invitation into his home. He’d been waiting for the major in the sitting room when an odd glow had drawn him forward. Even knowing how rude it was, he hadn’t been able to resist pushing open the door. He’d been so fascinated by what he’d seen that he hadn’t realized he’d barged into the man’s bedroom until Ravyn Brody had called him on it. Luckily, the woman had a sense of humor.
“The light pyramid,” he said, half statement, half question.
“You know about that?” Kendall straightened and he missed the feel of her against him.
“Uh, yeah,” he said cautiously, unsure what had put the edge in her voice.
“And you never told me about it?”
His lips twitched again. “Sorry, it slipped my mind.”
“It slipped your mind?” She surged to her feet, froze for a moment as if steadying herself, and then rounded on him. “You know how interested I am in this kind of thing.”
He stood up himself, felt his head start to throb harder, and guessed Kendall had gotten the pain worse than he had. “Sorry,” he repeated. “It won’t happen again, I swear.”
“It better not,” she grumbled, but he knew she wasn’t mad anymore. Moving carefully, she retrieved her bag and hitched it on her shoulder. “How do we get out of here?”
Wyatt looked around, but didn’t know for sure. The room was perfectly square, each wall identical. The boxes of alien goods were gone and the place was barren. “I think the entrance is to my left.” At least the opening had been on his left when he’d taken the hit. If they’d moved him after he’d gone down, then all bets were off.
Hours later, after feeling around the wall, trying to find some gizmo to open the damn thing, Wyatt conceded he could be wrong. Maybe it wasn’t this wall. Or maybe the only trigger was on the outside. He slammed the heel of his hand against the stone in lieu of cursing.
Kendall was on her knees to his right, patting around near the floor, and she stood when she heard the slap of skin against rock. She smiled at him and he felt his frustration melt away.
“Maybe we’ll be stuck in here for a while,” she said, sounding like the bubbly cheerleader she’d been accused of being, “but we’ll get out in time to sound the alert, and at least we won’t have to worry about hunger or thirst. Not right away. I still have my lunch and some water in my bag.”
“Food and water aren’t the top two items on my list of concerns.” He’d tried to keep the grimness out of his voice, but when he saw her smile fade, he knew he hadn’t succeeded.
“What are the top two worries?”
For an instant, he thought about lying. But Bug was tough enough to handle the truth. “My number one concern is they’ll realize how stupid it was not to kill us and come back to finish the job.”
“And your number two worry?”
“That they won’t.” She looked confused and he moved to pull her into his arms. “I’m beginning to wonder if the room is airtight. If it is, they don’t have to return. The lack of oxygen will kill us without leaving any evidence of foul play.”
Chapter Four
Although Alex hadn’t managed to catch more than a couple hours of sleep last night, he wasn’t tired. Anger was pumping adrenaline through his system. He’d been worried when Montgomery hadn’t shown up for the morning briefing. With another Spec Ops captain found murdered the evening before, he couldn’t help wondering whether the kid was in trouble—or dead himself.
Then he’d received word that Captain Kendall Thomas was AWOL too, and Alex’s temper had gone through the roof. He might not be able to put a face to that name, but he knew who she was. He kept track of what went on in his command and he was aware that Montgomery had been taking shit for months about the woman. The entire Spec Ops contingent thought it was hilarious that he’d been chasing her and getting nowhere.
Looked like the kid had finally caught her.
Impatiently, he checked
“The light pyramid,” he said, half statement, half question.
“You know about that?” Kendall straightened and he missed the feel of her against him.
“Uh, yeah,” he said cautiously, unsure what had put the edge in her voice.
“And you never told me about it?”
His lips twitched again. “Sorry, it slipped my mind.”
“It slipped your mind?” She surged to her feet, froze for a moment as if steadying herself, and then rounded on him. “You know how interested I am in this kind of thing.”
He stood up himself, felt his head start to throb harder, and guessed Kendall had gotten the pain worse than he had. “Sorry,” he repeated. “It won’t happen again, I swear.”
“It better not,” she grumbled, but he knew she wasn’t mad anymore. Moving carefully, she retrieved her bag and hitched it on her shoulder. “How do we get out of here?”
Wyatt looked around, but didn’t know for sure. The room was perfectly square, each wall identical. The boxes of alien goods were gone and the place was barren. “I think the entrance is to my left.” At least the opening had been on his left when he’d taken the hit. If they’d moved him after he’d gone down, then all bets were off.
Hours later, after feeling around the wall, trying to find some gizmo to open the damn thing, Wyatt conceded he could be wrong. Maybe it wasn’t this wall. Or maybe the only trigger was on the outside. He slammed the heel of his hand against the stone in lieu of cursing.
Kendall was on her knees to his right, patting around near the floor, and she stood when she heard the slap of skin against rock. She smiled at him and he felt his frustration melt away.
“Maybe we’ll be stuck in here for a while,” she said, sounding like the bubbly cheerleader she’d been accused of being, “but we’ll get out in time to sound the alert, and at least we won’t have to worry about hunger or thirst. Not right away. I still have my lunch and some water in my bag.”
“Food and water aren’t the top two items on my list of concerns.” He’d tried to keep the grimness out of his voice, but when he saw her smile fade, he knew he hadn’t succeeded.
“What are the top two worries?”
For an instant, he thought about lying. But Bug was tough enough to handle the truth. “My number one concern is they’ll realize how stupid it was not to kill us and come back to finish the job.”
“And your number two worry?”
“That they won’t.” She looked confused and he moved to pull her into his arms. “I’m beginning to wonder if the room is airtight. If it is, they don’t have to return. The lack of oxygen will kill us without leaving any evidence of foul play.”
Chapter Four
Although Alex hadn’t managed to catch more than a couple hours of sleep last night, he wasn’t tired. Anger was pumping adrenaline through his system. He’d been worried when Montgomery hadn’t shown up for the morning briefing. With another Spec Ops captain found murdered the evening before, he couldn’t help wondering whether the kid was in trouble—or dead himself.
Then he’d received word that Captain Kendall Thomas was AWOL too, and Alex’s temper had gone through the roof. He might not be able to put a face to that name, but he knew who she was. He kept track of what went on in his command and he was aware that Montgomery had been taking shit for months about the woman. The entire Spec Ops contingent thought it was hilarious that he’d been chasing her and getting nowhere.
Looked like the kid had finally caught her.
Impatiently, he checked
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