26. Chapter 26
Morning came all too soon. The sun hadn't even risen yet when Ghan-Zahr woke me. "It's time, Rachel."
I was up in an instant. All sleepiness left me the moment I remembered what day it was.
The night before, I laid out my tattered clothes, the ones I had worn on the day Ghan-Zahr took me. At least they were washed.
The other women, Gwyn, Jenna, and Amber, gave me some of their clothes to wear, even a pair of real boots from Jenna, whose feet were the same size as mine. I stared at the comfortable pants and shirt I had been wearing yesterday. Vandruk wardrobe usually dictated skirts and dresses for women, but the men had grudgingly agreed that for practicality reasons, it was easier for us to wear pants. I suspected Amber had a lot to do with that after making a few clear points. But I hadn't asked; I had just been grateful to have other clothes besides the blouse and pants.
They weren't made from leather like the men's and were wider but more than comfortable with their drawstring belts that never felt snug. Not that I had had any problems with that since my dramatic diet change and seemingly nonstop walking— and sex, don't forget the sex . I grinned. How could I?
The grin was short-lived when I saw the faces of the other women; all were drawn and serious except Amber's, who glowed with excitement. She is basically bursting out of her seams and nearly skipping.
After a quick debate and loud arguing last night, Gwyn won, and Tzar-Than agreed to lead a team in search of the suspected prisoners. He had, however, insisted that Gwyn would remain in the portal room and get to the other side at any sign of danger. None of us believed for a second that she would do that, but it seemed to pacify Tzar-Than.
First, though, we would have to take control of the portal.
Nobody spoke as we walked for about an hour before I made out the red glow from the portal. I had never seen it like this before. The last time I was here, I had been filled with fear after Ghan-Zahr abducted me. Now I could take in the eerie glow, the red swirling fog, and truly appreciate how this would have seemed to the Vandruks when they first laid eyes on it. For me, it looked like a door to hell.
The fog swirled and glowed, hitting invisible barriers in the shape of a door.
"Khadahrs," we were greeted by males behind a wall of boulders. More had been added since… was it only a few days ago? Gwyn was right. Time did seem to pass differently on Vandruk.
Keeping a bound Carl in the middle, six warriors moved to the front of the wall. Silently, they stood lined up, waiting for the humans on the other side to notice their leader and open the portal.
I noticed Amber coming up from the shadows behind the portal, where she was in the humans' blind spot, just like Dzar-Ghan on the other side. Both readied themselves to be the first ones through, by brute force if necessary. I held on to Ghan-Zahr's forearm, gaining strength from his presence, and readied myself to make a run for it if it became necessary.
Slowly, the red fog eased, exposing the lab on the other side. Enraged faces of scientists glared at us. A man I recognized as General Connolly moved into the center of the portal, half in, half out.
"Professor Weidenhof, are you okay?"
"Connolly!" Weidenhof yelled before a knife rose against his throat and shut him up.
Connolly stiffened. "I demand that you release the professor at once."
"You have no demands here"." Tzar-Than stepped between Connolly and Weidenhof. He spoke the best English of the group of khadahrs, which was why he had been chosen as the spokesman. " We demand immediate access to the portal and to speak to your world leaders, then we will talk about the release of Professor Weidenhof."
"That will never happen, alien"," Connolly sneered.
I noticed Amber and Dzar-Ghan readying themselves to charge. I grabbed Ghan-Zahr's forearm harder, and my breathing increased, as did the hammering of my heart. The only time in my life I had been this fearful had been when the very same man I was clinging to now for support abducted me. Only I had been too confused to truly appreciate the fright running through me then.
Now I had more clarity and more time to watch things unfold, and it wreaked havoc with my resolve. I wasn't a soldier or hero; yes, I had wanted to report from the frontlines, but now that I was here, I wished I were sitting behind my safe laptop, writing a story instead of living it.
I wasn't going to give in to the fear, though. If I wanted to have a life with Ghan-Zahr on Vandruk, I would have to fight for it. I also owed it to my family to send a message, assuring them that I was here of my own free will, and that I was happy.
"Hand the professor over and—" Connolly was abruptly cut short as Dzar-Ghan and Amber charged simultaneously, tackling him. The threesome pushed back into the lab, from where screams erupted. Dzur-Khan was right on their heels, with one of the other khadahrs, Grohn-Vhyn, at his side. Grohn-Vhyn was older and had kept himself in the background until now, but he was just as quick on his feet as the rest of the khadahrs.
