Chapter Three

Rain poured down on me as I sloshed along the narrow road. Overhead, lightning danced through the towering black clouds and thunder rumbled loudly. I was soaked to the bone and shivering from the cold. Why had I agreed to Uncle Enzo's stupid plan? There wasn't a power source anywhere near me.

A bright light suddenly lit up the roadway and a male shouted, "Halt!"

Huh? Guess there was. I stopped and shielded my eyes with my right hand. "Hello? I'm lost. Can you help me?"

"What are you doing out here? This is a restricted area,"A gruff voice asked in my head.

I could feel him mentally probing my shields. I smiled to myself. Father had me tested once and the medic said he doubted even Zarek could breach my defenses. Whoever he was, he was awfully strong, and I should make nice. "Sorry, I didn't know. I'll go." Letting my shoulders droop, I turned around.

BOOM! I jumped about a foot when a lightning bolt struck a nearby tree, starting a fire. The heat drew me like a magnet.

"Answer the question," the voice in my head demanded.

"I missed the bus, okay? So, I had to walk home, and I got lost."The wind picked up and whipped my wet hair across my face.I tripped over a branch and almost fell.

"Where do you think you are going?" The voice asked.

I pointed at the burning tree. "I'm so cold."

A heavily armed warrior in black battle armor appeared out of the darkness. "What is your name?"

"Anna." Dreadknotted my stomach. One look at his armor and I knew he was a deadly Coletti warlord. The only way to stay alive was to act like a scared kid. Which wasn't much of a stretch since he was big and terrifying. I kept walking and hoped the medic was right about my mental shields.

The warrior stepped in front of me. "Stop."

"I wanna go home." I stared up at him. "Please, can you help me?"

"Yes, I can."

A yelp broke from me when the warrior scooped me up. I wiggled frantically. "Put me down. Put me down."

"No. I do not hurt children, no matter how much I am provoked."

I shot him a disbelieving look. It was like he knew me. "My mother told me all about big, bad Coletti warriors."

"Big, bad Coletti warriors?"

"Yes." I smacked his chest. "Put me down."

There was a hint of amusement in the warrior's voice. "I have no intention of chasing you through the forest." He abruptly changed the subject when I looked longingly at the burning tree. "What happened to your coat?"

My teeth started chattering. "I left it at school." I wrapped my arms around his neck. His armor was so warm.

"I will get you out of the rain," the warrior said out loud.

There was a flash of black and we were standing next to a fortified guard post. Whoa! He must have teleported us. It was kinda weird and fun at the same time.

Carrying me over to the door, the warrior placed his hand over the sensor pad and the door slid open. I groaned as the heat hit me. It felt so good.

The warrior sat me on a stool. "How did you find this place?"

"Saw. Lights." Shivering badly, I wiped the water off my face and stared up at him. He was so much bigger than my father.

The warrior retracted his helmet and I wanted to puke. Battle Commander Jedrick had found me. If Jedrick was here, it meant Uncle Enzo and Rocco were walking into a trap.

Jedrick pulled a blanket off a shelf and wrapped it around me.

I snuggled into it. "Thank you."

"Where do you live?" Jedrick tapped an icon on a food processor.

"In…" My teeth began chattering so hard I could barely speak. "Tyrol."

"That is ten kilometers from here."

I pulled the blanket over my head. "Got lost."

"That is a long way for a child to walk."

I think he was calling me a liar. I needed to warn Uncle Enzo, but how? I could sense Jedrick's psychic abilities and he was almost as strong as Zarek, the Coletti Overlord. He would immediately know if I tried to link with anyone.

Jedrick pulled the blanket off my head and held out a mug of coffee. "Drink this."

I wrinkled my nose. "I don't like coffee. Got any hot chocolate?"

"No." With a firm mental push, Jedrick ordered, "Drink the coffee. It will warm you up."

Reluctantly, I took the cup and moaned as the heat penetrated my frozen fingers.

