the opportunity. I feel we won’t be seeing more.” “No worry, friend,” Koor said. “The Hunter is worth twice what Hobard offers to our acquaintances who have a score to settle with him.” He reached down to rub the sac between his legs. “Your payment will be whatever you can get for the Hunter. Dead or alive. “The female is mine.” “To return to Hobard?” Wiler asked. Koor smiled, displaying his enormous teeth. “Perhaps, but not until I’m finished with her.” He shrugged. “Hobard might not want what’s left.” Ior glanced toward the dust cloud. “They should die before we reach the station.” Koor thought about the CMC transmission they’d intercepted earlier. “Best we leave peacefully than alert Hobard to our plans. We’ll destroy the escort before we reach Darion 5.”

CHAPTER 12

“I can’t do it.” Dolph watched Lumas sit on the crate and wipe the perspiration from his brow. For almost an hour, Lumas had worked with a finely crafted set of tools, picking, twisting, and fumbling, with the lock that held the Tung cuff closed about his wrist.

“I’m afraid to try anything more. Might damage the locking device so the locksmith you’re planning to visit on Didiron won’t be able to free it.” “You did your best, my friend.” Lumas scratched his head. “What are you going to do about Kayla when Trivonte arrives?” He pointed to her sleeping form on a cot moved to accommodate the chain between their wrists. Dolph studied her sleep-softened face, the dark lashes that swept her pale cheeks, and the gentle curve of her lips. He remembered the sweetness of those lips, the way she’d accepted his brief possession before whatever memories haunted her resurfaced to cause her to retreat behind the walls she ’d erected in self-defense. He wondered what she must have been through in her short life to destroy her trust. What she still might face before they were able to leave Darion 5 and travel to Didiron where she’d finally be free of him. Free of him. Dolph brushed aside the discomfort that followed his thoughts and concentrated on the numerous questions Kayla’s silence created. After spending the majority of his life in the pursuit of answers, if he allowed her to remain a mystery and walk away, would he ever be free of her? He forced his concentration back to Lumas. “She knows how to use a weapon. Someone’s taught her defense. She’ll have to hold her own.” “You think it’s fair to involve her in your fight?” “Do I have a choice?” Lumas shook his head. “You’ve always had choices. You could’ve killed Trivonte the first time you met him. You could’ve forfeited your life and not accepted the sentence the CMC shackled you with, instead of selling your soul to those vile bastards. You could’ve left this Quadrant when you acquired Phantom, found yourself some place in a distant Galaxy, and started over. But you were always too damned stubborn.” “Well,” Lumas continued, “Now you’ve got not only yourself, but this female, in more trouble than you’re likely to get out of without someone getting hurt.” Dolph dropped his forehead into his hands. “Don’t you think I realize this? Do you believe I haven’t cursed the moment I weakened and allowed my hunger for revenge to override my common sense?” “Use what brains you got, boy. I’ve seen the hunger in your eyes when you look at her. It ain’t been that long since Trivonte murdered my Saracus.” Lumas’ eyes glossed over when he spoke her name. He wiped away the moisture and said, “I remember how need burns through your gut ‘til you lose what little control you might have been born with. “This storm’s gonna be over soon. When it lets up, take Kayla and get the blazes off 5 while you

still got the chance. Keep on going ‘til you’re beyond CMC reach.” “I don’t have much left my friend, but I do still have some pride. I won’t run from Trivonte or the CMC.” “You’ve waited for the chance to get Trivonte for five years. Another few months won’t make any difference.” Lumas grasped his forearm. “You know as well as I do that the CMC won’t release you from their hold. That sentence they hung over your head’s never going to be finished. They’ll keep prolonging your time ‘til your usefulness is up or ‘til they decide to expose you for what you really are and send another of your kind to clean up their discards.” “Not if I gather enough evidence to expose the CMC’s tactics to the Universal Coalition.” “How in blazes you gonna do that?” Dolph cast another glance toward Kayla. He reached across the space that separated his cot from hers and brushed a wisp of hair from her forehead. “I’ve got friends in the Coalition I can trust,” he said. “Powerful enough to save your carcass if everything you’ve been doing with all this dual spying business backfires?” “Powerful enough, but maybe not willing. Espionage is a dangerous game, Lumas. No matter whose side you’re on. The people who sponsor me within the Coalition will claim they’ve never heard of me if anything happens that will discredit their rule.” Lumas slapped his hand down on the tabletop. “Think on it, boy. You don’t owe me nothing. Greed got my Saracus killed, plain and simple. I live on this crud-infested planet cause I got no choice. I committed my crimes, now I’m doing my punishment. You’re different. You got skills that can build you a new life. A life similar to the one you gave up years ago. “That wound on your side is long healed. Other than to teach a green Hunter a valuable lesson about reality, you got nothing to show for your ordeal but some scars.” “I’ve staked what little there is left of my honor on completing what I started, Lumas.” “Fine. Be bone-headed. But, do it after you’ve released this female.” Lumas stood, gathered the tools of his previous trade and left the storeroom. Dolph stared at the closed door for several moments as his mind raced and his heart matched the pace. He hadn’t been thinking clearly since he’d pulled Kayla from the rock bowl on Colony III. He’d spent hours arguing with his conscience over the exact points Lumas brought up. He still had no answers. Placing Kayla’s life in danger was abhorrent, but he had no other choice--if he fulfilled the pledge he’d made five years ago. Five years. A long time to live with hatred. Even longer to wait for that hatred to be vented. He was so close to it now it boiled in his blood, controlled his thoughts, overrode his common sense.

He had no idea how to defuse it. **** “Kayla?” She opened her eyes slowly, confused for a moment and unable to remember where she was. Realization hit as suddenly as the windstorm that appeared the eve before, leaving an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach and a terrible ache in her head. She closed her eyes and listened. The strong winds that howled over the dome and blew clouds of ash and dust through the cracks in the outside door had subsided. “Storm’s lessened, Kayla. We have to leave now.” Rynard’s deep voice penetrated her concentration, reminding her of what lay ahead. “Kayla.” Impatience tinged his voice. For the moment, all she wanted to do was shove memories of Trivonte aside and not have to worry about navigating the enormous piles of dust that must now cover the terrain beyond Lumas’ dome. Not think about trying to breathe through clouds of sulfur dust many times thicker than what they experienced on their trek to Lumas’ bar. “We have to go. Before the storm reappears.” Kayla opened her eyes to stare up at Dolph. “Reappears? Are you telling me the storm’s not over, only diminished?” “We can’t wait long enough to find out one way or the other. Lumas already cleared the doorway and stairwell. If we’re going to leave, it has to be now.” Kayla wiped her gritty eyes with her free hand then glanced around the storeroom. The clothing they’d worn when they arrived lay upon the table. Several other garments, along with a couple of packs, and two strange black cylinders topped the pile. A tug on the chain brought her attention back to Rynard. “Listen, Rynard. I’ve had about all I can take of you--” “Get moving, Dolph,” Lumas interrupted, as he hurried through the doorway from the bar. Rynard wasted no time. He turned to the table, grabbed an armful of clothing, and thrust the garments at her. “Put all of this stuff on.”

“Why can’t Trivonte wait until we’re sure this storm has passed?” He ignored her question. Deciding any effort to obtain answers from Rynard would be a waste of breath, Kayla dropped her bundle of clothing onto the cot. She waited for Rynard to finish buckling his belt before she yanked the chain as she positioned the poncho over her head then stepped into the brown trousers. “You’ll be needing this.” Lumas placed a black object into her hand and gave another one to Rynard. “Position this over your head before you pull on your cowl. It’ll offer more protection.” Kayla studied the black fabric mask and determined that it would work much better as a pre-filter than the strip of cloth Rynard had given her to cover the air-filtration device she’d worn on their first trek. She pulled the filter over her head and mouth, and settled it properly. The mask followed. She adjusted its position until the eyeholes were aligned then raised her cowl. She watched as Rynard yanked the mask over his head, then tucked the extra fabric under the collar of his jacket. Lumas grunted to gain her attention. “You operate this by pulling back this lever then pressing the triggering device. It fires a short burst of nebuon gas that ignites soon after the canister hits the atmosphere.” He thrust a black cylinder three feet long into her arms and adjusted the strap over her shoulder. He grasped her hand and positioned her fingers upon a sliding bar as he pointed to the trigger. “Use it judiciously and only at close range.” Lumas had given her some sort of a weapon. One she’d never seen used. Kayla glanced toward Rynard to find him busy adjusting a similar strap over his shoulder. “Couldn’t I just have my laser?” she asked. Rynard met her gaze. Something unsettling flared in his green eyes for a second then vanished. “Your weapon won’t be sufficient.” Won’t be sufficient? She’d seen the damage a tiny, handheld laser could do. It bored holes through solid rock, burned flesh from animals, and melted most metals. She glanced down at the weapon in her hand. What would they meet beyond the door that a laser couldn't destroy? “Why?” “Lasers fire a very precise beam, giving you limited target range. Should the wind reappear and the ash increase, you may not be able to get good visual aim. The cylinder fires a projectile of film-encased gas. The film decomposes after a few seconds exposure to oxygen--time enough for the projectile to travel ten or twelve yards. The gas ignites into a ball of fire that will encompass a twenty-foot radius.” Rynard touched her shoulder. “There’s no danger of killing each other. Chained together, we

can’t possibly get far enough apart.” Kayla pulled away from his touch and concentrated instead on Lumas’ frantic pacing from table to door and back. She wondered if he was as eager as he appeared for them to depart. She turned and watched Rynard carefully as he checked, and rechecked, the weapon in his hand, then shifted his belt so the pouches were within easy reach. Queasiness, followed by a sense of foreboding, washed over her as she glanced from Rynard to Lumas. From the preparations they were making, she realized she’d need all of her concentration just to stay alive. “You two better get going.” Kayla studied the man who’d offered them food, safety, and shelter. She’d made a mistake in her first impression of this stranger, something her mother cautioned her never to do. She’d judged Lumas’ character based on his physical appearance, and not waited to look deeper before she formed an opinion. She wondered if she’d made the same mistake with Rynard. She pushed the thought away. Dolph Rynard saved her life, then kidnapped her. He’d promised to see her safely to the transport station, and forced her to leave before she could escape with her brothers. He’d also planned to take her to a special locksmith that could separate their cuffs, but he’d placed her welfare aside and now intended to lead her into the gravest danger she’d ever faced. So why--although the thought terrified her--was she suddenly willing to help destroy the criminal who’d almost taken his life? “Let’s go, Kayla.” Determined to get their business with Trivonte over so they could leave this horrible planet, Kayla drew a deep breath to prepare for whatever awaited them beyond the storeroom door. Kayla watched as Dolph kicked aside the piles of grayish-yellow dust that formed little piles before the storeroom door. Once cleared, she waited as he opened the door and followed him up the stairway into the miserable atmosphere of Darion 5. Kayla squeezed her lashes tight and shifted the edge of her cowl to protect her eyes from the strong wind that reappeared soon after they left the storeroom. A deluge of dust and ash pelted her body. She staggered, unable to see in any direction. Gagged and coughed, trying to clear her lungs of the tiny particles that seeped through the black mask and the air filter. Rynard never slowed his pace as she stumbled blindly behind him. She clutched at the billowing poncho that blew in swirls around her body, desperate to keep the garment from blowing away in the wind. Rynard also staggered against the gale and the thick, powdery drifts that sucked at their boots as if they were trudging through deep mud. The effort it took to place one foot in front of the other while trying to maintain her balance quickly depleted Kayla’s strength.

The unrelenting force of the wind continued, ebbing for only seconds, then rising to twice the velocity. Above the cacophony of the storm, Kayla could hear the pounding of her heart and feel each ragged breath she drew. Perspiration coated her flesh. Dust and ash clung to her skin, clogged her pores, and created a horrible itch. She stumbled again, but remained upright. She shifted the weapon cylinder suspended from her left shoulder and continued. Another step. One more. “Concentrate,” she whispered. “Breathe shallow, not deep.” Trivonte played heavily on her mind. Every word Rynard told her, the pain she’d seen reflected in his eyes when he relayed his tale of the murdered travelers clamored inside her head. Trivonte needed to die for his crimes before more innocent lives were lost, but did it have to be Rynard who ended his life? What if Rynard died? If they both died? Her brothers would never know what had become of her. An ache, marrow deep, grew in her chest then broadened to encompass her entire body. Her only chance of survival walked before her, little more than a dark specter moving through the thick dust and ash. Her life depended upon Rynard’s skills as a Hunter. Kayla vowed silently to quit pitting her will against his so she might aid his cause. So, in the end, she could face her own demon. Her aspirations might be selfish, but her motives were just. Hobard’s crimes were ten times more heinous than the crimes committed by Trivonte. Trivonte might have murdered a great number of people, but Hobard threatened an entire Galaxy. Rynard paused before her. “What’s wrong?” she shouted over the wind. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder, bent his head until his face was only inches above hers, and said, “We’re almost there.” “There?” Kayla looked around, but could see only blowing dust and ash. “Where?” “Phantom.” “Phantom? I thought we were headed to Compound 6?” “We’re leaving Darion 5.”

“What about Trivonte?” “I don’t give a damn about Trivonte. We’re leaving.” He tightened his grip and shoved her forward. “You might not get another chance.” He edged closer. “This storm’s getting worse. If I don’t get Phantom off planet soon, we won’t be able to leave.” Confused, but not willing to argue when they were about to leave this planet, Kayla squinted to see through the thick air. “Where’s the landing area?” “Several hundred yards that way.” He pointed straight ahead. “You sure?” “I’ve been using a tracking beacon. Signal gets stronger as we get closer. Come on. We don’t have much time.” Kayla struggled against the wind and dust that now threatened to strip the layers of clothing from her body. She stumbled. Rynard steadied her. She pushed the weapon cylinder behind her and grasped his waist for added support. An explosion erupted to their right, spreading a wall of orange flame like a tidal wave over the dust-covered ground behind them. Rynard propelled her forward. “Nebuon gas,” he explained, pushing her along at a desperate pace. Aftershocks of another explosion sent Kayla to her knees and brought Rynard down almost on top of her. He pulled her to her feet. The acrid sting of the orange vapors combined with the dust and ash to settle on her clothing and clog her lungs. The heat of another, closer, blast numbed her senses and stilled the pace of her heart for seconds before it began to race. Rynard’s steps faltered, then slowed. Kayla suddenly bore the brunt of his weight, leaning against her, propelling her forward, and down. Impact forced the oxygen from her lungs. She squirmed to break free from the mass of his body. “Rynard, please.” She received no response.

CHAPTER 13

Panic set in and promised to send her already overwrought nerves into chaos. Using her elbows for advantage, Kayla arched her back. Rynard didn't moved or make a sound. A horrifying thought raced through her. She twisted slightly until she could find an opening between his body and hers large enough to draw a deep breath. “S-Still.” Pain laced his voice. “What’s wrong? Are you wounded?” “Remember your weapon.” His head dropped to rest against hers, burying her face in the dust. Kayla shifted in an attempt to burrow out from under him so she could turn him over and find out how badly he might be injured. “What do you want to do with them?” A laugh, more evil than Kayla had ever heard, carried over the wind. “Leave ‘em. They won’t be going anywhere.” “What about his ship?” “We’ll come back after this storm dies down. Let’s get to shelter.” Kayla released the gasp of breath she’d managed to draw as Rynard’s body suddenly shifted. Whoever fired those shots obviously believed they were both dead. She’d do nothing to alter that assumption. A sharp object jabbed into her side. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to flinch. She heard another thump then Rynard’s body shifted again. “Stupid Hunter. You thought to claim a bounty by taking me. Well, this is one reward you’ll never collect.” Again, the evil laugh sent chills racing up her spine.

Remember your weapon. Rynard’s last words echoed through mind. Her oxygen-starved lungs demanded another breath, but Kayla couldn’t take the chance that one of the men standing near would see her gasp. Tears pooled in her eyes, mixing with the ash and dust, until she felt the grit tear into the delicate tissue. Her shackled hand caught beneath Rynard’s body when he fell. Her free hand was buried under her own body. Any attempt at movement would destroy all hope of escaping alive. The wind grew in strength until it rivaled last night’s storm. Mounds of dust mounted higher and higher around their prone bodies. Kayla realized if she stayed beneath Rynard too much longer, she’d suffocate. “Take his weapon.” Pain knifed through her wrist as she attempted to shift her cuffed hand beneath their combined weight. Rynard’s hand moved over hers. It took all of her concentration not to whisper his name. He opened his fingers against the ash. Kayla eased her hand into his. She had no idea how much time had passed, or if their attackers had left the area. However, she was afraid to take a chance they might still be close. Several seconds later another strong jab pierced her side and created pain so sharp she bit her tongue to keep from crying out. She heard another hard thud. Rynard’s body fell aside, freeing her from his weight but exposing her to the elements. “Our information was correct. They’re cuffed together. Greedy bastard. Look what it got him.” “Get the weapon and let’s go.” Someone leaned over her, blocking the wind as he removed the cylinder strapped to Rynard’s shoulder. Whoever told Trivonte of Rynard’s presence must have been in the bar when they arrived. How else would Trivonte know Rynard had a prisoner cuffed to his wrist? Portraying Rynard’s prisoner might have been abhorrent, but it might now save her life. Trivonte wouldn’t expect a prisoner to be armed. Kayla shifted slightly until she could feel the pressure of the cylinder buried in the dust beneath her side. “How we gonna find ‘em once the storm let’s up?”

“Stick the cylinder upright in the ash. Bury it deep enough the wind won’t knock it over.” Kayla closed her eyes and offered a silent prayer that these horrible men would leave soon. She had no idea how long she’d been buried beneath Rynard’s weight. She suspected it had been more than ten minutes. Rynard hadn’t moved again. What if he died? Dear God, please don’t let that happen, she thought. I couldn’t bear it if he lost his life because of me. Kayla waited a few more minutes then twisted beneath Rynard’s weight. His hand tightened against her fingers. Relief surged through her heart. Sure enough time had elapsed for their attackers to leave the area, she raised her head and looked around. She saw dust, ash, and the faint outline of the cylinder protruding from the ground. She waited several more moments until she was sure Trivonte and his accomplices had left before she prodded Rynard’s side. “They’ve gone. We need to leave now in case they decide to return.” “Easy,” he mumbled. She sat up and tried to stand. “W-Wait.” “We can’t wait. We don’t know when they’ll come back.” Bending, she grabbed his cuffed wrist with both hands and attempted to pull him upright. **** “Take it easy.” Pain knifed through his shoulder, bringing with it another bout of dizziness. Dolph drew a deep breath and concentrated on holding it. He couldn’t afford to black out again. They needed to get to Phantom and off planet before the storm got worse or Trivonte decided to return. Shifting slowly, Dolph tensed his muscles to withstand the agony of his burned shoulder and the tug of melted leather against his charred flesh. Another wave of nausea swept over him. He fought the need to close his eyes and allow oblivion to take away the pain. “Give me a minute,” he said.

She eased her grip, but did not release his hand. “What’s wrong with you?” “Later. Help me stand.” She leaned forward to grab his belt. Dolph managed to get to his knees. Sweat beaded his forehead beneath his mask and dripped into his eyes. Every muscle quivered as he raised his left leg, planted his boot firmly into the ash, then stood with Kayla’s help. He swayed. She braced him with an arm about his waist. Dolph leaned into her for support. “Push my sleeve up, please.” He extended his arm. He gritted his teeth as she reached forward to shove his sleeve high enough to reveal the control unit displaying blinking red lights. “That way.” She lifted his cuffed hand, draped his arm over her shoulders, and then settled the chain over her chest. Dolph choked back the need to shout when the remains of his jacket, and the jumpsuit beneath, stretched tight against his raw flesh. Two hundred yards seemed leagues as he staggered against the force of the wind and ash. He fought to hold on to consciousness. To withstand the chills that rapidly spread over his flesh, the excruciating pain in his shoulder. He stumbled. Kayla held him upright. When he thought he couldn’t take another step, she prodded him forward against the force of the wind. “My belt. Left pouch.” She shifted until she could grasp his belt and reached inside. “Black box. Third button.” She pushed the button. Light from Phantom flooded the area. “Second button.” The hatch opened slowly and locked into place. The light from the hatch spread wide to guide

their path. Dust and ash clouded the light until they appeared to be walking through a grayish-yellow fog to the bottom of the stairs. Dolph took an unsteady step. His knees threatened to buckle. He drew deep for strength and lifted his boot to gain the first step of the boarding ladder. Kayla slipped the chain from around her neck and chest then eased out from under his shoulder. She helped him shift until he leaned against the stair rail. She slid around him and climbed until she stood two steps above. “I’m going to pull you up. Give me your hands.” Another wave of weakness engulfed him, followed by a spear of pain so sharp it threatened to empty his stomach. She yanked him forward. His knees hit the third step. “Help me, Rynard. You’re not light.” “Can’t.” “If you weren’t attached to my arm, I’d be tempted to leave you here.” Dolph managed a weak smile beneath his mask. “Tung knife in my left boot. Sever my arm if you think you can get Phantom off planet without me.” “Don’t think I haven’t given that a lot of thought,” she said as she doubled her efforts to pull him up. Despite his agony, she managed to drag him through the hatch. “Command center.” “I’m not taking you one inch farther until I find out what’s wrong with you.” When she dropped her hands, Dolph staggered against the corridor wall and sank slowly to his knees. He fell face first to the metal flooring. He could hear Kayla scrambling around beside him, but he didn’t have the strength to open his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Dolph forced one eye open. She’d shed her mask and cowl. Dusty hands covered her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Didn’t matter.” He flinched when she leaned closer. Her hand felt warm as she slid her fingers

down the back of his neck. Her other hand a cradle of support as she gently lifted his head and worked off his mask. “I’m sorry, Rynard. I should have used the weapon Lumas gave me and killed that bastard. Just look what he’s done to you.” Her voice was soft as she shifted her fingers through his hair, then touched his forehead and cheek. “It’s not your fault. I made the decision to leave. I’ll get him next time.” “Please, don’t let there be a next time. He’s almost killed you twice. Let another Hunter take Trivonte.” “Why would you care?” She ignored his question and pulled her fingers away. “I’ve got to get you to bed.” “No. Command center.” “I need to take care of your wound,” Kayla insisted as she studied the burned areas on his back. The leather of his jacket had melted under the heat of the Neubon gas. Parts of the leather had charred through not only his jacket but is jumpsuit beneath the leather. Kayla watched him stiffen each time the leather twisted against his wounded flesh. “Later. H-Help me up.” “Stubborn male.” She stood and slowly locked her hands around his good arm. He managed to get to his feet with Kayla’s help. He leaned heavily against her as they staggered toward the Command center. “Open, damn you,” she ordered then stepped back when the portal actually opened under her command. Dolph didn’t have the energy left to explain. “I can’t sit you down. The chair will hurt your shoulder.” Instead, she helped him shift until his buttocks pressed against the chair arm. She spread her hand against his chest to hold him upright. “Tell me what to push.” “Phantom engage.” The console came to life with a profusion of blinking lights. “Don’t have to push anything.” “Well, tell it to get us the hell out of here.” “Initiate expulsion bursts.”

Dolph gritted his teeth to withstand the vibrations as bursts of compressed air exploded through the engine exhausts, clearing out the accumulated ash and dust the wind managed to blow in through the hatches. “Strap in.” She shook her head and eased to his side. She placed her free arm around his waist. “You can’t stand the G’s of takeoff unless you strap in, Kayla.” She glared at him. “Neither can you. Get this over with.” “Ignition.” Powerful engines rumbled, increasing the vibrations that shook the Command center. Dolph eased forward enough to wedge between the arms of the two chairs. He yanked Kayla’s cuffed hand down with his and grasped the chair arms. “Gyros.” The metal floor shook violently as the thrusters beneath Phantom ignited, fighting the force of Darion 5’s gravity to lift off planet in a vertical ascent. Dolph bent his head closer to hers. “Strap yourself in.” “No.” Cursing the weakness in his body that robbedhim of the strengthhe needed to force her cooperation, Dolph shook his head and braced her body against his with his free hand. “Computer, Command 3.” Stardrive fired, creating enough force to propel them through the narrow opening between the chairs arms and across the metal floor. Dolph did his best to shift in order to take the brunt of their fall, but Kayla fought him. He landed on top of her with a loud expulsion of air and a deep groan as pain tore through his shoulder and sent him again into a welcomed state of unconsciousness. **** Kayla drew a quick breath to replenish her lungs when Rynard’s weight crushed down upon hers. She fought the lightheadedness that swept over her, remembering the horrible effects of takeoff lasted only seconds. Her stomach knotted and pushed against her spine. Her muscles felt as if they were being torn from her bones and impaled against the metal flooring.

