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MAX

W hen Max's phone vibrated in the pocket of his cargo pants, he had a good idea who was on the line. Yamanu was no doubt calling Kian to update him on the operation and wanted Max on the line.

"Max here," he answered quietly, moving to the cockpit where he wouldn't disturb the others. He could turn off his teardrop, but some of the kids seemed to know English, and there were things he couldn't say with them around.

Morris nodded his approval and gestured for him to take the copilot seat.

"Hello, Max," Kian said. "I'm here with Onegus, and I have Yamanu on the line. Which one of you wants to go first?"

"I don't mind going first," Max said. "Almost nothing worked according to our original plan, and we kept improvising, but we got Kyra's sisters and the kids out."

"That's good to hear," Kian said. "So, what went wrong?"

Max stifled a chuckle. "What didn't go wrong would be a better question. The Doomers have a much heavier presence in Iran than we suspected, and they were majorly pissed off after we demolished two of their bases. We were compromised at multiple points, which suggests a security breach within the local network. This is something that Turner needs to address with whoever is in charge there."

"What do you mean by compromised?" Onegus asked.

"The Doomers were waiting for us at nearly all extraction points," Yamanu said. "They anticipated our moves with disturbing precision. We were forced to accelerate the timeline and change extraction routes multiple times."

"They had a coordinated response across the entire city," Max added. "Frankly, I have no idea how they managed it. They are getting more sophisticated, which is troublesome on many levels."

"Any casualties?" Kian asked.

"One civilian," Yamanu said. "Yasmin's husband was killed defending his family before we arrived. The Doomers took Yasmin and her children, but we tracked them to a compound outside the city, got them out, and sacked the place after we disposed of all the Doomers. "

"We sanitized it," Max added. "We left no survivors and no security footage behind, and we hoped that would do the trick and the rest of the extraction would be easy. Imagine our surprise when Doomers started popping up all over the place."

The pilot cast Max a worried glance. "How did you get the sisters and the kids out with such a small team and with Doomers coming at you from all directions?"

"I credit the Kra-ell," Max admitted. "They are a force of nature."

"I agree," Yamanu confirmed. "It's a pleasure to work with them. They learn incredibly fast, and they love fighting. The more desperate the odds, the more thrilled they are to be let loose on the enemy."

"That's good to know," Onegus said. "We need to work on recruiting more of them and giving them proper training. Your team of Kra-ell barely had any."

"They are naturals," Yamanu said. "It's like they were born to fight."

In a way, that was precisely what the Kra-ell had been bred to be over many generations of endless tribal wars. They were killing machines, and the clan was fortunate to have them fighting alongside them. Especially now that the Doomers were getting more sophisticated and better coordinated, the clan could use any help they could get.

"Can you estimate how many Doomers you've eliminated?" Kian asked. "Also, how many more have you encountered? "

Max frowned. "Between the compound in Tahav and this one, I'd estimate the Doomer death toll at about thirty, give or take a few. But we encountered many more today. They are deeply embedded in the Revolutionary Guard."

"That's concerning," Kian murmured.

"I wonder what they are cooking up there. It's obviously not about Durhad's little side project of collecting Dormants," Yamanu said. "I hope it's not connected to their nuclear ambitions, but I have a feeling that it is."

"Of course it is." Kian groaned. "Navuh is not stupid enough to start a nuclear war and annihilate most humans, but nuclear Iran is another destabilizing force that will throw the world into chaos. The more chaotic it gets, the more power the Brotherhood can wield, and the closer they get to achieving their ambitions of world domination."

There was a long silence on the line, and Max wondered if the others were imagining a world under the Brotherhood's rule like he was. All of Annani's and her clan's work would be destroyed, all the progress reversed, and a new Dark Age would ensue, worse than all the others preceding it combined. The savagery and suffering would be unimaginable, and women would bear the brunt of it.

"We will need to investigate what's going on there," Kian said. "But that's beyond the scope of this mission. What's the status with Kyra's sisters?"

"They're processing," Max said. "Kyra's older sisters have just learned their daughters are alive, but the one who has lost her husband is obviously distressed, and so are her children. He was a good man, as opposed to the husbands of the other two. Soraya and Rana had no problem leaving their husbands behind."

“I’m sorry for her loss,” Kian said. "I'll have Okidu waiting with the bus at the airstrip to deliver all of you straight to the village. Naturally, Julian will be there with the medical van to check all the newcomers for implants. Jasmine, Fenella, and Kyra's nieces are coming to the village later today to meet Ingrid. She will give them a tour of the available houses. Once they make their selection, she will put them to work to prepare them for their families' arrival."

Kyra would be thrilled to hear that. Having her daughter and nieces to welcome the rest of the family would make everything much smoother.

"Is Kyra planning to tell them about their genetics and what it means for their future?" Kian asked.

"She is, but she hasn't done so yet," Max said. "We have plenty of time. It's a long flight and we also need to stop for refueling."

"It needs to be done before they arrive at the airstrip," Kian said.

"It will be," Max promised. "Kyra will most likely tell the adults and leave it up to them when and how to tell the children."

Once the call ended, Max stood and stretched his aching muscles. Looking toward the back of the plane, he caught Kyra looking at him and smiled.

He made his way back, sliding into the seat beside her. "Your sisters must be anxious to hear the story you promised them."

"I know." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I needed a few minutes of rest before I tackle that talk."

"Do you want coffee? That always perks you up."

She lifted her head off his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "It's amazing how well you know me after such a short time."

He wrapped his arm around her. "You fascinate me. I pay attention to every move you make." He closed one eye and leaned away. "I hope that didn't sound as creepy to you as it sounded to me."

Kyra laughed. "Not at all. Well, for now, when we are still getting to know each other, that's not creepy. But it might get a little annoying if you are still doing it a year from now."

If she was talking about a year from now, they were good. "Let me know when I should stop, and I will."

"Deal." She let out a breath. "I should call Jasmine, but first, I need to talk to my sisters and tell them who I really am."

"Speaking of Jasmine," he said quietly, "She is taking Fenella and the girls to the village later today to look at houses, and once they choose the ones they like, they will prepare them for your sisters. We are heading straight there instead of going to the penthouse."

Kyra's eyes widened. "That's so exciting." She kept her voice down. "I hope Jasmine selects adjacent homes for us. I would love to live next door to my daughter and sisters." She glanced toward the back again. "Maybe I should text her."

"That's a good idea. Tell her to send you pictures once she gets there."

She lifted a brow. "Is that allowed? I mean, everything about the village is classified information, right?"

"Our phones are secure."

"That's good." She settled against him and slipped her hand into his.

Max felt the familiar connection surge between them. He'd known her for such a short time, yet it felt like they'd been partners for centuries.

"What about us?" she asked. "Are we going to move in together?"

"Nothing would make me happier, but it's up to you. I don't want you to feel pressured."

She chuckled. "Trust me, if I feel pressured, it's not because of our housing arrangement."

Max frowned. "Then what?"

She looked into his eyes. "I can't wait to be with you in every sense of the word."

Max swallowed, getting instantly hard. "I can't wait either, but?—"

Kyra put a finger on his lips. "I know. It's up to me, and you don't want me to feel pressured. You are not the one pressuring me, my love. The pressure comes from inside. It's everything I have bottled up and kept locked in for two and a half decades."

"Oh, boy." He pretended panic. "I'm not sure I will survive that."

Kyra laughed. "Don't worry. I'll make it good for you." She winked, pulled out her phone, and started texting as if she hadn't just detonated a massive explosive under his butt.