I noticed Tzar-Than storming forward ahead of us. I held on to Ghan-Zahr's forearm and stumbled after Tzar-Than.
Tzar-Than reached the portal before us, coming to a stumbling halt as the red fog's tendrils reappeared, barring us from entering.
Ghan-Zahr swung me around to stop our forward momentum; for a fraction of a second, I watched Tzar-Than's arm vanish in the red fog, but he pulled it back.
With a hammering heart, I stared into the swirling red, willing it to dissipate.
"Be ready," Tzar-Than cautioned as more of us converged on the portal. Warriors, khadahrs, Jenna, and Gwyn.
It seemed as if we waited forever. No noise broke through the fog, and I prayed with all my might that the four who made it in would be successful. If they got overtaken, our entire plan would fail. All we would have left would be Carl to trade for our friends.
"Come on"." Jenna stomped from one foot to the other, eyes riveted on the fog.
I held on tighter to Ghan-Zahr, unable to even imagine what Jenna was going through right now with Dzar-Ghan on the other side.
"There!" Grohn-Vhyn yelled, pointing. "Be ready."
The fog slowly lifted, and Tzar-Than and Jenna were the first ones through. I heard a cry of joy, and Ghan-Zahr pulled me through. More Vandruks filed in after us.
"Nek, tami," Dzar-Ghan yelled, to me .
He was handing out guns he had liberated from the few guards who had been inside the lab, who now lay mostly unconscious and bound on the floor, next to, also bound, lab workers.
Ghan-Zahr wasn't wasting a moment. "Rachel," he called me over.
Jenna was standing next to him, pale but obviously happy to be reunited with her mate. Amber was checking a rifle. "Which way to the elevators?"
Jenna knew the IC layout almost as well as Gwyn and would lead us, while Tzar-Than was in charge of keeping the portal open and the lab protected, as well as search for the missing women and science team members.
"Are you ready?" Ghan-Zahr asked me, lifting my chin gently so he could read my eyes, which I was sure were as big as saucers. My heart still hammered wildly in my chest, and adrenaline surged through my veins.
"I'm ready," I assured him, even though I wanted to be anywhere but here. But I nodded to assert my readiness.
"I won't let anything happen to you." His confidence calmed my frayed nerves, yet I would have given anything for a Xanax.
Jenna took the lead through a door into a hallway, which I remembered led to the elevators. Ghan-Zahr, Dzur-Khan, Dzar-Ghan, and several warriors pulled their swords. Despite my fear, I couldn't help a shudder go through my body at this powerful display of manliness. They looked so much like ancient warrior barbarians having come to life, it was uncanny. My eyes were glued to Ghan-Zahr, his bulging biceps, the expression of utter focus and readiness on his features. One thought rushed through my mind: Mine!
A tingling sensation spread through me. He was mine! I would fight anything and anybody to keep it that way. This new Rachel was a lot more badass than the old one, and I was starting to like her.
Yelling and the clomping of feet could be heard from the corridors, "Nak taken," Ghan-Zahr yelled. Be ready .
Jenna kept pressing the elevator button, mumbling, "Come on, come on, come on."
Sweat dripped down my neck. I had let go of Ghan-Zahr so he had his hands free for his weapons, but the old saying, don't bring a knife to a gunfight , auto repeated in my mind. That line was only reassuring if you were the one holding a gun, not the one with the knife/sword.
The few weapons the Vandruks had liberated had stayed with the team inside the lab to defend the perimeter, leaving my Vandruks vulnerable.
Jenna kicked the still-closed elevator doors in frustration. "Open, dammit."
The shouts were getting closer, and I steeled myself for the sound of automatic rifle fire breaking out at any second. This was a bad idea , my mind cried.
Just as the first security guards rounded the corner, the doors finally opened.
"There, there!"
"Don't shoot, that's Doctor Wayland," one of them yelled.
Amber pushed me into the opening elevator. Jenna was next, followed by the men. Time seemed to stand still and run at an incredible speed at the same time. Jenna hit the button for the top floor.
Amber hit the one to close the doors, which they did, right into the face of the first furious-looking security guard.
The cab moved up. I leaned against the metal wall and let out a deep breath.