Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Colvin’s instincts switched to high alert as he rode his AGcycle up to Ivy’s apartment.
She hadn’t arrived at the hotel at the appointed time and she wasn’t answering her com so he’d become worried.
The door was slightly ajar which she’d never allow, as safety conscious as she was.
As he got off the bike, he wished he had a blaster with him.
Weapons were banned on Resort Planet but a few exceptions had been made and he was one of them, but his blaster was locked in a drawer in his hotel room.
Carefully he made his way to the door and went inside.
The house was too quiet and he found her purse and handheld lying on the table beside the door.
Normally she never left without both. He checked the bedrooms, Darien’s in its usual messy state with toys and books covering the floor, and Ivy’s clothes strewn as if she’d been considering her entire wardrobe trying to dress for him.
The bathroom was empty and then he checked the kitchen.
Heart sinking, he saw the signs of a struggle, items knocked off the countertops, a discarded knife on the floor and a few drops of blood.
Rage flooded his heart, that someone had put hands on his mate and he hadn’t been here to defend her.
In the living room he heard her handheld chiming so he rushed to grab it.
Goff Delain appeared in the holo field. He was much taken aback to see Colvin. “Is Ivy there? I need to speak with her at once.”
“No, she isn’t here but her purse and her handheld are. There’s obviously been a fight in the kitchen—what the seven hells is going on here, Delain?”
“We believe her son is missing too,” the resort manager told him. “He went with a teacher to gather crafts supplies from a closet in the rear storage area of the facility and neither he nor the girl have been seen since. We think she kidnapped him.”
“It’s her Amarotu ex behind this,” Colvin said. “It has to be. She told me she was afraid of him tracking them down and trying to get Darien back.”
“My security forces are on the lookout already for the boy and the teacher,” Delain said. “I’ll give them this new information and we’ll mobilize the entire department to search.”
“He won’t be here in the resort,” Colvin said. “That’s too obvious and easy. I’ll call you right back.”
His next com was to his old friend Captain Degrasay, commander of the Ardannan battleship Famptror, high in orbit above.
“Colvin, how goes the dating?” his friend asked genially when he saw who was on the call.
“There’s an unauthorized ship either in orbit or on this planet,” Colvin said crisply. “Probably Amarotu Combine but could be a privateer. I need you to find it, now.”
Captain Degrasay asked no questions but snapped an order to someone standing close by. “We’ll have the co-ordinates for you in a minute. What’s going on?”
“My fated mate and her son have been kidnapped by her ex, who’s a Combine higher up. She’s terrified of him, been running and hiding for over a year. I’m going to need help getting her back. IDA is co-operating in the search but we both know their security can’t do what we can do.”
“My Special Forces detail could use a training exercise about now,” his friend said with a perfectly straight face.
“Doing a hostage extraction would be good practice for them, keep their skills sharp.” He accepted a chit from a crew person and read off a set of co-ordinates, which Colvin memorized, recognizing the spot as north of the resort, deep in the forest. “Armed shuttle from the profile. We’ve got it locked down with a reverse tractor beam.
I’m sending a fighter wing to surround the mother ship in orbit.
I can have a boarding party ready to go in ten minutes. ”
“Don’t board until I know more,” Colvin said. “I’m assuming Ivy and her son are still here on the planet, at this shuttle. Have your men meet me there but take no action until I arrive on the scene unless absolutely necessary.”
“Got it. Good luck, old friend. Can’t wait to meet this girl.” Degrasay signed off.
Quickly he commed Delain, not bothering to activate holo chat, just sending the information on the shuttle and the mother ship.
Then he was out the door, mounting his cycle and roaring off northward.
Anger boiled like acid in his veins the further he went, cutting across the terrain, utilizing the antigrav where necessary.
He kept the engine at the redline and made good time.
Leaving the cycle about a half a mile from the location of the shuttle, Colvin jogged the rest of the way until an Ardannan Special forces operator in camouflage gear stepped out of the forest shadows and signaled to him.
He followed the man to their command post where he got a quick briefing from the officer in charge, “The ship isn’t going anywhere, sir.
The Famptror has it disabled thanks to the reverse tractor beam but the tangos don’t seem to understand what’s happening.