Rynard’s weight only reinforced the pressure. She closed her eyes. Seconds later, Phantom settled and the natural gravity sequence initiated. She was left with only Rynard’s weight. “Rynard.” She wiggled beneath him. “Rynard?” He groaned and shifted until his legs were trapped between her spread thighs, his chest crushed against her breasts, and his arm fell to the floor to encircle her head, pulling her wrist up with his. Kayla drew a hard breath when his fingers grasped hers. “Damn shame I don’t have the strength to take advantage of this position,” he whispered near her ear. Cold chills followed immediately by deep warmth settled over her body. Tiny prickles of heat erupted along every inch his body touched. Each time he drew a breath, or she drew a breath, the friction sent a tingling sensation through her breasts that settled as a quivering mass below her stomach. “Could you move, please?” “Can’t.” Kayla sighed. “You’re going to have to help me. I can’t lift you.” He pushed up with his arms and rolled to his side, emitting a loud groan when his injured shoulder hit the metal floor. Kayla sat up gingerly, knowing she’d be a mass of bruises from the battering she’d taken over the past couple of days. She watched the pained expression on Rynard’s face and pushed her own discomfort aside to rise. His bronzed flesh had lost most of its color and his green eyes were dull. She reached forward to splay her palm against his forehead. “You have a fever.” “Take my hands.” Kayla spread her legs for balance as she pulled him to his feet. She felt him sway then regain his equilibrium. She glanced around the Command center. “Is there anything else you have to do before we leave here?” “Course is preset for Didiron. Computer will handle everything else unless we run into trouble.” “Trouble?” “Let’s go while I still have strength to stand on my feet.”

Kayla balanced Rynard as they walked slowly through the portal then unsteadily down the corridor that led to his sleeping quarters. “Where are your medical supplies?” “Cargo bay.” Once she deposited him on the bed, she’d have no way to leave his side. She had to gather any necessary supplies while he was still on his feet. She stumbled with him to the cargo bay and gathered a black bag before they slowly walked to the galley. She listened while he ordered a liter of something he called “pain killer” from the refreshment unit. He refused food. Kayla followed the instructions he’d given her earlier and ordered something to eat and drink. She supported his weight with her shoulder and balanced a tray in her free hand as they left the galley and walked to his quarters. Once he was in the bed and as comfortable as she could make him, she followed the length of chain to his matching cuff. She had two feet of working space. Kayla studied his body, starting with his boots. She followed the contours of his muscular legs to his left thigh and discovered another burn about eight inches long and three inches wide. When she glanced at his taut buttocks, she found another small burn as he stretched out on his stomach. Kayla held her breath to ward off the turbulent thoughts that raced through her mind. He’d suffered these wounds for her. He’d ignored the horrible agony he must have been through to see her safely to Phantom and off planet. Her fingers trembled as she reached to smooth her hand across the dust that covered his midnight hair. She inched closer still to touch his forehead, his cheek. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Tears wet her lashes as she again studied the charred leather covering his body. He must have suffered terribly as they traveled to Phantom, fighting both pain and exhaustion. She brushed a lock of dirty hair from his face. He’d taken care of her. Now it was her place to take care of him. She’d treated her brothers’ wounds and illnesses since she was old enough to help her mother take care of the men in the Jardane household. She’d washed fevered bodies, sealed cuts, and handled more than her share of burns and blisters. Kayla looked at the chain binding them together. Dolph Rynard’s life was in danger. Judging from the flesh she could see beneath the melted

leather, infection had already begun to set in. She considered how hard she’d tried to maintain distance between her emotions, her memories, and the Hunter. Each time he’d looked at her with those beautiful green eyes, a bit of her resolve slipped away. She swallowed hard then leaned close enough to whisper, “Why didn’t you tell me about the other wounds?” “What difference would it have made?” None, she guessed. “I need something to remove your clothing.” “Use the knife in my boot.” Kayla slid the sharp Tung knife from the scabbard hidden inside his boot. She tested the blade with her thumb then studied him again. Thoughts of exposing his flesh sent a barrage of unwanted feelings from the pit of her stomach to rapidly fan outward until her hands shook. She dropped the knife to the sheeting and removed his boots. Praying to any God in the Universe who happened to be listening, Kayla picked up the knife and stuck the blade under the leather that closed around his right ankle. She slid the flat edge of the blade slowly up the back of his calf.

CHAPTER 14

Inch by inch Kayla exposed the burned areas on his left thigh and buttocks. She left only the charred leather stuck to his skin. Kayla eased the knife higher and slit a long, jagged seam across the top of the leather at his waist. She stood back, grasped the leather, and slowly pulled the remaining jacket away. She tried to ignore his exposed bottom, strong thighs and muscular calves, to concentrate on the burns marring the lower half of his body. Though both wounds showed signs of infection and bits of burned leather, neither was life threatening. These burns she could take care of later. Kayla covered his lower body carefully with the black sheeting before she shifted her attention to his shoulder.

She eased forward until she knelt beside him, raised his free hand and pulled the sleeve of his jacket away. She stuck the tip of the knife under the end of the sleeve on his cuffed hand and cut a seam up the underside of his arm. The burned area started just above his elbow, spread over his shoulder, across part of his back, and halfway down to his waist. She cautiously cut away the leather, careful not to pull or jerk the charred fabric clinging to his flesh. Once she removed his jacket, she found the thick leather had protected of most his back. The charred jacket looked far worse than the burns beneath. After she stripped away the rest of his clothing, she gasped when she saw his torso. A rough, grayish-pink scar left where his flesh mended without the benefit of proper medical care held her attention. The scar ran down the length of his side from just beneath his right arm to disappear under the sheeting she’d spread over the lower half of his body. Kayla touched his mangled flesh. “Memories of my last meeting with Trivonte.” She jerked away. “I’m sorry.” “Ugly, isn’t it?” She saw no ugliness and thought only of the horror he must have suffered. The pain he endured. “No. Why haven’t you had it repaired?” Medical facilities all over the Galaxy had procedures that would regenerate the growth of healthy flesh and repair the damage done to his body. “I keep it as a reminder.” Kayla didn’t need to ask of what. Scarred emotions and a devalued sense of self-worth could be masked by a stolid expression or a deceptive persona practiced until perfect. Physical evidence could not be camouflaged or forgotten. Hadn’t she spurned her brothers’ advice to have her own scar removed? She needed that scar. It meant more to her than a blemish on her flesh. It served as a constant reminder of what she’d lost and who was responsible. Every time she gazed at her reflection, she recalled what Hobard did to her. Each time she felt the familiar itch, she renewed her vows to never again place herself into a position where she’d be vulnerable. Except with this particular male. “I understand,” she whispered. “Why didn’t you have the scar removed from around your neck?”

“Same reason.” “Who are you trying to remember?” “It’s not important.” She forced her attention back to his wounds. “I need to clear away the leather stuck to your flesh. It’s going to be very painful.” She turned to grab the medical bag she’d left on the console. “Do you have Prothos?” “No.” “I can’t do this without an intoxicant.” “Liter.” Kayla remembered the liter he’d ordered in the galley. She found the amber bottle beside the bed and slid across the mattress to reach it, only to find her fingers fell short. “Rynard?” He groaned in response. She reached over, grasped his wrist, and rattled the chain. “Listen to me.” He opened one eye. “You’re going to have to slide over so I can reach the liter.” He growled, but complied. Kayla grasped the liter, uncapped it, and handed the amber bottle to Rynard. She watched as he brought the liter to his lips and took a long drink. “Unless you have disinfectant in that bag, I’d suggest you not drink all of that.” “Use the ointment.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before he handed the liter back to her. Kayla spread her fingers over his forehead. “Your fever’s rising. I can’t wait any longer to clean these wounds.” She opened the black bag, took out a can of ointment, a package of sterile pads and a canister of plastiflex spray. She placed her hand under the burn on his back and whispered, “Rynard?” “Can’t you call me Dolph?”

The liquor had apparently started to take affect. His words were slurred, but Kayla had no trouble understanding his question. She looked down at her hand, watched it shake, and wished she had the courage to partake of his “pain killer,” but dismissed the idea as soon as it formed. She’d need a steady hand to peel the charred flesh and leather from his body. Can’t you call me Dolph? Kayla tried hard to ignore the entreaty those few simple words contained. She’d worked hard to keep their relationship from slipping into something more intimate, and to maintain her distance under impossible conditions. No, I can’t call you Dolph. I won’t knock down that final barrier. She crushed her errant thoughts to deal with something she could control. “This is going to hurt. Please try to be still.” The foul odor of burned flesh filled her nostrils as Kayla leaned close enough to examine his shoulder. She held her breath, concentrated on steadying her hand as she carefully slipped the Tung blade beneath the charred leather. After a sharp intake of breath, Rynard tightened his muscles and withstood her ministrations without flinching. Each time she paused to relieve her taut muscles, Rynard relaxed and drew several deep breaths. Though she constantly prayed he’d lose consciousness, he remained stubborn to the end. Once she’d cleaned all of the blackened flesh and leather particles away, she used the sterile pads to dab portions of the liquor over the raw areas to wipe away his blood. She spread a thin coating of the antiseptic ointment on the infected areas then sprayed a layer of plastiflex over the entire wound. The plastiflex would dry, forming a permanent protective barrier over his damaged flesh that would eventually merge with his renewing skin. Thankfully, Rynard lost consciousness before she turned her concentration to the burned portions of his lower anatomy. She carefully cut away the leather stuck to his backside and leg. most of the burns on his legs had stopped bleeding and she wiped away any residue with a small amount of his “pain killer”. With a delicate touch, she spread the ointment over the burned areas before she covered the wounds with a fine layer of plastiflex. Once she’d done all she could to help him, she laid down beside him and closed her eyes. **** Kayla sat against the metal wall at the head of the bed and watched Rynard sleep. She reached forward, entwined her fingers into his hair, and pushed stray strands from his forehead. She touched the side of his face and discovered his fever still raged.

She’d done all she could. Without antibiotics to fight infection or something stronger than the liquor remaining in the liter to ease his pain, she could only sit and wait for him to wake. The wound on his shoulder was still red and puffy. The flesh around the wound didn’t appear to be swelling. She hoped it was a sign the infection wasn’t spreading. She gently eased her fingertips around each wound. his flesh felt hot to her touch. She brushed her fingers through his hair, more to soothe her own anxieties than to remove more of the dust. He was alive. He would heal. Thoughts of what might have happened had he been more seriously injured rushed through her mind. Memories of their flight from Lumas’ bar shook her. She remembered the horrible feeling that washed over her when she believed Rynard dead, and the deep relief she’d experienced when she discovered he wasn’t. She ran her fingers through his hair once more, brushing away the yellow particles that clung to each long strand. She fought to still the strange feelings that churned inside her when she slipped her fingertips over the arch of his brow, the curve of his lashes, and the dark circles beneath his eyes. Vivid images of his warm eyes, his handsome face, those determined lips, sent a tingle from the tips of her fingers to the pit of her belly, then lower. Twice Rynard had met Trivonte and, both times, he’d almost died. This time because of her. Would she have done the same for him? Kayla leaned against the metal wall and closed her eyes. The scars she carried were both mental and physical. Her brothers repeatedly told her what she’d experienced at Hobard’s hand wasn’t her fault. The deep guilt she felt inside lingered. She couldn’t help feeling if she’d given in to Hobard’s demands, Hobard wouldn’t have declared war against Turas, and her world wouldn’t be dying. Rynard groaned, pulling her away from the past to the present. She watched him shift beneath the black sheeting. “C-Cold.” Kayla glanced around her immediate area for something warmer to cover him, but found nothing. “Rynard, can you understand me?” His lashes opened. “Cold, Kayla.” “Where are your blankets?” “Cargo bay.”

Kayla cursed the cuffs that joined their wrists. “Liter.” She scrambled down from the head of the bed and grabbed the liter, praying the liquor would sufficiently warm him. She helped him prop up on his elbows, steadied his hand as he drew the liter to his lips. “Enough. I can’t get to the galley for more of this stuff.” He looked up at her and the expression on his handsome face seared through her heart. His teeth chattered. He attempted to draw his body into a tight ball. Kayla reached forward to stop him when he tried to roll over. “No, you can’t.” “Hold me.” Another spear of heat raced through her. He wanted to share her warmth. She glanced along his body, noted the gooseflesh on his arms and across his back. She looked at her dirty clothing. Dust and ash covered her leggings, tunic and boots. She had no choice. Kayla bent, pulled off her boots, and dropped them to the floor. Her fingers trembled as she unfastened the closures on her crusty leggings, shook violently as she squirmed to slip the leather from her legs. She forced away thoughts of what she was about to do when she slipped her tunic over her head and retrieved the Tung knife. The knife made short work of splitting a seam down the side of her tunic and up the underside of her arm. Without allowing time to consider what she was about to do, she slid under the silky black sheeting. She trembled almost as much as Rynard when she eased closer to his fevered length. The shock of feeling his hot, muscled length against her exposed flesh sent another riot of something akin to pleasure through every nerve in her body. “Kayla.” His breath whispered against her ear. He shifted to lie on his good side, reached out and pulled her closer. So close she spooned into the curve of his body. In self-defense, she tried to yank the sheeting up and tuck in between his body and hers. He nestled his head against her shoulder. “Thank you,” he sighed before he fell asleep. Kayla forced her muscles to relax beneath the pressure of his arm and the weight of his leg as he positioned it atop hers in his sleep. She listened to his labored breathing, heard the chatter of his teeth,

and tried to place thoughts of all that hot male flesh snuggled against her backside into a clinical prospective. He needed warmth. She could provide it. Period. Kayla glanced at the ceiling. “Lights off.” The recessed lighting blinked out. Deciding to place Rynard out of sight, out of mind, she closed her eyes. A haunting voice continuously whispered through her mind and chased away sleep. Would she give her life to protect his? Maybe. **** Warmth relaxed every muscle in her body and eased away her aches and pains. Kayla shifted to draw closer to the source. The glide of silk whispered over her thighs, her abdomen, and her breasts, followed by a tingling sensation that started at her toes and worked its way up her body to create a haunting ache inside her chest. “Kayla?” The soft sigh of her name was like an embrace, touching her, reaching deep to chip away the last barriers around her heart. “Kayla.” Her sleep-clouded brain recognized the voice, but her body refused to relinquish the warmth. A warm hand touched her cheek and brushed away her hair. She knew this touch. She raised her hand, needing to separate dreams from reality. Her fingers found the hard plane of a stubbled cheek, the firmness of a fevered brow. Warm lips touched her temple and moved slowly to her ear. Though her sleepy mind cautioned her to push aside the pleasure of the warm mouth against her flesh, her body demanded she turn into his embrace. She reached up, traced the contours of his face, ran her fingers through his long hair, and pulled him closer. Close enough to meet his lips timidly with hers.

Kayla welcomed the pleasure of his kiss, his gentle touch beneath her chin, the heat of his body against hers. She arched into him, needing the comfort he could provide. She felt his tongue probe lightly against her lips, his hand slide away from her chin to touch her neck, lower to her breast. A thousand different sensations swept through her body when his fingers caressed her. He shaped her breast, plucked at her nipple, now hard and aching with a need she’d never experienced. His mouth continued to tempt her. His tongue made soft, wet passes over her lips until she opened her lips to meet the warmth of his tongue with her own. She moaned when his mouth disappeared long enough to glide over her cheek, her neck, and the hollow between her breasts. She brushed her hands slowly through his hair and settled her fingertips against his shoulders, careful not to touch his wounds. When his hot tongue touched her extended nipple, Kayla thought she’d shatter from the pleasure starting slowly then rippling over her body with a force equal to the dust storm on Darion 5. “I want you, Kayla.” His mumbled words against her breast sent shivers racing over every inch of her body, freezing her fingers in place upon his shoulders. Memories flooded back, washing away the warmth he created and chilling her blood. Each sluggish beat of her heart repeated the words she’d heard so many times in her nightmares. I want you, Kayla. **** Dolph lifted his head and balanced on his elbows. “Lights.” He looked down at the perfection beneath him. Long, dark lashes fanned over her cheeks. Lips, puffy from his kisses, opened slightly. Each breath, drawn in heavy pants, caused her magnificent breasts to rise and fall. Thick strands of rich, dark hair spread out over even darker sheeting. His gaze lowered to the long line of her neck, pausing only briefly on the scar that marred her flesh, to scan the flawlessness of her exquisite body. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered. Her lashes flew open. Panic dilated her pupils until little of the brilliant blue remained. Her hands tightened on his shoulders. Her nails bore into his flesh, scoring deep to penetrate his wound and sending agony through his body. Dolph tensed every muscle to withstand the pain and eased his hands higher. He buried his fingers into her hair and grasped the sides of her head to hold her still when she tried to turn away.

“Fight it, Kayla. Be stronger than your nightmares.” “Stop.” “I won’t hurt you. I didn't cause you pain. I’m not the one who placed this scar around your neck.” He leaned closer to kiss the side of her neck. “No.” She bucked against him, bumping his groin and sending needles of torture through his already explosive flesh. Dolph clenched his teeth to ignore the pain and captured her jaw with both hands. “Look at me, Kayla.” “Get away from me.” She twisted to pull free of his grasp. “Say my name, Kayla. Say it.” “No. Please. Don’t do this to me.” She thrashed her head back and forth against his hands. She refused to look into his eyes. “Kayla.” Dolph captured her cheeks to hold her head still while he placed soft kisses across her cheeks, her forehead, and the tip of her nose. Frustration closed in on him like the steel jaws of a vice when Kayla continued to fight, squirming in his grasp, siphoning his strength. He refused to give in. He held her tightly, listened as her terror gave way to sobs that filled the silence of his quarters. Anger far stronger than he’d ever felt in his life burned through him, reinforcing his hatred for the beast that had hurt Kayla so deeply she was afraid to feel. Afraid to trust. Afraid to live. “H-Help me,” she whispered. Dolph eased into a sitting position as he pushed away thoughts of the wounds on his thigh and buttocks, the pain in his back. He pulled Kayla into his arms and buried her face against the side of his neck as he tugged the sheeting around them with his free hand. He held her close and stroked her back as she sobbed against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, each time issuing the same soft command. “Cry, Kayla. Cleanse whatever’s causing you pain.” She shivered, but no longer fought him. Instead, she clung to him desperately as he held her.

Fever, burns, and Trivonte were pushed far back in his mind as he stroked her back and buried his fingers into her hair. He felt each breath she drew, each thunderous beat of her heart. Each sob. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong,” he whispered against the side of her head. She shifted and tried to break his hold, but Dolph tightened his grasp. He looked down at her and remembered the pain he’d seen so many times in her eyes, the terror that now dilated her pupils. Dolph traced his fingers slowly up her spine above the silky sheeting. “I know someone’s hurt you. This scar around your neck is a reminder of that pain. Who did this to you?” “This is my fight,” she sighed. “There’s nothing lower than a man who’d hurt a woman, Kayla. Let me fight this battle with you.” “I can’t.” Dolph cupped her chin and pulled her face from the side of his neck. “Kayla.” He waited until she looked up. “Trust me.” She averted her gaze when another sob shook her. “You asked for my help. I can’t give it if I don’t know what to do. Tell me what happened. Allow me to understand why you come willingly into my arms then pull away in terror.”

CHAPTER 15

Kayla clung to his warmth, needing his closeness to chase away her nightmares. Alarmed by the intensity of her feelings, she tried to deny how deeply this man touched her, how she’d come to depend upon him. The fact she felt herself weakening, and might actually be falling in love with Dolph Rynard, strengthened her vows to never disclose her secrets. His fingers were persuasive as they skimmed over her flesh. Anxiety worked its way up her spine. She needed to place enough distance between her crumbling emotions and his tender touch to regain her composure and resurrect her barriers.

She wiggled free of his embrace and spread her fingers against his bare chest. “Please, let me go.” “Not this time.” He spread his hands over her shoulders to hold her in place. “Release me.” He raised a dark brow at her command. She doubled her efforts, struggling against his strength. “My affairs are none of your business.” Kayla exerted enough pressure to slip from his arms, but she only made it as far as the edge of the mattress before he grasped the chain and tugged her back an inch at the time. He shifted suddenly and she didn’t have time to counter when his arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her back against the silky sheeting. “You can’t get away from me, Kayla. We’re going to settle this thing now.” Kayla couldn’t bear to look at him. Didn’t want to reveal her past and see his beautiful eyes harden in disgust. He whispered in her ear, voice husky, “Let me help you.” He touched her lashes. Kayla stiffened in his embrace as horrible memories flooded back and threatened to produce more tears. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears and chills suddenly covered her flesh. “Fight it, Kayla. Fight the terror that makes you fear my touch.” Kayla fought hard to will away images of Hobard’s sneering face, his haunting blue eyes, and the horrible feel of his hands upon her flesh. She opened her eyes slowly, needing to see Dolph’s handsome face, the wealth of his long, dark hair and his deep green eyes. He shifted, this time bringing her body next to the heat of his. He lifted his hand and smoothed away the tangled hair that fell across her face. “Don’t hide from me.” She reached up to touch his cheek, slid her fingers into his hair. “I’m fine. Please, let me up now.” He turned the hard length of his muscular body to cover hers. With his forearms braced on either side of her face, Kayla lost her ability to concentrate on anything other than his beard-darkened cheeks, his full inviting lips, and those beautiful green eyes. “Please.” **** Dolph ran his thumb over the curve of her lips. “I’d never hurt you.” He touched the sweep of

her thick lashes. “Tell me.” She shook her head. He bent lower until his lips were less than a breath away from hers. He stared into her eyes as he kissed her. Tentatively at first, deeper when her lips opened. He felt the tension ebb from her body. Could hear the soft moans deep in her throat. He tasted her as she timidly, then more boldly, met the tip of his tongue with her own. With each subtle move, each soft touch of her fingers against his chest, his body coiled tighter. Dolph struggled for control with every fiber of his being. Kayla didn’t need his passion. She needed understanding. He ignored the soft groan that spilled from her lips, the way her fingers tightened in his hair. What little control he had left melted away when he looked down into her eyes and she met his gaze without flinching. “Kayla.” He tasted her lips again, each time delving deeper with his tongue until she matched his pace, demanding more. He slid his hand down the side of her face, gently touched the scar around her neck, and eased his hand lower still until he could cup her breast. She arched beneath him and grew stiff in his embrace. Dolph soothed her tension with soft strokes, kneading, shaping, and learning the texture of her skin, the tautness of her extended nipple. He tasted her mouth fully, fighting the urge to slide his lips lower and suckle the bud he rolled between his thumb and forefinger. It took every ounce of control in his body to resist. **** Kayla shivered at the strange sensations flooding her body when Dolph’s lips slipped to the curve of her jaw then to her ear. Feelings she’d never experienced washed over her as he nibbled softly at her earlobe while his fingers worked magic on her sensitive breast. She’d never imagined pleasure from the touch of a man’s hand, the warmth of his lips. Her mother once told her wonderful feelings were possible, but Hobard-“You’re beautiful, Kayla.” His whispered words chased the memories away and filled her with want, need. She entwined her fingers in his thick hair, held him to task as his tongue laved the fullness of her breasts. His warm lips

closed over her nipple. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “I’ll never hurt you, Kayla. You can trust me.” The final barrier around her heart tumbled down. “Please,” she whispered. His hand answered her plea, sliding lower, touching her abdomen, her thigh. She held her breath as his long fingers stroked her mound, fondling, edging forward only to retreat. She arched her hips, meeting each plunge of his fingers, each withdrawal. She matched his rhythm until his touch was no longer enough. She demanded more. “I want you, Kayla.” Soft words. Little more than a sigh against her abdomen, sent ripples of ecstasy through the very core of her body. She grasped his forearms and groaned when his fingers slipped away. She opened her eyes to find him staring down at her. “If I don’t stop now, I never will.” The agony in his voice touched some hidden portion of her heart. Kayla raised her hand and swiped her fingertips through the dark hair that fanned beneath his collarbone, and arrowed down farther than she could see from her present position. His breath echoed around the chamber when she touched his erection. He dropped his forehead to meet hers. “Say my name.” “Dolph.” She ran her fingers along the edge of his jaw. He kissed her again with hunger and possession, but Kayla felt no fear. A tremendous pressure built inside then grew in intensity until she thought she’d lose consciousness. She arched against him, wanting, needing, something she sensed only he could give. She squirmed in anticipation as his hand settled on her hips and his strong thighs wedged her legs apart. “Please, Dolph,” she whispered against his lips. **** Dolph buried himself into her incredible tightness, foregoing the instinct to go too deep too soon. She shifted her long legs to wrap her glorious thighs around him. She raised her hips off the mattress. He groaned and thrust, only to freeze instantly when he met a barrier he never thought he’d find. Question after question bombarded his passion-weakened mind. Every theory he’d formulated

about her dissolved as he tried to pull away from the heaven he’d almost tasted. Kayla stopped his retreat by tightening her leg muscles. “I can’t.” She wiggled her hips, sending his pulse racing and his loins to hell. He buried his forehead into the side of her neck and tensed every muscle in his body as he fought the desire that rode him bone deep. “Dolph?” Her soft voice sliced through him like Tung. “I swore I’d never hurt you,” he groaned. She placed her fingertips across his lips. “I know there will be pain with a first joining. Please,” she traced the contours of his lips. “Help me forget.” She clinched her inner muscles, draining away any resistance, replacing it with a need to bury his throbbing member into her warmth. He eased forward until he felt the thin membrane tear and heard her sharp intake of breath, her sigh as she clung to him. He pushed into her waiting heat, inch by slow inch until every muscle in his body begged for relief. He pulled back. Drove deeper. Harder. Harder still. Kayla met each stroke, arching to take him fully, pressing her lush body against his. She slid her hands up and down his arms, around his neck, into his hair. She cried out and convulsed around him, drawing him deeper as he buried his seed inside her body. Every muscle and burn screamed with pain until Dolph didn’t have the strength to roll away. “Kayla?” She sighed. Dolph waited until his breathing returned to normal and his muscles revived enough to slide away. Exhaustion quickly overcame him, bringing with it a stinging pain that started below her fingertips on his shoulder and spread down his back. He balanced his weight on his forearms and eased up far enough to see her face. Her closed eyes. Her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen from his kisses. She’d fallen asleep. Dolph smiled and rolled over to his good side, being careful to keep his burned shoulder away from the sheeting. He tugged Kayla’s limp body into the curve of his own, and settled the chain so it wouldn’t dig into his arm. He closed his eyes and vowed to have answers to the many questions she hid from him as soon as they both had a proper rest.

