They pulled away from each other, and she felt the instant loss of his touch all the way to her gut.

  They ventured out into the night, one man and one woman lost in their own time and place. Franklin gripped Senna’s fingers tight, leading her out into the darkness where they could, for a moment, forget the battle, the past, and the potential future.

  He wanted more than dinner right now, the primal hunger simmering beneath the surface, but that was what they’d agreed to. He’d be damned if he’d stuff this opportunity up with impatience. Besides, they’d need to be up early in the morning, in time for the 0600 start at the silo.

  He urged her forward, toward Clarissa and Michael’s home.

  “Clarissa is cooking, so we’ll join them, then we can take some time, have a drink with our friends, and go into the night. Just us.”

  Her tension was palpable, fingers pushing down hard on his. “Is that okay with them?”

  “We have a standing invitation, Senna.”

  She nodded, a stiff acknowledgement, but he read the nerves in the way she jerked her head up and down. “Okay.”

  At the door, he turned and pulled her against him. Kissed her with a light touch then released her. He wanted her to latch on and take more, but this wasn’t the time or the place. Which sucks!

  She cleared her throat. “Umm, what was that for?”

  “To keep you going through the meal.”

  Now Senna laughed—a tinkle that rode across his nerve endings like a gentle caress.

  As a couple, they entered the room, and Franklin was aware of the speculative glances that shot their way. He waited for a comment or query, but they remained silent. Not sure if this is good or not.

  The meal was yet another simple and basic stew, but tasty and a great improvement from the variety of slush served in the mess. Once the meal was done, the clearing attended to, and the goodbyes offered, they rose and thanked Clarissa and Michael for their hospitality.

  Senna exited first, but before Franklin could follow, Michael clasped him on the shoulder. “You’ve chosen well, my friend.”

  Unable to form a reply, Franklin simply nodded then joined Senna on the stoop.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  The breathless quality of her voice melted him. He wondered if it was because she was a strong woman or the arousal that curled around the two of them. Probably a mix of both.

  “Let’s go,” he replied.

  They strode into the night, two people looking for time together. Alone.

  Making their way to the gardens at the end of the parade ground, he pulled her down onto the seat beside him. “How are we traveling?”

  “On foot?” she quipped back, and he laughed.

  He wasn’t a man given to long speeches or second-guessing his actions, yet this tentative romance was beyond his experience. “No, I mean the situation between us. I want more, Senna, but I understand the need to take our time.”

  Senna nestled in. “I haven’t had a lot of relationships, but this feels right.” Her head settled on his shoulder, and he felt the whisper of her breath on his neck. “It’s new, and we haven’t had a lot of time, but I think we’re doing okay.”

  Franklin’s chest expanded as a sense of peace filled him at her words. He wanted and needed this to work. He’d expected to never experience this sense of rightness or belonging, and yet, here he was, with Senna.

  “When I was a little boy, my mother would tell me that one day a princess would come along and I’d know.” A lump formed in his throat, the memory hazy, but in his mind, the voice of his mother echoed. “She said I’d know when she turned up, and I would do the right thing by her.” The cold that clutched his guts at the memory of his mother melted away. “I think you’re the princess I was supposed to seek out.”

  Her fingers clutched at his sleeve. “I thought we were supposed to take this slow, Franklin. I can’t…” She moved, sitting up and creating a separation between them. The eyes she turned in his direction shined with tears. “I can’t say with any certainty that I’m your princess. I can tell you I’d like to be, but more than that…” She shrugged, and he understood.

  “You need time, and so do I. I just wanted to tell you that.” Cupping her chin with his hand, he propelled her forward so their lips met. The kiss was gentle, yet it fanned the flames of desire.

  Passion rolled like a wave over both of them as the kiss deepened. Lips and tongues moved as one while he gripped her shoulders so they remained close despite the gap between their bodies. When Franklin and Senna drew away, their breathing was frantic, chests moving quickly as their heaving lungs sucked in the oxygen they both needed.

  “I want more, Senna. But not tonight. Tonight we forge what is between us. Tomorrow we do the job, but once that’s done…”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  Without the further need for words, they rose in concert and walked back to the lines, hands entwined and heading back to their lonely accommodation.

  Morning came far too early for Senna’s liking. The dream had been subtly erotic, with herself and Franklin on a beach somewhere, and things were getting interesting as the blare of her alarm started. Senna opened her eyes on a groan, reached over, and smacked the electronic alarm with a thud.

  0500. Great. She crawled out of the bed on a sigh. “Some days are easier than others,” she groused, reaching for her uniform.

  Once clothed, she stomped to the bathroom, her bootsteps only partially muffled by the carpeting, and groomed herself. Finally comfortable with her appearance, she turned for the door. It opened beneath her touch, and she stepped out into the hall and smacked into a wide chest. One she’d seen naked in her dreams.

  “Oh, Franklin,” she murmured as the urge to reach up and kiss him rose.

  “I brought breakfast.” In his hands were two packets, and she wondered what they might be. “Let’s head on over early. You can run through the process again and we can eat before anyone else arrives.”

