Gateway to HeVan (8 page)

“You have picked up strange customs from these barbarians.  You don’t know your place, so I obviously need to show it to you.  Finally, I thought you would be of some use to me.  You got me on this ship, but the women here are interfering busybodies,” he said
, as he crawled onto the bed and put one hand around his wife’s throat.

“But perhaps all is not lost.  All I need do is kill you here.  When the bitch comes to get me, I’ll give you a fond goodbye.  I just need to give the impression you’re still alive when I leave.  The bomb I had planned to leave behind
in the queen’s cabin―well, your quarters are close to the engine room and perhaps this will be better, after all.  You will be dead and since there is no food in this room, your body will be found soon enough.  I am your beloved husband and won’t be suspected.  The timer will ensure the king can retrieve your body, and then the bomb will go off.  He will blame the Nephilim for killing you.  They, and all of our people, will believe he planted the bomb in retaliation.  War will break out, and I will be able to overthrow your brother,” he said.

As soon as she heard her husband so easily explain that he was going to kill her,
BianCa slowly eased her hand over and tapped the communicator on her wrist.  Natalie was the last person she contacted, so she would be the one to overhear.  She would bring warriors.  Hopefully, they would come in time to stop her husband from doing something horrible. 

“Husband, as Grace taught me to say, the wheel is spinning but the hamster isn’t home,” she said, before slamming her knee into his groin, while at the same time pushing him off her. 

Natalie was halfway to the kitchen when her wrist unit beeped.  “I knew the jerk would change his mind,” she muttered as she tapped to answer the beep.

“What the―?” she heard voices coming over the communication device.

“…the impression you’re still alive…”

“Shit,” she said, running back to the room, listening as she went.  When she heard the word
bomb
, she cut the line and called security.

“This is security.  What is the nature of your problem
, Lady Natalie?” asked the commander on duty.

“There’s trouble in the guest quarters; the duke is killing his wife,” she panted out
as she was running.  Reaching the guest quarters, she opened the panel by the door as she continued to give her status report.  “I heard something about a bomb.  He has it with him,” she said.

“Hold―warriors are on their way,” he said.

“No way, Jose, he’s killing her.  I can’t let that happen.  Get here fast, I’ll leave my line open,” she said, before passing a hand over the scanner and opening the door.  She rushed into the room to see BianCa slam her knee between her husband’s legs.  Grace had given BianCa some self-defense moves when they were getting to know each other.  Apparently the lessons were paying off.

The duke went with the roll and came up at the end of the bed.  He pulled a small item from the back of his waist and turned to Natalie, raising his arm.

“No!” shouted BianCa, jumping in front of Natalie and taking a shot to the chest.

Natalie took her weight and quickly lowered her to the floor as the duke came at her.  Stepping to the side, she kicked his thigh as he leapt over his wife’s body and headed toward the door.  Since he didn’t fire again, she figured he only had
the one shot, a concealed weapon of some kind which was able to pass the scrutiny of the scanners in the airlock.

“Door only works for me, asshole.  You’re not going anywhere.  Security has been called,” she said.

“Damn you to hell!  You’ve ruined everything,” he yelled.

He turned and ran back into the room.  When he headed to the table where his bag was, Natalie knew in her gut he was going for the bomb.

“No way am I going to let you set off that bomb,” she said, as she rushed forward to intercept him.

He turned and ripping off his cloak, pulled a dagger from his boot.

“I’m going to enjoy carving you up,” he said, stepping forward and thrusting at her.

Natalie had her arm coming forward for a hand strike as he lunged.  As the knife entered her abdomen, she brought her hand forward, palm bent back at the wrist, fingers curled into claws.  Instead of slashing, she put all her energy into a strike at his nose, jamming the cartilage into his brain.  His own momentum forward helped kill him.  He was dead before he hit the floor.

Natalie crumpled just as the door burst open and two warriors came into the room with a fury.

Natalie was barely conscious when the warriors rushed into the room.  It only took one glance for them to see what had happened.  The first warrior checked on BianCa while the second came over and crouched next to Natalie.

She had to make them understand.  She used the last of her remaining strength to point to the table.
“Bomb,” she said, before allowing her hand to drop.  Then everything went black and she knew no more.

Warrior Jenner heard the medicals at the door demanding entrance.  He signaled the
all clear
before stepping over to the table by the viewport.  Just to be thorough, he checked to make sure the man with whom Lady Natalie had fought was dead.  Then he stood and took a scanner out of his pocket, passing it over the bag resting there.  He wasn’t registering any weapon, but Natalie had said there was a bomb and he wasn’t willing to take the risk.

As he rushed from the room, he glanced again at the woman by the door.  He was surprised to find the medicals working on her.  He thought she must surely be dead
from the amount of blood pooling on the floor underneath her.  Another set of medicals rushed over to Natalie as he left the room with the bag.  When he entered the hallway, it was crammed with warriors. 

