“Where are the others?” Torran demanded.
The telekinetic tilted her head. “What others?” she asked innocently.
“They left her behind with two flunkies and the kid,” Lexi said. “Why? And why is she stalling?”
“She’s waiting for the others to escape,” I murmured.
“Or she’s waiting for someone else to show up,” Eli said.
“Or both,” Lexi growled. She was ever the optimist, our Lexi.
The telekinetic spoke. “You have something that I want. I have something that you want. Let’s trade.”
“No,” Torran said flatly.
“Don’t be so hasty, General. I’m not asking for anything you aren’t willing to part with. Give me the humans, and I’ll return Cien to you safe and sound.”
Torran remained silent for a beat, then he shrugged. “Deal.” Telekinetic power wrapped around me, and my feet lifted from the ground.
Chapter Thirty
The comm exploded with outraged voices as my team turned on their Valovian counterparts, weapons drawn. The telekinetic holding Cien laughed in delight. “I want the hero of Rodeni alive, but you can kill the rest,” she told Torran.
My team lifted into the air, their weapons useless.
Just how strong was Torran?
“Quiet,” I demanded over the comm. “He’s not going to betray us.” I sounded confident to my own ears, but it was difficult not to harbor doubts. His power held me gently, not at all like the crushing grip of the other telekinetic. I wanted to believe that it was because he wouldn’t hurt us, but were my feelings getting in the way of reality?
No. Torran had vowed a life debt, and the care I’d felt from him wasn’t faked. He had a plan; I just wished I knew what it was. And how to help.
“Remove Cien’s vest and I will hand over the humans,” Torran said.
The other telekinetic laughed. “Give me the humans, and I will show you where the trigger is, but know that I also have a remote override. You will let me leave, and I will not use it.”
It was Torran’s turn to scoff. “And you expect me to trust you?”
“I suggest you work fast, General.”
“Kee, did you find the remote signal?” I asked.
“Yeah, but it’s hard to do anything about it while I’m dangling like a hooked fish,” she griped. “I can jam it, assuming I can reach my arm, but not for long.”
“How long is not long?”
“Thirty seconds, give or take,” she said. “Longer than that and we risk a backup timer setting it off.”
Once Torran had control of the physical trigger, we would have to get the vest off Cien, and then retreat far enough that the explosion wouldn’t kill us, while also fighting a telekinetic and two trained soldiers. We outnumbered them, but it was still a lot for thirty seconds.
Torran had continued trading barbs with the other telekinetic, but I hadn’t been paying attention to what exactly they were saying. “I’ll be the distraction,” I said over the comm. “I’m the one she wants. Trade me for Cien and figure out where the trigger is. Kee can block the signal from the remote detonator while you remove the vest.”
“Tavi, no!” my team shouted.
I ignored them. “Once Cien is safe, you can worry about me. My armor will protect me until then.” I hoped.
“I grow bored of this,” the telekinetic said. “Give me the humans now or watch the child die.”
Torran waved aside the table blocking the hallway and stepped into the room. I hovered by his side, the nimtowiadwu in front of me.
The telekinetic held up a hand. “Careful, General.”
“Show me the trigger,” Torran demanded. When it seemed like she might balk he continued, “Or do you not have an override after all?”
Cien groaned as his body was spun around.
“Tell Kee to jam the signal, then be ready,” Torran whispered in my mind. I relayed the order. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was getting ready for, but if it was anything like before, it was going to be a shitload of pain.
“Signal is jammed,” Kee said over the comm.
A control box in the middle of Cien’s back had a depressed red button. “It’s all yours,” the telekinetic said, “but you don’t know where the override is. Try anything and I’ll kill him.”
“Go,” Torran said telepathically.
A Valoff appeared in front of Cien. Based on the height and build, I guessed it was Nilo, but I had no idea how he’d gotten there without me noticing. I hit the ground as the two soldiers’ plas rifles jerked toward the ceiling.
Nilo reached up and Cien fell into his arms. They dropped backward and by the time they hit the ground, Cien’s vest was gone.
Not taken off, not removed—gone.
Nilo rolled over and covered Cien’s body with his own. I snapped out of my shock and brought my gun up. I hit the soldier on the left, but his armor protected him from the worst of the damage.
Our team swept into the room on a wave of plas pulses. The telekinetic shouted something that I couldn’t make out over the sound of shots, and her power crashed around me. She jerked me toward her until I hovered in front of her, where Cien had been before.
I felt Torran’s rage a second before his presence in my mind dimmed, replaced by a squeezing pressure filled with knives as the other telekinetic tried to smash through my resistance. I poured more energy into my mental shields, but it was like stopping a tidal wave with a toothpick.
The telekinetic spun my body around so I faced Torran and my team. With a flick, she opened my visor then wrenched my helmet off. “Move and she dies,” she said, wrapping a cool, gloved hand around my throat.
I fought to move, to do anything, but she had telelocked my armor, freezing me in place. With her power clamped around me, my body was beyond my control, and even blinking was difficult. I couldn’t see much, but Nilo and Cien had made it to safety behind Torran and the others. Both remained on the ground, so Torran must’ve dragged them closer, but I would take it.
If this was my last stand, then at least my life had saved a kid.
I focused all of my energy on moving a single finger. The telekinetic shook me like a rag doll. “Stop resisting, human, or I’ll rip you piece from piece.”
Pain stabbed into my brain as she again tried to pierce my mental shields, but I could feel the tiniest hint of Torran’s power still protecting me. No matter what happened next, I hoped he wouldn’t let me turn my weapon on my friends.
I kept trying to move my fingers. The enemy telekinetic’s power spiraled higher, and I clenched my teeth against the urge to scream. I lost precious seconds as I fought to stay awake and aware. Once I could think again, I redoubled my efforts. Torran was helping me, and if she could feel the resistance, then it meant my focus was doing something. If only I could reach my plas blade, I’d have a chance.
A very tiny, nearly impossible chance, but a chance nonetheless.