“He and Jazin will join us shortly.” Torak said looking warily at the three women.
He had never seen all three of them mad at the same time. He had been on the receiving end of one angry female, if the destruction they did to the Tearnat’s warship was any indication of what they were like when they weren’t mad, he couldn’t imagine what they would do when they were.
“Madas seems to think they will not harm you or your sisters. Be careful, I do not like the way things are progressing.” Torak said softly bringing River’s clinched fist to his mouth.
River shivered at the feel of Torak’s firm lips against her hand. “Perhaps we should circulate separately. They may feel more confident to try something.”
Torak’s eyes flashed with fire. “You will not put yourself in danger.”
River smiled and rested her palm on Torak’s cheek. “Of course not, I’m simply going to make small talk and listen. I’ll be in the same room as you.”
Torak’s eyes darkened with frustration and anger. It took everything in him not to call Tai Tek out. He watched as River moved to join a small group of women standing not far from him.
Javonna watched through narrowed eyes as River moved around the room. She was furious at the little warrior’s threat to her. She couldn’t wait until the little warrior was spread beneath Tai Tek’s men. She would ask to watch as they took her. It would be just reward to watch her suffer. She had to think of a way to get the warrior bitch, River, alone. It seemed as if she was always with the other two warrior women, Torak, or one of his guards. She looked speculatively at Kev Mul Kar. She knew he had never liked or trusted her. She had tried on several occasions to get rid of him but he had always slipped through the traps she had set. Now, she watched as his eyes never left River. A small, satisfied smile curved her lips. Perhaps, she had finally found a way to get rid of him.
Dinner passed without further interruptions. This made River very wary as she new calm often came before the storm. River developed an instant rapport with Madas. She listened to Madas tell tales of Gril’s misadventures when he was courting her. It seemed they had more in common than River would have ever guessed. Gril looked on with affection as his mate told the tales at times refuting some of her claims to have driven him to distraction with some of her outlandish behaviors. Throughout the dinner, Torak would reach out to touch River sometimes discretely other times very blatantly. River never complained. She found it reassuring. After dinner, the men would retire to one room and the women to another. River, Jo, and Star had stared at Torak, Manota, and Jazin like they were out of their mind. It had to be the most antiquated practice they had ever heard of during their lifetime.
The men soon departed for their assigned entertainment while the women were escorted to theirs. River’s face reflected her dour mood as she moved into the room clustered with the other women. Jo and Star obviously felt the same way from the look they gave her.
“I guess it is time to be the perfect little woman.” Jo muttered under her breath looking around at all the ladies. Except for Madas they hadn’t found any they could really relate too.
River let out a deep sigh as music began playing. It was some weird number they had never heard of with unusual instruments playing. Star made a face before she put her finger in her mouth mimicking being gagged.
River couldn’t contain her soft laugh, “You girls go circulate. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything that might be useful.”
Javonna gave a sigh of relief when she saw the three warriors break up to move around the room to talk to other women in attendance. Grabbing a drink from a servant she slid a vial out of her sleeve and emptied it into the drink. Walking towards River, she put on her sweetest smile.
“Lady River.” Javonna said quietly. “A moment of your time, please.”
River turned to look at Javonna. So, it was show time, after all. River nodded her head slightly and followed Javonna over to a corner near the huge doors leading out into the gardens.
Javonna smiled and picked up another drink as a servant walked by. Holding out one to River, Javonna took a sip from the new glass. River took the glass from Javonna with a quiet ‘thank you.’
“I believe I owe you an apology for my behavior. I have behaved in a most disgraceful manner. I do hope you will accept my sincere apology. It is hard when one is forced to leave the House they had sought for so long.” Javonna said sipping her drink again.
River let a small smile curve her lips. Raising the drink to her own lips she acted like she was taking a sip from it. She had watched enough movies to know better than to ever take a drink from someone who wanted you dead; especially, if that someone started apologizing to you.
“I’m sorry you were so hurt, Javonna. I never expected to fall in love with Torak and never expected him to fall in love with me. Where I come from it is normally one man and one woman. I am glad you understand there was no malicious intent.” River said softly. Let the bitch take that to the bank. Two could play this game.
Javonna drained the rest of her drink before replying. “Yes, well I hope you long life.”
“Thank you, Javonna. Long life to you, too.” River said politely not meaning a word of it.
Acting like she was taking another drink River waiting until Javonna looked at Star and Jo walking towards them before she discretely poured the rest of the drink in a nearby plant. When Javonna turned to look at her again it looked like she had just finished the drink. River handed the empty glass to a nearby servant.
“If you will excuse me, Javonna.” River said turning to look at Star and Jo.
“Of course, My Lady.” Javonna said with a broad smile. Javonna walked by Star and Jo giving both of them a smile as she moved into the crowd of ladies.
