“No, tell me,” Rico said.
“I’m looking for a change of scenery. You handsome men hiring? I’m pretty good at what I do. Even better, I can help you get back at that damned Ileth. Teach him to f**k around on me.”
“Now that’s an interesting suggestion.” Rico leered at her, studying her tight pants and even tighter sweater. Renna arched her back slightly to show off her…assets
“A very interesting suggestion.” Rico chewed his lip, making his mustache move on his upper lip like it was alive. “I bet the boss would be happy to have someone with your…skills on our team.”
“Oh, handsome, you don’t even know how skilled I am,” she purred, moving close enough that the rancid sweat staining his clothes made her nostrils burn.
He wrapped a meaty arm around her waist and pulled her toward the door. “Let’s go find out.”
The other man interrupted, holding up a hand to stop him. “Quit thinking with your dick, Rico. What do I do with this one?” He jerked the gun at Jayla.
“Bring her with us and throw her in the cell. The boss can sort it all out later.”
“I’m not sorting out anything. Kill them both.”
Renna froze.
Major Larson stood in the doorway, a smirk twisting his angular features.
THIRTEEN
Fear clawed its way up Renna’s spine as she stared into Larson’s icy eyes. Now that she was standing here, facing him, the reality slammed into her like a Trezian’s fist.
Larson really was a traitor to MYTH.
“Nice to see you again, thief,” he said. “I’d hoped you’d be joining us. I didn’t count on the added bonus of Commander Jayla, however.”
Jayla glared at the man. “You’ll pay for this, Larson.”
Renna stepped forward, hands held in front of her. “Let Jayla go. She has nothing to do with this. I’m the one you want.” Her skin crawled as the two guards’ guns tracked her, ready to fire at any sudden movement.
“You don’t know what I want,” Larson said. “But luckily, you’re exactly right. Pallas will be pleased.”
“Why are you doing this? Why betray MYTH?” Renna asked. Across the room, Jayla’s whole body went rigid as she waited for his answer. Right. His betrayal was especially personal to the commander who’d spent years at MYTH.
Larson shrugged, drawing Renna’s attention back to his tall frame. “MYTH abandoned me when I needed them most, but Pallas offered me an opportunity to become powerful. To make a difference. MYTH has lost its way, but we’re helping it get back to what’s right. And this cybernetic army will make us unstoppable. We’ll be able to protect our people.”
“You sound like a crazy fanatic,” Renna scoffed. “No matter how idealistic you try to spin it, the truth is you want to take over the galaxy with your hybrid army. You want to destroy rather than protect.” She shook her head. “You’re nothing but a thug, and I’ve met plenty of those in my line of work. They all die badly.”
“It doesn’t matter what you think. I believe in Pallas’s vision, and I’ll do what I need to to make sure it comes true. And if I get to have a little fun torturing our enemies in the process…” Larson smirked. “Then so be it.”
“Then take me to him,” Renna demanded. “I want to face him myself.”
“Oh, you will. Trust me. But I plan on having some fun with you first.” Larson nodded at one of his guards. “Take her guns.”
This was not how she’d planned for it to go, but it looked like there was only one way to get to Dr. Samil and the kidnapped scientists now. Through Larson and his men.
She was going to enjoy this.
Renna met Jayla’s gaze across the room and nodded slightly.
One of the guards approached, and Renna held out her blaster. With her other hand, she slowly pulled a knife from beneath her jacket. As he took the gun, she slammed it into his midsection. His eyes widened as the blade slid between his ribs without resistance.
Renna used the momentum to grab his arm, spinning him to use as a full body shield.
He screamed in pain, and the other men reacted instantly, opening fire. The impact of the bullets hitting the man’s body made him shake against her.
Major Larson screamed at his men. “Don’t kill her! Pallas needs her alive.”
The guards jerked the guns out of aim. The bullets went wide, spraying against the metal bunker walls in a staccato screech.
Across the room, Jayla slipped out of her cuffs. With a sweep of her leg, she took down the man closest to her, stomping on his neck when he hit the floor. It crunched loudly and he went still.
But she couldn’t worry about the commander; Renna had her own men to worry about. She snatched her gun back from the dead merc and fired off half a dozen shots. One of the other guards dropped to the ground amidst the ricocheting bullets.
Two down, two to go.
A sudden pounding in her head made her vision go blurry. Gods, not now! She blinked away the fog and yanked her knife from the dead man’s chest.
Larson raised his blaster, set to stun, and she sent the knife flying across the room.
It missed, thudding into the wooden door beside his head. His finger tightened against the trigger, and Renna jumped out of the way as he fired. Her shoulder cracked as she tumbled toward the door to the warehouse, and her breath whooshed out in a rush of pain.
Fuck.
Renna’s right arm throbbed and burned as she scrambled to her feet. Across the room, Jayla struggled with the final guard, but the commander would have to fend for herself. Larson’s murderous expression sent shivers down Renna’s spine as he stalked toward her. She was going to need all her skills to take him down.
Renna darted deeper into the warehouse toward the only furniture in the space—a heavy, metal desk. She slid behind it just as Larson marched through the door and quickly scanned the space. Light filtered in from windows high on the wall, driving away some of the gloom. Boxes were stacked in the far corner, but otherwise, the space was empty. Where the hell was the med team?
“You can’t hide from me,” Major Larson called. “There’s nowhere to run.”
“I don’t need to. You couldn’t hit the side of a transport ship with that thing.” Her bravado sounded false even to her, and she grimaced. Her arm throbbed in time with her head and she wanted to curl into a ball, but right now, that wasn’t going to happen.
Shifting her weight, Renna clutched the gun even tighter. She straightened from her crouch, pointing it at Larson. “Drop the weapon.”