Chasing Constellations (The UGS Constellation Series) (9 page)

His long hair
silver was loose and swirled about them in the warm wind off of the ocean, on any other man it would look too feminine as it reached past his waist, but Elisa noticed that on him and Chase it only added to their rugged appeal. His lips teased a smile that flirted with outright laughter at her shocked look.

“
Um… Hi?” She wasn’t sure what to say to such a man and instead turned to look at Chase for direction on how to handle the overwhelming situation.

With a chuckle that sent electricity skittering over her every nerve
, Chase removed her hand and guided her into the car. “Go easy on her Chase, she’s had one tarsu of a day and needs to rest. I’m sure she’s not prepared for your flirtations just yet.”

Another dark chuckle followed that Elisa knew didn’t belong to Cha
se as she climbed into the limousine and scooted over to allow Chase to climb into the back seat with her. As the door was closed, she noticed that the windows were so dark she couldn’t see the night around them except for small pinpricks of light from the street lamps.

“Don’t let Trac
ker intimidate you Anare, he means no harm with his actions.” Chase said as he slid closer to her on the leather seat, once more pulling her into his side and draping her in his warm embrace.

She didn’t even think of the consequences, wasn’t even really aware of what she was doing as she curled herself into his warm side. She was only aware of his entrancing scent of raw leather and sage, of how soft and warm his chest was as she
brushed her cheek against it and became comfortable.

*~*~*

Chase gazed down at her and smiled. She was instantly comforted in his embrace and he couldn’t resist pulling her even closer. As Tracker drove them to her house he smiled when she sighed and slowly drifted into a restful slumber, her hand clenched in his shirt. Elisa felt safer than she had since the death of her parents and didn’t know that she had swung her body until her legs were draped across his, she only knew darkness and comfort as drifted off with the help of the medicine the doctor had given to her while she was already unconscious.

Silently Cha
se lifted her out of the car when they finally arrived at her abode, waiting for Tracker to open the door of the car before sliding out of it. Still slumbering away, Elisa wrapped an arm around his shoulders while pressing her face into his neck. Her dreams were sweet and tender, curled into his warmth and embrace as they rode the seas.

Once they were inside the house Cha
se paused and looked about, his superior eyesight letting him move about in the darkness as he orientated himself before moving off to the bedroom. Elisa sighed when she was placed on her back and her shoes removed, not knowing that Tracker had pulled the blankets back so Chase could lay her down. In her sleep, she looked peaceful and angelic, her full lips curling into a faint smile when she felt the press of warm lips against her temple and the blankets tucked up under her chin. Curling to her side, she muttered a soft, “Thank you mom. Love you.”

Cha
se stood over the sleeping Elisa with fisted hands, watching as she curled over onto her side and rested a hand under her cheek. He vowed to catch Mestrock before he was able to hurt her again, no matter how he had to or what he had to do. One way or another, the male was going to pay for harming his Anare.

“Are you sure you want to do this Commander? It’s a huge risk to her.”

“I know it is Tracker but it’s a good idea and there’s a good chance that he’ll come back for her once he realizes she survived.” Said with a soft sigh, Chase turned to his longtime friend with a sad look on his face.

Trac
ker rested his hand on Chase’s shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. “I’ll go set a perimeter guard and get the recorders set up. We’ll only have a few hours to get things set up before their Detective shows up.”

Giving
a nod to Tracker, Chase started to disrobe as he walked to the other side of the bed. As he climbed in beside Elisa and turned out the light, he paused, his gaze lingering on the woman. With a smile Chase turned off the light and climbed in with her, his smile getting larger when the woman curled into his side in her sleep.

Chapter 13

Tracker paused at the threshold of the bedroom door to watch Chase stare at Elisa. Tilting his head, he pondered his Commander and best friend, wondering what it felt like to feel that instant attraction to another. He knew he would never be blessed enough to find his own Anare but he was happy that Chase had found his at last. It was normally every warrior’s dream to find that one woman made for them, even if they were found on some backwater primitive planet. With his own smile he turned and headed out to the main room of the dwelling, closing the door softly behind him.

