Page 25 of Dark Rebel's Reckoning

Fenella's face blanched. "That's a long story."

"It can wait," Syssi said. "Right now you need to get dressed. It's cold outside. We have a medical team waiting for you to check you for hidden trackers. If you have any medical concerns you would like to address, you can tell the doctor or the nurse. They are both wonderful people and you have nothing to fear from them. You are among friends, and you are safe."

Kyra appreciated Syssi for repeating that. Even though she already knew she was safe, hearing it reiterated peeled away another thin layer of fear.

She wondered how many of those were still coating her soul and how long it would take for all of them to slough off. Her eyes darted to the open door, searching for Max, but all she could see was the hangar wall.

17

MAX

Max waited until the last woman was scanned and had boarded the bus before motioning to Yamanu to follow him back into the jet.

He'd asked Okidu to keep the bus windows opaque so the women wouldn't see them transporting the Doomer to the van to get scanned. They had been through enough at the hands of this scum, and he might stress them even when in a body bag.

Yamanu lit a match to the trashcan containing what the women had been wearing when they'd found them, not because they feared any of those threadbare shifts could hide trackers but because it just felt good to burn those things.

Once the flames rose high, Yamanu turned around and strode toward the plane. "Let's get this over with. The faster we get rid of him the better."

They weren't getting rid of him. They were taking him to the dungeon, but Yamanu's job ended at the airstrip, and he would never have to see the vermin again.

Max, on the other hand, was looking forward to spending many satisfying hours with the monster, demonstrating how it felt to be helpless and abused by someone with no mercy.

"Payback is a bitch, motherfucker," he murmured under his breath as he followed Yamanu to the aircraft's cargo hold where they'd stashed the Doomer.

They worked quickly but carefully, maneuvering the dead weight down the cargo ramp.

Julian directed them to lay the bag on the foldable table he'd set up in the hangar. "I need him undressed before we load him into the scanner. You can leave the underwear on provided it doesn't have any zippers."

Yamanu chuckled. "I've never heard of men's undergarments having zippers."

Julian shrugged. "You never know. I don't want any surprises."

Max's lip curled as he unzipped the bag. The Doomer's face was slack in stasis, but Max could still see the arrogant sneer that had been there during the fight. He started unbuttoning the black jacket that was made from an exceptionally fine fabric.

"These aren't standard Revolutionary Guard uniforms," Yamanu commented, helping to work the jacket off the unconscious Doomer's shoulders. "Custom made, probably."

"Everything about him screams ego." Max yanked at the boots next, expensive leather, probably crafted by some Italian designer. "The monster was playing dress-up while torturing women."

As they stripped off the uniform pants, and Max started on the shirt, his hand brushed against a thin chain that was around theDoomer's neck. Frowning, he loosened the collar and pulled out an amber pendant.

His breath caught. "This is Kyra's. This is what she said was taken away from her. The bastard was wearing it like a trophy."

The amber stone was exactly as she'd described it, wrapped in an intricate setting that spoke of age and craftsmanship.

He removed the chain from around the Doomer's neck, careful not to break the links.

Yamanu peered at it. "Interesting piece. Not pretty, but somehow meaningful, right? Can you feel it?"

Max nodded. "Kyra was devastated when she thought she'd lost it. She said it guided her."

Tucking the pendant in his pocket, Max smiled as he imagined the joy on Kyra's face when he returned it to her.

Yamanu helped him maneuver the dead weight onto the scanning bed. "He probably doesn't have any trackers on him. Navuh tried that experiment once, but after their bodies rejected the implants, he gave up on the idea."

"If I learned anything about Navuh over the years, it's that he never gives up on ideas or anything else. He's a patient bastard, and he waits until the technology catches up. We need to check every Doomer before we bring him into the keep."

"Was there anything interesting in his wallet?" Yamanu asked. "You should give it to Julian to scan as well. Just in case."

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