Free The Spawning by Kaitlyn O'Connor Page A

and how that might effect the bargaining situation. As far as she was concerned, they’d all been lucky considering what the trip down from the frigging ship had been like. It was nothing short of a miracle that they’d managed it with nothing more than lumps, bruises, a couple of sprains, and a few broken fingers and toes.
    It said a lot for their resilience in her book, but she doubted Khan would see it that way.
    She stiffened when they’d finished their conversation and Teron continued toward the other side of the compound while Khan headed toward them. Despite a budding resentment toward the leader of the Hirachi who’d shown so much contempt for them, her heart almost seemed to take on the same rhythm of his rapid stride.
    At first glance, she couldn’t see anything about him that really set him apart from the others and wondered why and how he’d come to be their leader. He was certainly as muscled, as tall, and as yellow as the others—maybe a little taller and broader than the average Hirachi, but she couldn’t see that he seemed significantly bigger than the men that surrounded him. His hair, purely black, had been gathered tightly to the crown of his head and tied there and even so the long lock hung half way down his back—but the others also appeared to have black hair, and they wore their long hair the same.
    He was clothed the same.
    As he drew nearer to their group, though, she decided it was his bearing that set him apart. He moved with surprising grace for such a giant of a man, but beyond that, with the strength of purpose and confidence of a leader of other men—aliens—monster aliens. A strange quivery sensation went through her as it occurred to her to wonder what such a being must be like—to be looked up to and respected by the frightening looking horde at his back.

    * * * *
    “Do you believe what he said?” Deborah asked in a whisper, her voice husky with tears.
    Dragging her gaze from Khan with an effort, Miranda stared at her for a long
    THE SPAWNING Kaitlyn O’Connor 36
    moment. “Who?”
    “The trader. Do you think there could possibly be any truth to his claim about …
    buying us?”
    The rage Miranda had fought to tamp when she’d finally gotten over her shock
    resurfaced. She’d been struggling with denial ever since, but she knew in her heart and soul that the bastard had spoken nothing but the truth. They’d been sold out by their government. What were a few women, after all, when compared to whatever fucking technology they’d gotten for nothing? “I’d like to say I don’t, but, unfortunately, I do.
    Why would he specify the government if he hadn’t negotiated with them? Why not just claim it was an individual? Or a chief, or something like that? It isn’t like the Hirachi would know the difference—they don’t know anything about us.
    “Do you think there’s any other way he would’ve known that single women could
    be found wearing those damned wristbands outside of clubs on the weekends? It isn’t like he could blend in and discover it himself. He has to wear that suit. He can’t even breathe the same air that keeps us alive.”
    She shook her head in disgust. “He was told . You have to appreciate the sheer cleverness of it! They didn’t even have to tag us themselves—didn’t have to dirty their hands at all, and since most of us are single, not nearly as many people left behind to complain about our disappearances.
    “Beyond that, he said he was specifically told to pick up the ‘fair ones’. The Russian mob targets fair women for the slave trade. We thought it was a Russian gang when we began investigating because of the profiles of all the victims.”
    “The fucking bastards!” Carol muttered tearfully. “Those slimy, rotten, fucking, blood sucking bastards! When people hear about this ….”
    “That’s the real beauty of it,” Miranda said tiredly. “People never will hear about it, will they?”
    The comment silenced both of them.