Challenging Saber (12 page)

He sat forward when the image turned to where Taylor was sitting off to the side. She was wearing a white shirt and a pair of dark tan pants. Her long hair was braided and the bruises on her face were healed. She looked incredibly young and fragile.

His gut twisted at the sight of her. He knew the men holding her were using her delicate appearance as a way to push their buttons. They wanted Razor to see that they could ruthlessly crush her if they wanted. She was a symbol of the Eastern sector… and the Trivators, powerless to stop their cruelty.

“State your name, traitor,”
the man demanded, stepping down from where he had been standing behind the table.

Taylor raised a delicate eyebrow and stared back at the man in defiance. A tug of amusement pulled at the corner of Saber’s lips even as he wanted to strangle Taylor for being so stubborn. She might look delicate and fragile, but he knew she had the heart of a warrior.

“My name is not traitor, jackass. It is Taylor Sampson,”
she stated calmly, looking at the man.
“You know only cowards feel a need to hide their faces, don’t you?”

“You will only answer the questions,”
the man said in a harsh voice, taking a step closer to where she was sitting.
“You are under the protection of the Trivator known as Hunter, the brother of the one called Razor who has attacked our planet, are you not?”

“Actually, Hunter is my brother-in-law,”
Taylor replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Razor is going to kick your asses.”

Saber’s hands curled into tight fists when the male stepped forward and slapped Taylor across the face. He heard Hunter and the others’ swiftly inhale their breath. That male was dead.

“Kill them if they move again,”
the man said, turning to look at where the four Trivator prisoners were straining to break free.

“It’s okay, guys. Asswipe hits like a girl,”
Taylor said with a trembling smile.
“I’ve got this.”

“That female needs to be protected from herself,” Sword muttered with a shake of his head. “Why would she say things that she knows will get her beaten?”

“Watch,” Razor replied with a strangely calm demeanor.

Taylor turned back and stared at the man with a serene smile. A sense of unease built inside Saber. When Taylor looked like that, it usually meant trouble.

“I’m not the traitor to your people, you are,”
Taylor said in a quiet voice.
“You enslave them and work them until they die for your own greed. You and those that follow you are the scum of this planet. You are nothing more than parasites. If the people knew just how few of you there were, they’d squish you like the bugs you are.”

“I told you to answer only the questions you were asked!”
The male said, raising his hand to strike her again.

Taylor took advantage of his closeness and kicked out, catching the man in the groin with a powerful kick. At the same time, she reached out and snatched off the cloth covering his face. The man twisted around, showing his full face clearly to the video. Two other men hurried forward and held Taylor by her arms.

“Answer that, you jerk-off!”
She snapped before glancing up at the camera.
“Now that you know what he looks like, kill the bastard for me, please.”

The male on the ground hissed in pain as he struggled to sit up. He slowly rose, glaring at Taylor, who sat still, her head held high, waiting for his response. It didn’t take long. He swung out, striking her in the jaw. Her head snapped back and she slumped in the chair, unconscious.

“Remove her,”
the man ordered.
“I look forward to killing her slowly, after I break her. Take them to the High Fortress. She is sentenced to death. I’ll return her body to Razor one piece at a time. In the meantime, she can enjoy watching each of the Trivator warriors fight to their death.”

Saber sat back in his seat, stunned. Taylor, his Taylor, was still rebellious in the face of her captors. It reminded him of the way she had fought against him when she and her sisters had first been found. His hand rose to touch his ear, remembering her bite as if it was yesterday.

“I am surprised they sent that video,” Hunter said in a quiet voice.

“They didn’t… at first,” Razor replied. “The first one we received was edited and did not contain this footage. This one arrived several hours later on a rarely used frequency. It would appear that either someone was sympathetic to Taylor or…”

“There is an ally among the new Western Council,” Saber murmured, staring at the twisted face of the male that had hit Taylor.

He wasn’t a Disesian. The milky white complexion and bald head were proof of that. Saber glanced at Dagger to see his reaction. Dagger’s face had paled, but the fury burning deep inside him radiated outward. The Waxian, a mercenary species known for their greed and savagery, were trying to take over another planet.