**** “Kayla?” Something tickled her cheek. She squirmed, settled deeper into a familiar warmth. “Kayla?” “Hmmm?” She stretched against the warmth. “What’s your name?” “Kayla,” she said, still half asleep. “Kayla what?” “Jardane.” Pressure settled over her breast, molded her, shaped her, and sent rapturous flickers of heat spiraling through her body to settle below her stomach. “Kayla?” “Hmmm?” “Wake up.” She groaned. “Why?” “We have unfinished business to discuss.” Kayla forced her eyes open. She assessed her situation. She lay against Dolph’s hot length, her hips settled into the bend of his body, her legs supported by his powerful thighs. She looked down to find the sheeting had slipped away, exposing a large hand over her right breast. “Remove your hand.” He smiled a devastating smile that warmed her marrow deep. “I don’t think so.” He leaned close enough to whisper, “You’re beautiful.” Heat catapulted through her body, settled in hot patches on her cheeks, and flowed downward to warm her breast beneath his hand. She closed her eyes and remembered every little detail of the hours before when he’d taken her to heights she’d never dreamed possible. “Look at me.”

She opened her eyes to stare into his face. “I think it’s time we started being honest with each other.” Dolph released her breast and reached up to brush a curl from her forehead. “I want to know everything about you. Why you were running on Colony III? Who would want to do you harm? What frightens you so much about my touch? Everything.” Kayla closed her eyes. “I want to help you. Protect you, but unless I know--” She touched his lips. “Many people depend upon my silence, Dolph. You expect me to disclose information I’ve sworn never to repeat.” “I’m no longer a Hunter, Kayla. You’re no longer a fugitive. We’re two people who happen to share something few others ever experience.” He leaned close enough to kiss her forehead. “Kayla?” **** She looked into his eyes. This man wanted to know her secrets and her fears. Doubts tried to rise, but Kayla pushed them away. For too long, she’d dreamed of someone she could trust. Someone who’d give her a sense of security, and drive away her nightmares. Dolph Rynard offered more than she’d ever hoped possible and she realized she trusted him with her life. What about her brothers lives? “I don’t think I can tell you.” “I’ll never betray you. I’ll never cause you pain.” He sealed his promise with another kiss. She believed him. Kayla closed her eyes and leaned into his shoulder. “It’s not that I doubt you. This is all so? so?.” “Embarrassing?” “No. It’s just some of the things are not very pleasant. Some you may not believe.” “Tell me.” “Several years ago, I thought I loved a man. In my innocence, I believed his lies when he promised me a better life than I could ever find on Turas. For months, I allowed him to persuade me.”

She paused for the proper words. “I’d always dreamed of having the type of relationship my parents had. A loving, open commitment born of mutual respect. “Unfortunately, the closer I got to the man who wanted me, the more I sensed his motives were selfish, his words insincere. When he finally demanded a commitment, I refused him, never knowing what events my denial would trigger.” “Who was this man?” She shook her head. “I won’t judge you.” Kayla drew a deep breath and released it slowly. Once the words started, she couldn’t stop. Like a crack in a dam opening wider, she described her horrible capture by Hobard, though she never mentioned his name. She told Dolph of the days she’d spent shackled to his bed, hidden away in a special chamber designed only for his pleasure. Of the threats he’d made against her life if she didn’t cooperate, and the beatings she’d suffered because she refused to give in before her brothers rescued her. “What’s this man’s name?” He reached out to touch the side of her face. “He deserves to die.” “I can’t tell you.” She touched his rigid jaw. “My father was Agro-Advisor on Turas and sentenced to death for inciting riots against the CMC. Shortly after his death, my mother committed suicide because she couldn’t live without her life partner. My father’s holdings were taken away, leaving my brothers and me with nothing. “My parents are gone. I don’t know what’s happened to my brothers. Everything I ever loved destroyed. “That’s not the worst of it,” she said as tears slipped down her cheeks. “Turas is now in grave danger. Because of my refusal to submit to an evil monster’s sexual demands, many thousands of people will suffer.” “What’s his name?” Kayla shuddered. “Nathan Hobard.”

CHAPTER 16

Fury coiled and snapped, sending a promise of vengeance through his veins with a charge more deadly than nebuon gas. Dolph clamped his jaw tight and fought the tremors that rocked him. He struggled for control of his temper so he wouldn’t frighten Kayla.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” “So you could have taken me back? Collected the credits Hobard was sure to offer for my return?” He stared into her vivid blue eyes. “You believe I’d do that?” “You’re a Hunter. Hunters collect bounties and Hobard would pay dearly for me. Not because he values me, mind you, but because I escaped him--something I understand no one’s ever been able to do.” Dolph wondered why Kayla would think Hobard didn’t value her, when he’d give every credit he possessed to call Kayla his own. He lifted his hand to touch the side of her face. “If you escaped him once, why did you return?” She turned away from his touch. “I think I’ve told you enough.” Dolph reached up and brushed away the hair hiding the side of her face. “I haven’t been completely honest with you.” As expected, his words gained her full attention. “Why were you on Hobard’s planet?” Dolph eased back against the sheeting until he could stare at the metal ceiling. “I told you the truth when I said I’d delivered another prisoner to Hobard, but there’s more I’m not at liberty to disclose.” “I see.” “No, you don’t.” She twisted, tugging at the chain until she could turn her back toward him. Dolph dropped his hand to her shoulder. She tried to shrug away his touch. “I have to ask you to trust me again. The information you have might be vital and I need to hear the rest of your story.” “Why?” “Just trust me, Kayla. Please.” “How can I? You want me to tell you every incriminating thing I’ve done over the past two years, yet you won’t explain your actions to me.” Dolph buried his fingers into the long, dark hair cascading down her back. “I promise to explain

everything as soon as I can.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Curse you.” He brushed her hair aside, exposing her bare shoulder. He leaned close enough to kiss her smooth flesh. “It’s been a long time since I’ve allowed myself to feel anything other than hatred. I haven’t been able to look anyone in the eye without thinking they were condemning me for something beyond my control,” she said. “Kayla.” She twisted until she faced him across the black sheeting. “You wanted to hear this, now listen.” Dolph dropped his injured back against the metal wall gingerly and studied her eyes. “Soon after the revolutionists returned me to Turas, our troubles began. Hobard started shorting our Krystallum shipments. When my father protested, Hobard brought false charges of waste and mismanagement against him before the Tribunal on Volar. Several prominent members of Turas’ governing body accompanied my family to Volar after the CMC police arrested my father. Everyone hoped to be able to speak in his defense. “We all soon discovered treason is a hard crime to prove, but even harder to defend against. The Tribunal would hear no words in my father’s favor, believing Hobard’s accusations that Father had incited the population of Turas into revolution against CMC practices.” Kayla closed her eyes. “The Tribunal adjourned for less than twenty minutes then returned a guilty verdict. They sentenced my father to death by lethal injection.” She opened her eyes to meet his gaze. “As I told you before, my mother took her own life shortly after Father’s death. “The Tribunal also stripped away all of my father’s holdings, leaving my brothers and me without our home and no hope for a future. “Hobard hadn’t finished with the Jardane family or the people of Turas. He continued to withhold our Krystallum, sending Turas only enough to get by. Our agro-spheres are drying up. We no longer have enough power to irrigate our crops, and soon, all foodstuffs grown on the agro-world will perish.” He reached forward to grasp her hand. “None of this is your fault, Kayla.” She covered his fingers with her own. “Through gathering in the revolution, we learned Hobard’s evil spreads farther than Turas. It seems his hoarding has touched every agro-world in the Quadrant, though most not as deeply as Turas.” “You don’t have to finish this now, Kayla.” She shook her head. “If I don’t, I may never finish.”

He kissed her fingers. “My brothers and I were fools to believe the revolution would make a difference. When the revolutionists formed a plan to steal the Krystals Hobard wouldn’t provide, my brothers insisted they had the right to join the group selected to go to Colony III. I stupidly demanded my right to join them, thinking I could reclaim something Hobard had taken away with his cruelty. “None of us believed we’d make a real difference, but the people of Turas are desperate. We couldn’t appeal to the CMC for help, so we took matters into our own hands.” She shifted until she could draw the sheeting over her shoulders. “The robbery failed when my brother Danel was caught loading Krystals into the hover we’d used to travel across the flatlands. After a laser fight left our hover destroyed and us without a means of escape, we stole Hobard’s mining animals and fled for our lives. “We all agreed our chances of making it back to Stone Pass alive would be better if we split up.” She released her grasp on his fingers and crossed her arms over her chest. “You know the rest of my story.” Clues Dolph had shifted through numerous times fell into place. He studied Kayla’s eyes and knew she regretted telling him anything. For two years, she’d lived under the misguided belief she was responsible for Hobard’s greed. She’d built barriers, not allowing anyone to come near, never trusting, and fearing someone would remember her shame. He touched her arm. “Even if you had given in to Hobard, nothing would have changed. His actions over the past few years are a direct result of his animosity toward the CMC. His way of gaining revenge for punishment the CMC inflicted upon him.” “What punishment?” How much could he tell her without giving himself away? “What I’m about to tell you is something few beyond Volar’s inner circle know. I have to ask you not to repeat anything I say.” She nodded. “Besides being a wealthy inter-galactic merchant, Hobard’s grandfather holds a seat on Council. Hobard’s parents were members of the Federation’s Arms Development Team and were killed in an industrial accident on Merida. Hobard came to live with his grandfather and finish his education at the academy. “There, Hobard discovered he happened to be a crafty politician. He used his grandfather’s influence to insinuate himself into many of the Council’s causes, gradually moving through the stations of apprenticeship into a steward position. “Instead of teaming with his grandfather, Hobard chose to cast his lot with the wrong Councilman. Councilman Novalar had been under observation for a while by the CMC’s Security Sector for embezzling funds.” Kayla turned away. “I don’t think I need to hear this.”

“You need to know your actions over the past few years had nothing to do with Hobard’s plans to destroy Turas, or any other planet in the Quadrant.” She closed her eyes and shook her head in denial. Dolph continued, despite her withdrawal. “Hobard learned too much from the greedy Councilman. His ambitions grew beyond the boundaries of his financial worth and he used his newfound talents to augment his credits. “He flaunted his devious practices one time too many and was caught in the same net as Novalar when the Councilman was charged with treason against the CMC. His grandfather’s respected position on Council was the only thing that saved Hobard’s life. “Council punished Hobard by deporting him from Volar and placed him in charge of the penal colony on III.” She opened her eyes to stare at him. “That’s ridiculous. If they accused him of treason, why would Council give him the opportunity to take charge of the Quadrant’s main power source?” “Hobard stepped on one too many toes as he clawed his way through the stages of his apprenticeship. Enemies with power and persuasion are deadly. Most have ways to destroy opposition without incriminating themselves. “Sending Hobard to III was a punishment of isolation that stripped away all he’d hoped to achieve. He didn’t understand Council had given him enough responsibility to fall into their trap when he made the same mistakes again. And this time, they can execute him without his grandfather’s leverage tying their hands.” “You believe Hobard’s practices are his way of adding to his personal profits while gaining what he believes is revenge against the CMC?” “Something like that.” “It doesn’t make sense,” she said. “The CMC cares little about the planets it governs. Why would Council risk losing their judicial functions just to trap Hobard?” “They needed a scapegoat. They chose Hobard. Council wanted him, and his trouble-making abilities, far enough away to exonerate the CMC of any crimes. They foolishly believed Hobard would be satisfied with his position on Colony III.” “So, now they know he’s stealing Krystallum, but do nothing to stop him?” “All of the Councilmen have been guilty of treason against the System one time or another. They all have much to hide, and in their own way, each is greedier than Hobard. “The Universal Coalition has suspected subterfuge within Council for a long time, though they haven’t gathered sufficient evidence to act against any specific Council member. Someone besides Novalar is helping Hobard from within the Council itself.

“Finding out who that someone is, discovering Hobard’s plans for the Krystals he’s stealing, locating enough evidence to tie the two together, and exposing the corruption within Council is vital.” “Is that your job?” Dolph refused to answer. “Is that your job, Rynard?” “Yes.” Kayla attempted to pull away. “You let me believe the worst by making me think you were a Hunter.” “In a sense, I am a Hunter. Besides, you wouldn’t answer my questions. I had no way of knowing what your relationship with Hobard might be. You could have been working with him.” “He killed my father. He may have killed my brothers. How could you possibly believe I’d work for him?” “I didn’t know your past. Only the clues you’d dropped when you were unaware of your responses. I knew something frightened you, but had no way of knowing it was Hobard.” “How soon will we arrive on Didiron?” “Why?” “I must get home to Turas. It’s urgent I know what happened to Danel and Rand.” “It’s too dangerous to return to Turas.” “Why?” “If your brothers escaped with the other revolutionists, Hobard’s Searchers will be combing Turas to find them.” Kayla stared into his eyes. “The revolution’s strong on Turas. Any Searchers who arrive will be dealt with.” Dolph touched her cheek. “The CMC has a hundred-thousand troops at their disposal, Kayla. They don’t give a damn about Hobard’s private little army. If they hear of an uprising on Turas, the CMC will become involved with Hobard’s vendetta against your planet and a full-scale war will erupt. A war the people of Turas will never survive.” “You can’t let this happen.” Dolph shook his head. “Me?”

She placed her hands upon his shoulders. “You must do something to stop it.”

CHAPTER 17

Dolph ran his fingertip over Kayla’s lips. “To everyone, except a select few, I’m simply a Hunter. I’ve no power to stop wars. No authority to bring charges against Hobard.” No ability to even help myself, he thought. “You said there are people who know your true profession. Can’t they help?” He realized he’d given her false hope. The Coalition wasn’t the answer to her prayers, though those he dealt with within the organization could shift the popular view of the other Members. If he had substantial proof of Kayla’s claim. “Our only hope of bringing Hobard to justice is to have irrefutable proof his deeds are causing destruction in the Galaxy. After years of hard work, all I have at my disposal is a carefully placed informant inside of Hobard’s operation.” “The Coalition’s not blind. Surely they can see the shortages of Krystallum are crippling the Quadrant.” Dolph dropped his forehead into his hands. “Hobard’s been before the Tribunal. He offered plausible excuses for the lowered quantities of Krystals to the agro-worlds. He claims the Krystal supply is exhausted. “Select personnel within the Mineral and Chemical Divisions of the agro-college have verified his assessments.” “That’s not true.” “It’s been verified.” “Then there really is a conspiracy within the CMC.” Was it possible she knew something that might end this travesty of an investigation? “Why would the agro-college personnel lie?” “Who knows? Bribery. Threats.” “It’s hard to believe anyone would lie to the Coalition,” he said. “My father was once a botanist on Volar. Though his studies had nothing to do with minerals

and chemicals, he took it upon himself, once he agreed to come to Turas, to analyze the Krystals and understand how they produced such an abundance of power. “He learned two things. First, Krystals are created from a constantly renewable source on Colony III. Shalor dust. Second, though the Krystals emit an extremely powerful burst of energy, the overall usefulness is limited. He even tried to duplicate the process of forming Krystals, but found he couldn’t create enough force to compact the dust.” Kayla placed her hand upon his arm. Dolph dropped his hand to cover hers. “You see, quakes cause the rock plates that make up the mountains of Colony III to rub together. This rubbing action, combined with the pressure exerted when the plates shift, creates tremendous heat. Once the quakes stop, the plates cool and the residue left in the fissures hardens into Krystallum in a matter of months. “My father always kept up communications with his friends at the college on Volar. One in particular, a geologist, advised him studies showed the entire outer surface of III is made up of Shalor dust, and seismographs indicated the planet’s surface is in a constant state of motion due to quakes so small they hardly register. There can never be a shortage of Krystallum as long as the quakes continue.” “What’s this geologist’s name?” “Othar Laski.” “Do you think he might be persuaded to testify before the Coalition?” “I don’t know. He’d have to be guaranteed he wouldn’t face retribution because of his words against a member of the Council’s planetary staff.” A strange expression settled across her face before she scrambled back against the metal bulkhead. Confused by her reaction, he reached out for her. She avoided his touch. “What’s wrong?” “I thought you were different.” “Different? I don’t understand.” “How could you?” she shouted. He grasped her arm. “How could I what?” Kayla jerked away. “Don’t touch me again.”

“What’s wrong with you?” “You once said you were adept at making those you Hunt reveal their secrets. Well, Hunter, I commend you. You are very good.” Dolph fought the urge to grasp Kayla’s shoulders and shake some sense into her. “Look at me.” She shook her head. “Kayla.” She refused to meet his gaze. “Did you ever believe in me or trust me at all? Do you honestly think I’m no better than Hobard?” Tears shimmered in her eyes. It took every ounce of his control not to wipe them away. “I have little left in this life to call my own, Kayla, but I do have my pride. I value it highly. I swore I’d never intentionally hurt you and I meant every word.” He held out his hand. She edged closer to run her fingers through his hair, then kissed him so sweetly he could feel the gentle motion of her lips cover his entire body. Dolph tightened his arms around her and slipped the silky sheeting away to expose her luscious breasts. He returned her ardent kiss as he eased his fingers down to caress the fullness of her erect nipples. He eased his other hand around her back to trace her spine then pulled her into his lap. “So beautiful,” he whispered as he kissed a path down her chest, caught a taut peak in his lips. **** Kayla felt his hips shift as he reached for the sheeting and pulled it away. He lifted her legs and spread her thighs over his. Her knees touched the mattress beside his hips. Sensations unlike anything she’d ever felt rushed through her body as she placed her hands on his shoulders, arched her back, and experienced the first tender probe of his erection slowly penetrate her moist folds. “Kayla?” She knew he gave her one last chance to refuse.

“Please,” she whispered against his ear. He entered her more forcefully. Stretching her. Filling her with the overpowering need to squirm against his erection as he guided the rotation of her hips with his large hands. He arched up. Higher. Deeper. Finding her rhythm, Kayla rocked against each thrust. Meeting him. Pulling away. Each penetration increased the pleasure until she reveled in his strength beneath her, lifting her. Higher. Building the urgency to touch that special something just beyond reach. Escalating the pressure flooding throughout her entire body. She opened her eyes and glanced at the tendons straining in his neck. The ridges of muscle across his wide shoulders. Moisture glistened on his flesh. Long tendrils of his marvelous dark hair joined with hers to adhere to her damp skin. The pressure built. Growing stronger. Encompassing every nerve in her body. Each blood vessel. Every drop of blood that flowed through her veins. Kayla fought the rising waves of tension, wanting nothing more than to stave off the end of this glorious joining, prolong every second of ecstasy. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled his face closer to the hollow between her breasts, and matched him advance to retreat. She echoed his growl of pleasure when he joined her as she peaked, emptying his seed deep. His name spilled from her lips in a sigh. **** Moments later, replete and gasping for breath, Dolph eased to his side and brought Kayla with him. He fought the pain that sliced through his shoulder and lifted his hand to stroke the tangled hair from Kayla’s face. “We have to get up.” “Why?” She snuggled closer. He renewed his effort to rouse her. “We need to get up, Kayla.” She sighed, opened her eyes, and stared into his face. “Why do we need to get up?” “We need a shower.” She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Phantom has a fully equipped shower facility.”

“Where do you get the water?” “It’s recycled, but it’s clear, pure and warm.” She glanced from her body to his before she averted her gaze. Touched by the blush that stained her cheeks, Dolph lifted her chin until she looked him in the eye. “It’s one of the advantages of owning a cruiser like Phantom.” “What about your wounds?” “The plastiflex will protect the burns. Besides, I can’t remember the last time I felt clean. Can you?” She smiled. “Actually, it’s been a long time.” “Well, come on.” He slid off the mattress and extended his cuffed hand. When she stood, he grasped her cuffed hand with his and pulled her closer to his side. He pressed the panel, opened the facility, and ushered her inside. “I seem to remember wanting to bathe you while we were in Lumas’ storeroom.” His words earned another blush as she leaned into him, her tall body fitting perfectly into his. “Is it possible?” “To make love in the shower?” She nodded. “We’re sure as hell going to try.”

CHAPTER 18

Darion 5

Lumas looked up when the portal to his tavern opened. He watched the windy aftermath of the storm blow a cloud of powder and ash onto the floor. Three creatures, two large and one small entered and sauntered across the tavern to take an empty table. Lumas returned his attention to preparing the tray before him.

Ever conscious of the activities of his patrons while giving an air of nonchalance, Lumas listened to the grunted conversations taking place between the new arrivals. Fortunately, his past profession allowed him to become fluent in many of the different dialects that still flourished in the Quadrant. Several times he heard mention made of Hobard. Lumas knew the name well. He’d spent many hours discussing the practices of the Planetary Chief of Colony III as Dolph worked through the evidence he’d managed to accumulate. Lumas wiped his hands on his dirty apron as he walked around the edge of the bar. He paused beside the table where his newest customers sat, taking a moment to note their origins before he spoke. The largest of the three reached up a clawed hand to push away his cowl. Lumas met the Worsel’s gaze. “You want something?” The Worsel glanced at his companions then turned his black gaze back to Lumas. He reached down and folded back the sleeves of his robe, baring muscled forearms and enormous hands with long fingers to support the deadly sharp, black claws. He flexed his hands, drawing the claws together with a grating sound. “Drafts and information,” the Worsel said. Undaunted by the Worsel’s size or the threat issued with his claws, Lumas nodded. “Drafts I got. Information’s expensive.” The Worsel smiled, exposing a mouthful of yellowed teeth. He reached beneath his robe and drew out a handful of silver cubes. “Two hundred credits for information. Drafts free.” Lumas met the Worsel’s challenge. “Nothin’s free.” He turned his back to the table and returned to his station behind the bar. He counted. A crate scraped the floor. Seconds passed. An enormous fist hit the planks of the bar. Lumas closed his fingers around the blast rifle he kept beneath the bar. He turned, blaster primed, to meet the Worsel’s furious face. “Many years ago the people of my home planet, Farel, hunted your kind for sport, Worsel.” Lumas shoved the blaster forward until the tip rested beneath the Worsel’s jaw. “Threaten me again and your friends can carry you to your transportation in a crate.” The Worsel took a step back.

Lumas nodded. “Drafts three credits. Information negotiable.” He released the triggering device on the blaster and lowered the weapon to the bar. Lumas gazed about his establishment, pausing on the Worsel’s two friends still at the table. He surveyed the other patrons, studying one in particular. They all watched, but none attempted to come to the Worsel’s aid. The Worsel walked back to his table, grabbed up a handful of credits and returned to the bar. He dropped three cubes on the planks and waited while Lumas prepared the drafts. He carried the mugs back to the table. More grumbled words passed among the three, spoken softly so Lumas couldn’t hear. The smallest of the trio, obviously human, rose and walked to the bar. Lumas noted the scars and burns on his ugly face and the fact the man missed one arm. Lumas crossed his arms over his chest and leaned to the edge of the bar. “We need information. We’re willing to pay two hundred credits.” “What type of information?” The human leaned closer so his words didn’t carry. “We seek a Hunter.” Lumas chuckled and stated loudly, “Everyone here seeks a Hunter.” The man glanced at his surroundings, apparently expecting a reaction to Lumas’ statement from the patrons. When none came, he said, “This Hunter calls himself Rynard.” Lumas schooled his features. He lifted his hand and gestured to his establishment. “No Hunter here.” Another crate scraped the floor. A tall being swathed in black staggered across the tavern and paused behind the slight human. Lumas hid the contempt that rushed through him and looked into the intruder’s cruel silver eyes. Trivonte. He noted the broad shoulders, tall frame, and menacing countenance of the Katsani Warrior. He watched his quicksilver gaze flick over the smaller creature, sizing up what might soon be an opponent. Lumas studied Trivonte’s face. He noted the lines in his brown flesh were deeper. Another scar added across his thick nose upward to meet the corner of his eye. His lips, no more than a crease across his face, opened to reveal sharp, pointed teeth. Lumas thought about killing the bastard and ending the tyranny he spread throughout the Galaxy. He deserved the kill after what Trivonte had done to his mate. But he’d sworn an oath to Rynard years ago and he would not usurp the younger man’s revenge.

