Page 83 of Caught By Menace

Hope surged within him. Of all the pilots in this end of the star system, Hazard was the only one ballsy enough to steal a ship and take a covert rescue mission to the surface while the threat of a Splinter attack loomed. “I understand, sir.”

The admiral nodded and glanced around the room, silently communicating his permission. His gaze lingered on Terror. “I’ll give you a reprieve until this issue is resolved. When it’s done, my order stands. I want you off my ship and out of my sight.”

“Happy to oblige, Admiral.”

Menace couldn’t believe how cool Terror behaved. The realization that things would never be the same finally started to sink into his thick skull. It wasn’t only Naya who he would lose but Terror as well. He finally understood the kind of pain Naya had known when her own blood used and abandoned her. It was the same heart-rending agony that Terror had caused with his callous treatment of Naya.

Forgiving Terror for what he’d done seemed impossible to Menace. He could only hope that Naya’s kind heart wouldn’t shut him out indefinitely. She’d already proven herself to be a better person than Menace could ever hope to be. Whether she wanted him back or not, Menace would do everything in his power to save her. He’d promised to protect and fight for her. He intended to keep that promise.

Chapter Eighteen

“You want meto dowhat?”

Naya ignored Danny’s outburst and continued to rifle through the box of clothing in the safe house bedroom. “I want you to go to your communications guy and wait for a message from Hallie.”

“Why the hell would I do that? She’s one of them.”

Naya sat back on her heels and glared at Dankirk. “She most definitely is not. I’m sure she got my message by now. I also know that Terror is probably shitting bricks trying to track me down. She’s his best chance at finding me. If she thinks she can help me, she’ll do it. So you go back to your com man and wait.”

“For what?” Dankirk grabbed the first-aid kit and sat down on the edge of the small bed. “Give me your wrist. You’re bleeding again.”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t have jabbed your knife four inches into my arm!” Her wrist throbbed incessantly. Her friend’s surgical skills were sorely lacking but he’d gotten the job done.

“I told you I didn’t know what I was doing.” He unwrapped her arm and applied another wad of thick gauze on top of the already soaked dressing. Like her, he’d learned enough first aid to know that removing the bottom layer of a dressing and dislodging the clotted blood was a no-no. “We need to get you some antibiotics.”

“Why? I’m probably going to be dead by sunrise.”

“Don’t say that,” he admonished. “You’re going to make it out of this.”

“And do what?” She’d been asking herself the same thing. The one thing she wanted she couldn’t have anymore.

“Look, I know you loved him, but he turned his back on you.”

The need to defend Menace overwhelmed her. “You don’t know him. You don’t know Terror either.” All the things she had been thinking during the long flight to Calyx poured of her mouth. “I don’t think he willingly gave me up. I think Terror played us both. Menace is so damn decent he probably believed that lawyers and judges would sort this out. He believes Terror is his friend. He has no idea what that man is really like.”

“Maybe,” Danny said with an unhappy grumble. “It doesn’t really matter now. You can’t go back to that world. In a few months, you won’t even remember him anymore.”

She didn’t think that was possible. What she’d shared with Menace eclipsed anything she’d ever felt for any other man. She didn’t know if her heart would ever recover from this one.

“Let me come with you,” Danny pleaded as he wrapped her arm. “I can help you.”

She shook her head. “You can help me more by getting a message to Hallie. She needs to know where they take me so the Harcos team that comes to retrieve me can get their hands on the weapons, the Sixers and maybe even the Splinter cell. If Terror gets what he wants, he’ll leave Hallie and Menace alone.”

Dankirk put up both hands. “Wait. Back up. Who is going to take you where?”

She rolled her eyes. “The Sixers, Danny! Finding their headquarters is going to be impossible.Youdon’t even know where it is. Anyone who does know sure as heck isn’t going to tell us. The only way to get to their stronghold is to have them drag me right into it.”

“So what? You’re going let them take you?”

“I’m not going to give them a choice. I’m going to make the rounds of the underground and drop crumbs. They’ll have tocome get me so they can question me. They’ll want to pump me for information before they finish me off.”

Dankirk grimaced. “It’s a big risk, Naya. They might just walk up to you and pop you right on the street.”

She swallowed hard. “They might.”

“I’ll put my eyes and ears on you but I’ll tell them to stay back. They won’t lose you. You better hope Hallie comes through.”

“She will.” Naya didn’t doubt her new friend for a moment. If Hallie could help, she would.

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