Destin's Hold (The Alliance #5)(17)
Deciding that was the best way, he pushed away from the door and took off at a fast jog through the house. He pushed open the front door, staying to the side in case there were more unwelcome visitors waiting out front. When nothing happened, he swung out of the entrance and along the covered porch until he reached the end. He jumped up on the railing, braced a foot against the wall, and pulled himself up onto the roof.
In seconds, he was crossing it to the back section. From this angle, he had a vantage point. He kept low to the roof since there wouldn’t be much coverage. Once he gave away his position, he’d have very little chance of escaping.
Destin lay down and took aim at one of the men he could barely see through the branches of the tree. His finger was pressed against the trigger when he saw a wave of light shoot out from the long rod Sula carried as she stalked toward the man. It looked like a wave of miniature, blue and white transparent stingrays swarming toward the man.
The intruder turned toward the wave of energy. The moment he did, Destin fired. The laser blast struck the man in the center of his back and he collapsed.
His partner, realizing that he was now outnumbered, tossed a charge with each hand, one toward Sula and the other toward Razor. Destin saw Razor dive behind a large decorative stone planter.
Turning his attention back to Sula, he saw that there was nowhere for her to seek protection from the explosive. Horror gripped him and he started to rise when he saw her kneel down and slam the rod into the ground. A flash of white and the repercussion of the blast knocked him backwards on the roof. He slid down several feet before his feet caught in a gap between the tiles. Dazed from the impact, he shook his head and rolled to his side before he pushed up into a sitting position.
Almost immediately, he had to shield his eyes from the bright lights suddenly overhead. He twisted, covering his eyes to preserve a small amount of his night vision. Above him, he could hear the hum of several transports.
Destin kept his head bent and his eyes shielded as he searched the back courtyard for Sula and Razor. He blinked when he saw Razor stagger from behind the large stone planter. His gaze immediately swept back across the yard. Relief flooded him when he saw Sula slowly rising from the ground.
“Remain still,” a voice ordered from the transport above him.
Destin lay back against the roof and released his grip on his pistol. The gun clattered down along the slant of the roof before it caught on the edge of a tile. Staring upward, he saw the transport that contained Kali and Ami coming in to land out front. A smile curved his lips. She had that fierce, determined look on her face that she got when she was ready to kick some ass. Kali was probably pissed that she had missed out on all the action.
“And I thought I was finally done with all this shit,” he murmured, wincing when two Trivator warriors landed on a section of the roof a foot above him. “Hey, guys. Nice night for a fight. Too bad you missed it,” he joked, grimacing when he sat up and lifted his hands into the air to show he was unarmed. “Oh, yeah, that burns.”
“Razor!”
Destin’s gaze found Kali rushing into the back courtyard. She was holding Ami tightly against her. His gut clenched when he thought of what could have happened if Razor hadn’t felt that something was off. He pushed back further onto the roof to give himself a better footing and rose to his feet. Now came the fun part… getting down off the roof. He glanced up when a large transport flew over with a ladder hanging from it. The two warriors motioned for him to grab it.
Destin reached out, wrapped his hands around the bar, and stepped onto a lower rung. A minute later, he was being lowered to the ground. Four warriors immediately surrounded him. Destin stepped off the rungs and released the bar, keeping his hands raised. He glanced around and raised an eyebrow when he saw Razor standing with his arms wrapped around Kali and Ami.
“Ah, Razor, a little help here would be greatly appreciated,” Destin dryly called out.
“He is a guest,” Razor snapped, glancing up over Kali’s head to where Sula was standing. “Councilor Ikera as well.”
“There was a transport on the beach,” Sula informed Razor. Her expression darkened when she saw the torn, scorched material of Destin’s jacket. “You are hurt!”
Razor’s gaze turned toward Destin before he glanced at one of the warriors. “Get a medic and send out search teams. One of the intruders escaped. Check the beach and monitor the transports in the area. No one leaves the planet without first being cleared,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir. We’ve received reports of another attack on Lord Hunter’s residence,” one of the warriors stated.
Destin heard Kali’s shocked hiss. “Are they alright?” she asked.
“The last report I received stated there had been minor injuries,” the warrior replied with a bow.
“If you would step inside, I will examine your wound,” another warrior stated.
Destin glanced at the man. The warrior was dressed like the other men who had arrived, but he was holding a gunmetal gray case. Destin nodded and turned on his heel. He paused when he saw Sula’s concerned gaze. He jerked his head for her to follow him. He wanted to ask her a few questions – starting with what in the hell was she thinking stepping into the middle of a battle!
“Come with me,” he requested in a soft voice.
Sula nodded and followed Destin and the medic up onto the patio. The three of them paused when two warriors came out carrying the body of a dead intruder. He didn’t miss Sula glancing away from the man’s ripped, bloody chest or the fact that her face appeared paler than he remembered.