"Drink it."

I sipped the coffee slowly. Ugh. The coffee tasted like yucky survival bars, but my teeth had stopped chattering.

"How old are you?" Jedrick tapped away at his warrior's bracelet.

Every muscle in my body tensed. Was he scanning me? "Nine."

"Wrong answer. Try again."

"Twelve."

"What is your mother's commlink number?"

"My parents are dead," I said sadly. "I live with my grandmother now." I needed to get closer to him. Once I tranquilized him, I could warn Uncle Enzo.

Jedrick's commlink beeped, and a male announced, "The prisoners were loaded onto the shuttle, and the trap is set, Battle Commander."

"Acknowledged."

I noticed Jedrick was watching me closely. I gave him my best innocent, little angel smile and asked, "Can I have more coffee, please?"

He nodded.

I slid off the stool, tripped on the blanket and fell.

Jedrick reached down to help me up. I curled my hand around his and triggered my tranquilizer ring.

"You little imp!" His fingers latched onto my wrist as he fell to the floor, dragging me down with him.

I tugged and tugged trying to break his grip, but I couldn't. Why wasn't he unconscious? "Abort Rocco. Abort. Battle Commander Jedrick is here, and you are walking into a trap. Your men aren't in the prison anymore, they were moved to a shuttle."

"Copy. The guard post's power system is connected to the prison. Shut it down. Now!"

I frowned. How did Rocco know where I was? My shoulders sagged. He had planted a tracker on me, and I bet Jedrick was aware of it too. Was I part of the family or just a useful tool?

"Shut the power down!"Rocco bellowed in my head.

I tried to pry Jedrick's fingers off me. Goddess he was strong. Time for plan B as Mother liked to say. I triggered the ring again.

Jedrick growled, "I. Will. Always. Find you."

"Ha! Betcha won't."I blew out a relieved breath when his grip loosened. Coletti warriors were scary as hell. Crawling on top of Jedrick, I reached out and touched the control panel. Little bolts of energy shot from my fingers and thirty seconds later, the lights went out. I glanced out the window. The prison lights were out too.

"I'm sending Fritz for you and the battle commander. Stay put until he arrives,"Rocco ordered.

"Okay." Jedrick tried to sit up. "Could you hurry, the sedative is wearing off."

"Give him another dose, Zadie,"Rocco growled and severed the link.

I frowned as Jedrick's hand moved towards his weapon. "You wouldn't shoot me, would you? I'm just a little girl."

"A very dangerous little girl."

"Me? Dangerous?"

"Yes."

"You're right. I am."With one touch, I killed the pistol's energy cell. "Your gun won't work until it's repaired."

"How?"Jedrick's voice was a mere whisper.

I wrapped the blanket around me. "It's a secret."

"I like secrets."

"I'm not a dumb kid. I was raised in Gliese. Stupid gets you killed."

"Why help them?"

"They're the only family I have left." A part of me knew if I didn't contribute to the clan's coffers, I'd be out on the streets or turned over to Crom for the bounty.

I jumped to my feet when I heard a vehicle stop outside. Was it Fritz? I peeped out the window.

A male dressed all in black and wearing a balaclava mask, got out of a battered jeep, and walked toward the guard post. His aura was so much like Crom's it gave me the willies. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that he would gleefully kill Jedrick, and it would be my fault. I chewed on my lower lip. The battle commander might be our enemy, but I couldn't allow him to be murdered. A shudder shook me. Or tortured. I just needed to figure out a way to stop Fritz.

"What's wrong?"

"Fritz has the aura of a killer. How do you close your helmet?"

"Third icon on my bracelet."

I quickly tapped it and grabbed one of Jedrick's boot knives.

"You are going to fight him. Why? To the Dragos clan, I am the enemy." There was a note of stunned disbelief in Jedrick's voice.

I shrugged. "Murder is wrong. If I hafta fight him, I will."

"You cannot take down a trained warrior."

