Base zero, p.14
Base Zero, page 14
part #2 of Captured Earth Series
I’m in deep trouble.
My gaze darts to the storage box with the utility knife.
Even if I could get to it and somehow get out of the camper without getting shot, there’s more of them outside. And I don’t know how many of them either.
“Stubborn too,” Bob mutters. “We’ll have to fix that.”
He reaches forward before I can duck and grabs my hair, wrenching my head back so hard that the muscle in my neck spasms and pain shoots down my spine.
He’s about to forcefully do the same thing to the blanket when I grip it to me, spinning into him, my face hitting his chest.
The thick musk of male sweat wafts into my nose, almost making me gag, but I only have a split second to act.
Before he can do anything, I bite.
I bite down as hard as I can.
Taking his thick, nasty skin between my teeth, right through the flannel shirt that he’s wearing.
“Ow!” He howls, throwing me away from him, but I don’t pause.
I don’t hesitate.
My heart’s beating so hard in my ears, I can’t hear when Bob shouts to his companion to catch me.
Somehow I dodge between them, the exit of the camper right ahead of me when my neck yanks back, pain shooting through my spine once again.
Jim’s caught me by my hair again and as I fall backward, my gaze finds his.
All I see is pure, raw malice.
And I know, if I somehow don’t find a way out of this…life’s about to get much, much worse.
Chapter Twenty-Four
SAM
Jim pulls me by the hair to my feet, ignoring my grunts of pain as I reach back, trying to release his hold on me.
“Fucking bitch,” Bob curses from somewhere behind us.
I stumble a little and almost fall as Jim pushes me from the camper, but I don’t hit the ground with his hold on me.
Instead, my leg connects with the side of the camper, and I grasp at the sides to steady myself.
The sun hits me with its morning glow and I squint, trying to make sense of my surroundings.
Several feet away from us, near where Ga’Var had made the fire for me, is a group of three women and a young man.
Two of the women look like they’re in their mid-twenties and the other looks to be in her late forties or early fifties.
Two sets of startling gray eyes hit me and I get the sense that at least two of them are related.
Shit.
Is this some sort of family thing?
Am I going to become prey to a family of thugs?
But my gaze lands on the young man.
He’s watching us, a frown on his face as he comforts the dark-skinned woman. I reckon he’s around eighteen.
Never too young to become a criminal, I guess.
Though, from the way he’s looking my way, withheld anger in his gaze, maybe there’s hope for me yet.
Something hard lands in my back and I stagger forward.
I only turn in time to see Jim’s boot hit the floor of the camper.
“Where’s the food, bitch?”
“Food?”
He grips his rifle and lifts it a little higher on his chest.
He’s holding it all wrong.
Awkwardly, as if he never used to handle guns before all this.
“Don’t play smart with me. I see the fork and the bowl. I smell the meat.”
He takes a step forward, landing on the ground. Two more steps and then he’s standing right in front of me, so close I can smell his breath.
“Where’s…the food?”
I meet his gaze. Not even blinking.
If he thinks he’s going to scare me by being an alpha-hole, he’s got another thing coming.
I’ve seen too much to be scared by the likes of weak men.
And I’ve seen real strength. Real restraint.
Compared to the Vullan…compared to Ga’Var…these men are nothing.
My gaze flicks to the bushes, hoping now that Ga’Var doesn’t suddenly appear.
I don’t know what he will do to these people and at least one of them might not be all bad.
“Strip her,” Bob says. “She won’t talk, we make her talk.”
Jim grabs the blanket, tugs on it, and my body jerks. But I hold on to the fabric, not letting them win.
“Listen, fucker. I don’t know what you want or who you think you are, but if you haven’t noticed, outside of this little camp, humanity is being destroyed. I know you think you don’t have options, but you do.”
I glance behind me, my gaze meeting the women and the young man. “We all do.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up.” Jim tugs on the blanket again, forcing me to face him. “We don’t give a shit about what’s going on out there. It’s every man for himself and me and my brother here, we’re making a clan.” He steps even closer. “And you’re gonna be a part of it.” He tugs on the blanket again. “As my bitch.”
