Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
“There it is.”
Zayn called out to the others, watching the wide asteroid cloud coming into view.
His hands flew over the control panel. He was most at home in his well-worn pilot’s seat with the controls at his fingertips.
It was the first time he’d felt steady in the last twenty-four hours. Since he’d first seen Ria’s face.
“Where’s the Tekton base?”
Her voice was in his right ear as she leaned over his shoulder. So close he felt the warmth of her breath on his skin. His entire body tensed. Jesus, he had no idea if he was attracted to her for her own sake, or because she reminded him of Vik.
“Still a ways off yet. It’s on the other side of the cloud.” He glanced at his timepiece. “I hope Nik’s contact comes through with the map of the Tekton base soon.”
“They will,” Nik said from the chair beside Zayn.
“How are Dath and Eos doing with organizing the distraction?” Ria asked.
Zayn adjusted the engine controls. “They’re almost ready.” Suddenly, he felt Ria stiffen. He turned his head. “What’s wrong?”
She was scanning the main cockpit area. “I’m not sure…I—” she tensed even more “—someone’s here.”
Zayn looked at the empty space. “There’s no one here but us.”
Ria launched forward, striking out with her arm. It looked like she hit empty space, but Zayn was shocked when the air shimmered and a black-clad figure materialized.
Son of a bitch. He surged out of the chair and Niklas did the same. There was no way anyone could get aboard a ship moving at interstellar speed undetected. And no way Zayn or BEll could have missed it.
Ria kicked out at the infiltrator, her moves fluid and power-packed. But the tall, black figure covered in light body armor moved with their own deadly moves.
The pair grappled with each other, spinning around, before Ria managed to tackle the intruder. They rolled across the floor.
Dammit, Ria was going to get hurt. Zayn moved closer and when he got the chance, he grabbed Ria from behind and yanked her up. Nik grabbed the intruder, his arms wrapped tight around a slim torso.
“What the hell are you doing?” Ria struggled against Zayn.
Now was not the time, but his mind recorded every brush of her body against his. “Saving you from a nasty injury.”
“What?” She finally went still but her gaze was on the figure in black.
Nik was still holding their visitor. One hand was resting lightly around the person’s throat. “Don’t move.”
“Or what?” The voice was an eerie electronic sound through the armor helmet.
Nik touched a button on the side of the helmet, and it retracted. “No games, Nera.”
Ria blinked. “Nera? Nera Darc?”
“In the flesh, unfortunately.” Zayn still couldn’t believe such a black-hearted and sneaky treasure hunter could be so incredibly beautiful. A flawless face was dominated by eyes the color of a multi-hued nebula. Her hair was short and platinum blonde. “How the hell did you get on the ship?”
The tiniest smile tugged at full lips.
Zayn scowled. “BEll, any record of her entry?”
“Nothing.” BEll sounded peeved.
Darc gripped one of Nik’s arms, and her gaze moved over Ria and then Zayn. “You hanging out with assassins now?”
“None of your business,” Nik growled.
“Fine.” She tilted her head back. “I got your message. You want to infiltrate the Tekton base.”
Dathan and Eos rushed into the room, both pulling up short. Dathan cursed and skewered his older brother with a sharp glare. “You fucking contacted Darc?”
Nik’s face was impassive. “She’s been in the Tekton base.”
“And I have a map. Including their utilities. I recorded it during my previous…visit.”
Zayn swallowed a snort. No doubt the Tekton had been missing something valuable after Darc’s visit.
“I can’t guarantee they haven’t changed or upgraded anything. It’s been a year since I was there.”
They needed the map. Anything was better than going in blind. But Zayn was worried. “What’s it going to cost us?”
Darc’s face was empty of emotion, but he swore he sensed satisfaction from her. “Nothing. Yet.” She pulled against Nik’s hold. “If you can bring yourself to let me go, I’ll upload the map.”
Nik’s scowl deepened. After a few humming seconds, he released the treasure hunter.
Darc stalked to the holo-table and pressed a finger to the surface. “I have an integrated chip. Computer, access file TEK451-2.”
“My name is BEll, you scum-of-the-galaxy bitch.”
Darc raised a brow. “Even your computer has attitude. Figures.”
A sniff from BEll. “File accessed and copied.”
Darc nodded. “Fine—” There was a zapping sound and she jerked her hand away, shaking it. “Now who’s a bitch?”
“BEll, enough,” Nik said. “Is the map there?”
“Yes,” BEll answered.
Dathan moved forward. “I can’t believe you want nothing. You’re the most mercenary person in the entire galaxy.”
She tilted her head. “You need to get out more, Phoenix.”
“I don’t lower myself into the scum like you do.”
