Born of Fury

CHAPTER 31

At the appearance of Kyr in her bedroom, Sumi felt the heat of a rage the likes of which she’d never experienced before. There was no fear inside her. Only a need to tear him into pieces.

He glared at her. “You didn’t really think you could escape me, did you?”

Throwing her head back, she laughed at his question. “You’re a fucking idiot. You know that? And I can’t thank you enough for saving me the time and effort it would take to hunt you down.” She went for him with everything she had. With the full of her weight, she caught him about the middle and flipped him to the ground. “Where’s my daughter?”

He gave her a blow that sent pain throbbing through her skull. But she didn’t care. She’d hurt later. Right now, all that mattered was beating him until he told her where Kalea was. She tried to pin him, but he rolled out from her hold and stood up. With a growl, he slammed her against the dresser.

Grimacing in pain, she used her legs to kick them both back. Unbalanced, Kyr released her. She spun on him with her fists, then landed a solid kick to the center of his chest. “Where is she, you bastard!”

“You want her? Surrender to me and I’ll release her.”

How stupid did he think she was? “I don’t believe you!” There was no way he’d release the only leverage he had.

He came at her with his knife. Sumi pulled her shirt off and used it to wrap around his wrist as she rolled into his body, bit his forearm, and pulled the knife from his grasp.

Cursing, he punched her, then pulled another knife and caught her a glancing blow to her ribs. She stabbed him in the shoulder, burying the knife to the hilt. He kicked her back and stumbled.

“Sumi!” Dancer shouted from the locked door.

Kyr turned back toward the window.

Knowing if he left, she’d never see Kalea again, she ran at him and slammed him to the floor. She stabbed him again, but not before he cut her arm. Dazed, she scrambled to hold him as best she could. The slimy bastard escaped and kicked her hard in the head.

She was still holding on to Kyr’s arm, slashing at him, when Dancer came crashing through the door.

With a furious shriek, Kyr punched her in the throat and broke free.

In spite of the throbbing pain, Sumi headed for the window, fully intending to give chase. Until she felt strong arms wrap around her. She moved to punch her attacker, but stopped as she saw Dancer’s face.

Hauk had never felt a greater rage than the one that ignited inside him as he saw Sumi’s battered face and the blood smeared all over his bedroom. “Mia?”

With the exception of Syn, his friends ran after Kyr.

“Let me go!” Sumi cried, trying to get free. “He’s getting away! I have to stop him.”

“Sumi!” Hauk barked harder than he meant to, but she was hysterical, and probably going into shock. “Baby, there’s a difference between heroic and moronic.” He used her words, hoping to get through to her. “You’re naked and about to bleed out.” He wrapped his shirt around her to cover her bruised and bleeding body. “You can’t go after him. Look!”

She tilted her head down to see the blood flowing from a severe gash. Her legs buckled.

Hauk swung her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, then stepped back so that Syn could treat her. His heart shattered at the sight of her like this. He should have come into the room with her. He should never have left her alone.

Gods, she’d been assaulted in his own home, where she should have been safe.

His breathing ragged, he wanted Kyr’s life with a ferocity that defied description.

Syn glanced at him over his shoulder. “Go, Hauk! I’ve got her.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll call in a few.”

Without hesitating, Hauk climbed up on the opposite side of the bed. Unable to speak, he pressed his cheek to hers and took a moment to hold her.

When he went to pull away, Sumi held him against her. “I stabbed him in his right lung before he escaped, and his shoulder… I want to be the one who kills him. Bring him to me.”

Nodding, he kissed her carefully on the lips and then ran after the others.

Sumi groaned as the full weight of her injuries bore down on her. For whatever reason, in a fight, she never really felt pain. It was only afterward that she regretted it.

And right now…

She really wished she’d killed him before he beat her to a pulp.

“Damn it,” Syn growled as he tried to stop the bleeding, “you need a transfusion.” He scanned the code on her wrist that The League had embedded with her brand mark that held her medical information. He frowned as he read it. “You’re part Qillaq?”

