“Jesse?” He muttered in a hoarse voice filled with horror.
Dark brown eyes turned to look at him as she sliced through the rope. A soft smile curled her lips. The dark hood fell forward when she bowed her head to walk around the other side of him as if she was checking to make sure that strap was secure as well.
“Act like you are still tied until I get Dagger undone,” she said quietly. “When you get loose, head to the left. There is a cart that you can use to get over the compound wall.”
“What of the guard?” Dagger asked, following Jesse’s figure as she knelt and acted as if she was adjusting her boot. The knife she held sliced through the thick rope as if it was butter. “There are at least three of them on the roof.”
“Not anymore. Saber took the one out on that side. That is him standing guard,” she replied as she stood up and sliced through the rope holding his right arm.
“Saber?!” Dagger hissed. “He lives.”
“Yes,” Jesse said, turning as another guard walked toward her. “Be quiet.”
“Shaj nu!” Who are you? The man called out.
Jesse shrugged and lifted a glove covered hand up. She turned and started walking toward the wall where Saber stood watch. She ignored the man as he called out again.
“Shaj nu!” The man demanded again.
Jesse gasped when the man reached out and grabbed her arm forcing her to turn around. The man reached up and yanked down the hood of the cloak she was wearing. A loud curse burst from his lips and he turned to yell out an alarm.
Jesse didn’t know what to do. She hadn’t understood what he was saying as it didn’t translate in the translator in her ear. She reacted without thinking. She threw her arm out, her hand flat and karate chopped him in the throat as hard as she could. The male’s choked gasp showed she had caught him off guard.
She had not expected him to backhand her. The blow lifted her off her feet and sent her flying several feet before she hit the hard ground. Her ears rung from the blow and she lay still as her vision blurred.
She almost cried out when hard hands gripped her forearms and lifted her off her feet. The sound of bones cracking behind her barely registered before all hell broke loose. Shouts from the other guards stationed across from them echoed a warning to those sleeping inside.
Saber opened fire with the laser rifle he had taken from the other guard. Jesse found herself wrapped in warm arms that swept her feet up off the ground. She heard Hunter grunt out to Dagger to go up first. She did scream when she felt herself going airborne as Hunter tossed her up to Dagger as if she was a toy doll instead of a hundred and ten pound human.
“I’ve got you,” Dagger said, turning with her.
Jesse’s eyes flew over Dagger’s shoulder trying to keep Hunter in her vision. She breathed a sigh of relief before crying out for him to duck as a figure behind him fired. She struggled to be set down but Dagger’s arms tightened around her.
“Not yet, little warrior,” Dagger said with an amused chuckle. “Your Amate would have my head if I didn’t get you to safety first.”
Additional fighting broke out on the ground and Jesse saw a large group of Trivator warriors pouring into the compound. Her head fell back to watch as several battle transports flew over the building. The sky brightened as the sun broke over the horizon illuminating the battle, or what was left of it, below.
Jesse felt her body being transferred again and pressed protectively against Hunter’s solid form. She relaxed back into him as relief washed over her. He was safe. Her Amate was safe. She closed her eyes as the sounds of fighting ceased and more battle transports arrived.
“Hunter,” Jesse murmured.
“What, my Jesse?” Hunter asked, running his hand over her hair as he watched Thunder’s men round up the last of the mercenaries.
“I love you,” she whispered, burying her nose against his neck. “I’m glad you didn’t leave me too.”
Warmth spread through him at her words. The tightness in his chest appeared again. This time in a different way than it had when he first realized that it was her and not the guard. The tightness and the burning in the back of his eyes were beginning to irritate the hell out of him. He needed to speak with Carp about it.
“We are going to talk about this when I have you safely back on the Star Raider,” he said gruffly.
Jesse sighed heavily again. “About that,” she murmured. “I think I might be in a little bit of trouble.”
A chuckle from Saber drew Hunter’s attention. “She might be in a bit more than a little,” Saber laughed. “She knocked Jag’s ass out just like she did you when he threatened to lock her in a detention cell.”
Dagger’s bark of laughter mixed with Hunter’s groan.
Chapter 17