As he made his way into the living
room, he picked up the various items that had been knocked over or broken in Elisa’s struggles to get away. He could tell by the damage and marks against the walls that she did everything she could to escape. Someone had brought the woman’s things into the house and set them by the front door, he wasn’t sure who had but he gathered them up and set them on the counter in the living room before calling for transport to the ship.

After stopping to check for any reports that needed his attention, Tracker made his way to his quarters and packed a small bag of personal items. Making his way towards the shuttle bay, he paused and backtracked, heading instead towards the Commander's quarters and collecting gear for him as well. He had a suspicion that the Commander would be staying with the female for at least a few days and as such set up the schedule on the bridge to run without either of them there. Finally returning to the shuttle bay, he loaded the bags onto a small four person craft along with the various surveillance items he would need later that night.

The sleek craft looked like nothing the humans had ever seen. Its dull black sides seemed to eat the very light around it, creating a slight haze that made it difficult for many to see distinctly. While many thought it looked ugly because of the harsh square lines, Trac
ker loved it. He’d taken the time to add a cloak to it as well as boost the engine so that it would out fly most fighters.

Climbing on board the vessel Trac
ker smiled as he flew back to the females domicile, and landed in the back yard. He was looking forward to this hunt more than any other for the way Mestrock hurt such an innocent beauty.

After he stowed all of the gear and items in the strange dwelling, Trac
ker watched silently as he engaged the cloak and watched in satisfaction as the ship turned into a large square building to mimic the one in the yard already. “Orion, lock down mode.” Nothing would be able to detect what it truly was, if they looked they’d be able to open the back hatch and climb into the back compartment by just sliding the door to the side, the very same door that appeared to be the front door of the shed.

As Trac
ker made his way back into the home and started to sort through the various electronics, he jerked his head upright. A feeling started coursing through him, one he had learned to not ignore. A feeling that raised the hackles on the back of his neck and caused him to crouch while withdrawing one of two phase guns from the holster wrapped about his upper chest.

After he had searched the house and grounds outside and found no one else he shook his head and returned to the pile of items left on the living room floor. Sorting through
them, he slowly began the tedious task of setting up the camera’s and recorders, the items so small only his enhanced vision allowed him to notice them.

Not one inch of the house and grounds outside did Trac
ker leave unprotected. After he spent time setting the recording devices, he went back through and set various traps; stingers meant to knock a person out, gas traps set to confuse someone into running into the other traps, light flashes to blind them. He refused to leave this woman and his captivated commander and brother in arms defenseless ever again.

Just as he was placing the last light bomb to one of the kitchen windows that feeling returned with a vengeance, now he knew someone was definitely watching the house. But as he dropped into a hunting crouch and withdrew both guns from beneath his arms where they rested, there came a knock at the front entrance.

Chapter 14

The abrupt knocking on the door brought him up short,
yes the feeling was still there, but he was sure it wasn’t coming from whoever was at the front door. Avoiding all windows as he made his way to the door, Tracker peeked through the curtain at the window beside it before sighing and thrusting his gun back in its holster.

“It is too early for visits
, Detective. Both Chase and Elisa are sleeping yet and I will not have them awaken for at least a few more hours yet.” Said Tracker as he slid the deadbolt and slowly opened the door for the officer.

“That’s
fine, but who are you?” Already on edge, David glared at the man that stood a good foot taller than his five foot nine height. Chase knew he was intimidating with his large build and tall height, standing nearly a foot taller than David, but he was impressed at how the detective refused to show it as he stepped into the house.

“I am
Chase’s best friend and first officer. He asked me to come help guard his woman until the perpetrator was apprehended. He does not feel she is safe.” As he gave a negligent shrug of his shoulder and shut the door behind the Detective, he knew the man would not leave until he assured himself that the woman was indeed safe in their care. “What are you doing here Detective? Do you not have someone to catch?”

One of those steely white brows of his arched high as he asked the question while he moved to block David’s path through the house, leaning to the side
against the wall of the hallway, he crossed his arms over his chest and made it quite clear that the man wasn’t going to budge an inch.

