Destin's Hold (The Alliance #5)(14)

“Yes,” Razor said. “It is probably nothing.”

Kali glanced up at Razor and shook her head. “Destin and I learned to trust our instincts. It is one of the things that kept us alive. If you feel something is off, then there is probably a good reason. Why don’t Ami and I stay near the transport while you and Destin check out the house?” she suggested.

“How about Razor checks out the house while I stay here with you and Ami? Or better yet, why don’t you put Ami back in the transport and take it up into the air while Razor and I check things out. I’d feel better if I knew you two were somewhere safe,” Destin said.

Kali opened her mouth to protest before she closed it and nodded. “I hate to say this, but I think that is a brilliant idea,” she reluctantly agreed. “Razor….”

Razor turned and gazed down at her and Ami. He stepped closer and brushed his knuckles along Ami’s small cheek before he pressed a kiss to Kali’s lips. His eyes were dark with emotion.

“I will notify you when to return. If I don’t, or you see anything, return to Hunter’s and Jesse’s home,” he ordered.

“I will,” Kali replied, knowing that it was her responsibility to keep Ami safe. “Hopefully, it is just a bad feeling.”

“Let us hope,” Razor murmured before nodding for her to return Ami to her seat.

Razor reached under the pilot’s seat of the transport and withdrew a laser pistol and a long blade. Destin shook his head when Razor started to hold a laser pistol out to him. Instead, he bent down and withdrew the knife tucked into the top of his boot. He had slipped the knife into his boot out of habit when he had gotten ready for the wedding hours ago.

They both stood back and watched Kali guide the transport up out of the courtyard. As an added precaution, she guided it back toward the main road. Once she was clear, Destin turned to Razor and nodded.

He silently followed Razor to the front of the house. They scanned the area before Razor motioned for him to take the back entrance. Destin turned and headed around the side. He paused at the gate. Disengaging the lock would make a soft noise. Instead, he took a few steps away from the house, parallel to the fence, then turned toward the house, ran and jumped. His feet hit the side of the house and he twisted as he pushed off, landing on the thick stone fencing separating the front from the back.

Crouching on the top of the fence, he remained frozen while he scanned the backyard. There was no movement. Destin dropped down to the ground and moved along the shadows. His fingers tightened around the handle of his knife and he stepped carefully along the path. Once he had made a thorough sweep of the back garden, he stepped up onto the covered patio. He relaxed when he saw Razor step out of the back door.

“Anything?” Destin asked in a low voice.

“No,” Razor replied with a grim shake of his head. “Noth….”

Destin cursed when he caught a flash out of the corner of his eye. He dove forward, wrapping his arms around Razor and driving them both back through the open doorway. A smothered hiss escaped him when he felt a line of fire rip across his left shoulder. The knife he had been holding flew from his hand and skidded across the floor when they hit the hard marble.

Almost immediately, he rolled to the right while Razor rolled to the left. Both of them sought cover when several more bursts of laser fire scorched the interior wall. Destin searched the darkness of the room for the knife he had dropped.

“I count two, but there are probably more,” Razor said, glancing over at Destin. “How did you know?”

“I caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye and a flash,” Destin replied, grimacing when he felt the sting in his shoulder. “Do you have any other weapons in the house? I appear to have misplaced my knife.”

“Locked in my office. We didn’t want Ami finding them,” Razor muttered, glancing back out the doors. “Look out! They have RWDs.”

“RWDs? What the hell are…?” Destin started to ask before he scrambled for cover when four small flying disks flew through the door.

“Remote Weapon Devices,” Razor growled. “They have to be Waxians. They are known for using them.”

Another curse escaped Destin and he rolled when one of the RWDs shifted toward him. A series of red lasers lit up the area where he had been. A second one came in and took aim at him. Destin rose to his feet and jumped over the long bar area into the kitchen.

Razor fired on the two weapon devices, striking the one turning toward Destin before striking the second one when it turned to fire at him. Destin barely saw the movement before he tucked into a roll. Pulling open a cabinet, he grabbed the lid of a large silver pot when a third RWD flew over the counter. He lifted the lid, using it as a shield when the RWD rotated and fired on him.

Surprise and triumph swept through him when the laser fire deflected against the curved, mirror-like surface of the lid. The RWD spun when it was struck by the ricochet of its own assault. Destin’s silent shout of victory was short lived because another device entered the room.

He scrambled under the kitchen table when it flew around the corner, then peered out from between two chairs, and remained still. He wasn’t sure where Razor was now or how many more of those damn flying machines there were. He had caught sight of four so far. If that was all of them, then they should be down to one. No sooner had that thought flashed through his mind when another RWD flew into the room from the opposite direction.