h.e.l.l, even Bastien's dad had been proud the day he earned rank among them. His uncle had stood in total disbelief ... along with his older brother, who'd never been able to pa.s.s the tests to get in.

"I'm Hauk," the Andarion finally said.

Hauk ... yeah, he looked a lot like Fain. Fought like the vicious beast, too. They had to be related.

"Bastien Cabarro." He licked at the blood on his lips as he narrowed his gaze on Hauk. "You really Sentella?"

Hauk slid his hand toward his blaster again, as if he was now afraid Bastien might go for his back. Made sense given the bounty that was attached to the heads of their membership. Even before the war that had broken out, The League had hated The Sentella. A rival organization, The Sents had made their living by saving and rescuing innocent League targets and putting them in places where The League couldn't find them.

The higher-ups in The League tended to take issue with anyone who defied them.

"Yeah."

"You guys really declare war on The League?"

Hauk relaxed a degree as he heard the hatred Bastien had been unable to remove from his words. "Definitely."

"Then can you get this f.u.c.king chip out of me?" If anyone could, surely it would be a Sentella member.

"Absolutely. How long have you been implanted?"

Bastien curled his lip as a whole new wave of p.i.s.sed off went through him. "Almost eight full minsid years."

Hauk let out a low whistle of appreciation that Bastien had lived so long. Because they were tagged and hunted so viciously, they couldn't risk being in any civilian population. Relegated to h.e.l.lholes like this one, many ended up taking their own lives just to stop their suffering. It was physically and psychologically grueling to be hunted like an animal. And Bastien had considered the easy way out more than once. Only the need to avenge his family had kept him going.

As his brother had so often said, he was too d.a.m.n spiteful to die. And no one ever got the better of him.

Hauk bit his lip, exposing a hint of his long fangs. "d.a.m.n long time to be on the run."

"What can I say? I'm a stubborn b.a.s.t.a.r.d, fueled by venom and vengeance." Sighing, Bastien finally relaxed as he approached Hauk. "So is that your family you're traveling with?"

Hauk drew his blaster and pinned it right between Bastien's eyes again. "What do you know of them?"

Bastien held his hands up, for the first time without fear. "Nothing. I saw your camp a few days ago. Being hunted, I make it a point to check out anyone who lands here. I figured you were on a hiking trip of some sort, so I left you alone and went away. Seems to be some kind of Andarion thing around here. But usually it's only two Andarions at a time, and they leave after a few weeks. Though why you guys want to vacation here, I cannot imagine. You are one f.u.c.ked-up species."

Snorting, Hauk holstered his blaster. "Have you been here the whole eight years?"

"Most of them. Once I realized the magnetic field and radiation played havoc with tracking devices, I decided s.h.i.thole Central suited me fine enough."

Hauk snorted at that. "Doesn't seem to be playing with mine. They haven't had any problems tracking me."

"Ah ... that's why they keep hitting you. Wondered about that." Bastien frowned. "So who wants you dead?"

Hauk lifted the container that held his confiscated head. "That's what I'm going to find out."

Gruesome, but understandable.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Bastien nodded. "Guess being Sentella, you have a lot of friends who want to play with you."

"Yeah, but I'd rather take my ball and go home."

Bastien laughed. "Why do I doubt that?"

"Probably because I'm about to take my ball and go shove it up the a.s.s of whoever started this."

And now Hauk reminded him a lot of his cousin Jullien. "Spoken like a true Andarion."

"Known a lot of us?"

Bastien hesitated to answer. Obviously, Hauk didn't know he was royal or related to Jullien, and he wasn't about to bring that sore topic up since The Sentella had their own bounty out on his cousin's hide. Not that he blamed them. The Sentella was led by Jullien's twin brother, who hated him over the fact that Jullien had stupidly a.s.sisted Nykyrian's bitterest enemy in his abduction of Nykyrian's wife.

Hence the condition of the base Bastien currently lived in. He'd found those data files and had been shocked by them.

Until he'd heard Jullien's side of things.

His cousin had been in a dire situation, and much like Bastien, had been left with almost no options for survival. And he loved Jullien, and owed him way too much to ever judge him for the steps he'd taken to keep himself alive.