Lumas folded his arms over his chest and watched Trivonte and the human. “You seek Rynard?” The small man turned to look up into Trivonte’s eyes. To Lumas’ amazement, the human showed no fear. “We seek Rynard.” He nodded toward the table where his two companions sat. The Worsel and the Leonite gazed up to meet Trivonte’s stare. Trivonte laughed. “Ah, a flesh-trader and a carnivore. What a likely pair.” He returned his attention to the man at the bar. “How much are you willing to pay for information about Rynard?” The Worsel gained his feet and stepped up to the bar. Lumas noted he was equal in size and stature to Trivonte. The two beasts eyed each other warily. Lumas wondered which would be the victor in a fight to the death--the Worsel with his sharp claws and enormous strength, or the Katsani Warrior skilled in mortal combat and lethal with a lasersword. The scales tipped in the Worsel’s favor when the Leonite stood and joined his companions. Lumas took in the beast’s flat, fur-covered features, and the feral gleam in his predator eyes. Trivonte apparently also recognized his disadvantage and nodded. “We want the Hunter,” the Worsel stated. “Impossible.” “Why?” “Rynard’s bounty has already been collected.” “How?” An evil smile split Trivonte’s lips. Lumas’ innards churned. He’d hoped Dolph and Kayla would escape Darion 5 before Trivonte learned of their presence. His chest tightened. Rynard was the only friend he’d ever hand. Though the price upon his head had been enormous, Rynard had owed him a debt--one paid by never attempting to collect his bounty. Kinship had grown between them over the months he’d treated the Hunter’s wounds. The similarities in their lives had forged a deep bond. Thoughts of the beautiful, frightened female entered his mind. Lumas shifted his fingers on the blaster, inching closer to the trigger.

“What about the female?” The Worsel’s comment obviously startled the Katsani. Lumas wondered if Trivonte bluffed about killing Rynard. Surely, shackled together, he couldn’t have destroyed Rynard without knowing about Kayla. A spark of hope ignited. “Female?” “Rynard’s companion.” Trivonte raised his hand to stroke his rounded chin. “Also collected.” The Worsel took a step closer to Trivonte. “Where are the bodies?” Trivonte dropped fisted hands to his hips and challenged the Worsel. “You say I lie?” The Worsel took another step closer until he was nose to nose with Trivonte. The Leonite joined the Worsel, followed by the slight human. “We require proof.” Trivonte’s hand inched toward the lasersword at his waist. The small human pushed back his robe and produced a blaster, effectively stilling the Katsani’s hand. The Leonite brandished a laser, reinforcing the human’s threat. Lumas watched Trivonte glance over his shoulder before he stepped back. Two of Trivonte’s compatriots stood and walked to join those standing at the bar. Lumas tightened his grasp on the barrel of his blaster. He raised the weapon. “No fighting in my bar.” All eyes turned toward the primed blaster. The Worsel nodded. “We want no trouble.” “Our kill is easily proved. Rynard and his captive lie covered with dust and ash near his cruiser at the landing site,” Trivonte said. “But you three will not go there to claim a bounty justly owed to me.” The Worsel growled. Trivonte shook his head. “Trust is not applicable to those of our kind.” He nodded toward Lumas. “The barkeeper will go to the coordinates I give him and verify my kill.” The Worsel and his companions turned their attention to Lumas.

Fire erupted in his gut. He tightened his fingers on the barrel of the blaster and cursed the limited usefulness of the weapon. Four shots. Six creatures. He could easily destroy the Worsel and his companions, but what about Trivonte? Chewing the flesh on the inside of his mouth, Lumas nodded. He’d thwarted Trivonte one time and taken credits for a job not finished. This time would be no different if he found Dolph and Kayla alive. If not, there would be no remains for either Trivonte or the Worsel to claim. Lumas waited impatiently as Trivonte’s partner conversed quietly with the Katsani then Lumas followed the creature to the back of the bar. He listened while the creature gave him precise instructions about locating the Hunter and his prisoner. Lumas armed the explosive device that protected his liquor from thieving patrons in his absence, tucked the blaster under his arm, and left the tavern. He trudged resolutely in the direction Trivonte’s man had given him, thankful the storm had subsided, leaving nothing in its wake but piles of ash and dust. Deep drifts of sulfur based dust hindered his search. The wind had finally died down to a reasonable speed, but the atmosphere was still filled with enough dust and ash to clog lungs and burn any exposed flesh. The stench of sulfar was nauseating. After several hours’ search, Lumas located the cylinder Trivonte left as a marker. He shifted through the mounds of ash and dust, then laughed. Shuffling toward the landing site, Lumas chuckled again when he discovered Phantom gone. He shook his head. He still had several items he needed to finish. Items that wouldn’t infringe on his promise to Dolph, but might infuriate the Worsel enough to put an end to Trivonte. **** Colony III

“Our cruiser has been destroyed,” Moltar said quietly. Hobard slammed his fist against the view panel. “How?” He lifted his fist and banged it against the panel again in frustration. “You were ordered to make sure nothing went wrong.” “Obviously, the Worsel knew our vessel was following. They waited until they made the jump to hyperspace in the 32nd section, then blew our cruiser to fragments when they attempted to follow.” Hobard turned from the view panel and walked across the chamber. He fumed against the

serious blow that would alter the plans he’d spent several days developing. The loss of a cruiser meant nothing to him, nor did the lives of those aboard. With another depletion of the CMC’s forces, his bargaining power with non-Federation planets grew stronger. Always one to have an alternative plan at his disposal, Hobard smiled. Though he’d suffered a minor setback, his ultimate plans could move forward. Albeit in a different direction. “My informant on Volar advises me Rynard has been ordered to Darion 5. He couldn’t tell me why, but I suspect Rynard has orders to capture some miscreant. His ultimate mission will be to deliver the prisoner to me, but I can’t be sure. Nor do I intend to wait. “Dispatch another cruiser to Darion 5 immediately with orders not to interfere, only observe.” Hobard picked up a carved Krystallum globe and balanced the exquisite Krystal carefully in his hand as he traced the sphere with his fingertips. “If it appears Rynard is returning to III, order the cruiser to shadow.” He replaced the globe on the tabletop, raised his hand to stroke his chin. “A shipment of Krystallum is scheduled to leave at first light for Turas. Delay it. Instead, dispatch a squadron of Searchers. Seek and destroy all members of the revolution. Have the Searchers double their efforts to locate the Jardane brothers. I want them brought to me alive.” “What about the female and Rynard?” Moltar asked. “Rynard’s actions have already decided his fate. Kidnapping is a serious offence, especially if the one taken is my future life partner.” Hobard chuckled. “Should he not complete his mission, not return immediately to III, I have an alternative plan at my disposal.” Hobard walked to his desk. He poured a glass of Iquidan and leaned against the desktop as he raised the glass to his lips. “I’ll personally offer a bounty of fifty-thousand credits for Rynard’s capture. Dead or alive. Warnings of serious retribution will prevent anything from happening to endanger Kayla. My friend in the CMC has already agreed to see that this information leaks into the intergalactic communications system when the time is right.” Hobard closed his eyes. “No Hunter worthy of his reputation will be able to resist the challenge of trapping the CMC’s premier stalker.”

CHAPTER 19

“Does it still hurt?” Kayla bent over Dolph’s back as he leaned forward to touch a series of blinking lights on the control panel. She skimmed her fingers over the plastiflex, noting the flesh beneath the protective covering had lost its puffiness. The soft pink of renewing skin now replaced what had been raw and red less than forty-eight hours ago.

“Only when I twist a certain way.” She slid her fingers down his spine and over the waistband of his tight, black trousers to splay her fingers wide on his buttocks. “How about here?” He shifted too quickly for Kayla to counter his movement. He reached up, caught a handful of her hair and eased his hand back to cover her nape. He pulled her forward between the arms of the chair until she landed soundly in his lap. “Only when you abuse my delicate parts.” He kissed her. As he worked his special magic on her lips, Kayla’s mind was flooded with erotic images that added to the heat rapidly building in her body. Hours before they stood together beneath the warmth of the shower. She’d touched him, caressed every inch of his bronzed flesh. Each muscle and every firm indenture. Her soapy fingers mapped his body, and his fingers returned her pleasure. Each subtle glide and every tender swipe of his knowledgeable fingers sent her temperature soaring higher until their final joining erupted in a powerful climax. Filled with the desire to reach those same heights again, Kayla snuggled closer to feel the warmth of his flesh through the caftan-like creation she’d fashioned out of a length of black sheeting. His hand slipped through the opening where the two sides fell together and his warm fingers caressed her breast. He deepened his kiss as his fingertips slid slowly over the length of her body, playing her like a finely tuned instrument. Each touch building in cadence, then retreating, and denying her urgent need. His mouth left a trail of moisture over her throat, her shoulder, through the silkiness of the sheeting to her aching nipple. “Please,” she moaned. He untied the length of cloth she’d used to hold the ends of the sheeting together and threw the sash to the floor. He fondled, tasted and stroked her inflamed flesh until Kayla thought she’d go mad. She growled in protest when his fingers left her flesh. Until the padded black chair mysteriously reclined. He wrapped his arms around her and stood, taking her with him as he reversed positions until she lay upon the warm seat. Somewhere between agony and ecstasy, he shed his trousers. He reached forward to spread her thighs. He plunged deep to ease her torment, pushing her immediately to rapture. Kayla heard his heavy breathing close to her ear, felt each powerful thrust. Stronger. Deeper. Until his body convulsed, taking her along for another strong climax. “We have to get you something less enticing to wear as soon as these cuffs are removed,” he whispered against her ear. “If not, I’m going to die a slow, but pleasurable death trying to appease this

growing need I have for you.” “Maybe we should take another shower?” she teased. He touched her lips. “Hold that thought.” He stood to pull on his trousers then bent, grabbed the black sheeting from the floor, and tossed it to her. Kayla tugged the sheeting over her head and retied the sash. She watched as Dolph concentrated on the control panel. She considered the changes in her life over two short weeks. Before she met Dolph Rynard, she ’d trusted no males, except her brothers. Now, she regretted the time when their arrival on Didiron would take away the moments left with Dolph. Kayla studied him closely as he coded landing coordinates into the computer. He’d kept so many things from her, things she might never fully understand. He’d actually told her little of his true profession. She suspected his involvement with the Coalition went far deeper than he’d hinted. She knew nothing about him, other than what he chose to tell. Nothing of his life before he joined whatever forces that entangled him in his current profession. Even with all of his secrets, she loved him, and would continue to love him after their inevitable parting. Kayla looked down to the cuff on her wrist and followed the chain to his. They’d faced their share of horrors over a short span of time. What would happen when they were no longer joined by the cuffs? Would he still want her? “We’re in orbit around Didiron. Look.” He pointed to the view panel. Kayla watched in awe as an enormous sphere appeared, covered with swirling white clouds that blocked her view of the terrain below. He reached over to grasp her hand. “The beings of Didiron are peace-loving. They don’t involve themselves in the politics of other worlds nor do they adhere to the code of ethics set by the Coalition. “We’ll be welcomed on Didiron for as long as we wish to stay, but I must warn you of several customs that may seem strange. First, the females of Didiron are subservient creatures who walk behind their mates, eyes always cast downward.” Kayla opened her mouth to protest, but he touched her lips to still her response. “Only in public, Kayla. What they do in private is anybody’s guess.” He winked at her. “In private, I fully expect you to dominate me in any way you choose.” Kayla laughed.

“Also, their religious beliefs don’t allow any portion of their anatomy to be exposed.” He reached for the edge of her sheeting. “We’ll have to find something to cover more of you up, both to meet requirements and to maintain my sanity.” “And?” He braced his forehead against hers. “There’s no public display of emotion.” Kayla reached up to grasp his shoulders and pushed him away. “You’ll have to learn to keep your hands to yourself, Hunter. At least until we leave Didiron.” “This is going to be a very short stay,” he responded. He turned to the panel and touched a blinking yellow light. “It’s a hailing signal.” Another sequence of lights displayed on the console. He punched a series of buttons. “They’re requesting our purpose for entering Didiron’s airspace.” An answering buzz followed. “We’ve been given permission to land.” **** Kayla stared at her freed wrist, feeling somehow bereft of the security the Tung cuff actually offered her. She gazed over her shoulder and watched the locksmith work the delicate tool that had opened her lock, finally freeing Dolph of his shackle. “How long to you plan to stay on Didiron, Brother Rynard?” The soft question brought her attention back to the slight man who’d released them. She studied his bent shoulders, the long locks of hair that fell halfway down his back. He wore an ankle-length robe that stopped just above the heavy leather shoes exposed beneath the hemline. “Our journey must begin immediately, Brother Cree.” The old man nodded. Kayla thought it odd the only beings in the Universe capable of overcoming the strength of Tung were beings most unlikely to have any use for the substance. Devoutly religious and followers of a faith the old man had explained carefully as he worked to unlock her cuff. They believed in one Almighty Power in the Universe, the creator of all life. That this god happened to be some sort of an animal tested her ability to grasp the old man’s faith. Kayla remembered the strange terrain they’d covered from the landing area to this small city. Lush green fields, clear fountains, and paved roadways filled the panorama. While the population of Didiron appeared to be very advanced in technology, they lived simple lives.

The most amazing thing she’d witnessed was the use of Tung in every aspect of their lives. Tung arches held up the covered walkways that joined their buildings. Tung spokes supported the wheels of their carts. Even a Tung likeness of their god dominated the Center Square. The locksmith explained the soils of Didiron held abundant amounts of the ore needed to create Tung. While they didn’t accept the actual usage, their livelihoods derived from constructing the finest, indestructible weapons known in the Universe. He’d actually been proud of the occupation he claimed handed down by many generations of forefathers. Religious, yet capable of creating objects of destruction that could decimate all they believed in. It just didn’t make sense. She guessed she’d never fully understand why some cultures existed the way they did. “Will you stay long enough to partake of our hospitality?” “I regret, we cannot, Brother Cree,” Dolph said as he placed a handful of credits on the worktable before the old man. “Go in peace, my friends.” Dolph nodded then extended his hand to her. Kayla accepted it. She marveled at the texture of his callused palm against her flesh in a way far different than she’d experienced before. Freedom changed many things. She now had the option to go with him or refuse. She could also raise both hands above her head without having to tug his arm up with hers. The feeling was exhilarating. She tested her freedom by snatching her hand from his and turning in a circle. “It feels strange to be able to do this again.” He smiled and extended his hand again. She accepted. He leaned close enough to whisper, “I don’t know if I like you having this much freedom.” “Get use to it, Rynard. I can now move freely about Phantom, and I plan to begin by locating my own clothing and my hairbrush.” “Remember. Subservience.” Kayla assumed the correct posture. She swore as soon as she got back to Phantom, she’d see their positions reversed.

**** Kayla relaxed on the black sofa in the galley and watched Dolph devour the last of his meal. She swirled the soothing amber liquor he’d given her around in the cup as she swiped her other hand over the rich leather. “What type of leather is this?” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and met her gaze. “Diveris bull hide from the planet Omenta in the Regent Quadrant. The carpeting is woven onchia wool from a tiny planet in the far reaches of the Sheller System.” She leaned her head back against the soft leather. “When you first brought me here, you referred to Phantom as your home. I can’t forget the tone of your voice or stop wondering why you’ve never told me of your life before you became embroiled in whatever it is you do for the Coalition.” “Phantom is my home. It’s the only place I can actually call my own.” They’d spent the last few hours exploring every inch of the sleek, black vessel. His voice filled with pride as he explained to her the intricate working of his cruiser and how his jobs as a Hunter had been lucrative enough to live in comfort. What he hadn’t explained was why. “Where were you born?” He stared at her for several seconds and Kayla thought he’d tell her to mind her own business. Instead, he shook his head and laughed. “No one’s cared about my previous life for so long, I don’t know where to begin.” “I care,” she said. He leaned back against the sofa on the other side of the amber glass and met her gaze. “I was born thirty-two standard years ago on the planet Rigel in the Sheller System.” Kayla sensed his reluctance to go on. “Tell me about your home.” A flicker of pain flashed through his eyes before he blinked it away. “Rigel is a paradise. Lush. Green. Scarcely populated. With rolling hills that go on for leagues. Crystal clear rivers and streams glisten beneath an unpolluted blue sky.” “It sounds beautiful.” “It was.” “Was?”

“I haven’t been home for over ten years.” “Why not?” “I have no home left to go to.” “But, your parents--” “I don’t know if they’re dead or alive. I’ve been forbidden to try to communicate with Rigel.” Kayla felt his pain. Her parents had been dearer to her than anything in her life, other than her brothers. Their deaths tore away a piece of her heart, leaving an empty void no amount of time could erase. At least she knew her parents were lost to her. Dolph carried the burden of not knowing. “Who would order you to make such a drastic decision?” “It wasn’t a decision. They gave me no choice. If it had been only my life in danger, I’d have chosen to disobey.” “Someone threatened you with your parents’ lives?” He didn’t need to answer. She could see his response in his eyes. “Who would do such a thing?” “It’s not important.” Kayla jumped up from her sofa and crossed the few feet separating them. She sat beside Dolph and reached up to touch his cheek. “It’s important to me.” He caught her hand and brought it to his lips for a soft, yet thorough kiss. The look in his beautiful eyes when he met her gaze tore through her. “You asked me to trust you. I do. I’ve told you everything about my past, though most of it was difficult. I no longer feel shame when you look at me, when you touch me. “Can’t you give me the same courtesy?” He closed his eyes. “I might have known you for only a few short weeks, but in my heart, I feel there is nothing you could ever have done that would make me think less of you.” She wanted to say more, but wisely held her tongue. He opened his eyes and raised his hand to swipe a stray lock of hair from her cheek. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since anyone gave a damn about me? What I think? How I feel?”

“Tell me what you think and feel. Share your burdens.” Kayla leaned close to press her cheek against his chest and listen to the thrumming of his heart.

CHAPTER 20

Dolph wrapped his arms around Kayla. “When I was much younger, it was a great honor to be chosen to travel to Volar and join the ranks of the Federation Police. I thought it a privilege to learn the skills necessary to protect and serve the Colony Management Council. “Once inside the ranks, it didn’t take long to learn the CMC is as nefarious as the criminals they trained us to apprehend. Every cadet learns quickly that the CMC blatantly uses its own corrupt laws to achieve the Council’s goals of supreme domination.” He held Kayla tighter, using her strength to buoy his own. He stroked the arm she’d spread across his abdomen as he leaned his head against the sofa and closed his eyes. “I soon discovered what happened to those within the CMC ranks who might oppose their aspirations.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “Are you sure you should be telling me this?” Dolph opened his eyes and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “I think you should know everything about my past. It’s only fair after what you’ve shared with me.” He stroked her dark hair as he continued, “Years back, I was sent on an assignment to capture a criminal who’d been spotted on a desolate outpost in the Ferand System. Darion 5, to be exact. “My partner at the time was a Gandorian I didn’t trust, but I accepted his company because it was my job. We traveled to Darion 5 and eventually met up with Trivonte.” She pulled her head from beneath his chin and met his gaze. “Trivonte?” Dolph forced a smile. “I’m afraid so. You already know what happened when I encountered him. Thanks to Lumas. What you don’t know is the Gandorian was the one Trivonte murdered and had Lumas burn the body.” “I’m sorry.” The tenderness in her eyes almost unnerved him, but Dolph drew a deep breath and continued, “There’s more. Much more. Unknown to me while I recuperated on Darion 5, the Colony Management Council conveniently branded me a criminal and stripped away my ancestral home on Rigel. They sent another team of Hunters to apprehend me.

“I wasn’t very hard to find and didn’t give them any trouble. I actually thought they were on 5 to rescue me. Once I discovered their true mission, I couldn’t defend myself because I was unable to move on my own at the time.” She nestled her head against his neck and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You don’t have to tell me this. I don’t want to dredge up any horrible memories when it’s not necessary.” Dolph smiled. “I want to tell you. It’ll help you understand why I do some of the strange things I can’t avoid, like changing course instead of heading for Didiron weeks ago.” “So that’s what all the strange beeping and buzzing was about. The CMC ordered you to Darion 5 to apprehend Trivonte, didn’t they?” He nodded. “Afraid so. I failed again.” “It wasn’t your fault. If I hadn’t been with you--” “Don’t blame yourself again for something beyond your control, Kayla. Leaving was my decision. I don’t regret it.” “Alright, I’ll accept your explanation. For now. What happened next?” “When the Hunter’s that arrested me on 5 presented me before the Council’s Tribunal, I discovered they were charging me with the murder of my partner. They produced false witnesses to testify they’d overheard several arguments between my partner and me. “Apparently, it was enough for the Tribunal to act. They never gave me a chance to speak in my own defense or take my obvious wounds as evidence against Trivonte. They adjourned long enough not to look obvious, then returned with a guilty verdict punishable by my death.” “Just like what happened to my father,” she whispered. “I’m afraid so.” Dolph leaned down to kiss the top of her head again. “On the night before I was to be injected with the lethal drug, a strange messenger arrived, claiming to represent the CMC. The document he carried offered me a choice. I could use my special skills and work for the CMC, or face my death sentence. The CMC gave me freedom if I agreed to work the Special Operations for five years.” He couldn’t suppress the anger in his voice when he said, “Those five years expired over two years ago.” She pulled away to stare into his eyes. “That’s not right. How can they hold you to a contract they’ve reneged on?” “The CMC does what it wants, Kayla. As long as I do as they say, they’ll suspend my death sentence. If I don’t, they’ll find some reason to reinstate their original verdict.” She inched away and turned until her legs crossed on the sofa beside him. She reached forward to touch his thigh. “Where does the Universal Coalition come in?”

Dolph dropped his hand over hers and felt the heat of their combined hands burn through his trousers to warm his thigh. “It hasn’t been all bad. After the first few months, I learned to play their game. By my own rules. I took advantage of the title Hunter the CMC provided, and accepted jobs from other individuals outside of the CMC’s inner ranks. My name became well known in some of the most unsavory places, admitting me to areas civilized beings would never visit. “My services over the years have been highly recruited and very expensive.” He watched Kayla scan Phantom’s galley. “That’s how you acquired enough credits to purchase Phantom.” Dolph smiled. She stood and paced the galley floor. “Okay, so what about the Coalition?” Dolph regretted having their cuffs removed. He remembered the chain he’d used so often to pull Kayla closer to his side. He’d become so used to having her near enough to touch, he didn’t like Kayla having the freedom to walk away from him whenever she chose. He needed her close. She balanced him somehow, diluted the anger that had burned through his gut for more years than he cared to remember. Dolph pushed aside his selfish thoughts when he realized Kayla had suffered enough anguish in her short life. She didn’t need the extra burden of his torment. He watched as she walked to the service station and punched several buttons on the refreshment dispenser. She filled two cups with Berman Draft then walked back to the sofa and placed one cup into his hand. She sat beside him and leaned close enough he could feel her warmth. Dolph took a drink of the draft. “After several years, I was approached by the Coalition to carry out some covert missions. Spying on Hobard is now my prime objective.” She stared at her cup instead of meeting his gaze. “What about the death sentence?” He reached forward, set his cup on the amber glass table, and leaned over the pull Kayla into his arms. “If I do the job the Coalition recruited me for, they’ll dismiss any charges against me.” **** Kayla pulled away from his embrace and sat back until she could look into his eyes. “What can I do to help?” “The only thing you could do to help me is to go before the Coalition and tell them what you’ve told me.” She chewed her bottom lip. Could she? The Coalition would demand she disclose the names of individuals she’d sworn to protect.

What about her brothers? Would there be any guarantee they’d be free if the Coalition believed her story? Would Dolph finally be free to live his own life? Did she have the strength to face the Coalition knowing they were hundreds of times more powerful than the CMC that took her father’s life? Momentarily distracted from her urgent questions when Dolph’s fingers toyed gently with the flesh on the side of her neck, Kayla relaxed against the heat that seeped slowly through the layers of clothing she’d replaced as soon as they boarded Phantom. Closing her eyes, she realized she had no ability to change the past. What if she had some clue, some missing link that could change the future? Flashing red lights and a shrill blast from the alarm system scattered her thoughts.

