Page 24 of Zinnia and the Zombie (Alien Abduction #26)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

J axx watched Zinnia’s face as they climbed toward the stars, her eyes reflecting the fading image of the ruined city below.

Her serene expression filled him with relief and he found himself relaxing.

Her choice to remain with him, to help him search for his people instead of returning to her own world, couldn’t have been easy, but she showed no sign of regretting it.

Now, with the city receding below them, he could almost pretend they were merely voyaging toward a new adventure. A new beginning.

As the sky faded to darkness, he felt the change in air pressure, the subtle shift in gravity that told him the ship was accelerating, breaking free from the planet’s orbit.

The Grorn vessel responded well to his touch, better than he’d expected from such zealots.

Their technology was functional rather than elegant, but it was effective.

“We’re clear,” he announced as the blue-green sphere of their temporary home shrank behind them.

She unbuckled her restraints and stretched, arching her back. “So what happens now?”

“Now we plot a course.” He ran his fingers over the navigation panel, pulling up the star charts stored in the ship’s database. “Come, look.”

She moved to stand beside him, her warmth radiating against his side and her sweet scent filling his head.

He had to force himself to concentrate on the holographic display in front of them, stars and systems glowing in three-dimensional clarity.

At least the Grorn databases were comprehensive. He could work with them.

“This is where we are,” he said, indicating their position. “And this…” He expanded the display outward, moving across a vast distance until he found what he was looking for. “This is the Helon Cluster. My people sent colony ships to establish outposts there before the sickness came.”

She leaned closer, studying the cluster of stars. “That looks like it’s a long way away.”

“It is. But if any of my people survived, that’s where we’re most likely to find them.”

She nodded, her face solemn as she traced the potential course with her finger, a slender path through the star field. “Then that’s where we’ll go.”

He set the coordinates, checking the fuel reserves and life support systems. The Grorn had been well-prepared for such a trip. Had they known they would be hunting him specifically? The thought troubled him, but he pushed it aside. There would be time for such questions later.

“The autopilot is engaged,” he said, tapping the final command. “It will alert us if anything requires attention. It will be a long journey,” he added warningly.

“Long is fine.” She gave him a teasing smile. “I’m sure we can find something to do.”

His body instantly responded to her flirtatious tone, the memory of their night in the garden still fresh. He would never tire of her, never tire of the way her touch could soothe and arouse him at the same time.

“There is always maintenance,” he said roughly.

“Hmm.” Her fingertips traced patterns on the arm of his chair. “That doesn’t sound particularly exciting. What else are our options?”

“I could teach you more about ship operations.”

“Perhaps. Although I can’t see myself as a pilot.”

“You can do anything you wish to do,” he said. “There are other duties that would require less specialized training.”

She tilted her head, regarding him curiously. “Such as?”

“The cleaning and maintenance of living quarters.”

She laughed. “You want me to be a janitor?”

“It is important work. And there would be… benefits.”

Her eyebrows arched. “Benefits?”

He pulled her down onto his lap and she wiggled happily against him, her eyes shining with amusement.

The simple rightness of her in his arms never ceased to amaze him.

This fierce, gentle woman who had called him back from living death, who had stood beside him against every danger, who had chosen him over her own world—she was his miracle, his unexpected salvation.

He smiled down at her. “As captain it is my duty to ensure all the crew are fully satisfied.”

She ran a hand down his chest, hovering just above the lamellae covering his mating organ. “A very important responsibility. But I believe you’re already fulfilling that duty.”

He captured her wrist, gently restraining her. “Only part of it. There are many duties a captain must fulfill.”

“Really?” Her smile widened. “Such as?”

“He must provide direction.”

“What kind of direction?”

“Navigation, for example.” He released her wrist and took her by the hips, shifting her so she straddled him. She inhaled sharply as he rocked her against the bulge of his mating organ. He kissed her, savoring her intoxicating taste until she was clinging to him.

“Communication,” he continued, trailing kisses along her jaw, her throat, nipping at her pulse. “Coordination.”

She arched her back, her soft curves molding against him. “Anything else?”

He slid his hands up her body, cupping her breasts and teasing her nipples through the thin fabric. She moaned, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

“Many other things,” he murmured, his lips tracing the delicate shell of her ear. “I can’t wait to get started.”

The captain’s chair wasn’t the most comfortable location, but neither of them seemed to care as his hands slipped beneath the hem of her top, finding the warm skin of her waist.

She made that small, needy sound in the back of her throat that always drove him to distraction, and he was about to lift her, to carry her somewhere more suitable when a harsh, mechanical sound cut through the quiet cockpit.

Red alerts flashed across the console, bathing them in crimson light, and he quickly lifted her off his lap.

“Strap in,” he ordered. “Now.”

She scrambled into the co-pilot’s seat, fumbling with the harness as he bent over the controls.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice steady despite the way she was gripping the armrest.

“Proximity alert,” he said, searching their surroundings. “We’re not alone.”

The sensors showed a vessel approaching rapidly from their port side—a ship that had been hidden in the shadow of the system’s outer planet until it moved to intercept them. Deliberate. Calculated.

The ship’s engines screamed as he attempted evasive maneuvers, but the other vessel had appeared too suddenly.

“Grorn?” she asked, and he shook his head as the other vessel appeared on the viewscreen—a massive ship materializing as if from nowhere, its hull a patchwork of modified armor plating and weapons arrays.

He swore under his breath just as a blinding flash filled the viewscreen. The ship bucked violently, throwing them against the restraints. The lights flickered, then died, plunging the bridge into darkness before emergency lighting activated, bathing everything in an eerie red glow.

