CHAPTER 14
At first, Leila thought the storm caused the glass on their Range Rover to break, but Grayson yelling, “Get down!” quickly had her flattening.
“What’s happening?” she asked as he smacked the button to open the rear hatch.
“Someone’s shooting at us,” was his grim reply as he rolled out of the vehicle into the pouring rain.
What? Who? Questions she didn’t bother to yell because Grayson was gone. However, she could guess who would want to cause harm. Hassan must have found them.
More gunshots rang out, this time distinguishable from the thunder, as the bullets shattered more windows. Spraying glass and a fear of getting trapped led to her tugging on her rubber boots before sliding out the still-open rear door. The storm immediately drenched her.
The interior light of the truck barely penetrated the torrential downpour, leaving visibility limited to a few paces. Of Grayson, she saw no sign.
A crack of lightning illuminated the landscape and heightened her fear because she spotted someone standing, holding a weapon. Immediately, she dropped, making herself into a small target as she debated what to do. Hiding seemed smartest since she lacked a weapon.
Bang.
Another bullet hit the Range Rover, making the decision for her.
She slunk away from it, disoriented by the lashing storm with the occasional lightning flashes more blinding than helpful.
When a wave rolled over her feet, she gasped and retreated.
The poisonous waters would provide no shelter but rather a more agonizing death.
Crack. Jagged bright light immediately followed by thunder. As the rolling noise faded, a strangled scream had her spinning and scanning the impossible murk. Had Grayson been shot?
With no way of knowing, and fearful of crying out, she followed the shoreline, the splashing of water her only guide in the dark and terrifying morass.
Grayson suddenly shouted. “Where are you, coward? You want to fight, then face me like a man.”
The challenge led to a flurry of gunshots, and she reflexively dropped to her haunches. No pained yelling followed, and she remained unharmed, but, of concern? The proximity of the shooter. It sounded as if they’d fired nearby.
Though she strained to see, she could discern nothing, and so she remained crouched, too afraid to move. A crunch of gravel had her sucking in a breath.
Grayson or someone else? If she couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see—
Flash.
The brief illumination proved to be her downfall as Hassan snarled, “There you are, whore.”
Before she could pop to her feet and run, Hassan tackled, pinning her body to the ground, his heavier weight impossible for her to shift. His hands found her throat and began to squeeze, a vise that no amount of tugging loosened.
“Leila!” Grayson called for her, but she couldn’t reply for she lacked breath. Her lungs screamed for air, and her hands scrabbled looking for something, anything, she could use as a weapon.
Her fingers danced across a rock, and she gripped it. It proved heavier than its fist-size would have suggested, or was it just the approach of her death making her weak? As she felt herself fading, she smashed it against Hassan’s head.
He grunted, and his fingers relaxed enough she could draw in a breath, even as she swung again, and again, smashing the stone against his temple, not knowing if the moisture hitting her face was rain or blood. Not caring.
Over and over she struck until the body atop her went limp. Dead or unconscious, she couldn’t tell, despite the fact Hassan lay heavily atop her. She hyperventilated as she tried to shove him off.
A flash of lightning had her blinking, and when the roll of thunder ended, she heard Grayson huff, “I got you, Leila.” Grayson heaved Hassan from her body and, as he hauled her to her feet, exclaimed, “Are you okay?”
“Ye-ss-s.” Her voice shook. “I think I killed him.”
“Good job,” was his gruff reply before dragging her into a hug.
It took her a moment before she realized she still gripped the killing rock. Just as she would have dropped it, the sky lit up with several branches, so bright she could clearly see.
Her mouth rounded. “I can’t believe it.”
“What?”
“Let’s head back to the truck, and I’ll show you.”
Rather than guide, Grayson swept her into his arms and assuredly stalked, somehow able to see in the darkness.
She leaned her head on his chest. “Are they all dead?” she asked, her voice still shaky from shock.
“I got his two associates. I’m just sorry I didn’t get to that bastard before he found you.”
