Taylor turned to Jordan. Tears poured down her pale cheeks and she began to shake. She shook her head at Jordan. She couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“No, Jordan. It’s the truth. We would do it again and again and again until we brought them home,” Taylor cried. She turned back to look at Jag. “I was eleven years old when your people came to my world. I was in middle school. All I could think about was doing gymnastics and how I was going to get out of doing my homework until you came,” she whispered. “In one day, we lost our dad, our home and everything else we knew. In one day, your people took everything I knew away.”
“Taylor, baby, don’t,” Jordan begged.
“Don’t what? Tell them what it is like to go days without food? What it is like to not be able to sleep because you are afraid someone is going to sneak up out of the dark and kill you, or worse? Do you think I didn’t know what you and Jesse did? How you would take turns giving me your food or go without so I could sleep or at least not be afraid to? Don’t tell them about what those men did to you?”
“Taylor!” Jordan hissed in pain. “Stop.”
Taylor’s face crumpled and she impatiently wiped at it. “We promised them, Jordan. We promised them that we wouldn’t leave them behind. We promised them that we could come after them. They are our family, Jordan, and I’m tired of losing my family. I’m tired of them promising to come home and they never do,” Taylor sobbed. “I’m tired of being scared. I want Hunter and Dagger and... and Saber to come home and I want to feel safe again.”
Jag nodded to one of the warriors to unlock Jordan’s hands so she could go to her younger sister who was silently sobbing. He watched as Jordan pulled the younger girl into her arms and rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe her with soft words of encouragement. Seeing them together, he realized just how young both of them were and how much pain was etched into their eyes. It had never concerned him before the effect of their going to new worlds. They went because it was what was ordered. Now, he questioned the orders.
Was there a better way? He wondered.
“Take them to their quarters and make sure they stay there,” he ordered the two men standing back near the door. “Find their sister,” he added, glancing at Jordan who was watching him. “Get Thunder and his team on finding Hunter, Dagger and Saber. I want them brought back.”
“Thank you,” Jordan said softly.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Jag said roughly. “While we know the general region where they were last reported, it is still a lot of ground to cover.”
Jordan nodded. There was nothing else to say. The commander had already turned his back on them in dismissal. She wound her arm around a now quiet Taylor and followed their guards out. She could only hope that Jesse was safe and having better luck.
Chapter 15
Jesse crawled over another section of fallen stone. She paused to listen before she glanced upward. She might be able to see a little more from up high.
She had been following several strange creatures for the past hour. This was the third day she had been on the planet. The first day had been terrifying. She had to hide numerous times as both Trivator warriors and the strange red-skinned creatures that made up this world danced around each other.
She discovered that most of the residents of the city were thankful for the Trivator’s intervention. The little she had overheard and understood, thanks to the translator that was implanted in her ear, gave her a clearer picture of what was going on.
A group of miners not from this planet had come to work in one of the mines. It would appear they found a cache of valuable gems and decided they wanted to take control of it. When the local residents resisted, they hired a group of mercenaries to come in and take over the local government. They discovered word had already been sent to the council of the Alliance asking for assistance so they had set up a trap to kill whoever came to help the local inhabitants.
Jesse had a lucky break when she had caught a glimpse of two creatures that she suspected were part of the mercenary group. They had hidden across from her when one of the Trivator battle transports flew over. She was about to climb out of her hiding place when a sixth sense told her to wait a few extra seconds. They had darted out of the alley across from her and run by her without ever seeing her.
Jesse reached up and began climbing the uneven wall to the top of one of the low buildings that made up the city. She pulled herself up and over the wall, rolling onto her knees. She was about to stand when a shiver of warning swept over her. Not thinking, she rolled onto her side and aimed the pistol she had found in the backpack Taylor had shoved into her hands at the dark figure standing over her.