Free Cruz: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 2) by Anna Hackett

let’s—”
    Something vibrated in Cruz’s pocket. He cursed under his breath. “My communicator.” He yanked it out and checked the screen. Instantly, the slumberous, heated look in his eyes vanished. “One of the drones has found something.”
    Santha straightened, and gave her head a small shake. Moving from thinking about sex to the mission jarred her. “What? What was it?”
    His head snapped up. “They didn’t say. But they want us in Ops.”
    “Then let’s go.”
    Together, they hurried back into the base. At a half jog, they made it to the Operations Area and into the Hive.
    Marcus and Elle were there with General Holmes.
    “What is it?” Santha demanded.
    Marcus nodded at a curvy, redheaded woman in a blue uniform at the desk nearby. “Lia here, thinks she’s found something.”
    The redhead’s short, feathered hair accented a long, slim neck and a face dominated by large almond-shaped eyes. “I spotted a group of raptors bringing supplies into one of the bases that had been marked as a potential location for the prisoners.”
    “Supplies?” Cruz frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “That isn’t unusual.”
    “No.” Lia turned. “But one of them dropped a box and the contents spilled out.” She tapped at her comp and an image flashed on the huge screen on the wall.
    It showed vegetables spilled out on the pavement.
    “I don’t get it,” Marcus said. “Potatoes and spinach, so what?”
    But Santha’s pulse tripped. “Raptors are carnivorous. They don’t eat plants.”
    “You think this is to feed the prisoners?” Cruz said.
    “It’s a possibility,” Lia replied. “I flagged it as a potential item of interest. Then someone special turned up a few minutes later.”
    The image changed and this time Santha felt a punch of heat to her gut.
    It was the commander.
    “We need to get to this location and check it out,” she said. “I don’t care about resting. I’m going. Now .”
    Holmes held up a hand. “Calm down, Santha. I’ve already given the order for the recon mission supplies to readied for the four recon teams.” His gaze moved between her and Cruz. “Go.”
     

Chapter Seven
    Cruz led Santha into the hangar bay.
    They were prepped and ready to head out. Beside him, Santha was fiddling with the armor he’d found for her. It was all-black, and the lightest he could find. The carbon fiber panels slicked over her long, lean body.
    “You okay?”
    She gave a distracted nod. “I’m not used to wearing stuff like this.”
    “That ‘stuff’ can stop raptor claws, or one of their projectiles. You’re more likely to survive in it.”
    She touched the laser pistols holstered at her hips and the frag grenades lined up along her belt. “I’m just not used to being this…decked out.”
    “Advantage of being at the base. We have good supplies.”
    She nodded. “Still, I feel naked without my crossbow.”
    “Well…” he moved to the wall and grabbed what he’d stashed there earlier. He handed it to her.
    Her mouth dropped open as she took her matte-black crossbow. “Where did you get this?”
    “I asked Claudia to bring it with us when we evaced from your apartment. It was a little damaged, but I did some work to it.” He’d spent some of those endless hours she’d been unconscious in the infirmary slaving over it.
    She stroked the crossbow like a lover and Cruz’s mouth went dry. When she looked up, warmth glowed in her green eyes. “Thank you.” She walked to him, went up on her toes and kissed him.
    The kiss was over too fast. He wanted to grab her and drag her away somewhere private. Later , he promised himself.
    Santha secured the crossbow on her back. “So, are we taking a Hawk into the city?”
    “Nope. We need a bit more stealth than that.” He reached up and brushed the lobe of her ear. “I have something else for you.” He slipped a tiny earpiece into her ear. “Elle, you there?”
    “Read you loud and clear, Cruz,” Elle’s voice came