AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Tightly secure those boxes down and then find a seat to belt into.” Free turned, strode to Marisol, and easily swept her into his arms. “I don’t want you walking until we’re sure it’s not more than bruising from your fall.”
The hug he’d gotten from her had been great, but cradling Marisol in his arms as he moved through his shuttle toward the cockpit was even better. Especially when she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He inhaled, picking up her clean scent. It was still messing with his mind that Marisol was really there. He’d dreamed of them being together far too many times and then been tormented when that plan had fallen through.
“What is the mental status of the clones you brought with you?” He needed to know if they posed any threat. “Be blunt.”
“MC-1 is the dominant one of their group and has started to give me a lot of pushback. Nothing serious, though. He is just very opinionated and questions everything. It’s mostly annoying.”
“Has he given you any trouble or gotten physical?” Free gently deposited her into the co-pilot seat. He wanted to keep Marisol close and within eyesight.
One glance back through the open doors revealed that only one of the female clones had entered the living space. The other three were probably still securing the boxes they’d carried aboard in the cargo hold.
“No. MC-1 hasn’t touched me or made me feel afraid of him.”
Free was glad to hear that. It would be traumatic if he had to kill one of the clones after she’d gone to the trouble to save them. He dropped into his seat, using the controls to undock the damaged shuttle. He also sealed the cockpit doors, locking them inside.
Marisol twisted in her seat and glanced back before frowning at him. “Why did you seal us inside alone? I’m sure the M’s are scared and want assurances that everything is going to be okay.”
“I don’t have the time or patience to answer questions from them or establish that I’m in charge right now.”
“I understand. Maybe I should go back there just so they aren’t alone. It will comfort them.”
“They aren’t children.” Once again she was proving to Free that she had a soft heart and saw clones as equals.
“In a way, they are. They were segregated from other clones because they were the medical team assigned to my care. I’ve learned a lot from them since we left Clone World.”
Free was listening as he prepared to fly them to safety. He loved the sound of her voice. So much so that he wanted to hear her talk more. “Tell me.”
“They weren’t assigned to a high-security bunk room the way you were. My grandfather had them living in an isolated cottage off the beaten path. Every delivery made to them was through robotic drones. They were only allowed to speak to each other. My gramps sent them electronic orders, so they didn’t even get to speak directly to him.”
“They had contact with you.”
“No, they didn’t. Not in the way you think. The housing staff contacted them after dosing my food with a drug that would put me to sleep. They came in an hour after I ate and gave me plasma after I was unconscious.”
Rage filled him. “Your food was drugged?”
“Yes. I wasn’t thrilled about finding that out either, but it was the only way for me to be given transfusions without knowing I’d been turned into a clone. It seems Gramps had told my housing staff that he was having them drug me so security could search my home for electronic listening devices. At least, that’s what the M’s assumed from the messages they received about how I should be asleep and wouldn’t know they were there to protect my privacy from being invaded.”
“The housing staff didn’t know the truth?”
“I assume not. Just…be nice to them, please. They took good care of me when I didn’t even know it.”
“I hear you and understand what you’re saying. Those four clones will be fine for now. I want you to stay close to me where I know you’re safe.”
He finished assessing the current situation. Blade’s Varlius class vessel floated next to him, but Figures had flown to place his shuttle between him and the retreating pirates. A quick check revealed that they were still broadcasting a strange clicking-sounding signal.
Free knew in his gut it was definitely a coded message calling for assistance from their hub. He opened communications to let Blade and Figures know they were ready to leave. They also needed to know he planned to abandon the other shuttle.
Blade spoke before he could. “Our brother flew to that spot to get better sensor readings and is picking up five incoming. We need to go. What is the condition of the CL?”
Free understood that Blade was asking about the shuttle from Clone World. Five incoming would mean additional pirate ships with more teams of thieves. “It’s too damaged to worry about. I’ve got what we came for. What extraction plan was decided on?”
“V formation. I’m the lead. You’re port side. Follow me.”
“Understood.” Free didn’t need his thrusters to put distance between his vessel and the one they’d just abandoned. The clones hadn’t known to close the cargo door on it as they’d left, and he hadn’t cared what had happened to the other shuttle. The oxygen venting from it had already separated them as soon as he’d severed their connection.
“Buckle in,” he ordered Marisol. It took effort for him to fly the shuttle when all he wanted to do was stare at her. Touch her. Talk to her and find out more about what happened to her. He was also curious what her life had been like while they’d been apart.
