Page 116 of Tribute
The noises from above ceased, and she let out her breath. She could only hope that Kai, Bron, and most importantly Rehz were still alive. If they were, she was determined to leave them a last good-bye present.
“Can you put him over there?” She pointed.
TheUngrichmoved their coils and stood Palk upright in the corner.
“Stand back,”she ordered. The second theUngrichreleased him, Palk sprang at her, but she was quicker. She shot him twicein quick succession in the knees, and he collapsed howling onto the floor.
“You fuckingbitch! I’m going to kill you.”
“I’m sure Rehz and Kai will be down shortly to help you,” she said sweetly.
The Ungrich tentacle around her throat tightened. “We have done as you requested. Now remove the explosives from your pocket.”
She complied as slowly as she could, straining to hear above Palk’s litany of screeching and threats. It sounded quiet outside, apart from a rhythmic pounding sound like the banging of a drum. She frowned. Or booted feet coming down a metal staircase . . .
“Anna Lee. We will leave now.”
A stab of pain pushed through her temple, making her wince.“One more thing.”She gathered her thoughts. “Did you take my embryo?”
The dominantUngrichtouched her mind.“Yes.”
“Did it survive?”
“Not without you incubating it. This is why you must return. We need a living receptacle for our new experiments.”
“I see.”Tears started in her eyes, and she slowly let out her breath.
The other half of the conjoinedUngrichspoke inside her head.“Where is the male called Aled?”
“Aled is dead. He was killed in the assault.” Anna pointed over at his still body.
“We have his seed,” the dominant responded to the submissive. “We do not require him . We need to leave. This atmosphere is not conducive to our survival.”
Rehz reached the security door to the safe room and frantically punched in the code. Bron had reported that Palk’s troops were retreating, which wasn’t good news at all. The door silently swung open, giving him a jaw-dropping view of several things he hadn’t expected to see. He took them all in and continued to advance almost in slow motion.
Palk was screaming, Aled was bleeding and lifeless on top of a cabinet, and Anna was stripping off her clothing and about to step down into a big black hole with theUngrich.As he moved toward her, she met his gaze, her blue eyes so clear that he couldn’t look away. Her fingers tangled in her hair, pulling the band free, and he saw it then—the small explosive held in her hand, her thumb on the button, ready to detonate it.
“Anna!” he roared and flung himself after her, catching her heel as she toppled slowly into the hole. He watched her fingers open, sending the explosive down into the darkness, and yanked back as hard as he could on her leg, stopping her fall. She screamed as he attempted to haul her back up and the tentacles around her neck clung on and pulled her downward.
But then Kai was behind him, and they got her free and pulled her up, her blood spilling from her torn throat as, far below her, the explosive went off. The blast flung them all back from the hole. Kai anchored Rehz against his chest, and Rehz held on to Anna, while the echoes of the blast rolled and thundered for what seemed like forever.
Kai yelled into his com. “Medical emergency, safe room!”
Rehz ripped off his armor and then his black T-shirt to press to the gaping wound in the side of Anna’s throat. She was barely conscious, her gaze fixed on him as he worked.
“You had to be a fucking hero, didn’t you?” he muttered as he continued to apply pressure to the wound. He couldn’t breathe. There was so much blood. “When you’re better, Anna Lee, I’m going to fucking kill you myself.”
“Way to encourage her to live, Rehz.” Kai lifted Aled down and laid him on the table. “Palk, if you move a fucking inch, I’m going to shoot you.” He shook Aled. “You okay? Did Palk do this to you?”
“Anna,” Aled whispered.
“Figures.” Kai glanced over at Rehz. “I’ll get in that line to fucking kill her right behind you, okay?”
Bron came in with the two trained medics behind him, then stopped short. “What the hell?”
“TheUngrichcame up through the floor. Palk, I have no idea,” Rehz said tersely. “Help Anna and Aled.”
“What about me?” Palk whimpered.
