“H ow many times are we going to go over this? I was calling my boyfriend. Check his call records,” I muttered for the fourth time .

Adams looked down at the paper in front of him. “Right, your boyfriend who just happens to have royal clearance? You knew we wouldn’t be able to trace or pull up the records on that call without approval of a prince .”

“That isn’t my problem now, is it?” I shot back. “Sounds like you’ve got nothing against me. Again, I might add. So why the media this time? I’m sure they didn’t happen to just be stopping by at the exact time I was arrested .”

He grinned and I wanted to punch him in his smug face. It wouldn’t be long before he figured out that he had nothing to hold me on. I wasn’t going to admit to him that I was just a little bit worried about the whole ordeal for a few reasons. Why would he bring in the press unless something had changed? Unless I was no longer the only target. It was possible he was trying to drag Rizor down with me now too .

I watched him pick a chunk of food out of his teeth and shuddered in disgust. On second thought, he didn’t have the brainpower to think of sabotaging the royal family. It was still a shock that he could wipe his own ass without screwing up. The system on Vaxvia was seriously flawed if they let a man like him be in charge .

It gave me an idea. “Is there a superior officer I can talk too? Sorry but I’m just getting tired of looking at your ugly mug .”

“Shut up, I’m the one who asks the questions around here .”

“Oh jeeze,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “Fine, what questions do you have for me this time? And where is the lie detector machine ?”

“No need for it. We have the signal time that you sent your last message and it perfectly lines up with the last security breech. I just wanted to bring you in here to see if you had anything to say for yourself. Then it’s down to the holding cell .”

“Boy, you’ve really fallen off your rocker this time, haven’t you? I mean all of this just so you can let me go again ?”

He shook his head. “Won’t be letting you go this time. We have evidence .”

“This is bullshit,” I hissed as I stood up .

The two men stationed at the door moved to attention and looked at Adams. He nodded his head and one of them took ahold of my arm. “Put her down below. I was hoping for a confession, but it doesn’t matter. The case is open and shut .”

I realized that he was serious and my heart started to race. “Are you kidding me, Adams? You know I’m not a spy. I’ve been framed .”

“You can tell it to the Dragselian council,” he shot back as he leaned forward over the table. “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll come down and visit you .”

He licked his lips and I couldn’t help myself. I jerked my head forward quickly and slammed my forehead into his nose. The sickening crunch alone was worth the arrest. He stumbled backwards, holding his nose as blood started to drip on the floor .

“You bitch! You assaulted a militia officer!” he screamed .

I shrugged. “Like you said, I’m going to be here for a while. Might as well make the best of it .”

“Get her out of here and alert the chief that we’ve caught the spy,” he hissed .

The man pulled me out of the room and I didn’t fight him. There was no point. I knew that I was innocent, but if I tried to escape, and I knew I could, then that would just give Adams a stronger case against me. I was furious, but there was nothing to be done until I met with the chief, if he would even see me. We went down a set of old steps to a basement and the guard shoved me into a damp cell with a single bed in the corner. A toilet with no privacy let me know that I wouldn’t be going to the bathroom anytime soon .

I paced back and forth for a little while before the guard got a call on his intercom and left me alone. When I finally had a second to myself, I slumped down on the musty bed and buried my head in my arms. Today was not going as planned and Rizor had no idea what was going on. The silence was wonderful, but it was fleeting as the door to the steps opened against and I looked up. It wasn’t my guard from before, but Adams this time .

“Great,” I muttered. “Come back for seconds ?”

He glared at me. “You are all mine now. No cameras down here .”

“Then I guess it will be your word against mine when I kick your ass if you come near me .”

Adams chucked, it was sadistic and unnerving as he held up a small weapon. “Do you know what this is ?”

“The size of your cock ?”

“A tranquilizer gun. Don’t worry, it won’t leave you totally dark. You’ll be away the whole time, just a little more…” His words trailed off. “Compliant .”

“You better make sure it kills me then, because if it doesn’t, I’ll cut off your dick with a rusty knife and watch you bleed to death .”

“I love that fire inside of you,” he groaned as he turned the weapon on. “Let’s see if we can tame your wild side. I’ve been waiting a long time for this .”

As it glowed to life, I backed away from him, the cell wall pressing at my back. There was nowhere for me to run. He lifted it to fire, but the door to the steps opened up again and he quickly deactivated it and slipped it into the belt of his pants. Raising a finger up to his lips for me to be quiet, he spun around to see who was coming .