The gentle hum of the engines fell silent. In its place came the soft, rhythmic beeping of warning systems and the hiss of emergency ventilation.

“Jaxx?” Her voice sounded thin and frightened.

“We’ve lost main power,” he said, his attention focused on the few displays that still functioned. “They hit us with some kind of targeted electromagnetic pulse. Engines are offline.”

He tried bringing the controls back online but all of the systems were unresponsive other than life support. With both weapons and propulsion disabled, they were effectively helpless.

“They’ve overridden all our systems,” he added. “We’re completely vulnerable.”

Another proximity alert flashed on the screen, indicating the pirate vessel was extending a docking mechanism. A metallic clang reverberated through the hull as the ships connected.

“They’ll be boarding within minutes.” He sorted through possible scenarios, discarding each as quickly as it formed. A direct confrontation would be suicide—even at full strength, he couldn’t fight an entire crew. His priority had to be her safety.

A desperate search of the bridge revealed a storage compartment built into the bulkhead on the port side. It was designed to hold navigation equipment and emergency supplies, but she was small enough to fit in it.

“Here.” He quickly guided her towards the compartment, and pressed the release mechanism. The panel slid open, revealing a space just large enough for her to hide. “Get inside.”

Her eyes widened. “What? No! I’m not hiding while you?—”

“Listen to me.” He gripped her shoulders, willing her to understand. “I need to face them alone. If they sense your presence, they’ll search the ship until they find you.”

“But—”

“I can read their energy signatures, anticipate their movements. I’ll be more effective if I’m not dividing my attention to protect you.” His voice softened. “Please, Zinnia. Trust me.”

She searched his face, conflict evident in her expression. “What will you do?”

“Try to reason with them first. Pirates are motivated by profit—I might be able to negotiate.” He didn’t mention what would happen if negotiation failed. They both knew.

The sound of the airlock cycling reached them—the pirates had begun the boarding procedure.

“There’s no time,” he urged. “Please.”

Reluctantly, she nodded. “Don’t you dare die on me, Jaxx.”

“I have no intention of leaving you.” He brushed a brief kiss across her lips, then helped her into the compartment. “Whatever happens, don’t make a sound until I come for you.”

The panel slid shut just as the heavy tread of footsteps echoed from the corridor leading to the bridge.

He positioned himself at the center of the command area, his stance deceptively relaxed but ready to move in any direction.

He searched for the approaching energy signatures and frowned as the inner door slid open with a soft hiss.

He expected a squad of armed pirates, but his senses had not misled him.

A single male entered the bridge moving with a predatory grace.

The newcomer was tall and powerful, with golden skin and a long tail that swayed slowly behind him.

His face was angular, with faintly feline features—a Tajiri hybrid.

His flamboyant clothing was clearly expensive, but it lacked the formal precision of one of the Tajiri merchant houses.

More importantly, the energy blaster in his hand was aimed directly at Jaxx’s chest.

“How interesting,” the pirate drawled. “I expected Grorn. You are… decidedly not.” Bright blue eyes narrowed. “What are you doing on a Grorn vessel, golden one?”

He maintained his relaxed posture despite the weapon trained on him. “The same thing you are, I suspect. Taking advantage of an opportunity.”

The pirate’s mouth curved in what might have been a smile, revealing sharp fangs. “A thief, then?”

“A survivor,” he corrected. “The Grorn were hunting me. I did not wish to be caught.”

The pirate circled slowly, keeping the blaster steady. His tail continued its rhythmic swaying, a counterbalance to his movements. Jaxx recognized the tactic—the tail’s motion was meant to distract while the pirate assessed his potential opponent.

“You eliminated an entire Grorn hunting party?” The pirate sounded impressed despite himself. “Alone?”

He inclined his head slightly. “They were… overconfident.”

“As am I, perhaps?” The pirate’s smile widened. “Perhaps introductions are in order. I am Captain Doren va Korr. And you are?”

“Commander Jaxxlariat t’Semon.”

“And where are you from, Commander Jaxxlariat?”

He hesitated, then went with the truth.

“Zathixia.”

A flash of surprise crossed the other male’s face—the first genuine reaction he’d shown. “Zathixia? Your kind are believed extinct.”

“Not quite,” he replied, feeling a familiar hollow ache at the reminder. “Though we are… fewer than we once were.”

Doren studied him with new interest. “The Zathix were highly regarded for their combat prowess and their… unique abilities.” His gaze swept over Jaxx’s golden skin. “I’ve heard tales of Zathix warriors who could become living statues, impervious to harm.”

He remained silent, neither confirming nor denying.

“If you are truly Zathix,” Doren continued, “you could be worth a considerable fortune to the right buyer. There are collectors who would pay handsomely for a living specimen of a supposedly extinct species.”

“I’m not merchandise,” he said flatly.

“Everything is for sale.” Doren’s tail snapped like an angry whip. “The trick is finding the right buyer.”

He didn’t respond. His only advantage at this point was surprise. Doren had no idea how dangerous a Zathix could truly be.

“However,” Doren continued, “there is also the matter of the bounty on this vessel. A very large bounty.”

“I see.”

“So you can understand my dilemma. On the one hand, I have an opportunity to claim the prize of a lifetime. On the other, there would be a sizable profit from selling the ship and its contents to a collector.”

“I see,” he said again.

Doren’s smile turned cold. “But perhaps you can sway my decision. So tell me, what will you give me for your freedom, golden one?”

“Nothing,” he replied calmly. “Because you have already decided to kill me.”

“No!”

Zinnia came tumbling out of the storage compartment and he immediately threw himself in front of her, bracing himself for the blast from Doren’s weapon. Instead the Tajiri started to laugh.