I grinned at Jedrick. "I took you down. Twice."

"Yes, you did," Jedrick growled in disgust.

Fritz pounded on the glass. "Open the door."

"Can't, the power is off," I shouted.

"Push the yellow button, Zadie."

I hollered back, "It's dark in here. I don't see any yellow buttons."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Fritz bellowed.

"Umm. You said a bad word."

A red energy beam punched through the glass, missing my head by an inch. I hit the floor as Fritz blasted away with his laser pistol. Mother called males like him whack jobs because they weren't too bright, and they loved to kill.

Jedrick abruptly sat up with a laser pistol in his right hand and returned fire.

"Where did that come from?"

"Coletti warriors always carry backup weapons."

"Huh? Didn't know that. I guess I should have searched you."

Jedrick snorted. "Too late now."

Yes, it was. Picking up the boot knife, I took a cautious peek out the melted window. There was no sign of Fritz. "I think you got him."

"I never miss," Jedrick drawled ominously.

I glanced over my shoulder. His laser pistol was aimed at me. Would he shoot me? Without a doubt. Getting beaten by a kid had to be hard on his ego. I dropped the knife and raised my hands.

"Take your ring off and place it on the counter." Jedrick commanded.

Drawing on all my acting skills, I let tears roll down my face, and sobbed, "Yes, sir." I pulled off my ring and slowly walked over to the counter which was right by the yellow emergency release button.

I put the ring down, hit the release button and dived out the door. A crackling energy beam missed me by a good foot. "Never miss, huh?" Grinning like a loon, I ran for it. Jedrick wouldn't be able to walk yet and all I needed to do was find my way back to grandmother's cottage.

Something heavy slammed into me, knocking me down on the muddy ground.

"Got you!" Jedrick crowed.

The cheater had teleported. "You're squashing me! You're squashing me!"

"Am I?"

"You gotta weigh five hundred pounds," I cried.

Jedrick rolled and grabbed my wrists. "If you try to deactivate my battle suit, I will put you over my knee, and paddle your behind." He shook me. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." What he didn't know was as long as any part of my body was touching him, I could shut down his armor, but even if I did, I wasn't strong enough to break free of him.

"What type of sedative did you use on me?"

Rain pelted my face. "Myoxine."

"Where did you get that ring?"

"From my mother." I shivered from the cold.

"How did she die?"

"Crom fed my parents to the Rui trees while I was off planet with Uncle Ax," I replied sorrowfully.

"Where is your uncle?"

"Dunno. He dumped me with my grandmother and left."

Jedrick gave me a gentle hug. "I am sorry, Imp."

"Why did he leave me with strangers?"

"He probably thought you would be safe with them." Keeping a firm hold on me, Jedrick struggled to his feet.

Immense power rippled the air around us and the biggest, scariest warlord I'd ever seen appeared in gleaming black armor. Why did he look so familiar?

Jedrick gave a slight bow. "My Lord."

Zarek! Oh Goddess, it was Zarek! Had he come to kill me? Bile rose in my throat, and I heaved.

"Do not puke on me," Jedrick ordered.

I vomited all over his muddy armor.

"Ballock's balls!" Jedrick dropped me.

I staggered over to a bush and emptied my stomach. All that wonderful food was gone, but what did it matter, I was going to die. I closed my eyes and waited.

"Why is she shaking like that? What did you do to her?" Zarek demanded angrily.

Huh? I glanced over my shoulder. Zarek's fierce scowl was directed at Jedrick.

"It is an act. Did you bring the restraints and antidote I asked for?" Jedrick countered.

Zarek held out child sized shackles and a pressure injector.

I stuck my tongue out at Jedrick. "You're such a big, scaredy cat."

"Enough, Zadie!" Jedrick snapped as he injected himself.

"Zadie? This is the child you have been searching for?"

Jedrick nodded.

The sensation of stinging fire ants skittering across my mind had me clutching my head. "Hunters!"