His words send a bolt of fear through me that is multiplied when his brother adds in, “I found her. She’s mine.”
Jim growls and shoots a glare over his shoulder.
“Fine,” he says, before he sends a leery grin my way. “We can share. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
He sends a meaningful look behind me and I hear one of the women whimper.
Okay…so maybe the only two assholes in this group are the two in front of me.
That increases my chances of getting out of this by, well, a lot.
“Now tell me, sweet thing.” He reaches forward, brushing a finger over my cheek, and I turn my face away from him. He grunts—the sound a mixture of pleasure and mockery. “Where’s the food?”
I blink a few times, trying to calm my nerves because my thoughts are suddenly a tangled mess.
Logic says I can’t let them know much, if anything.
These guys are dangerous, and there’s no hiding what they plan to do to me, regardless of whether I cooperate.
“I caught a snake that was living in the camper. That’s the meat that you smell. There’s no food here.”
Jim stops smiling and his eyes grow even colder.
He studies me for a few minutes.
“Hear that, Bob? The bitch says there’s no more food.”
“Sounds hard to believe. Ask her if there’s water.”
Jim’s eyes seem to light up at that.
“Water,” he says, his gaze boring into mine. “Doesn’t seem like the sort of place to have water…but you never know. Maybe she traded her pussy for some.”
Traded?
I don’t get what he means.
“You got any water hidden away somewhere?”
I shake my head without even hesitating. “No. We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere. Where the hell would I find water here?”
His fist comes out of nowhere, connecting with my cheek and sending my head snapping in the other direction.
The pain pounds through my cheek and I taste blood.
“First lesson, bitch.” Jim looms over me. “Never, and I mean never, use that tone with me.”
He spits so close to me that his saliva almost hits me.
“You’re part of the Crichton Brother’s clan now. You will learn to obey.”
“Maybe we should show her what we do to bitches that don’t listen.” Bob’s voice is close and it startles me. In between dealing with his brother, I hadn’t realized he’d walked out of the camper.
He raises his gun and points it at my chest. The pain echoing through my cheek all but disappears as I stare at the long barrel of the rifle.
Bob pokes the muzzle between the barrier of the blanket and my skin.
“Maybe show her how much it can hurt if she talks back.”
Jim reaches forward and grabs my breast and even with the cover of the blanket, it’s like I can feel his bare skin against mine.
I jerk away from him, but his hand closes painfully around my breast.
“You go first,” Bob says, “but don’t touch her ass. That part is all mine.”
His words send icicles running down my spine as he moves the gun away from my chest, his eyes so heated now I can see his intent as clear as day.
“No!” Someone behind me shouts. The young man.
Jim growls, not moving his gaze from mine. “What’s it now, Billy? You finally decide you want a piece of cake?”
“N-no,” Billy says. He’s moved closer and his gaze is on me. “But can’t that wait till later. We don’t know if she was alone. If she’s with a group and they come back, the women will be in trouble.”
Bob growls and rolls his eyes, but Jim releases my breast.
A breath hisses through my teeth as I rub the spot.
“Kid’s got a point,” Jim says.
He gestures to the log near the dead fire. “Have them wait there. Me and Bob will scout the area.”
Billy nods, casting a sideways glance at the men, and grasps my arm.
His touch isn’t even a fraction as hard as Jim’s or Bob’s.
It’s…gentle.
As they turn away, Billy leads me toward the log. “Come. Don’t fight, please, or they’ll think I can’t handle you. That will be bad.”
I glance up at him. There’s torment in his eyes, but I’m not ready to trust him just yet.
He’s working with men like Jim and Bob, after all.
I’m not out of the clear yet.
Chapter Twenty-Five
SAM
I sit for a few minutes, watching the group of people around me, the forest surrounding us, and listening for signs of Jim and Bob’s return.
Now and then, the wind rustles through the trees and I think I smell Ga’Var.
My heart lurches, but he does not appear.
I have no idea what’s happened to him and I’m starting to fear the worst.
The three women and Billy don’t speak and as the minutes continue to tick by, I’m beginning to find it strange.
“Have you been traveling together for long?”
At the sound of my voice, they all look at me, but none of them answer.
