“That’s Michael’s call, of course. But it may give us an indication of what we don’t know. We have the records of the fertility clinics, and that was damning enough. When it comes to working out the numbers of enemy combatants and their approximate ages, this will be a huge bonus. At least we’ll have a better idea of the ones Colvert was involved in. At this point we don’t know how many more clinics and combatants from other continents exist. We’re waiting on the intel, but it’s hard to gain accurate information.”

  Franklin harrumphed, more than aware that it was what they didn’t know that posed danger.

  Senna thrust up a hand before asking, “Did we ever work out their designations?”

  Jonah winced. “Yes. We did. According to what we’ve been able to work out, each of the letters in their name corresponds to the ‘donor’ parent.”

  “So Liv—”

  “LV-1, which is a derivative of the parents and their sequential number of cloning.”

  “Oh my God!” Senna’s eyes grew round. “You mean there is more than one LV?”

  Franklin shook his head, clearly lost. “We really don’t know how many there are. It’s why these files are so important. It should, or could, give us a clue. And heaven knows, we need as much information as we can lay our hands on.”

  “Okay then, Senna and Franklin, you did great. Get the last of the information over to Michael. We’ll call a full senior briefing at 1400 hours to sift through what we’ve gleaned. By then we should have an idea from Maylin on what she can access from the comps,” Jonah said then turned away to concentrate on another task.

  Dismissed, both Senna and Franklin headed back outside into the sunlight. Senna shook as if removing the last vestiges of cold from her system. “There’s so much we don’t know. Tell me, Franklin, do you think we can win this?” She pinned him with her gaze.

  He glanced at her, wondering how she could possibly echo his thoughts so perfectly. “I have no idea. I’d like to think we can, but there’s still a long way to go, Senna. A long way.”

  CHAPTER 9

  After they’d dropped off the files, Franklin left Senna at the building she had been billeted in. Before she got out of the vehicle, she turned back to the man sitting in the driver’s seat. “I was really hard on you over the last couple of days, and particularly the other night. I took your rebuttal wrong, and I apologize. You’re a good man, Franklin, and you sell yourself short.”

  She didn’t stop the gentle caress of her hand over his cheek. Her psyche screamed to keep it gentle and light, but even in the vehicle, the innate intimacy of the action left her nerves dancing with excitement and perhaps a dash of hope.

  “I’ll see you later,” she said.

  She slid out of the car before he could say anything else, aware that she’d pushed the limits of their connection to its maximum, at least for now. In her mind, it was akin to a dance. One step to the side, two steps forward, then a quick retreat before starting again.

  After shutting the car door, she turned to the building, a gray and anonymous slab of block, and sighed. Isn’t this a luxurious retreat? She almost snorted at the whimsy. She tugged her bag over her shoulder and felt it settle in place. Moving quickly, Senna reached the external stairs as a hand landed on her shoulder. She whirled, amazed to see that it was Franklin.

  “Senna, I was the one who said the wrong thing in the wrong way. You didn’t do anything to apologize for.” The turmoil in his eyes stole her breath.

  “I—”

  He shook his head. “You were right when you said I was hiding from the truth. I was. I haven’t been overly successful with women, because I was always afraid I’d turn out like my old man. I never shared myself fully with them, because he was abusive. Hit my mother at any given opportunity, and I distrusted myself because of that experience. My mother passed when I was thirteen after some random accident, and after that, he brought a succession of women into the household. Treated them all the same way as far as I saw until I got away on my sixteenth birthday. Joined the corps and dedicated myself to it.”

  Her heart lurched. He was sharing the most negative, and probably intimate, aspect of his history with her, baring his soul. It also explained why he’d shied away, and she felt dirty. Low. As if she’d reinforced the negativity that he’d lived in during his formative years.

  “You’re not like him, Franklin. You’re a caring man. Protective and honest.”

  He turned away, and she wanted to sigh but held back the sound. He deserves better.

  “I’m just me, Senna. I’m not a hero, or someone wearing a cape who’s going to save the world. Just a guy.”

  “You’re more than just any guy. Thank you for sharing that with me.” She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips as sparks of invisible electricity arced between them.

  His eyes widened, and she pulled back, not wanting to frighten him away. Desperate to hold onto any ground she gained.

  Franklin shrugged and glanced away. “I just wanted you to know why I…” He breathed deeply, his chest rising and falling hard.

  “Thank you for trusting me with your past. I won’t betray your trust.”

  His short nod told her he’d given her a gift, even if he didn’t yet realize it. Then he turned and strode away.

  Franklin didn’t know why he’d shared that information, just that he had. Now, as he sat in the briefing room, his awareness of Senna, sitting across the aisle from him, bloomed. He wasn’t so much confused as puzzled by the need to explain himself. It wasn’t his usual way of doing things, and certainly not the kind of information he’d ever shared with a woman. Before another thought could occur, he ended it.

  He grunted, concentrating on those present as more people crowded in. Michael was there, but Clarissa was noticeably absent as he slumped into the seat beside Franklin.

  “Where’s Clarissa?”

