Mother of Mars by D M Pruden

Author:D M Pruden [Pruden, D M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780995301337
Published: 2017-01-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

The voices conversed in low tones, but the sound of them thundered through my aching head. Sitting up gingerly, I lingered on the leather couch I found myself on. The bright light hurt my eyes, and I had no recollection of where I was or how I arrived. Panic gripped my chest. Still somewhat dizzy, I foolishly attempted to stand, only to end up, sprawled on the carpet.

Friendly hands helped me back to the bench, and Dani’s reassuring voice accompanied the soothing fingers stroking through my hair. “Take it easy, Sugar. You took quite a fall.”

“I did?” My hands reflexively reached for my head, encountering a bandage. A memory tried to rise through the fog. “I don’t remember what happened.”

“You tripped and hit your head. JR carried you back.”

“Where are we?”

A familiar male voice replied, “You are on my personal yacht.” Talus Varr leaned over me, paternal concern on his face.

“I guess I really whacked my head. I can’t recall a thing. How long was I out?”

“Maybe thirty minutes. I was beginning to worry,” said Dani.

My thinking was muddled, but the full meaning of Talus’s words gradually dawned on me. “Why are we on your yacht? I thought we abandoned it. Too easy to track, or something?” I clutched my head and squeezed my eyes closed, wishing for the nausea to pass.

“Our planned mode of escape was too far away to bring you there. We needed to leave quickly. Bubo managed to disable the transponder, and Miss O’Hara graciously offered her computer skills to trick the tower to ignore us.” He looked admonishingly at Dani. “Had I known of her extensive talents earlier, it would have saved a lot of unnecessary bother.”

Dani shrugged and grinned sheepishly. “You didn’t ask about specifics.”

Varr frowned at her.

The little craft pitched on an air current, forcing me to catch my balance.

“Where are we going?”

Dani beamed. “We’re on our way to find Carlos.”

My eyes widened with recollection. I searched the cabin, and my gaze settled on JR. My accusing finger pointed at him. “He shot the man and his daughter, then he hit me on the head.”

JR frowned and assessed me quizzically, as if what he heard was unfamiliar.

Varr patted my shoulder and spoke patronizingly. “He told us about Aasok’s treachery; how he used that story of a sick child to lure you in. He intended to sell you to the authorities. JR had to kill him to prevent his betrayal of us.”

“A little girl, about eight years old. That son of a bitch shot her between the eyes right in front of me.”

JR shook his head and addressed Varr. “She struck her head harder than I thought.”

I glared at him. “I didn’t fall. You hit me on the head.”

“Why would I do such a thing?” he asked, looking to Varr for support. “As it was, I had to carry you all the way to the hangar. I drew a lot of unwanted attention. And you could stand to lose a couple of kilos, besides.

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