DarkWind: 2nd Book, WindDemon Trilogy by Charlotte Boyett-Compo Read Free Book Online Page B

Mary,” Wellmeyer whined. “Oh, Sweet Merciful Mother of God!” He threw his hands up to his face. “They’re going to blow us to kingdom come! They are going to...”
    “Somebody shut that fool up, will ya?” Caitlin snapped. She put a firm hand on Helen Bryan’s shoulder. “Try hailing him again.”
    “They won’t respond,” Helen said, her lips trembling.
    “Try anyway.”
    “Won’t do any good,” Helen warned. She lifted her hand and pointed to the Com-Link that had engaged once more.
    Caitlin turned slowly and gasped. On the screen in front of her were five ships, ranged along the entire vista of the Com-Link screen’s expanse.
    “They’ve got weapons locked on us, Caitlin,” Dixon said softly. “Enough firepower to reduce us to space lint.”
    Caitlin closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly together for a moment, then opened them slowly and exhaled loudly. Very quietly she asked Bryan to try the hail again.
    The screen came back up and the smirking countenance of Iyan McGregor filled the vista.
    “Well?” he demanded.
    Caitlin locked gazes with him. “You know where he was?” she asked.
    “Aye,” came the snap. “On FSK-14 when you bastards...”
    “No,” Caitlin disagreed, realizing McGregor had no idea what had happened to his friend. “He was on Montyne Vex when we found him.”
    Once more the imposing blond-haired warrior blinked. He held her gaze, judging the truth of her word, and then Caitlin saw his rigid shoulders relax just a tad. “In the Sinisters,” he said, wanting the spot clarified.
    “Aye, Captain McGregor,” she responded, giving him a title she wasn’t sure was his by rights, but when his chin lifted, she knew she had guessed correctly.
    Now there was deep concern on the lean face. “Why was he there?” McGregor inquired, his brow creased.
    “The Amazeen had taken him there.”
    The slow intake of Iyan McGregor’s breath was loud over the Com-Link connection, his prolonged exhalation even louder. Caitlin saw his shoulder slump. His gaze was not as fierce, as hateful, and his voice, when he spoke, was not as hostile. “I warned him not to go to FSK-14. We all warned him.” He paused then asked, “What did they do to him?”
    Caitlin not only sensed the deep concern in the warrior’s face, she heard it in his voice. “He was tortured, but he is alive, Captain. Not well, but alive. If you want to see him, you can come aboard and-”
    “No!” Wellmeyer screeched, his voice loud enough to make even McGregor flinch.
    Caitlin winced, too, but she ignored the outburst, still speaking to McGregor and holding that man’s attention. “If you wish to board, alone and unarmed, I-”
    “Do you take me for a fool, bitch?” McGregor snarled, he looked behind him at the men ranged along his bridge and there were guffaws of sneering laughter.
    “If you want to see Khiershon Cree, Captain,” Caitlin said, continuing despite his interruption, “that is the only way you will do so.”
    The right portion of McGregor’s upper lip curled in contempt. “There will be nothing left of your ship-”
    “Or of Khiershon Cree if you fire at us, you moron,” Caitlin said, losing patience.
    The warriors on the bridge of McGregor’s ship took a step back from the tall blond man, fearful of his reaction to the words. They had no idea what ‘moron’ meant, but they knew from the woman’s tone, it was not a compliment.
    The crew of the Orion held its collective breath as the other ship’s computer accessed the Com Officer’s terminaland and the Orion’s data bank probed for the meaning of the word.
    Iyan McGregor cocked his head to one side, his eyes lowered, listening to the definition of the Terran woman’s word. As the insult registered, he slowly lifted his gaze and fused it with Caitlin’s. He glared hatefully at her, his anger a sentient thing aimed straight at her heart. When he raised his chin, a muscle in his left cheek quivering, she knew she had made an enemy of