Page 80 of Crossing Quinn

“I’ll be damned. It’s General Georgina Tasker and Brigadier General Lawton, our missing traitors,” Uncle Saul growled, his gaze fixed on his communications screen.

Quinn tapped an icon on his bracelet. “And the bad news is, there are about a hundred var bugs chasing them.”

“Get in bed with the Tai-Kok, and you can expect to get eaten,” I remarked. “Speaking of eating, anyone else hungry?”

A piece of chocolate appeared in Quinn’s hand. “Will this do?”

“It will.” I took a bite. “Yum.”

“Once we wrap this up, I’ll take you out to dinner. You like Mexican food?”

“I do and it’s a date.”

“A date that will include your mother and me,” Papa stated firmly before turning his attention to Uncle Saul. “If the var bugs get loose on Earth, exterminating them will be difficult.”

“There is one way to get rid of vermin.” Wulf set the timers on four thermite grenades and placed them on the transporter console. “You blow them to the lowest level of hell.”

“You don’t need to interrogate the traitors?” Call me curious.

“No. They were tried and convicted of treason in absentia. They both received the death penalty. When located, the traitors are to be executed immediately. Let’s meet back at Futureland. Lysis, with me. We need to get the Shebu to a safe place.” Uncle Saul held out his left hand. Papa took it and they vanished.

I looked up at Quinn. “When will I be able to teleport?”

Wulf laughed at the horrified expression on Quinn’s face, and poof! He was gone.

“Well?”

“Too soon.” Quinn put his arms around me and teleported.

Inky blackness flashed before my eyes, making the white spots stand out dramatically. I sagged against Quinn. “Don’t feel so good.”

“Here, drink some of my blood.”

I cracked an eye open and stared at the blood dripping off his hand. “I think I’ll pass.”

“Drink.” Quinn used his best dictatorial voice.

I knew it was part of the bonding process, but ick.

“Xenia.”

Steeling myself, I put my mouth to the bleeding wound and sucked in a mouthful. Nausea rose in my throat.

Quinn invaded my mind, and the sensation went away.

“More.”I drank and drank and drank. A warmth flowed through my body. The ringing in my ears and the killer headache disappeared. Huh? The healing powers of Coletti blood weren’t a myth.

“Better?”

I went up on my tiptoes and gave Quinn a bloody kiss. “All better.” The ground shuddered beneath my feet. “Whoa! Talk about rocking my world.”

Quinn laughed. “You’re feeling the effects of the thermite grenades.”

“Oh.” I looked around and realized we were standing on a ridge high above a million-credit mansion.

“I thought we were meeting Uncle Saul back at Futureland?”

“I need to make sure the traitors’ underground compound is completely destroyed. Deploy your helmet.”

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