The women all look drained, their eyes dead, and soon they pull their gazes away from me once more.
But Billy studies me a little before glancing at the forest behind me.
“Not for long,” he says. “Maybe three weeks.” He shrugs. “I don’t know about the days anymore. They come and go real fast.”
His gaze darts to the forest then back at me again before falling to my cheek.
It still aches and no doubt there’s a bruise forming there.
“Don’t…don’t fight back so much. They’ll leave you alone if you don’t make them notice you.”
I’m only now realizing that one of his eyes has slightly darker skin around it than the other, as if they punched him there.
My gaze flicks over the other women and the oldest one meets my gaze finally.
“He’s right. Otherwise, they will force you.” She glances at the woman that looks like a younger version of her. “I give myself as much as I can, to keep them satisfied so they don’t…”
She trails off, but the horror of what she was about to say isn’t lost on me.
“Why are they doing this?”
They all look at me now as if I’m from another planet.
“How long have you been out here on your own?” the older lady asks.
I blink, trying to come up with a suitable response. “A while.”
The woman frowns. “And this is the first time you’re encountering a clan?”
My brows furrow a little. “I didn’t know clans were a thing.”
They glance at each other again. “You must be great at surviving in the wild and managing to somehow keep out of the radar of those metal…things.”
A few of them look up into the sky at that, visibly shivering.
“Or do you have a stash of drinkable water somewhere…hiding?”
Her question makes little sense to me.
“Water?”
What’s this about water again?
“Yes, water,” Billy adds. “You know. For trading.”
“What?”
The older woman raises her eyebrows. “Wow. I don’t know how you’ve managed all this time on your own. It sounds impossible.”
I blink at them, not understanding.
“You trade water?”
The woman shrugs. “It’s not like money is worth anything now. But fresh, drinkable water is.”
My eyes widen some more as what they’re saying suddenly makes sense.
“Water is currency?”
The woman nods. “Some people will trade you fresh clothes and even boots for a good cup.”
I blink at her, her words slowly registering.
So much has been happening out there that I don’t know about—that none of us at the base knows about—but even though pockets of humanity seems to be surviving, it’s still clear that it’s a dangerous, harsh world out there.
I glance behind me, searching the forest for any sign of the brothers.
“Listen.” I turn back to the group. “Those two seem like they’re controlling you all. I don’t know the intricacies of it, but what if I tell you that you don’t have to hang around them or endure their abuse anymore? That I can offer you protection?”
The dark-skinned young woman’s head snaps in my direction, her gaze piercing mine. “We’re not falling for that. That’s what Jim said. Turns out he and his brother were the protection he was talking about and he didn’t mention it included forcing themselves onto us either.”
I look from her, my gaze traveling to the others.
There’s a sense of defeat floating around all of them.
“Why don’t you fight back?”
“Because those who try to get hurt badly.” The mature woman looks directly at Billy and he shifts so I can’t see the part of his face with the fading black eye. “And there are worse clans out there. At least we only have to deal with two douchebags. We just have to keep them…satisfied.” She meets my gaze, hidden meaning in her eyes. “My name’s Jillian, by the way.”
She gestures to the other gray-eyed woman. “Lily.” And then to the dark-skinned woman. “Deja.”
The boy jerks his chin at me. “Billy.”
I nod. “Sam.”
Jillian’s throat moves and her gaze pierces mine. “If you decide to run right now. I don’t blame you. But those two brothers are skilled trackers. They will find you if they want you enough and Billy here will probably get beat up for losing you.”
I glance at Billy again, but he doesn’t meet my gaze.
“Now,” Jillian says. “Tell me about this protection you’re talking about.”
“She’s talking about her friend,” Billy says, and this time when I turn, his gaze is on me.
“What friend?” Jillian whispers, her gaze darting to the camper.
Billy’s gaze pierces into mine and my throat gets a little dry.
“The soldier dressed in black.”
GA’VAR
The Gryken floats down to the forest floor and my hackles rise completely as I watch it.
No.
It can’t be coming down to the surface.
I’ve never seen any Gryken do that before, but even as I watch, the transparent transport the beast sits in floats to the ground.
There are two of them.