  Now there’s a plan I can get behind. They trotted down the steps, Senna’s room being on the third floor, and while it remained dark they heard and saw movement under the false lighting.

  He reached out and directed her to the vehicle about twenty steps away from the bottom of the stairs.

  Franklin dropped the bags in her lap once they’d climbed in, and he started the engine. “Today’s going to be frantic with the crew going over the ship. I thought this way at least we could have some quiet time before the madness.” A crimson tinge spread over his cheeks, delighting Senna.

  “I’m amazed that you’ve always decried yourself as not a strategist and yet here is the proof otherwise,” she teased.

  “Yeah, don’t make this out to be more than it is, Senna. My wanting to find quiet time alone with you before the masses descend doesn’t make me a master of strategy.”

  Instead of arguing with him, Senna simply smiled. “Today’s effort is going to be a massive step toward getting that colony ship out there. This is where we get to make a difference.”

  He simply grunted.

  “You’re not really into this whole ‘one step in a major event’ thing, are you?”

  “It’s not that I’m not interested or aware that every bit we do makes a difference, it’s just that it’s a small part of the whole.”

  Senna considered his answer. “Yet every small part is significant. If we didn’t offer our skills, then they could potentially be blown up. If the engineers scrimped on their tasks—”

  He rounded the corner, pulled the vehicle to a stop outside the silo, then held up his hands with a smile. “Okay, I get it.”

  He turned off the engine. “0532, so we don’t have a lot of time.” He reached over and tugged her across the console, their lips meeting. The kiss was gentle, and when they’d finished, she pulled away with a sigh.

  “Now that’s the way I like to be met every day.” Senna tossed him one of the bags and he caught it. “Nice reflexes.”

  In silence they ate the nutrition muffins he’d brought, and as they finished and drank the tubes of water, the first of their crew started to arrive.

  “Time for duty,” she muttered and climbed from the vehicle.

  Senna’s crew gathered around as she reached into the boot for one of the lockboxes while Franklin tugged the larger box from the rear seat. Once they had all the containers on the ground, she flicked the locks and started handing them out.

  “Remember, everyone works with a partner,” she said. “You find anything, you tag myself or Franklin. This isn’t the time for heroics. If these compounds are found, remember they are volatile. Do not touch the item affected. Your job is to contact us. We need to know which item, the location, and any identifying information, then clear the area.”

  They had secured a safe-explode box which waited on the back seat. She just hoped they didn’t need it.

  “All right, if you’re set, go directly to your sectors. Remember, methodical and slow is acceptable. Any engineers or others who give you grief, send them my way.”

  Senna spied the head of the construction crew hovering in the silo and headed in his direction.

  The man’s gaze roamed over her body, and if the appreciative gleam in his eyes was an indicator, he liked what he saw. She didn’t feel any such compunction to return the compliment, and especially not with Franklin hovering beside her, drawing her gaze.

  “Major Safreed, as you see, my people have been deployed now.”

  “Indeed, and how long do you expect this to take? I’d like to prepare the loading process later today.”

  They’d already gone through this song and dance, but she’d determined he was a singular individual who wanted things his way.

  “As I explained yesterday, this is a large vessel. My team must search every nook and cranny, and the devices will require recharging in the next four hours. We’ve managed to increase the battery charge process but—”

  “I need a timeframe, sergeant.”

  She shrugged. “I can’t give you that. If they find something, then it will take what it takes.”

  Safreed scowled. “Not good enough. Your commander stated we’d be good to go—”

  “As soon as the job is done, major. I will not risk my people or the lives of the colonists. You’re just going to have to sit tight like everyone else.”

  The burly man made a move, but Franklin slipped between them. “You don’t want to do that, major.”

  The man snarled, “What do you think you’re doing, private?”

  Senna’s hackles rose, but Franklin simply placed a hand on her arm. “I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. If you have further queries regarding Sergeant Reed’s process, I’d suggest you direct them to either Commander McDowell or Senator Villede. And now, if you’ll excuse us?”

  Franklin’s words dripped with ice, and Safreed backed away, hearing the jagged intent in his voice.

  Franklin removed his hand from Senna’s arm and indicated to the main door. “We should get started.”

  Senna hefted her unit, grateful they’d made loops allowing them to suspend on straps. These beasts were heavy, and she guessed they’d all have strained and sore arms by the end of the day.

  Stepping inside the craft was like entering one of the laboratories. Every wall was festooned with white ceramic tiles and the metallic surfaces.

  “Where to first?” Franklin asked.

  She directed him to the room where rows of suspension pods lay. The colonists would enter a form of suspended animation for the longest portion of their journey. The pods would sustain them, track vital signs, and offer medical assistance should that be necessary in flight.

  “We check every pod, inside and out, down to the resistance clamps and body form.” Switching on her unit, she waited a moment, until the whine of the power draw settled to an eerie buzz. Senna waved her arm. “You do that side, and I’ll do this one. We meet on the middle rows.”

  The work was laborious as they waved the wand, eyes on the monitor, looking for the ochre signal.

