Page 76 of Loka

“While cyborgs chase you around the docking bay?” He shook his head. “Not going to happen.”

“What’s less risky, distracting the cyborgs or sneaking onto a ship full of cannibalistic aliens?” When she considered it, neither option filled her with glee. Heather raised her arm. “I sort of like having all my limbs without chunks missing. I’m fast. I can keep out of the cyborg’s way.”

“You have an injured leg.”

“It’s feeling better.” In truth, it was pretty numb. There was an occasional burst of pain as the nerves spasmed, but most of the time, it was bearable.

“I don’t like this,” Loka growled. “I should have brought Hoan.”

“And left two innocent humans undefended?” Heather shook her head. “You’d never do that. They need him, just like I need you.”

“You still have the laser?”

She pulled it out of her pocket. “It’s right here. I’ll use it if I have to.”

“Aim well. Too many holes in a space station wall is never a good thing.”

She reached up and stroked his cheek. “Let’s go distract some bad guys.”

They crept into the docking bay, keeping to the side and using the ships as shields to avoid detection.

When they were twenty feet from the Banti ships, Heather gave Loka a single nod before continuing past the ships toward the doors leading out into space.

Heather tiptoed along the wall, looking for something she could make a noise with and draw the cyborgs to her. Her stomach did a strange, flippy thing. She must be mad. Why did she want angry cyborgs chasing her? Oh, right, she needed to save the station. She wanted to feel like Ripley in Alien, fighting the evil, drooling aliens. Instead, her churning guts made her feel more like that poor dude in the movie who got impregnated and exploded everywhere.

Heather grabbed a wrench that leaned against the wall and crept toward the exit doors of the bay. She slammed it against them.

She waited, her heart racing. Nothing happened. No cyborgs arrived.

Slamming the wrench into the door again, Heather kept her eyes fixed on the Banti ships. Any second now, Loka would be on board. Although Banti were not large aliens in terms of their physical size, they came with an unpleasant set of sharp teeth. If there were enough of them on board the ship, they could overpower Loka, even with his sexy horns and claws.

“Come on,” she muttered under her breath. The cyborgs still weren’t coming. She needed to create a bigger distraction. She pulled out the laser. Aiming at the Banti ship, she fired a single shot.

Stamping cyborg feet headed Heather’s way. Keeping her panic in check, she backed away and hid behind another ship.

That was it. Loka could get on board the ship and deal with the Banti.

She kept up her game of hide and seek for several minutes. The cyborgs investigated the damage to the ship before they began to search the docking bay. They were slow and methodical, edging Heather toward the entrance where she would be exposed. There was nowhere to hide when she reached the corridor. They would see her and be on her. She hoped her leg was up to the challenge.

The cyborgs turned at the same time. Not toward her, but toward the ramp of the ship.

Heather’s throat tightened as she heard yelling inside the ship. That must be the one Loka was in. They’d discovered him. She took a step forward, wanting to go to him.

The cyborgs abandoned their search for her and headed toward the ship.

She followed at a distance. Waiting until the cyborgs had gone on board, Heather followed them up the ramp. The sounds of shouting were louder. Her heart beat at double time as she hurried along the corridor toward the sound of fighting.

The cyborgs opened a door in front of her and stepped inside.

“About time,” the sharp voice of a Banti snapped. “Why are you not guarding the ship’s entrance?”

“There was a disturbance in the docking bay,” one cyborg said.

“This is the disturbance. This Picar snuck on board.”

Heather grimaced. They’d captured Loka. She edged closer to the open door.

“Awaiting your orders,” the cyborg said.