“What has happened, Jenner?
” Evoxan asked, one of the warrior captains.  “The queen’s pod detached and has retreated away from the planet.  The Venger has followed.  Evacuation of all pregnant females is happening as we speak,” he said.

“Natalie says this has a bomb in it,” he said, holding up the bag and continuing to walk very fast down the corridor.  “I have scanned it and cannot sense any device but I’m not willing to take chances.  I want it off the vessel,” he said.

“I’ll clear the corridors between here and the airlock; run as fast as you can,” said Evoxan.

As Jenner went from a walk to a run down the corridor, Evoxan opened communications with the
Bridge and informed them of the situation.  Jenner would make sure the bag and its contents left the ship in a propulsion ejection tube.  When it had reached a safe distance from the ship, they would target and destroy it.

The
Bridge decided to proceed with evacuating the Explorer until all areas of the ship where the duke had passed through were scanned and thoroughly searched for explosives.

****

Addie was moaning as an orgasm rolled through her body. Arjun had tilted back her chair and he had his head buried in between her legs when a shrill beeping sounded throughout the chamber.  Rune lifted his head from her breasts as the two warriors who usually guarded the door from the corridor could be heard doing something in the hallway. 

Addie felt the tremble of the floor as Arjun stood, flicking down the end of her dress.  Rune quickly pulled her blouse closed and began buttoning the buttons.

The beeping stopped almost as soon as it started.

“I know you make the earth move every time, Arjun.  Mind telling me why it
still
seems to be moving?” she asked.

Before he could answer, Addie heard a loud noise and the room began to pick up speed.  One warrior came down the hall and into the living room.

“Is the
Nam-Nin
well?” the warrior asked.

“Yes, I’m fine―
as you can see.  Will someone please tell me what is going on?”

“I, too, would like to know,” said Arjun
, as the communicator on the wall started to chime.  When Rune keyed in, Kylan’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hello, there is nothing to worry about,” he said, looking at Addie.  “We are having a drill and we’re testing the emergency ejection system.  Our quarters have detached from the main body of the ship and we are moving away from the planet.  We’ll hook back up in a few hours,” said Kylan.

Addie took one look at her
Ankida
and got mad.  “Bull. Shit.  You tell me what’s going on with my people right now, Kylan, or you’re going to be spending the next six months on the couch with Lucy and Ricky,” she threatened.

Knowing he was busted
, Kylan started to talk.  “Honestly, Addie, we’re still working it out.  Cassandra called because she’d had a disturbing vision.  Then security received a transmission mentioning a bomb.  Taking no chances with your safety, the detach sequence was engaged.”

“
What is happening with my sister and my grandmother?” she asked worriedly, trying to get up from the chair.  Rune and Arjun immediately went over to her chair and moved it to a more upright position.

Kylan rushed to explain
, “All the women are being evacuated just as a precaution.  Hold on―I’m getting an update.”

He went off screen for a few moments while Arjun and Rune did what they could to keep Addie calm.  The one thing they hadn’t planned for was having a medical in the quarters if she went into premature labor.  They were angry at themselves now for the oversight.  They needed her to remain calm.  It seemed like forever but was actually only a few minutes before Kylan came back on the line.

“It hasn’t been confirmed but security was told the duke brought a bomb on board the ship and attempted to kill his wife.  All we know for sure is the duke is dead and both BianCa and Natalie have been rushed to medical.  Areas of the ship where the duke had access are being scanned and searched.  One device is being ejected any minute now.  You should probably search your quarters, in case he left something,” said Kylan.

“He did leave something―remember, Arjun?  Natalie saw him leave behind his handheld computer thingy.  She found it behind the couch and took it back to him,” said
Addie.

“Then we owe Natalie a debt we can never repay,” said Arjun
, giving Addie a kiss on the lips before sitting down.  His legs felt suddenly weak.

“Please contact medical and find out how Natalie is,” Addie begged Kylan. 

“Of course, right away.  I’ll go down to medical myself.  I’ll get back in touch as soon as I know anything,” he said, before closing the signal.

Addie turned to Arjun, “Arjun―honey.”

“Yes, love?”

“Who’s flying the house?  I mean―we were ejected and everything but who’s driving?” sh
e asked.

“One of the warriors went straight to the control room.  Everything is going to be fine,” said Rune.

“I want to talk to Grace and Granny Mac.  Please find them for me right now,” she said in a worried voice.

“If you promise to try
to lower your blood pressure, I will track them down for you.  I can see your pulse beating in your temples.  Please, my love, take some deep breaths and try to stay calm.  Everything really is going to be okay, thanks to Natalie,” Arjun said, running a hand over her face, which had gone too pale for his liking.

“Once this crisis has passed
, we’re going to talk.  It hasn’t been very long since we discussed you keeping things from me.  I’m not really happy with you guys right now.  I want to take a shower and then take a nap—alone,” she said, before maneuvering herself out of the chair and leaving the room.

****

Jenner contacted weapons control as he ran the last corridor to the airlock.  He would then jettison the bag with the possible bomb inside.

