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A sound behind me caught my attention, and I looked away for a split second, afraid that the Patrol had plenty more where those had come from. But it was not a drone that emerged from the other side of the stacked buildings. It was a small ship that had to belong to the mystery men. They were taking off, and I braced for impact, the final drone heading straight across their path.
“Oh no,” I muttered, bracing myself for a collision, but the small ship maneuvered deftly and the wing tips crossed inches apart and they two men passed directly overhead, their faces visible as the cockpit tilted toward me. I let out a shaky breath, unsure why I had been so nervous for the men. If they had taken out the last drone, I would have one less thing to worry about. All the same, it would’ve been unfair to hope for such a collision after the way they’d saved me.
I peeked over the edge of the building, relieved to see that the bay doors were down and the women were chaotically pushing and shoving their way onto the transporter. There was still no sign of Soleil, and that was a problem I could not ignore. She had to be here somewhere, and she deserved to be back on that ship when it took off.
The last drone was buzzing beyond my reach, and I had to make a choice. With only one drone, I was confident we could make it out of this place without much more damage to our ship. But if I stayed, I could guarantee the safety of the crew, and I could search for Soleil. Whatever happened after that, I could sleep at night knowing I did all I could.
Getting to my feet, I hauled myself toward the opposite end of the long building, keeping an eye on the street below hoping Soleil would appear. If she was still alive, I knew she would fight her way toward the others. I just had to believe.
I reached another ladder, taking me to the top of the next building and giving me an even better vantage point. That was when I spotted her. She was on the wrong side of the outpost, running for her life. Behind her, another group of soldiers followed closely, the same way they’d chased me. Only she didn’t have anyone to come to her rescue. Anyone but me.
“I’ve got you. Don’t slow down,” I whispered into the air, hoping my prayers would reach her even if she couldn’t hear them.
It was harder to strike the running soldiers. They were too far away and their movements were irregular. Even when I thought I struck one, he barely teetered off course before resuming his chase. With every passing second, I felt a sinking dread fill my gut, knowing that the soldiers were going to catch her. They were going to get her and there was nothing I could do. And soon, Tayla would take off, and I couldn’t stop the final drone because I’d wasted my last rounds on my sad attempt at shooting the running men. This time, the tears made it past my best defenses, and I watched in horror for my worst fears to come true all around me. Helpless, I lowered my weapon, knowing that my part in this fight was done.
But through my tears, a gray blur emerged, and I realized belatedly that the small ship had reversed course. I scrambled back from the edge of the building, afraid that it was going to crash as it made a sharp turn and headed straight toward me. I watched in awe as a small hatch opened beneath the ship and the barrel of a large caliber gun emerged, loosing two rounds with a deep concussion that shook the building beneath my feet, sending up sprays of dirt on the street below and stopping the running soldiers in their tracks. I sucked in a sharp breath, unable to see Soleil through the cloud of debris, but a moment later, I spotted her dark form in the dust, still running at breakneck speed as she rounded a corner and headed for Tayla and the waiting transport.
It was then that I realized the last drone had returned, closing in on all of us, but the men in their tiny ship were way ahead of me. The little turret swept across and picked the drone off at a distance, making my teeth clatter together with the force of the explosion. And then all was quiet again, except for the sound of Tayla revving up her ship and skidding across the dry ground on her way to a painfully slow takeoff.
As I watched, I wanted to cry and cheer all at the same time. We’d done it. The women were safe. They were free. Everyone made it.
There was a dull thud behind me, and I turned in a slow circle, taking in the tiny ship that had settled delicately atop the lower rooftop. I secured my weapon and lowered myself over the edge, reaching for the rungs of the ladder with my foot until I was sure I could climb down.
By the time I reached the bottom, the man was out of the ship and waiting impatiently for me to turn around. I had hardly regained my balance before his hands wrapped around my upper arms and he practically shook me. On one side, he was flesh and bone, just like me. On the other, a machine so cold and dangerous looking, I couldn’t help but shiver under his touch.
“What the hell were you doing up there?” he growled, eyes flashing dangerously as he loomed over me.
“Giving them a chance to get away,” I said sheepishly, looking away in an effort not to get drawn into those eyes of his. “It was stupid, I know. I don’t need a scolding from you.”
“A scolding?” he laughed. “I didn’t come down here to scold you. That took a lot of guts. But yes, it was also very stupid.”
His thumb grazed my upper arm softly as he looked back at his ship, and goosebumps rose across my skin. He released me with one hand, turning away, but the cool indifference of his metallic grip remained on my other arm like a warning.
“And where do you come from?” I pried.
“Who’s asking?” he returned.
“I’m Cosma.”
“Cosma? A fitting name for a beautiful woman lost among the stars. I’m Malik. My brother is Torgus. And if it’s not too bold, I’d suggest we get out of here before those hellions down there regroup and give us any more trouble. If we don’t move soon, there’ll be more drones.”
“First, I’m not lost. Second, my friends are still close. You could take me back to them,” I said.
I fell back, realizing suddenly that I was in a rather precarious situation with this strange man, and I ought to tread lightly. It probably wasn’t best for me to be making demands at a time like this.
He gave me an amused glance and started back toward his ship. “That is one option.”
“One option? What do you mean ‘one option’? It’s the only option!” I insisted, hurrying after him and catching up just as he hoisted himself up and over into the cockpit.
“I would tend to disagree. As the pilot of this ship, I get to decide where and when we go, and until I know more about how you got here and who you’re with, I’m not going to rush right over to drop you off. I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do, cupcake.”
“What are you suggesting then? You want me to come with you? Where?”
He shrugged. “I imagine just about anywhere is preferable to this place, wouldn’t you say?”
Flabbergasted by his sudden condescension, I stepped back half a pace, my jaw dropping open as I worked on a rebuttal. This was insane. He had asked me to come with him, and I had stupidly assumed that it was because he wanted to help me. But now, he was dangling my freedom over my head like a carrot, telling me I was going to play by his rules. Typical man.
“Well? Are you coming or not?” Malik asked, holding out a hand to help me step over the side of the cockpit.