One floating right above the other, the large heads and lengthy limbs of the Gryken in clear view as they fan out behind the body.
A former and a predecessor.
One smaller than the other.
My blades form on my arms, ready for me to shoot forward and cut them down.
But I cannot move. Because it’s not that easy.
Many Vullan died in those first few moons of battle, thinking that charging at the Gryken’s huge machines could take them down.
That facing the beasts head-on could win the war.
They were wrong.
I cannot risk going close.
I cannot risk them seeing me.
For as soon as the Gryken spot me, I will put the lives of all Vullan and hyu’mans on this planet in jeopardy.
And Sa’am…
Sa’am is out there all alone, waiting for me.
If I do not return, she will perish.
There is no way for her to get back to the base on her own. And even if she tries, with the Gryken coming to the forest below, they will sense her.
Fear shoots through me at the thought, and I watch as the Grykens float to the ground below.
They land, coated in goo that probably protects them from the light of this planet’s star.
They pause, looking around.
One reaches toward a green leaf swaying in the wind and touches it, turning to the other, as if communicating.
The Gryken pause and move slowly, looking at the foliage, touching the trees.
They look out of place on this planet, as they did on the dark sands of Edooria.
They are not meant to be here; yet, here they are.
One looks in my direction, but I am already cloaked, my ba’clan always moving one step ahead of me.
He cannot see me and I doubt he can sense me either.
I am still too far away for their natural sensing ability to work.
But that doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way, for they’re moving in my direction.
Coming closer and, in essence, also moving closer to Sa’am.
I have to get her out of here.
Take her farther into the forest, maybe.
Anything except let them catch her.
I know all too well what the Gryken are capable of.
I saw it all happen with my own eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Six
SAM
“I saw him.” Billy’s eyes pierce into mine, hope like a thin string in his tone.
“A soldier?” Deja asks.
“Shh, keep your voice down.” Jillian’s gaze darts around us before her eyes settle on me again. “What type of soldier? Where’s he gone? Is he coming back for you?”
My gaze flicks across every single one of them and the growing hope in their eyes.
“Is he a good guy?” Lily whispers.
“Yes.” I nod. “He’s a very good…guy.”
My gaze darts to the storage box with the utility knife.
Even if I could get to it and somehow get out of the camper without getting shot, there’s more of them outside. And I don’t know how many of them either.
“Stubborn too,” Bob mutters. “We’ll have to fix that.”
He reaches forward before I can duck and grabs my hair, wrenching my head back so hard that the muscle in my neck spasms and pain shoots down my spine.
He’s about to forcefully do the same thing to the blanket when I grip it to me, spinning into him, my face hitting his chest.
The thick musk of male sweat wafts into my nose, almost making me gag, but I only have a split second to act.
Before he can do anything, I bite.
I bite down as hard as I can.
Taking his thick, nasty skin between my teeth, right through the flannel shirt that he’s wearing.
“Ow!” He howls, throwing me away from him, but I don’t pause.
I don’t hesitate.
My heart’s beating so hard in my ears, I can’t hear when Bob shouts to his companion to catch me.
Somehow I dodge between them, the exit of the camper right ahead of me when my neck yanks back, pain shooting through my spine once again.
Jim’s caught me by my hair again and as I fall backward, my gaze finds his.
All I see is pure, raw malice.
And I know, if I somehow don’t find a way out of this…life’s about to get much, much worse.
Chapter Twenty-Four
SAM
Jim pulls me by the hair to my feet, ignoring my grunts of pain as I reach back, trying to release his hold on me.
“Fucking bitch,” Bob curses from somewhere behind us.
I stumble a little and almost fall as Jim pushes me from the camper, but I don’t hit the ground with his hold on me.
Instead, my leg connects with the side of the camper, and I grasp at the sides to steady myself.
The sun hits me with its morning glow and I squint, trying to make sense of my surroundings.
Several feet away from us, near where Ga’Var had made the fire for me, is a group of three women and a young man.
Two of the women look like they’re in their mid-twenties and the other looks to be in her late forties or early fifties.
Two sets of startling gray eyes hit me and I get the sense that at least two of them are related.
Shit.
Is this some sort of family thing?