“Where is the High Fortress?” Saber asked in a voice devoid of emotion.

Razor sighed and turned to look at the men. He shook his head and touched the console in front of him. A large mountain appeared in the center of the screen.

“This is the fortress we believe the Waxian was talking about,” Razor said, pointing to the huge structure on the side of the mountain. “It is an ancient fortress built into the side of the mountain. We’ve been monitoring the increased traffic to it over the last several months.”

“Why didn’t you take it out?” Thunder asked, sitting back in his seat.

Razor’s lips thinned in anger. “The council felt it would jeopardize the treaty that was under negotiation,” he replied.

“Why the Waxians? How did they get a foothold into the Western Council?” Sword asked, leaning forward.

“The Western Council probably thought they would get additional support and weapons,” Dagger said in a calm voice. He looked at each man at the table, pausing on Saber. “They would have taken over almost immediately, probably by taking the families of the council hostage and killing one or more of them as a warning. He meant what he said. He’ll send pieces of Taylor to Razor just to show that he can. They are probably after the ore that is being mined. The unrest between the two regions, and the Alliance intervening, gave them an opportunity to steal it.”

Razor nodded. “We believe the Waxians have struck a deal with a select group of Disesians to supply the Drethulans with the ore necessary to manufacture weapons. The Drethulans are not happy with the expansion of the Alliance into their territories. The Alliance Council believes that the Drethulans are building up their military,” he explained.

“All-out war?” Dagger asked.

Razor glanced at all the men, pausing on Hunter who nodded. “None of this leaves this room,” Razor said. “We’ve been working with a new species on the outer rim of the galaxy that recently joined the Alliance. They were the first to warn us of the Drethulans military expansion. The Drethulans are not aware that we are working with the Kassisans. I suspect that the video we received came from one of their men. I suspect one of them has infiltrated the Drethulans inner circle.”

“I didn’t think the Drethulans trusted anyone,” Dagger retorted, leaning back in his seat.

Razor glanced at him before drawing in a deep breath. “They don’t. I didn’t ask how the Kassisan was able to gain their trust, I’m just glad he is on our side,” he responded.

“Do you have a blueprint of the fortress?” Saber asked.

He had been silent while the rage that had started smoldering inside of him six days ago exploded, blazing inside him. Watching the Waxian strike Taylor had been the last straw. He would kill the bastard once he knew Taylor was safe.

“Saber, this is more than just Taylor,” Razor started to say.

“No, it’s not,” Hunter interjected, watching warily as Saber rose from his seat. “This is Taylor, Razor. My
Amate’s
sister.”

“And mine,” Dagger said, rising as well. “This is personal.”

“Do you have a blueprint of the fortress?” Saber repeated in a cold voice.

Razor sighed and shook his head. “No, the Waxian was very careful about making sure all the recorders were destroyed. We have a basic diagram, and research from the time period the structure was built has given us additional probabilities on the layout.”

“There will only be the six of us,” Razor warned.

“Ten,” Thunder said, pushing his chair back and standing. “Once we release the other four warriors.”

“Plus the Kassisan,” Sword added.

“Eleven if we are lucky against a hundred or more,” Razor pointed out. “I’ve refused the Alliance Council’s orders to send in the destroyers. There are too many civilians being held as hostages. Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, but in this case, it is.”

“Why?” Hunter asked with a raised eyebrow.

Razor grimaced. “Because this time it is personal,” he admitted. “Jesse and Jordan both contacted me shortly before you arrived and made me swear to bring Taylor, and you two, home safe. I think Jordan hacked into your system again,” he added dryly, glancing at Hunter.

“
Shewta
!” Hunter and Dagger muttered at the same time.

Saber drew in a deep breath of the frigid air, embracing the chill of it in his lungs. It matched his icy resolve. He glanced over his shoulder when he saw Dagger walking toward him. Final preparations were being made for their departure. They would break up into teams and go in from different directions: Hunter and Razor, Thunder and Sword, he, Trig, and Dagger.

The plan was to find and rescue Taylor and the four warriors. Saber would take Taylor to safety while the other men systematically took out the Waxian forces.

