Page 113 of Destined For Her Alien Daddy

“You should,” I say.

Her eyes lift to mine. “That was not a complaint.”

The space between us narrows without either of us moving much. The memory of her mouth returns with unwelcome clarity, but this moment is quieter than the chamber below the collapsed ring. Less terror, more ache. I lift one hand slowly, giving her time to refuse, and brush a streak of soot from her cheek with the back of my knuckle.

She closes her eyes for half a breath.

When they open, the fight in them has not vanished. It has settled into something steadier.

“We get her back,” Anita says.

“Yes.”

“And after that, we deal with the archive.”

“Yes.”

“And after that…” She stops, swallowing whatever she nearly said.

I let my hand fall. “After that, we will still be alive.”

Her smile is faint and sad. “Ambitious.”

“I have learned from you.”

Brakk’s voice interrupts from the other side of the alcove. “I regret to inform you both that the emotional foreplay portion of the briefing is over. Patrol shift in ten seconds.”

Anita closes her eyes. “I’m going to throw him into a minor gravity anomaly.”

“Later,” I say, rising.

Brakk grins without humor and lifts the pulse jammer. “That is the spirit.”

We move into position.

The first part of the plan works because the Choir does not expect the archive itself to become bait. Anita opens the case a fraction and sends a narrow resonance pulse toward the central console. The technician below reacts immediately, turning from Sira toward the sudden flare of signal. Two soldiers move to shield the console. One of the upper watchers leans out from cover to scan for the source.

I kill him before he reports.

Brakk triggers the jammer.

The gallery’s sensor net collapses in a burst of white static. Smoke blooms from our alcove and pours downward in thick gray sheets. Brakk cuts through the thin wall behind us, revealing a narrow service crawlspace lit by pale silver veins.

“Go,” I say.

Anita moves first, low and fast, the archive case strapped tight against her body. I follow close enough to shield her if the wall opens into fire. Brakk comes behind us, cursing under his breath while the jammer whines in his hand.

The crawlspace empties into a side gallery above and behind Sira’s platform.

Choir soldiers shout below as their systems fail.

I drop onto the first lower ledge and fire into the nearest pair before they can turn. Anita lands behind me, scanner already in hand, eyes locked on the restraint collar around Sira’s throat. Smoke swallows the gallery in waves, and through it I hear Sira’s muffled attempt to speak.

We are inside their perimeter.

There is no clean path out.

I draw my blade and step between Anita and the first soldier charging through the smoke.