Guess they never heard of the tech. They think it’s their engine. ”
“And my mate? And the boy? Are they here?”
“The lady’s banged up a bit. Kid’s okay but scared and crying. She arrived a little while ago, with two men in a groundcar. There are five more men plus the pilot and one other woman. She doesn’t seem to be under duress.”
“Probably the girl who kidnapped the boy from childcare. She’s one of them,” Colvin said. “Arms?”
“All the men, not the second woman.” The officer gestured to one of his men and the operator handed Colvin a blaster.
“Sir, all the tangos are outside the flyer now,” said a voice on the subaural comlink.
“I’m going to see for myself. Attack on my signal only,” Colvin said, wheeling and heading for the clearing where the shuttle sat.
He sensed rather than saw the Special Forces team spreading out around him, creeping through the forest as silently as he was.
When he got to the edge of the glade, he hunkered down in cover and took in the situation for himself.
Ivy’s bruises and white face infuriated him.
Darien was pressed against her legs, in the midst of a full blown three-year-old’s classic tantrum, probably heightened by the fact her hands were bound behind her back and she couldn’t comfort him properly.
His screams and angry unintelligible demands echoed in the clearing.
The man Colvin assumed had to be Ronn, the crime boss, was berating a man standing next to the flyer, demanding he get the engines working again.
Suddenly Ronn whirled and stepped to where Ivy and Darien stood, guarded by two hulking men.
He backhanded Ivy so hard she fell, screaming at her.
“If you can’t get that fucking kid to shut up, I’ll end you right now! ”
Colvin snapped. Golden fur rushed over his body and he sank to four paws, each bigger than a dinner plate, armed with steak knife-sized claws.
His body elongated and became that of a powerful feline predator, tail lashing, golden horns on his head.
He roared and sprang into the open, crossing the clearing with one bound and taking Ronn down, rending him with teeth and claws.
Vaguely he was conscious of the Ardannan soldiers coming in behind him, firing shots at the other Amarotu.
Of the two men who’d been guarding Ivy, one threw his weapon to the turf and ran, pursued by the soldiers.
The other shot at Colvin at point blank range but the bolts bounced off his fur and did no damage.
A moment later the thug joined his late boss in hell.
Colvin reared on his hind legs and roared a victory song.
He whirled to check on Ivy and Darien, becoming the man again as he did so, although he was naked.
Apparently his clothes didn’t survive the shifting process.
He knelt beside Ivy who bore bruises on her face, as well as the red mark of her ex’s most recent blow.
Regarding him with wide eyes she seemed to be in shock, which was understandable under the circumstances.
“Are you all right, beautiful girl? I’m sorry you and the boy had to see that. ”
A Special Forces operator came up behind her and opened the force cuffs on her wrists and she threw her arms around Colvin. “You saved us—I don’t understand how or what happened but I’m so grateful.”
“Can I look now, Mommy?” asked a small voice.
Colvin saw Darien lying on the grass with his hands over his eyes.
Ivy shuddered, glancing at the corpses and said, “Not yet, sweetie. It’s important not to open your eyes yet. I told him to play peek-a-boo,” she told Colvin, “And then I got on top of him as much as I could.”
“You’re wounded.” Colvin touched her upper arm, where her sleeve was singed. “We need to get the two of you out of here right now.”
The officer in charge of the Ardannan squad came up, saluting, and handed Colvin someone’s shirt. “Might get a bit drafty, sir.”
He grabbed it, knotting the sleeves at his waist so it was an inadequate kilt but better than being naked.
“I want these two transported to the Famptror immediately to receive medical attention,” he said.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, beautiful girl,” he told Ivy, “My friend Captain Degrasay will take good care of you.” Bending over he lifted Darien from the grass, doing a rapid check to make sure he wasn’t visibly injured.
He pressed the boy’s head to his shoulder.
“Don’t look yet, okay, pal? I’m going to send you with my soldier friends up to a big battleship and I need you to take care of your mom until I can get there, okay? ”
Darien nodded and stood straighter, as if assuming a large responsibility although he kept his eyes glued shut. “You turned into a big lion, didn’t you? I saw you before mommy said close my eyes. Can I see you do the trick again?”