“You’ve been involved since you helped him escape,” Dathan said.
Malin was still, considering. She hunched her shoulders and lifted her face. “Centax needs our help. We can’t leave women and children to suffer.”
Xander released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. They’d help him. “Thank you.”
Dathan rubbed his hands together. “Well, let’s plan a treasure hunt.”
Mal leanedagainst the holo-table and pretendednotto watch Xander standing so straight and still beside her.
I certainly don’t feel anything for Malin.
It had been a blow to her gut. Her insides still hurt.
She wassostupid. She’d been so busy fooling herself that all of Xander’s slight tells were indications he felt something. Felt somethingfor her.
Stars, was she really so desperate that she was trying to wring something from a cyborg? A cyborg she barely knew? Hurt and anger were a nasty mix in her tight throat. She stared blindly atthe glow of the holo-table, seeing nothing, barely registering the voices around her.
She didn’t need this. She didn’t need another man—especially one who wasn’t even completely flesh and blood—stomping over her. Her hands gripped the edge of the holo-table.
“Where’s the Antikythera?” Dathan asked.
“I don’t know,” Xander answered.
Dathan crossed his arms over his chest. “Gonna make it kind of hard for us to steal it.”
A muscle ticked in Xander’s jaw. When Mal realized she was staring at him, she looked back at the holo-table.
“I know it was taken off-planet. The last contact I had with Xenia—she’s the second in command on my CenSec team—she confirmed the mercenaries had taken it on Rexon’s orders.”
“We need to ID these mercs,” Mal said.
Xander frowned. “Yes. But so far I’ve been unsuccessful. I’ve searched all my databases and haven’t found anything that matches.”
“Maybe I should have a try,” said a feminine voice.
Xander stilled, his gaze raking the room. “Who is that?”
“BEll,” Lala said as she sauntered into the room. “She’s like your sister.”
Xander’s frown deepened. “What?”
“She’s our bio-comp,” Mal said. “A Biocomputerized Entity Mach II.”
“You have a computer with biological components?” He blinked. “They don’t exist.”
“Dathan won her…it’s a long story,” Mal said. “BEll, meet Xander Saros. Xander, BEll.”
“A pleasure,” drawled BEll. “General Xander Saros of Centax. Age, thirty-three standard years. Most promising candidate in the Centax Security program. You far outstripped your fellow trainees and have the exceptional ability to accept everyenhancement and implant given to you. Bit of a dubious ability, if you ask me. Three years ago, they made you head of CenSec Field Operations. One year ago, they made you head of Centax Security and promoted you to the rank of general. You’re known to be a cool customer, an emotionless, lethal killer, and brilliant strategist. Did I leave anything out?”
Xander was quiet for a moment. “I don’t think so.”
Dathan was right. Xander wasn’t just a CenSec, hewasCentax Security. Mal cleared her throat. “BEll, we need to identify the mercs who stole the Antikythera.”
“I can check my databases.” As they spoke, the blue surface of the table flickered and changed. An image of the ancient, encrusted Antikythera appeared. “Can you provide any visuals?”
“I can upload images.” Xander pressed a hand to the table.
“Uploading now,” BEll said.
