“Will you let me touch your mind?” Dave asked suddenly. “We need to be sure.”
“You’re a mind healer?” Something inside her softened as she remembered her family and the rare gift some of them had.
“You’ve known one before?” A raised eyebrow indicated his curiosity as Dave moved closer to her.
“My brother.” She swallowed hard against the emotional memory her brother brought. “I’ll allow it, if it will help convince you.”
Dave smiled at her. He was a very handsome man, and he had kind eyes. She didn’t get to think much more about him because at that moment he touched her face, his mind seeking hers. She could feel Jim moving close behind her, but he let the situation unfold. He was the perfect partner for her. He allowed her to be who she was but was always there to back her up if necessary.
Dave stepped back, leaving her with a glowing feeling as his power left her. She remembered the feeling from when her brother touched her mind and it made her nostalgic.
“She’s telling the truth as she knows it,” he told his friends. “Her mind hasn’t been tampered with.”
“All right.” Mike lifted his weapon upward, pointing it at the ceiling. “Let’s take this upstairs where it’s more comfortable. Burt, please secure the area and continue to monitor for intruders.”
“Yes, Mike,” the computer voice said over the speaker.
“Do you have a computer like that in Colorado?” Gina asked Jim as they followed Mike out of the tunnel and into the larger chamber.
“Not that I know of. But a lot of systems were damaged in the earthquakes. I bet Wally would know. I’ll have to ask him when we get back.”
“So you think there’s a good chance we’ll live to tell the tale?” She couldn’t resist teasing him.
They followed Mike as Dave and Bill brought up the rear in a guard position.
“I’d say our chances are improving all the time. But what in the world are these people doing sharing their hideout with an Alvian?”
“He’s on the run, just as much as they are—possibly even more so. He was given an assignment by the Council and not only failed in his mission, but precipitated the Chief Engineer’s ability to effectively hold the Council hostage to whatever he wanted. They didn’t like that one bit, and the man ultimately responsible for that fiasco got away. They’ve been hunting him ever since. I’m just glad we found him first.”
They all piled into a large elevator which started to climb. Gina lost track of how many levels they rose but was glad when the elevator came to a stop and they all got out. Rather than climb higher, the men led her and Jim to a small, utilitarian room. It looked like a conference room of sorts, though at one time it had probably been somebody’s office.
Their hosts indicated they should sit, and Gina took the seat next to Jim. His presence helped calm her nerves. She was surprised by just how nervous she felt now that contact had been made. Her mission was on track, and she wanted to keep it that way.
“Why don’t you tell us more about this secret sect of yours?” Mike invited once they’d all been seated.
“The Zxerah Brotherhood is hard to describe. They’re part ninja, part Tibetan monk and all focused on individual study and enlightenment. A small cadre serves in the Alvian military as a sort of ghost squad. The rest of us live in secret, serving as their support system and spending our time studying and doing reconnaissance for the Patriarch. I first met him not long after the cataclysm. Fate put him in my path, I’m sure. I mean, what are the odds that the first human this man finds is an Olympic gold medal-winning martial artist?”
“Did they try to capture you?” David asked.
“Sort of. Their form of capture would have been more like protective custody, but I didn’t know that at the time. I fought. The Patriarch had his men back off and tested my skills one on one. Each pushed my boundaries a little further. Ultimately my strength gave out but not before they’d learned a heck of a lot about human unarmed fighting techniques which were amazingly a lot like their own.”
“I can confirm this. I had reports from the men who fought her,” Bill spoke unexpectedly from his seat near the door. “Her acceptance into the clan was controversial at first. Once we saw her skills and realized how her psychic abilities enhanced her physical attributes, Ronin confided to me that he thought it was the right thing to do to adopt her into the clan and learn from her and the others he adopted after.”
“Ronin is this Patriarch she mentioned?” Mike asked.
“The same,” Bill confirmed. “Ronin Prime is the Patriarch of the Zxerah Brotherhood. I once counted him as a friend. I believe at heart, he is a good man, but he plays a deep game. Not even I know what his ultimate goal is.”
“There is no Ronin genetic line that I’m aware of.” A new, feminine voice sounded from the doorway.
“Sweetheart, I thought we asked you to stay put.” Mike was clearly exasperated by the Alvian woman’s appearance, but he pulled her into the room and sat her between himself and his cousin. The affection both men felt for her was obvious to Gina at this close distance.
“Who the hell is she?” Jim’s voice in her mind had a hard edge of suspicion. “This place is crawling with aliens.”
“Relax, Jim,” she cautioned. “I didn’t know about her but look at the way those cousins treat her. And look at the way she treats them. She’s in love with them.”
“You’re a romantic fool,” he chastised, but there was no real scorn in his voice. Rather, he seemed to be watching them carefully.
“The Ronin genetic line is top secret,” Bill carried on the conversation. “Mara Prime oversees them directly along with a few other select genetic lines that are unique to the Zxerah.”
“Zxerah?” The woman sounded truly shocked. “They’re real? And you were one of them, Bill? How come you never told us?”
“She seems really hurt,” Jim observed silently.
“She is. She has feelings.” Gina was as surprised by the observation as Jim was.
“That discussion is for later.” Bill shut down that avenue of questioning. “For now, we must decide what to make of our guests.” He effectively turned the attention back to Gina and Jim.
“Just how many aliens are you hiding down here?” Jim’s voice held a challenging note.
“Only these two,” Mike promised with a grin. “I know this looks like we’re consorting with the enemy, but once you get to know them you’ll understand they’re different.”
“They both have feelings.” Gina let her statement hang in the air for a minute. “I know Bill volunteered for a genetic experiment, but what happened to you? Are you a throwback?” She looked directly at the other woman.
The elegant blonde shrugged. “I was the lab tech assigned to prepare the dosages for the next run of the experiment. I got sloppy in the lab, made a mistake and here I am.”
“Damn,” Jim swore without heat. “This Patriarch’s plans really may have some validity after all. I never thought to meet an Alvian who could understand emotion and now I find two of you in one day.”
“Ah ha!” Gina joked with him privately. “So now you’re starting to believe me.”
Jim shot her a considering look. “I’m keeping an open mind.”