Page 72 of Alien Mercenary's Wife
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T'Raal crouched in the shadow of a transport hub three blocks from the courthouse. Every instinct screamed that he shouldn't be here. Earth was hostile territory—Imperial bloodline, mercenary reputation, enough warrants to fill a database. But watching Reese walk into that courthouse alone had been impossible.
He'd left Red in orbit with strict orders to maintain position.
"I should be down there with you," she'd argued, scales rippling with frustration.
"Too many people saw that extraction video. Half the humans think you're some kind of war goddess." He'd checked his sidearms, making sure they were concealed. "You show up here, every intelligence agency in human space will be crawling over this place."
"And you think you're less recognizable?"
Valid point. Latharian features weren't common in human cities, and his size made blending in a challenge. But at least he could pass for a civilian if nobody looked too closely.
The street buzzed with urban energy. Humans hurried past with focused determination. Most avoided eye contact, following unwritten survival rules that kept strangers at a distance.
Some noticed him anyway.
Teenagers near a food vendor had been stealing glances for ten minutes. Their whispered conversation carried fragments his enhanced hearing caught. "—definitely Lathar—" "—think he's Imperial—" "—probably just a trader?—"
Three blocks away, another Latharian moved through the crowd. It wasn't unusual to see Latharians in the major cities of planets they had treaties with, but this one moved oddly. His path seemed off, and he joined another warrior who had taken position near the courthouse perimeter. Close enough to observe, far enough to avoid attention. He frowned. Coincidence was possible, but he'd long ago learned to trust paranoia over optimism.
The courthouse loomed ahead with its imposing steps and columns. The usual mix of lawyers, plaintiffs, and reporters moved around.
From his position, T'Raal could see the main entrance clearly. Security checkpoints controlled access to the building. Guards with military bearing and high-end scanners suggested someone expected trouble.
His comm chimed with an encrypted message from Red. "Status update?"
"Waiting," he replied.
"Movement on the courthouse perimeter. Three teams, professional spacing. You seeing this?"
T'Raal shifted position, using the crowd as cover. Red was right—these weren't civilians. They moved too well, with that look of expensive training. The cleanup crew for a guess.
"Copy that," he replied. "Maintaining overwatch."
The courthouse doors opened. People streamed down the steps as proceedings concluded. T'Raal's attention sharpened, scanning faces for the one that mattered more than his safety.
There.
Reese emerged from the columns' shadow. Even at this distance, he saw exhaustion carved into her features. It looked like the hearing had beaten her down, but she was walking okay. The neural stimulator was still working.
She wasn't alone. Two people flanked her as they descended the steps. A spike of jealousy hit him as he watched the strangers at her side. The woman was tall, blonde, and moved like Reese did. Mason. The veteran Reese had mentioned.
The male was shorter, younger, with brown hair, and had a visible tremor in his left hand. Hughes—Reese's former comms specialist. But what made T'Raal's jaw tighten was the way Reese had her hand on the younger man's shoulder as they walked down the steps. Jealousy burned through him like fire.
But then he saw how she guided Hughes around a crack in the stone. It wasn't attraction—it was protection. The same instinct that made her fight impossible battles for people she'd commanded. She was taking care of someone who needed care.
Pride bloomed in his chest. That was his female.
Movement at the courthouse perimeter caught his attention. Three vehicles had taken position around the building. They looked like regular security transport, but their positioning was too perfect.
And the teams Red had spotted were moving.
He counted six operatives converging on the courthouse steps from different directions. They flowed through the crowd without drawing attention. Draanth. The hunters were closing in.
Draanth.
He keyed his comm. "Red, I need immediate extraction protocols. Multiple hostiles moving on the package."