“No.”

He gave her a doubtful stare before he took a sample of her blood and ran some kind of test on it. “Um, yeah, you are.” He glanced to the door where Dancer’s grandmother stood, watching them. “Ger Tarra, could you please ask Desideria to come here as fast as she can.” Then he tapped the mic in his ear. “Chayden, forget Kyr. Get your ass back here, double time.” He kept pressure on her stomach wound. “You are so lucky we happen to have Qills on tap, girl. You’ve no idea how rare your blood type is. And no other race has it. Not even I can give blood to you, and Rits are basically as universal a donor as you can get. Even Nyk’s taken my blood before.”

Sumi could barely follow what he was telling her as her thoughts ran over the fight, and how she should have gone after Kyr.

Desideria came in huffing. “What’s up?”

“Hold on.” He tapped his mic again. “Chay, ETA?” He paused before he spoke again. “All right. Head on. I’m going to take some blood from your sister, but I can’t take much. I really need you.” He looked over to Desideria. “Can you hold this for a minute while I get set up?”

“Absolutely.”

Syn showed her where to keep it compressed, then left.

Sumi began shaking uncontrollably.

“Oh, sweetie,” Desideria gasped. “Don’t die on us, okay? I’ve already lost one sister in my arms, I don’t want to do it again. Just stay with me.”

Sumi laughed bitterly. “Trust me, I’m too mad to die. I’m going to live, if for no other reason than to have the pleasure of choking the life out of Kyr myself.”

Someone took her hand. Ignoring her body that protested the movement, Sumi tilted her head to see Dancer’s grandmother on the bed, beside her.

She tenderly brushed Sumi’s hair back from her forehead and offered her a kind smile. “You don’t cry?”

“Not when I’m angry. And physical pain I can handle.”

With an astonished expression, she swept her gaze around the room where Sumi and Kyr had all but destroyed it. “You put up quite a fight.”

“And she seriously wounded Kyr,” Syn said as he rejoined them. “He’s leaving a hell of a blood trail the others are following, and she took out one of the prime commander’s lungs.”

His grandmother gaped. “It was the League prime commander you fought?”

Sumi nodded.

She lifted Sumi’s hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles. “My great-grandchildren will be the fiercest of all their generation. No one will ever defeat them.”

Sumi tightened her hand on Dancer’s grandmother’s then met Syn’s gaze. “Get me on my feet, Doc. I want my daughter back, and that bastard is too close for me to yield.”

“Um, yeah. You’re not going anywhere for a little while. Just lie there and relax.”

Sumi couldn’t. At least not until Syn snuck something into her system. She fought against it as hard as possible, but in the end, she lost, and everything went black.

Hauk cursed as their trail turned cold. Neither electronic nor physical tracks remained.

Kyr had evaded them. Completely.

He bellowed with rage.

“That is the scariest effing thing I’ve ever heard or seen.”

Hauk pinned his glare on Bastien as the human slowly approached him. “Where have you been?”

“Recovering. When I heard Kyr was on-planet, I really wanted a piece of him.”

“Take a number.” His breathing ragged, Hauk had never wanted to gut anyone more. It was all he could do to keep himself together as every fiber of his being begged for vengeance. “How did he get into my house?”

“He’s an assassin,” Nyk said coldly. “They’re like cockroaches. They always find a way in.”

Hauk arched a brow at those words.

Nyk shrugged. “I’m a cockroach. Yes. But that’s okay, I know how we think and where to search.”

“Yeah,” Hauk said drily, “but he wasn’t there. I already looked.”

“So you’re a cockroach, too?”

Hauk clenched his teeth. “My humor is currently out to lunch. Check back in a few days. If I have his heart in my fist, it’ll return… as I eat it.”