  No one hailed them, and no ochre detected, she rubbed her aching back. “I’ll be glad when we’ve finished this pass.”

  They met in the middle of the room, her monitor flashing the low battery alert, and they retreated back to the vehicle at the base of the silo.

  Team members were unplugging their units, and Agent Fairburn, one of the original team, flashed a smile. “They’ve got the battery refill down to about thirty minutes.”

  She grabbed a tube of water as Franklin set their batteries to charge, then she demanded an update from everyone.

  “We’re all getting negative readings, Senna. If this continues, we should be able to finish this pass efficiently. Then I suppose we start on the cargo loading?”

  Senna nodded and stared at the long, silver ship. Shaped like a missile, it would carry the colonists out into the universe, where they’d travel nearly four and a half light years until they landed on Agaria Minor.

  “I wonder what it would be like to be the first humans on one of those M-Class planets,” a woman to her left said.

  “Lonely,” quipped another searcher. “And with no house and only the food contained in the cargo bay until you can get the crops up. Scary to think it might fail because there isn’t enough food after traveling all that distance.”

  “At least you wouldn’t have the warrior children though,” said a third searcher, and not for the first time, Senna shivered at that thought.

  If they gained control of the ship, they could potentially populate the universe and wipe out other species. It was what they were already attempting to do here.

  Senna didn’t hurry them back to their work, aware of the muscular punishment they were all feeling right now. When the last two units were unhooked, she sent them back into the ship.

  CHAPTER 11

  After two days of inspection on the colony ship, Senna gave the green light to set up the loading process. Franklin was both pleased they’d detected no explosive compounds and yet concerned that it all went so well. Something just isn’t right.

  Franklin cradled a cup of hot coffee in his hands. “How do we ensure the safety of our colonists?”

  Senna took a long draught of the bitter brew. “Safety isn’t the only issue, Franklin.” She wiggled her toes and sighed as he watched. “We have to streamline the process, otherwise we’ll be doing this for the next three months.”

  There was a large part of the problem he noted. Too much. Too long. The colonists wanted on now, and Daniella did too. The responsibility he’d assumed along with Senna bit deep like a knife.

  “If we talk to Maylin, perhaps we could find a way to build a larger filter,” he suggested.

  Senna placed her cup back on the desk, then reclined back into her seat, rubbing her eyes. “And while that’s great and will work for later on, we need to break it all down now. Everything is going to have to be checked before storage in the bins for transport.”

  “I know, but the kickback from slowing down the operation—”

  “That’s Jonah’s problem, Franklin. Our job is to check it and give the okay,” Senna answered.

  If only it were that simple. Added to that was the sense that in the darkness an attack was brewing. There’d been no incursions by the warrior children in over a week, an unusual period of silence. One that he knew couldn’t last.

  “They’re regrouping, Franklin. I know it.” Senna opened her eyes, sharing her inner turmoil with him, as if she’d read his mind.

  “I agree. Once the word is out that we’re bringing in the colonists, I’m certain they’ll make a move. They almost have to.” That ate at him all day long. The unceasing knowledge that the calm would break, and soon, and they’d likely have hundreds of civilians to protect along with the god damned ship.

  “I keep thinking about this morning’s briefing, Franklin. The teams are following the breadcrumbs and seeking background on Lilly Montaine as they think she’s the instigator, but she’s not been found. No one disappears. They can’t.”

  He closed his eyes, considering Jonah’s earlier words. “If Senator Montaine continues to stonewall… He’s got quite a wall of security around his family. He’s blocking the media from finding them. He’s either paid them off or there’s more to it.”

  “But this is life and death. He’s a senator.” Her voice carried a wealth of disgust.

  “You spoke with Erin.” He cocked his head to one side. “What did she have to say?”

  “That once this is done, if she never sees another search string again, she’ll be happy. Seriously though, she and David are working around the clock, looking for any known association. She’s found bits about arms deals, but it’s not enough.”

  “It’s like we were fed the World Bank and Gantry along with the other foundations we’ve managed to find.”

  “It still doesn’t tell us how we’re going to find Lilly Montaine though.”

  “Houses and investments should be a matter of public record,” sputtered Franklin, bitterness betraying the fact that they were being denied access to the very information that would save many.

  Senna nodded. “I know, but Montaine didn’t place them in his personal name or that of his wife. According to Erin, he created a series of lower level entities and hid them behind walls that we didn’t know existed.”

  “I have to say, I’m pleased we have Maylin and her team sifting through public records. It’s just that doing that is tying up valuable resources.” Weariness now cascaded, and he rubbed his face, wanting to clear the grittiness from his eyes. “We’re no help either, tied up checking for the explosive compound, and meanwhile—” Franklin’s eyes snapped open, because they all knew the truth and they all had a lot to lose now. “They’re likely preparing for a full-on attack.”

  He turned to watch Senna shake her head. “I’m not so sure we’ll get a full-on attack. Not yet. It doesn’t make sense. Why expend all your energy in one burst, even if we’re split three ways? Why not send a percentage of your troops? Take out what you can and damage our defenses—”