CHAPTER 21

Colony III

“I’ve brought those you requested.” Hobard looked up from his telecom. He turned his head slowly, knowing Moltar had delivered the prisoners he’d demanded. He took time to gather his composure, to control the fury that drilled through his body. He turned to gaze upon the shackled prisoners in the center of his chamber. Two men. Two brothers. “Welcome to my humble abode,” he said as he swept his hands wide. “So nice of you to return to my planet and offer me the opportunity to find out what you hoped to gain by the failed theft of my Krystallum.” The older and taller of the two struggled against his chains. “You bastard.” Hobard tsked. “Easy, Danel.”

He took a moment to assess the tall man. Hobard noted the dark, unruly hair that fell forward to touch his brow. The bruises marring his fair complexion. The crusted, bloodstained corner of his mouth. Hobard studied the man’s broad shoulders. Blood still ran fresh through a gaping tear in his tunic and poured from the torn fabric at his thigh. He recalled the information Moltar gave him about their capture. His Searchers had scoured every inch of Turas, but found no hint of a rebellion or of the rebels stalking the planet. Marcus Nilon, senior member of Turas’ governing body, denied rumors of revolution, but with his family endangered, he’d reluctantly given up the location of those his Searchers hunted. Moltar also described the bloody confrontation that took place on Bingal II, Turas’ desolate moon. Twenty members of his Searcher patrol died fighting the small band of revolutionists well fortified within the rocky terrain of the moon. In the end, it had taken icon cannons from one of the cruisers orbiting the moon to bring the battle to a halt. Still, the Jardane brothers would not come quietly. “I see you weren’t eager to return to III.” “Take these shackles off, Hobard. Give me a chance to show you how anxious I was to return to your cursed planet.” “Ah, Danel. Threats will get you nowhere. Think of your younger brother.” Hobard motioned to the guard restraining Rand. The guard grasped a handful of the younger Jardane’s dark hair and yanked backward, exposing his neck to the edge of a Tung knife. “Leave Rand out of this, Hobard. This is between you and me.” “I don’t think so.” Hobard looked again at the guard holding Rand. The guard nodded then slit a thin line across Rand’s throat, leaving a light trail of blood oozing from his flesh. “What do you want from us, you greedy bastard? You’ve already killed our father. You’ve made sure everything we ever owed got stripped away. You even defiled Kayla with your dirty hands.” Ignoring Danel’s outburst, Hobard studied Rand. He noted the younger man appeared in no better condition than Danel. He dismissed both men from his mind. “Kayla,” he whispered. “The only good thing produced from Rodic’s loins.” “You won’t touch her again, Hobard.”

Hobard switched his attention back to Danel. “You’re wrong, my friend. Even as we stand here trading pleasantries, I have a cruiser on the way to gather Kayla and bring her back here to me where she belongs.” “She won’t come. She’d rather die than feel your vile hands upon her again.” “Oh, she’ll come, alright. Willingly, when she learns I have you two.” “You’ll never find her,” Danel said. “Really? What makes you think that?” “We won’t tell you where she is,” Danel growled. “I suppose I could torture the information out of you, but there’s really no need. I know where Kayla is and with whom.” “Who?” Hobard shook his head. “Now, Danel, you know as well as I do, so your question only makes you look stupid. There’s one thing I haven’t been able to figure out. How did you come up with enough credits to pay a Hunter to spirit my lovely Kayla away?” “A Hunter?” “Don’t act coy, damn you. How did you obtain the credits to pay Dolph Rynard to hide Kayla?” Danel smiled. Hobard advanced, anger making his footsteps pound against the carpeted floor. He paused a hand’s length away from Danel’s battered face and looked him in the eye. “You thought you would outmaneuver me, didn’t you? Well, no one beats me at my own game, you fool.” Hobard turned abruptly and stalked to the view panel at the opposite side of his chamber. He stared at the compound below. “Life could have been so much easier on all of you had you not stolen Kayla away from me in the first place. I would have spared your father and saved Turas from the same plight destroying the rest of the Quadrant. “Damnation, I would have paid your father handsomely in Krystallum if he’d agreed to force Kayla to become my mate.” Hobard glanced over his shoulder. “Or would I?” He chuckled. “Perhaps, not. Your father was no better than the lot of you. He thought himself stronger, more powerful than me. He believed he could fight my hold over the Quadrant. “He soon learned his weaknesses, as each of you shall.”

Hobard turned and motioned to the guards. “Take them away. Make sure they are comfortable in the special rooms I’ve provided.” “You’re insane.” “Perhaps I am, Danel, but who are you to judge my actions when you couldn’t even protect yourself?” Moltar stepped to Hobard’s side. “Your cruiser reports it has spotted a vessel leaving Darion 5. They await your orders.” “Destroy it. No, wait. Kayla might be aboard. Have them shadow at a discreet distance and do nothing until we discover their plans. “If that bastard Worsel thinks he can hold my Kayla for a larger profit, he’s going to be sadly mistaken.”

CHAPTER 22

“Strap in.” Kayla glanced around the command center. Brilliant red lights flashed on and off with each shrill bleat of the alarm. “What’s wrong?” Dolph watched the grids instead of meeting her gaze. “We’re being shadowed by another vessel.” He reached forward to touch another series of buttons. The alarm ceased and the red lights disappeared. “Shadowed?” “Phantom’s computers are programmed to make automatic course adjustments if another vessel invades our trajectory. If the vessel continues to follow, it’s also programmed to sound the alarm.” When he turned his head to look into her eyes, Kayla recognized the devilment in his gaze. “A necessity in my profession,” he offered. A hundred different fears rushed through her mind. She remembered Lumas’ comment that

Hunters lived in constant danger of retaliation from those whey hunted.

Foreboding crept along her spine. “What kind of vessel?” He shrugged. “Whoever’s piloting the vessel is making sure it stays just beyond our scanner range.” Phantom banked sharply left. Kayla gripped the arm of her chair to avoid a collision with the seat padding. “What are you doing?” “Taking evasive action.” He glanced toward her buckled harness then met her gaze. “Relax, I’m going to enter Stardrive. With any luck, that vessel won’t be capable of following.” “Ready. Now.” Even with his warning, Kayla experienced the same rush that captured her numerous times before when Dolph placed Phantom into Stardrive. This time, her body appeared to acclimate quicker to the effects of weightlessness. The pressure against her body seemed less severe, her breathing less strained. She watched Dolph, noting he appeared to ignore the pressure against his body. She guessed each jump increased her defense against the sudden acceleration of Stardrive. He leaned forward in his chair and punched another set of lights. “Still behind us,” he said. “Closing fast.” If she didn’t know better, she’d swear anticipation tinged his voice. “What now?” He gave her a strange look, one Kayla was sure she misinterpreted, until he said, “Run if we can. Fight if we can’t.” The panic she’d tried hard to ignore resurfaced, bringing with it a tightening in her chest muscles and a strong tremor that encompassed her entire body. She drew a deep breath, held it, exhaled slowly. Kayla tried to occupy her mind with other thoughts as she concentrated on the multitude of lights flashing on the console. “Computer, switch to voice communication.” Done, Captain Rynard. The sultry female voice that echoed around the center startled Kayla. She stared at the console in amazement.

“Phantom’s a female?” A wicked smile creased Dolph’s lips. “It helps to have someone to talk to on long journeys.” “And, it had to be female?” He flashed another wicked grin. “Hearing another voice, even if it’s automated, helps ward off the effects of isolation. It also helps in times like these when I don’t have to stop what I’m doing to read the grids.” “Status report.” Cruiser will be in scanner range in five, four, three, two, one. Confused, Kayla scanned the center, searching for the source of the sultry voice. “How does she know when you’re talking to her and not me?” Dolph laughed. “She’s not programmed for conversation, actually. She responds to the tone of my voice.” He reached out and squeezed Kayla’s hand. An undeniable streak of warmth spread through her fingers, sped up her arms, and settled around her heart. “Identify.” A-class vessel. Krystal drive. Four mega-thrusters. Two icon cannons, both armed. Starboard and aft turrets with short-range lithium-“Enough.” “Dolph?” Kayla didn’t like the description of the vessel the computer offered. She didn’t know what the armament of the Turas transport might be, or if it was even an A-class. “What if my brothers are on that cruiser?” Dolph met her gaze. She noted an emotion she’d never seen in his emerald eyes. Expectation? Readiness? Willingness to meet and conquer?

Another smile creased his handsome face. Firing cannon. Shields up. “Brace yourself.” Before Kayla could ask for what, an impact that felt as if Phantom had run head on into a mountain thrust her back against her seat. Numbing pain shot through her head. She closed her eyes to fight the dizziness that swept over her. “Damage report.” Shields holding. No damage. “Increase speed to level 5.” Done. Vessel hailing. He reached over to touch her hand. “Are you all right?” Kayla opened her eyes and took a quick mental assessment before she answered. “I think so. I also don’t think any Turas vessel would fire on us.” Vessel is Worlian. Dolph’s eager expression vanished. Hatred flared in his eyes and tightened the planes of his face. He stared at her for several seconds, then drew a deep breath. The game he’d anticipated had apparently changed. “The Worsel.” Another shiver raced along Kayla’s spine. Horrible images of their escape from Stone Pass captured her thoughts. “How did he find us?” “Krystallum emits an invisible trail when it expends power. That’s one of the disadvantages of its use. Computers with far-range scanning capabilities can detect traces of this emissions trail and lock on to a target long before the target is reflected on its screens.” He dropped his hand against the padding of his seat. “I suppose the Worsel and his partners regained consciousness, found Phantom missing, and initiated an immediate scan. They may have been searching for us for weeks.” Weeks? He’d explained their trip to Didiron was far off the normal flight path. In order for the Worsel’s vessel to locate them, they must have been sweeping the Galaxy.

Or have had an abundance of luck. “Why would he pick this particular time to attack?” “In a few hours, we’ll be changing course and entering Coalition jurisdiction. The Worsel has no desire to be intercepted by one of the Coalition’s cruisers.” “We run?” “No, we fight.” “Can’t we outrun them?” A shadow crossed his eyes. “I can’t run.” Kayla reached over to grasp his hand. She knew he fought an internal war. This battle was more than a matter of honor. Self-respect was involved. Something she understood very well. “Anything I can do to help?” He winked at her. “Pray.” Vessel firing again. “Hold on, Kayla.” Phantom pitched right then stabilized. “Return fire.” Firing. Direct hit. “Scan for damage.” Opposing vessel has lost port thruster. Maneuverability will be lessened. “Good. Initiate a wide 180.” Initiating. “Open hailing channel.” Channel open. “Worsel!” “You’re hard to find, Hunter. But I will have female this time,” a gravelly voice responded.

Incoming. The Worsel’s vessel scored a direct hit, rocking Phantom hard left. The command center lights flickered as another alarm sounded, followed by a steady warning light, filled the center with an amber glow. Sparks flew from a panel directly across from Kayla’s chair. Smoke rose from the panel as the multitude of lights went dark. She forced her attention from the spark-spewing panel and watch Dolph’s fingers move quickly over the grid, his gaze on the panel. “Damage report.” Long range navigation out. Stern stabilizing thruster operating at one-fourth power. Again, the gravelly voice filled the control center. “Met a friend of yours on III, Hunter. Unscrupulous little bastard. Offered two-thousand credits for your destruction and the female’s return.” The strangled, wicked sound Kayla knew to be a laugh hissed over the speaker. Another shiver raced along her spine. The creature could be describing only one person. “Hobard.” Dolph nodded. “Why would he offer credits to the Worsel for us?” Dolph met her gaze. The warmth in his eyes burned deep into her being. “I don’t know.” Vessel scanning to board. “Initiate another jump.” Order cannot be initiated. Insufficient power with damaged thruster. **** Dolph pushed both hands through his hair as he glanced in Kayla’s direction. Her eyes were wide. Terrified. He’d do anything he could to protect her, but his options now were few. “Are shields holding?” Shields holding.

“He can’t board as long as our shields are operational.” Dolph leaned over to touch Kayla’s cheek. She smiled, trying to act brave, but her quivering lips gave her away. “I’ll protect you with my life, Kayla.” “I know you will, but--” A deep vibration rumbled through the hull of the cruiser, growing in intensity. Phantom pitched forward then left, jarring his fingers away from her cheek and shoving him against his chair. Direct icon hit. Cargo bay door damaged. Aft shields inoperable. “Cease resistance, Hunter. Female too valuable to damage. Hate to destroy your cruiser.” The Worsel’s voice carried over the popping and hissing of the communicator. Warning. Intruder in cargo bay. Dolph reached forward to open a compartment on the console. He removed two lasers, checked the charges, and then pressed one into Kayla’s hand. “If anyone makes it past the portal, use this.” “Ever seen what an icon-blaster can do to the hull of a cruiser, Hunter? Interior depressurizes in a matter of seconds.” The Worsel’s voice again crackled through the center. “Phantom’s set to take evasive action. You’ll get a verbal warning if any system’s damaged beyond immediate repair. If anything happens to me, press this button.” Dolph indicated a red button on the panel. “Phantom will automatically initiate escape coordinates.” “No, Dolph.” She reached out and grabbed his hand. “I can’t pilot Phantom.” She looked down at her harness. “I’ll keep whoever’s back there busy long enough for you to get us to safety.” “I can’t let you do this alone.” “I have no choice. Neither do you.” Dolph closed his eyes. “Computer, locate intruder and scan for weapons.” Still in cargo bay. Detect armed blaster. **** Kayla fought the hard knot that clenched her stomach as she stood and walked slowly toward the portal and issued the command to open. She stepped through and watched the portal close with trepidation. She pressed her spine against the black corridor wall and cautiously worked her way aft past the galley, the sleeping quarters

and the storage compartments. Pausing just beyond the cargo bay hatch, she leaned against the metal wall and closed her eyes. More of Danel’s instructions, practiced until perfected, echoed in her mind. ‘Take advantage of your gender, Kayla. Use your brain to compensate for your lack of brawn. Lull your opponent into a state of overconfidence, then strike.’ Kayla opened her eyes and glanced down at the laser clutched tightly in her palm. She had no way to know what her opponent’s position was within the cargo bay. Since the Worsel issued a demand over the comset after the computer broadcast the intruder alert, she knew she wouldn’t be facing him beyond the portal. The thought of meeting either of his two cohorts was enough to send tremors through her body and set her heart pounding. Swallowing hard, she shoved the laser into the waistband of her trousers and tugged her tunic down to cover the weapon. She squared her shoulders. “Open.” The huge metal doors divided slowly to reveal total darkness. Kayla took a hesitant step through the portal. “Lights.” Soft phoslight filled the bay as she glanced around when the portal doors closed behind her. “I see the Hunter hasn’t lost his edge.” Kayla turned to find a male, obviously human, leaning against the bulkhead. She studied his body, noting he was a full head shorter and considerably lighter than she. He held a blaster, primed from the red light blinking on the barrel, in his left hand. His right arm was missing. Thankful it wasn’t necessary to face either the fur-covered creature or the Worsel, Kayla studied him carefully. ‘Never judge an opponent by his size, Kayla. Look for other flaws in personality or stature that might aid your battle.’ Danel’s words flowed quickly through her mind. Kayla reassessed her opponent. One arm. He couldn’t hold the blaster and restrain her at the same time. She met his gaze and held it when she noted an odd twitch in his right eye. He scanned her body then brought the stump of his arm up to rub his chin. A lecherous grin split his thin lips. “Koor was correct, female. You would have brought many credits in the marketplace. Pity the Worsel has other plans for you.”

His voice, sharp and biting, echoed through the silence of the cargo bay. His eyes were dark, the color indeterminable in the weak light. Numerous scars and burns disfigured his thin face. He took a step closer. Kayla held her ground. “You’re too valuable to be permanently damaged, but I can make you extremely uncomfortable if you resist.” Kayla purposely stepped back three paces until she stood well away from any obstacle that would hinder her mobility. The man followed. “You cannot escape,” he warned. “How did you get aboard this vessel?” A grunt Kayla assumed to be a laugh, preceded the shake of his head. “Have you never heard of a transference beam, female?” Alarm shot through her. Someone aboard the Worsel’s vessel must be monitoring his cohort’s location and operating the transference device. That individual would also be able to detect her position. The man pointed the blaster at her midsection and stepped closer until he was within arm’s reach. Kayla tensed, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The man stepped close enough to prod her with the barrel of the blaster. She resisted the urge to flinch and forced her attention carefully on the man before her. His stance was loose. His expression smug. Overconfidence had lost many battles. Kayla brought her left knee up sharply to collide with the blaster, jarring it from the man’s hand. Before he could retaliate, she raised her right elbow above her head and jerked her arm down with all of her strength to embed her elbow into the man’s neck between his collarbone and his esophagus. The vile little man crumpled to the floor. His blaster skittered several feet away. Kayla stepped closer until she could see if he still breathed and noted his pulse throbbing in his neck. She made a point to kick the blaster farther away from his reach then dropped down to place her knee against his chest. He opened his eyes and attempted to push her away with his arm. Thankful for her weight advantage, Kayla applied more pressure with her knee. She watched as the little man tried to speak,

then gasped and closed his eyes. Knowing the transference beam might activate at any instant and not taking time to consider what she’d done, Kayla leaned over. She touched her fingertips to the man’s neck, felt no pulse, picked up his weapon and hurried back to the command center. As soon as the portal closed behind her, she leaned against the cool metal wall and closed her eyes. “We need to get out of here fast.” She opened her eyes and met Dolph’s confused gaze as she walked across the metal floor and strapped into her chair. “They have a transference beam on us.” **** Dolph studied Kayla’s pale face and the trembling of her hands. His heart pounded with fury far different from battle anticipation. He wouldn’t ask what happened in the cargo bay. She was safe. Nothing else mattered. Asteroid belt thirteen degrees to port. He touched another series of lights on the panel. “Implement course adjustment and head directly for the belt.” Implemented. “The Worsel’s limited maneuverability will make it difficult for him to chase us through the asteroids. Even for us, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Asteroids in twelve seconds. Phantom automatically took evasive action, dropping suddenly, pitching right then left. Kayla swallowed hard, tried holding her breath, and finally, in desperation, began to pant. She gripped the arms of her chair until her fingers ached. Planted her feet firmly on the metal floor, needing something stable to solidify the craziness around her. Vessel pursuing. “Give me visual.” A screen blinked on before her, displaying the frightening sight of enormous chunks of rock coming directly at them at harrowing speeds. Kayla closed her eyes. At any moment, she might draw her last breath. A loud, crashing noise, followed by a tremendous jolt, almost caused the harness about her chest to cut her in half. Another jolt rocked her with enough force to thrust her head forward then slam it back against the padding of the chair.

Collision aft. Left tail section damaged. “Enough to impair navigation? Minimal impairment. “The other vessel?” Following at level 2. “Decrease speed to level 3.” He continued to watch the screen as Phantom’s speed decreased. Vessel within firing range. “Hold speed.” “Dolph?” “Trust me, Kayla.” “I do,” she whispered between clenched teeth. Large asteroid on collision course. Suggest evasive action. “Hold steady.” Asteroid impact in ten, nine?. “Steady. Where is the Worsel?” Two thousand grids and closing. Asteroid impact in six, five, four?. “Level 5 and evade.” Phantom responded instantly, veering upward with the force of a rocket, shoving Kayla against the padding of her seat with a pressure many times greater than she’d experienced at takeoff. She gasped, trying desperately to draw air into her collapsed lungs. Phantom began to vibrate, shaking so hard her teeth rattled. “Kayla, hold on.” She couldn’t answer. A brilliant white light filled the center. All went still.

“Kayla?” “What happened?” “Take it easy. Everything will return to normal in a matter of seconds.” Warm fingers captured hers. “Relax.” She tried, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. “Are we all right?” “We’re safe.” “The Worsel?” “Gone. He hit the asteroid. The white light you saw and the trembling you felt were shock waves from the explosion.” Feeling slowly returned to her fingers. A prickling sensation crept over her body. She opened her eyes and looked around, noticing the blackened panels. “Is Phantom alright?” “Damage is minimal.” Dolph leaned back and rested his head against the padding of his chair. “Care to tell me what happened in the cargo bay?” “Not yet.”

CHAPTER 23

Kayla stared through the view panel in the command center with apprehension. Stars by the millions formed a backdrop for a huge greenish-blue planet suspended like a beacon in the blackness of space. Tristar. Capitol of the entire seventy sectors of the Universe, headquarters for the Universal Coalition responsible not only for the twenty-nine planets the CMC controlled in the Givonte System, but also thirty-one other like Systems. She glanced over her shoulder to watch Dolph lean back in his padded chair and study the lights on the console. Upon waking, he’d donned a black flight suit like the one he’d worn the first time she saw him in the stone shack on Colony III. The long length of his shining black hair fell over his wide shoulders.

Their journey from the asteroid belt had taken twice as long as normal due to Phantom’s damaged long-range navigation system and a crippled thruster, but she wouldn’t trade one minute of their flight for all the Krystals on Hobard’s planet. Kayla hugged her arms over her chest as she remembered the days of exquisite lovemaking they’ d shared, the heights they’d reached. She also recalled lying beside Dolph in darkness, listening to his even breathing, and basking in the afterglow of their moments together. The delay had also given her plenty of time to rethink her hasty decision to speak before the Universal Coalition. Memories of her journey to Volar with her mother and brothers to hear her father’s futile defense played on her mind. No one believed her father’s words against Hobard. She wondered if anything would be different in this higher realm. Was she only deluding herself believing her story might somehow make a difference? For years, Dolph had walked a dangerous line between life and death by working for and against the Colony Management Council. In all of that time, he hadn’t found sufficient evidence to bring charges of treason against the CMC, or to bring Hobard to justice. Dolph believed her testimony before the Coalition would be beneficial. He’d given her a choice. She’d given him her promise. He also explained his superior on Tristar, Titis Sorak, was head of the Universal Security Force. Three other senior Members of the Coalition were involved in Dolph’s investigations against the CMC’s corrupt practices and Hobard. Several moments ago, he’d contacted Sorak and arranged a private meeting with other Members of the Coalition--a meeting scheduled to take place as soon as they docked on Tristar. “It’s time, Kayla.” She watched Dolph lean back in his chair to strap the harness over his broad chest. Swallowing hard, Kayla walked to her own chair. As she engaged her harness, she closed her eyes and offered a sincere prayer she wasn’t making the worst mistake of her life. **** The echo of their footsteps across the mosaic flooring was the only sound that filled the silence of the enormous hall as Dolph led her down the corridor separating the hundreds of empty chairs that faced the dais. Kayla looked up at the fifteen men sitting behind a draped table. She noted each stern face then forced her concentration to the man who sat at the table’s center.

