Escape From Zulaire by Veronica Scott Read Free Book Online

sign. There should be lights on in half the house right now. Especially the kitchen and the servants’ wing . “Where are your men?”
    “With our vehicles in the garage.” He rolled over onto his back, reaching again for the com unit. Glancing at her, he did a pronounced double take, swallowing hard. “Got rid of the finery, eh? Much better for crawling around and avoiding enemy attention.”
    The wet garment was plastered on her body, outlining every curve for him. Andi was glad the moonlight wasn’t any brighter. Now was not the time for physical distractions. Halfway serious, she said, “Well, I thought dark blue was more suited for combat situations. What are we going to do next?”
    A reverberating explosion shook the hillside as flames shot from the roof of the mansion, followed by a smaller eruption where the garage stood. Lords of Space, are rebels attacking here as well? Flinching at the sudden high-pitched whine of Sectors blasters somewhere in the darkness, Andi hugged the ground.
    From her prone position she stared at the mansion, trying to figure out exactly where the fire was blazing. Flames were licking at the walls in a number of rooms, including the far end of the third floor. Adrenaline coursed through her. “The fire’s on the top floor where the nursery is. I can’t leave until I’ve made sure the children are safe, Captain.” She held up a hand as he drew a breath. “I know, you’ve mentioned your orders enough times, but we’re talking children. I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t at least check the nursery . ”   Before he had a chance to stop her, Andi was on her feet and running. He’ll have to follow me since his precious orders are to protect me, so if I can just get to the house, I’ll have him—and his blaster—for backup.  
      Sure enough, she heard Deverane give chase, but she had the advantage of a head start and familiarity with the grounds. She sprinted to the side door, entering the house through the kitchen. One dim light glowed from an emergency panel in the ceiling. A half-eaten meal sat on the table. The chairs were toppled, one broken as if it had been used as a weapon in a violent struggle. A bloody knife lay on the floor.
    Andi barely glanced at the knife. No time to be ill, just RUN.
    Carefully, she stepped barefoot through the mess to the emergency supply cabinet next to the pantry, where she grabbed a hand lamp. Pointing the cone of light ahead of her, she jogged into the service corridor to the main part of the house. Fear of what she might find made her lightheaded, and she took a few careful breaths to calm her nerves.   I’ve got to make sure the kids aren’t trapped upstairs in their cribs. With the nurse gone, there may not be anyone else but me to double-check.
    Tripping, Andi fell headlong. The body she’d stumbled over cushioned her fall for the most part, although her right elbow smashed into the floor. Sitting up, she rubbed her elbow, looking for the hand lamp she’d dropped. Instead, she saw the bloody face of the elderly cook, starkly outlined by the beam of light. The elderly woman’s sightless eyes were wide open in death. Stifling a scream, Andi scrabbled away from the corpse of the cook, who’d been stabbed multiple times.
    When she felt her back against the wall, Andi reached for the lamp, then used the wall to lever herself to her feet. After sidling past the corpse, she ran down the hall and opened the door to the main entryway. Curling like a living thing, a thin layer of smoke drifted across the foyer, about ten inches off the floor. The flicker of reflected flames in the library tinted the area in orange light.
    A piercing shriek echoed from the second floor. Increasingly terrified but determined to help whoever was in trouble, Andi launched into a dead run across the slick stone floor, taking the wide, curving, carpeted stairs at high speed. Past the first curve she stopped abruptly, right before she would have stepped on