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I cursed under my breath in both the Xalanite and English tongues. We had not anticipated drawing this much attention to ourselves. Our plan had been to slip in, grab theyifs, and slip back out. Now we had sirens and lights and more guards to deal with. Ryan was proving more trouble than he was worth, and I wondered how upset Amber would be if he became “accidentally” damaged during the rescue.
J’meer tapped my shoulder and gestured, using Xalanite military hand signals to communicate silently.
Smoke bomb. We set it off, then run. Grab humans.
I responded with some gestures of my own as I peered around the corner of the stack of crates.
And on the return trip? The smoke will disperse before we can get out.
He shrugged.Then we set off another. It’s no bother to us, but they won’t be able to see or breathe properly, given their weak human anatomy.
J’meer made it sound so simple, but I suspected we would encounter more interference than he was accounting for. His bravery was admirable, yes, but something nagged at the back of my mind as we prepared a smoke bomb. I turned back to our target building and activated the nanotech implants that allowed me to see thermal variances.
When we’d scanned the building from the ship, only Ryan, Evan, and a handful of guards had been present. Now? Now no fewer than fifteen guards lined the room, all with their weapons aimed at the sole point of entry.
More guards inside. Greater than a dozen. We should plan on resistance upon entry. Flash or smoke for them?
J’meer paused to consider.Do they have night vision devices on their heads? The ones you mentioned seeing used in entertainment programs on this planet?
I looked again and detected a faint electronic signal emanating from the heads of the guards. A quick scan of the signals around the room indicated all other electronics were turned off, meaning they hoped to ambush us in the dark.I believe so. Flash, then.
Yes. So, smoke, in, flash, grab, smoke, out, ship. Easy.
I wished I had J’meer’s confidence.
I used to have that kind of confidence in battle. Things changed, though, when I had something to lose. Someone to lose. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Amber alone, so failure brought an increased risk that gave me great discomfort. What would she do without me? I had ruined her life here on Earth; with our capture by the AARO, she had likely lost her job, and her home was compromised. I had to stay alive, to survive this attack on the compound, for Amber’s sake.
The humans’ spotlights glared and reflected off the gasses we released with the bomb, making it difficult for even us Xalanites to see in the resulting chaos. Still, we easily maneuvered around the stumbling human guards, and J’meer broke down the locked steel door. Gi’kar tossed the flash grenade in, and we poured through the door as soon as the humans began to shout in pain as they were blinded.
I found it strange that Ryan and Evan were bound in the room. Hadn’t Agent Wilson claimed his men were taking care of them? Why would they be in handcuffs?
J’meer and Liffal each grabbed a hostage while Gi’kar and I covered their retreat. We threw another smoke bomb and headed for the fence. Our boots pounded on the pavement, audible even over the shouts of the guards. Would we make it back to the ship?
The sirens stopped suddenly, the blaring silence almost louder than the noise. We kept running until Agent Wilson’s voice boomed out across the compound.
“Don’t think for a second that we won’t spray the whole area with bullets. You might have human hostages, but they’re worthless to us.”
We four froze, barely two feet from our climb to victory.
“That’s right, alien freaks. One more step from any of you, and we’ll open fire.”
Chapter 23
Amber
“One more step from any of you, and we’ll open fire.”
A chill ran through me as I listened to Agent Wilson’s voice pump through the ship on the Xalanites’ communication device. I had no doubts that he was serious, that he would carry out his threat if Q’on and his friends made another move. My concern was that they would move anyway, and he’d open fire.
“Q’on, please, do what he says!”
I wrung my hands, trembling, as I waited for a response. The seconds ticked by in utter silence. Neither side seemed willing to budge, and I prayed that Q’on and the others had heard me.
I prayed that they’d listen.
Finally, after what felt like the longest pause of my life, Q’on’s voice came through the speakers.
“It would seem you have us at your mercy, Agent. What do you want from us?”
