The story:
He rescued her from space pirates … but can he keep them both safe from the far greater evil stalking a deserted planet?
Space travel without Kidnap & Ransom insurance? Not a good idea. University instructor and researcher Sara Bridges can’t afford it, so when pirates board her cruise liner, she’s taken captive along with the mistress of a wealthy man, and brought to a deserted planet. When a military extraction team sent to rescue the mistress refuses to take Sara too, she’s left to the mercies of a retired Special Forces soldier, along as consultant.
Reluctantly reactivated and coerced into signing up for the rescue operation to the planet Farduccir where he once was deployed, Sgt. Johnny Danver just wants to get the job done. But when the team leader leaves one captured woman behind, he breaks away to rescue her himself.
As Johnny and Sara traverse the barren landscape, heading for an abandoned base where they hope to call Sectors Command for help, they find villages destroyed by battle and stripped of all inhabitants. A lone survivor tells a horrific tale of the Sectors’ alien enemy, the Mawreg, returning after being pushed out …
Searching for evidence to give the military, Johnny is captured. He regains consciousness in a Mawreg cage–with Sara next to him. Death is preferable to what the aliens will do to them… And even if they do escape their captors, can they alert the military in time to prevent another invasion of the Sectors?
The excerpt:
“What about
Sara Bridges?” Ms. Immer whispered. “Aren’t you going to rescue her too?”
Captain Scortun leaned closer.
“Who?”
“The other woman taken off the Star Swan with me.”
“We're here for you, ma’am. No intel on anyone
else.” Scortun’s answer was crisp and disinterested.
“Do you know where she’s being
held?” Johnny asked.
Tresha shook her head. “We were
separated the first day, when we got here. Nice little thing, no insurance. I
tried to tell the warlord a lie about her being my friend but he didn’t care.”
“Forget it, Danver, we’ve got
our high value package and we’re out of here.” Scortun’s voice was low and
stern. “Check the corridor. We need to move.”
Johnny gave him a considering
look but took point and led the team from the palace and safely into the
foothills. The two squad members who’d been on overwatch joined them. There was
no sign of pursuit. Once they were about a mile from the warlord’s compound,
Johnny signaled for one of the others to take point and he dropped back to
where Ms. Immer trudged along in the column, wearing a pair of borrowed boots
and a jacket. “Tell me more about this Sara.”
“I didn’t know her, just a
passenger on the Star Swan, had no
idea about K&R insurance or pirates. Naïve. I heard she put up a fight when
the pirates grabbed her – she was bruised pretty bad the last time I saw her,
before we were separated. I wouldn’t have thought she had it in her. The
stewardess on the ship said she was a teacher or librarian.” Tresha paused,
bending to rub her legs for a moment. “Umarri ordered me not to mention her to
the negotiation team if I wanted to stay healthy so I kept my mouth shut.”
“And you have no idea what’s
happened to her since the pirates took her away?”
“I told you, no. I was kept
pretty busy fending off the warlord without pissing him off, if you know what I
mean.” Head tilted, she gave him a flirtatious wink.
“Drop it, Danver,” said the
other soldier. “We ain’t here for incidental victims. Captain told you more
than once already.”
“Cut the chatter and pick up the
pace.” Scortun made his way through the column. “We’re going to miss the extraction
window if we don’t hustle and I’m not staying on this hellhole planet any
longer than I have to. Danver, take the rearguard and quit distracting Ms.
Immer.”
Johnny faded to the end of the
column and kept watch on their back trail. Once the group ascended to the
plateau seeking the designated landing zone, and he heard the muted sound of
the incoming shuttle, he sought out the captain, crouched in the lee of a large
boulder, close to Ms. Immer.
“Just fyi, I’m goin’ for the
other woman,” Johnny said. “You have a nice flight home to base. Don’t forget
to tell them I’m here. Good luck to you, Ms. Immer.”
“Who the hell do you think you
are, sergeant?” The captain’s voice was tense and angry. “You don’t get to
change mission parameters to suit yourself. I don’t care if you’re in the
goddamn Special Forces or not, I gave you a direct order. We’re not going after
any other civilians this trip.”
“No, you’re not, I see that.”
Johnny couldn’t keep the contempt out of his voice. “In my branch of the
service, we don’t leave people behind. In case it’s escaped your notice, I’m
not under your command. Special Forces operates independently.”
Holding his pulse rifle where it
could conveniently be considered a threat by Captain Scortun if he was feeling
paranoid, Johnny backed away. None of the other soldiers wanted to challenge
him.
“We’re not waiting for you,” Scortun
yelled. “When our shuttle lands, we’re gone.”
“Good riddance,” he said under
his breath, as he faded into the underbrush and slipped away down the steep
hillside.
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