Maris tsked at Hauk. “Oh, sexy, there are two problems with that. One, my brother has no heart. Two, you don’t need the indigestion. I’ve seen what you call food. Trust me. Not even your stomach could handle Kyr Tartar. But I do know something that will bring a smile to that beautiful face of yours.”

While Hauk appreciated their attempts to lighten the mood, he didn’t want to hear it right now. “I doubt it.”

Maris rose on his tiptoes to whisper in Hauk’s ear. “I know where Kalea is.”

Hauk’s breath caught in his throat as his heart stopped beating. “Don’t play with me, Mari. I really might hurt you.”

Maris handed him his PD. When Hauk couldn’t read the Phrixian alphabet, Maris switched on the translator.

He had to read it twice to make sure he wasn’t wrong. “Seriously?”

Maris nodded. “I’ve already got them prepping the ships. We’re ready to fly out and bring her home.”

Hauk picked him up and hugged him tight. “Gods, I love you, Mari!” He kissed his cheek.

Maris beamed. “Well, if I’d known this was all it’d take to get a hug and kiss from you, I’d have gotten you a woman years ago.”

Laughing, Hauk clapped him on the back.

“Ow!” Maris whined as he stumbled.

Nyk and Darling inclined their heads to him.

“Let’s go get your daughter,” Darling said. “Jayne and Ryn are already doing preflights.”

They hailed transports and rendezvoused at the main city port where Jayne had a battlecruiser ready. Hauk ran up the ramp and grabbed his unmarked black battlesuit. But before he started attaching the exoskeletal suit to his body, he paused to look at the men and women around him. Darling, Maris, Drake, Nyk, Shahara, Fain, Bastien, Caillen, Kasen, Nero – and Jayne and Ryn, who were piloting them.

Funny how he’d never thought twice about the fact that when they needed him he’d dropped whatever he was doing to run to their sides. Of course in his case, there was never anything that important to pull him away from. Gaming, maybe horsing around with his electronics. Nothing serious. But all of them had left their spouses and children to join him on this quest.

Never had he loved them more as he finally understood the sacrifices they were making to be here. The risk each of them took.

For him and Sumi.

And for their daughter.

“You okay?” Darling asked.

Hauk pulled him closer and pressed his forehead to Darling’s. “Thank you.”

“For what? Being family?” Darling shoved him away. “It’s what we do. You know that.”

“Just don’t get me killed,” Caillen said as he suited up. “My wife would follow me to hell and I’d never hear the end of it.”

Hauk laughed. “You’re not right, are you?”

Kasen sighed heavily. “No, he isn’t. I blame Shahara totally. I tried to beat it out of him when we were young, but she always took the baby brother’s side, instead of the sister’s side.”

Shaking his head, Hauk pinned a stare on Nyk. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Love such a tiny little woman who can’t defend herself?”

Nykyrian cracked a very rare grin that exposed a set of dimples identical to Thia’s. “Don’t let her meek manner fool you. There’s a lot of fire and courage in Kiara. You’d be amazed at how fierce she is. But I know what you’re really asking. And the size of the person or their abilities doesn’t matter. It’s the size of the love you hold for them that keeps you up at night, terrified of losing them. In many ways, I’m grateful Kiara’s not a warrior.” He passed his stare to Shahara. “She doesn’t put herself in harm’s way. Since she’s not trained to fight, she calls for help.”

“What are you implying?” Shahara asked.

Caillen snorted. “That you can kick the shit out of us. And I have the boot prints on my ass to prove it.”

She passed an irritated scowl to Nykyrian. “If I flushed him out the airlock, I trust the rest of you would back me in telling Desideria it was an accident, right?”

Kasen growled at her sister. “Now? Now, you agree with me that he needs killing? Where was this twenty years ago? You’d have saved us all a lot of time, money, and misery!”

Fain placed himself in front of Caillen. “It’s all right, boy. I’ll protect you.”

Caillen postured at all of them. “Ha! Got my own Andarion bodyguard, bitches!”

