Jordan (4 page)

Before she spoke, the message from Earth filtered through the speaker. “To the unidentified spaceship that just launched from
the east coast of Florida. By emergency order of the North American States, return to Earth at once, or we will shoot you
down. I repeat, return at once—”

“Turn it off.” Jordan had heard enough. Since learning that intelligent life existed on other worlds, Earth’s leaders had
totally panicked. Politicians feared war. But isolationism would not stop the Tribes.

These people needed to suck it up and embrace the fact that the universe didn’t revolve around Earth. There were allies like
Pendragon and Honor out in space, and if Earth could summon the courage to reach out despite their differences, they might
actually improve their lot.

Instead, the idiots were ready to shoot down their own people to try and control contact between the worlds. Vivianne’s company
had built this ship, but Earth had never given permission for them to fly.

“Tell them we’ll return immediately,” Vivianne said with self-possessed authority.

Jordan swiveled to face her. “We’re not going back.”

Tennison and Gray exchanged a long look but remained silent.

Vivianne squared her shoulders, straightened her back, and locked gazes with Jordan. “You aren’t in charge. The
Draco
isn’t yours.”

“Actually, she is.”

Her voice, though quiet, held an ominous accusation. “Because you’re stealing her?”

“Because I paid for her.” He took a perverse pleasure in challenging her, especially as he recalled the fire in her as she’d
ripped off his clothes. She was one gutsy, passionate, intelligent woman. The kind he was always attracted to—the kind he
avoided at all costs.

Vivianne’s tone remained cool, tight. “I don’t pay you well enough for you to afford that command console, never mind this
entire ship.”

Enjoying her annoyance, he allowed a tiny smile to reach one side of his mouth. “I’m Chen. And I’ve paid for half this ship.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe you.” Her lips tightened, and she folded her arms across her chest, a very delicate,
perfectly proportioned chest.

“If I wasn’t Chen, I wouldn’t know that you’ve sold only part ownership, would I?”

Vivianne gasped.

Jordan knew her PIs had never been able to find the source of Chen’s income. So revealing his dual identity might only have
increased her suspicions that he was funded by the Tribes. Baiting her was one thing, but Jordan didn’t enjoy watching Vivianne
lose all the color in her pink cheeks. She deserved to know the score.

The voice from Earth blared through the speaker. “Two minutes until we launch missiles.”

“Tell them we’ll be returning as soon as possible,” Vivianne ordered Gray.

When Gray looked from her to Jordan, Jordan nodded.

But Vivianne didn’t wait for Gray to obey. Just as impatient as the seven-year-old Vivianne had been for her mother to open
her present, the adult Vivianne strode over, snatched the headset, and placed it on her head. “This is Vivianne Blackstone,
CEO of the Vesta Corporation. We launched accidentally and will return immediately.”

Jordan shifted back to the controls and motioned for Gray to join him. He kept his tone low. “She’ll buy us time. Can you
engage the hyperspace transporter?”

The HT was Jordan’s adaptation of ancient machinery. Theoretically, the new HT design allowed the
Draco
to transport itself to any coordinates.

Gray whispered tensely in his ear, “But sir, we haven’t tested—”

“Is the system working?” Jordan asked.

“It’s operational, but we require more time to charge it up.” Gray chewed on a fingernail. “But these numbers can’t be correct.”

“What do you mean?”

“The power source feeding the batteries is phenomenal.”

“I just installed a new power source.” Jordan grinned. “Glad to hear it’s working.”

“If these energy figures are right, we’ll be up to speed in minutes.”

“That’s the idea.”

So the Ancient Staff was powering the
Draco.
It was good to know that after all these centuries, Jordan hadn’t lost his touch. Back on Dominus, he’d planned to make a
career out of spaceship design, but then the Tribes had decimated his world. The people, their history, art, and culture,
were gone. The oceans and mountains were gone. Not even dust remained.

Vivianne removed her headset. “I’ve explained we have system failures. The North American States has given us five additional
minutes before firing missiles.”

“Excellent work,” Jordan told her and then peered at his gauges.

Vivianne glanced at the receding planet. “Why haven’t you swung us into orbit?”

“I told you, we aren’t going back.”

She lifted her chin and spoke softly, but anger flickered in her eyes. “We don’t have a choice. They’re going to shoot us
down.”

His crew exchanged uneasy looks, and Jordan spoke loudly enough for all to hear. “I’m not into suicide.”

She arched a brow. “Excuse me?”

“Thanks to you, we’ve time to power up the HT.”

She peered at the spiking energy readings on the monitor, but she still shook her head, a lock of fiery hair framing her high
cheekbones. “All we have time to do is get blown up. With the world government spooked of alien spies, they need to make certain
that everyone on this ship is loyal to Earth before they’ll give permission to leave the solar system.”

“Let’s hope you bought us enough time to outrun the missiles,” Jordan replied.

“Are you insane?” she asked, her tone low and urgent. “Even if they don’t shoot us down, we can’t go anywhere. The
Draco’
s not ready. We haven’t tested most of the new systems.”

As if to emphasize her words, a monitor shot sparks at the ceiling. Smoke curled in the air. Gray put out the fire with an
extinguisher.

Vivianne’s eyes watered. She coughed and raised her wrist to breathe through her sleeve. But she didn’t panic. Instead she
transferred the data to Jordan’s screen.

The ship’s hull hadn’t buckled. They still had life support. “There’s no time like the present to test the
Draco’
s systems.”

She frowned at the smoking monitor. “And if they don’t work?”

“We’ll fix them.”

“It’s more likely we’ll blow ourselves up. We don’t even have spare parts aboard to make repairs.”

“We’ll make do.”

