marched out to the hangar bay.
59
He was standing, glaring at the door when Kamran, Taber and Sean walked in.
“That’s a long, fucking fifteen minutes,” he barked at them. “She could be halfway to Yardon by now! Where’s your wife? I expected her to be here.”
“I initiated a lockdown. No ships are getting on or off this planet until it’s released,”
Kamran said in a calm voice. “And my wife has agreed to run the search from her office. She’s asked Sean here to step in for her.”
Davin had no doubt that in her office was the last place Haylie wanted to be right now. He couldn’t imagine the conversation that had passed between husband and wife.
Turning, he eyed the man he’d met only briefly in med bay. He looked as happy to be there as Davin was to have him.
“Taking her off planet isn’t their intent.” Sean spoke up and the group turned to stare at him. “They’d want her for the mine. A lot of men—”
Without thinking, Davin grabbed Sean by the front of his mining suit and hauled him into the air and gave him a shake. “You knew they were going to do this?”
Sean stared at him, a blank look that told Davin no amount of yelling or beating could scare this man. Without any care, he dropped Sean back to his feet and turned away, running his hands through his hair.
“No, I didn’t. If I had, I would have been there to stop it. I owe her that much.”
“We all want her back.” Kamran stepped beside him, his quiet voice unnerving Davin’s anger.
“It’s my fault she’s in trouble. I didn’t know she’d left,” Davin said in a quiet voice.
Again, he’d let someone down and they had to pay the price. His mother hadn’t been strong enough and he’d been too scared to help her. Now Sara was in danger, all because he’d been lulled into a false sense of security. It was becoming a habit he didn’t like.
Kamran placed his hand on Davin’s shoulder. “I’ve known Sara for a little over a year and I have my wife’s memories of her for the past seventeen years. If anyone will find a way to get into or out of trouble, it’s our Sara.”
Somehow, that didn’t make him feel any better.
Davin looked hard at the three men and asked the question he knew everyone was thinking. “Do you think this is related to the bio weapon? Take her to use as leverage.”
Taber looked at Kamran and then the floor. Sean crossed his arms across his chest and leveled his gaze at Davin. “If they did, then she’s dead. We can’t give them what they want, no matter the cost.”
“We need to get her back before that happens,” Davin said, unwilling to look away from Sean, despite the pull of the other man’s wounded psyche.
“We’ll have to move quickly if this is going to work.” Sean stepped forward.
Davin eyed him, hoping he wouldn’t get much closer. “Why do you care?”
“She’s helped me.” Sean took another step forward. “Why do you care?”
60
That was an answer he didn’t have. At least one he didn’t want to share. “She’s nice.”
Taber finally coughed, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’ve secured you two enviro suits. Sean and Davin will be able to travel to the mines and find out where she is.”
“Why not you? You’re the Briel security chief,” Davin said and waved a hand at the large Briel.
Taber glared at him but otherwise didn’t show his annoyance. “I doubt my arrival would do anything but cause more problems.”
Unfortunately, he was right. That didn’t mean he trusted the human. Kamran must have detected his hesitation, stepped forward and drew Davin aside. The current administrator kept his voice low, but the intensity in his gaze told Davin as most as much as his words.
“Sean is…struggling with some demons. Sara helped him in the past and he owes her. He also helped me, saved my life. He needs to know that we still trust him despite what he thinks he’s responsible for. I’m asking you, as a personal favor, let him
59
He was standing, glaring at the door when Kamran, Taber and Sean walked in.
“That’s a long, fucking fifteen minutes,” he barked at them. “She could be halfway to Yardon by now! Where’s your wife? I expected her to be here.”
“I initiated a lockdown. No ships are getting on or off this planet until it’s released,”
Kamran said in a calm voice. “And my wife has agreed to run the search from her office. She’s asked Sean here to step in for her.”
Davin had no doubt that in her office was the last place Haylie wanted to be right now. He couldn’t imagine the conversation that had passed between husband and wife.
Turning, he eyed the man he’d met only briefly in med bay. He looked as happy to be there as Davin was to have him.
“Taking her off planet isn’t their intent.” Sean spoke up and the group turned to stare at him. “They’d want her for the mine. A lot of men—”
Without thinking, Davin grabbed Sean by the front of his mining suit and hauled him into the air and gave him a shake. “You knew they were going to do this?”
Sean stared at him, a blank look that told Davin no amount of yelling or beating could scare this man. Without any care, he dropped Sean back to his feet and turned away, running his hands through his hair.
“No, I didn’t. If I had, I would have been there to stop it. I owe her that much.”
“We all want her back.” Kamran stepped beside him, his quiet voice unnerving Davin’s anger.
“It’s my fault she’s in trouble. I didn’t know she’d left,” Davin said in a quiet voice.
Again, he’d let someone down and they had to pay the price. His mother hadn’t been strong enough and he’d been too scared to help her. Now Sara was in danger, all because he’d been lulled into a false sense of security. It was becoming a habit he didn’t like.
Kamran placed his hand on Davin’s shoulder. “I’ve known Sara for a little over a year and I have my wife’s memories of her for the past seventeen years. If anyone will find a way to get into or out of trouble, it’s our Sara.”
Somehow, that didn’t make him feel any better.
Davin looked hard at the three men and asked the question he knew everyone was thinking. “Do you think this is related to the bio weapon? Take her to use as leverage.”
Taber looked at Kamran and then the floor. Sean crossed his arms across his chest and leveled his gaze at Davin. “If they did, then she’s dead. We can’t give them what they want, no matter the cost.”
“We need to get her back before that happens,” Davin said, unwilling to look away from Sean, despite the pull of the other man’s wounded psyche.
“We’ll have to move quickly if this is going to work.” Sean stepped forward.
Davin eyed him, hoping he wouldn’t get much closer. “Why do you care?”
“She’s helped me.” Sean took another step forward. “Why do you care?”
60
That was an answer he didn’t have. At least one he didn’t want to share. “She’s nice.”
Taber finally coughed, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’ve secured you two enviro suits. Sean and Davin will be able to travel to the mines and find out where she is.”
“Why not you? You’re the Briel security chief,” Davin said and waved a hand at the large Briel.
Taber glared at him but otherwise didn’t show his annoyance. “I doubt my arrival would do anything but cause more problems.”
Unfortunately, he was right. That didn’t mean he trusted the human. Kamran must have detected his hesitation, stepped forward and drew Davin aside. The current administrator kept his voice low, but the intensity in his gaze told Davin as most as much as his words.
“Sean is…struggling with some demons. Sara helped him in the past and he owes her. He also helped me, saved my life. He needs to know that we still trust him despite what he thinks he’s responsible for. I’m asking you, as a personal favor, let him
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