Destin's Hold (The Alliance #5)(48)

“Open file Earth - 21589,” Sula requested, rising to step closer to the window so she could look down over the city.

“Authorization,” the computer responded.

“JSula voice authorization,” she replied.

“Authorization for JSula granted. File Earth - 21589 accessed,” the computer responded.

“List contacts of Badrick on Earth,” Sula requested.

“Documented contacts include the following individuals: Destin Parks – adversary. Recorded encounter available; Colbert Allen – allied. Recorded encounter available….” the computer began listing in a soft, feminine voice.

“Display recorded encounter with Destin Parks,” Sula murmured, turning to look down at the tablet she had placed on the long table in front of the couch.

The holographic image of a dimly lit room appeared. The image wavered slightly. Badrick must have been wearing it on his outer clothing. Sula had recently discovered a cache of the vidcoms hidden among the files Badrick had uploaded to a personal account file back on Usoleum.

She wasn’t quite sure why he had decided to keep a record of his encounters. The only thing she could deduce was he wanted to use them for blackmail, or perhaps as protection. She had finally broken through the encrypted passwords he had used, which had been a very delicate process because many were coded to erase if too many unsuccessful attempts were made. As it was, Sula had lost close to a dozen of the files before she discovered a backdoor into them.

Her breath caught when Badrick walked down a long hallway. People lined the wide corridor. There were women with small children, more men and women cleaning weapons or working a variety of projects, and still others with bandages or sleeping on pallets on the floor. Each one stopped and stared at Badrick with eyes filled with fear and distrust. There were a few times when Badrick slowed to almost a stop and turned to face a human. Sula quickly discovered he only did it when he passed certain young females.

Sula’s heart broke at the exhaustion on some of the humans’ faces. Badrick turned back to face the long stretch of hallway. Her eyes widened when she saw Kali walking down it with long, confident strides. This was a woman far different from the one she had met at the wedding. Kali was dressed all in black, her hair was short and she had a weapon strapped to each thigh. Her face was a cool, expressionless mask.

“What is your purpose here, alien?” Kali demanded, stopping in front of Badrick.

Sula could almost feel Badrick’s gaze moving over Kali. She could see a faint flicker of disgust in Kali’s eyes before it disappeared. Sula’s arms lifted and she rubbed her hands up and down them when a shiver ran through her body. Kali’s hands now rested on the weapons at her side.

“I came to speak with the – leader – Destin Parks,” Badrick stated with a sniff of disdain.

“What is your business with him?” Kali asked, not moving out of his way.

“Maybe he wants to surrender, Kali,” a male standing slightly behind Kali muttered.

“Hardly,” Badrick replied. “I came to negotiate assistance in the fight over this region.”

“What kind of assistance?” Kali demanded, her gaze narrowing on Badrick’s face.

“In defeating Colbert Allen,” Badrick responded. “I believe that is what this human rebel wishes to accomplish.”

Sula watched Kali’s face tighten when Badrick mentioned Allen’s name. She made a mental note to research everything she could about the human male. The two males standing behind Kali stepped forward in unison.

“You will wait here,” Kali ordered. “If Destin agrees to see you, your guards will not be allowed to enter the room.”

“I do not take orders from a female,” Badrick retorted.

Kali took a step closer to Badrick. Sula drew in a deep breath when she saw the intense expression in Kali’s eyes. Her hand moved to her throat and she waited for Kali’s reply.

“You do while you are here or you and your guards are dead,” Kali stated.

The image moved around the corridor when Badrick turned to glance around him. The two guards he had brought with him were standing frozen behind him, guns pressed against their temples. Sula counted at least a dozen or more weapons aimed at the former Usoleum Councilor. Swallowing, she waited for Badrick’s response.

“My guards will remain here. I will let Parks decide if you remain in the room,” Badrick replied.

Kali stepped back several steps before she turned on her heel and strode down the hallway. Sula waited in tense silence, fascinated by the scene in front of her. The corridor that had been teaming with activity minutes earlier was now absent of anyone not pointing a weapon at their alien visitors. Sula could hear Badrick’s heavy breathing.

Sula frowned when a man came down the corridor instead of Kali. The man stopped in front of Badrick, looked him up and down, then motioned for Badrick to follow him. Everywhere Sula saw a face, she saw the same look of hatred and distrust. She had never been on a newly acquired world before, so this was a new experience for her.

“Badrick,” a deep voice greeted.

A wave of recognition swept through Sula and she crossed over to sit on the couch. Her gaze was glued to Destin’s face. Reaching out, her fingers paused just a breath away from his image. She ached to touch his face.

“I am pleased that you ordered the female to allow us to speak in private,” Badrick murmured in approval.