Desperate people did desperate things.

He was just too d.a.m.n grateful to have his cousin still with him.

However, he wasn't about to bring up something that could get him killed right now. So he settled on a safer Andarion topic.

"Just one." Technically true since Jullien was only half-blooded and while Unira and Vasili were Andarions, the Fyreblood race was vastly different from the Ixurians-which was what those with dark hair and skin would be considered. "Nasty-tempered b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but d.a.m.n good in a fight." He cast an amused grin at Hauk. "Now that I think about it, he looks a lot like you."

"Yeah, well, we all look alike."

Bastien rolled his eyes at the bad stereotype that Andarions used against all humans, and it definitely didn't apply to him. "Wouldn't know. He's the only Andarion"-full-blooded Ixurian, anyway-"I've been this close to, besides you. Come to think of it, his name's also Hauk. Only it's his last name."

Hauk narrowed his gaze as if he was one breath from attacking. "Friend or foe?"

"Good friend, so if you plan to s.h.i.t-talk him, you better be ready to draw again and shoot when you do so."

This time, Hauk grinned wide enough to expose razor-sharp fangs. "I never s.h.i.t-talk Fain behind his back. Only to his face. Otherwise, big brother would kick my a.s.s."

Bastien went slack-jawed as he instantly knew exactly who this was-and it was a d.a.m.n good thing he hadn't brought up Jullien's name, since this particular Andarion had his grudge against his cousin. "You Dancer?"

He inclined his head to him. "I'm Dancer."

"Well, I'll be d.a.m.ned. Small f.u.c.king universe. The way Fain talked about you, I thought you'd be the size and age of the kid you're with. Had no idea you were so close to his age and build." Bastien held his arm out to him. At a distance that let Dancer know he really was familiar with Andarions and their culture. "I owe Fain my life. You need a point or anchor, any time, I'm yours."

Dancer shook his arm. "How you know my brother?"

"He used to live in my neighborhood on Kirovar. We worked out at the same gym. I was the only one who'd spar with him. After a while, we ended up as drinking buddies."

Dancer nodded. "So you must know his first mate, Durden."

Grimacing, Bastien shook his head. "Never heard him mention a Durden. Didn't know he had any friends, to be honest. Not that he ever talked much, but when he did, you're the only one he ever really talked about." He paused as he realized what Hauk had just done, then smirked. "So did I pa.s.s?"

"Pa.s.s what?"

"Your test to see if I'm really a friend of Fain's. Not that I blame you. Don't trust strangers as a rule, either. But I do know Fain. I even know you have burn scars on your back from a childhood accident he blames himself for. And that his ex-wife was named Omira Antaxes."

Hauk let out a slow, audible breath. "He must have been drunker than h.e.l.l to tell you that."

Bastien rubbed at his neck. "Yeah. It was on what would have been their tenth anniversary. He didn't handle it well. He even told me why they divorced, and I know that if I allow anything to happen to you, he'll hunt me down to the ends of the universe and gut me hard."

"That I believe he would." Dancer sat back as he started the airbee. "I'm headed up to bust a.s.s. You joining or staying?"

Suddenly feeling like his old self again, Bastien grinned as he slung his leg over the airbee beside Dancer's. "Always ready for a good fight. Especially when a mighty War Hauk's involved." He powered on the engine. "And I'm harboring a serious hard-on for anyone who hunts others for a living. I'd much rather be the predator than the prey."

"Then welcome, brother." Dancer inclined his head to him before he gunned the accelerator.

Bastien had no idea where they were going, and maybe it was stupid to join him. But it'd been too long since he'd felt like a unit, and honestly, he'd missed this.

Be careful where your loneliness takes you.

Then again, it wasn't like he had anything else to do. Until the chip was out of him, he couldn't go after Barnabas. If he left this place, he'd be dead in a week, as it would trip every League alarm he came into contact with. And those fected things were lined up every few feet.

While he liked a good battle, even he had to sleep sometime and no one would fight that many a.s.sa.s.sins without a break.