Razor wanted to capture the bastard that struck Taylor. It was obvious he was the leader of the Waxians and Razor was determined to get all the information he knew about the Drethulans’ current movements. Saber wanted to kill the male – slowly.

“The skids have arrived,” Dagger said.

“I know,” Saber replied, staring out across the barren landscape. “With the skids, Razor said it would take about an hour and a half to get there.”

Dagger nodded. “It is the only way to ensure that we go in silent. Are you ready for this?” He asked.

Saber turned and glared at Dagger. “Are you asking if I’m capable of finding Taylor and getting her out?” He demanded in a harsh tone.

Dagger shook his head. “No,” he replied in a quiet voice. “I know you can do that. I’m asking if you will keep it together once you find her. There is no telling what the Waxian has done to her. I know what they are capable of,” he murmured, returning Saber’s gaze with a steady one of his own. “He won’t care that she is a female. If anything, he will be even crueler because he sees little value in her. She wouldn’t last the first round in a fight ring.”

Saber’s jaw tightened. Dagger wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. Taylor’s move may have shown them the true faction behind the civil war that was raging between the two regions, but she had also sealed her fate. The Waxian would slowly drain the life out of her.

Both men turned when Hunter and Razor walked up to them. Saber noticed the grim expression on Razor’s face. He waited, steeling himself for what Razor was about to tell them.

“I just received an update from our informant. He suggests that if we plan on saving the remaining prisoners, we strike now,” Razor bit out in a harsh voice.

“Remaining?” Saber asked, his throat tightening.

Razor nodded. “The Waxian decided it was necessary to have a public showing of what happens to traitors,” he explained in a voice laced with anger. “Several Eastern captives and one of the Trivator warriors named Ember fought two Gartaians. Ember was killed.”

“Taylor?” Saber asked in a husky voice.

“She was forced to watch,” Razor replied.

Saber drew in a hissing breath. “The Waxian is mine to kill,” he said, looking at Razor.

Razor gave Saber a sharp-toothed grin. “After I get the information out of him, you can do what you want,” he promised. “It is time to go. Our informant gave us some additional information about the fortress. There are three ancient drainage tunnels leading into it. I’ve uploaded the maps to your tablet. Taylor is being held in the uppermost turret. The remaining warriors and prisoners are being held in the underground cells.”

“Saber and I will go after Taylor,” Dagger said with a nod.

“Are you sure you can trust this Kassisan?” Saber asked, staring at Razor.

Razor shook his head. “No, but at this point, we don’t have much choice,” he replied, turning back toward the skids. “We’ll split up five kilometers out.”

*.*.*

Taylor growled and kicked the door. A muted curse of pain escaped her. The only thing kicking a metal door did was hurt her foot. Hopping, she briefly rubbed it with her left hand before releasing it to stand and gaze around the room.

“I’m going to roast that guy’s balls in the hottest oven I can find,” she muttered as she stared at the bare room.

There wasn’t even a bed in the room, or a blanket! Hell, they hadn’t even given her a pot to pee in. Her nose wiggled in distaste. Her gaze rose to the narrow window. The fortress was just that, an ancient fortress that was built back in the stone age of the planet. It looked like some of those buildings she had studied when she was back on Earth.

She stepped back, gazing up at the narrow slit. Turning, she looked at the other three that were designed to allow fresh air and a small measure of light into the room. She raised her hand, trying to gage how wide they were.

Biting her lip, she debated if she should try to escape. She turned back to the door and sighed. There was no way she was getting out that way. The door was made of the thick metal that the Disesians mined. The stuff was incredibly strong.

And hurt like hell when you kicked it,
she thought in disgust.

“Well, I’m not just going to sit around and let that crazy bastard use me as monster food,” she muttered with a shudder.

This morning’s time in the ‘arena’ had shown her exactly how she didn’t want to die. Her eyes burned as she remembered the poor souls that had died as the small audience cheered. She brushed a hand across her chin to wipe away the tear that escaped and winced in pain. She forgot about the lovely bruise she had. She had lied to the camera. The ass-wipe didn’t hit like a girl.