Shahara looked at Kasen before the two of them charged. Fain drew himself up tight and covered his head while they ran past him to get Caillen.

“Hey!” Caillen snapped at Fain. “What kind of protective move is that shit?”

“Protecting my own ass, human. I don’t know what I was thinking. Your sisters are terrifying. They can have you.”

Caillen was playfully fighting them while they tickled him. Until Shahara swatted him hard across his butt.

“You’re lucky I love you, boy.”

Caillen kissed her cheek then ran behind her as Kasen lunged at him. “Help!”

Laughing, Shahara stepped between them. “All right, you two, we’ve got a real battle to prepare for.”

“What is going on back here?” Jayne asked from the flight deck door. “I have never heard such in my life, and I have three kids at home.”

“They started it,” Darling said, pointing to the Dagan siblings.

“Of course they did. Do I have to separate you people?”

“Not people, human,” Fain and Hauk said simultaneously.

“Not human, Andarions. I’m Hyshian. Learn the difference.” Jayne sidled up to Hauk. She scowled at him before she tested his brow for a fever. “You look a little pale. You all right, buddy?”

Only because he was terrified for Sumi. “If this works out, I will be.”

Nykyrian clapped him on the back. “They’ve sealed everything on Andaria. We’re the only craft that’ll be given flight clearance until Kyr’s captured. We will get that bastard. You know that.”

Hauk inclined his head to him. “If I forget to say it later, no matter the outcome, thank you all for being my family. For fighting with, and for me.”

“Estra, mi dreystin,” Nykyrian said, holding out his arm to him.

Smiling grimly, Hauk shook his arm. One by one, they each followed suit, and then they all dressed for battle.

It took almost three hours to reach Tarsa, the Gondarion capital city where both the Overseer of Justice and the main League HQ were located. A bustling major city, it was nowhere the size of Eris, but it would rival it for technology.

Even though she was no longer an active Seax for the Overseer, Shahara used her clearance to get them a landing permit. Hopefully, her code wouldn’t be flagged by The League.

Preparing for the worst case any of them could imagine, they landed.

Ryn took a moment to lose his Tavali gear and suit up like the rest of them. All of their planets and allies had declared war on The League, and they couldn’t afford to walk off the ship in enemy battlesuits. Only Drake wore his Kimmerian gear. The rest of them dressed in plain black battlesuits.

And since the Kimmerians were the only ones not currently at war with the Gondarion government, they let Drake take the lead. As soon as they reached the bottom of the ramp, they were greeted by Gondarion soldiers.

“Can I help you?” Drake asked the soldiers in a bored tone.

The guards pinned suspicious stares on them. “Why the armor? What’s the reason for your visit?”

Drake shrugged. “We’re here to plant petunias. Didn’t you get the paperwork?”

The guard was less than impressed with Drake’s imperious sarcasm. “Petunias don’t grow here.”

Bastien stepped forward. “We’re here to petition the Overseer. You’ll have to forgive my bodyguard, he’s a little irritable, but I can’t blame him. I’d be irritable, too, if I went a month without a bowel movement.”

Drake laughed.

The guard, not so much. He eyed Bastien with extreme animosity. “And you are?”

“Bastien Cabarro. Prince and heir to the Kirovarian throne. I’m here to demand justice for my family, and to get sanctions against the bastard who wrongfully usurped my father’s throne and slaughtered my entire family. And…” He looked down at the man’s nameplate. “Officer Garox, I can either tell the Mistress of Justice that you were helpful to my family’s quest or a major pain in my ass. Which I don’t think Lady Alia would approve of since she was a close personal friend of my parents.”

That totally reoriented the man’s attitude. “Forgive me, Your Highness. We didn’t mean to detain you. We just have to be careful these days.”

“Believe me, I understand caution. My father nurtured the snake that slew him. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He swept past them with an arrogant royal saunter.

