Stealing Jia (Coletti Warlords #12) - Gail Koger Page 0,8
bear jumped on me, pinning me to the floor. I pulled my dagger.
CeeCee kicked it out of my hand. “Do not stab my uncle.”
“Let me up! I have to help Adam,” I cried.
“You won’t do your brother any good dead. You’re an assassin. Think like one.”
I stopped struggling and gave CeeCee the evil eye. “If anything happens to Adam…”
“You’ll gut me like a fish?”
“You will die a slow, agonizing death and the old man too,” I promised darkly.
The bear bared his awesome fangs and growled menacingly.
“Please. I need to help my brother.” Desperation and anger warred in my voice.
“We’re going to free all the captives and if you do anything stupid, I’ll let Uncle Jesse eat you. Understand?”
The bear licked my face like it was a lollipop. I grimaced in disgust and spat, “I understand.”
CeeCee patted the bear’s furry shoulder. “Let her up.”
The minute the bear climbed off me, I shot to my feet and gave him the one-finger-salute.
The bear nipped my butt.
“Touch me again you old, pervert and I’ll…” I yelped as Jesse’s massive jaws closed around the top of my head. Not only was I getting a closeup view of his fangs, he also needed a breath mint. My stomach rolled as hot saliva dripped on my face.
“Apologize or he’ll eat you.”
I’d do anything to get him to release me. “Sorry,” I mumbled.
CeeCee cocked her head. “What? I didn’t quite hear you.”
“I said, I’m sorry. Okay? Can we please go rescue Adam now?”
The bear opened his mouth and I fell to the floor. I tried to ignore the noticeable tremor in my hand as I wiped the slobber off my face. My nerves were shot. Who knew people could turn into bears, throw lightning bolts or that Giovanni, the mad scientist, was changing men into alien beasts?
A mystified frown crossed CeeCee’s face. It was like I was a puzzle she couldn’t quite figure out.
That mournful howl sounded again.
“We’re freeing whatever that is too,” I announced and marched down the corridor.
The bear lumbered after me.
Adam latched onto my mind. “Don’t let them take me. Please. Don’t let them take me.” Our link broke.
“I’m coming Adam,” I shouted and darted into a large burial chamber with colorful mosaic tiles covering the walls and mounds of ancient bones littering the floor. I flinched as the stench of death hit me and skidded to a stop when I spotted a large pile of rotting corpses. By the monstrous deformities I knew these poor souls had been Giovanni’s test subjects. Was Adam among them? I frantically checked the bodies. “Please. Please don’t be dead. Please.”
“Stop! Your brother’s not here.” CeeCee pulled me away from the awful remains. “They’ve been dead for days.”
“I can’t sense Adam anymore. Our link has been severed.” Tears rolled down my cheeks.
“You’re not an assassin or master thief, are you?”
I sighed wearily and sidestepped her question with a half-truth, “I’m not an assassin, but Bianca is.”
“Let me guess. She looks a lot like you and decided to borrow your identity,” CeeCee said.
My mouth tightened. “I’m still trying to clear my name.”
“What psychic abilities do you have?”
Did she really think I would tell her everything? “I can cloud minds, disrupt power sources and if I get close enough, I can zap you with enough electricity to put you down.”
“Like a taser?” CeeCee inquired.
That made my “talent” sound harmless. “Exactly.”
CeeCee frowned. “Anything else?”
“Animals of all kinds are drawn to me,” I answered.
CeeCee rubbed the muscles in her neck. “You’re an animal lover?”
“Si, very much so. I’m the co-owner of Lost Souls Animal Rescue.”
Multiple glittering blue lights formed in the chamber.
“Rodan!” CeeCee shoved me out of the way.
A crackling red energy beam missed my shoulder by an inch. Merda!
The shaman grunted as a barrage of laser fire struck her armored chest.
I had to steal me some of that armor.
Her uncle pounced on the Rodan soldier firing at us and literally ripped him to pieces.
I watched as CeeCee quickly incinerated two Rodan soldiers and her uncle, the bear, pounced on the last one. Nice to know the suppression field had been disabled. My psychic senses screamed a warning as one of Giovanni’s creations appeared. I thrust the image into CeeCee’s mind and yelled, “Behind you!”
CeeCee spun around and got smacked across the face by the skinny monstrosity’s long scaly tail. Her knees buckled and down she went.
The need to kill burned through my veins. Taking a deep breath, I fought it down. Now was not the time to display my battle skills. If