Destin's Hold Read online

  “You have to pull yourself together, Sula,” she firmly told her reflection. “You are Princess Jersula Ikera of Usoleum. You have a duty and a responsibility to your people and to the women who were under the protection of the Usoleum government to find and return those women to their world. You will not fail!”

  Nodding her head, she gave herself one last, quick assessment. Good enough, she thought. She did not have time to be ill. Over the next few days if she felt ill again she would take a transport over to the medical unit on the Trivator’s base and have the healer give her a booster to help prevent her from catching another horrible virus. Until then, she would have to be careful.

  “Now, to see if the ring is what I think it is,” Sula whispered, replacing the towel and walking back to the living room.

  Within minutes, she was gazing at the three-dimensional image the computer recreated. She scanned all the documentation pertaining to Badrick’s remains. No ring was mentioned in the inventory of his personal belongs. She opened an image of his body laid out on a long metal table, and turned it, trying to focus on his hands, not the puncture wounds that riddled his body. She had to close her eyes and focus on her breathing to keep the nausea from overwhelming her again before she could continue. Opening her eyes, she carefully examined his hands. They were bare.

  She finally closed all the files, accessed the communications array set up around the planet, and sent a message to her brother. It would take hours, if not days for him to receive it, but she wanted him – and her parents – to know that she was making progress.

  Once she was finished, she quickly returned to the bathroom to refresh herself before gathering her tablet and her baton. She needed to find Destin and inform him of what she suspected. It was imperative that she return to the quarters that were assigned to her at the former US Army National Guard building – the quarters that once belonged to Badrick.

  16

  Destin stood with his back to the other men in the room. Over the past three hours, they explained the changes that occurred while he was gone. Most of them were in alignment with what he set in motion before he left. Some, though, were not.

  “How many are missing?” he asked in a low, somber tone.

  “Ten – that we know of – who knows how many more that we don’t. We still don’t have an accurate count from the south side of the city. Colbert scared most of the decent residents into every nook and cranny they could find. At times, it’s like rats pouring out of the sewers when we go searching for them. Mason has about three-quarters of the underground system – both subway and sewer – cleared,” Tim said.

  Destin turned to see their grim faces. There was no proof that the missing women Tim just told him about were victims of a crime, but he wanted to make sure.

  “What do we know? I want facts only, no speculation – yet,” Destin said.

  “They were working in different parts of the city under construction. Six were working with the rebuilding. They were near the old downtown area. Three more worked in Food Services and Clerical Support, so they commuted every day to the Trivator base,” Tim said, nodding at the map showing the last known location of the women.

  “What about the last one?” Destin asked, walking closer to the map to study it.

  “Her name is Alissa Garcia. She’s a thirty-eight year old Hispanic female with about ten years under her belt with the Chicago Police Department before the world went to hell. I worked with her on several cases when I was with the force. As you know, over the last year, I’ve been able to recruit those in the force that haven’t fled or died. We’ve got about one hundred and fifty of our old force back together and about two hundred new recruits that we’re training. I hate to admit it, but Cutter was a huge help in that. He sent men to help train us on the new transports and other equipment. Alissa was working closely with the Trivators to train the recruits. She disappeared a couple of days ago. No one has seen or heard from her since.”

  “Who was the last person to see her?” Destin asked.

  Richard hesitated and glanced around the table at the other men. His lips tightened for a moment before he released a deep sigh and glanced down at the table.

  “Cutter,” Richard finally admitted with a grimace. “She was last seen with the Trivator.”

  “I knew it! None of them can be trusted,” Jason exclaimed, slamming his hand down on the dark table. “They give us all of this while kidnapping women from right under our noses.”

  “We don’t know if he had anything to do with Alissa’s disappearance. Cutter was a huge supporter of the rebuilding of Chicago and our law enforcement,” Richard protested, turning to glare at Jason.

  “Each of those areas is littered with aliens,” Mike pointed out.

  “Yeah, and there are a lot of humans working there, too. We could be dealing with a serial killer for all we know,” Richard argued.

  “Why are you defending them, Richard? You know what they did over on Colbert’s side. The women were shipped off world as fast as they could grab them,” Troy pointed out.

  “And we have found more than half of the missing women and returned them,” a steely voice from the door stated. “Destin.”

  Destin drew up to his full five foot eleven inches. While he wasn’t as tall as the Trivators, years of hard work made him almost as broad. One thing he learned during his trip across the galaxy and back: he could hold his own against most of them.

  “Cutter,” Destin greeted.

  All of the men stood and turned to face Cutter. The man glanced around the room, his face a calm mask. Destin had no doubt that Cutter heard what they were discussing. A Trivator’s senses were more sensitive than a human’s – something that Trig unhappily pointed out several hours ago.

  “Where’s Trig?” Cutter inquired, glancing around.

  “I’m here,” Trig said, stepping into the room.

  “Where’s Beth?” Mike asked, frowning when he didn’t see her behind Trig.

  “She is with Councilor Ikera,” Trig replied. “The apartment upstairs didn’t have any food.”

  “Shit, I forgot about that,” Tim muttered, running his hand down over his face. “Sorry about that, Destin.”

