Modified: the Alien's Mate

Chapter Eleven

They drove in silence for about ten minutes before Regina knew something was wrong.

"Captain, what's the problem?" She leaned forward in her seat, but the seatbelt held her in place.

"I believe we are being tracked."

"Tracked?"

He tossed her a cool look over his shoulder. "I would guess it's those pesky Allarians again."

Edgar turned to Franko. "Where are they now?"

Franko pressed his finger to his ear as if he were being fed information. "Our lookout has reported that they're about another three kilometres from here. They have set up a barricade on the road."

"How did they find us so quickly?" Regina asked, her eyes peeled to the vehicle ahead of them. Franko slowed down and soon came to a stop.

"Captain Wolfblood," Franko said, turning in his seat towards Edgar. "Take the rear Humvee and cut through the woods. The onboard navigation should take you directly to the ranch. My men and I will keep the Allarians busy."

Edgar nodded as he simultaneously slipped his safety belt off and opened the door. He came to her side and helped her down.

A few seconds later, the men in the back Humvee were swapping places with them.

They had barely sat inside the vehicle when a loud blast echoed near the front of the convoy.

Startled, her heart jerked hard as she stared in the direction of the sound. A ringing began in her ear as Edgar floored the pedal and sped towards a stand of trees to their left.

Another loud boom shook the Humvee, she looked in the rear-view mirror as the sound of shattering glass and crunching metal echoed all around them and the vehicle swerved erratically.

Expertly, Edgar manoeuvred the Humvee taking them away from the chaos behind them. Regina wondered if any of the soldiers were hurt, she hoped not but she knew it was futile to dwell on what she did not know.

Gripping the dash before her, she gritted her teeth as the vehicle sped over the uneven terrain with its tall and dense grass.

Low hanging branches and tall grass were mowed down, leaving a visible track behind them and she worried if they would be followed.

"Will they follow us?" Regina asked swallowing nervously.

"Most probably," he said calmly. His eyes were peeled on the path that he was cutting through the trees.

She released her death grip on the dash. "Don't you think that attacking us like that is a bit... over the top?"

A light laugh left him startling her. "The Allarians are dedicated to getting you."

She eyed him with a frosty stare. "Have you thought that maybe you're the one they wanted to get because you killed one of their own?"

He bobbed his head a few times without breaking concentration. "You are correct." He threw her a glance. "I think maybe there is more to them being more hard-headed than necessary."

She was speechless. "What do you mean?"

"The information you have on Beur, what is it?"

"I don't know what you mean," she said.

Her fingers gripped the safety belt across her chest. "Didn't Alex tell you what I have?"

Edgar slammed on the break. The Humvee skidded for a few seconds before stopping two metres from a tree in their path.

"Cut the crap," he hissed, his eyes flashing with temper.

Regina doubted his crew had ever seen him this disgruntled because it felt as if he had lost all patience with her.

"Do you think those men we left behind deserve to be put in that situation?"

He leaned closer and she saw the vertical pupils in his eyes glow a luminescent azure. Her skin tingled and a giddiness seized her, holding her in place. Unable to move, she stared at him for long-drawn-out seconds before she dragged her eyes away from his face and shuffled closer to the door.

"It's not the time to discuss what I have on Samuel Beur."

"When is the right time?" he demanded. "I am taking you to see Corbin as I promised." Edgar narrowed his eyes at her. "Where is the evidence you have?" His voice was hard, much harder than she had heard it before.

Her eyes went to his hands curled around the steering wheel as if he was imagining it as her neck. Gulping hard, her eyes drifted to his face. "I will only give it up once I get some concrete assurance that you will prove my innocence," she responded stubbornly.

"Concrete assurance?" he said. "Fine, I will get you your assurance." His face was set in a hard line and Regina wondered why he had suddenly changed.

He gave her another hard stare before he started the engine again. This time as he drove around tall trees and mowed down large flora and fauna, she had a feeling he was imagining she was the one beneath his wheels.