One that vanished as soon as Bastien walked outside the bay. He paused at the entrance and stayed at the door to watch the guards while Hauk and the rest filed out as if they were following and protecting Bastien. Once he and Nykyrian were sure they were cleared and not reported, they headed for the street.

Hauk paused by Bastien’s side as his words haunted him. “Is that the matter you need to take care of before you join us in The Sentella?”

“Yeah.” His eyes turned dark. Deadly. “They killed my brother and sister in front of me. And I want blood.”

“I’m sorry, Bastien.”

He pressed his lips together, but said nothing more about it. “Let’s get that baby of yours home where she belongs.”

Hauk understood why Bastien didn’t want to talk about his family and their deaths. Some memories were too crippling, and he had his own share of them. But one thing he knew for a fact.

Bastien wouldn’t be fighting alone.

After this, the Kirovarian prince had proven himself one of them.

Strong alone. Stronger together.

Nero brought them a commandeered transport so that they could stay off the street, and not attract undue notice. They made their way to a League orphanage near the Overseer’s office building, in the center of the city. It was a drab, unremarkable building that was heavily fortified, and manned by League guards.

None of them spoke as Nero drove them to a side alley so that they could unload and prepare. They’d barely cleared the transport before a shadow flickered.

Every one of them leveled their blasters at it.

“Whoa! Good guy. Please, gods, don’t shoot me. And if you do, kill my ass. I can’t take any more physical therapy. I’m done with it.”

Smiling, Hauk holstered his blaster and held his arm out to Safir. “You look like hell, buddy.”

“And feel every minsid flame of it, too. I wish I could say I feel better than I look, but I really don’t.” After shaking Hauk’s arm, Saf hugged Maris. “We have two of our own who are guards here. They’re the ones who notified us of her location, after Valari put out a call for information on her whereabouts. The problem is, we know the room. But we’re not sure which kid she is. They’re not tagged with names.” He looked at Hauk. “I’m hoping Daddy knows what she looks like.”

Hauk shook his head. “They took her from her mother the minute she was born. Sumi was never allowed to see or touch her. She only knows her name because she bribed a nurse for it.”

Shahara crossed her arms over her chest. “If I can get a cheek swab, I can run her DNA with Sumi’s and verify it.”

They all stared at her.

“What?” she asked defensively. “I’m married to a mad scientist doctor. You think I haven’t picked up a few things from him after all these years?”

Caillen grinned. “Sister Shay for the win.”

While they planned the extraction with Safir, Shahara called Syn to get Sumi’s DNA downloaded to run against Kalea’s.

Hauk thought over their ideas. “You know, Saf, it might be easier if Shahara and I can go in with your guys, and say that we were sent in to do a routine med check on the kids. That way we could run the DNA and they wouldn’t know what we were about.” It was also the best way to keep any innocents from being harmed.

Saf looked at the others. “Anyone got a better idea?”

They shook their heads.

“I like it,” Nyk said. “Simple. Straightforward.”

“Suicidal,” Caillen mumbled.

Darling snorted. “All right. Suicide it is. Let’s do this.”

When Hauk took a step, Fain stopped him. “I’m going, too. Just in case.”

He wanted to argue, but knew that tone of voice. It wouldn’t be worth wasting time. And it was why he’d always adored his older brother.

So long as he lived, Fain would always be there for him.

Nyk signaled for everyone to dissipate and prepare for a hot evac.

Once Shahara was fully downloaded and had double-checked her medical kit, she gave a nod to Saf to lead them to the Phrixians who were guarding the facility as League soldiers.

Saf radioed them to meet by the back gate, away from cameras and other guards.

As soon as the Phrixian spies arrived, they saluted their prince, and explained the layout of the building.

Saf and Maris stayed at the gate to cover it while the two Phrixians led Shahara, Fain, and Hauk to the room where a dozen kids, ranging from ages three to six, were playing a game of chase and freeze. All in all, they appeared rather happy and normal. The only way to know they were League owned was the matching white uniforms they wore.

