Terrik (Moon Hunter's Inc. Book 3) Read online

  Continuing to the cell, she stepped inside. “What do we have here, a surprise party?” She asked.

  “Yes, and it’s for you, Bitch,” Ralph replied.

  “Aw, how sweet.”

  “Are you crazy? Even you can’t take on four of us,” Ralph taunted.

  “I don’t need to,” she said while pulling the gun out and shooting three of them. It wouldn’t keep them down indefinitely, so she got to work on Ralph. Rushing him, she popped him in the nose and the satisfying crunch of bone greeted her.

  Her kick to his knee broke it and he almost fell. Lori knew animals like this, she needed to take him out or he’d just keep coming. One of the other guys was showing signs of getting up, so she did a sidekick hitting his head. He dropped like a bag of rocks.

  Meanwhile, Ralph was hopping one-legged trying to get close enough to her to grab her. Not happening. A graceful kick to the chin knocked him down, but he didn’t go out. His head must be hard as concrete. A punch to his neck had him gasping. So far, he’d not gotten in one hit. The bastard was strong, that was true, but he was slow as molasses, the thick dark syrup from Earth.

  She continued to pummel his chest, neck, and face; but even though he looked like he’d been in a shuttle wreck, he just kept coming. Finally, she got in a kick so hard his head slammed into the bars of the cell. He blinked twice, then slid down to the floor.

  The guy she’d kicked lay motionless in a pile, while the other two started to move. “Do you want to fight? I’ve got more for you.”

  “No,” they said in unison as they moaned.

  She turned and ran right into Ward. “What the hell is going on in here?”

  “Just a little party,” she said, as she moved and went around him. Let an asshole deal with the assholes, she was done with it for the day.

  Chapter 8

  Found

  The next day, they checked through their information again. The lab was hidden in plain sight, sort of. “It’s under the old building we looked at and dismissed. That’s kind of ingenious,” Cyn commented.

  “How’d we find it?” Terrik wondered.

  “We came back for a deeper look at potential places we’d ruled out. It’s automatic, still, we almost missed it again, but we caught some guy slipping in from a trip to the surface.”

  “Aren’t they coming in and out from the location all the time?” Brutus asked.

  “Yes, but I think they have a shield, but this guy got lazy and didn’t bother with it. It’s our good luck and their too bad luck.”

  “No luck involved, they hire lazy worthless schmucks,” Alex observed.

  “Time to call in the back up,” Terrik advised.

  “Already have. They should be here in less than two days. Some will be here in one,” Cyn offered.

  “What do we do now?” Terrik wondered.

  “Sit and wait,” Cyn said.

  “Shit! I’m no good at that,” Terrik noted.

  “Yeah, we’re all aware of that,” Brutus observed dryly.

  “What do they have here for entertainment?” Cyn asked.

  “They have a played out mine, a mysterious alien archeological site, and a sports complex with five different games,” Terrik explained.

  “Name your poison,” Alex offered.

  “None of them sound very exciting,” Terrik observed.

  “Sometimes things are what you make them,” Brutus declared.

  “Our own philosopher,” Terrik noted sarcastically. Brutus just shrugged.

  “Okay, I’ll decide. Let’s try the mine first. You get to keep whatever you find and if we get there early, we can pick our own spots,” Cyn said.

  “What kind of mine?” Alex asked.

  “It had multiple veins of diamonds, emerald, and Sunnite,” Cyn read from the page she was looking act.

  “What is suunite?” Alex asked.

  “It’s a yellow stone with flecks of darker gold inside, rarer than diamonds and more valuable,” Cyn read.

  “Maybe I can find my Sweetheart a rock to make into a ring,” Alex said as he leaned down to kiss his wife.

  “Gag me already. Stop the romantic shit. I can hardly stand it,” Terrik taunted.

  It was true, too. He’d had a heated dream where he’d had incredible sex with the woman from Alpha station. He’d passed out from sheer pleasure and when he’d woke alone, he’d been disappointed that it hadn’t been real. Her scent was still in his nose, he could remember the feel of her silky skin, and the taste of her sweet lips.

