Dating Outside Your DNA (33 page)

"I
'm going to get a team together," Joe told the group. "Johnny  and Gavin should be back by day after tomorrow. By t hen, we should  know more about who took them."

"No." Ray stood. "Lyraka is a member of our team. We should

be the ones who get her back."

Joe shook his head. "You're not trained enough."

"We're good." Reeka's words were a statement, not bragging,

just  fact.

Reeka was right, the team was good, but good didn't make up for a lack of experience. "No, I can't put your lives in danger. Besides, we have no idea who took them.

"Yes, we do," someone spoke up from the doorway.

"Aasera?" A rush of excitement went through Joe. She was  even more beautiful than the last time he'd seen her. She was the

one woman who could throw his whole world out of kilter, and she  didn't even have a clue. Lyraka's father must have really done a  number on her because she wouldn't have anything to do with Joe or  any other man. Now here she was, and he hadn't protected her  daughter. He'd sworn that he wouldn't let anything happen to Lyraka.

"Joe." She nodded her head, then walked the rest of the way  into the room.

"I'm sorry. I broke my promise about keeping her safe."

"She was taken because of me. I'd forgotten about my enemies.

It happened so long ago that I thought it was no longer important.

Now we must save her."

"We can have a team together by tomorrow."

She shook her head.  "He'll kill her."

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"Who?"

"Banyon. His father is dead. He's the new leader of the Roverts.  Many years ago, he wanted me and tried to take me by force. I  scarred him." She looked at the others. "Roverts don't heal like

others. I cut his face. He swore to kill me, but I escaped. Before he  could even seek revenge, I was...exiled to Earth and everyone was  told I had died while on a mission. He'll get his revenge on Lyraka."

"And Roan," Reeka said.

"Warrior." Aasera bowed her head.

"Traveler." Reeka returned the gesture. "Roan is a trainer and a

skilled fighter."

"Then I have caused two lives to be in jeopardy because I didn't

take precautions."

"No, Banyon has put them in jeopardy."

Aasera raised her chin. Joe had seen that look before and

knew exactly what it meant. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to

dissuade her from going after Lyraka. Not that he could blame her. If

it was his daughter, he'd do the same damn thing.

"Well you can't just go barreling in there with guns blazing," Joe

said.

"Sounds  good to me. Roverts aren't known for their fighting

skills," Ray said. When everyone looked at him, he continued. "I've

been reading about them. I do know how to read. Warren isn't the

only one."

"We can make a lot of noise and divert their attention." Warren

looked at everyone. "I've been working on a device that will fit in a

shirt pocket, but when I trigger it to explode..." he pursed his lips and

made a noise like something exploding.

"Bomb to go?" Link cocked an eyebrow.

Warren's cheeks brightened to a rosy color. "Yeah, something

like that. It might be small, but it works."

"You've tried it?" Joe wasn't sure he liked the idea of one of the

trainees making devices that would blow something up. At least, not

out of the classroom.

"I sort of blew up  the dog house back home."

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Alesha cringed. "Please tell me the dog wasn't in it."

Warren straightened. "Of course not. He was already dead."  When everyone stared at him, he quickly continued. "From natural causes a couple of years before. The dog house wasn't being used and I thought I'd see what the bomb would do. It worked, but it still needed a little tweaking. I've been working on it since college."

"We might need it later, but what if we go in as traders. I read the prince, king now, has a thing about buying women of other species. He likes to toy with them. The slave trade is illegal, but he still does it," Ray told them.

"That's horrible," Alesha said.

Aasera looked at her as only someone could who had more years, and more wisdom. "As is the drug  trade, starvation, and much more. Corruption breeds corruption."

Alesha looked around. "If someone is going to pose as a trader, then they'll need someone in bondage. Hell, the last time I did anything with bondage, I was the one tying the ropes."

Ray grinned, then wiped the smile off his face, and cleared his throat. "They won't question me but once," Ray said.

Joe figured Ray was probably right, and it was a sound plan.  But damn it, they were green. Aasera was a traveler, not a warrior.

He looked at each of them and saw the looks of determination on

their faces. This is exactly what a team would do.

He sighed. "Okay, but I'm going with you." Their expressions

quickly changed to surprise. "I was a damned good agent before I

moved to recruiter. I know wh at I'm doing."

"Then let's go." Link came to his feet.

"Not so fast. We need to ready one of the larger crafts, we need

supplies, and we need to know what the others will be doing every

second we're there. Aasera, you've been to Rovertia, we'll need a

layout of the planet."

"We have to move fast," Aasera said.

"I know."

"Thank you for doing this, Joe."

"We'll get them back."

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"Damn right," Ray said. "We're a team."

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Chapter 28

R
oan quickly stopped moving the diamond over the glass and went to the front of the cage when the door whished open. Banyon walked in, his nose slightly to the side of his face. Lyraka had really punched him a good one. Served the guy right. As soon as they escaped, he was going to dig out the book on keeping yo ur cool.

Lyraka definitely needed a refresher course.

"I will have Lyraka tonight," Banyon gloated in a nasally, high -pitched voice. "There is nothing you can do to protect her. How does that make you feel?"

