Chloe studied the cage and finally realized it was to protect the crew from flying debris if they had to outmaneuver pursuit. Almost as if Reuel had read her thoughts, he explained that their mechanics had done what they could to boost the engines, increase maneuverability, and that the ships could also benefit in both areas from the weight they had removed.
She hadn’t actually been in Reuel’s ship before, but she knew they had had a med bay and that he’d arrived with nearly a troop of men so she realized immediately that it, too, had been stripped. The jump seats to carry the troops had been squeezed into a tight area on either side, leaving the center of the ship open except for the large cargo area they’d created that was surrounded by a similar cage to the one for weapons.
Reuel’s ship was to load what they’d primarily come for—food. It comforted Chloe that his main concern was a focus on feeding the people on the long journey they anticipated and not on weapons. “Did you add sniper’s turrets to this ship, too?”
Reuel smiled faintly. “This ship was already well armed. We modified it as a battleship as soon as we took it. There is a photon cannon front and rear and three pulse lasers on either side, front, center, and rear. This ship will lead the raid and cover the retreat of the other two since they are poorly armed and do not have the speed of my ship.
“In the event that the Salvager comes under attack, we have outfitted it with two photon cannons that we found in the hold and repaired and a pulse laser. I do not anticipate that,” he added when she sent him an uneasy look. “As the leader of one of Earth’s great early civilizations once said, however, ‘walk softly and carry a big stick’. It is far better to be prepared for attack and not need it than to need protection and not have it. If it should become necessary, we will cover the Salvager’s retreat and rendezvous at the next jump point.”
He took her to tour the ‘improvements’ to the Salvager once they’d finished inspecting the smaller ships. “Sebastian, Lucien, and Thor will stay behind to man the guns.”
Chloe frowned, not only because he had left her out of the selection process, but also because that meant that Damon, Jared, and Kane would be going with him.
“Jared suggested it,” he said. “The three were part of a cavalry unit during the late war and are experienced with handling heavy artillery. He and Kane were infantry and Damon, of course, has no battle experience.”
Chloe swallowed her protest with an effort. She didn’t like it, at all, but if Jared thought it was for the best, she thought she should trust his judgment. They needed a ship to get back to, after all.
She decided to dispense with any attempt at subtlety in speaking with the men about her concerns. “I’d like to speak with my crewmen in my quarters before the raid,” she said flatly.
Reuel nodded. “I will see to it that they report to you at 1800 EST … before we launch our assault.”
She reallywishedhe hadn’t put it that way! Raid sounded much better. It suggested that they would sneak in and sneak out again without detection. Assault suggested that he expected trouble.
She discovered she didn’t get an opportunity to speak with them privately before that. They shared the noon meal, but everyone seemed preoccupied and untalkative—notthat they were chatty at any time!
Their preoccupation worried her more. She supposed she should have been reassured by it. If they were that focused on the upcoming ‘campaign’ that was a good thing since it ruled out the possibility of them being shot because they had their mind on things they shouldn’t. She didn’t find that those thoughts actually did comfort her much, though, because she couldn’t convince herself that they weren’t worried.
It didn’t occur to her until the three of them reported to her quarters as Reuel had promised that she should’ve demanded a private interview with each of them. It was too late for that, though. They were clearly tense and preoccupied with the need to get down to the bay and load up with everyone else.
“You have concerns?” Jared asked before she could formulate the questions she’d wanted to ask him.
“I wanted to know if any of you had concerns,” Chloe asked baldly. “It seemed to me when Reuel asked me to inspect the ships that you might. I didn’t want you to leave with him if you have any doubts about this … any part of it. This is still my ship and you’re still my crew and my concerns are with my crew and my ship first.”
The three men glanced at one another comfortably. “You are asking if we trust Reuel?” Jared asked finally.
“Yes! That’s exactly what I’m asking. Should I?”
Jared and Kane seemed to be wrestling with their answer.
“I do not especially care for his interest in you!” Damon snapped. “I could not say about anything else—I think that he is a great man and that he can be completely relied upon to do what is best for everyone … overall. He is still a man, however.”
Relief and hopefulness flooded her. “He didn’t sign my dance card,” she said pointedly.
“He did not signanyof the dance cards,” Jared said. “He is the general. He does not need to.”
“And the other women will be all too delighted to accommodate him,” Chloe said. “As I said, my first interest and loyalty is to my own crew and their well being.” Dismissing her qualms about whether she should or shouldn’t behave in a personal way in a professional situation, she closed the distance between her and Jared and slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. Before she could pull away completely, he caught her and dragged her back, kissing her. It was no friendly peck, but deep penetration that was both possessive and hungry.
When he finally released her, she saw that Damon and Kane were headed out the door. “Get back here! I didn’t dismiss you!”
They halted and turned to look at her in surprise. Jared, she saw, was also surprised and not especially pleased. She ignored his disapproval, hugging each one tightly and kissing them as Jared had kissed her. “We’re a family,” she admonished them. “Families take care of each other. Watch your backs and watch out for each other! Promise me!”
They stared at her with a good deal of bemusement but finally nodded and left.
She wanted to fling herself on her bunk and cry her eyes out when they had. Instead, she gulped back the urge and, when she thought she had herself firmly in control, she made her way to the control room that overlooked the docking bay, watching as Reuel gave the troops last minute instructions and then the men split up and headed to the gangplank. As she’d hoped, Damon, Kane, and Jared paused before they went inside and looked up.
She placed her palm on the partition glass. “Come back to me!” She knew they couldn’t hear her. She doubted that they could see the movement of her lips much less read them at such a distance, but it was a prayer of sorts. The images of the ships wavered in her vision as they shot from the bay and into space. Sniffing, she scrubbed at her eyes and closed the bay door.
Sebastian, Lucien, and Thor had been standing behind her, she discovered when she turned. She couldn’t tell anything about their expressions, but she thought it was probably a good bet that they’d come in when she did. Or maybe they’d already been in the control room? She’d been too distressed and focused on what was happening in the bay to really notice.