Am I going to become prey to a family of thugs?
But my gaze lands on the young man.
He’s watching us, a frown on his face as he comforts the dark-skinned woman. I reckon he’s around eighteen.
Never too young to become a criminal, I guess.
Though, from the way he’s looking my way, withheld anger in his gaze, maybe there’s hope for me yet.
Something hard lands in my back and I stagger forward.
I only turn in time to see Jim’s boot hit the floor of the camper.
“Where’s the food, bitch?”
“Food?”
He grips his rifle and lifts it a little higher on his chest.
He’s holding it all wrong.
Awkwardly, as if he never used to handle guns before all this.
“Don’t play smart with me. I see the fork and the bowl. I smell the meat.”
He takes a step forward, landing on the ground. Two more steps and then he’s standing right in front of me, so close I can smell his breath.
“Where’s…the food?”
I meet his gaze. Not even blinking.
If he thinks he’s going to scare me by being an alpha-hole, he’s got another thing coming.
I’ve seen too much to be scared by the likes of weak men.
And I’ve seen real strength. Real restraint.
Compared to the Vullan…compared to Ga’Var…these men are nothing.
My gaze flicks to the bushes, hoping now that Ga’Var doesn’t suddenly appear.
I don’t know what he will do to these people and at least one of them might not be all bad.
“Strip her,” Bob says. “She won’t talk, we make her talk.”
Jim grabs the blanket, tugs on it, and my body jerks. But I hold on to the fabric, not letting them win.
“Listen, fucker. I don’t know what you want or who you think you are, but if you haven’t noticed, outside of this little camp, humanity is being destroyed. I know you think you don’t have options, but you do.”
I glance behind me, my gaze meeting the women and the young man. “We all do.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up.” Jim tugs on the blanket again, forcing me to face him. “We don’t give a shit about what’s going on out there. It’s every man for himself and me and my brother here, we’re making a clan.” He steps even closer. “And you’re gonna be a part of it.” He tugs on the blanket again. “As my bitch.”
His words send a bolt of fear through me that is multiplied when his brother adds in, “I found her. She’s mine.”
Jim growls and shoots a glare over his shoulder.
“Fine,” he says, before he sends a leery grin my way. “We can share. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
He sends a meaningful look behind me and I hear one of the women whimper.
Okay…so maybe the only two assholes in this group are the two in front of me.
That increases my chances of getting out of this by, well, a lot.
“Now tell me, sweet thing.” He reaches forward, brushing a finger over my cheek, and I turn my face away from him. He grunts—the sound a mixture of pleasure and mockery. “Where’s the food?”
I blink a few times, trying to calm my nerves because my thoughts are suddenly a tangled mess.
Logic says I can’t let them know much, if anything.
These guys are dangerous, and there’s no hiding what they plan to do to me, regardless of whether I cooperate.
“I caught a snake that was living in the camper. That’s the meat that you smell. There’s no food here.”
Jim stops smiling and his eyes grow even colder.
He studies me for a few minutes.
“Hear that, Bob? The bitch says there’s no more food.”
“Sounds hard to believe. Ask her if there’s water.”
Jim’s eyes seem to light up at that.
“Water,” he says, his gaze boring into mine. “Doesn’t seem like the sort of place to have water…but you never know. Maybe she traded her pussy for some.”
Traded?
I don’t get what he means.
“You got any water hidden away somewhere?”
I shake my head without even hesitating. “No. We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere. Where the hell would I find water here?”
His fist comes out of nowhere, connecting with my cheek and sending my head snapping in the other direction.
The pain pounds through my cheek and I taste blood.
“First lesson, bitch.” Jim looms over me. “Never, and I mean never, use that tone with me.”
He spits so close to me that his saliva almost hits me.
“You’re part of the Crichton Brother’s clan now. You will learn to obey.”
“Maybe we should show her what we do to bitches that don’t listen.” Bob’s voice is close and it startles me. In between dealing with his brother, I hadn’t realized he’d walked out of the camper.
He raises his gun and points it at my chest. The pain echoing through my cheek all but disappears as I stare at the long barrel of the rifle.
Bob pokes the muzzle between the barrier of the blanket and my skin.
