Plundered (Raider Warlords of the Vandar #2) - Tana Stone
Prologue
The Zagrath admiral strode onto the bridge of his battleship, his footsteps muffled by the hum of the engines and the buzz of low voices. His jaw was tight, and his hands were clasped in a death grip behind him.
“Well?” he asked his first officer, as the man with grizzled cheeks jumped to his feet.
“Nothing yet, Admiral.” The officer glanced furtively at the blackness on the wide viewscreen. “Long range sensors show that nothing has approached the freighter.”
Admiral Kurmog scowled at the expanse of space, as if it was the fault of the stars that the Vandar had yet to take their bait. “We are sure the human captain picked up the correct cargo?” He cocked an eyebrow. “The cargo with trackers was given to the correct freighter?”
The hint of a smile showed on the first officer’s face, but he quickly suppressed it. “We are positive, Admiral. The female captain is quite distinctive, as is her dated ship.”
Kurmog let out an impatient huff and dragged a hand over the smooth surface of his head and then his heavily lined brow. “I was sure the Vandar would pursue her, especially after we let it be widely known that she had called for Zagrath assistance to track down her sister even after the warlord let her ship go.”
“They know she is the reason they were ambushed?”
The admiral gave a sharp nod. “The entire galaxy knows she is working with us to track down the Vandar horde as well as continuing to search on her own.”
“The Vandar will not like that,” the first officer said, taking his seat after the admiral lowered himself onto the sleek, high-backed chair. “They will want to punish her for her actions. We should give it more time.”
Kurmog gripped the armrests as he surveyed the rest of the bridge from his elevated position. “Agreed. It has not been long since the hordes destroyed our battleship and dispersed.” A muscle twitched in his jaw. “They might still be targeting the human freighter.”
“The Vandar rarely miss an opportunity to seek revenge,” his first officer added.
Kurmog’s top lip curled. “Which is what we are counting on. Their desire to punish those who collude with us will be their downfall. As will their taking of the human female.”
An uncomfortable murmur passed through the bridge officers. The thought of a human female being taken and claimed by one of the barbaric Vandar could not go unpunished.
Admiral Kurmog swept his gaze across his officers. “Do not worry. The raiders will pay for their crimes. The mercenaries we sent to the pleasure planet Jaldon may have failed, and the raiders may have stolen the female back when they boarded our battleship, but that does not mean this is over.”
His first officer swiveled his head to face him. “You believe the Raas with the human will go after the freighter?”
“Perhaps not him, but there are many hordes. It took two of them to take out our battleship. Unless I have miscalculated our enemy, one of the warlords will take the bait.” He drummed his fingers on the dark leather of the chair. “I have heard many of the warlords are from the same clan. They will not be able to resist.”
“And once we can track a horde…”
Kurmog slapped his hand on the armrest. “We can destroy them without the brutes ever knowing that their lust for vengeance was their downfall.”
The first officer chuckled low. “I wish I could see the looks on their faces.”
“Do not worry. We will have the opportunity to see terror on Vandar faces soon enough.”
“Admiral?” The officer tilted his head at his superior officer.
“We are done playing defense with these criminals,” Kurmog growled. “Once we take out the hordes, I will make it my life’s mission to find where they’re hiding the rest of their species.” He clenched his hands into fists. “And I will finish what our ancestors didn’t have the will to do. I will destroy the Vandar once and for all.”
Chapter One
Tara
I slammed my palm against the wet tile as the water trickled to a slow drip overhead. “Who do I have to screw to get a decent shower?”
As soon as the words were out of my mouth and echoing back to me in the cramped communal bathroom, I regretted them. I’d done things for much less, and I didn’t want to think of what I’d had to do to keep myself and my sister alive.
Pulling the rough towel off a nearby hook, I wrapped it around my chest and