Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
The crew exited via the East Coast portal, and thirty minutes later, Scorpio, along with Cancer, Leo, and Aries, stood in a farmer’s field with their equipment—which did include the rocket launcher. Aquarius had stayed behind to provide technical support via a laptop that hadn’t gotten wiped. It wouldn’t give him the full capabilities he had with his full system, but he could at least track the plane so they could position the drones properly when the time came.
The air held a chill to it, not that Scorpio minded. It felt balmy after his stint in the Antarctic but not as hot as the moment he’d shared with Rebecca. He’d not been lying when he claimed he could spend hours pleasing her. As a man with much—much—experience, he had no trouble admitting there’d been something different about sex with the doc. He’d reached a level of satisfaction he’d never imagined. More than just release, he’d felt a connection with her, and now that they’d parted, he couldn’t stop thinking of her and what he’d do when he got back. And not just naked-times stuff. He wanted to get to know her. Listen to her talk. Play video games with her. Teach her about the Zodiacs, maybe take her on a tropical vacation that would include some exploring.
Cancer grumbled. “Fucking clouds. They better not mess up the signal for the drone.” He fiddled with his remote as the device lifted into the air.
The second one was being controlled by Aries, who stared at the sky as if he could see the blocked stars.
Leo knelt on the ground, rocket launcher in hand. There’d been some arguing on whether they should use it, with Aries stating, “We could accidentally destroy the artifact on board,” to which Leo replied, “Then at least they won’t have it.”
It didn’t help that when Sage was asked before departure if she could clarify its use or not, she burst into tears. According to Aries, she’d been having trouble with her visions.
No problem. They’d winged missions before.
Scorpio had neither a drone nor a rocket launcher, seeing as how he sucked at guiding the one, and as for the latter, Leo had better aim. Scorpio did, however, hold a rifle because, once the plane landed, more than likely there’d be some mercs on board with the sole task of guarding the orb. They’d see how they liked having a gun pointed at them. Yes, he remained salty about the ignoble incident by the glacier.
His earpiece vibrated as Aquarius gave them an update. “Plane will be entering the target zone in ninety seconds. Up-to-date coordinates sent to your remotes.”
Cancer viewed the update and whistled. “I’ll be damned. Seems like the plane is doing us a favor and is coming in lower than expected.”
“They might have started their descent early,” opined Aries.
Scorpio, however, frowned. With favorable weather conditions, why would the pilot deviate from standard protocol?
The rumble of a vehicle had him whirling to watch as a pickup truck in major need of a muffler zoomed down the road bordering the field. It didn’t slow, but he still watched it until the taillights and the noise of its failing exhaust system disappeared.
But silence didn’t return.
Whump . Whump .
“Is it me, or do I hear a fucking chopper?” Cancer exclaimed.
With his belly tight, Scorpio snarled, “Get ready. I think we’re about to be ambushed.”
Aries swore. “Leo, soon as you get eyes on it?—”
“Fear not, boss. I will knock the birdie from the sky,” grunted the man getting into postion with his heavy duty artillerary.
“Cancer, ignore the chopper and you stay focused on guiding your drone. I’m sending mine in to sabotage the left engine.”
“Already aiming for the right,” a concentrating Cancer muttered.
“Chopper in sight,” Leo advised as the blinking of its lights became visible. “Get ready for fireworks, boys.”
The boom as the rocket launcher fired didn’t startle. They were used to the noise of heavy munitions, and Leo’s aim proved true. The smudge in the sky turned into a fireball as the munition struck and exploded it. The deafening sound had Scorpio’s ears ringing, and he could barely hear Aries yell, “I just lost control of the drone.” He shook his remote, as if that would help.
“Fuck me, mine’s not responding either,” Cancer hollered in reply.
“Heads up. Incoming!” Aries hollered as the drones, no longer under their control, dove at the Zodiac crew.
Scorpio used the rifle to bat one out of the sky, even as the knot in his stomach tightened. It would seem Cetus’ seer had predicted their operation. Worse, they’d coordinated an ambush of their own that included more than just the single chopper. More whomping could be heard.
Leo confirmed it a moment later. “There’s another bird in the sky. Make that two.” The blinking lights pierced the light mist.
“Abort,” Aries shouted. “Mission is compromised. Everyone, get your asses back to the tower.”
Frustration filled Scorpio at yet another failure.
“Zodiac that, boss.” Cancer was the first to turn into a streak of light that disappeared. Leo stood with his big toy and a scowl. He beamed out a second later.
Not Scorpio. He clenched his jaw as he watched the pair of choppers coming in low. From this height, he could see the merc behind the mounted machine gun.
“Let’s go,” Aries yelled. “We lost the plane. No point in being target practice for these assholes.”
The man had a point, even if it burned. A reluctant Scorpio began the activation of his tattoo, only to pause as he noticed the lights of a vehicle that slowed on the road. The dark SUV, identical to the one they’d used to come to the field, halted, and from the passenger seat spilled Doc just as Aries winked out of sight.
She ran for him, and Scorpio didn’t realize he did as well until he was close enough to see her frightened face. “What are you doing here?” he snapped.
“Sage said I had to come, or something bad would happen.” She came to a panting stop in front of him.
“Too late.” He glanced past her to see Capricorn exiting the SUV. The culprit who’d brought her to the ambush. They’d be having words later. “We have to get out of here. It’s a trap.”
Her eyes widened. “I’m too late.”
“I don’t think your presence from the start would have mattered. They knew we’d be here.” He tucked her against him. “Head to the tower,” he shouted to Capricorn. “Mission is a bust.”
His friend glanced at him then the choppers in the sky before disappearing. Wild how they could get back home from anywhere with pretty much a simple thought but actually getting somewhere required either intense math or a permanent portal.
The wind from the chopper blades whipped Rebecca’s hair around her face, and he couldn’t help but be surprised the mercs hadn’t started shooting. The delay worked in their favor.
“Hold tight,” he exclaimed as he went to draw from his tattoo to beam them back home.
Only, just like in the ruin, it didn’t respond. Probably because the fuckers in the helicopter launched a net. It settled over him and Rebecca and quelled his ability.
“Fuck!” he swore.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“They came prepared.” This time Cetus had made sure he couldn’t simply vanish from their clutches. The netting had somehow been woven with bits of meteorite. He couldn’t leave.
Couldn’t do anything as men dropped to the ground and ran for them.
Could only hold Rebecca tight and murmur, “Sorry.” Looked like they wouldn’t be celebrating naked later on.
If ever.
Tranquilizer darts hit them, their content potent enough to take even his ass down.
He woke in shackles in the back of a moving van, but even worse, he wasn’t alone.
A frightened Rebecca sat tethered across from him and, as if to taunt their impotence, within a glass case strapped between them, the fucking orb.