El Cazador was positioned slightly to the rear and side where Tannis had a good view of what was going on. Their job was to destroy the weapons ship.
They’d had a meeting of the captains earlier that day on board El Cazador. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that Devlin had been right: the Rebels were definitely in need of some “good” people. She guessed it wasn’t Devlin’s fault. You could only do so much with training if the raw material was crap. And the ships were a mixture of old and ancient, no match for the sleek, new Mark One cruisers of the Church.
Still, this was hardly a plan that required brains to see it through. They were going for a straight-up attack. Just blast them all out of space. How difficult could it be?
Obviously, too difficult.
“They’re good,” Rico murmured, and she knew he wasn’t referring to the Rebels. The Church was managing to fend off the attack. Not only that, but they had arrayed themselves in front of the weapons ship and were effectively deflecting any shot El Cazador sent toward her.
And now, as if things couldn’t get worse, it looked like they were using the shield of the other ships to just continue on their way.
“Shit, Rico, they’re getting away.”
“Do I look like I’m blind?”
“Well, do something.”
He turned and snarled at her with a flash of fangs. “Shut up, sit down, and strap yourself in. That goes for everyone else as well.”
Tannis opened her mouth. Rico snarled again, and she clamped her lips together and did as she was told. There were some occasions when it just didn’t do to cross the vampire.
Callum took the seat next to her, and she watched him struggle to fasten the harness—those wings made things awkward. He glanced up, caught her gaze, and grinned.
He looked far more relaxed than he had when he’d first come on board over a week ago. Which was odd as right now things were going to shit. She could see the weapons ship getting smaller on the monitor as they stood around doing nothing.
“Janey,” Rico said. “Get Devlin on the comm.”
“Okay.”
“This isn’t working,” Rico said.
“No shit,” Devlin replied.
“I want to change tactics.”
“What do you need?”
“We need to turn this around literally. I want your lot to concentrate everything on the central ship. Bring her down, ignore the others for now.”
“And what then?”
“I want you to create an opening we can get through. We’re going after the weapon. Once we’re through, you follow us, turn around, and make sure they don’t come after us.”
There was a minute’s silence. No doubt while Devlin considered the plan. But the plan was a good one. Well, actually the only one.
Callum leaned across while they waited. “Did you sleep well?”
She had actually, like a baby. “Okay.”
“I didn’t. I tossed and turned and told myself I was all kinds of stupid that I hadn’t taken you up on your offer. I had a hard-on all night. Couldn’t shift it.”
Her gaze shot to his groin, and he chuckled. “Don’t worry I got myself under control eventually. At least I did until I saw you all strapped up in that harness. When this is over, you, me, and that harness are going to get together.”
She shifted in the seat and warmth stole through her body. He must have caught the movement, and he grinned. “You like that idea? Get you all naked first, then strap you down…”
Holy moly, she was melting, and he wasn’t even touching her.
“Tannis!”
She jumped as Rico snapped out her name, and she turned guiltily to face him.
His eyes narrowed. “If you could put off the foreplay until later—we’re going in five.”
Jesus, she hadn’t even heard Devlin reply to them. “I’m ready.”
“Yeah, I bet you are, but ready for what?” He turned back to the controls. “Okay, we’re off.”
Rico had switched on the main screen, showing Devlin’s forces. They were grouping together, tightening up, turning so they all focused the central ship. Then as one, their blasters flared. Skylar punched El Cazador’s guns at the same time and the ship exploded with flashes of light. But the Church’s ship maintained position, and Rico swore.
“And again,” he said.
This time when the shots hit the ship, she rolled. The blasts kept coming now, hitting her vulnerable underside, and she lost control and spun. She hit the ship next to her, and together they tumbled through space.
“We’re off,” Rico said. “Hold on.”
He punched the main thrusters, and El Cazador shot forward, heading for the gap between the ships. Skylar kept hitting the guns so a steady stream of blasts shot out. Tannis closed her eyes as the speed built up until she was pressed into her seat by the force.
A blaster from one of the ships caught them in the side and they rolled. For a minute, the lights went out, and Tannis hung upside down from the harness. Then they flickered back, and the ship righted herself. She blinked and then stared at the monitors. There was nothing to be seen but space. They were through.