Page 68 of Shadow's Chosen

Twenty-three

It felt like days had passed, but in reality, it might have only been hours. Elise sat against the wall, letting her mind wander. The others passed the time talking and playing games. One pair even started a round of 'never have I ever' but quit after only one turn, giving Elise a death glare because she wouldn't stop laughing. Helen watched Elise closely, and Elise knew her teammate was concerned for her, wanted to ask what had happened to her, but Elise never gave her a chance to mention it. She didn't want to tell Helen or anyone, afraid they would think she had lost her mind.

They had small talk instead. Reese and Bruce kept talking about all the food they missed. And the beer and the traveling and Bruce's dog, Po (who was going to take care of him?), and Tom wanted to see his kid, Amy wanted to see her sisters. Others walked the room to stretch their legs, a few cried, some whispered angrily in the corner.

They ate and slept a little more and waited. Elise glared at the door more than once, knowing any moment it had to open. When they heard footsteps coming down the passage, Elise jumped up and placed her back to one side of the door.

"Elise, what are you doing?" Tom asked.

"I'm taking them. Are you with me or not?"

The team looked at her like she was crazy.

"They have guns, Elise. And full body armor," Tom said after a pause.

"Bruce already tried. Did you not see his face and arm?" Amy pointed his way.

Before she could open her mouth to reply, the door opened. Thinking quick, Elise lunged forward and struck the masked man firmly in the neck. He went stumbling back, and she kicked hard to make him fall the rest of the way. She went to jump past him but was quickly blocked by two others. Remembering the moves Nezka taught her, Elise struck in the areas most vulnerable and where their armor was nonexistent. A few put up their guns but were shouted at by the group leader to not fire. Instead, he took out a long red glowing stick and hit Elise across the shoulders with it. The pain was intense and immediate, like a sharp, twisting cramp. Elise nearly buckled before he hit her again and she fell to her knees, gasping from the pain. Bruce and Reese, followed by her other teammates, were there at the door, ready to defend her, but were promptly pushed back with guns in their faces.

"Get back, the lot of you!" the group leader shouted. "Or I will order them to shoot your legs off. Pick her up," he ordered. "And bind her."

Elise tried to fight through the pain but was quickly overtaken by the group of guards. A couple, she was pleased to see, were on the ground clutching their necks and sides. The other men did as ordered and bound her wrists, forcing her to her feet. She kicked at them and one struck out, hitting her square in the face. Elise twisted away as her cheek burned and blood trickled from a cut on her lip. She spat the blood out at them as one man grabbed the back of her neck and shoved her forward.

"All men get to the wall," she heard the group leader snap through the open door. "Face it with your hands up."

The guard who held her backed her against the hallway wall and kept her there as the rest of his group blocked the doorway. There was shuffling from inside the room as the men of her team and of Grayhart's placed themselves along each side.

"Now each woman line up at the door," the group leader ordered next.

Reluctantly, the women did as told. From there, the guards bound them each and brought them out into the hallway. Seeing Elise, Amy fought against her holder, but with one hit of the red rod, she too went down. Helen tried to go to her but was held back.

With the women forced into a line, the Red Blades sealed the door back behind them then ordered them to walk. Elise, still struggling at the back, was dragged more than pushed.

The guards led them down the same passage that Elise had been carried through the first time. They entered into the main control room where they had the women stand in a row between a wall and the central terminal. Dragged to the end, the man holding her let Elise drop to her knees.

"What happened to that one?" she heard Pyra say.

"She got smart. Had to rough her up a bit," replied the group leader.

Elise made the mistake of glancing up and, in doing so, locked eyes with Nezka, who glared down at her from where he stood beside Pyra. Elise quickly glanced away and saw on Pyra's other side a demon who appeared just as menacing as Nezka. Elise shuddered at the sight of him. He looked familiar, as if she had seen his species somewhere before. She stared at him for a moment until it hit her.

Lazris.

She hadn't been there, but she had seen the footage and heard about it from others. The alien was the same kind as the one that had gotten out from that base after the incident. They had claimed the race was hostile while others said different. Judging by the one she saw before her, she'd say definitely hostile.

Pyra studied her from atop the control center and shrugged. "Some will have a bite to them. But can be tamed if need be. Now," she tapped at the terminal, and a holographic display appeared. A pale-gray man sat in a darkened room with cold, black eyes and a sharp nose. Elise could tell the resemblance between him and Pyra almost instantly.

"Hello again, brother," Pyra greeted the man.

"Sister..." The man looked over at Nezka. "So, your message wasn't some trick. You've got my man after all."

"He only wishes to aid me with the trade, Vesra," she said sweetly.

The man frowned. "So, you have the humans then?"

"See for yourself." Pyra tapped again at the terminal, and the image of the man faced them. He looked over each woman, his eyes flickering over to Elise last. His frown deepened.

"You are very clever, Pyra, I'll give you that," Vesra said in a grated voice. "But I don't take kindly to being schemed against."

---