Page 84 of Twin Warriors

“This attack is too well organized to be the Korok, Iron. How would they have gotten inside? No one is allowed into the female residence except for trusted warriors and females. There were warriors all over the compound all day today, getting things ready for Amy. Someone must have seen something.”

Cole came to them, his suit shaking off the blood, before his face revealed and he said, “Tope said he scented Korok at the female residence, but that it was faint.”

Tope strode to them, his massive body still trembling from the fight. “It was a residual scent carried in by another. I did not understand it then, but I do now.”

“Understand what?” Iron asked.

“The scent was carried in by a cyborg.”

Cane’s heart fell. “That cannot be right, Tope. No warrior worth a trak would ever work with the Korok scum.”

“I know what I scented, Cane. You may have a good sense of smell, but it is nothing like a night beast. I scented an unknown warrior with traces of Korok on him. I could smell the metal on his flesh.”

Cane spun to look at Iron. Tope had to be wrong. All the enhanced warriors that lived on this planet were here, a part of the Iron militia.

“What I don’t understand,” Lace said as he approached, “Is why would they attack us now? They do not have the weapons they need to neutralize us. They must have known that we would win. The attack on the eating hall was also not as destructive or deadly as it could have been. If they wanted to kill as many warriors as possible, they would have struck at the heart of the compound. Most of the warriors live in the male residence. Why not place an explosive there, where they would kill the greatest number of males?”

“Perhaps the target was you,” Cane said to Iron, “Perhaps-”

Another ground shaking explosion ripped through the air, making all of them sway at the force of it. Exchanging a brief look, they all sprinted around the building, only to come skidding to a stop at the sight before them.

The large, three-story medical center at the front of the compound was torn apart. Thick, billowing black smoke poured out of the collapsed structure as fires raged in the lower levels. Screams echoed over the sound of falling rubble as warriors ran from the building engulfed in flames.

Cane’s entire body went numb.

“Amy,” He whispered, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Their mate had been in there, with Ice and dozens of warriors.

“No!” Cole roared as he stared at the crumbling building, waves of unimaginable agony exploding out of his brother.

Cane’s body went limp as he fell to his knees. He couldn’t tear his eyes off the flames lapping at the sides of fallen walls. He felt nothing. His body and mind had parted from reality to protect him from the idea that they had lost their mate. Their family.

“Warrior Cane!” A small child's voice carried to his disjointed mind.

“Warrior Cane!”

Cane blinked, his lungs starving for air, and slowly turned to see a small boy, maybe eight years old, sprinting towards them. Two house mothers ran behind him, desperately trying to catch up to the boy.

Cane turned away from the child unable to offer him any comfort at the fear he must be feeling. He knew the boy. It was one of the orphans that lived in the children’s housing unit behind the medical unit.

Cole fell to his knees beside Cane, the waves of pain and grief almost too much to bear.

“Warrior Cane!” The boy called as he stopped beside them, his heavy breathing echoing in Cane’s shattering mind.

“What is it, boy?” Iron asked, their voices sounding distant.

“Warrior Cane, I saw her,” The boy said between breaths, “I saw your mate.”

Cane blinked, allowing the tears to fall as he turned his head to look at the boy.

He didn’t say anything, just stared at the child for a long moment.

Finally, the boy spoke, “Commander Iron, I saw her. She was taken.”

In an instant, Cane’s mind snapped back into itself, his thoughts all rushing out and leaving only one behind. She’s alive!

“What do you mean, boy?” Iron barked, making the child flinch. He knew Iron meant nothing by it. It was the situation they were in that made his words sound harsher than they were meant.

Cane grabbed the boy by the shirt and pulled him closer, careful not to hurt him or scare him.