The Phrixians went in first to tell the instructor that they were there for a routine health screening. Either she didn’t care or it wasn’t unusual. Without looking up from her electronic reader, she told the kids to line up.

From the hallway, Hauk scanned the children as they fell into formation. His heart pounded as his gaze went to the girls. One of them was Sumi’s beloved daughter.

No.

One of them was their beloved daughter.

I’m a father now. That reality hit him hard. It was something he’d never thought to have. A dream he’d given up on a long time ago. Because of Dariana’s cruelty, he’d relegated himself to the role of uncle.

But one of those little faces would soon belong to him…

I will never let any harm come to you.

Swallowing hard, he tried to figure out which one they should test first. There were only three girls – two blonds and one with dark hair and enormous silvery blue eyes. He leaned toward the fairer haired girls, but something about the brunette was familiar to him. He didn’t know what, until they entered the room and the children screamed in terror, running for cover.

Except for the brunette. She folded her arms over her tiny chest and held herself with a defiance that sent a chill up his spine. He knew that tilt of chin and that fiery look that dared them to do their worst.

“Kalea?”

Staring up at him without fear, she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “Who are you?”

It was so adorable, he smiled as Shahara stepped past him and knelt in front of the girl. “I’m here to do a little screening test on you, is that okay?”

With a suspicious glint in her eyes, she tilted her head. “What kind of test?”

Oh yeah, she had to be Sumi’s blood. She was just like her mother and he was in love with her already.

Shahara held a swab in a gloved hand and showed her on her own cheek. “See. Doesn’t hurt. And I have a big surprise for you afterwards.”

“Is it a good surprise?”

“Better than good.”

“It better be.” The girl opened her mouth wide.

Shahara quickly pulled out a new swab and scraped it against Kalea’s cheek. Rising to her feet, she placed it in a gold solution before she checked her chronometer. “Thirty seconds.”

They were the longest of his life.

Kalea tugged at Shahara’s leg. “What’s my surprise?”

Suddenly, there were running feet in the hallway outside. Fain moved to check while Hauk looked around for an alternate exit.

“It’s her,” Shahara answered finally. “It’s a complete match, and Sumi has a very unique signature. There’s no doubt whatsoever.”

Hauk wasn’t prepared for the swell of protective love that filled him at that confirmation. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe at all.

His throat tight, he fell to his knees in front of the tiny girl. His daughter. He wanted to grab her into a tight hug, but that might scare her, and that was the last thing he desired. “Are you afraid of me, Kalea?”

Arms akimbo, she widened her stance to eye him like a tough little mouse. “Am I supposed to be?”

“No. Are you?”

She twisted up her mouth and studied him carefully. “You look very strange. Are your eyes supposed to glow red like that?”

“They are.”

“And your teeth? Are they supposed to be so long and sharp?”

“I’m Andarion. We all have those teeth.”

“Dancer…” Fain said in warning. “We’ve got company. We need to go. Fast.”

He held his hand up to his brother before he turned back to the girl. “I’m your father, Kalea, and I’ve come to take you home.”

All the defiant fire went out of her as her jaw dropped. Her lips quivered. “I really have a daddy?”

He nodded.

Tears filled her eyes, making them glisten.

“You definitely have a father. And both your mother and I love you very much.”

“I have a mommy, too?” she breathed in disbelief.

“Yes.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I hate this place, Daddy. Please take me home.” She threw herself into his arms.

Closing his eyes, Hauk held her close to his chest. While he loved and adored every child his friends had, it was nothing compared to what went through him as those little arms encircled his neck and she placed her head on his shoulder. Not even what he felt for Darice compared to this.

She’s my little girl. All he wanted was to hold on to her forever.

But he couldn’t. They had to get her to safety first.

Kissing her cheek, he stood up with her. “Kalea, I’m going to hand you to the nice lady and she’s going to take you to some men and get you to safety, okay?”

