Obviously, the Schön didn’t plan to kill them. They could have done so already. Since they hadn’t, they must plan to capture and relocate. To stay with Jaxon, she’d have to be captured herself. Then, when they reached their destination, the Schön would feel safe, they would materialize, and then she could kill them and save Jaxon.
Not a great plan, but the only one she had at the moment.
As she half struggled, feigning weakness, her fingers were pried apart, her weapons confiscated. Cold, wet spray bathed her face. The sleep aid. Mishka pretended to sputter, though without oxygen no sound emerged. To cover that, she pretended to sink into the dark unconscious.
The aliens never spoke, but they did move away from her. A minute passed, followed by another. Her heart slammed nervously in her chest. Inactivity had never been her strong point. What are they doing now?
Agents being gathered. Stunned otherworlders being gathered. Now approaching you…
Intent?
Capture, most likely. No weapons aimed at you.
Strong arms banded around her and lifted her into an equally strong chest. Warm breath trekked over her cheek. Another wave of dizziness hit her, this one stronger than before. Her supply of oxygen had dwindled significantly because of her increased adrenaline, which increased the speed of her circulation. I need to breathe now.
Initiating breathing.
Nolan’s spicy scent instantly filled her nose as she dragged in a deep breath. Nolan. Just his name intensified her anger. That stupid shit, how dare he do this! Don’t stiffen, don’t react. If Jaxon had not been involved, she would have reached up and choked the life from the double-crosser.
Later, she promised herself. Part of you expected this. Part of her, though, had hoped otherwise.
Footsteps echoed in her ears, and then she was being jostled forward. Was she now invisible? she wondered. And if she was, would she now be able to see her opponents? Slowly she cracked open her eyelids, allowing only the slightest bit of reality to intrude. Buildings glided past her, but she could not see a single Schön. Not even Nolan. More than that, she could not even see her own body.
How did they not bump into each other?
A possible answer drifted through her mind as soon as the question formed. Practice. Or maybe their race possessed special sensors that allowed them to simply know where the others were. Maybe they could see past the shield of invisibility.
Then another possibility hit her. The virus they possessed was alive and victims could communicate within one another’s minds. Perhaps that virus let them know where every invisible, infected body was.
If Estap knew, he’d want to harness the mind-speak ability for Earth soldiers. Once scientists figured out how, he’d take all the credit himself, of course. Bastard. When this was over and if she survived having the chip removed, she was going to plunge her dagger into his jugular. Watch him slowly bleed to death, unable to breathe as death claimed him.
He doesn’t matter right now. Only Jaxon mattered. Always Jaxon. She hated that she couldn’t see him and reverted back to infrared. Relief rushed through her as she spied the outlines of two otherworlders carrying the two agents. The agents were limp, but they still emitted great waves of body heat, which meant they were alive and well.
Record coordinates, she commanded the chip.
Mapping location switch.
Now all she had to do was wait…
Jaxon came awake slowly, his mind groggy, his body limp and weighed down with cold, heavy chains. Damn, this is familiar. At least he wasn’t bombarded with agonizing pain.
“That’s it, baby. Open your eyes for me.”
“Mishka?”
“I’m here.”
Her soft, sweet voice lulled him all the way out of slumber. His eyelids popped open, but several moments passed before he could see through the murky darkness surrounding him. Small barred doorway, crumbling stone walls, shaggy brown carpet. Where was—There!
Thank God. Mishka. As beautiful as ever. He was chained to a bed and she was chained to a wall. She was alive. Dirty and bruised, but alive. They faced each other, both sitting down, arms raised and legs stretched out. Her lips lifted in a happy grin, and relief cascaded down her face when their eyes met.
“Finally,” she said. “Sleeping Beauty awakens.”
His relief was just as visible, he knew. “The beast, you mean.”
“My beast.”
Sweet woman. “How did this happen?” He remembered following an invisible Nolan, firing his weapon, and then being tossed to the ground like a rag doll, unable to see who—or what—had attacked him. Lucius had appeared, had fallen. Then, nothing. Jaxon’s mind showed only a black screen.
“They planned it and were waiting for you. Nolan practically gift wrapped us before he led us to his friends.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. Anger. He’d been betrayed. Heat bloomed in his cheeks. Embarrassment. He’d been outsmarted and overpowered. In front of his woman. “Did they hurt you?” Powerful fury laced the question. His now narrowed gaze roved over her, searching for injury.
She wore the same clothing she’d worn earlier. Dirty black shirt, dirty black pants. There were fresh scratches on her left cheek and bruises on her hand, but other than that she looked the same. Healthy glow to her skin, hazel eyes bright, strawberry tresses tangled.
The thought of anything happening to her had him swallowing bile. I failed to protect her. She could protect herself, yes. That filled him with pride, yes. But he wanted, needed to be man enough for her. She deserved nothing less than the very best.
“No,” she said. “They carried us here, about a ten-minute walk from that alley. Nolan insisted we be placed together. I think he didn’t want us to worry about each other. They’ve got Lucius in the cell next to us.”
“Anyone else?”
She shook her head. “Just the three of us.”
“Eden was screaming commands at Lucius in my ear, telling him to pull back or she’d join the fight and kill him herself,” he said, the memory sliding in place. “She didn’t show up?”
“If she did, it was after we left. I never saw her. And just so you know, there were nine aliens in the alley. That’s how many we’re up against now.”
“Three against nine. Not bad odds.” Jaxon tugged at the chains, and the lumpy mattress underneath him bounced. “This remind you of anything?”
“Only one of the best days of my life,” she said with another grin. “The day I met you. And no worries, okay? I can get us out of this. Easy.”