Darc’s face hardened. “You know nothing about me. But you’re right about one thing, I do want something in return for the map.” She turned to Niklas. “You’ll owe me. Just you. I’ll collect the debt when I’m ready.”
“No.” Zayn surged forward. “We’re all part of this hunt. We’ll all owe you.”
“You have nothing I want, Commander. Your brother will pay the debt.”
Nik nodded. “Fine.”
Zayn launched into an argument as did Dathan.
But Niklas kept his gaze on the tall treasure hunter. “I’ll show you out.”
Darc gave a small nod. “I’d wish you luck raiding the Tekton base, but I don’t think you’d take it.” She moved toward the doorway out of the cockpit, Nik following her.
“I hope he helps her out the nearest airlock,” Dathan said darkly.
Zayn pushed his worry aside. Nik was a big boy. “Let’s look at this map. We’ll be coming into range of the Tekton base soon.”
“That’s the Tekton asteroid there.” Zayn pointed out the cockpit window to a big sucker of a rock that made the others look like specks of dust. “I’ll let them know we’re coming shortly.”
“And I’ll go in as a wealthy potential client.
” Eos moved forward. She’d already changed out of her usual khaki pants and was draped in a sarim, the traditional dress of her home world, Vedia.
The burgundy fabric followed her curves, and her hair was piled on top of her head and threaded with colored jewels.
“I don’t like this,” Dathan said from behind his wife. He was wearing a black suit and had brushed his hair into submission.
Zayn goggled. Dathan rarely dressed up.
Eos turned into her husband. “You’re coming in as my bodyguard.” Her face changed, turning regal and haughty. “You will do as I say. I require a new palace and I want the best.”
Dathan snagged the fabric of her sarim and tugged her closer. “I don’t recall this ‘do as I say’ business.”
Eos laughed and let him kiss her.
Zayn looked over at Ria. “Well, our entrance won’t be so grand.”
Ria shrugged, her gaze still lingering on the couple. “Not the first time I’ve snuck into a place through a sewer.”
“Okay, let’s get this mission rolling.” Zayn touched the controls and put the call through to the Tekton.
Twenty minutes later, he was setting the Infinitas down through the blue shimmer of a huma-dome and onto the landing pads of the Tekton asteroid.
Through the synth-glass cockpit window, he saw the Tekton base spread out across the top of a rocky ridge.
The building looked like it clung to the rock with ease, running along the ridge like a sinuous snake.
Eos swept out, with Dathan a brooding presence behind her. Zayn saw a small welcoming party of Tekton standing together. Their tall bodies were painfully thin and their skin various shades of gray.
Once the group moved inside, Zayn stood. “Nik, don’t wreck anything while I’m gone.”
“You’re not the only one who knows how to fly this ship,” his older brother said.
“Yeah, but I’m the best.” Zayn turned to Ria. “Let’s suit up.”
He led her into the armory room. Around the walls hung various suits, weapons, and equipment they used on hunts. There were suits for bad atmosphere, light and heavy body armor, diving suits, and environmental suits.
“Here.” He snatched an environmental suit off the wall. “This’ll give us basic protection from anything in the sewers.”
She nabbed it, and then started to undo the buttons on her shirt.
Zayn froze. He told himself to turn his back, to look away, but he couldn’t.
She shrugged out of her shirt, then looked at him. She stilled. “Sorry. In the Guild, we change and train alongside each other all day. Privacy isn’t something that we get much of. Neither is modesty.”
“It’s fine.” God, was his voice just a little bit high pitched? She wore a simple, fitted black tank underneath. But damn, it molded to the curves of her breasts and made his mouth water. He yanked his own shirt over his head.
Her eyes widened a fraction. Not as cool as she seemed, apparently. And he was damned if that didn’t please him just a bit. She flicked open the fly of her dark trousers and then slowly, so slowly, skimmed them down her legs. Her long, muscled legs. She straightened.
Their eyes met again. It no longer mattered who she reminded him of, he was attracted to her. This strong, athletic woman trying to make her own future on her own terms.
Then she turned away and pulled on her enviro suit. With an eye roll to the ceiling, Zayn did the same. Time to focus on the job, otherwise he could get them both killed.
“I have Darc’s map uploaded to my mini-Sync.” Ria finished attaching the device to her wrist. Then she held something out to him. “Here.”
A small laser pistol.
“It’s easy to use, and powerful, despite its size.” She’d already tucked hers into a small holster at her waist.
“No, thanks.” He fitted his favorite T’norian knife into his boot. It was made from a heavy black metal, with a curved blade. “I don’t carry guns.”
“Because of Vik.”
His heart gave a kick. He turned toward the door. “Let’s go.”