—
Night approached by the time Kess arrived at the location Anric provided.
The coordinates led him to a spread of foggy flat land. A cluster of air rocks floated above, nary a building or Xarxi lizard in sight. Kess frowned at his comm, wondering if Anric had given him incorrect directions. Then he heard voices. He jerked his head up, squinting into the foggy gloom at one of the larger air rocks some distance ahead. There were lights. Those sneaky bastards were hiding in plain sight.
He ran forward and used the force of his telekinesis to launch himself up in the air onto the closest rock. At a higher vantage point, the fog thinned, awarding him a better visual. Straight ahead, one monstrous ship occupied the centre of the biggest air rock while four smaller ships flanked it. He leapt closer and counted at least fifteen Xarxi men—five armed and standing watch, the others unloading metal cases from the smaller ships and loading them onto the larger one.
But that was fifteen he could see. There would be more watchmen on the other side of the rock, as well as those on the main ship stowing and securing the cases.
Including Liol.
Kess remembered Anric’s words about him dying in pursuit of Liol, but he ignored it. He launched himself onto the next rock and the next, taking care to be quiet and inconspicuous. Not only was his physical health restored, the strength of his telekinesis was almost unwieldy. Yet another benefit he had Karen to thank. If he ever got to thank her.
Karen’s beautiful face swam to the forefront of his mind’s eye and guilt accosted Kess. He was going to be a father. He should be with the mother of his child supporting her, even if she despised him. He shouldn’t be out here, jeopardizing his life for a questionable cause. For a brief moment, Kess began to second guess his actions. But it was too late. Lost in thought, he’d forgotten to crouch low and remain hidden. One of the Xarxi men saw him and immediately opened fire with a shouted direction to his comrades to do the same.
Swearing, Kess dropped to his stomach to avoid the barrage of red laser blasts. Then the men shot at the rock. It quivered beneath Kess, rapidly disintegrating. Thankfully, another was close enough for him to leap to as the rock crumbled into several pieces far below.
“It’s that fucking Dava!” snarled someone and Kess recognized it as Liol’s voice. His thirst for vengeance renewed, Kess sprang up, leaping from rock to rock. A laser shot grazed his arm, another tearing into his left shin. He grunted, clenching his teeth against the searing pain. He swept his hand to the side sharply, sending the shooters flying with horrified screams over the edge of the rock.
Kess forced himself forward, taking deep breaths of the musty, damp air with each jump. His heart thudded in his ears, his leg singing with agony as he landed. His healing wounds from the Muridian attack protested when he threw himself onto the large rock and rolled out of the way of more laser shots behind one of the smaller ships.
“Liol,” Kess shouted amid the noise of laser blasts ricocheting off the spaceship. “I didn’t come here to fight. I just want answers.”
“You wasted your time, Dava scum,” Liol spat.
Enraged, Kess lurched out of hiding just in time to see Liol and his men running up the rising ramp of the large ship. Kess grabbed Liol telekinetically, yanking him backward onto the rock’s surface. He dodged another hit as the other Xarxi lizards shot at him, shoving them back into the belly of the ship with a vicious swipe of his hand.
Shouting at his workers to leave with the shipment, Liol got to his feet and gunned for one of the smaller ships. Just as he opened the hatch, Kess yanked him to the floor again. He limped to where the lizard squirmed beneath his firm hold, triumph a balm against the pain in his leg. Finally. He’d cornered the slippery bastard and he would get answers to the questions he’d harboured for years.
He yanked Liol to his feet, maintaining his telekinetic grip on him as he advanced on the lizard.
“Who is your leader and where is he?” Kess demanded.
Liol answered him with a humourless laugh. Kess fisted the stretchy black material of the lizard’s suit, ready to shake the truth from Liol. Then he heard it. Felt it. The low rumble of the larger ship’s thrusters in motion, the vibration beneath his feet as it grew stronger.
Kess spun, pausing in horror at the blooming bluish light from the ship’s thrusters. He regained mobility, dragging Liol with him as he raced for the edge of the rock. He had mere seconds to get them out of the ship’s blast range if he had any hope of survival.
The ship’s blast thundered, deafening him. A powerful gust of fiery heat punched him from behind, knocking the breath from him. He went careening off the rock before he could jump.
Kess free-fell into the foggy darkness below, a ringing in his ears disorienting him. As he laboured to slow his fall, he realized he’d lost hold of Liol. He staggered forward when he landed, crumpling to the ground from the jolt of excruciating pain in his injuries.
“Liol!” he shouted desperately into the darkness, and his voice’s echo answered his call in the eerie quiet.
He dug out a light from his pocket, grunting as he got to his feet. The chilly air nipped at his sweaty skin, the musty scent of damp soil so strong he could almost taste it. He limped forward, sweeping the bright light in his immediate area, pausing when it highlighted a misshapen lump nearby.
The twisted, grotesque remains of what was his last link to his brother’s murderer.
Fury, disappointment, and failure formed a thick heavy mass on his chest. It cloaked him, threatened to smother him like the fog that ghosted around him.
Once again, he’d failed his brother.
His hands fell limp at his sides. His grip tightened on the light until, finally, he shut it off.