  Afraid he was going crazy, he’d forced himself to take a shower and dress. When he’d made the bed and picked up his room, he’d found a sexy pair of underwear. They looked just like the ones he’d dreamed were on her. His brain was either fried or she’d snuck into his room and fucked him. That had to be the craziest thing ever. Why would a woman do that unless she was being driven crazy by thoughts of him? Could they both be suffering from the same odd illness?

  “Hey, where did you go?” Cyn asked.

  “Nowhere. When do you want to go?”

  “No time like now,” Cyn said. “Let’s get dressed for mining.”

  He headed to his room putting on his tough boots, jeans, a t-shirt, a flannel shirt in case it was cool in the mine, and he packed a backpack with things he might need. Terrik wasn’t a Boy Scout, but he liked the saying about always being prepared. Being prepared had saved his life more than once.

  Heading back to the living room, he waited a couple minutes before the others joined him. They were all dressed similarly and ready to go. “I made arrangements so we have a shuttle waiting,” Cyn announced.

  “They sure let a lot of people on the moon,” Brutus observed.

  “This is on the opposite side in the mountains. No danger of them being discovered that far away,” Alex pointed out.

  “Come on. Let’s get moving. I want to find a jewel for my future wife,” Terrik said,

  “Ready to settle down, Dude? Is it in the water?” Brutus asked, glancing at Cyn.

  “No, and Justice and Cyn were drinking different water when they met their mates. They weren’t even on the same planets,” Terrik denied.

  “Maybe the water has long lasting effects,” Brutus offered, pushing his theory.

  “Whatever, let’s get out of here,” Terrik suggested, as he followed Cyn out the door. Alex went last securing the door carefully.

  “What?” Alex asked, as Terrik stood next to him watching him.

  “Can you do that when we are inside?” He asked.

  “You think someone has come in while we slept?” Alex asked. Terrik nodded. “If you want.”

  Terrik strode after Cyn. Did he want his female caught? He was no longer sure of anything. They got to the shuttle bay and the pilot stood next to the shuttle waiting. Once he saw them, he opened the door and ushered them on. Sitting down, they all strapped in and he took off.

  It took a little longer to reach this site than it had the other. Breakfast was served on the flight and it was Earth food. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits and gravy suited him just fine. It was filling and would get him through a day of hard work.

  After eating, they were each issued a bag of equipment and a hard hat. Cyn spoke to the tour guide that would stick with them. She wore tough clothing and work boots. “I hope we’re dressed properly for this.”

  “Better than most. I’ve had women in ball gowns and men in suits,” she admitted.

  The shuttle landed near a cave like opening that was clearly the mine. They trooped in behind the guide as the shuttle took off. “This is one of several entries. You will have better luck if you go further in.”

  Terrik was sure that was good advice and he moved down the path. The old mine smelled dusty along the path and damp along the walls meaning there was a water source somewhere. Brutus headed a different way when the path split and so did Cyn and Alex when it split again. The mine was huge and the path looked endless.

  He figured he was a mile or more into the
mountain when he stopped and pulled a short pick ax out of his bag of tools and began to pick away at the walls in a spot where they were narrow. He worked for two hours before he struck something that wasn’t dirt. It was a vein of Sunnite. It looked like this mine wasn’t as played out as the owner thought. He got out another device that resembled a screwdriver and began to pry large stones out of the wall. When he had fifty pounds worth, he pulled out a bag they had supplied and filled it with stones.

  Terrik picked out a small one and an even smaller one to tip the guide and the driver with. He would not mention his large find. The bag minus the tools themselves were for the customers to keep and had the name of the station and the mine written on them. Brutus lumbered out of his trail as Terrik walked by.

  “Any luck?” He asked.

  “Found some small jewels,” Terrik replied.

  “Me too,” Brutus admitted.

