Above and around her, she heard masculine screams, growls, meaty thuds and projectiles slamming into the walls. She was still struggling to crawl out from under the body that had landed on her when it was lifted off of her as abruptly as it had landed and then pitched to one side. She looked up to discover Jared standing over her.
Still dazed from being battered bodily, she swayed slightly when Jared jerked up and stood her on her feet, looking around the shambles of the ranger’s station dazedly. “Oh my fucking god! Now we’rereallyin trouble!”
Jared and Kane looked at each other uncomfortably and then looked at her. “You were in trouble already.”
“But … never mind! See who has the keys!”
Jared turned to look at the door leading to the holding cells instead. Striding toward it, he grasped the handle and twisted it off. The entire locking mechanism came off with it and he opened the door. Throwing off her shocked surprise, Chloe charged after him. There were four men in the holding cell. Chloe felt her heart surge against her chest with a mixture of fear and thankfulness when Damon lifted his head and looked straight at her—fear to discover that she’d been right and he had been in danger, relief and thankfulness that she’d managed to save him. His lips curled in that utterly charming, lopsided smile she remembered that brought dimples into play in his cheeks. “Dearling!” he exclaimed as if it hadn’t been two years since she’d seen him last—seen himever! “Chloe! What are you doing here?”
She grasped the bars, grinning back at him. “I came to get you, sweety!”
Jared was glaring at him evilly when she glanced around for him. “Don’t just stand there, Jared! Open it!”
He sent her a sullen look, but he grasped the cell door and wrenched it off of the hinges, setting it to one side.
Chloe rushed into the cell the moment it was opened, flinging herself at Damon.
He caught her with a husky chuckle, nuzzling his face against her neck. “I have thought of you each day that you were away from me,” he murmured.
“What of the others?” Jared growled.
Reluctantly, Chloe pulled away from Damon. “What others?” she asked blankly.
“Those cyborgs.”
Chloe turned to look at the other men in the cell. “They’re cyborgs?”
“We do not have much time,” Kane said tightly.
“And just whose fault is that?” Chloe demanded, abruptly irritated. “Not that I’m not grateful, mind you, but you made a hell of a mess besides making a lot of noise!”
Kane ground his teeth.
Jared scowled at her. “We found you by the shots you fired,” he said tightly.
Chloe felt her face heat. “Oh! I forgot about that!” She turned to study the other cyborgs. “Anybody here defective?”
The cyborgs glanced at each other. “No,” the one standing in the forefront informed her.
“Ok, so I guess we should take all of them. We certainly can’t leave them here.” She looked at Jared. “You’re the soldier. How do you think we should do this?”
Clearly irritated, he studied her for a long moment and finally turned to survey the cyborgs. “There is a shuttle and a lander at the space port from the Salvager Omega-3. We were here to take on supplies. You have fifteen minutes to make your way to the port and get into one of the landers without being observed. If you are not there when we reach the landers, you will remain here.” He turned to glare at Damon. “You also.”
“I thought I’d just walk him to the shuttle,” Chloe volunteered.
“You will not because you did not have him with you when you came! You will go and find the supplies you claimed that you had come for and make certain that you are noticed when you get to the port!”
Chloe glared at him belligerently for a moment but finally relented since his scowl intimidated her a lot more than hers seemed to be working on him. “Fine! Be careful, sweety!” she said, kissing Damon lightly on the lips and patting his cheek. “You understand the instructions, right?”
Something flickered in his eyes, but he merely smiled at her. “I go to the lander from the Omega-3 and get onboard without being detected.”
“Good boy!” Chloe said, patting his cheek again.
Kane made a hole in the back wall. Chloe gaped at it for several moments. “Kane! They’re going to know there were cyborgs here!”
Kane sent her a look, but he merely waved the cyborgs through. When they’d disappeared, she turned to beam at her buds—which was when she discovered both of them had been injured in the fight. “Oh god! You’re bleeding! I might be sick!”
Both cyborgs looked down at themselves and reached to swipe the blood off with their hands. “It is not ours,” Jared said.