So for now, he'd stay with Dancer and work as his wingman.

Dancer led him a few ticks away and then landed the airbike before he turned it off.

Cautious and alert, Bastien pulled in beside him.

Dancer removed the safeties and locks from his weapons while Bastien swung his dirty poncho over his shoulder and secured it so that the material wouldn't get in his way during the fight.

Next, Bastien took inventory of his own weapons while Dancer secured his braids back from his face. Dancer unwound his long brown scarf from around his neck so that he could cover his head and the lower part of his face, no doubt to disguise the fact he was Andarion. Then he pulled out a pair of opaque eyeshields. Fully concealed, he took the container he'd scavenged from the a.s.sa.s.sins and waited for Bastien.

As soon as he was ready, they crept toward the shuttle where four men waited for their comrades to return with Dancer's head.

"So what are you spending your money on?" a large, grimy man asked.

"Women," his muscular companion said with a snort. "Lots of women."

"Always looking for the next ex, eh?"

"Always."

Dancer met Bastien's gaze. "Cover me."

He scowled at him. "Want to fill me in on your plan?"

"Told you already. Bust a.s.s."

Oh, okay. Sounded like one of Ember's more infamous battle plans. Ill-conceived and guaranteed to get him shot.

But at least with her, she'd always kissed his boo-boos and made it up to him later. And while he was hornier than h.e.l.l and Dancer was extremely attractive for a man, Bastien hadn't been alone quite long enough to want to bed down with another man.

Yet.

Though another hour with Dancer, enough alcohol and darkness, and he might be persuaded ...

Dancer rose to his feet and walked calmly toward the group. A breeze stirred, whipping the end of his scarf out while he entered their camp.

Two of them rose with their hands on their blasters.

"Can we help you?" the largest one asked. From the way the others deferred to him, Bastien a.s.sumed he must be their leader. His was also the voice he'd heard on the link, asking for a status update.

Without a word, Dancer tossed the container in his hand at the man. It landed at his feet, on its side.

"What's this?"

Bastien bit back a laugh. Be careful what you ask, buddy. You might not like the answer.

Dancer slid his gaze to each man around him in turn. "A gift."

Curious, the mercenary a.s.sa.s.sin knelt and opened the bag, then cursed as he saw the a.s.sa.s.sin's head it contained. He scrambled for his blaster.

Faster than Bastien could move, Dancer shot his three companions, before closing the distance between them. He s.n.a.t.c.hed the blaster from the man's hand and pulled it back as if he was going to hit him with the stock. "Who sent you," he ground out between clenched teeth.

"W-w-what?"

Dropping the blaster, Dancer grabbed his shirt and shook him hard. "Who. Sent. You?"

Bastien came in, weapon drawn to make sure there was no one else in hiding. "d.a.m.n, Hauk. You're a selfish b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I thought you were going to leave some for me."

Dancer ignored him as he lowered the scarf to expose his face. With one hand, he dragged the a.s.sa.s.sin, who was now kicking and screaming, toward their skimmer.

"I'm a Boldorian! My guild brothers will swarm all over you for this!"

Dancer snorted in contempt of the threat. "Let 'em take a f.u.c.king number. Now answer my question or I'm going to start eating pieces off your body, human." He pulled the knife from his belt and isolated the a.s.sa.s.sin's thumb, but not before his gaze fell to the man's forearm and a series of self-imposed marks that nauseated Bastien even more than the man's stench. Those were an accounting for all the innocent lives the b.a.s.t.a.r.d had taken.

Some, Bastien noted, were for kids.

"We'll start with this, I think," Hauk growled.

He screamed like a b.i.t.c.h.

Grimacing, Bastien sucked his breath in audibly. "You know, friend, I'd tell the Andarion what he wants to know. They're not a patient race ... and they're always, always hungry."

Sweat poured down the a.s.sa.s.sin's face as he gulped. "I-I-I don't know. I just have the ID code. That's all. I swear. You can see for yourself."

Bastien took over covering him while Dancer yanked the a.s.sa.s.sin's PD off his belt and turned it on.

Dancer cursed. "Cabarro? Can you read this?" He tossed it over.