  They sat and talked for a while before Cyn and Alex met up with them. “Any luck?” Alex asked.

  “A few small stones,” He and Brutus replied together and then they looked at each other and laughed.

  “What about you two?” Terrik wondered.

  “About the same. We’re worn out and ready to go.”

  Terrik saw a bell that said ring for guide. He pushed it. She joined them about ten minutes later carrying a bag of her own and looking as if she’d been digging, too. Their guide seemed to know the mine held on to a share of its riches.

  “Are you all ready to return?” The guide asked.

  “Yes, do you need to call for the shuttle?” Cyn asked.

  “I assumed you were ready to go back. You lasted longer than most do. The shuttle is on its way,” she replied.

  “I’ll be glad to wash up,” Cyn admitted, as she looked at her dusty arms.

  The shuttled landed about half an hour later. They all seemed happy enough and Terrik wondered if they’d found anything like he had. Maybe, he’d get enough out of his stash to buy a home. Once they landed, he gave the pilot the smallest stone and the guide the slightly larger one. It seemed to make them both happy. Terrik had no idea what Sunnite was worth. He’d worry about it later.

  They all headed to their suite but as they walked through a shadowy deserted section of the hall, a group of bruisers stood in front of them. Terrik counted one for each of them and an extra to keep it interesting. Everyone just stood there, except Cyn. She’d always reminded Terrik of a rabid Poodle when she fought.

  The female was quick and good, but she went for the throat, even though most of her opponents were so much larger than she was. This was no exception, and the woman went for the largest guy in the group. All of them, except, of course, the male she attacked, just stood watching the small woman go after the giant. First, she kicked up with one foot crashing it into his throat. Looking stunned, he gasped for breath, showing it had indeed hurt him.

  Next, she kneed him and Terrik wasn’t sure if she hit him in the belly or the nuts, either way, he doubled over and her knee smashed into his face twice in quick succession. He fell to the floor bleeding and moaning.

  “She’s as bad as Lori,” one of our adversaries whispered. Looking closer, I saw these guys had injuries and bruises that were just beginning to heal. Why were they here fighting them when they were already in bad shape?

  “I think she’s worse,” another said.

  “What do we do now?” A smaller guy asked.

  “Leave boys, and take your buddy with you before I pick my next victim,” Cyn promised.

  Damn, it was hot to see her terrorize a group of big guys like that, even if they didn’t seem to be the sharpest knives in the drawer. It was like David and Goliath. The big guy had never stood a chance. Alex looked stunned. He must not have had a chance to see her fight yet.

  The group seemed to think about her invitation for a second before two of them grabbed their buddy’s arm and started dragging him away. They had made a wise choice because Terrik and his friends would have decimated them. It might not be wise to let them get away, but after hours of mining, they were just exhausted and wanted to get clean, eat, and rest. In that order and right away.

  “I can’t believe what I just saw,” Alex said, as he pulled his wife in for a big kiss.

  “I’d say get a room, but you already have one,” Terrik taunted.

  “This is going to be a problem. We may need to move faster,” Cyn pointed out.

  Yeah, everyone knew she meant if they were suspicious enough of us to send guys to beat us up, they might start moving people to other labs. Once they got to the room, they could see when the first reinforcements would hit. Terrik was sure they would be going in early.

  They moved down the hall more cautiously, but no more surprises were waiting. The room was in sight and they were all glad to be back. Now, it was a matter of getting to the shower before Brutus did. No easy matter, but he managed somehow.

  When he got out of the shower, Cyn was on the couch clean and waiting. “I ordered room service,” she said. That was fine with him since he didn’t feel like going anywhere.

  Chapter 9

  Raided

  “You did what?” Lori yelled. What a damn fool! How had these people managed to run these labs for generations before they’d been caught? The older employees must have had some brains, these sure didn’t.

  “You’re only mad because I’m chasing off your boyfriend,” Ward taunted.

  “I think you’ll see those five bozos couldn’t chase off school girls,” Lori insulted.