“What about you, Daddy?”

“Daddy’s going to make sure you stay safe. Aunt Shahara is going to hold you for just a little bit. Okay?”

“Okay.”

He handed her off to Shahara. “Fain, cover them out the back. I’ll draw these bastards off you.”

“You got it. Stay safe.”

“You stay safer.”

Fain inclined his head to him.

Hauk waited until they were clear before he opened the door where the instructor was gesturing to the Phrixian guards. As soon as the new arrivals saw him, they drew weapons. The Andarion in him wanted to start a war in the hallway, but there were too many children here. He wouldn’t risk one of them getting hit in the cross fire.

So instead, he fell into the role of arrogant League officer. “Is there a problem?” he snarled at the approaching soldiers.

“By whose authority are you here?”

“The prime commander’s,” Hauk answered boldly. Technically, it wasn’t a lie. He wouldn’t be here if not for the rank smelly dog. “Would you like to call him and tell him that you’re interfering? I’ve heard he’s real forgiving of being questioned by lesser-ranking soldiers.”

They started to accept that until one of them, unfortunately, used his brain to have a thought. “Why would he send an Andarion when we’re at war with them?”

That was a good question. Luckily, Hauk was used to thinking on his feet. “Some of us are still Leaguers.” He didn’t know of any offhand, but it was always a good bet that someone was stupid.

The soldier hesitated. “I don’t know…”

“You three stay here and let us check this out.” The soldier left the two Phrixians and one other guard.

Poor guy.

Hauk waited until the other guards were gone before he knocked the one unfortunate guard who’d been left behind unconscious. When the instructor started to sound an alarm, he drew on her. “Don’t.” He switched the setting from stun to kill to let her know he wasn’t playing.

The Phrixians held their hands up as if they were afraid, too, and moved to shield her. Hauk ran backwards through the hallway, toward the exit. He was almost to the door when someone opened fire on him in the stairwell. He fired up at them and hit the door running.

Ah, great… There was a group of League soldiers in the yard who turned immediately toward him.

Shit. Why couldn’t he ever catch a break during an escape? Just once?

They opened fire. And the moment they did, his friends came out to play and returned it with everything they had.

Grateful beyond belief, Hauk dodged the blasts that narrowly missed him and headed for the transport that was backed up to the gate. At a full run, he dove in headfirst and landed on top of Darling.

“Ah gah, Hauk! Lose some weight. You’re crushing me, you fat bastard! I don’t know how Sumi stands it.”

Laughing at Darling’s humor, he pinched his cheek. “Suck it up. You make a sweet cushion.” He rolled to his feet, then frowned. “Where are the others?”

“We sent them on ahead with Kalea to get her out of the line of fire.”

He sighed in relief as he saw Nyk, Maris, Fain, Darling, Nero, and Drake, who’d stayed behind to cover him. They were the best and he’d never appreciated them more.

Nero drove them out at full throttle, under heavy pursuit. The transport went careening down the street, sending pedestrians and other vehicles in all directions.

“Nero!” Darling shouted. “Some of us aren’t suicidal back here.”

“Then strap your ass down. Or lose it.” Nero jerked to the right.

This time, Darling landed on Hauk.

Hauk put him back on his feet. “Nuh-uh. You have to buy me dinner before you crawl on top of me, baby. No one gets a free ride on the Hauk train.”

Maris laughed. “I’m learning all kinds of fun things about you today, Hauk.”

Suddenly, the ride leveled out and slowed.

Darling blanched as they were hammered by League fire. “What are you doing, Nero?”

“Shh! I’m being stupid and I have to concentrate for it.”

Hauk winced over what that really meant. “Is he giving himself brain damage?”

Darling cursed under his breath. “With all of us inside? Yeah.”

Hauk clenched his teeth at the sacrifice Nero was making. “I can carry him out.”

“I’ll cover you both,” Nyk offered.