  “At the rooms with Eliza. She’s upset after I told her about the files you found. I scanned them, Franklin. The things that bastard Colvert did…”

  “Like what?”

  Michael’s hand fisted as his face took on a vicious slant. “I swear, I could kill him right now.” His voice vibrated with fury, and Franklin turned, noting the white bracketing his friend’s mouth. Michael shook his head, eyes glinting. “He’s a monster. I reported it all to Jonah and Daniella, and they’re horrified. He used her as a lab rat.” His friend inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring.

  “Anything I can do?”

  Michael shook his head. “No.”

  Dismissed, Franklin focused on the front as Jonah entered the room, his face thunderous, brows drawn tight, and cheeks ruddy with anger. “Listen up! We’ve got lots to discuss, and time’s running tight.”

  Those gathered in the room who hadn’t yet sat down took their seats, the hubbub of chatter dying away.

  “We’ve been informed all checks on the colony ship will take place over the next forty-eight hours. You’re all here because you’re either a specialist we need or you’ve been involved in the implementation of the security forces or the public relations arm of our campaign. We’ve also received intel that points to a massed attack happening in the next seventy-two hours, prior to the colonists arriving for the boarding of the first ship. We can’t allow that.”

  Maylin hurried to the podium set up at the front of the room. “I’ve been monitoring the secure channels for the last couple of weeks, and while I can’t be certain that they aren’t baiting us, we know they want control of the ships. We also know they’ve managed to lay their hands on ground-to-air missiles. If that’s the case, which is what’s been indicated in communications, then they can attack the ship at any point, even after they deploy.”

  The lump Franklin was trying to avoid acknowledging grew larger in his gut. They had to get the first ship off safely. Anything else was horrific to consider.

  Daniella stepped up as Maylin moved away. “We have also come into possession of a large body of evidence concerning the warrior children program. We know it’s been accepted by the Illegan Government, however, it is beyond their powers to entertain and participate in this level of genetic manipulation. This means the 21st Testing Protocol is ultra vires.” She gripped the wood lectern and gazed at those listening, as if she willed them to absorb her words into their bodies.

  People muttered, asking what those words meant.

  “They have no legal capacity to enact this law.” She stopped, gathered her breath, and composed herself. “Per statute 53. ‘In order for a protocol to become enacted in law, no move can have been made to institute such actions in premeditation.’ They have broken faith with the populace, and we’ve taken a hit since the release of the footage showing the attacks on these children.”

  Mutters grew louder as she made eye contact with everyone gathered in the room.

  “At this point, they’re ahead of us in the PR game. The public’s trust in us has been severely dented as a result. It’s time for us to take back that control. We must set the record straight and regain our true government. I won’t lie and say it’s going to be easy or swift.” Daniella paused, waited, but the room was silent enough that even the shuffle of a foot would be audible. “Even if we win the war, there will be pockets of unrest, but this new information is damning. It shows their insidious plans have been in train for years. They planned these abominations. They never meant to help our society, only to strip control and take it for themselves.”

  The stark white of her skin and the glow of her hair shined under the lights, and not for the first time, Franklin was struck by how she captured the attention of all with not just her words, but also her appearance. Here was no meek and mild woman, but a tigress intent on reaffirming the laws of their world.

  Applause broke out, some standing in ovation, and she waited for those assembled to retake their seats. “Jonah has also received intelligence about the children who were taken from the facility. At an appropriate time, the adoptive parents will be given access to this information as well as our resident medical personnel. I, personally, would like to thank each and every one of you. Those under your leadership. To everyone who has pledged themselves to this effort. Thank you.” Then Daniella walked away from the podium and waited by the door.

  Jonah stepped forward once more. “One last piece of intelligence has come to light from the other continents. Most of the northern hemisphere continents are in the grips of similar battles. The locations of the other colony ships which are under construction in other countries have been kept covert, yet it seems the warrior children have become aware of them. We don’t know if the information was leaked or if they simply stumbled onto them. It has been agreed by each continent commander that we focus on this location initially, particularly aware that this will be the first launch location.”

  His face tense, Jonah took a breath, then continued.

  “When we overcome the children—and make no mistake, we will—we’ll send reinforcements and intel to assist with the battle everywhere else. This is truly a worldwide phenomenon, people. We must win, because anything else potentially will lead to genocide of our race. That cannot happen. Assignments will be handed to you at the door. Read them. Digest the information, then return your written orders to us. No documentation is to leave this room. All information being disseminated is purely need-to-know, and we can’t afford leaks at this crucial point. Good luck everyone, and may the gods be on our side. Dismissed.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Senna tapped her fingers on the device she’d finally managed to finish satisfactorily. The last twenty-four hours had passed in a blur as she’d requested Professor Venos’s assistance. In the end, it was simple enough to add a single chemical to combine the elements and create the filter they required. It rankled even though she felt immense satisfaction at the knowledge that her work would be integral in the safety of the colonists.

  Glancing at the framed image on the wall by a window, the newly renamed President Yin would be an Alpha Class Colony Ship with the designation of 001 in honor of the murdered president. It would be imposing on the horizon, no doubt, once the silo-like building housing it peeled away.