“What was that all about?” Jo asked suspiciously.
“The bitch must not watch American television very often. I bet you a hundred dollars she tried to give me a doped up drink.” River murmured.
“So, how do we prove it?” Star asked watching Javonna move across the room.
“It’s show time, girls. I have a feeling shit is about to hit the fan. I am going to act like I suddenly don’t feel well. You ready?” River asked quietly.
Both Jo and Star grinned. “Oh, I love a great performance.”
River groaned softly placing one hand on her stomach and one on her head. Swaying she let her knees bend. Jo and Star reached to grab her as she collapsed. Moaning, River let her head drop back on her shoulders.
“Help, someone help!” Star called out frantically. “River, oh River, are you okay.”
River just moaned and let her eyes close as Jo and Star carefully lowered her to the floor. The women in the room started calling out for help. Almost immediately, two uniformed men approached.
“Lady River, what seems to be the problem?” One of the men asked kneeling next to River.
River moaned barely opening her eyes so she could look at the man. The digital reading from her contact lens told her it was not one of their security men even though he was wearing a uniform. Manota had made sure all the members of the security team were programmed into the database in the lens.
River looked at Jo and Star shaking her head before moaning again. Speaking in Italian she mumbled. “These men are fakes.”
The men looked at Jo and Star to see what River said.
“She must be out of her mind. She’s mumbling nonsense.” Jo said letting tears fill her eyes. “Please, you have to help her.”
“Move back. We will take her to medical. Both of you may follow us.” The taller of the two men said. The one kneeling next to River bent and lifted her gently into his arms. River moaned again letting her one of her arms reach around behind the man while the other moved over his chest.
“Torak. Please, Torak.” River whispered before closing her eyes.
Star began crying as the taller of the men placed his arm around her waist. Leaning on him, she sobbed as he escorted her and Jo out of the roo
m. Jo moved to stand on the other side walking so close she was practically touching him.
“She’ll be alright, Star. You’ll see, baby. River will be alright.” Jo kept saying over and over as Star sobbed into the side of the one security guard.
Chapter 21
Torak stood near the doors of the huge room the men had been escorted too. He waited as his brothers and father moved into position as well. They would cover every exit to ensure Tai Tek did not escape. As the performers filed onto a make-shift stage the lights lowered. Dozens of scantily clad women appeared on the stage and began dancing. Torak never took his eyes off Tai Tek.
“Do you have anything?” Torak asked Manota.
“Nothing yet. It shouldn’t be long before the bastard tries something though.” Manota responded. “What about you, Jazin?”
“Nothing except if Star finds out about the women in here I will probably be dead by morning.” Jazin said letting his eyes roam over the crowd. “Several of the females are identified as belonging to Tai Tek’s house. I am not sure I like this.”
“I would not put it past him to threaten them with punishment if they did not do as he told them.” Ajaska responded. “Manota. Can you identify the group of men who just entered through the east entrance? Those doors were to have been sealed.”
No sooner had the words left Ajaska’s mouth than shouts and screams could be heard. Laser fire began filling the room as the group of men coming in through the east entrance started firing up at the ceiling yelling for everyone to lie down. The dancers began screaming and tried to run for the door they had entered through only to be stunned before they could escape. Several men in the front of the room took blasts to the chest collapsing in a heap on the floor of the ballroom. Ajaska roared out pulling his laser pistol and firing it at the men charging him. Moving to stand behind a huge pillar he fired a shot hitting one man and knocking him down.
“Manota, where are Kev and his men?” Ajaska yelled into his com link.
“They are fighting a group of men who landed on the roof and another trying to gain entrance through the front. They have them contained and are on their way here.” Manota responded as he came up behind two of the invaders and cut them down. “Shit, two unidentified men have entered the room with the women.”
Torak was fighting three other intruders who had tried to circle around Jazin. Jazin had his hands full with two men. Ajaska, seeing two of his sons surrounded by men, let out a roar that shook the room. Gril Tal Mod’s head jerked up, his nostrils flared with anger. He reached out his massive arms gripping the man fighting him and squeezed. The man fell limply at his feet. Turning, he bent his powerful legs and leaped onto the backs of the two men fighting Jazin crushing them under his weight.
“Go to the females. My mate says the females have been taken.” Gril Tal Mod growled.
Torak roared out in rage slamming his knife into one man’s chest while kicking the knee out from another before slashing the other man’s throat with a back swing of his blade. Jazin plunged his blade forward into the last man growling as he searched for Star’s location on the imbedded map in the lens in his eye.
“Shit. Star is not with the other females.” Jazin said looking around wildly for Tai Tek. “Where is Tai Tek? Where is the bastard?”