The transport picked up speed again. Within five minutes, they were back at the port. Nero parked and opened the hatch. He got up and pressed his hand to his nose, which was pouring blood all over him.

Hauk helped him out and slung one arm over his shoulder to help him walk. No one in the hangar paid any attention to them at all. It was as if they weren’t there. “You’ve cloaked us?”

Nero nodded.

Damn, that had to be killing Nero. Hauk tightened his grip on his friend. “Just remember, if you have to hurl, Darling’s right there.”

Offended, Darling twisted his face up in distaste. “Screw you, Hauk.”

“Back at you, human. Besides, you handle it better than I do.”

With an evil laugh, Darling nodded. “Okay, that’s true, but still. I get tired of everybody doing that to me.” He glared meaningfully at Maris.

Maris scoffed. “What’s with that look? I only did it the one time. And at least it wasn’t during your wedding vows… while being videoed and broadcast.”

They hurried as fast as they could across the bay and headed to their ship.

“I can’t hold it much longer,” Nero breathed. “I think I’m about to pass out.”

Hauk walked faster. “I’ve got you, drey. I won’t let you fall.”

His nose bleeding harder, Nero stumbled.

They were halfway to the ship when a voice rang out. “Halt!”

Nykyrian clapped him twice on the shoulder. A silent motion that said to run. Hauk swept Nero into his arms and ran while the others laid down cover fire for them. One blast landed in his thigh and almost sent him to the ground.

Catching his balance, he cursed and kept going. Like Sumi had said, if he went down, he was a lot harder to move than the others. And the last thing they needed was to carry both him and Nero out on their backs.

He ran on board first and placed Nero in the closest seat. Grinding his teeth against the pain in his leg, Hauk winced at the sight of the wound.

“Daddy!”

That one word and the excitement in that precious high-pitched voice brought tears to his eyes as a wealth of emotion coursed through him. Before he could stand back up, a tiny form slammed into him and threw her arms around his neck.

“Daddy! I was getting so worried! But Aunt Shahara and Aunt Jaynie and… and Uncle Ryn and Uncle Caillen told me not to. You know, you gots a lot of brothers and sisters, Daddy.”

He held her close to his chest. “That I do.” He set her down in a seat and harnessed her in as Nykyrian, Fain, Maris, and Darling pulled up the rear while Shahara started tending to Nero.

“Burn it!” Darling pounded on the flight deck door to signal to Ryn and Jayne that everyone was on board and the ramp secured.

“Everyone hold your ass,” Jayne said over the intercom. “We’re having to blast our way out. They’re sealing the doors, so everybody pray.”

The ship lurched forward as she dropped anchor and hit full throttle.

Kalea’s eyes widened.

Hauk buckled himself in beside her. “It’s all right, baby. Daddy’s right here. We’re going to see Mommy.”

He tried to hold her hand, but she was so tiny that she had to wrap her entire hand around his index finger. And as the ship shook, she buried her face against his arm and held tight. He rubbed her back, proud of the fact that she didn’t cry like most children would. But she did squeal a lot. Something that was piercing to his Andarion hearing.

They should have named you Baby Harpie.

Hauk cringed as he heard the sound of metal on metal as they scraped through the hangar doors. Visions of being crushed in a blast shield went through his head. That would be bad enough, but Jayne and Ryn appeared to be in the middle of an argument while they escaped.

“Get your hands off that, woman!” Ryn snapped.

“Where’d you learn to fucking fly? At a shoe store?”

“Don’t touch that!”

“You get your hands off!”

Gaping, Hauk met Nykyrian’s stunned expression. “Oh my God, who let the two-year-olds fly us?”

They all pointed to Darling.

With an innocent expression, he held his hands out. “Ryn’s a Tavali captain. He should know what he’s doing. And Jayne’s Jayne. She’s never failed us before.”

Suddenly, something hit the ship. Hard. The power drained instantly.

Ryn hissed over the intercom as Jayne went silent. “Oh… shit.”