Chapter 10

Commander Jaider Katon

We had completely taken the base by surprise, and I wasted no time looking for Molly.

After finding her, I battled with a Compier trying to take her.

We exchanged blow after blow until he managed to get a swift kick on me, and suddenly I was staring down the barrel of his gun. He was grinning like he had already won the fight, but he didn’t know what I was capable of.

I pulled a long knife from my boot, and threw it at him while I rolled across the ground and out of his range. He shot but missed me by a few inches, but my knife did not, landing directly in his throat.

He started to gargle as he chocked in his own blood before falling on the floor. I stayed on the ground, unmoving, making sure he was in fact, dead. Once I was certain he wasn’t getting up again, I rolled to my feet and looked around, seeing almost all of the Compiers either defeated, or with their arms raised in surrender as our warriors held them at gunpoint.

It was finally over. We had successfully conquered their secret base.

“Molly!” I shouted, resuming my search. I wouldn’t be able to live if anything happened to her.

“Jaider! I’m here!” she shouted, and I turned to see her and Emma crouching down beside the rock wall. My eyes lit up, and I ran directly over to her, brimming with happiness at the sight of her.

“Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?” I asked, looking over her body to see if she had any wounds. She shook her head.

“I’m alright. I’m so glad you’re here,” she said softly, tears beginning to form in her large brown eyes.

“I am so sorry, Molly. I am sorry I didn’t come see you sooner,” I said, my hands aching to wipe the tears on her face. “This would not have happened if only I had listened and let go of my pride. Can you ever forgive me?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I forgive you. I’m just glad you came for me,” she said before throwing her arms around me.

I closed my eyes in relief. I thought she would hate me forever after what happened, but now, she was showing me affection I probably didn’t deserve. I wrapped my arms around her small body tightly, still not knowing if she carried my child or not.

“I want to go home,” she said. “I want to go back to the village. Can we go now?” My heart expanded at the fact she now considered the village to be her home.

“Yes, right away. I’ll take you and Emma back now. Follow me,” I said, leading them over to my small ship. I waved across the base to my father, and he nodded, acknowledging my departure.

There was more than enough Revians to handle the cleanup of this mess, and right now, the most important thing for me was to get these humans back to the village safely. We boarded my ship, and soon, we were on our way back to the village.

“Emma needs a lot of rest. She’s been through a lot,” Molly said, joining me in the front of the ship.

“I know. You’ve been through a lot, too,” I told her. “I’m sorry again, Molly. I should’ve come to see you sooner, and none of this would have happened to you.” I said.

“It’s okay. I understand,” she said, smiling at me with so much joy.

I looked straight into her eyes, hoping she would see the truth in my next words.

“Molly, I have fallen for someone,” I whispered, and she stared at me.

“You have?” she said softly, her eyes glinting with a little hope. I nodded.

“I have fallen for you, Molly,” I told her, my body filling with warmth at my admission. “I never thought I would fall for a human female, but I did. I love you.”

She gave me a smile as tears fell from her cheeks.

“I feel the same way,” she admitted. “When I thought I’d never see you again, I just couldn’t bear it. It was then I realized how much I love you, Jaider. I have so many feelings for you, and I’m so glad I still have a chance to share them all with you.”

I held my hand out for her, and she placed hers on top of mine, and we held hands the entire trip back to the village.

***

When we finally arrived at the settlement, I knew there were still a lot of things to do before our ordeal was finished. I still had to find Karah and set things right, and I still had to find out how the Compiers were able to get into the village and kidnap Molly?

We let Emma go into the living quarters with Betty and Amy, and they immediately went to work taking care of her. I took Molly’s hand again, and started walking to my living quarters. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“Where are we going? This isn’t the way back to my home,” she said, and I grinned as she said the word ‘home’ again.

“No, it isn’t. We are going to my living quarters,” I told her, and her mouth fell open in surprise. “I want you to stay with me until I can know for sure you are safe,” I told her before raising my hand and calling over to a guard. He jogged over to me and nodded, awaiting my orders.

“I want you to stay posted outside my door. Molly is to remain inside, and no one goes in except me. Is that understood?” I told him before opening the door to my living quarters.

“Yes sir, Commander Katon,” he responded, putting his fist in his chest in a salute. I nodded at him, and then bent over and placed a kiss on Molly’s soft lips before gesturing for her to enter.

“Go inside. Take a bath, and get some sleep. You are safe now,” I said to her. She smiled and hugged me tightly.

“Don’t take too long, okay?” she asked. “We have some more catching up to do,” she murmured, as she went inside and closed the door behind her. The guard took his post in front of my door, and I walked away.

Now where could I find Karah?

I was about to take another step when I heard a very shrill scream, and I recognized Molly’s voice. I turned back to my living quarters, and I saw the guard grab his gun from his belt and turn to the door. I ran toward him and watched as he kicked the door open, and stood in the doorway with his gun aimed inside. My heart dropped to my stomach as I feared what he was looking at.

Within seconds, I was at the guard’s side, and my eyes widened as I saw Karah holding a gun to Molly’s head.

I could not believe it. I mean I knew Karah had her issues, but I really didn’t know her at all. The Karah I knew was more tender and not capable of doing something like this, yet here she was about to kill the woman I loved.

“Tell him to go away or I will kill her,” Karah threatened, looking at the guard.

“Karah, what are you doing? This is not you. Please put the gun down,” I told her.

“Tell the guard to go away, or I will ruin her pretty face,” she cried, digging the muzzle of the gun into Molly’s temple.

“Do as she says,” I ordered the guard. He dropped his gun down to his side and began walking backwards out of the doorway.

“There, he is gone. Now put the gun down, Karah,” I pleaded, stepping into the doorway.

“Don’t. Don’t come any closer. I will do it, Jaider,” she said, tears in her eyes. I looked at Molly, and saw her trembling in fear. My eyes went down and saw her placing her hands protectively on her belly, and I instantly knew what this meant.

She thought she was pregnant, and she was terrified Karah would do something to hurt the baby. I too, was terrified. I was the one that caused Karah’s pain, and now, Molly and my unborn child would have to pay for it. I didn’t know what to do.