  “I should have checked it. It isn’t your fault, Tim,” Destin reassured the other man with a grimace. “Cutter, what are you doing here?”

  “Councilor Ikera requested transport to the base. I was in the area. I wanted to discuss several things with you, now that you’ve returned,” Cutter explained in a quiet voice. “It would appear that I came in at the appropriate time.”

  “I would like to take a ten minute break first. We’ll meet back here,” Destin replied.

  “Who is Councilor Ikera?” Justin asked under his breath.

  “A blue bitch like the Usoleum bastard Badrick,” Mason replied.

  Destin reacted without thinking. He moved around the table, invading the large, older man’s space. His face was tight with anger and he didn’t bother to hide it. His fist wrapped in the front of Mason’s shirt and he stared the man down.

  “That ‘blue bitch’ is my woman,” Destin warned in a voice devoid of all civility. “You will address her with respect. Her name is Princess Jersula Ikera.” He released the front of Mason’s shirt, slightly pushing the man before he stepped back and slowly turned to make sure each man in the room knew he was pissed. “If you can’t be civil to her, stay the hell away from her. You insult Sula, you insult me. I’ll meet you back here in ten fucking minutes. Don’t be late.”

  Destin didn’t say anything else. He was afraid if he did, it would be with his fists. He strode out the door and headed down the hallway toward the break room. He didn’t know how Beth would handle Sula being around.

  Turning the corner, he slowed when he heard the soft sound of laughter and Beth’s bubbly voice. Pausing outside of the break room, he leaned back against the wall and listened. It was hard to hear what they were saying above the sound of music playing in the background.

&nbs
p; “So, you’re a real live Princess, like in the movies?” Beth was asking in a voice filled with awe.

  “What is a movie?” Sula asked.

  “Movies are videos where you can relax, eat popcorn, drink soda, and lose yourself in people acting out things on a large screen. My grandma and I used to go to the dollar matinee on Wednesdays during the summer. My favorites were the classics. Don’t you have movies where you come from?” Beth asked.

  “Oh, yes. Entertainment plays,” Sula laughed. “I enjoy them very much. Chelsea gave me quite a few of them the last time I was here.”

  Relief flooded Destin at the sound of Sula’s warm laughter. Beth had the type of personality where no one was a stranger. Straightening, he stepped around the corner and into the break room.

  “Thank you for helping out, Beth,” Destin murmured with a nod.

  “No problem. I’m good with wild animals and aliens,” she teased, winking at Sula. “You’re the alien. I’ll classify Trig as the wild animal.”

  Sula laughed again, unable to resist the infectious personality of the other woman. Destin watched Beth rise gracefully out of her seat.

  “I’ll let Grandma know you’re back. She and Mabel have been worried about you, and they wanted to know about Kali, too,” Beth said, glancing back and forth between Destin and Sula with an amused smile.

  Destin nodded. “Tell them that Sula and I will be by later to show them pictures of Kali and Ami,” he added, stepping to the side so Beth could exit the room.

  “I will. See you later, Sula. It was nice meeting you,” Beth said with a smile.

  “It was a pleasure meeting you, Beth,” Sula responded.

  Destin reached over and closed the door behind Beth.

  “Cutter said you requested transport over to the base,” Destin said in a quiet tone, walking over to sit down in the chair next to her.

  Sula’s gaze softened and she nodded. “Yes. I’ve been doing some research on the missing women,” she murmured.

  Destin’s lips tightened. “I want to assign some security to you. I don’t want you traveling alone,” he said, reaching for her hand. “Even with all the new construction and rebuilding, there are a lot of people who aren’t happy with the fact that aliens are still on the planet.”

  “They lost so much. I can hardly blame them, Destin,” Sula murmured.

  Destin gently squeezed her hand and released it. The confrontation with Mason and the others disturbed him, but he understood their feelings. Hell, he had felt the same way, but after spending so many months on the spaceships and then on Rathon, he had a better appreciation for just how naïve he was in his understanding of the universe he lived in.

  Sitting back in his seat, he noted that she looked a little pale. He didn’t have much time left before he was supposed to meet with the others. It would be nice if he could assign one of the men to Sula, but after the reaction he just saw from them, there was no way he would let them near her. That left only one person he could trust at the moment – Beth.

  “I’ll have Beth stay with you when I can’t. She knows this city like the back of her hand and can fight,” Destin said. “I’ve got to return to the meeting. I’ll let her know.”

  “I’m not sure how long I will be gone. I’d like to see if Chelsea is still at the medical unit as well. I enjoyed her company the last time I was here,” Sula said, stirring the spoon in the cup of soup in front of her.

  “Make sure you have your communicator with you,” he instructed, still leery about letting her out of his sight. “Sula….”

  “Yes?” Sula responded.

  “I…,” Destin began before he released a frustrated sigh and stood up. “Be careful.”

  Destin bent and pressed a hard, possessive kiss to her upturned lips. For added measure, he teased them with his tongue. She immediately opened for him like a blossom seeking the sun. A soft moan escaped her and he lifted his hands to frame her jaw while he deepened the kiss. They were both breathing heavily when he reluctantly ended the kiss. His thumbs caressed her cheek, sliding over the smooth, silky skin.