She studied his deep purple robe beneath the white beard that flowed over his breastbone. Long white hair fell past his shoulders to blend in with his beard. Superior, Dolph called him. The man ultimately responsible for the decision that might alter the course of her life forever. The other Members seated at the table ruled by majority will, but the Superior had power of veto for the public good. It was public good she hoped to address. Dolph slowed his steps. Another shiver crawled up her spine when he squeezed her hand. Kayla met the warmth of his gaze. “Relax,” he whispered. She offered a weak smile. “Please approach.” A man in a golden robe paused in the center of the corridor. Kayla cast a quick glance at Dolph. He gave her hand another squeeze of reassurance, nodded, and stepped forward. She met the man’s eyes as Dolph tightened his grip on her hand. “It is our understanding you wish to address the Coalition,” the man said. “Yes, Sir. I do.” The odd little man in the golden robe nodded. “State your full name and planet of origin.” Kayla cleared her throat. She met the man’s light blue gaze. “My name is Kayla Jardane. I am a citizen of Turas.” The man made several notes in a small book he carried. He then turned and approached the table. A tall man seated to the Superior’s right stood. He stepped down from the dais, walked the length of the corridor, and paused several feet away. His black boots gleamed in the light pouring in through the huge window panels that made up the walls of the Meeting Room. His splendid black uniform offset with glimmering silver piping flashed when he moved. Kayla studied his stark features and noted his square chin, sharp nose, and deep black eyes

crowned by dark brows. Her stomach churned when he stared at her as if he were looking deep into her mind. “Rynard.” “Sorak.” The Security Leader nodded then stepped closer. He offered Kayla his hand. Her fingers shook as she slipped her hand from Dolph’s and accepted the dark man’s grasp. “You will please accompany me, Kayla of Turas.” She nodded and walked beside Sorak as he escorted her to the dais. He clicked the heels of his shiny boots together and announced, “Kayla Jardane of the planet Turas.” He backed away. The Superior banged his gavel on the tabletop twice. “It is our understanding you wish to present evidence of treason and colony mismanagement to the Coalition.” She hadn’t actually realized the seriousness of the charges she brought before the Coalition until the Superior stated them so bluntly. Kayla took a hesitant step back. Could she extract herself from this uncomfortable situation before it was too late? “We will hear your charges, Kayla Jardane.” “Sir, I--” She glanced over the Members seated behind the table then looked at Dolph. “You may speak freely, Kayla Jardane. You are not on trial before these Members. We are here to listen to your story, to judge if it will hold any evidence against those we are trying to repress. Your companion has given us a brief detailing of the circumstances that brought you into his care. “We understand your relationship with Nathan Hobard and do not expect you to embarrass yourself further by giving us details about his conduct. However, we must know your background and any other pertinent information you have not passed on to our Agent, Dolph Rynard.” Kayla stared into the kind blue eyes looking down at her. She watched the Superior lift his wrinkled hand and stroke the length of his white beard. “Are you the daughter of Rodic Jardane?” the Superior asked. She nodded. “The Members are very sorry about what happened to your father. Unfortunately, news of his sentence reached us too late for the Coalition to intervene in the CMC’s verdict. We offer you our most

sincere condolences and regret the loss of a man such as Rodic Jardane.” Hearing the Coalition had been familiar with her father’s work, and was sorry about his demise, strengthened Kayla’s failing courage. “Thank you for your kind words, Superior. It’s welcoming to know you realize my father was not guilty of the charges brought against him. His only crime was to speak out against a System he believed was destroying everything he’d worked so hard to build over his term on Turas.” The Superior leaned forward and clasped his hands before him on the table. To avoid his penetrating gaze, Kayla glanced left then right, pausing briefly on each Member. She averted her gaze to the floor when she found no kindness in the eyes watching her. “Speak now, Kayla Jardane.” Kayla wished Dolph was at her side to offer support, but they ordered him to return to the rear of the chamber until they needed his testimony. She swallowed hard and met the Superior’s gaze. Speaking slowly, she told her story, leaving nothing out but the names of those she’d sworn to protect and the details of the revolutionary activities on Turas. The Members stopped her several times to inquire about the Krystallum shortages. She explained all she’d learned from her father about the devastation taking place on the other agro-worlds, and what she’d witnessed firsthand on Turas. A Member at the far end of the table asked, “You claim the CMC sent no one to investigate your father’s claims?” “They did not.” “How many citizens have been arrested for their involvement in the revolution?” another inquired. “I cannot answer. I have no knowledge of anything that might have happened since I left Turas.” The Members conferred briefly. Kayla cast a glance over her shoulder toward Dolph. She wished again he were at her side. She needed his strength, for hers failed fast. She turned back to the Members. She met the Superior’s gaze, noting his eyes were no longer warm, but deadly cold. “We must have the names of those involved in the revolution on Turas.” Kayla took a step back. Dolph warned her they might demand the names of those involved on Turas, but she’d insisted she wouldn’t comply with those demands. “I’ve sworn never to reveal those who have placed their trust in me, Superior. I can’t supply those names nor can I provide any more information about the revolution on Turas.”

The Superior never blinked. “Rynard informed us the CMC has branded all individuals involved in the revolution as criminals and offered many credits for their capture. Dead or alive. Is it your wish to have your comrades executed by those who would hunt them only to increase their wealth?” Kayla lifted her chin a notch higher. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you.” The Superior raised his hand and motioned to someone at the rear of the chamber. Kayla turned to find two armed guards had joined Dolph and, from the astonished expression on his face, she didn’t believe they were there to exchange pleasantries. Had her omissions placed Dolph in danger? She turned to stare at the Superior. “Rynard does not speak for me, Superior. I alone come before these Members and offer evidence.” “Agent Rynard is responsible for your actions, Kayla Jardane. He brought you to us and assured us of your willingness to cooperate. He will be held accountable for your refusal to supply the information we need.” Held accountable? “I trusted in what this Coalition stands for, Superior. I believed that here on Tristar I’d receive a fair and impartial hearing. How can you do this?” “You came before us of your own free will, Kayla Jardane. You tell us a story of theft and treason against all we govern yet you offer us no way to verify what you claim to be fact. The information you omit is vital to this investigation. We cannot allow such evidence to be withheld.” Kayla felt Dolph’s presence beside her, though she hadn’t heard his footsteps. She glanced toward him to study his face. She noted his tense jaw and realized he never looked at her. “Agent Rynard, you will supply what your informant has failed to give.” “I cannot give details I’ve sworn to hold silent, Superior. Kayla Jardane is my responsibility. She came here at my request, but I cannot disclose her confidences.” “You will not question your orders, Rynard. The penalties for denial are swift, as you should know. Your position in our operation at this point is tenuous. You will supply the information ordered immediately.” It took every ounce of strength Kayla could find to remain on her feet as she listened to the man she loved give a detailed account of the revolutionary activities on Turas to the Members on the dais. She shivered in horror as he mentioned her brothers names. Images of the hours she’d spent in his arms, telling him of her home life, listening to his hopes and dreams, sliced hard through her heart. She’d trusted him. Given him something she’d never shared with another being.

He’d betrayed her. Fleeting images of the love they’d shared whispered through her mind before Kayla shoved the images firmly away. She’d been used. Trapped by her emotions. The hurt she now felt went far deeper than anything she’d experienced by Hobard’s hand. **** Kayla huddled down as far as she could into the tram, hoping to remain as inconspicuous as possible. She prayed no one could hear the loud drumming of her heart, or her quick, uneven attempts to breathe. She cast a hasty glance at the other passengers and noted none appeared to be paying her any attention as they hurried to or from wherever they traveled to at this late hour. Glancing up beyond the clear tube the tram traveled through, she studied the blackness of Tristar’ s night sky. Occasionally, the tall spiral of a building broke through the darkness as the tram wound its way beyond the city limits and closer to the spaceport where Dolph had docked Phantom the evening before. Kayla closed her eyes and remembered the hours she’d spent standing alone at the view port in the twentieth level security apartment where the Security Team deposited her after her testimony before the Coalition. In a terrified stupor, she’d gazed out at thousands of tall buildings constructed of chromium and glass sprawled out for miles to meet the star-studded horizon. Time passed with agonizing slowness. Each second filled with memories of the stern expression on each Member’s face as she told her story. Each probing question asked in an attempt to force her to disclose what she’d been unwilling to give. In the end, her stubbornness made little difference. Dolph easily supplied the information she’d adamantly refused to provide. Breaking her heart in the process. She’d panicked in the audience chamber when the Security Force took her away. Not one of the armed escorts assigned to deliver her to the security apartment spoke during their journey through the city in a special tram. They offered no information when they thrust her into the plush prison until the Coalition sent for her. However long that might have been. Escape had been her only alternative. The guards positioned at her door were lax in their duties. Perhaps, because they believed a female could not overpower them. It didn’t take much enticement to lure one of the guards into the apartment. Once inside, it hadn’ t been difficult to disarm him then set his weapon to the stun position.

All three guards fell quickly. Kayla now stared resolutely ahead, watching the city fade into the distance as the bright lights of the spaceport came into view. She ignored the ache in her chest, the quivering in her belly. She swore to place Dolph Rynard and the memories he evoked, into the same place she’d carefully stored those vicious images of Nathan Hobard. She’d survive. She once vowed Dolph Rynard would rue the day he’d ever met Kayla Jardane. She reinforced that vow. For now, her most important task was to undo some of the wrongs she’d done. To return to Turas as quickly as possible, locate her brothers, and warn those she’d exposed.

CHAPTER 24

Dolph entered the corridor of the security building as Coalition medical personnel assisted the downed guards. Several members of the team paused to look in his direction. One motioned to someone still inside the apartment. He’d spent the last two hours arranging repairs for Phantom. During that time, he’d struggled with his conscience as he tried, without success, to find a plausible explanation to give Kayla for what she ’d believed was his betrayal. He imagined what she thought because of the treatment she’d received from Hobard. When he stepped into the apartment, he expected to face Kayla’s fury. Instead, he met Sorak’s troubled gaze. “Where have you been?” Sorak asked. “Hangar 3, arranging repairs to Phantom.” He looked over his shoulder to the security officer held up by a member of the medical team. He met Sorak’s gaze. “What happened?” Sorak took a step closer. “Your companion took it upon herself to down three of my best men, Rynard. I don’t suppose you have any idea where she might have taken off to?” “Kayla did this?”

“Seems your lovely friend has hidden talents you didn’t bother to mention during our briefing. She lured one of the guards into the apartment, managed to overpower him, and took his laser. She stunned all three guards. “Now, I ask again, where would she go?” Their journey from the docking base to headquarters left no time to view the city. Dolph could only assume Kayla would try to return to Phantom. “How long ago did this happen?” Sorak grasped Dolph by the shoulder and directed him to the other side of the apartment to stand before the window looking down on the city below. “Apparently, less than an hour. I’ve sent security teams to question anyone who might have seen her leave the building. Since I assume she wishes to escape Tristar, I’ve dispatched a squad to the docking base.” Dolph understand Sorak’s cloaked words. He’d delayed acting for as long as possible without casting suspicion. Despite Sorak’s position in the Coalition, he believed in Dolph’s quest and offered support whenever possible. “Kayla must have panicked. She believes I’ve betrayed her to the Tribunal. She has no idea what happened after she left the chamber. Her only possible conclusion would be to believe her life and the lives she’d sworn to protect are in danger.” Sorak shook his head. “Her actions have already been reported to the Tribunal. I’ve been ordered to have her brought back before the Coalition.” “Give me a chance to find her. Kayla couldn’t have gone far. She has no credits to secure passage on a tram.” “She has credits, my friend. She stole several hundred from my guards.” Assault and theft. Dolph stifled the instinct to groan. “I’ve done all I can to stall her capture, but my hands are now tied. Locate and return her to me before the Members force me to announce a bounty for her to other members of your profession.” **** Kayla leaned back into the shadows created by numerous crates of cargo stacked for loading. She clutched the pouch of credits she’d stolen from the security officers against her chest. She followed the path of the searchlights scanning the area, hoping to locate the transport vessel she’d recognized as one that made frequent trips to Turas to deliver supplies. When another team of Coalition police got too close to her hiding place, she ducked back into the shadows and waited for the men to pass. Once sure they’d abandoned the area, she glanced across the loading bay to a cargo hover that landed moments before. She watched the pilot check in with the hangar foreman then followed him through the doorway on the other side of the bay.

Easing out of the shadows, she ran for the hover. She wiggled between the stacks of cargo and pulled the tarp covering down in case the Coalition police decide to search the waiting shipment. Moments crept by. Only the thundering of her heart broke the silence in the bay. Pain grew in her chest and squeezed until she gasped for breath. She had to get to Turas to discover her brothers fate. Dolph’s face kept forging through her thoughts. Tears burned her eyes. She refused let them fall. She’d no one to blame but herself. She’d allowed her self-imposed walls to weaken, betrayed by her own heartfelt wishes that this time it would be different. It was. This time, emotions other than hatred were involved. She loved Dolph Rynard, and would go on loving him, no matter how deep the pain or how humiliating the memories. Kayla shook away her unwanted thoughts and huddled back into the cargo. She hugged her arms over her chest in an attempt to still her trembling. By now, Dolph would realize she was missing. Would he come after her? Or even care? She’d served her purpose and supplied the evidence he desperately needed against Hobard and the CMC. Now that he had what he’d wanted, she would never see him again. Voices beyond the tarp pulled her thoughts in another direction. She squeezed into a tighter space between two large crates and prayed the men she sensed walking around the hover wouldn’t discover her hiding place. The tarp suddenly pulled tight above her head. The soft hiss of air beneath the hover filled her with panic as the crates around her shifted when the hover rose slowly from the platform. She waited a few seconds before she lifted the tarp so she could see any vessels they passed as the hover moved silently and efficiently down the service corridor between thirty or so odd vessels that lined the bay. **** “His what?” Sorak drummed his fingers upon the top of his desk. “Sit down, Rynard. Listen to what I have to say before you fly into a rage.” Dolph dropped into the padded chair before his Commander’s desk. He gripped the chair arms hard to stem the fury that flowed through his body. He’d spent the last four hours searching for Kayla. After considering everything that could’ve

happened to her alone on Tristar, he’d offered a sizeable sum of credits to some of the planet’s seedier natives in reward for information. To no avail. “I just received a telecom from our informant on Volar. Nathan Hobard has brought charges against you for kidnapping his intended life partner. The reward for her return and your death is fifty-thousand credits.” Dolph felt the color drain from his face. “That’s ridiculous.” Sorak raised a dark brow. “Is it? Fifty thousand credits are more wealth than most Hunters see in a standard year. Hobard wouldn’t flaunt such a sum if he wasn’t deadly serious.” Dolph leaned closer to Sorak’s desk. “You heard Kayla’s story. You know how Hobard treated her. You even saw the scar around her neck. How in hell can you believe Hobard’s lies?” “I don’t. I only told you of the reward to warn you to be careful. It’s obvious your female is searching for some way off planet. If she succeeds, she’ll be fair game for any Hunter wishing to collect the bounty.” “Why?” “I hoped you could answer that question,” Sorak said. “Hobard must be desperate.” “Could Kayla Jardane be hiding information from you, my friend? Is it possible she knows more about Hobard’s operation than she’s disclosed? If Kayla is a threat to Hobard’s schemes, her life is in as much danger as yours.” Dolph ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. She’s terrified of Hobard, but I assumed her reactions were because of his treatment. I’ve worked years to perfect my interrogation methods. I would’ve realized if there was anything more she refused to tell.” “Maybe you’re too close to her.” Dolph struggled to hide his reaction to Sorak’s words, afraid to allow his Superior knowledge of his personal involvement with Kayla. “I don’t think so.” “As I see it, we have few options. We can send a squad out with orders to find her and bring her back, but it will entail issuing a warrant. “I don’t want to do that. Many of my men are too eager and someone might get overly zealous. In the eyes of trained assassins, a criminal is a criminal.” Dolph had lived the life of a Hunter for too long not to know how one reacted when placed in the position of deciding life or death. “I’ll need a record of the vessels leaving Tristar over the next forty-eight hours and their flight paths.”

“I’ve already checked the flight records. No transport is scheduled to leave Tristar with a trajectory that would place it anywhere near Turas.” **** Kayla stared up at the huge vessel in frustration. For hours, she’d searched for transportation off planet. Exhausted, she’d hidden in cargo crates, supply trams, behind inoperable service droids and waste stations in order to avoid capture by the hordes of security police sweeping the area. Her flight had all been in vain. She couldn’t escape Tristar. Couldn’t evade the trouble she’d managed to get into. Over the last hour, she’d tried to find her way back to the tram station she’d used at the beginning of her futile journey away from the security apartment. She’d become hopelessly lost in the multitudes of berthing areas and hangars. Only luck brought her to this particular hangar—this particular vessel. She followed the lines of the sleek black cruiser and paused on the silver lightning bolt blazed on the tail section. She shook her head in defeat. Weary to the bone from her flight, Kayla made her way as close to Phantom as she dared. She slipped into the shadows behind a waste station and watched the open hatch. When she was sure the last worker had departed, she crept up the metal stairway and made her way slowly to the sleeping quarters. Exhausted, she sprawled across the silky black sheeting and closed her eyes. **** Brought abruptly awake when someone’s fist entangled in her hair and jerked her head up from the sheeting, Kayla flailed her arms to ward off the pain that tore through her scalp. Another strong hand grabbed the back of her tunic and, with one forceful tug, tore the garment into pieces. She screamed and tried to kick out against her attacker, but another sharp tug on her hair immediately stilled the impulse. “Shut up.” The order followed a shove that propelled her against the bulkhead and almost knocked the breath from her lungs. Kayla scrambled into a seated position, pressed her exposed back against the cool metal, and tugged the tattered remains of her tunic over her breasts.

She searched for an escape route only to have any prayer of evacuation thwarted when her frantic perusal ended on the creature standing near the foot of the bed. His head almost reached the metal ceiling. Shoulders, wider than any she’d ever seen, were covered by strips of black leather woven together into a vest that left his powerful brown arms free. Enormous hands gloved in similar leather rested against slim hips. A wide belt matching the construction of his vest, held no adornment other than a thin silver cylinder about eight inches long. A lasersword. Kayla glanced up slowly, afraid to glimpse the type of face this menacing form might carry. She couldn’t control her gasp when a pair of silver eyes impaled her. Pushing back against the bulkhead, she brought her knees up to her chest to offer whatever additional protection her trembling legs could provide. “Where’s Rynard?” His voice was like the hiss of a serpent. His light brown flesh furrowed with deep lines. Scars, too numerous to count, crisscrossed his cheeks, forehead, and every conceivable angle of his face. A particularly grotesque scar began beneath his jawbone and angled upward across his flat nose to split the thick black hair of his brow. His black hair, pulled up into a topknot, hung in stringy lengths to his shoulders. He took a step closer. His hand slipped to the lethal canister on his belt. “Where is Rynard?” Panic flashed through Kayla’s mind. Hobard’s horrible chamber, their desperate flight across the flatlands during the dust storm, facing the strange man in the cargo bay of Dolph’s cruiser-The creature grasped her leg so quickly Kayla didn’t have time to react. Her belated attempt to kick his hand away earned her a stinging slap across the side of her head that almost knocked her unconscious. Blood pooled in her mouth. An evil laugh--one she remembered well--echoed off the metal walls. Trivonte. He lunged for her. Kayla tensed the muscles in her legs and waited for him to be off balance. She kicked out with both feet, meeting his muscular abdomen with her boots and propelling him backwards until his back slammed against the portal.

He advanced one angry step at the time. As she scrambled to free herself from entanglement in the sheeting, her hand brushed something she’d forgotten--the laser she’d taken away from one of the downed guards in the security apartment. Kayla closed her fingers around the handle and flipped the initiator into the stun position with her thumb. She waited until Trivonte was so close she could see the fury in his silver eyes then fired. Trivonte howled in pain, looked down at his chest and hit the floor with a loud thud. Kayla wasted no time determining his condition. She snatched the sheeting from the bed, wrapped it around her body, and shouted for the portal to open. She ran the length of the corridor without a backward glance and exited the metal stairway into the arms of one of the Coalition police she’d avoided. **** Dolph stormed into Sorak’s office. He banged his fist against the hard plexiform of the Security Leader’s desk. “Where is she?” Sorak pushed his chair back and stood. He motioned for Dolph to have a seat. “Relax. She’s in one of the security cells. We found her running away from Phantom clutching a length of sheeting around her body.” Refusing Sorak’s offer of a seat, Dolph dropped his hands to the edge of the desk and leaned closer to Sorak’s tall form. “I want to see her.” “She’s fine. Stubborn but unharmed. She keeps demanding we find you and tell you Trivonte is on Phantom.” “Trivonte?” “I’ve a team en route to apprehend him now.” “Cancel that order.” **** Dolph leaned against the bulkhead and closed his eyes. He allowed the fury boiling inside his chest to erupt. Trivonte.

He pushed his previous fight with Trivonte away. Hatred more powerful surged to the forefront. Trivonte had touched Kayla. Wiping the perspiration from his forehead with the back of his hand, Dolph opened his eyes. He studied the long corridor that divided Phantom. Trivonte had been on Phantom. Dolph gritted his teeth to still the urge to slam his fist against the bulkhead. He reached down, checked his laser, and then walked the length of the corridor with slow, determined steps. He descended the metal stairway and paused to press a button on his transmitter. The stairway folded up into the fuselage as the hatch locked into place. “Word has it you are looking for me, Hunter.” The unmistakable hum of a lasersword followed the statement. Dolph glanced over his shoulder to find Trivonte standing less than twenty feet away, sword held at arm’s length. He calculated the seconds he’d have to remove his laser, turn and fire, before Trivonte covered the space between them and severed his head. Dolph opted for a ploy that might offer a few more seconds. “Are you reluctant to meet me on equal terms, Trivonte? Must you key your sword against a man with his weapon still sheathed?” Deep laughter filled the hangar. “An interesting prospect, Hunter.” Trivonte advanced two steps, lasersword glowing silver in the scant hangar light. Dolph turned and fired, aiming not at Trivonte’s chest as had been his first instinct, but the sword. The lasersword flew from Trivonte’s hand. The brilliant silver glow died as it landed on the paving of the hangar. He walked forward and kicked the dormant cylinder away. “I could have ended your life as easily as I disengaged your sword, Trivonte, but it would have been too easy.” Dolph raised his laser to point the weapon at Trivonte’s chest. “Five years of my life have been wasted waiting for this moment. Month after month of agony to survive your murder attempt. “I intend to savor every second of your death.” Dolph threw his laser to the paving. It skittered to a halt twenty feet away. Taller than Dolph by almost a foot, and wider across the shoulders almost by half, Trivonte lunged, knocking Dolph off balance and staggering him. Dolph recovered quickly, slamming his fist against Trivonte’s mid-section, thrusting upward against the beast’s chest. Trivonte grabbed Dolph around the waist and tightened his grip.

Dolph pummeled blow after blow against Trivonte’s jaw, snapping his head back with each contact. He kicked out, landing a solid heel against Trivonte’s shin. Trivonte bent and shoved his shoulder into Dolph’s side. The force of the blow knocked Dolph from his feet. Then Trivonte dove. Dolph raised his leg in time to deflect his opponent’s descent, sending the Katsani Warrior to the paving beside him. He ignored his own agony as he gasped for breath and struggled to his feet. He kicked Trivonte in the ribs, then pivoted away from the arc of Trivonte’s powerful leg as he attempted to bring Dolph back to the ground. Seconds later, Trivonte was on his feet, circling, flexing his hands, balancing on the toes of his boots. Dolph assumed the same position. He reached up and met the Katsani’s challenge, locking his hands with Trivonte’s larger ones. The test of strength should have brought Dolph to his knees, but adrenaline surged, fueling his anger, and gave him stamina he hadn’t known he possessed. He waited until all of the Katsani’s concentration was centered on trying to best him, then kicked out, hooking his leg around Trivonte’s knee and, once again, dropping Trivonte to the ground. Trivonte’s war cry echoed off the metal enclosure of the hangar as he lunged forward, smashing his fist into Dolph’s ear. Dolph stumbled back, fighting the blackness that crept closer with each following blow. Trivonte rammed his fist into Dolph’s mid-section. A jolt of pain shot through his gut, threatening to buckle his legs. Dolph shook his head, warding off the effects of wooziness and swung again, this time landing a hard right under Trivonte’s jaw. Dolph registered the sound of bone splitting seconds before Trivonte staggered. He followed with another blow, another, until Trivonte’s bulk hit the paving. Straddling Trivonte’ s prone form, Dolph used his knees to pin Trivonte to the floor. He gulped air into his lungs, cringing with each inflation that expanded his bruised ribs and caused pain beyond anything he’d ever endured. His gut roiled. A ringing noise clamored inside his head, drilled in his ears, and threatened to send him over the edge.

Dolph ignored the pain. He reached forward to touch his fingers to Trivonte’s jugular and felt a weak pulse. “This one’s for Kayla,” he whispered before he positioned one hand on each side of Trivonte’s head and snapped his neck.

CHAPTER 25

Kayla traced the healed wound on her thigh with the tip of her finger. Memories she’d fought hard to subdue flooded back. Vivid images of her escape from Trivonte, Hobard, and the Worsel set her heart pounding. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Other, more haunting memories claimed her thoughts. She’d tasted a brief sample of the life her mother shared with her father. Experienced the exquisite emotions that thrummed through one’s body when touched by a person truly loved. She swallowed hard, finally understanding her mother’s thoughts when she’d looked forward to a future without her mate. Determined not to wallow in self-pity, Kayla rose from the bed so she could pull on the coveralls Sorak gave her when she arrived at the Security Compound. An alarm on the portal buzzed, drawing her attention. She hurried to fasten the adhesive that closed the coveralls before the portal opened. Her heart turned a somersault at the sight of Dolph’s tall, black-clad form leaning against the outside corridor wall. His arms folded over his chest, booted feet spread. She raised her gaze, pausing on the length of dark hair that fell past his collarbone. Taking a step back, she bumped into the edge of the bed before forcing her inspection higher. “Going somewhere without me?” he taunted. Several days’ worth of stubble covered his cheeks. Darker circles etched the flesh beneath his eyes--eyes that bore no hint of the love and laughter they’d shared, but blazed with anger. A deep purple bruise shadowed his left eye. His bottom lip swollen. “Trivonte?”

