Page 41 of Shielded Heart 1
“Basically, yes.”
“Into a potentially deadly situation.”
“Mhmm.”
Thargen whooped. “About time we get a little action.”
Arcanthus pointed to Thargen and grinned. “That’s the kind of attitude we need here. Let’s move.”
His grin faded when he climbed into the hovercar’s front passenger seat. The vehicle shook as the others piled inside. Settling the auto-blaster over his lap, Arcanthus lifted his arm and grasped the handle at the top of the door frame, squeezing. In moments like this, he missed his own flesh more than ever—he missed the feel of his muscles tightening, the pressure in his joints, the ache of exertion. He missed the slight pain that came with landing a solid blow on an enemy.
Please be okay, little terran.
Once Drakkal had situated himself in the driver’s seat, he guided the hovercar out of the garage and through the express tunnels at immense speed, reducing the surrounding lights and vehicles to blurs. Arcanthus’s racing heart seemed eager to match the vehicle’s velocity.
He couldn’t deny that Drakkal was right; Arc had been stupid. Incredibly stupid. He’d let his arrogance and desire cloud his judgment, had let his feelings tear down his guard and instill him with an uncharacteristic carelessness.
I should have brought her to the compound days ago. We would’ve avoided all this…
But would she have come? Even now, would she trust him enough to leave with him, or would she be frightened away by the dangerous people looking for him?
Getting into your own head again, Arc, you fool. What was the first thing she said when she called?
I need you.
Perhaps that was only because she’d had no one else to turn to, perhaps—
No.
He wouldn’t allow himself to pursue those thoughts. Not now.
They emerged from the express tunnel leading into Samantha’s sector. Hundreds of apartment complexes lay before them, but Arc picked hers out with ease, even from this height.
“What’s the plan?” Drakkal asked.
“Funny thing about that,” Arcanthus replied, “I don’t actually have one.”
“You reallydidexpect to charge in blindly and deal with it as it comes?”
“Fuck yeah,” Thargen barked. “My life philosophy.”
“Don’t encourage him, damn it,” Drakkal grumbled.
Arcanthus snickered. “Look, I’m a fighter-turned-lover, not a strategist.”
Drakkal snorted and shook his head. “We need a tactician for this, not a strategist.”
“See? Yet another reason I’m not qualified. You justhadto correct me on a technicality.” Arc swept his gaze over Samantha’s building as they neared it. The windows lining each floor were dark, tinted for the privacy of the residents, allowing not even a glimpse into any of the rooms. Arcanthus’s lips curled upward in a smile.
He leaned forward and activated the display on the center of the car’s console, fingers flying as he accessed the plexus and quickly located the Consortium-approved plans for the building. Within a few moments, he had the blueprints on thewindshield display, overlaid atop the complex ahead in perfect scale. He entered her room number.
The windshield display highlighted one of the windows, showing the floorplan for the room beyond it.
“That one is hers,” Arcanthus said.
“Okay. Where do you want me to park?” Drakkal asked.
“Keep up, Drak. Next to the window.”
