Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

KObrIK

W ith Kenzie in danger, my energy triples as I slam the grud against her apartment building. Cement crumbles as the grud sinks to the ground, stunned. Before he can react, I slap my mag cuffs on him. Yellow eyes glare at me.

"Where is the human female you took?"

He bares his pointed, rotting teeth, thick pale green saliva drooling down his uniform.

My fists fly against his abdomen in quick succession before I force myself to stop. "You'll take me to her," I announce.

To my surprise, he nods.

And I punch him three more times, twice to his face to make my intent clear. I get what I want, or he dies. Simple.

Twenty minutes later, we enter an old industrial complex in an abandoned section of the city, the same area where I first encountered Kenzie. When my prisoner stops walking, I fire my blaster, exploding the cement beneath his feet.

"Vekking zyanthan!" he swears as he bears his decaying teeth.

"Keep walking. You have ten minutes left to lead me to the human female you took."

"Yeg give female. Warrior release Yeg."

"Only if she's unharmed."

Lying to a grud? No problem. No matter what happens, I'm not releasing him.

The grud leads me to the southwest corner of the industrial complex. We weave through huge chunks of concrete and twisted metal. Neatly tucked behind the crumbling walls of the roofless, bombed-out, two-story building, rests one scout ship.

The drekking ship is surrounded on all sides. An aerial view would have revealed the ship, but Earth's military denied me permission to fly over this area.

"Where is she?" I demand.

"Inside ship."

I shove him forward. "Open it."

"Need hands." He turns around, presenting his bound hands to me.

I press my finger to the biometric lock. The magcuffs click open and fall to the ground. With my blaster lodged at the base of his scaly head, I repeat, "Open it."

He slams his palm against the ship's ID panel and the door rises.

Kenzie's scent immediately strikes me, as does the metallic odor of blood. My heart nearly seizes when I spot her body crumpled on the floor. She's not moving!

"Kenzie!"

The grud's hand locks around my throat while he swipes at my face with his other hand. His claws catch in mine, and I twist, breaking his claws. Even as he roars in pain, he squeezes my throat, cutting off my air.

I dig my claws into the base of his neck, but his thick hide prevents me from going deep enough to force him to release me. His claws rake down my right horn, sending a sharp pain through me.

Slamming my head back, I sink my horns into his shoulders. His hold loosens enough for me to wrench his arm behind him but I don't have my magcuffs to restrain him.

My eyes shift to Kenzie on the floor.

Not moving. Or breathing.

In a violent rage, I pistol-whip the grud with my blaster, knocking him unconscious. The scout goes down with a thud, nearly dragging me down with him.

I drop to my knees beside Kenzie and press my fingers against her neck. Relief floods me as her pulse beats steadily beneath my fingertips.

"Kenzie, it's me. Kobrik." I caress her cheek. She doesn't even stir.

"Horch a cha!" the ship's computer announces, the harsh tones echoing through the corridor. I don't understand Grudish, but I'd recognize a warning anywhere.

I peer outside the ship's open door. The perimeter of the ship appears clear. Being in danger is nothing new to me, but with Kenzie here, my instincts scream to get her away from this grud and his ship.

"Kobrik?" Kenzie asks, her eyes open and focusing on me.

"All is well," I say caressing her cheek before inspecting the back of her head. She has a nasty bump there, but no major injury.

"Horch a cha!" the computer repeats.

This crushing sense of doom catapults me to my feet. "Forgive me, Kenzie." In my haste, I lift her rougher than I'd like, then bend to angle my horns as I carry her through the door. As soon as we're clear of the ship, I run with the precious cargo in my arms.

"What's wrong?" she asks, the panic in her voice slicing through me.

I'm too focused to answer. My horns rise high, the need to get her somewhere safe paramount. Finally, I spot a secluded nook against an outer wall a hundred feet from the ship. She'll be hidden, safe, here while I go back for my prisoner.

After I set Kenzie down, I hand her my blaster. "Point and shoot anyone who comes near you. Not me, yes?"

"Definitely not you," she says, her voice stronger now. With a forced smile, she grips my blaster like a seasoned warrior. So brave, my female. "Where are you going, Kobrik?"

"To arrest Amos."

"The grud?"

"Unofficially, yes. Officially, there are no grud on Earth."

She cups my face with her hands and kisses me. Drekk, I'd love to sink into the kiss, hold her and never let go, but I have a grud to cuff, preferably before he wakes.

"That's for saving me," Kenzie says.

"You leave me torn, female."

"In what way?"

"I wish to save you all over again, so I may collect another kiss."

"I think we can work out a payment plan?—"

The force of an explosion throws me into Kenzie. I tuck her head against my chest and wrap my body around her as shrapnel strikes my back. She whimpers beneath me, but she's safe, even as burning metal sets my jacket on fire.

I don't move until the clanking of metal striking cement ends. Then I rip off my burning leather jacket and shirt before the flames sear my skin. Fear-filled eyes look up at me, but to my relief, Kenzie's unharmed.

I spin around and look at the ship. There's nothing left.