Chapter 6 #2
Malin was still, considering. She hunched her shoulders and lifted her face. “Centax needs our help. We can’t leave women and children to suffer.”
Xander released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. They’d help him. “Thank you.”
Dathan rubbed his hands together. “Well, let’s plan a treasure hunt.”
Mal leaned against the holo-table and pretended not to watch Xander standing so straight and still beside her.
I certainly don’t feel anything for Malin.
It had been a blow to her gut. Her insides still hurt.
She was so stupid. She’d been so busy fooling herself that all of Xander’s slight tells were indications he felt something. Felt something for her.
Stars, was she really so desperate that she was trying to wring something from a cyborg? A cyborg she barely knew? Hurt and anger were a nasty mix in her tight throat. She stared blindly at the glow of the holo-table, seeing nothing, barely registering the voices around her.
She didn’t need this. She didn’t need another man—especially one who wasn’t even completely flesh and blood—stomping over her. Her hands gripped the edge of the holo-table.
“Where’s the Antikythera?” Dathan asked.
“I don’t know,” Xander answered.
Dathan crossed his arms over his chest. “Gonna make it kind of hard for us to steal it.”
A muscle ticked in Xander’s jaw. When Mal realized she was staring at him, she looked back at the holo-table.
“I know it was taken off-planet. The last contact I had with Xenia—she’s the second in command on my CenSec team—she confirmed the mercenaries had taken it on Rexon’s orders.”
“We need to ID these mercs,” Mal said.
Xander frowned. “Yes. But so far I’ve been unsuccessful. I’ve searched all my databases and haven’t found anything that matches.”
“Maybe I should have a try,” said a feminine voice.
Xander stilled, his gaze raking the room. “Who is that?”
“BEll,” Lala said as she sauntered into the room. “She’s like your sister.”
Xander’s frown deepened. “What?”
“She’s our bio-comp,” Mal said. “A Biocomputerized Entity Mach II.”
“You have a computer with biological components?” He blinked. “They don’t exist.”
“Dathan won her…it’s a long story,” Mal said. “BEll, meet Xander Saros. Xander, BEll.”
“A pleasure,” drawled BEll. “General Xander Saros of Centax. Age, thirty-three standard years. Most promising candidate in the Centax Security program. You far outstripped your fellow trainees and have the exceptional ability to accept every enhancement and implant given to you. Bit of a dubious ability, if you ask me. Three years ago, they made you head of CenSec Field Operations. One year ago, they made you head of Centax Security and promoted you to the rank of general. You’re known to be a cool customer, an emotionless, lethal killer, and brilliant strategist. Did I leave anything out? ”
Xander was quiet for a moment. “I don’t think so.”
Dathan was right. Xander wasn’t just a CenSec, he was Centax Security. Mal cleared her throat. “BEll, we need to identify the mercs who stole the Antikythera.”
“I can check my databases.” As they spoke, the blue surface of the table flickered and changed. An image of the ancient, encrusted Antikythera appeared. “Can you provide any visuals?”
“I can upload images.” Xander pressed a hand to the table.
“Uploading now,” BEll said.
Mal turned her attention to the image of the mechanism. It wasn’t beautiful but it sure as hell was compelling. So ancient, and a testament to human ingenuity. A precursor to so many things to come. Her gaze slid to Xander.
He leaned forward over the table. “The mercenaries are big. Many close to seven feet tall. Athletic, muscular. Skin covered in a distinctive, cat-like, striped pattern, various hair colors. They are well-versed in hand-to-hand combat. They are equipped with weapons that can disrupt Centaxian enhancements.”
Images flickered onto the screen.
“Fricking giants,” Dathan muttered.
Mal felt her stomach do an uncomfortable turn, memories of her recent tangle threatening to engulf her.
Like the giant she’d fought, they were all huge, with bulging arms. Most had shaved heads.
But what stood out the most was the striped pattern on their skin.
“It looks like the pelt of a large cat.”
Xander nodded. “They have fangs as well.”
Another image appeared, and in this one, the man’s large canines were distinguishable.
“Shapeshifters?” Eos asked.
“Not that I saw.”
“Nothing in my primary databases,” BEll said. “Running secondary searches.”
“Like I said, I checked all the Centaxian records,” Xander said. “Nothing came up for these people.”
“I’ve got something.” BEll’s voice was smug. “Just a small reference.”
Mal was eager to hear and knew the computer liked to grandstand. “Spit it out, BEll.”
“They appear to be an engineered species called the Rahl.”
“Engineered?” Mal winced. Her thoughts were on her new cousin-in-law, Ria. She’d been the victim of a secret regeneration program and was now also part of an engineered species.
“They were created in military labs as a kind of super-soldier,” BEll continued. “Whole bunch of DNA mixed together. Of course, they were bred as fighters. Their aggression levels are off the charts.”
“Let me guess,” Nik said. “They got away from their masters.”
“Yep. Slaughtered them. Took over the planet.”
“What planet and where is it?” Xander demanded.
“Even cyborgs should have some manners,” BEll huffed.
“Where. Is. It?” His tone was lethal.
“Please, BEll,” Mal added.
“Fine. It’s a planet called Rhage in the Remington system.”
Dathan was frowning. “Rhage? Rhage? That rings a bell.” He straightened so suddenly Mal started. “Shit…the pit-fighting world.”
“Come again?” Eos asked.
Dathan ran a hand over his face. “Now I know. It’s a pit-fighting world. It isn’t mentioned in polite circles. The quadrant’s best underground fighters go there and fight in giant pits. To the death.”
Mal grimaced. “That’s horrible.”
Dathan shrugged. “They can make a lot of money and apparently business is brisk.”
“I don’t care what they do,” Xander said. “I just want to find where they’re holding the Antikythera.”
“They don’t welcome visitors,” Dathan said. “Only fighters.”
“So, I’ll go in as a fighter.”
“Look CenSec, you came to us for help. We need to plan—”
“I just suggested the plan. I go in as a fighter.”
“We can’t go in half-cocked—”
Mal slammed her palms on the holo-table. “Stop it!”
Both men went quiet.
“What else do you know about Rhage?” she asked Dathan.
“They bet heavily on the fights. Each fighter is expected to put up a lot of money and…”
“And?” she prompted.
“A woman.”
“What?” This from Eos. “They bet women?”
“Scum,” Nik said darkly.
“I’ve found another record,” BEll chimed in. “There are no female Rahl.”
Xander was scowling. “I don’t recall seeing any female mercenaries.”
“They mate with females of other species, but only have male offspring,” BEll added. “That’s why women are valuable prizes to them.”
Eos cleared her throat. “I could go with Xander—”
“No.” Dathan’s voice was low and deadly quiet. “You’ve already been auctioned once. I won’t have you up for a bet.”
Mal saw Eos shiver and knew her cousin-in-law still had nightmares from the time she’d been kidnapped by slavers in the Devil’s Nebula. Luckily, Dathan had rescued her.
“I’m sure Ria would be happy to go in,” Niklas suggested. “We’d have to wait for her and Zayn to get back.”
“We can’t wreck their honeymoon.” Mal knew those two deserved their happy ending.
They’d both been through too much for them to be called back ahead of schedule from their honeymoon.
Her thoughts flickered briefly to Traxan and the smoke rising above Haxx.
Whatever crazy fascination Mal felt for Xander, it didn’t stop her wanting, no needing, to help Centax.
She sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”