“I’ve reached airlock BE117,” he said, grabbing a propulsion tube and stuffing the bag inside.  “Device secured, jettisoning now,” he said
, as he engaged the ejector. 

He stepped to the side and saw the propulsion tube’s small engine ignite and begin to move quickly away from the ship and the planet into space.  He could no longer see it but knew the weapons station had a lock on the tube.  He counted down in his head, gauging when the tube would near the limits of the ship’s laser firing system for 100% accuracy.

A small burst of light left the ship and headed in the direction where the tube had traveled.  A second later, that sector of space lit up.  Jenner covered his eyes.  There
had
been a bomb!  With such a large display of firepower, it had been strong enough to significantly damage―if not destroy―the ship!  The Nephilim owed a great debt to Lady Natalie, and possibly Lady BianCa, as well.

****

Peet and Reeko rushed to medical when they heard the news about Natalie being injured.  They had no idea how serious her condition was and they feared the worst.  They had just found her and couldn’t bear to think they might lose her.

When they entered medical, they were surprised to see the waiting area filled with warriors.

“Can someone tell us how Natalie is?” shouted Peet into the room.

“She is our
join
,” shouted Reeko.

Hearing this, all of the warriors instantly quieted.  They turned as one and knelt down on one knee
, holding out their hands, palms up.  They were giving Natalie their pledge of loyalty and allegiance.

One warrior, at the door to the main medical bay, stood and the others followed his lead, parting and making an aisle for Peet and Reeko to walk through.

“Tell us―how is she?  What happened?” asked Peet.

“She discovered a plot to plant a bomb on the ship.  She confronted the man and he stabbed her.  The medicals have her in surgery now,” said Evoxan.

“Why would she take such a risk?  Why wouldn’t she wait for security?” he moaned, threading his fingers through his hair.

“She told the security chief she overheard the duke threatening to kill his mate.  She told them she could not wait and went through the door to confront him.  We were on the scene in minutes.  She pointed out the bomb just before she fell unconscious.  She saved the queen; she saved us all,” he explained.

Both Peet and Reeko needed to do something.  Adrenaline was pouring through their systems.  There was no one to fight, nothing to overcome.  They couldn’t even pace―there was no room.  All of a sudden, they ripped off their shirts as their
joining
wings erupted from their backs.  More warriors entered the room and filled the corridor outside of medical as they stood there, helpless to do anything for their mate.  Many of the warriors were awed at the sight of the wings.  Some had never seen wings except for those hanging in their parents’ homes.

Once again, the sea of warriors parted as Kylan, the Queen’s Consort, walked through the crowd.

“Addie begged me to come in person and see how Natalie is.  I’m supposed to report to her as soon as I find out,” he said when he reached Evoxan. 

He put a hand on each of Peet and Reeko’s shoulders, squeezing and then letting go.

Before they could tell him they didn’t know anything, one of the medicals, Delpha, came to the door.

“How is Lady Natalie?” asked Kylan.

“She is doing well.  The blade nicked her liver and it took us a while to get the bleeding under control.  She’s out of surgery and is expected to make a complete recovery.  She’s going to tire easily until she replenishes her blood supply,” said Delpha.

“Can we see her?” asked Peet.

“Of course, she is being moved to a bed from the surgical unit.  She’ll have her own room and you can sit there with her.  No one will ask you to leave,” he said.  “If you come with me, I’ll show you the way.”

“Before you leave, can you tell me how
BianCa is?” asked Kylan.

“Her injuries are much more serious.  Her heart stopped beating three times.  So far, we’ve been able to keep her alive.  It’s still unknown if she’ll live,” he said
, before turning away to lead Peet and Reeko away.

Kylan absorbed the news and then turned to the warriors in the room.
  “Spread the word: Lady Natalie will recover.  She is out of surgery and doing well,” he announced.

A cheer rose up, echoing throughout the room and down the hallway.

“Let me know as soon as the search and scanning is complete so we can bring our women home and the queen’s launch can re-dock with the ship,” Kylan said to Evoxan.

“Yes, Commander, it shall be as you say,” said Evoxan. 

Most of the warriors then left the room.  Kylan’s personal communicator beeped.  “This is Kylan,” he answered.

“Commander, we are being hailed from the planet.  The king is asking for a report,” said Hakor, who was once again on
Bridge duty.

“Patch him through to my communicator,” said Kylan.

“Commander Kylan, would you care to explain what is happening?  My sensors show the queen’s chamber has left the ship.  Multiple shuttles have been scanned leaving the main ship as well.  Is my sister well?” he asked.

“Majesty, there has been an incident.  I suggest you make speedy arrangements to come to the ship.  Your sister has been injured.  It is not yet known if she will live through surgery,” said Kylan.

“I am on my way.  I’ll be bringing my personal physician with me,” he said.

“That’s fine; we’ll be expecting you.  I will fill you in when you get here.  I don’t feel comfortable speaking on an open channel,” explained Kylan.

“You can expect me within three hours,” said King Ben before he signed off.