She gestured to the crew. “These men didn’t volunteer to leave their families.”

Jordan shrugged. “It can’t be helped. Once they understand the choices—”

“You gave them no choice.” Vivianne placed her hands on her hips, her entire body vibrating with anger. But she kept her temper
under tight control, her voice locked down so low he had to lean forward to hear her. “You’re giving
me
no choice.”

“Two minutes until HT reaches full power,” Gray reported.

The voice from the North American States started a countdown. “One minute until missile launch.”

“Damn you, Jordan.” Vivianne’s eyes blazed. “Turn this ship around and land.”

Jordan’s fingers danced over the monitor. “I’m laying in the course.”

The fury of the wise never shows.

—H
IGH
P
RIESTESS OF
A
VALON

V
ivianne watched Jordan lay in the course, but… not… for Earth.

The lying son of a bitch!

No way could this man be the same boy she’d dreamed about when she’d blacked out.

The Jordan in her dream had been leaner, lankier, and sweeter.

Adrenaline pumping, Jordan dived into the pool. He’d trained hard all season for this race. The winner attended an elite summer
camp and received expert coaching and offers to prestigious schools. And Jordan, in the best shape of his career, was determined
to win.

K’dark, a good friend in the lane beside him, popped up half a body length behind.

Jordan breathed evenly, kicking strongly, letting his warmed up muscles carry him through the water. His stroke seemed effortless,
the long hours in the pool giving him an edge in stamina.

K’dark had trained hard, too. The two friends pushing one another.

Jordan turned his head to breathe and saw K’dark’s father on the pool deck cheering for his son. It was a first. The first
time he’d ever seen him swim. His father worked long hours, double shifts, to support the family.

Jordan checked to his right, his left, flipped at the wall and headed back. He and K’dark were leading the race.

It would come down to the two of them.

He breathed again, glimpsed K’dark’s father jumping up and down. Winning meant a lot to Jordan, but winning this race might
be K’dark’s future. Without a scholarship, his family couldn’t afford to send him to the university.

Jordan already had an academic scholarship. He eased up. Slowed his pace.

K’dark pulled ahead.

Vivianne’s mind had played tricks on her. The real adult Jordan couldn’t have been that selfless kid. Because the adult Jordan
was deceptive. Dangerous.

Vivianne had to stop herself from lunging toward the controls. Instead she kept her face expressionless and strolled casually
toward him. She knew the
Draco’
s specs as well as the layout of her beach penthouse. That meant she could disengage the nav system and turn the ship into
orbit as easily as she could change the channel on her TV—if only she could get close enough to the controls.

Pulse racing, she made herself sound breezy. “Shouldn’t we be turning by now?”

“Missile launch in thirty seconds,” the North American States warned.

Vivianne’s pulse sped up. Jordan stood at the control center, a study of calm.

Gray leaned over his monitor. “One minute until hypertransporter is fully powered.”

“Missile launch in twenty seconds.”

Still too far away to reach the controls, Vivianne stared at the monitor and ran equations in her head. “They’re not bluffing.
They’ll fire unless you comply.”

“I know.” Jordan’s tone was cool. “But after they launch those weapons, it’ll take fifty-three seconds for the missiles to
reach us. By then, we’ll be gone.”

“Ten seconds.”

He was risking their lives for no good reason that she could discern. “Stand down, Jordan. We aren’t provisioned. We don’t
have enough food, water, oxygen, or—”

“Five seconds.”

Expression determined, he hovered over the transporter control.

“Two seconds.”

Praying he wouldn’t suspect she was up to anything, Vivianne edged closer, her nerves raw. Another step. Then one more. Taking
all her resentment and fear, converting it into raw force, she lunged and slammed into Jordan, knocking him sideways.

She was fast, but Jordan was faster.

Even as she crashed into his rock-hard body, his fingers began the transporter sequence. And the
Draco
jumped from sub–light speed and normal space… into hyperspace and faster-than-light travel.

Earth vanished from view. Stars streaked by the viewport.

Damn him to hell.

He’d just shot them into a place where space folded in on itself, a wormhole. Over the years Vivianne had heard many explanations
of wormhole theory. But her high school physics teacher had described them best. She’d told them to think of the universe
as a towel. Wring the towel and certain parts touched where they wouldn’t normally do so. Those new connections were the spatial
equivalent of three-dimensional wormholes. Hyperspace.

Without a map, the
Draco
could end up anywhere.

Starlight streaked across the viewscreen, and the
Draco’
s hull groaned in protest. Deck vibrations radiated through her shoes and into her bones. Someone shut off the ringing alarm.

Gray frowned over his console’s readings. “The forward bulkhead’s starting to collapse.”

Vivianne held her breath.

“I’m rerouting power to the shields.” Jordan reconfigured the systems, his hands a blur over the touch screen.

Gray glared at his monitor. “That worked, but we just overloaded the power grid.” Sirens blared once again. A panel popped
open and sparks hissed, a bulkhead light exploded, and the plastic shattered.

“Engines are running hot,” Sean said.

“We have bigger problems,” Jordan muttered.

Bigger problems than being without a working engine? Bigger problems than a collapsing hull?

“What’s wrong?” Vivianne was certain they were going to die.

“We’re on a collision course.” Jordan peered straight at the viewscreen.

“With what?” Vivianne asked.

Up ahead, a cluster of objects headed straight at them. At hyperspeed, even if the objects were dust particles, they’d slice
through their hull like a knife through butter. And these were way bigger than dust particles. To the naked eye, they looked
about half the size of the
Draco.

“Get us out of hyperspace,” Vivianne ordered.

“We’ll wipe out our power reserve,” Sean warned.