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Blaze hurried over and checked the wound on her head, his hand cupping her face. “You doing okay?”

“Fine now you’re here.” A look passed between them Striker barely registered. It was something hot, unspoken, and desperate.

“Where are the others?” he asked Eden.

“We got out of the cage,” she said. “I was in charge of getting here and taking over the ship’s controls.” She gestured over her shoulder with a thumb. “There were only two Gente in here, so it wasn’t a challenge. The other two were clearing the rest of the ship. I didn’t want Daisy involved in the fight, but she was determined to help.”

“Daisy’s been hurt?” Rexx loomed into view.

Eden grimaced. “Yeah, it’s pretty bad. You know what she’s like, though. She never stops fighting. The Gente treated the worst of her injuries but added new ones when she fought back. I’m worried. They should be here by now. They were supposed to meet me five minutes ago.”

“Have you scanned the ship?” Striker strode to the controls.

Eden gestured to the control panels. “I’ve been trying. When I got in here, one of the Gente did something to the ship’s systems. I’ve only got basic control. I can navigate and plot a course, but that’s it. Most internal controls are locked.”

“ELVIS, can you override the ship’s systems?” Striker said through his comm link.

“I can. It’ll take time. There’s a multi-encryption cipher lock on the system.”

“Do a remote scan, ELVIS. We’re looking for Human life signs on the ship,” Striker said.

“I’m detecting one in the cockpit and two in a room on the first level.”

“Direct us there,” Striker said.

Cleo was studying the controls. “I should be able to speed things up from this side.”

“We’ll stay with Eden,” Blaze said, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “You go get the others.”

Striker and Rexx headed along the corridor and up to the next level.

“Which room, ELVIS?” Striker said softly.

“Keep going. It’s the third on your left.”

He increased his pace at the sound of a loud crash ahead of him. They reached a closed door.

“You ready?” he asked Rexx.

“Get the damn thing open.”

Striker punched the access panel.

Daisy lay on the floor, her arms splayed out and a burn mark on her torso. Blood leaked from a deep cut on one arm. There were three Gente in the room with her.

Rexx roared. He lunged into the room, grabbed a Gente around the throat, and snapped his neck.

Striker’s attention was on Wren, rage blazing inside him like a blowtorch. A Gente had her pinned against the wall, a gun pressed against her head.

Her terrified gaze met his. He nodded at her, took aim, and blasted the Gente in the back.

The Gente dropped the gun and slumped to the floor, taking Wren with him.

Striker raced over and grabbed her. He ran his hands over her face, her arms, her body. “Are you hurt? Did they hurt you? Are you okay?”

“I’m good. We’re okay.” Wren tensed, grabbed the gun out of Striker’s hand, aimed over his shoulder, and fired at the door.

Striker spun around. Another Gente had appeared. He was already dropping, his weapon gone as life drained out of him.