Invasion Earth by Loribelle Hunt Page B

was still uncertain.
    From where he was hidden in a desert rock
outcropping, he observed the storm of dust that heralded the
approach of a small dune buggy. The vehicle pulled right up, a few
feet away, and stopped. The engine turned off. The woman didn’t
step out. She was cloaked and hooded as always, and he came out of
the shadows. Then she surprised him. These Earth women were always
full of surprises, weren’t they?
    “I’m Kendall, and Laney Bradford is my
friend.”
    She lifted her head and threw the hood back
from her face. He couldn’t say why it was that he couldn’t pull his
gaze away. She was striking. Challenging and alluring. But not
necessarily pretty. It was irritating this pull the women of Earth
seemed to have gained over him. This one was not his any more than
the woman she claimed was her friend, but he found himself
fascinated by both.
    He stepped out into the sand. “Is she? And
what of it?”
    The woman, Kendall, cocked her head to one
side and gave him a cold smile. “I was told you are a patriot. That
you could be trusted to protect your leaders. At any cost. And
right now Laney is somehow involved with them, right? Is this
true?”
    “I’m sworn to the house of Torfa. I’ll
protect them with all I can.” He avoided the question of Sergeant
Major Laney Bradford.
    She blinked, but that was the only reaction
that she showed. “Fair enough. I guess that will have to do.”
    She stepped out of her vehicle and the robe
billowed around her in the heavy desert wind. She was wearing the
standard military uniform under it but he caught a glimpse of their
medical symbol on her collar. What the fuck? Their spy was a
healer? She tugged the edges together before he could get anything
more than a glimpse. She walked forward and stopped before him. He
wanted to call her smile sly or devious, but it wasn’t. It was
sweet and curious and several things a man like him had no right to
wish for.
    “My people vilify yours, you know. But I’m
betting we aren’t very different. I’m a doctor.” She shrugged.
“Human nature is what it is. It doesn’t change much from man to
man.”
    He didn’t answer. How could he? If she was
going to break them down to the basest elements, the basest
desires, he was inclined to agree with her. She arched an eyebrow
when he didn’t answer.
    “That being the case, I’m betting you have as
many people opposed to this peace as we do. Yes?”
    Reluctantly, he nodded his agreement.
    “I’m not a spy, you understand? I think we
can finally be all out in the open here.” This time her smile was
friendly and open. “You and I both know what role I used to, um,
occasionally serve for the Sergeant Major.”
    She turned serious. “Anyway. I don’t really
know what’s going on. I can’t reach her. If I could, I would never
have contacted you. I do know she’s one of the hostages and I heard
a rumor she’s a target. I’m not sure from who.”
    She paused, her frustration clear on her
face. “This isn’t what I do. I don’t know how to find the
information we need, but I know my Sergeant Major, my friend, is in
trouble.”
    He couldn’t say why he believed her, but he
did. “What have you heard?”
    Kendall sighed, but it was clearly a sound of
exasperation. “I wish I knew. I know, you’re thinking that’s crazy
and I don’t blame you. I’m not sure what I heard. Or when. But it
was recently and it was something I either blew off or it didn’t
register. Except now, whatever it was, it’s started to nag at my
unconscious, ya know? It’s like I know I know something, but I have
no idea what it is.”
    He nodded. He knew exactly how she felt. The
same nagging feeling had been with him for days.
    “Can you get in touch with her?”
    How did he answer that without inviting a
whole lot more questions? No, but I might be able to reach her
der’lan? They hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with the real
reason for their coming to Earth so that was not an