“I thought I said no one was to come down here! I said I’d keep an eye on her, you moron,” he grumbled .

A large man stepped into the basement and Adams went pale as he stiffened, “Sir! We weren’t expecting you for a few more hours .”

“Well, when you said that you caught the spy, I thought it warranted a trip right down. So, this is her, huh? Adams, why don’t you make yourself useful and go get me a cup of coffee .”

“But, sir,” he stammered .

“That’s an order, Sergeant .”

“Yes, sir,” he grumbled as he stomped up the steps .

“Boy, you have yourself a real winner there. Nothing like a potential rapist leading the charge .”

“Excuse me? Last time I checked, you were in jail so your accusations won’t carry much weight around here. You want to tell me why you did it ?”

“Did what ?”

“Leaked information to the Federation? Is it because you are a citizen of theirs? What are they paying you ?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh jeeze, you’re as bad as Adams. I am not the spy, that man is just obsessed with me ever since I told him I wouldn’t sleep with him. I don’t know who your spy is, but I sure as hell know it’s not me .”

“How do you explain the information leak at the exact time you were making a call that we can’t trace then ?”

“My boyfriend,” I said softly. The words making my heart race. “He’s a member of the royal family. Their numbers aren’t traceable .”

“That’s an awfully convenient answer .”

“I’m telling the truth, just like I’ve been doing the whole time. Your creepy sergeant is obsessed with me though. If you don’t believe me then check the cameras, I’m sure you have those in this place. He was ready to drug and rape me before you showed up. So, thanks for that .”

His intercom started to whistled and he started up the steps. “We aren’t done with this conversation .”

“Please, don’t let Adams back down here. Send anyone but him,” I begged as he went back up the steps .

I sat back down on the bed, looking around for anything that I could use to defend myself when Adams came back for me. His footsteps fell heavy on the metal as he came back down. To my surprise, he didn’t look thrilled to be alone with me again. No doubt his commanding officer had given him an earful about etiquette with prisoners .

He glared at me as he approached and stuck the key in the lock to my surprise. “Chief wants to see you upstairs in the interrogation room .”

“Thank god,” I muttered .

He grabbed my arm and squeezed just a little bit too tight for my comfort. I knew there would be a bruise there later. I wanted to kick out my leg and bring him down to his knees, but I knew that wouldn’t do me any favors .

“You are hurting me,” I hissed .

He shoved me forward. “Get up there, now .”

I didn’t like having him behind me. I felt like he had the advantage by being there, but again, I was stuck in the situation. He pushed me into the interrogation room, but didn’t close the door as I sat back down. I was starting to figure them out. If the door was closed, I was in trouble, but if it was left open, as it was now, I was safe. Adams wouldn’t do anything with potential witnesses around. When he left and his chief came and sat down across from me, I was surprised .

“Clara,” he said. “It seems that you have an accomplice .”

“Are you joking with this? I am not the spy!” I screamed, my temper getting the best of me. “Why would I shoot down my own ship? Why would I leak information ?”

“If you aren’t the spy, then we have a bigger problem because the defense shield around Vaxvia has been hacked and disarmed. We are sitting ducks right now .”

“Then let me go, I’ve fought those bastards before and right now, you need all the help you can get .”

“I’m going to let you go for now. I don’t have anything to hold you on and to be honest, after talking to Adams men, I understand that he’s a little obsessed with you,” he said before continuing. “But you should stay close. One misstep and you are right back in here .”

My temper was unleashed as I glared at him. “I have cooperated with your officers every time that they’ve asked me to come in. I have dealt with Adams threatening to arrest me, beat me, and rape me. If you think for one second that I am going to take anymore threats from you bastards, you are sorely mistaken .”

He leaned back, his eyes wide with shock. “Go .”

I stood up and stormed out of the room, walking past the other officers and Adams who was beet red and sitting at his desk. He didn’t look up at me as I walked past and it was the best thing that he could have done. One more word from him and I would lose my cool altogether and beat the crap out of him. The jail time for it would be worth it if he never threatened a woman again. It took all of my self-control to keep walking and head out the door .

Shoving open the main doors, I closed my eyes and took in the cool afternoon air. When I opened my eyes again, I saw him leaning against the bike and I knew; he was my soulmate. He jogged over to me and pulled me into his arms. I was finally safe from all of them, Rizor would never let anything happen to me .