  “I’ll see you later this evening,” he murmured, straightening. “Cutter is here. He’ll take you back to the base. I need to speak with him first, though. In the meantime, I’ll have Beth meet you back here and let her know that she’ll be assigned to you when I’m not available.”

  “Thank you,” Sula said, watching him walk back to the closed door. “Destin…. Will my being here – with you – compromise you in any way among your men?”

  Destin turned, his hand on the door.

  “Why would you think that? Has anyone said or done anything?” Destin asked in a calm, controlled voice.

  “No… It’s just….” Her hand lifted and she played with the end of the braid lying over her shoulder. “I saw the way those two men looked at me when we arrived. I don’t want to cause you any difficulty. If necessary, I can stay at the base.”

  “Is that want you want?” Destin asked, gazing back at her with an emotionless mask.

  Sula’s lips firmed and she shook her head. “No. I would prefer to kick their asses if they make your life difficult, but something tells me that wouldn’t help my cause any,” she admitted with a rueful smile.

  Destin released an unexpected chuckle and his eyes glittered with amusement. He smiled back at her, his shoulders relaxing. This is what he loved about her, her ability to surprise him and make him proud.

  “It might not, but I would prefer that over you staying at the base. Don’t worry about my men. They know you are mine,” Destin replied. “I’ll see you later.”

  Destin pulled the door open and stepped out of the break room. He drew in a deep breath, his mind churning. He loved her. He loved Sula.

  “So it is true,” Cutter replied, straightening from where he was leaning against the wall outside of the break room.

  Destin scowled, wondering how long the Trivator had been standing there – with Trig. Destin seriously contemplated a large roll of Duct tape for Trig’s mouth.

  “I didn’t say a thing. You did that earlier in the other room,” Trig stated as if reading Destin’s mind.

  Ignoring the statement, Destin turned his gaze back to Cutter. Over the last two years, the Trivator and he formed a tentative truce. He knew the man was here for more than a social visit. Something else was going on.

  “Richard said that Alissa Garcia was last seen with you. What do you know about her?” Destin asked, continuing down the hallway when Cutter stepped beside him.

  “It was when I stopped by to see how her new security forces trainees were doing. She asked to speak to me in private and explained that she was investigating the disappearance of several human females. The location made her suspect alien involvement. I assured her I would look into it and stepped up patrols in those areas,” Cutter replied. “Razor contacted me to describe what happened on Rathon. The attack on his and Hunter’s residence was disturbing.”

  “I agree. If Kali had been there alone with Ami, it could have had a completely different outcome,” Destin replied. “Those were skilled assassins.”

  “Be thankful they weren’t Drethulans,” Cutter muttered, glancing over his shoulder at Trig who followed them in silence. “How is Dagger?”

  “Dangerous,” Trig answered in a clipped tone. “Jordan is the only thing that keeps him grounded.”

  Cutter nodded in satisfaction and turned to face forward again. “It is good he is alive,” he said before he slowed to a stop outside of the conference room.

  “What is it?” Destin asked with a frown when he saw the steely expression in Cutter’s gaze.

  “I’ve gone over the Waxian warship incident with Jag. We both felt something was wrong. Even outmatched, they should have put up more of a fight. Jag took the Star Raider to the location to investigate the wreckage. Until he files a report, we are on high alert. Razor believes there is a larger assault amassing against Earth. If it is true that the Drethulan and the Waxians are working toge
ther, we will have a battle on our hands,” Cutter informed Destin in a terse tone.

  Destin glanced through the door at his men sitting around the table. They had a right to know what was going on. If the Drethulan and Waxians did attack, they would be in the middle of it.

  “How soon will you know?” he asked, glancing back at Cutter.

  “A few days. There is a lot of space out there and a lot of debris to sift through,” Cutter replied.

  “Thank you for letting me know what is going on,” Destin said.

  Cutter gave him a brief nod. “I’ve informed the human leaders of Earth and put our ground troops and ships on alert….”

  “But…,” Destin inquired with a raised eyebrow.

  “I received a message earlier,” Cutter admitted, lifting a hand to rub his jaw, his gaze moving from the conference room back to Destin. “It flashed for a brief moment, then disappeared.”

  “What did it say? Who was it from?” Destin asked with a frown.

  Cutter shook his head. “I don’t know who it was from and could not trace it. It was as if it never existed. The message consisted of three words. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought I had imagined it,” he admitted.

  “What did it say?” Destin asked in exasperation.

  Cutter dropped his hand and stared intently back at him. “It said protect Destin Parks,” he replied.

  * * *

  *.*.*

  * * *

  Several hours later, Destin punched in the code to his living quarters that Tim gave him, then slid in a disk that would install a range extender and a new program for the sensors. With this he would be alerted when anyone approached the door, not just when they put their palm on the scanner or punched a wrong number into the keypad. Next he changed the code to one unique to him and Sula. It was the same one they used on board the Star Raider. He ejected the disk and pocketed it.