Page 92 of Dark Gambit Reliance

As the team spread out in a semicircle, Yamanu stretched out an arm and motioned for Toven to get behind him, but Toven ignored the command and stood beside the Head Guardian.

It didn't take long for the defenders to show up.

No more than ten seconds passed before a group of fierce-looking warriors galloped toward them at breakneck speed. Surprisingly, not all were armed with swords as they had expected. He could clearly see Kalashnikovs in the hands of several warriors. From a distance, he couldn't tell whether they were male or female, not because of the protective goggles he wore that made everything seem even darker, but because there wasn't much difference. They were all tall, slim, and had long dark hair. As they got closer and their faces became clearer, he identified at least two females among them.

"Grenade launchers at the ready," Yamanu commanded.

Bhathian's command echoed in Toven's ears.

"Fire," Yamanu barked.

Twenty grenade launchers discharged at once.

William's modified stun grenades exploded in a blinding light and deafening boom that would have damaged human eyes and ears permanently, but on the Kra-ell the effect would last only a few seconds.

The distance, along with the exoskeleton suits, the goggles, and the specialty earpieces that were fitted with active noise-cancelling circuitry, protected the teams, but even with all that, Toven felt the impact of those grenades as if he had been punched in the gut and hit over the head.

As one, the advancing Kra-ell stopped as if hit by a wall. Disoriented and off balance, they became perfect stationary targets.

"Fire at will," Yamanu commanded.

64

JADE

As soon as the twin explosions erupted, Pavel burst into Valstar's quarters with a bunch of chains looped over one arm and two swords strapped over his hips, one on each side.

"You did it." He grinned at Jade before baring his fangs at Valstar. "The bastard sentenced me to a whipping because I didn't respond with ayes, sir,fast enough." He kicked the male in the gut. "He considered it disrespectful."

The bastard was still too weak from blood loss to react.

Was it an act? Or did Pavel really hate Valstar that vehemently?

Hopefully, it was the latter. Jade had no choice but to leave the boy in charge of guarding Igor's second, and she wasn't too happy about trusting Tom's compulsion to make Pavel obey her commands to the letter.

Taking the chains from him, she bound Valstar, locked the chains, and put the key in her pocket. "Watch him." She looked around the room for something to use as a gag. "Don't move. Don't even go to the bathroom. If Valstar somehow gets free, he will detonate the explosives and kill all of us." She pulled Valstar's underwear from his discarded pants and stuffed them into his mouth. "I need something to tape it with."

She walked into his office and started opening drawers. Finding a roll of masking tape, she returned to the bedroom, tore off a large piece, and wrapped it around Valstar's head twice.

"Don't remove the gag even if he starts choking on it. I don't know how strong of a compeller he is."

"Don't worry." Pavel handed her one of the swords and a dagger with its sheath that he'd hidden inside his shirt. "What happened here?" He pointed at the glass.

"I don't have time to stand here and chat." She strapped the sword onto her hip, and the knife went inside her waistband. "I have some killing to do."

"Don't kill my father," Pavel surprised her by saying. "He's not a bad guy."

She wasn't sure about that. He was one of Igor's inner circle cronies, but he hadn't been one of the murderers of her tribe, so she had no beef with him.

"I won't. He did nothing to my people. But once the other females are free of Igor's compulsion, it's out of my hands. He might have killed their families."

Pavel nodded, dragged a chair closer to where Valstar was on the floor but had the presence of mind to keep out of reach of the unconscious male, and sat down.

She cast one last glance at the murderer lying on the floor and walked out.

Not killing him had been one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do.

No one deserved to die by her hand more than Valstar, but they needed him alive to catch Igor, and that was more important than her impatience to exact vengeance. Catching Igor was crucial.