  “They’re due back any time. We’ll see who is right,” Ward observed.

  “Did you ever consider these people are rich and influential? You have heard of Alex from Alpha station, right?”

  “Yeah. That’s who he is?” Ward asked.

  “You didn’t even check them out first?”

  “Don’t talk down to me. You weren’t doing anything.”

  A sound echoed down the hallway. One of the goon squad peeked around the corner. “What’s she doing here, Boss?” Ralph asked.

  “She’s head of security. Did you take care of our little problem?” Ward asked.

  “Not exactly,” Ralph muttered. “Can we talk alone?”

  What the hell does not exactly mean? Spit it out right now,” Ward demanded.

  “They could fight real good. They dropped Gus like he weren’t nothing,” Ralph explained.

  “You don’t look like you have any recent injuries,” Ward observed.

  “Once Gus was down, they let us take him to the medics. They would have killed us all if we’d stayed,” Ralph whined.

  “Did they indicate they knew anything? Why were they on the moon?” Ward inquired.

  “I talked to the guide. She said they were all excited about mining and they even found some rocks. They tipped her and the pilot with Sunnite gems from the mine,” Ralph explained. “Can me and the boys go to the mine and look around?”

  “Fucking no and double no. Are you that stupid, Ralph? You have just disappointed me a great deal and now you want permission to play in the mines?” Ward yelled.

  Ralph hung his head and looked for all the world like a puppy that had been kicked. If she didn’t know what a sadistic asshole he was, she would feel sorry for him.

  “Sorry, Boss. We’ll do better next time,” Ralph mumbled.

  “Just get out of my sight,” Ward growled. Ralph almost tripped getting out of the office. “Don’t you say a thing.”

  “This shit is so messed up, I’m speechless,” Lori admitted.

  “We need to keep an eye on them to see if they report this to anyone,” Ward decided.

  “I’ll be checking for that, but it’s unlikely. Had they been inclined to take your boys seriously, they would have restrained them,” Lori figured.

  “You have a point,” Ward said sighing heavily. “I have to do the best I can with what I’m given to work with. We all do,” He said staring at her pointedly.

  “We certainly do,” Lori agreed as
she moved out of the office. She was one day closer to moving on.

  As she hurried down the hallway, the back of her neck itched, making her feel like something bad was on the horizon. She wasn’t superstitious, it was probably just her mind’s way of warning her that recent events would have repercussions and to expect those sooner, rather than later. It might be that she had already waited too long to find an excuse to leave and she blamed that on a dark haired, whiskey-eyed, devilishly handsome man she couldn’t get out of her mind.

  Now, she was about to throw away years of hard work for a man that probably barely knew she existed. Heading toward the shuttle, she heard alarming noises. There was yelling and banging, but even though the alarm hadn’t rung, it sounded like a raid. Lori changed direction heading to her escape hatch.

  This felt so much like last time and just as she lined herself up where she was ready to leave, he came around the corner. They were both trapped in the moment which was frozen in time. Neither of them moved for precious seconds with their eyes locked on each other.

  Terrik took a half step toward her, a second step, and then he seemed to break out of the daze he’d ben in. She broke free too, and pushed the button that made her disappear. Now, she was below the labs and she ran toward her two-man ship. This time she would be in it alone, since there was no one here she planned to save.

  Lori hurried toward her ship, her mind on escape. She should have paid closer attention to her surroundings.

  “You know, I listened when Terrik told me how you disappeared. I knew you had an escape plan. That’s why I checked out the blueprints and scanned the lab and the area beneath it,” Cyn said, as she stood in Lori’s way. Just one small woman between her and what she needed to do. “Don’t even think about it.” Cyn held up her stun gun.

  It wouldn’t put her out, over the years she had developed some immunity to it, but it would hurt like the devil. If Cyn was fast, two hits would mess her up even more. Why hadn’t she carried her gun? Then, they would negotiate and she would be free right now, instead of unsure what to do next.