  She turned away. “I’ll be able to see it from this window,” she murmured, having glanced out, seeking the dimming light of the glorious sunset which framed the silver and white structure on the horizon. Twilight turned the sky azure with a hazy overlay of ochre and crimson.

  The door to the office space she’d been allocated while she planned and carried out the mission opened, and Franklin stepped within. She slid the seat around and turned in the direction of the sound that heralded his arrival.

  Not for the first time, she physically felt his proximity.

  Franklin speared his blunt fingers through his hair. “I’ve got our people organized as you requested. The scanners are stashed in the vehicle for tomorrow morning, and they’ll report onsite at 0600, ready to begin the inspection.”

  Her stomach jittered. “It’s surreal, knowing that tomorrow we’ll be walking through the colony ship. Making it safe for the hundreds going first.”

  He dropped into the seat opposite her, the desk looming between them. “So, why didn’t you put your hand up?”

  Cocking her head, Senna stared at him. “For what?”

  “The colony ship. You could have gone and likely would have had a better than even chance to be picked for any of the next couple.”

  She steepled her fingers on the desk and considered the question. “I honestly don’t know,” she hedged. “Maybe I thought I still had something to give to our planet, or maybe I didn’t think I had a chance. There’s a lot who didn’t apply, and any one of a million reasons why.”

  But it wasn’t the only reason. Should I tell him what was happening? Will he think less of me when he knows? The uncustomary reticence sat poorly, but sharing something so important to her wasn’t easy.

  “Why didn’t you, Franklin?” The question took him by surprise given the way he sputtered.

  “I’m still a member of the corps so unable to apply. Rules are rules.” His gaze moved over her shoulder to the view through the window.

  “But you’re working with, and you are part of, a senatorial investigation group. Doesn’t that trump your corps association?” Wrinkling her brow, she wondered how that had actually come about.

  He sighed and looked back to her, his gaze piercing in intensity. “Now, that’s a story and a half. After Clarissa was found and we became aware of Colvert’s work, the team was created by Daniella at Yin’s direction. Then we had the coup that overthrew the government and Yin was murdered. Once Daniella was implicated, there was no going back, and we had to spirit her away before the children attacked. Even though the corps is committed to the cause of returning the government, I’d thrown my lot in with Jonah, Michael, David, and Daniella. No political associations, even of a personal level, are allowed, so I would have struck out. But by then, they’d already made the selection for the first five ships, so it was too late anyway.”

  Senna inhaled, taking the plunge. “I wanted to apply. When it came time to get the references though, that’s when the mess with my investigations turned up, and my senior officer refused to sign the paperwork. I could have spoken to Michael as a previous supervisor, but it was straight after his accident. Strangely, it’s also the time I started seeing traces of the compound.” And now that she’d met Franklin, her will to consider it further withered like a leaf on a vine in the middle of a scorching summer day. “Maybe sometime in the future.”

  His gaze met hers, the frisson of awareness sparking around them. “Perhaps.” His voice deepened, and in the pit of her belly, the swelling need boiled.

  “Franklin, I—”

  “Senna—”

  They laughed, a little of the pressure evaporating from the room for just a moment, as they considered how they must sound. Then that small bit of whimsy disappeared.

  “Senna, I was wrong about you. I do want to explore what’s between us. I just…” He shrugged as if this conversation were an everyday occurrence, but she read his discomfort in his eyes.

  She smiled. “So do I. We could start again?”

  His laugh filled the void that she hadn’t realized yawed deep inside. “You’re willing to give it a shot after my reaction?”

  She pushed out of the chair and rounded the desk, aware that he’d stood up to meet her. When Senna reached him, she hesitated, unsure what to do next as she rubbed her thumbs against her pant legs.

  He reached out, palms upward, and her heart skipped a beat or several. Nervously, she slid her fingers over his palms. His latched on and tugged her closer. “Senna, please.” It wasn’t a plea but a siren’s call, and she leaned in, hoping for a kiss.

  Her eyes drooped to half-mast, then closed completely when their lips met. The touch was gentle, like the beat of a butterfly’s wings. His breath whispered along the seam of her mouth, and she opened to him.

  Her body vibrated with the sudden roar of hunger. It arced through her nervous system, jumping from point to point. Tiny dots of fireworks erupting in her psyche until he pulled away.

  The drugging essence of their connection faded, and she opened her eyes, noting the grin on his face.

  “That was—” She groped for the best word to describe how she felt, and gasped, “amazing,” then winced at the banality.

  “So, what now?” Franklin asked as he enfolded her in a hug, and she crowded closer, listening to the beat of his heart, now in tune with her own.

  “Slow,” she whispered against the steely hardness of his chest. “There’s too much happening for the rush right now.”

  Senna felt Franklin’s sigh of dissatisfaction. That reassured her as nothing else could.

  Her stomach rumbled. “Dinner I think. But let’s try somewhere else, okay? The mess hall sucks.”

  He guffawed at her announcement. “Your wish is my command, lady.”