The other men in the room quickly helped to subdue the attackers. Ajaska and Gril Tal Mod came forward shoving chairs and tables out of their way. Manota reached them just as they got to Jazin and Torak.
Torak grabbed one of the rebels by the neck in a strangle hold, “Where are they taking the females?” He demanded in a voice devoid of all emotion.
“It is too late.” The rebel croaked turning red as he struggled for a breath. “Tai Tek will have already mated to your female and the other two have been given to the other guards as payment for their loyalty.”
Torak gripped the man’s neck so hard it snapped. He let the limp body fall to the floor. His eyes glowed with fury. He would kill Tai Tek and every man who had supported him. He closed his eyes focusing on the map and the tracking signal of his mate and her sisters.
His eyes snapped open and an unholy light glittered from him as he snarled, “They are in the garden. They must have used the females to escape into it.”
River laid limply in the guards arms moaning softly as she mumbled in Portuguese. “I think it is almost show time, girls.”
“Oh River, we’re almost to the center of the garden. We’ll be at your house soon.” Star cried out softly. She moved her hand around the waist of the soldier holding her and slid his laser pistol over to Jo who put it in a hidden pocket of her skirt.
Jo had already lifted the other soldier’s weapon and inserted a toy pistol that belonged to one of the children from Manota’s house. She had been leaning on him most of the way sobbing her eyes out.
Both Jo and Star gave a startled cry when the soldiers suddenly stopped near the center fountain. A dark figure appeared from beside it. As he pulled back the hood of his cloak, Tai Tek’s hard face appeared. He looked at the three women, River lying limp in his guard’s arms and the two tear-stained faces of the other females. The guard closest to Jo grabbed her arm while another guard came out of the shadows and gripped Star. Jo and Star pushed against their attackers, fighting to break the hold the men had on them.
“It appears these warrior women are not as strong as it was first thought.” Tai Tek’s mouth curved into a cruel smile.
The guard holding River stepped forward, “My Lord, we have brought the females as you asked. Lady River drank the drink given to her by Javonna.”
“Remember your promise to let me watch you take her. I also want to watch as your guards share the little one.” Javonna said nastily stepping out from behind Tai Tek.
“I’m afraid, my dear, your usefulness has come to an end. You may also enjoy the attentions of my guards until they tire of you.” Tai Tek said coldly before pushing Javonna towards two guards who had appeared.
“You can’t do that! You promised me if I helped you I could have Torak. You promised I could watch as you mated to that bitch. You promised I could watch as your guards raped and killed that little bitch!” Jovanna screamed in anger.
Tai Tek looked at Jovanna before smiling, “I lied.”
Jovanna started screaming and fighting the two men holding her until one of the men turned her, slapping her hard across the face. She collapsed between them whimpering as they pulled her towards Torak’s House.
“My Lord, our forces have been defeated. The Lords of Kassis are moving this way. We must leave at once.” One of the guards said softly.
“Fools! What of the charges that were set?” Tai Tek coldly looking at his Captain of the Guard.
“They did not have a chance to set them before the guards attacked.” His Captain of the Guard replied in a dead voice.
“It is time to go. Take the females through the passageway to the shuttle waiting on the other side of the complex. By the time they find them it will be too late.” Tai Tek said turning to leave.
“Not so fast, asshole.” River said just as she swung her fist into the nose of the guard holding her. The man dropped her as his nose shattered under her direct hit.
River twisted as she fell, landing on her feet and doing a flip to put distance between her and the other guards. Turning to kneel she threw two knives into the men holding Jo and Star who did twin back flips taking them to land near River. Jo pulled one of the pistols firing rapidly while Star reached for her crossbow.
“Move, move, move.” River yelled as she pulled back behind the fountain. She threw a knife cursing as it imbedded in Tai Tek’s shoulder. She had aimed for his heart but the bastard had turned at the last minute.
Jo and Star moved back into the dark shadows covering River as she turned to run. She counted three down but there had to have been at least eight, counting Tai Tek. Ripping the covering of her skirt off she let it fall to the ground as a laser blast missed her head by less than an inch. She
hit the ground rolling before coming back up on her feet.
They hadn’t been sure where Tai Tek was going to strike or where they would be taken if he did capture them. The fact it was the garden was probably a blessing as the three of them knew it fairly well. Moving fast, each of the women grabbed the hanging vines from one of the tall pillars encircling the garden and started climbing. They figured they would have a better view of what was happening on the ground and could move over most of the garden by air. The lens Manota had given them gave them night vision. By River’s estimation they had about thirty minutes left before they dissolved.
Reaching the top of the pillar River rolled over and lay flat as Jo and Star came up behind her. “You two okay?” River asked softly.
Jo whispered, “Yeah. I’m cool. Star, what about you?”