Roan's mouth dropped open. Yeah, he'd say Lyraka had tagged Banyon good. Roan laughed which infuriated Banyon more.

Hell, he couldn't help it. Banyon sounded like the guy from that sitcom. What the hell was his name? Oh, yeah, Urkel. Steve Urkel.

"Are you sure you can take her?" Roan shook his head. "If I were you, I'd keep my distance. Roverts don't heal very well, do they?

Do you think you'll talk like that the rest of your life? That would be a shame."

Banyon stomped his foot. "Neither one of you will be laughing when she willingly gives herself  to me."

"You know, I can't really see that happening."

"But you will see it all happening, every second, every minute."  His smile was pure evil. He looked pointedly at the screen. "You'll watch Lyraka giving herself to me willingly over and over again until I tire of her."

Banyon was too self-assured. A tingle of apprehension ran down Roan's spine.

"It will be my name she cries out," Banyon continued. "If she

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doesn't do everything I want, I'll force her to watch my men strip every  inch of skin from your body. She'll hear each scream, see the blood  running down your body, and she'll watch it puddle on the floor."

"You bastard." Roan slammed his hand against the glass.

"Yes, I am, but I'm sure you already knew that." He nodded  toward the screen. "You can watch her surrender on the screen." He

turned to leave, but then turned back as if he'd suddenly remembered  something else. "Oh...I'll still torture and kill you as soon as I finish  with her tonight, and I will let her watch. I think that might put the

anger and fire back in her. You have to admit that even you like a

little fight in your women."

"I'll kill you. That's not a threat, it's a promise."

"But an empty one, none the less. And just so Aasera will know,

when I finish, I'll cut off Lyraka's head  and send it to her." He left the

room.

Cold dread filled Roan. His gaze moved to the screen. Lyraka had picked up the bowl of mush she had been given. She dipped her hand inside and raised it close to her mouth.

He knew what she was contemplating. The drugged food would make it easier when Banyon came. Damn it, Roan wanted her to fight, to scratch the bastard's eyes out.

But Roan knew without a doubt, she wouldn't do that. She would do whatever it took to save him. He watched her as she

dropped the food  back into the bowl, then set it to the side, and

shoved the pillows against the back glass.

Once she had them arranged, she moved closer to the side

glass and closed her eyes. It took him a few seconds to realize that

she was trying to blend in but it was impossible against a clear

surface. After a few moments, she lay down. The floor was a dark

solid surface.

Fascinated, he watched as she began to disappear. She didn't quite vanish completely, though. The drugs she'd been given must be affecting her abil ity to blend. But she didn't give up. She kept trying.

And so would he.

He went back to the glass and moved the rough diamond over

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the surface. Up one side, across the top, down the other side and  across the bottom. Then he repeated the sequence over and over  and over.

Lyraka knew if her plan didn't work, she would have to endure

Banyon's touch, no matter how much she loathed him, but she had to at least try to escape or everything would be lost. She had no doubt

Banyon would kill them both.

She lay on the floor and closed her eyes. Immediately a vision formed of Roan, his wrists bound in chains, arms stretched taut. His screams echoed inside her head as Banyon began to rip the skin from his back.

She sat up with a start. Damn it, how was she going to blend if

all she saw was Roan's death?

Deep breath. She could do this.

She closed her eyes again and slowly exhaled, then inhaled, wishing she'd paid more attention to meditating when Aasera had tried to teach her. Aasera had told her that meditating was a part of who Lyraka was, that it was something inborn in all Nerakians.

Aasera had talked about cosmic meditation, too, where the spirit could actually leave the body. Lyraka had only experienced deep out of body meditation once when she was young, and she had to admit, it scared the hell out of her. She'd never tried again, much to the disappointment of her mother. But maybe if she could empty her mind, she could blend more easily.

She took another deep breath and exhaled. Calmness began to wrap her i n its comforting cloud. She felt her body getting lighter. She lay on the floor, legs stretched out. The familiar rush swept through her. She could feel the floor, the solidity of the surface. It enclosed her in a protective cocoon.

She smiled, knowing she had reached the place she needed to be. Banyon would probably freak out when he returned and thought she'd escaped. That would give her the element of surprise, and might buy her a little time. If she could get a weapon, she would free  Roan. She only hoped they could come up with a plan together from

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there.

It was weak at best, but it was all she had. If she was caught, she would suffer Banyon's touch hoping for a little more time because she really didn't want to die. Not when she'd finally felt as thou gh she'd just started to live.

She began to materialize.

Concentrate!

Deep breath, exhale slowly. Relax.

The space around her became calm once more. She emptied her mind of all thoughts and went into a deep relaxation state. She could almost see her lu ngs filling with air, then emptying.

Something popped and she felt a whoosh of air.

She opened her eyes and suddenly was looking down on the glass cage. It looked empty. So this was what deep meditation was all about. She hadn't even gotten this far the  first time.

She felt as if she were flying. She left the room, searching for  Roan.

How would she find him when there were so many rooms and long winding corridors? There were Roverts and captives in chains everywhere. They looked frightened as they shuffled along. Would that be her one day?