Page 56 of Taurus's Quest
“Your star warrior abandoned you once he found them. How chivalrous.” A sneer tugged his lips.
“He’s coming back for me.” She hoped. The problem being, he’d likely arrive too late to save her from Demetrius.
“Pity you won’t be here. Secure her,” Demetrius barked.
As the stony-faced men approached, Circe brandished the knife Taurus gave her. “Stay away.”
Demetrius flicked a hand, and an invisible force smacked into her grip, sending the blade flying and leaving her drop jawed. “Do not vex me. I am only leaving you alive because you might still be useful.”
“Useful doing what?” she exclaimed as her arms got yanked roughly behind her back and her wrists bound.
“As a bargaining chip. Your life for the plans.”
Save one inconsequential woman versus billions? “Taurus will never agree.”
“We’ll see. You’d better hope you’re wrong,” the ominous reply. “Let’s go. I want to be in Athens before the storm rolls in.”
Circe had no choice but to leave with them, doing her best to not stumble at the pace they set going through the winding maze. While she huffed for breath—and from fear—she did still manage to ask, “How did you find this place?”
“By tracking the star warrior.”
Surprise almost made her trip. “You followed Taurus?”
“In a sense. Once he emerged from his hidden lair, we picked up the signal from the scout attached to him.”
“What scout? What are you talking about? What do you mean, attached to him?” A sickening feeling hit Circe as she remembered Taurus suggesting that Andreas had been infected by some sort of extraterrestrial parasite. Could this be the scout they referred to?
“Enough chatter. Move.” A shove to her back sent her reeling and pondering. Could this scout-parasite have attached itself to Taurus? Surely, he’d have noticed.
The big bronze doorway into the maze remained wide open, and as they spilled into the area beyond, the mouth of the cave, awash in daylight, let her see a pair of ropes dangling.
“Nolan, go up first and stand watch for the star warrior. Lenny, you’ll go next with the woman.”
The one named Nolan immediately clipped himself to a rope and disappeared from sight. Since she lacked a harness, Lenny lashed her to him—a much less pleasant experience than when she’d been tied to Taurus. Once he’d secured them to a rope, they ascended. A glance above showed a metal arm stretching over the edge of the gorge. As they neared it, she heard the hum of the winch doing the work of pulling.
A woman waited at the top, just as grim-faced as the men. She said nothing as she grabbed and hauled them toward the solid ground. Nolan stood guard, gun cradled, scanning the area around.
“Sit and don’t move,” the woman snapped, her order reinforced by a shove that sent Circe to the ground.
Once Demetrius and the last man arrived, they yanked Circe to her feet and prodded her toward a waiting helicopter, which explained how they’d managed to follow so quickly. They must have rushed to the gorge the moment they knew of Taurus’ location. It took under two hours to fly from Crete to Athens.
The flight proved slightly rough, as strong winds buffeted the craft, and she swallowed hard more than once as they wobbled over rough-looking waters. No one spoke during the journey. Then again, the noise of the blades would have required shouting. The chopper landed atop a building she didn’t recognize, and from there, they hustled her inside the top floor, which appeared unused. The open space was practically bare, with only a few office chairs and a single desk with a computer taking up the space. Circe managed only that brief glimpse before being shoved into a utility closet, unable to hear or see anything happening. Every second that passed only increased her angst. It didn’t help her stomach rumbled with hunger and her bladder screamed for relief.
The woman who eventually released her grumbled when Circe insisted on using the washroom.
“Either you let me relieve myself or I’ll piss my pants,” Circe snapped.
“Make it quick.” The ties on her wrists were slashed, but free hands did Circe no good. The bathroom had no window, and even if it did, she couldn’t exactly jump from this height. As she squatted, she looked around for a weapon, not that it would do her much good. She lacked any kind of fighting skill and would be hard-pressed to take down one person, let alone five.
When she emerged from the bathroom, the woman brought her to the far end of the open space, where recently discarded food containers lay scattered. Her stomach rumbled with hunger, but she refused to beg for any leftovers.
The short and tubby Nolan stood slack-jawed amidst the mess, eyes rolled back, muttering, “I’ve established a connection with the scout.”
“Where has it surfaced?” Demetrius asked.
“The signal is coming from the shop where the message was left.”
“Is the starman alone?”
