Rayven's Keep (25 page)

Sharpe’s chair creaked as he leaned back, relaxing against its padded frame.

He drummed his fingers on the chair arm. “I’ve been working with other agencies trying to tie up loose ends in this case. Crowder seems to have been a very busy man and it is good he’ll be off the grid for a long spell, thanks to you.”

“I’d tell you I was happy to oblige, but it would be a lie,” Nick replied. “Personally, I hope never to land on this planet again, but I suspect you already knew that.”

Sharpe barked a laugh, which sounded rusty from underuse as he stood. He rounded his desk and offered a hand when Tru rose from her chair, beating Nick to the punch. He could see the amusement glinting in Sharpe’s eyes when he shook hands with him. Nick hadn’t liked him touching Tru and he was annoyed with himself over the fact. Even more annoyed it had been obvious to the other man. Nick reached the door and held it open for Tru to pass through.

Alarms shrieked. Sharpe shoved him aside. Nick swore. Agony lanced across his shoulder, taking his breath with the force of it. Black dots danced before his eyes as he caught his breath and the pain began to recede. Nick reached for Tru only to find empty space where she’d stood seconds before.

“What the hell is going on here?” Sharpe roared over the screams of the alarm.

No one in the room moved and Nick slowly turned his head to see what everyone was staring at. Tru was held immobile with a knife to her throat. Her captor had his other arm across her chest, the blaster in his hand angled toward the room at large.

He registered the terror on her face, but shut off his emotions to concentrate on the man holding her.

“Geir.” It was a statement of disgust and impotent rage from Sharpe. “Let her go. There is no way you are going to make it out of here alive unless you do.”

Nick moved to stand beside Sharpe and prayed no one would do something stupid to get to Tru. The tension in the room was almost palatable, but an eerie calmness drop over him, leaving deadly, single-minded concentration in its wake. Sharpe flicked a look down to the blaster held against his leg and Nick understood what he was asking without words. Given the first opportunity, they were both going to find out just how fast he was with his weapon.

“As much as I appreciate the accommodations, Sharpe, I don’t plan to stick around and she’s going to guarantee I get off-world.” Geir tightened his grip on Tru and smirked when she choked.

“How did you escape? I had you in lockdown. It shouldn’t have been possible to get out.”

Nick recognized it as a ploy to keep Geir’s attention on Sharpe and to give his men the opportunity to move into place. He hoped Geir wouldn’t figure it out and do something reckless. Nick could see the internal battle Geir waged, the desire to brag about his escape from his cell against his desperation to get away.

Geir darted glances around the room and licked his lips as a cocky smile spread across his face. “Pfft. It was almost too easy. I just faked a seizure and when your dimwitted guard came to investigate I broke his damn neck.”

“That explains how you got the cell door open, but how did you make it through the guard station? Did you have help?”

“Help? You think I needed help?” Geir’s laugh was maniacal and then stopped abruptly. His eyes narrowed to slits as he pointed his blaster at an officer who had been unwise enough to get caught moving closer. He froze in place, but Geir shot him anyway. The man crumpled to the floor. “Don’t anyone else move. Now, where was I? Ah, yes, I admit I was a little remiss in wounding the guard at the front desk instead of killing him, but I did stop him long enough to prevent the security doors from closing on me. Unfortunately, he was able to trip the alarms. I compounded my mistake by taking a wrong turn and ending up here. It was very kind of this Creighton bitch to be just where I needed her, don’t you think? Finally she’ll be useful for something other than snooping where she doesn’t belong.”

Tru started to squirm, but stopped immediately when Geir’s knife tip broke the skin of her neck. Blood trickled into her collar, leaving gooseflesh in its path. She looked like her legs could barely support her and helpless to escape, she held onto Geir’s forearm trying to create enough room to breathe.

Nick growled deep in his throat, his eyes promising death to the man holding Tru. He was poised, ready to strike at the first opportunity, his singular focus on Anto Geir and the weapons he held.

“Let’s not be hasty, Geir. Why don’t we negotiate? You don’t want to risk trying to get out of here with a hostage. She’s only going to hold you back.” Sharpe spoke evenly, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Do you think I’m an idiot? I don’t negotiate.” Geir spit out the words, darting glances between Nick and Sharpe as if he wasn’t sure which one posed the greater danger.

Nick knew he was the bigger predator and Geir had just signed his own death warrant. One clear shot was all he needed to take the bastard down.

Back to the wall, Geir held Tru immobile. Her breath panted in short staccato puffs and Nick’s gut clenched.

“Don’t you dare faint on me, you hear me?” Movement caught Geir’s eye as another one of the officers in the room moved. “Stay right there, or I will kill her.” He threatened, wild-eyed. “I swear I will kill her.”

“Hold.” Sharpe ordered his men, never taking his eyes off Geir and Tru. “What do you want? What is it going to take for you to release the girl?” He was still delaying, trying to keep Geir’s attention on him. “How about you take me as a hostage instead?”

Geir snorted. “I don’t think so. I’m not an idiot. The minute I release her I’m a dead man. I’ve come a long way to find her, she’s mine!” He tightened his forearm around Tru. “Get away from the doors. Do it now. I’m going to move real slow and you are going to let me and this little bitch leave. Got that? If any of you so much as twitch, I will kill her and then I will take out as many of you as I can before I’m done. You,” he nodded at a new recruit, still raw enough the panic showed on his face, “Stop that damned alarm now! Then I want you to make sure there is a clear path for me to get to my ship. I want immediate clearance for departure, got it?”

“Do it,” Sharpe ordered, when the recruit looked to him for guidance.