“Maybe show her how much it can hurt if she talks back.”
Jim reaches forward and grabs my breast and even with the cover of the blanket, it’s like I can feel his bare skin against mine.
I jerk away from him, but his hand closes painfully around my breast.
“You go first,” Bob says, “but don’t touch her ass. That part is all mine.”
His words send icicles running down my spine as he moves the gun away from my chest, his eyes so heated now I can see his intent as clear as day.
“No!” Someone behind me shouts. The young man.
Jim growls, not moving his gaze from mine. “What’s it now, Billy? You finally decide you want a piece of cake?”
“N-no,” Billy says. He’s moved closer and his gaze is on me. “But can’t that wait till later. We don’t know if she was alone. If she’s with a group and they come back, the women will be in trouble.”
Bob growls and rolls his eyes, but Jim releases my breast.
A breath hisses through my teeth as I rub the spot.
“Kid’s got a point,” Jim says.
He gestures to the log near the dead fire. “Have them wait there. Me and Bob will scout the area.”
Billy nods, casting a sideways glance at the men, and grasps my arm.
His touch isn’t even a fraction as hard as Jim’s or Bob’s.
It’s…gentle.
As they turn away, Billy leads me toward the log. “Come. Don’t fight, please, or they’ll think I can’t handle you. That will be bad.”
I glance up at him. There’s torment in his eyes, but I’m not ready to trust him just yet.
He’s working with men like Jim and Bob, after all.
I’m not out of the clear yet.
Chapter Twenty-Five
SAM
I sit for a few minutes, watching the group of people around me, the forest surrounding us, and listening for signs of Jim and Bob’s return.
Now and then, the wind rustles through the trees and I think I smell Ga’Var.
My heart lurches, but he does not appear.
I have no idea what’s happened to him and I’m starting to fear the worst.
The three women and Billy don’t speak and as the minutes continue to tick by, I’m beginning to find it strange.
“Have you been traveling together for long?”
At the sound of my voice, they all look at me, but none of them answer.
The women all look drained, their eyes dead, and soon they pull their gazes away from me once more.
But Billy studies me a little before glancing at the forest behind me.
“Not for long,” he says. “Maybe three weeks.” He shrugs. “I don’t know about the days anymore. They come and go real fast.”
His gaze darts to the forest then back at me again before falling to my cheek.
It still aches and no doubt there’s a bruise forming there.
“Don’t…don’t fight back so much. They’ll leave you alone if you don’t make them notice you.”
I’m only now realizing that one of his eyes has slightly darker skin around it than the other, as if they punched him there.
My gaze flicks over the other women and the oldest one meets my gaze finally.
“He’s right. Otherwise, they will force you.” She glances at the woman that looks like a younger version of her. “I give myself as much as I can, to keep them satisfied so they don’t…”
She trails off, but the horror of what she was about to say isn’t lost on me.
“Why are they doing this?”
They all look at me now as if I’m from another planet.
“How long have you been out here on your own?” the older lady asks.
I blink, trying to come up with a suitable response. “A while.”
The woman frowns. “And this is the first time you’re encountering a clan?”
My brows furrow a little. “I didn’t know clans were a thing.”
They glance at each other again. “You must be great at surviving in the wild and managing to somehow keep out of the radar of those metal…things.”
A few of them look up into the sky at that, visibly shivering.
“Or do you have a stash of drinkable water somewhere…hiding?”
Her question makes little sense to me.
“Water?”
What’s this about water again?
“Yes, water,” Billy adds. “You know. For trading.”
“What?”
The older woman raises her eyebrows. “Wow. I don’t know how you’ve managed all this time on your own. It sounds impossible.”
I blink at them, not understanding.
“You trade water?”
The woman shrugs. “It’s not like money is worth anything now. But fresh, drinkable water is.”
My eyes widen some more as what they’re saying suddenly makes sense.
“Water is currency?”
The woman nods. “Some people will trade you fresh clothes and even boots for a good cup.”
I blink at her, her words slowly registering.
So much has been happening out there that I don’t know about—that none of us at the base knows about—but even though pockets of humanity seems to be surviving, it’s still clear that it’s a dangerous, harsh world out there.