“Dead.” He pulled away from the corridor wall and advanced as he slapped the panel that closed the portal. He covered the distance separating them in three strides. Kayla raised her chin, determined not to back away. “Hobard’s placed a bounty of fifty thousand credits on my life for kidnapping his intended life partner.” His voice held an undertone of fury that sent chills racing over her flesh. “His what?” “You heard me.” Kayla couldn’t believe he’d consider such a lie--especially after all they’d been through. All he knew. Rage, more powerful than anything she’d ever experienced, rose within her and raised hot patches on her cheeks. Her hands trembled. She took a step closer until she felt his breath on her face. The tension he emitted almost made the air around them crackle. “Get out of here. You betrayed me to the Coalition. You destroyed everything we shared with your deceit.” She stepped away. “You have your evidence. Trivonte’s dead. Now. Leave me alone.” He reached up so quickly, Kayla didn’t have time to anticipate or counter his move. His fingers dug into the flesh of her shoulder, pulling her closer, closer still, until she could almost count every individual hair surrounding his thick-lashed eyes. His chest rose and fell with each breath, brushing her breasts, and evoking an answering response in her through the coveralls. Kayla tried to squirm away. His fingers slipped lower, over her shoulder blades, down her spine, until they settled across the lower portion of her back. She froze. She couldn’t handle such a vulnerable position. She fought hard to dispel the memories of being pressed firmly against him, experiencing the hard planes of his muscular body, the tingling sensations that covered every inch of her flesh whenever he was near. Meeting his intense gaze, she watched the anger flash in his mesmerizing green eyes then disappear as desire took its place. “I--” Her words vanished beneath his lips.

Kayla leaned into him. She eased her hands upward, past the fastener at the neck of his jumpsuit, up the heated length of his neck, into his magnificent hair. She threaded her fingers slowly into the silky strands, digging deep until her nails touched his scalp. She moaned when his tongue, wet, hot, and insistent, swiped slowly over her lips corner to corner until she welcomed him with a sigh. He pushed her away. “We have to leave. I’ll explain everything as soon as we’re safely aboard Phantom and away from Tristar.” She blinked and glanced toward the portal. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” He smiled. “Are you going to force me to use the cuffs again?” She took another step back. “You wouldn’t dare.” An arched brow was his only response. **** Dolph stalked the black corridors of Phantom, cursing the loneliness that ate away at his gut like a festering sore. He resisted opening the portal to his quarters, unable to face the woman he loved sleeping upon his bed and knowing he couldn’t join her. He strode to the galley, slapped at the panel that opened the portal instead of issuing a voice command, then walked to the supply station. The press of a button provided a liter of “pain killer.” He grasped the liter, walked to one of the black sofas, and flopped down. He dropped his booted feet to the amber glass tabletop, uncapped the liter, and drank half of the contents before he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and waited for the warming glow that always followed the burning in his throat. Nothing happened. He returned the liter to his lips and finished the contents. Hours earlier, he’d programmed a course to the Givonte System into the computer, after seating Kayla into the chair beside him and insisting she listen to all he had to say. He’d explained why he disclosed her brothers’ names to the Coalition. The Coalition’s decisions and actions. His fight with Trivonte. He’d asked her forgiveness.

She’d stared at him in silence with pain glossing her beautiful blue eyes. Cursing himself a fool twice over, he now wished he’d told her how much he loved her. How he would never allow anything to happen to her. “Words. Empty words,” he whispered. The barricades built between them were still too tall. Too much left unfinished. Dolph left the galley. He paused before the portal to his quarters, issued the command to open. He stepped inside and pressed his spine against the portal after it closed. He watched Kayla sleep. She wanted time. That much he could give her. At least for the next twelve hours. Dolph avoided the bed and walked to the facility. When the panel opened, he stepped inside and peeled his jumpsuit away. Cold water splashed over his body as he stood beneath the shower, fighting images of Kayla’s innocent touch as her soapy fingers glided tentatively over his body. Despite the frigid temperature of the water, heat flushed through him until his body trembled with need. In an effort to distract his thoughts, he flexed his shoulder. He felt nothing of the burn he’d received twelve days ago. He ran his hand over his buttocks and down his thigh to find healed scar tissue. Twinges of pain and the fading bruises on his flesh were all that remained of his vengeance for Trivonte.

Shaking the water from his hair, Dolph stepped from the shower and toweled off his body. After donning another jumpsuit, he walked to the Command center and sprawled in his chair. He raised his hands to his temples and pushed hard to relieve the dull ache that drilled through his head, then reached forward to touch a panel on the console. **** Kayla stood and made her way across Phantom’s galley to the disposal unit and discarded the uneaten portion of her meal into the bin. She touched the button on the panel and watched a fine neutralizing spray wash the food particles down into the station. Hours ago she’d listened while Dolph explained his actions before the Coalition and the

Coalitions decision to send delegates to investigate the CMC’s activities. The sting of his duplicity lessened somewhat when he added the Coalition had promised to pardon the members of Turas’ revolution--if they created no more trouble before the delegates completed their investigation. Unfortunately, the only way to relay this information to Turas was to go there, and though Dolph hadn’t enlightened her to their destination, she didn’t believe Turas was on the flight plan. Cursing again the bittersweet pain that gnawed at her heart, Kayla considered the last few hours since she’d emerged from Dolph’s quarters. They lived in a world of forced co-existence, maintaining a measured distance between them. Careful not to touch. Not to look at each other. Phantom’s efficient use of space allowed no room to avoid each other completely. “Kayla?” She turned to find Dolph standing at the portal. She understood his refusal to intrude upon the space she’d insisted she needed. Space she now wished would dissolve so she could wrap her arms around his waist and press her forehead into the pulse at his neck. She stared into his eyes and remembered just how much she loved him. “Come with me,” he said. Her legs trembled. Her fingers itched with the need to cross the few feet separating them and close her hand over his, but she held her ground. “Why?” “I need you.” Her knees threatened to give away. Kayla took a step back. Her emotions were battered, her self-esteem at an all time low. She felt pulled in so many directions, she almost gave up her internal fight. Until she remembered Hobard’s cruel hand in her Fate, her life. Determination fueled her failing resolve. “Kayla.” With a deep breath, she notched her chin higher and took the few steps that brought her closer to Dolph’s side. She followed slowly as he led her to his quarters and waited in silence as he opened the panel. She walked across the metal floor and took a seat on the side of the black bed. Dolph leaned against the console and looked at the ceiling instead of meeting her gaze. “We can’ t go on like this.” He raised his hand and passed his fingers through his hair.

Kayla folded her arms over her chest and clasped her elbows hard to still her trembling. She rose unsteadily to her feet and walked around the bed to pause before him. “Dolph?” She waited for his response and realized no matter how hard she fought, she needed him. By her side. As her strength. Her confidence. Her partner. When he finally met her gaze, his smile sent her senses into overload. She launched herself into his arms. Dolph raised his hands to cradle her head and tilt it back. Anticipation forced her lips to part. His mouth finally met hers, firm, warm, and coaxing. Kayla moaned as his tongue slipped inside. She heard him groan when she touched her own tongue to the velvet heat of his. He pulled away to bury his face into her hair as she snuggled her cheek into the side of his neck and dropped her hands to caress his shoulders. Words were unnecessary as Kayla held desperately to the only solid thing in her world and pushed away whatever might happen tomorrow or beyond. “Kayla?” he whispered against her ear, the tone of his voice husky and filled with an emotion she wished she understood. She pressed closer to his muscled length and felt his arousal against her abdomen. “Kayla?” She raised her hand to touch his lips. “I need you,” she whispered. “Are you sure?” Kayla offered a kiss in answer. She deepened the pressure when she felt his arms tighten about her waist, his hips ease closer to her body, locking her against his rigid, hot length. His mouth took over the assault she’d begun. His tongue leaving no crevice unexplored as they tumbled to the black sheeting in an urgent tangle of hands, grasping and tugging at each other’s clothing, aching for the feel of flesh against flesh. His hands kneaded her flesh, molding her body closer to his. Tasting her. Stroking her with erotic movements of his body until she could do little more than pant and call out his name. She begged him for surcease from the violent cravings that mounted in her body, pounded through every vein, every nerve. She arched beneath his touch and groaned when his palm cupped the tender flesh of her breast, his thumb and finger tightened over the taut peak. His mouth and teeth took up the siege. Molding. Stroking. Driving her crazy. Instilling in her

the need to create the same havoc within him. Kayla reached out and splayed her fingers over his chest. She traced her way through the dark hair that fanned out beneath his breastbone and arrowed downward. She followed the silky path, gliding her nails over his sweat-slicked flesh, wanting urgently to travel the same line with her lips, her tongue. She arched up, pushing him to his side. When he growled, she smothered the sound with her lips, delving deep with her tongue, retreating only to meet him in a silent duel that raised her blood to an even higher temperature. Kayla ignored his insistent tug as he tried to pull her back into his arms. She planted a profusion of quick kisses on his chest then eased downward to follow her fingers as she kissed his abdomen. Each slow kiss followed by a playful swipe of her tongue. He squirmed beneath her tender caress and stiffened when she paused close to his fierce erection. “Kayla,” he moaned. She inched her hand lower, closer to his heated length, then veered away to run her hand down the top of one muscular thigh. She reversed the process, inching slowly upward for another pass down the length of his other thigh. His lifted his lower body up off the mattress when she placed a responding kiss against his engorged shaft. His gasp echoed off the metal walls. Kayla felt the tension rising in his body beneath her probing fingertips. She doubled her efforts to return to him a minuscule portion of the wonder he’d given her. She began a seductive dance with the tip of her tongue, up and then down his pulsing length. Drawing tiny circles with each swipe of her tongue. Teasing him with soft kisses before she opened her mouth and covered as much of his erection as she could with her mouth as she cradled his sac with her hands. He grabbed her arms and pulled her away from her erotic play. “My turn,” he whispered as he pushed her over onto her back. Before she could protest, he smothered her mouth with his kisses and began an assault with his tongue that brought corresponding movements from her hips. His hands never still. Every inch of her flesh mapped, conquered, and pleasured, until his fingers reached the wetness between her parted thighs. Her world shattered into a million pinpoints of bright light as she screamed out, calling his name repeatedly as his tongue moved slowly over her body, giving thorough attention to each breast, each throbbing nipple.

He spread her thighs wider then found the exact spot that sent her into another spiraling climax with the first swipe of his tongue. On and on his foreplay continued as he added a finger, then another finger into her wet opening, each thrust of the fingers, every slow glide of his tongue pushing her closer and closer to another bout of pure ecstasy. “Please, Dolph,” she moaned. “I need you inside me. Now.” She arched her hips against him, needing him desperately, begging in the only way she had strength left to beg. “Please,” she whispered, capable of little more. He crawled slowly up her body, his fingertips and lips ascending the same path he’d taken moments before until he could look into her eyes. “I love you, Kayla,” he whispered. Slowly. Clearly. Even in her dazed state, Kayla heard his words, but couldn’t force her vocal cords to work so she could answer him in kind. Tears pooled in her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Dolph kissed each salty drop away. She stared into his eyes but could do little more than mouth the words he’d given her. The light in his emerald eyes told her he understood as he lifted her hips and thrust deep into her body, giving her everything she wanted, and all she would ever need. She somehow found the strength to return each deep thrust, her energy growing with each powerful plunge of his body into hers, each advance, each withdrawal as they rode passion’s tide. Higher and higher. Deeper and longer. Stronger and faster. Until he shuddered violently and Kayla followed him over the precipice. She lay beneath him exhausted, replete, and panting as he shifted his weight and pulled her into the cradle of his body. Conversation wasn’t necessary. Everything needed to be said between them had been said. Three simple words filled all gaps and joined two tortured souls into one.

CHAPTER 26

Dolph unfastened his harness and stood. He glanced down at Kayla as she reached up to entwine her fingers with his. He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “You’re home,” he whispered. Kayla smiled. “Thank you.” Dolph waited while she disengaged her harness then pulled her to her feet. She came willingly into his arms, meeting his lips with a hunger to match his own. “Easy. We need our strength.” She laughed and broke free of his embrace. Dolph watched her animated movements as she walked around the command center. A light sparkled in her eyes, driving him to distraction. He found it hard to keep his need in check. They’d explored every conceivable way Dolph knew to prove how much they loved each other over the last ten hours. The few hours of sleep they’d managed to steal had been insufficient to replenish the energy they’d need should they meet resistance on Turas. “Let’s get going.” Dolph issued the voice command to shut down Phantom’s systems and followed her to the storage compartment. He opened a locker, checked the charge on her laser, and handed her the weapon. He strapped his own holster about his hips. As he watched Kayla fidget, he knew she was anxious to see her brothers. He wondered what type of reception he’d get from those same males once Kayla told them of her kidnapping and subsequent stay aboard Phantom. “We’ll need the skimmer. My brothers won’t be in the settlements. With Hobard’s men likely to be searching for members of the revolution, they’ll be hiding out.” Dolph followed Kayla down the corridor. He smiled when she offered the voice command to open the hatch, glad she’d taken the initiative to become familiar with Phantom, for they were likely to be spending many months aboard the cruiser if his plans came to fruition. Bright sunlight burned his eyes when the hatch opened. He led Kayla down the metal stairway as he checked right and left for approaching vehicles. At the bottom of the stairs, he pressed a button on his transmitter and watched the stairway fold back into the fuselage as the hiss of the locking device secured Phantom.

“It’s deserted. Something’s not right,” Kayla whispered as she scanned the area. Dolph followed her gaze. To his left, he counted six abandoned transports. A glance right revealed four hangars. All empty. He studied the dusty terrain, kicked a clump of dead weeds protruding through a crack in the parched soil, then scanned the horizon. Hundreds of trees in a variety he didn’t recognize blended into the shimmering vapors that obscured the point where land met sky. Squinting, Dolph realized the trees were barren, each branch resembling skeletal fingers begging for moisture from a cloud-free sky. “Someone should have met us by now. I don’t understand this,” she said. Dolph grasped her hand and led her to the cargo hatch. The bay door opened with another touch on his transmitter. “Was Turas this dry when you left?” She looked around. “Not quite. The agro-spheres use most of our water, but the grass was still green and the trees had leaves. I don’t understand where my people are.” Dolph studied the terrain again. Confused by the lack of security on a revolution-ridden planet, he retrieved the skimmer. After closing the bay door and helping Kayla mount, they sped off across the dusty surface. He followed Kayla’s directions, determined to receive answers to his questions as soon as they found Kayla’s brothers. Moments later, a giant agro-sphere blocked their flight path. Dolph stalled the skimmer and glanced upward to follow the curved sphere several hundred feet into Turas’ atmosphere. “It’s dead.” “Dead?” Dolph realized he was able to see all the way through the clear structure. Vapor filled every other sphere of this type he’d seen as he traveled throughout the Galaxy, making it impossible to view the contents. “There’s no moisture left. The sphere’s been abandoned.” Kayla leaned her forehead into his shoulder. “At full capacity that sphere alone would have fed an entire city for over ten weeks.” Hearing about the destruction caused by Hobard’s hoarding was one thing. Seeing the actual destruction something else altogether. Dolph’s stomach burned and his chest tightened.

“How many more spheres are on Turas?” “Twenty in this sector. Thirty more in the north. Another hundred or so scattered over the rest of the planet.” Dolph remembered Kayla’s descriptions of lush foliage and abundant greenery that had once flourished on this planet. He activated the skimmer to fly around the gigantic structure, determined to find someone on this desolate world to give answers. Several settlements and twenty dead spheres later, they dismounted the skimmer in the Town Square of the village that had once been Kayla’s home. Dolph studied the dormant fountain, noted the grayish residue of stagnant water evaporated in the bowl. “Damn,” he whispered as he gazed slowly over the thirty white houses spaced in a circular pattern around the fountain, each gleaming brightly in the persistent glare of the sun. Shutters were drawn on the windows. Larger shutters sealed the doorways. Foliage once carefully cultivated to rim each house wilted and drooped toward a brownish scruff Dolph realized at one time had been grass. “Something’s dreadfully wrong. My people would never abandon their homes,” Kayla said and reached to touch his arm. Dolph followed her glance and noted movement in the shadows. She stayed his hand as it edged closer to his laser. “Wait, please.” A tall man stepped from the shadows. “State your name and business on Turas.” “Kayla Jardane and Dolph Rynard. Show yourself,” Dolph ordered. The man, wearing a green jumpsuit similar to the one Kayla’s brother wore at the stellar station on III, stepped clear of the shadows and raised the blaster he carried. “Raft?” “Kayla? Is that you?” Dolph glanced toward the shadows and discovered another man, shorter than the one before him, but garbed in the same uniform. “Kayla, child, where have you been?” The small man ran forward and pulled Kayla into a hug.

She squirmed out of his embrace with a laugh. “Collis, I want you to meet someone very special.” She grasped his hand. “This is Dolph Rynard. Dolph, please meet my dear friends, Raft Dullar and Collis Sams.” “Rynard. I’ve heard your name before. Can’t recollect where, but it’ll come to me,” Collis said. Dolph didn’t like the strange expression that crossed the old man’s face, but Kayla didn’t seem to notice. “Come with us, child,” Collis said before he turned and walked away. Dolph grasped Kayla’s hand and followed the two men into the shadows, down a long, winding path through what apparently had once been a lush jungle, now wilted and dying like the rest of Kayla’s planet. He listened to the silence around them, heard nothing but their footfalls snapping the brittle scruff beneath their boots. They broke through the jungle into a clearing. Dolph stared up at another agro-sphere, this one opaque due to the vapor that clung to the inside of the structure. Kayla offered him a reassuring smile and tightened her grip on his hand. She led him toward the gigantic structure and through a small doorway. Thick, oppressive heat and moisture-laden air almost took his breath. “It’s hot so our plants germinate constantly. Otherwise, without the continuous growing cycles, we would never be able to feed the multitudes of the Quadrant,” she explained. Dolph made no pretense of understanding as perspiration beaded on his forehead and dripped into his eyes. He gasped for breath, fighting the feeling he’d stepped into a steam cell fully clothed. He looked around. Hundreds of people milled about the sphere, each looking up to acknowledge Kayla and call her name. He watched each person quickly return their attention to the greenery, carefully tending wilting plants as if they were children. Dolph noted the weary expression on each face, the fatigue in slumped shoulders. He silently cursed Hobard, the CMC, and the Coalition for allowing such a travesty to occur under its staunch, correct noses. Collis led them through the dome and pushed back a curtain hanging from an enclosed section. He disappeared inside. Kayla followed.

“Well, come on, Hunter.” He looked around to see if anyone heard Kayla’s playful words before he ducked beneath the curtain. He found Kayla kneeling beside a cot, her arms wrapped about the waist of a man with dark hair plastered to his perspiring forehead, and his complexion stark white. “Kayla?” “This is Marcus Nilon, the leader of our revolution.” She held out her hand. Dolph stepped closer and grasped her fingers as he noted a partially healed laser wound on the man’s exposed chest. “Dolph Rynard, the Hunter. We extend you welcome. Any friend of Kayla’s is a friend to Turas,” Nilon said. Dolph nodded. He watched Kayla’s eyes carefully and read her uncertainty. Deciding to come straight to the point, he said, “Where are Kayla’s brothers?” Marcus closed his eyes. Dolph reached down and grasped Kayla’s arm to pull her to her feet. He folded his arm around her waist, sure by the man’s reaction she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “Soon after the failed attempt at stealing Krystallum from Hobard’s planet, several Searcher squadrons invaded Turas. Many in our ranks were wounded. Twenty died.” Kayla sucked in a deep breath. Dolph pulled her closer to his side. “Since that raid, Hobard completely stopped any Krystallum shipments to Turas. I suppose you saw the results when you traveled here.” Dolph nodded. “Where are Kayla’s brothers?” Marcus Nilon reached a weak hand forward to capture Kayla’s fingers. “Hobard captured your brothers, Kayla. There was nothing anyone could do to stop him.” Kayla sagged against his side. Dolph stared into Nilon’s weak eyes. “Were they injured when they were taken off planet?” Nilon met his gaze. “No. But Hobard left a message we were to pass on if Kayla managed to find her way home.” “What message?” Marcus closed his eyes. A pained expression crossed his tired features. “Kayla’s brothers will

be released unharmed if she offers herself in their place.” Kayla collapsed. Dolph knelt to gather her in his arms. He stood without comment and headed for the doorway. “Wait.” Dolph glanced over his shoulder toward the man on the cot. “Where are you going?” “To Colony III as soon as I find a safe place for Kayla to hide,” he answered. “The revolutionists of Turas have been depleted, but we’re not defeated, Rynard. Our transports might be disabled, but we still have weapons and we can fight.” Marcus looked toward Raft who stood near the doorway. “Gather as many men as Dolph Rynard’s cruiser will carry. See that they are fully armed.” Dolph studied Nilon’s weak eyes and realized any chance of having his freedom returned by the Coalition would be permanently destroyed if he allowed members of Turas’ revolution to board Phantom and strike out against Hobard. He’d be committing himself to eternal damnation if he joined forces with these criminals. He glanced down at Kayla, unconscious in his arms. The life he’d led over the past seven years haunted him. Kayla’s beautiful face chased those memories away. Before Kayla, he’d been empty, going through the motions of life like an android. Kayla’s essence whispered through him like a cleansing balm. He inhaled deeply, savoring the mental and physical freedom suppressed for too many years. Determination filled him. Hobard would die. Kayla would be his without torment, in this life and whatever came after. Wherever they made their home. Allowing the renegade inside him to escape, Dolph smiled. He adjusted Kayla’s weight more securely in his arms and reached forward to offer his hand to Marcus Nilon. “To life without oppression, my friend,” he said.

CHAPTER 27

“I want you to stay here.” She stared into his eyes as she dropped her fisted hands to her hips and tapped her foot in frustration. Dolph knew she was quickly losing patience with the argument they’d had for the past twenty minutes. “I can’t hide here on Turas knowing my brothers are in Hobard’s compound. Nor will I allow you to face this alone.” Dolph reached to grasp her shoulders and bring her closer to his body. “I don’t want you within a quadrant of Hobard again. You’ve been through enough.” She leaned her forehead against his cheek. “It’s something I must do. I’ll never be able to put him behind me or escape my vivid nightmares if I’m not instrumental in bringing Hobard to his knees.” Dolph closed his eyes. He did not intend to bring Hobard to his knees. He planned to slit the bastard’s throat, one excruciatingly painful inch at the time. He slipped his hands from Kayla’s shoulders and pulled her closer. Memories of Kayla’s treatment by Hobard’s hands filled his mind. Anger seethed through his gut, careened along his veins, and caused his hands to tremble. Determined to control the fury threatening to destroy years of specialized training, Dolph tightened every muscle in his body and renewed his effort to change Kayla’s mind. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She pushed away from his embrace and met his gaze. “Hobard is to me what Trivonte was to you. For two years, I’ve lived with memories that ate away at me day and night. I’ve hung my head in shame and been afraid to look my people in the eyes because stories of my ordeal could not be kept secret.” She traced her fingers gently over his lips. “I have to do this. My brothers are the only family I have.” Dolph kissed her forehead. “I won’t allow you to go in alone.” “And I can’t take a chance on one of Hobard’s Searchers trying to collect the bounty on your life.” He attempted another protest, but Kayla silenced him with her finger. “The revolutionists are ready to board Phantom. The shuttles taken from the transports have already been loaded. We’re

wasting time arguing.” She turned, walked up the stairway and disappeared through the hatch. **** Three cruisers fifteen hundred leagues to port and closing at level 3. Dolph leaned forward and pressed a button on the control panel. The grid screen immediately blinked to life. “Identify.” War cruisers. Fully armed. “Federation?” Coalition. Dolph relaxed. Sorak. Thankful he’d initiated the plan he’d contrived before taking Kayla to Turas, he leaned against the padding of his chair. “Coalition? Why are they following us?” Kayla’s face had gone stark white. Her fingers locked on the arms of her chair. “With any luck, they’re going to help us rid the Quadrant of Hobard and the CMC once and for all.” “Why would the Coalition send cruisers to help us?” Dolph pushed another series of buttons on the panel. “I contacted Sorak while we were en route to Turas. Even before I knew Hobard had your brothers, I planned to go to III and find some way to end Hobard’s tyranny. I didn’t plan on having you by my side,” he said. Cruisers raising battle shields. Dolph glanced at the grid. Something was wrong. If Sorak was aboard one of those cruisers, he ’d never initiate a battle alert without just cause. “Follow suit.” Shields in place. Cruisers at one thousand leagues. One breaking off. Approaching starboard. “Hail singular vessel. Request audio.”

