Page 6 of Game on Askole

That left my rather high-profile uncles. Uncle Saul was a friggin’ four-star general in charge of the western United States, and Uncle Derek was the police commander for the entire state of Arizona. Central Command hadn’t arrested them. Yet. “Are you planning on beating up my uncles and putting them in stasis too?”

“No. General Jones will remain on Earth for now. Derek Jones will accompany us to Tanith.”

“And when we reach Tanith?”

“You will be mated to a warlord.”

“Once I start my crazy-bitch routine, no sane warlord will want anything to do with me.”

Voss smirked. “Warlords like a challenge. If I wasn’t already tracking my true mate, I would claim you.”

The breath left my lungs in an involuntary gasp of surprise. He was joking? Right? The thought of “doing it” with the Battle Commander was appalling. His chosen had my condolences. “Wow. I don’t know what to say, except excuse me while I puke, and who wants a woman who smells like a skunk?”

“A little time in the decontamination chamber will take care of the problem.” There was a glint of humor in Voss’s eyes.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, he had everything covered. “A decontamination chamber, huh?”

Aunt Tess whispered in my mind.“It might work for us, but the skunk sprayed the entire building, and I ain’t tellin’ them how to get rid of the smell.”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Best news I’d had all day. I’d like to be a fly on the wall when the Battle Commander informed the Overlord that their spiffy new headquarters now reeked of skunk and was literally crawling with a variety of insects.

Voss’s communications bracelet beeped. He touched an icon. “My warriors have located your cousin Samantha in a place called Old Tucson.”

Up until now, Sam had evaded every attempt the military police had made to trap her. Me? I wasn’t so fortunate. They snagged me the minute I landed my fighter jet.

The big question was: how in the heck had the Coletti tracked her? I peered at Voss’s vid screen. Old Tucson was a replica of 1860’s Tucson complete with storefronts, saloon, bank, hotels, and a genuine adobe church. To the delight of the tourists, four gunslingers, the sheriff, and his two deputies were in a shouting match. “You will never find Sam in that mob of people.”

“Once we turn the skunk loose, there won’t be a crowd,” Voss answered.

My eyes widened in alarm. It could work. “But you need a skunk.”

“We have one.”

“I won’t help you capture Sam,” Aunt Tess said adamantly.

Voss’s dangerously predatory gaze focused on her. “Bring the skunk back, Tess.”

“No.”

“I can force your obedience.”

“Wait! That won’t be necessary. We both stink to high heaven, and you have puked smeared all over the back of your nifty battle suit, which adds to the aroma. So, we don’t need the skunk,” I said quickly.

Aunt Tess cried angrily, “You’re going to help these bastards?”

“To keep you from being hurt, you betcha.” I added on a private mental link,“Just not the way they think.”

“Be careful, honey.”Aunt Tess screwed her face into a hateful mask and spat, “You traitorous bitch, I hope you rot in hell.”

“Too late. Hell came to Earth five years ago,” I retorted.

Voss studied me for a moment, a hint of a smile on his mouth.

Crap. He wasn’t buying the act.

“Take Tess to the ship and put her in the decontamination chamber.”

“Yes, Commander.” Rho and Tess vanished.

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