Witness [A First Contact Romance]-COMPLETE

63. Clash

Earth

2027

In the midst of the tall trees of the woods, Rory felt small and lost.

The twisted smile on Morfrain's face lodged a hard rock in her throat. "Where's Jace?" she whispered.

Vehru's stare scanned the perimeter and then stopped, her mouth tightening. Rory didn't need to hear an explanation for the subtle change in her expression before she knew to take off in a sprint through the trees. Spindly branches whacked against her arms as she pushed through for the clearing ahead. Limbs scattered the ground at the edge of the woods, leading to a path of chewed up earth. Her steps faltered when she saw Jace laying against a mound of displaced dirt.

"Jace!" Rory screamed his name, but he didn't stir. Activating her thrusters, she forced herself to him faster, each breath burning as panic consumed her thoughts.

Rory slid down beside him and pressed her hand to his mouth and nose, frozen as she waited for the warmth of his breath. It fell against her, uneven and weak. Relief that it wasn't too late warred with the terror of knowing he must have been badly hurt. Blood stained his nose and swollen lips, drying tacky along his chin and neck. Fiery skin, reddened from a fresh burn, spread out beneath a tattered hole in his body armor. The edges of his suit looked singed.

Rory carefully lifted the thick fabric away from the injury to look for further damage. When her hand brushed his chest, he grunted, head twisting to the side. "I'm sorry." That slight touch had hurt him that badly. "Oh, Jace, what did he do to you?"

When Jace opened his mouth, like he would speak, only a stifled moan escaped. A grimace twisted his face as he tried to draw in breath. His ribs or lungs must have been badly injured.

"It's okay. Don't talk. Don't move."

His fingers twitched and then just barely lifted. Rory grabbed his hand tightly, but twisted when she heard movement.

Morfrain landed with a thud on the ground in front of them, quickly followed by Vehru, who stood between them and the other commander.

"You've made your point," Vehru said in an icy voice. "This is enough."

"This isn't about making points, Vehru." Morfrain's tone held the edge of a chuckle on the verge of being released, while darkness consumed his eyes. "Look at what happens when you play games with me. Your little pets are running wild while we should be leading crucial missions. The Federation would not be pleased."

The way Morfrain talked about them made Rory feel sick. Was there any way for her to get Jace out of here? Even with her hand mods giving her strength, they had nowhere to go.

"Run..." Jace's lips barely moved and the word sounded so much like a groan that Rory had to guess at what he said. His body tensed, trembling with effort as he clearly tried to rise, only he didn't manage to push himself up whatsoever. The strain left him seizing with pain.