Cruiser on line. Commander awaits message. Dolph didn’t waste time on preliminaries. “Why have you initiated battle alert?” The Command center filled with static. “Long range scanners have picked up two Federation cruisers en route to Colony III. What are your plans?” Sorak’s voice said over the comset. Dolph explained the evidence of Hobard’s hoarding he’d seen on Turas and the message Hobard’s Searchers left when they took Kayla’s brothers hostage. He told Sorak of the plan Kayla concocted to give him time to locate and free her brothers then find the evidence he needed to finally bring charges of treason against Hobard. “I can’t believe you’d agree with using her to distract Hobard while we land and infiltrate his settlement.” Sorak’s astonishment sent chills racing along Dolph’s flesh. He glanced at the stunned expression on Kayla’s face. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “This is something she has to do, Sorak” “Then, let’s get on with it. Sorak out.” Dolph watched Kayla’s eyes. Every instinct warned against letting her go into Hobard’s stronghold alone, but he understood well the need to restore her damaged pride and boost her self-respect. He’d lived too many years with thoughts of how he might have acted differently in given situations. He wasn’t proud of many things he’d done while carrying out his forced Hunter profession. Too many to ever forget. The time had finally come to stop regretting things he couldn’t change and do something about the things he could. “Initiate Stardrive.” Stardrive cannot be initiated with shields in place. Dolph cursed his inattention. Vowing to overcome the distraction of Kayla in the seat beside him, he ground his teeth together in an attempt to relax. Kayla touched his shoulder. “This is going to work,” she whispered. “Drop the shields.” Shields disengaged. Distance between present coordinates and destination critical. Collision eminent. “Jump.” Dolph watched Kayla and noted she appeared to be taking the G’s of the jump in stride. He

wondered how the forty members of Turas’ revolution were handling it in the cargo bay. Cruisers following. “Maintain trajectory.” “Are you going to risk landing at Stone Pass?” Kayla asked. “No. Hobard’s guards are too familiar with Phantom. I’m going to initiate a low orbit so you can launch the shuttle, then ram Phantom right down their throats and land in the center of the compound.” **** Thankful she’d been forced to learn to pilot a shuttle when she and her brothers joined the revolution, Kayla buckled the harness into place and reached to touch a series of buttons on the panel. The shuttle came to life with a profusion of blinking lights and the sound of the air-filtration filling the cockpit. “Kayla, we’ll be in position in two minutes.” Dolph’s message filtered through the speaker system. “I wish you’d reconsider.” Kayla touched the transmission button. “I have to do this.” She flipped a green switch on the panel above her head. Another hissing sound filled the cockpit as the outside hatch closed, sealing itself with a hydraulic lock. She touched another series of lights on the instrument panel then checked the warning lights inside the bay to make sure they blinked green to indicate the bay had decompressed. The bay doors opened slowly. Weak light filtered up through the atmosphere from III’s surface to fill the bay. Another button initiated the preset sequence to start the engines of the shuttle. Vibrations from the Krystal engines sent a responding tremor through her body. She leaned against the high back of her seat and closed her eyes. Chills covered her flesh when memories of her last encounter with Hobard filled her mind. She’d waited two long years to make Hobard pay, not only for his treatment of her, but also for her parents’ deaths. Resolved to the task before her, Kayla eased the guidance arm forward carefully and maneuvered the shuttle beyond the bay doors. She dropped down to the preset course she and Dolph calculated. By skirting the outer landing fields and taking a different path toward the mines, she hoped to avoid detection by any Searcher team Hobard might have patrolling the planet. Shadowed terrain passed the view panel at a harrowing speed, but Kayla could still make out

shifts in the sandy soil that covered the flatlands of III. She watched as scattered boulders, appearing no larger than pebbles, disappeared beyond vision. Unbidden, memories of her last hasty flight across the rugged terrain surfaced. Dolph’s handsome face materialized in her mind. She mentally grasped the image and held it, knowing in the next few hours she’d need pleasant memories to stave off the touch of Hobard’s hands, the cruelty of his mouth. Fear caused her body to shake. Instead of fighting the sensation, she embraced it. Fear would keep her mind sharp, her instincts charged. She watched the panorama and noted the sun now rode low on the eastern horizon. Purple streaks darkened the sky toward the west. She recognized the foothills and flatlands, the tall auspus trees that swayed when the wind blew dust clouds across the terrain. The Dullivan Mountains came into view. Hobard’s stronghold only ten leagues beyond. Kayla grasped the guidance arm and decreased altitude. Minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. Bright lights appeared, casting a greenish glow low on the horizon, She feathered the throttle, reducing speed as the shuttle approached the landing pad at the outskirts of Hobard’s mining settlement. The shuttle settled with a slight thump seconds before gray uniforms surrounded her craft. **** Kayla twisted against the Searcher’s firm hold on her arm. “Get your hands off of me.” “Quit struggling before you do yourself harm, female. We are only following orders.” She tried to kick her restrainer’s knee, but he ducked aside and continued to drag her down the cavernous corridor deeper into Hobard’s Krystallum mines. Digging her heels into the sandy soil didn’t help. She found no footing strong enough to halt her forward motion. She glanced over her shoulder and discovered two Searchers following. She tried once more to free her arm from the Searcher Commander’s strong grasp. “Let go of me. I said I’d come willingly. You don’t have to drag me.” Her words echoed off the metal hallway. The Searcher the others had called Moltar glanced at her. “Cease your struggles and I will free your arm.”

Kayla dug deep for every ounce of courage she possessed and nodded. Moltar released his grip. She lifted her chin and walked resolutely ahead, knowing the Searcher Commander and his two companions were less than three steps behind. They paused before an elevator. Moltar pushed the panel. Her heart thudded against her ribs when the doorway opened. She resisted the pressure of Moltar’s hand as he placed it against her spine and shoved her forward when her footsteps faltered. The doors closed silently leaving her alone with Moltar and no way to escape. Several seconds slipped by in silence. Kayla used the time to steady her trembling fingers and prepare for what she knew would be on the other side of the metal panel when it finally opened. The panel slid efficiently into the side wall. Kayla made one last effort to resist before Moltar pushed her forward into a room she knew very well. The silver flecks in the carpeting glittered in the orange sunlight that poured in through the clear panels on the eastern side of the chamber. The other three walls were bare. An abrupt tug on her arm propelled her forward again. “Release her.” The clipped voice slipped over Kayla’s flesh like the deadly tongue of a serpent. She reached deep for strength and turned to stare at the man before the enormous view panel. “Kayla, love. Come here.” He stretched out his hand. The well of courage she’d fought so hard for slowly went dry. Tremors raced over every inch of her flesh, tightening the muscles of her stomach until she wanted to retch. She swallowed back her fear and walked across the floor to pause less than three feet from Nathan Hobard. She dropped her fisted hands to her hips and met his intense stare. “Release my brothers, Nathan. Immediately.” Hobard laughed. “I see you’ve acquired a little fighting spirit, love. I’m pleased.” He reached forward to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. She slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me until you’ve fulfilled your part of this bargain.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close enough she could feel every contour of his body. “Fight me, Kayla. Let me see more fire in your eyes and watch your magnificent breasts heave with anger. Do it, Kayla.” He grasped her left breast and squeezed. Hard.

Kayla lifted her knee and gouged it into his crotch. He jumped back in pain and released her with a curse. “Sir?” “Get out of here, Moltar,” Hobard shouted. He lifted his hand and struck Kayla across the side of her face so hard she fell to her knees. Kayla searched the room, looking for anything she could use for a weapon. She wasn’t prepared when Hobard reached for her forearm and lifted her back to her feet. Nor did she expect him to wipe away the trickle of blood that dripped from the side of her mouth. “Don’t make me hurt you, love,” he whispered. “I’ve waited too long to have you back with me. I’ve been frantic with worry over you. Not knowing where you were. Not knowing if you were well.” Kayla stared at his eyes as he narrowed his gaze. Soft words, meant to entice but, underneath the façade, filled with malice. The same words he’d used before to lull a reluctant adolescent with his kindness. Words he’d uttered along with his promise of riches now brought anger deeper than she’d ever felt. She used that anger to still the trembling of her hands, the fear that sliced through her body. He obviously thought he could force her to do almost anything he wished and there was little she could do to prevent it. Not this time. Two could play this game. She leaned close enough to touch his lips. “Release my brothers, Nathan.” She offered what she hoped was her most seductive smile. He tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her closer until she could feel the warmth of his breath against her face. “Surrender to me now, love.” His lips crashed down upon hers, crushing her flesh against her teeth. His tongue invaded her mouth, filling her with revulsion. He used her hair for leverage as he forced her head back to expose her neck to his teeth, her ear to his hot breath. “Submit to me now. Allow me to show you the hours of pleasure you’ve missed.” He hooked his hands into the neckline of her tunic and shredded the fabric to her waist. Kayla wrenched free of his arms and tugged the torn fabric over her exposed breasts. “Free my

brothers, you bastard, or you’ll never have the pleasure of touching me again.” He laughed the evil laugh she’d heard so many times in her nightmares. “Do you think me a fool, Kayla love? Do you believe I’ll free the only assurances I have you’ll give me everything I desire?” Kayla stared into his eyes. “You’ll never touch me until I know my brothers are safe.” He advanced and lifted his hands until he could lock his fingers around her neck. She raised her knee for another attack, but he shifted quickly and her blow only grazed his thigh. He tightened his fingers until Kayla felt the pressure against her windpipe, closing slowly, erasing her ability to draw a breath. “Don’t think you can win against me, Kayla. I’ve ways to force your surrender. Ways to make you want me.” Again, he laughed as his fingers loosened to trace the faint scar he’d placed around her neck. “I possess certain drugs that’ll make you very willing to accept my touch. However, I’ve waited so long for this moment I’m determined to have you without the benefit of intoxicants. “I’d rather have our joining pleasurable than painful, but if you continue to fight me, I’ll make sure you suffer greatly for each offence you inflict upon my body.” He tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her face closer to his. “I want you to beg for my attention. To cry. To plead with me to do all of the delightfully wicked things I tried to teach you the last time I shackled you to my bed. I want to watch you writhe naked upon my sheets, knowing you’re at my mercy.” He released her hair and clamped his hand around her arm. “Come, love. Your chamber awaits.”

CHAPTER 28

A laser blast whizzed by his head. Another struck the packed dirt floor beside his foot. Dolph stumbled against the metal wall. He grasped his right side and felt blood trickle over his fingers through the gash in his jacket. He ignored the wound to study the corridor, noting the dusty soil, the numerous shadow-darkened doorways barred by heavy metal doors. He glanced overhead to the ceiling lit sporadically by recessed lights. Exhaustion and blood loss threatened to overcome him, but he pushed away from the wall and

eased down the corridor to another doorway. The thunder of footsteps filled the void behind him. He turned, raised his laser, and fired. Several of Hobard’s Searchers fell. Dolph glanced ahead to Sorak’s tall black silhouette. Sorak motioned for another member of his security team to take the lead and waited until Dolph joined him. “Gaston just transmitted locating a hidden warehouse loaded with Krystallum on the far side of the compound. I believe we’ve found the evidence we’ve been searching for, my friend. Gaston’s squadron has taken six very talkative captives.” Another barrage of laser fire filled the corridor. Dolph fired again, striking one searcher. Sorak took out his two companions. “Is your wound serious?” Sorak asked. Dolph shifted the blaster on his shoulder and stepped around Sorak. “Nothing I can’t handle. Kayla’s in this fortress somewhere, Sorak. Alone. Every minute that passes submits her to more danger.” “Rynard. This way.” Dolph turned to find Raft standing in the middle of the corridor, a blaster hanging from one arm, a laser in his hand. He glanced first to Sorak then over his shoulder to find the corridor empty. Sorak fell in behind as Dolph ran to Raft’s position. “I’ve found one of Kayla’s brothers.” Dolph glanced toward Sorak. “The compound’s secured,” Sorak said as he shut off his transmitter and placed the tiny black box into a pocket of his uniform. “Hobard’s Searchers are contained. The cruisers have turned back, so we face no danger of reinforcement.” Taking the lead, ignoring the pain in his side, Dolph made his way to Raft. “Where?” “There.” Raft pointed to a man shackled to the metal wall. **** Kayla opened her eyes to a darkened chamber. She sat up slowly as she arched her back to stretch out sore muscles.

Sharp pain streaked through her jaw and centered behind her left temple. She touched the corner of her split lip with the tip of her tongue, eased her swollen jaw back and forth to assess the damage. When she tried to slide across the bed, it came as no surprise to find her hand shackled with what she knew to be a Tung cuff. She lifted her hand carefully, stretching the chain that bound her not to her other hand, but to the wall beyond the bedstead. She raised her fingers to her neck. Though sore from Hobard’s fingers, no collar encircled her flesh. Kayla lowered her hand over the full length of the chain. She ran her fingers along her body. She still wore her tattered tunic and leather leggings. She squinted into the darkness to identify her surroundings and listened for any noise that might alert her to Hobard’s presence. She heard nothing but the steady hum of the air-filtration system. She scooted back against the bedstead and brought her knees up until she could join her hands then laid her forehead against her forearms. Where were Dolph and the revolutionists? Had they managed to free her brothers? Where they now searching for her? How much of a reprieve would she have before Hobard returned to make more of his violent demands? Kayla thrashed away the instinct to feel sorry for her predicament. If she hadn’t been so stubborn in her desire to make Hobard pay for his crimes, she could’ve avoided her current situation and the devious memories that haunted her each time she thought of Hobard’s hands against her flesh. She closed her eyes and pulled from the wealth of pleasurable moments she’d spent in Dolph’s arms. She felt his soft touch upon her cheek, his talented hands upon her body. Bright light filled the chamber. Kayla struggled against the Tung cuff that dug into her wrist. She ignored the bite of metal slicing deep and tried desperately to reach the crumpled figure on the floor at the foot of her bed. Fury distorted her gaze as she looked up, past the battered, lifeless form of her brother and met Hobard’s evil face. “Curse you, Hobard. What have you done to Rand?” Laughter filled the chamber. Kayla stared at her brother’s still form, praying for a twitch, a moan, any sign of life. “You bastard.” Hobard stepped forward. He leaned down to grasp a handful of Rand’s hair and pulled his head back until Kayla could see her brother’s face.

Blood-matted strands of dark hair fell over his forehead. Bruises and swelling distorted his handsome face. A low moan escaped his battered lips. Kayla’s heart raced at the welcomed sound. “He pays the price for your resistance, Kayla. Every time you refuse me, your brother will feel the bite of my anger.” “You’re crazy.” Another evil laugh traveled the length of her spine. “Perhaps. I prefer to classify myself as determined. Now, you will tell me where Rynard is and how you managed to convince him to take you off of my planet.” Kayla grasped her cuffed wrist with her free hand and tugged with all of her strength. She gained nothing but another laceration on her wrist. Blood streaked down her hand, over her fingers, and dripped onto the sheeting. She bit her lip, desperate not to show any sign of weakness. She lifted her chin and stared resolutely into Hobard’s eyes. “Leave Rynard out of this.” “I’ll have answers, Kayla. One way of the other.” He released Rand’s hair, allowing her brother ’s head to fall to the floor with a hard thump. “Your brother’s helpless to defend himself, Kayla love. He’s under a drug that makes it impossible to control his muscles. He does, however, feel pain.” Ignoring her own pain, Kayla struggled to reach Rand. “This is between you and me, Hobard. Leave my brothers and Rynard out of it.” “I can’t.” “Why not?” “I would think that’s very obvious.” Three strides brought Hobard to the side of her bed. She stared into his eyes. His pupils dilated until little of the blue remained. She tried to pull away to the limit of the chain, but he tangled his hand in her hair and ceased her retreat. He reached forward with his free hand to touch her cheek. Kayla slapped his hand away, leaving smears of blood on his wrist and the cuff of his burgundy jumpsuit.

“Nothing’s obvious except you’re insane.” Hobard dropped his hands to his sides and clenched his fists. “Rynard took you away from me. He’ll pay, Kayla. If I discover he’s sampled what I haven’t, you’ll also pay. Dearly. So will your brother.” She had to turn Hobard’s thoughts away from Rynard and her brothers. No matter what price he forced her to pay. “Haven’t you done enough? My parents are dead. My planet’s destroyed. I’ve offered myself for my brothers’ release. What more do you want?” “Revenge.” “From whom?” Hobard leaned forward until they were almost nose-to-nose. She could feel his hot breath on her face. “For many years I’ve been locked away on this damn planet, far away from Volar and the riches that were rightfully mine. All because that devious bastard, Dolimas, head of the CMC, wanted me out of the way so no one would discover he worked with Novalar to undermine the Coalition. “I became their convenient escape. They sentenced Novalar to death so he wouldn’t disclose Dolimas’ schemes of ultimate power. “My grandfather used his influence to prevent my death, but Council countered his demand for leniency by sentencing me to serve on this miserable chunk of rock and sand.” Hobard turned to pace the chamber. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you, Kayla. Each night I dreamed of making my confinement on III bearable with you by my side. I’d have given you everything I promised, but you spurned my offer and affection.” “So you kidnapped me and--” “You refused me. I’d already lost too much.” “You created false accusations against my father that ultimately led to his death.” Hobard stopped pacing. “He interfered in my plans.” Kayla ignored the bite of her cuff as she scrambled to the edge of the bed to face Hobard. “What plans?” A devious smile creased his face. “Actually, my original plans were to hoard enough Krystallum to cripple the System. Once I discovered how much power I could gain by using my hidden shipments to bargain with non-Federation Systems, my plans changed.”

Kayla wished the chain were long enough to strangle the life from Hobard’s body. “That’s why all of those foreign cruisers were at the transport station.” “Perceptive of you, love. However, your revolutionists little escapade nearly ruined my bargaining power with the delegates who’d come to III to hear my demands. The disturbance you created in my compound made my guests nervous.” “And to ease their nerves you had to offer more and more Krystallum to seal your bargain.” “I always thought you were brilliant, love. A perfect compliment to me.” Kayla glanced toward Rand and noted his eyes were open and alert as he listened to Hobard’s every word. “So, you shorted shipments of Krystallum to the agro-worlds to make up for the increased allotments you promised your buyers, didn’t you?” Hobard smiled. “They used your own greed against you, you fool. Soon, what you offered wasn’t enough, was it? They wanted more. And, in order to supply their demands, you siphoned away more of the Krystals from your shipments, endangering the entire agro-system of the Quadrant.” “I’d prefer to think I was weakening the CMC’s defenses.” “Millions of people will die because of your insatiable thirst for retribution, is that it?” Hobard shrugged. “Without people to govern, Dolimas will no longer be needed. The CMC will cease to exist and my revenge will be complete.” Kayla stretched the chain to the limit and took a step closer. “What about the Coalition, Hobard? Do you actually believe they’ll stand by and do nothing while you destroy one of their Systems?” “The Coalition put Dolimas in authority. The Members unknowingly gave him seven corrupt accomplices to rule an entire Quadrant. Why would they question their own actions?” “Are you saying your grandfather is corrupt?” “My grandfather is an idiot. He refused to take advantage of the power of his position within the CMC. Instead, he sat back and watched as his only heir was subjected to the heinous punishment of deportation and did nothing to stop it.” “You’re grandfather’s position saved your life, Hobard.” “I should’ve had my grandfather’s position instead of rotting away on this drudge of a planet.” Hobard’s face, now red with fury, sent Kayla’s pulse racing. She stepped back until her knees

pressed against the bed. “You won’t get away with this,” she whispered. “Even if you destroy my brothers, destroy me, the Coalition won’t stand idly by and watch one of its holdings die without intervention.” Hobard stepped closer until she struggled between the bed and his tall frame. “The Coalition can ’t touch me. They’ve tried for years to gather enough evidence to bring charges against me, but I’ve been too careful, too discreet. “The Members will never know what’s happening beneath their inept rule until it’s too late to stop it.” “I believe you misjudge the Coalition, Hobard.” Kayla followed Hobard’s gaze as he turned to the doorway. Sorak stepped into the chamber. Dolph followed and continued across the floor to pause by Rand’s prone form at the foot of the bed. He glanced down, then up. The deadly glint in his eyes gave Kayla a glimpse of what the criminals he’d hunted must have faced seconds before they drew their last breath. “Get away from her,” Rynard growled. Too quickly for Kayla to counter, Hobard jerked her forward. He raised the chain and stretched it against her throat. “She’s mine, Rynard. You tried to take her away from me, but you won’t succeed again. If I can’t have her, no one will.” The chain tightened. Kayla raised her hands and tried to wedge her fingers between the metal links and her flesh, but Hobard only applied more pressure. The links tightened into her neck, threatening to cut off her ability to draw even the weakest breath. Dolph dove across the bed. Hobard stumbled and fell, dragging Kayla to the floor with him. Kayla took advantage of Hobard’s momentary release of the chain to draw a much-needed breath and wedge her fingers under the links. In Hobard’s struggle to gain his feet, he released the chain, finally allowing Kayla to escape his hold. “You’re a dead man, Hobard.” Dolph’s voice echoed through the silence of the chamber. Kayla lifted her head to find Dolph straddling Hobard with his forearms securely against Hobard’

s chest to restrict movement. The Tung knife he always kept in his boot pressed against the strained tendons of Hobard’s neck. “Don’t do it, Dolph.” Kayla glanced over her shoulder to find Sorak standing above her, laser in hand. “Whether he lives or dies by my hand is your choice, Kayla,” Dolph whispered. She glanced at him. He perspired heavily. Dust and grime covered his shadow-darkened cheeks. Thick strands of dark hair hung about his broad shoulders in disarray. Blood seeped from the open wound on his side. Her heart stalled then raced. “Your choice,” he repeated. She glanced at Hobard’s face, at the terror reflected in his eyes. He swallowed hard against the knife at his throat and blood spread over the blade. Memories swamped her, filling her with images of the days she’d lived with the terror of Hobard’ s touch, the nightmares that haunted her for two years. She glanced at Dolph and saw the determination in his eyes. The love she felt for the tormented Hunter swelled, reminding her no matter what horrors she’d experienced by Hobard’s hand, she never would have met Dolph Rynard had her life not followed the path Fate chose for her. She reached out and spread her fingers atop Dolph’s hand over the handle of the knife. “We’re both finally free,” she whispered. “Sorak will see justice served this time.” Dolph pulled the knife from Hobard’s throat. He stood as two of Sorak’s team grasped Hobard by the arms and hauled him to his feet. Before the guards dragged Hobard away, Sorak ran his hand down Hobard’s chest and dug into a hidden pocket of his jumpsuit to retrieve the key to unlock Kayla’s cuff. Dolph pulled her into his arms. “I never should’ve let you do this,” he breathed against her ear. Kayla raised her hand and brushed an errant lock of dark hair aside so she could kiss his cheek. “I love you, Hunter,” she whispered. “Godsake, Kayla, you drive me to distraction.” “I’d suggest you two break it up long enough for you to do some explaining to her brothers, Dolph,” Sorak said.

Kayla pulled away. “Me drive you to distraction? I forgot my brothers were in the chamber.” As two of Sorak’s guards assisted Rand from the floor, Kayla ran across the room into Danel’s outstretched arms.

EPILOGUE

Kayla folded her hands atop Dolph’s breastbone and stared into his eyes. “I know you were in a hurry to return to Rigel, but we could’ve stayed on Turas a few more days, you know. We didn’t have to rush off right after Danel and Byna’s joining.” A wicked smile creased his lips. He twisted, causing the black sheeting beneath their bodies to slide. “Yes, we did.” She wiggled her hips, feeling his arousal press against her abdomen. She twisted again and grinned when he groaned in response. “Why?” “How much longer do you think I could’ve remained under your brothers watchful eyes without going crazy? Three weeks is too long to remain celibate.” She buried her chin into the side of his neck and nibbled on his ear. “You’re not the only one who suffered.” Kayla dug her hands into his hair and rolled to the side, pulling him along with her until their positions reversed. “Besides, you agreed to a joint ceremony with Danel and Byna.” “Before I knew they wanted to wait until the Coalition officially appointed Danel Agro-Advisor to Turas.” He ran his hand slowly down the side of her body. Kayla bit back a moan. “Well, it wasn’t me who insisted we wait until Sorak returned with our joining present.” She shifted her hips, bringing a deep groan from Dolph’s lips. “Don’t you think this is taking our joining a little too far?” She lifted her cuffed wrist, bringing his shackled arm up with hers. “Are we going to argue or make love?”

“Are you sure you have the key?” “Do you care?” “No.”

THE END

TERMS INDEX:

CMC

The Colony Management Council responsible for ruling the 29 planets in the Givonte Quadrant

CREDITS Small metal cubes in different denominations that make up the monetary exchange in the Universe.

DARION 5

A small waste planet inhabited by criminals at the far reaches of the Shellar System.

DIDIRON

The planet responsible for creating Tung - a million light miles from Kayla’s home planet.

GIVONTE

Kayla Jardane’s home System of 29 planets.

QUADRANT

HUNTERS

Inter-galactic Bounty Hunters

KRYSTALS

Short for Krystallum – the fuel source of the Universe mined on Penal Colony III

SEARCHERS

Special Police Force on Penal Colony III

TRISTAR

Home planet of the Universal Coalition responsible for ruling the entire Universe

TUNG

An indestructible alloy created on the planet Didiron

TURAS

Agro-planet in the Givonte Quadrant that produces food sources for the 29 planets in the system. Kayla Jardane’s home planet.

UNIVERSAL

Members of the Universal Tribunal responsible for governing

COALITION

the entire Universe and located on the planet Tristar

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