Page 18 of Bought and Shared
“Are you okay?” Cadence looks at me with motherly concern. “You look like you might have a fever.”
I let her place the back of her hand against my palm to check my temperature. “I’m fine. I’m just a little tired is all.”
Before Cadence can reply, the bus swerves to the left. Then, it jerks to the right. Everyone begins to sit up a little straighter and glance nervously about. We’re no longer on the highway. We’reon a back road and there’s nothing but scrub brush and vacant landscape around us for miles.
Peering out the window, I notice there’s a number of black SUVs following us. The one directly behind us is riding the bus like it’s got something to prove. When it strikes the rear bumper, I realize they aren’t trying to prove anything. They’re trying to run us off the road!
I hear women screaming as the bus careens unsteadily to the left. The three Voltan on board jump out of their seats and draw their weapons.
When the driver of the bus, an elderly man who looks ready to faint, goes to pull over, the Captain shouts, “Whatever you do, don’t stop this bus! Keep driving. Dunkan, comm the base and tell them we’ve got a code red. Tarlov, station yourself at the front of the bus while I take the rear. We need to protect all viable points of entry.”
The men fly into action, taking up defensive tactical positions in case this incident escalates. A man in a black ski mask leans out of the passenger side window of the closest SUV. In his hands is a large weapon. To my shock, he aims it at the bus and steadies his shot.
“Incoming!” the Captain bellows. “Everyone take cover! Get as low in your seats as possible!”
Women all around me are whimpering and praying as they hunker down in their seats. I’m no exception. Terrified, Cadence and I scooch low and I silently begin to pray.
Reaching out her hand, my friend snags it and gives it a bruising squeeze. “It’s going to be okay,” she promises. “The Voltan won’tlet anything bad happen to us. We’re too important to them. We’re all going to be okay.”
I believe her until I hear a shotgun blast and one of the tires explodes underneath the chassis of the bus. The hulking vehicle begins to fishtail. Somehow, the driver stabilizes it enough so that we don’t end up in a ditch.
In the fading light of day, I see a trail of sparks behind us. We’re grinding forward on a tireless wheel, and the fiery sparks are lighting up the road like the Fourth of July. In the background of all the chaos, I hear Dunkan talking to base, filling them in on what is currently happening.
“We’ve been hit,” he relays, his voice calm but jam-packed with intensity. “The back right wheel of the bus has been struck by a …,”
I don’t hear the rest because another deafening shot masks his statement. A second wheel blows and now we’re swerving out of control for sure. To our collective horror, the bus swings sideways and begins to tip like a felled beast. As we totter on two wheels, my stomach does a flip-flop of terror.
“Hold on to whatever you can!” The Captain barks, and I grip my seat so hard my fingers instantly go numb.
Cadence does the same. We share a glance of mutual horror before the metal coffin we’re riding in tips over and smashes down on the pavement, landing on its right side. Women scream with pain and panic as we are thrown about. We’ve crashed and there are armed attackers surrounding us; I fight the urge to vomit. It’s all a jumbled and terrifying blur for a moment before everything goes still and quiet.
The peace is not to last. After about a minute, I hear men shouting outside the bus. They’re tugging on the back door, trying to get inside, but it won’t budge due to the engaged lock and probably damage from the accident. My blood runs cold when I finally realize what’s happening.
These human men aren’t trying to help us. They’re trying to kidnap us from the Voltan because, I heavily suspect, they want to keep us for themselves.
CHAPTER 9
Oren
There’s a knock at my office door as I’m finishing off my final report of the day. “Come in,” I say, not bothering to glance up as I finish the monotonous task.
My secretary enters the room. His tension is palpable. “Colonel Rayaz, there is a problem with the transport bus.”
I’m out of my seat before I even realize I’m moving. “What happened?”
“I don’t know much,” Bryan hedges, fear wafting off him in waves as he speaks, “but it seems like there was an accident of some sort.”
I sense there’s more to the story he isn’t telling me. The blood in my veins is near to boiling. “What kind of accident?”
My secretary visibly swallows. “It seems they were run off the road. They were attacked by armed men in SUVs and they took fire.”
I’m moving toward the door as I order over my shoulder, “Have my ship readied. I’m going to need the coordinates of the crash site, STAT. My mate is on that bus!”
“The Director said not to panic, Colonel. There were three Voltan warriors with the women when they crashed. They’re handling the situation at present. We were told-,”
Coming to a dead stop, I spin around and glare at the man. “That was an order, Bryan. Not a question.”
My secretary gulps and begins to vigorously nod. “Y-ye-yes, Colonel. I’ll make sure the Star Gazer is readied for you straight away.”