Nick took an almost imperceptible step forward. Dark energy swirled around him and chills raised the hair on his arms. He was preparing to strike, knew it to his very bones. Geir was going to give him the opening he needed. He held his breath.

Nick’s vision tunneled to Geir and Tru, his concentration absolute and unrelenting. His sharp gaze tracked everything, every minuscule muscle move, the droplet of sweat that splashed from Geir’s forehead to his forearm, the slight tremor in his fingers. Each breath was noted, and Nick’s nostrils flared, catching the scent of nervous sweat. He followed Geir’s crab-like walk as he backed toward the open door, watching, waiting for the one mistake he knew was coming. He’d failed Tru before; he wouldn’t fail now.

Geir was almost to the door and shot a triumphant look to the room at large. He turned his head and Nick reacted. Geir was dead before he hit the ground.

* * * *

Nick raised his blaster in a fluid move too fast to follow. Tru felt the heat of the shot pass her cheek and the rough jerk when it hit Geir. Numb, too frightened to move, she barely noticed his arms fall away as he collapsed to the ground in a boneless heap.

Cold air flowed over her back and arms where his body once blocked it. Chills raced over her skin, quickly turning to deep shudders. Too terrified to cry or even make a sound, she stood there, shock keeping her glued to the spot.

Nick’s face filled her vision, she heard him speak, felt him cup her shoulders with his large, warm hands then draw her carefully against his chest, but nothing made sense. She stood passive within the circle of his arms, suspended by the events, uncomprehending it was over.

His steady heartbeat under her ear penetrated the fog. The familiar smell of his skin and strength of his hands rubbing her back, silently offering comfort, returned her from the abyss one breath at a time.

“It’s all right. You’re safe, sweetheart, you’re safe,” Nick murmured over and over into her hair, holding her close. She could feel the unnatural stiffness of her body, but was incapable of doing anything about it. Nick sheltered her in his arms, absorbing the quakes wracking her muscles, holding her so close it was impossible to tell where one began and the other ended, while pandemonium reigned around them.

Several medics arrived on the scene, along with a cleanup crew. Nick kept her face buried against his chest, preventing her from seeing the blood pooling around Geir’s head. She wouldn’t have looked anyway, didn’t think she could endure seeing Geir’s body. Somewhere it registered Drones were recording the activity, taking samples and tapping into the security vids, cataloging events for further review. Everything was efficient, impersonal and over with quickly.

She heard the activity around her, but it seemed to come from a long distance and the sounds were fuzzy. She kept her mind carefully blank. She didn’t want to know what was happening beyond the shelter of Nick’s arms. She needed to stay shielded by the dark world behind her tightly closed eyes.

Safe.

Sharpe was in control, barking orders, demanding answers and directing the removal of Anto Geir’s body. Some small part of her mind recognized he was giving her time and she was grateful he left them alone. Things could have gone very differently, the loss of life greater if Nick hadn’t taken the shot offered. She could be dead. Nausea churned in her stomach and she swallowed hard.

Through it all, she didn’t move and she knew Nick would hold her for as long as she needed. He motioned the medic away with a slight shake of his head. She wasn’t ready yet. Couldn’t bear the thought of facing what had happened. Later she would allow herself to be checked out. Later.

Breathe in, breathe out, it was all she could do and enough for the moment. The constriction in her chest eased and her breaths became less jerky. The panicked gallop of her heart calmed as she listened to the steady beat of his against her ear. It resonated through her bones and sinew giving her strength, something solid to cling to in the madness surrounding her.

Safe.

The fabric of Nick’s rough jacket chafed her tear-wet face. Her breath shuddered in as she raised shaking hands to slip her arms around his lean waist. He responded by nuzzling his cheek against hers and murmured disjointed words of comfort into her ear. Time passed, holding her suspended, until she opened her eyes to slits.

He loosened his grip as she raised her head. “Is it over?” Her voice was the barest whisper. She searched his face needing reassurance.

“Yes, sweetheart, it is.” He cupped the side of her face, the warmth of his palm penetrating the chill of her skin.

“Are you sure?” Hating the quiver in her voice, she cleared her throat.

Nick kissed her forehead then dropped a whisper-soft kiss on her trembling mouth.

“I’m sure,” he rasped. “You’re safe. Geir won’t hurt you again.”

“I knew you wouldn’t let him take me,” she murmured, lowering her head to his chest.

It had been a near thing, too horribly close for her peace of mind. What if he’d missed? Her mind skittered away from the thought and she shivered.

Nick widened his stance to draw her closer.

Love, relief, fear and so many other emotions she barely had a name for raced through her.

“Captain Rayven?” The senior medic said softly. “I would like to examine your friend to make sure she has taken no harm. Will you allow that? It won’t take long.”

If only to reassure Nick, she needed to be examined. His grip tightened for an instant, he nodded, released her and stepped away.

“Why don’t you follow me to Chief Sharpe’s office? He has made it available for us.”

Their route to Sharpe’s office wouldn’t take them past the spot Anto Geir’s body had lain moments before. Tru wouldn’t have looked regardless. Men moved aside to let them pass as she followed the medic. The look of respect when they looked at Nick brought home just how incredible his actions had been.

Inside the office, the medic turned to her with a soothing, professional smile then closed the door.

Chapter 21

The sound of the airlock doors sealing behind them allowed Tru to take her first easy breath since they had landed. Too weary for words, she removed her winter gear and handed it to Nick to stow. His movements were stiff and uncoordinated, but she knew he wouldn’t appreciate her offering to help. She scanned the interior of the ship, her heartbeat not settling into a steady rhythm until she’d assured herself everything was in its place and no danger lurked in the shadows.