Zarek tapped his warrior's bracelet. "They are using Earth First technology to block our telepathy and ability to teleport."

"It doesn't seem to affect Zadie." Jedrick commented.

One of the hunters shouted, "Surrender or die!"

Jedrick abruptly tossed me into a nearby ditch.

I landed face-first in the muddy water. "You're mean."

Jedrick commanded, "Stay down and do not make a sound."

I peeped over the edge of the ditch. About two dozen hunters stood in front of Zarek and Jedrick. Crom must have sent every warrior he had after me. A tremor shook me. If they caught me, I'd never be free.

"Surrender and I will show you mercy," Zarek said, pulling his sword.

The hunters laughed.

"We outnumber you two to one," one idiot jeered.

"As you wish." Bellowing their battle cries, Zarek and Jedrick attacked.

I blinked in disbelief. Who knew Coletti warriors could move that fast. A head rolled to a stop next to the ditch. Ugh.

"Find the girl," someone yelled.

Time to leave. On my hands and knees, I crawled through the cold, slimy water.

"I have her on my scanner, and I claim the bounty," a warrior called.

There was an icky gurgling noise followed by the thump of a body hitting the ground.

A flash of lightning lit up the night, giving me a brief look at a hideously scarred face. Raw fear knotted my stomach. Scarface! He was the monster who had fed my parents to the Rui trees. I scrambled out of the ditch and darted into a thicket of trees.

"I know where you are, Zadie." Scarface's voice was an eerie, guttural hiss.

My hands and feet were so numb from the cold I could barely feel them, but if I stopped Scarface would capture me. I kept moving.

"I love the way young females scream when I take them."

Huge bolts of lightning flashed across the sky, giving me strobe-like glimpses of Scarface's twisted body as he stalked me. I grabbed onto a tree branch as my knees buckled. The cold had sapped my strength.

"Your father begged for mercy like the coward he was." Scarface's harsh laugh sent a shiver down my spine. "I made him watch while I hurt your pretty mother."

Tears ran down my cheeks. Now I knew why Uncle Ax was so angry when he caught me watching the vid.

"I enjoyed your mother's cries of pain as I cut her over and over again. She thought she could save you, but she was wrong."

A murderous rage swept over me, and adrenaline poured through my frozen body. He would never hurt anyone ever again.

"I see you hiding like a frightened Petka. Soon you will know my touch."

Pulling the branch back as far as it could go, I waited until Scarface stepped through the trees and released the limb. It caught him square in the face. With a funny grunt, he staggered backward and toppled to the ground.

I scooped up his laser pistol and shot him. Thousands of fireflies danced in the darkness. A hysterical laugh broke from me. Scarface was dead. Dead. Dead. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground. I had killed him, but I felt nothing but relief. Was I a monster too?

"Quick! Get the girl! More Coletti warriors have teleported in," a gravelly voice yelled.

I leaned against the tree. Was he one of Crom's hunters or one of Uncle Enzo's warriors? Did I care? No. I raised the laser pistol and waited.

A big male with a long purple braid and pieced-together armor hurried toward me. Huh? Crom had hired a Bjarke mercenary too? His loss. "Stop or I will kill you."

The Bjarke mercenary laughed. "Easy little one. We are Bjarke! We are mighty warriors. We fear no one. Not even the Coletti. My name is Loki and we have come to rescue you."

"We?"Before I could move another Bjarke warrior snatched the pistol out of my hand.

Loki grabbed my arm.

I bit his hand.

"She has sharp little teeth."

"Do not make me hunt for you Zadie," Jedrick warned.

I flashed him Loki's image. "Help!"

"Ballock's balls!"

The other Bjarke warrior jabbed a pressure injector against my neck, and I got so sleepy I couldn't keep my eyes open.

"I will find you, Zadie. Never doubt it,"Jedrick promised.

Someone picked me up. "Don't let them take me back to Gliese. Please."

"I won't," Jedrick promised.

Everything faded away.