I glance behind me, searching the forest for any sign of the brothers.
“Listen.” I turn back to the group. “Those two seem like they’re controlling you all. I don’t know the intricacies of it, but what if I tell you that you don’t have to hang around them or endure their abuse anymore? That I can offer you protection?”
The dark-skinned young woman’s head snaps in my direction, her gaze piercing mine. “We’re not falling for that. That’s what Jim said. Turns out he and his brother were the protection he was talking about and he didn’t mention it included forcing themselves onto us either.”
I look from her, my gaze traveling to the others.
There’s a sense of defeat floating around all of them.
“Why don’t you fight back?”
“Because those who try to get hurt badly.” The mature woman looks directly at Billy and he shifts so I can’t see the part of his face with the fading black eye. “And there are worse clans out there. At least we only have to deal with two douchebags. We just have to keep them…satisfied.” She meets my gaze, hidden meaning in her eyes. “My name’s Jillian, by the way.”
She gestures to the other gray-eyed woman. “Lily.” And then to the dark-skinned woman. “Deja.”
The boy jerks his chin at me. “Billy.”
I nod. “Sam.”
Jillian’s throat moves and her gaze pierces mine. “If you decide to run right now. I don’t blame you. But those two brothers are skilled trackers. They will find you if they want you enough and Billy here will probably get beat up for losing you.”
I glance at Billy again, but he doesn’t meet my gaze.
“Now,” Jillian says. “Tell me about this protection you’re talking about.”
“She’s talking about her friend,” Billy says, and this time when I turn, his gaze is on me.
“What friend?” Jillian whispers, her gaze darting to the camper.
Billy’s gaze pierces into mine and my throat gets a little dry.
“The soldier dressed in black.”
GA’VAR
The Gryken floats down to the forest floor and my hackles rise completely as I watch it.
No.
It can’t be coming down to the surface.
I’ve never seen any Gryken do that before, but even as I watch, the transparent transport the beast sits in floats to the ground.
There are two of them.
One floating right above the other, the large heads and lengthy limbs of the Gryken in clear view as they fan out behind the body.
A former and a predecessor.
One smaller than the other.
My blades form on my arms, ready for me to shoot forward and cut them down.
But I cannot move. Because it’s not that easy.
Many Vullan died in those first few moons of battle, thinking that charging at the Gryken’s huge machines could take them down.
That facing the beasts head-on could win the war.
They were wrong.
I cannot risk going close.
I cannot risk them seeing me.
For as soon as the Gryken spot me, I will put the lives of all Vullan and hyu’mans on this planet in jeopardy.
And Sa’am…
Sa’am is out there all alone, waiting for me.
If I do not return, she will perish.
There is no way for her to get back to the base on her own. And even if she tries, with the Gryken coming to the forest below, they will sense her.
Fear shoots through me at the thought, and I watch as the Grykens float to the ground below.
They land, coated in goo that probably protects them from the light of this planet’s star.
They pause, looking around.
One reaches toward a green leaf swaying in the wind and touches it, turning to the other, as if communicating.
The Gryken pause and move slowly, looking at the foliage, touching the trees.
They look out of place on this planet, as they did on the dark sands of Edooria.
They are not meant to be here; yet, here they are.
One looks in my direction, but I am already cloaked, my ba’clan always moving one step ahead of me.
He cannot see me and I doubt he can sense me either.
I am still too far away for their natural sensing ability to work.
But that doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way, for they’re moving in my direction.
Coming closer and, in essence, also moving closer to Sa’am.
I have to get her out of here.
Take her farther into the forest, maybe.
Anything except let them catch her.
I know all too well what the Gryken are capable of.
I saw it all happen with my own eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Six
SAM
“I saw him.” Billy’s eyes pierce into mine, hope like a thin string in his tone.
“A soldier?” Deja asks.
“Shh, keep your voice down.” Jillian’s gaze darts around us before her eyes settle on me again. “What type of soldier? Where’s he gone? Is he coming back for you?”
My gaze flicks across every single one of them and the growing hope in their eyes.
“Is he a good guy?” Lily whispers.
“Yes.” I nod. “He’s a very good…guy.”
