“Hauk, get him out of here and patched up,” Darling breathed.
Hauk hesitated before he complied. “What are you going to do?” he asked Caillen.
“Track them.”
“I would laugh at your arrogance, but aside from your sister, you’re the one person I know who could pluck the right particle out of dark energy.” And given the fact that dark energy made up 70 percent of the universe, that was saying something. “Good luck, Cai.”
“You too.”
Darling wouldn’t let Hauk help him so long as there were Enforcers around, but his slow methodical movements confirmed the fact that he was in some serious pain. Caillen admired him for carrying on in spite of it all.
“It’s total chaos still. They’re trying to sort through bodies.”
Caillen froze at a deep, gravelly voice that had haunted his nightmares. A chill went over him as he scanned the people around him, trying to locate its source.
That bastard was here somewhere.
“I will see it done and call you back as soon as I can.”
His gaze narrowed on a thin, balding man a few feet to his right. Though he was much older, the features were the same. Even now, he could see the man kicking his father over and shooting him dead.
A dark cloud of rage seized him. Before he even realized what he was doing, he’d crossed the distance in the yard and pinned the bastard to the wall by his neck.
Recognition widened the man’s eyes as he struggled to breathe while Caillen held him in place with his forearm over his throat.
“You’re only alive because I know you know where my aunt is. If you don’t give me her location right now, I’m going to yield to the need I have to carve you into pieces.”
There was no missing the fear in his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Caillen pressed even harder against his neck. “I was there, hiding, when you killed my father in a back alley.”
His face went pale. “What?”
“I saw and heard everything said between you and my aunt. And you were wrong. The garbage didn’t burn. It grew into one seriously pissed-off man who’s about to kill you.”
The man started wheezing from his pressure.
Caillen backed off only a degree. He couldn’t kill him yet. Not until he had the intel he needed. “Tell me where she is.”
“They’re waiting for me in the east bay.”
“And the Qillaq queen?”
“She’s with them as a hostage.”
“Cai?”
He looked sideways as Fain joined him. “Perfect timing.”
“For what?”
Caillen slung the man toward Fain. “Hold him. Watch him. Don’t let him make a call or a text.”
“Why?”
“Because if he’s lying to me, I’ll be back in a few minutes to kill him.”
Before Fain could speak another word, he left them to head to the hangar. It didn’t take long to reach it, mostly because he ran the entire way.
Until he reached the north bay where they’d landed. It was virtually empty. There were several large cargo ships and a dozen shuttles docked. But it was the craft with diplomatic markings that drew his interest.
All in all, a dumb choice. However, it fit his aunt’s ego nicely.
Blood surged through his body as he headed for it. But after two steps, he rethought the sanity of charging straight in there and confronting them. Don’t let your temper lead you. Because when it did, it always led to the grave.
He needed to let his battle calm take control. Yet for some reason, it had abandoned him. All he could see was his father dying. See his family struggling to survive with no parents. And why? Because of needless greed.
Let it go.
Something much easier said than done. Closing his eyes, he thought of Desideria. The moment he did, his anger dissipated. He found the peace he needed.
This time, he approached the ship from the back, through the shadows that had birthed and succored him. Even if they were scanning, they wouldn’t pick him up. The main hatch was up which would stop most people from getting on board without notifying them. But the beautiful part about being a smuggler was that he knew ships inside and out. Best of all, he knew access points where cargo could be loaded or removed even under the nose of the best-trained Enforcers.
While this was a diplomatic ship, it still had a small hatch that allowed food to be brought on board so as not to disturb the aristocratic passengers. Located in the rear, under the left wing, it was a perfect place to sneak on board.
Making sure they couldn’t see him, he quickly made his way to it and pried it open. It didn’t take long to crawl through it and into the galley. He slid into the ship, then closed the hatch. Pulling his blaster out, he went to the door and listened. The ship was so quiet that all he could hear was the beating of his heart.
But as he crept further down the corridor, he started picking up on a conversation.
“We should leave him.”
“Don’t you dare start this ship. He’ll be here in a minute.”