Could the Council know? How could they have known unless Kane had relayed the call to them?
“Throw me the restraints.” Callan indicated the plastic ties the soldier carried in his belt.
He moved carefully. Callan saw the bunch of his muscles, the intent in his eyes. He pulled the last knife,
aiming it as the soldier stilled.
“The next bastard who tries gets it in the heart,” he warned them. “Now do as I said, real damn careful.”
The restraints landed at his feet. He threw two back to the standing soldier.
“Take care of your buddies.” He watched impassively as the ties were placed over the soldiers’ wrists
then jerked tight, but not tight enough to restrict blood flow. “Sit down. Hands behind your back.” Callan
waved the gun at him, indicating the floor.
They sighed and did as he ordered.
“Why do they want the girl?” He repeated the question as he restrained the soldier, then placed the
straps on the feet of all three men. “And answer me this time or you’ll shed blood, too.”
He could hear the gnash of teeth. They had been taken out efficiently, easily. It wouldn’t look good on
their records.
“All I have are the orders.” The soldier shrugged, his weather beaten face resigned. “We don’t know
why they want her. Just that she’s your woman, and they now consider her Council property.”
Rage burned in Callan’s stomach. Council property. Disposable merchandise. If they knew Merinus was
his woman then her life was in more danger than his was at the moment. He moved around the men,
pulling lethal knives from hidden sheaths and boot straps. Little daggers came from under shirt collars and
shoved in sheaths beneath shirtsleeves. There were a million places to hide a weapon and he could only
hope he found those the soldiers carried.
“When did the order go through?” Callan asked him, his voice hard.
“Late last night. We were rushed in on a Council jet and brought here.”
“Where were you rushed from?”
The soldiers grunted. “Now, Callan, you know better than that shit.”
They wouldn’t tell, they never did.
“You made a mistake.”
“Naw, you did when you killed the last team,” the soldier told him quietly. “They reported your rescue of
the girl, when they showed up dead, you proved she was more than just a nosy journalist. You should
have known better, man.”
Callan took a deep breath. He didn’t know this soldier, but he was like all those he had known. They
knew what he was, who created him. They knew the main goal was capture, but the Council would
accept his death if there was no other way. And now, they knew about Merinus.
“Tell the Council and your buddies, playtime is over,” Callan told him quietly as he moved back to the
corridor entrance. “I won’t be playing anymore. I’ll be killing.”
He paused, listening carefully. He could smell Merinus’ fear, and the beginning lust in her body. Damn,
he wasn’t moving fast enough. He had to get her to safety, fast.
“Merinus,” he called out to her softly.
She rushed to him, her hands reaching out to the broad palm he extended to her. He wrapped his arm
around her, watching the soldier carefully. The man’s eyes went immediately to the mark on Merinus’
neck.
“Shit, you mated her.” The soldier shook his head as he watched Callan wrap his arm around her body,
censure lining his voice. “You may as well kill her now, man. She’ll never survive the tests those bastards
force on her when they catch her.”
Callan felt Merinus jerk in fear.
“Shh, say nothing,” he warned her, his breath at her ear. “Let’s get out of here.”
He moved her through the cavern, careful to skirt around the soldiers. They were well trained and still
more than dangerous, even restrained. If they got their hands on Merinus, they could easily use her to
force his compliance in any area and he knew it.
Dawn was barely peeking over the ridge as he moved her through the forest. The soft chirps of morning,
the sounds of animals awakening, feeding, moving about freely assured him that the danger had yet to
stalk them too close. He had to get her out of the area and to the jeep he kept carefully hidden. Even the
others had no idea of some of the safeguards he had in place. That jeep, carefully hidden and packed for
emergencies, would get them far enough away for him to ensure Merinus’ safety and to pay her brother
back for his betrayal of her.
He had to get her to one of the safe houses though. Already her body was heating, needing his, just as
he was beginning to need her. Even in the danger of the moment, he could feel his need for her pulsing in