“Just let me peek in and see that she is ok. Once I know she is then I’ll go wait out in the car if I have to
, but I’m not leaving until I know exactly what happened.”
And can assure myself that it wasn’t really Chase that did it! She could have Stockholm syndrome for all I know and not be admitting to anyone that he’s the one that beat the snot out of her! Even the doctor said it was bad and the fact that he released her isn’t right. Something’s going on and I’m going to find out what!

While David had these
thoughts, he glared at the tall man before him, mimicking his pose of crossed arms. Tracker could tell the man would refuse to budge even one smit unless they checked in on the woman, but what he wasn’t sure of was why the man even cared in the first place.

“Why do you take such an interest in her? She is no longer yours to protect, no longer your responsibility.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, buster. She’s a citizen in my State and as a cop they’re
all
mine to protect. It’s my job and one I take great pride in. Never mind that she came to us with valuable information. Information that now has cost her in flesh and blood and pain, a payment that I plan to see restituted by capturing this beast that would strike a hapless woman!” Each word was ground out between David’s teeth in such a way that Tracker could tell he was beyond irate.

Trac
ker viewed Elisa like he did Chase, a sibling, he would give his life to protect. And now he could see plainly that the detective felt the same way, a family connection didn’t always have to be through blood. And in this case it was because of a brave young woman who sought only to bring justice to those that were wronged.

“If you’re going to
wait, then I suggest we get comfortable.” That being said, Tracker moved to the couch and stretched himself out. His effortless grace as he stalked toward the couch, loose limbed and yet coiled to spring at any moment, brought a slight arch of the brow to David’s face. One that Tracker chose to ignore as he sat on the couch. He rested both arms along the back of the black fabric, his long legs, stretching before him and crossing at the ankles, then looked expectantly at the detective. 

Trac
ker watched David as he cast his gaze about the Spartan living room, noticing that there was only one other white recliner and the small table between the two that housed a black lamp, as well as the other table with the communications device; he heard a sound that quickly brought him to his feet once again.

Leaning against the wall where the living room met the hall, the very same one that housed all of Elisa’s notes and photos that mimicked the one that the team still used at the police department,
Tracker saw the slight smirk fighting to break free on Chase's face.

“Good morn Detective. It’s nice to see you… without the cage this time.” Trac
ker was hard pressed not to snicker as Chase said this. Instead, he turned towards the detective, but he didn’t attempt to hide the grin spreading across his features. He could hear the humor in Chase’s voice, edged with annoyance, and knew it would be a story he could use to antagonize his friend whenever he got the chance to. After they captured the man responsible, that is.

“Elisa still rests Cha
se?” He asked instead, moving to the side and allowing Chase a place to sit on the couch. He left a spot open along the far side away from the unknown detective, before returning to his own seat.

“Yes. She is in need of a good night’s
rest, but I am not sure she will get it once she sees that the Detective is here to speak to her. She has had to relive that attack too many times as it is, but I know she will tell it once more, and
only
once more. I will not have her forced to remember it anymore. She needs to not think about it in order to heal and move on with her life.” Chase said before he turned a fiery glare to the detective, making Tracker glad that he was not on the receiving end of that look.

“Your officer took her report. I know you will want to speak to her about
it, but I will be present and she will
not
be upset by it. At the first sign that she is getting agitated, then you will leave, even if I have to force you to leave, David.”

“You’re awfully protective of her after you rammed into her at the station the other day.”

“That was unintentional. I did not mean to cause her physical harm. I merely meant to get her attention.”

“
Yeah, well you damned near broke her ribs.”

Trac
ker watched the two volley verbal assaults back and forth, his head twisted from one to the other. With each word that was said his body tightened more and more, prepared to step between the two to keep them from to coming to actual blows. The tension was so thick in the air; he could have cut it with a plastmic cutter.

“Enough! Both of you stop
it! This is not helping matters and it could very well awake Elisa!” Tracker had finally had enough of listening to the two men bickering back and forth, their voices rising in anger with each word uttered, like two old women.

It was clear to Trac
ker when Chase took a deep breath that he was attempting to calm himself, their eyes met and they both nodded to each other in a show of solidarity. They would not let the other man’s aggression deter their vows to protect the dainty woman, even from themselves.