“At least we’re both okay.” Or she would be once she stopped trembling.
They reached the truck, the interior light feeble until they got close. He sat her on the edge of the trunk and reached inside for a discarded jacket to wrap around her shoulders.
“Look what I found,” she exclaimed with a tremulous laugh, showing off the chunk of rock with bits of black flaking cradled in her palms.
“Is that…”
“The meteor? Yes.” She bobbed her head. “The waves must have rolled it ashore.” And not a moment too soon.
“In that case, our mission here is complete. What do you say we head back to Tower?”
“I’d like that. Let me grab the case with the samples.”
“You will sit on your ass while I grab it,” he commanded, crawling into the truck to snare the hard-shelled containment unit that appeared to not have been damaged by the gunfire.
He plopped it beside her and pursed his lips. “Okay, now according to Aquarius, I need to be holding on to you and everything I want to bring before I wish myself home.”
She eyed the meteor chunk. “Think it will make it back with us?”
“Only one way to find out.” He grabbed the handle of the case and held out his other hand. “Tuck in as close as you can.”
She slid from the tailgate and pressed herself to him, leaning her cheek against his damp chest while his arm curled around her.
“Now to see if it’s as easy as they claimed. Oh, star god, if you’re listening, we want to go back home.” He muttered. “And, by home, I mean Tower.”
She almost laughed but didn’t have the breath because suddenly they were in a cold place, the kind to steal a voice, to chill the very soul, a brief terrifying moment of nothingness, and then warmth returned.
The disorientation had her pushing away from Grayson and leaning over, gulping for air, eyes closed as she waited for the dizziness to subside.
“Leila?”
The concern in his voice had her croaking, “I’m fine. Beaming is disorienting for non-warriors.”
“I can’t believe that worked.”
“Even better, look what made the voyage with us.” She still clutched the chunk of asteroid.
“Are we sure it’s the right one?” She could understand his skepticism.
“We’ll soon find out. I’ll check it at once. Even if the water killed the alien microbes, traces will remain.”
“Before you do anything, you will jump into a hot shower and put on some dry clothes.”
She arched a brow. “Is that an order?”
“Yes.” He crossed his arms.
“And if I think this is more important?”
“Then you’ll leave me no choice.” He snatched the rock from her hand, and she gaped.
“You’re going to hold it hostage?”
“Only until you refresh yourself. At least I’m not demanding you get at least eight hours of sleep,” he countered.
Her lips pursed, and as a shiver racked her, she sighed in defeat. “Fine.” She wouldn’t admit he had a point, as the chill, not only of the storm but the violence, had her shaking.
They headed for the stairs, where Tower gave them a hand, the steps turning into an escalator that stopped on the seventh floor, where Aries awaited with a serious mien.
“Good to see you both back,” the man said with a nod. “How did the mission go?”
Grayson held up the case and the rock. “Water samples and what might be part of the asteroid.”
“Excellent. Any trouble?”
“A bit, but I handled it.”
“A bit…” Leila snorted. “Understatement.”
Aries arched a brow. “Aliens?”
At the assumption, Grayson shook his head. “No, just some assholes who thought they could hurt Leila.”
The reminder had her clutching herself and shaking. Grayson noticed and frowned. “Why don’t you head upstairs and jump in that shower while I fill in Aries on our trip. I’ll meet you in the lab with the goods soon as we’re done.”
“See you shortly.”
She made it to her room and stripped to get in the shower.
Only then did the shock set in fully, weakening her knees, sending her to sit on the tile floor while hot water sluiced over her.
She’s almost died and to survive, had killed a man.
Surprisingly, she felt no guilt over her actions.
Hard to feel remorse when a lack of action would have seen her dead.
In a dark twist, she found herself annoyed at having her kiss with Grayson interrupted.
The first time she’d allowed herself to get close to someone since college, and it ended in disaster.
Would they get another chance? She’d make sure of it.
First, though, there was work to be done, and the sooner she started, the sooner she could explore the burgeoning passion between her and Grayson.