Free Under His Guard by Rie Warren

heels. We broke into S-5 at a full-out run. The area was blindingly bare, almost completely destroyed. Vacant bomb-riddled buildings had blank eyes instead of windows. The earth was charred to cinder.
    â€œWhat happened here?” I asked.
    â€œThe CEO decided Omega citizens were getting too big for their britches. He blitzed the sector last week.” Darwin wiped her hand across her brow.
    â€œWhat now?”
    She grinned. “Now we find this guy Raine you’ve been told about.”

CHAPTER SEVEN
    A fter carefully exploring the wreckage of the Sector’s neighborhoods, we finally picked up a signal on Linc’s D-P. I took the lead, sneaking a look around the corner and into an area that might’ve once been a small courtyard for the four remaining structures surrounding it. A man with a full beard and long, rust-colored hair leaned against a building smoking a hand-rolled cig. The sweet scent of tobacco wafted to me.
    â€œI’ll make contact. The rest of you stay here.” I exited the alley, keeping one pistol lowered at my side.
    The tall man stubbed out his cigarette when I approached, his eyes glinting curiously. He didn’t give me a greeting, but he didn’t pull a weapon either.
    â€œI’m looking for Raine,” I said, less than a meter away.
    Peering up at the cloudless sky and down at hard-packed earth, he smiled wryly. “Aren’t we all?”
    Bingo. That was the code Denver had given us.
    â€œI see black skies ahead.” I held out my hand and he grasped it firmly. “I’m Darke.”
    â€œYou sure are.” Raine made a quick scan up and down my body. “Denver sent you.”
    â€œAnd who’s Denver to you?” I still didn’t have enough reasons to trust Denver, especially not with Leon’s life on the line.
    â€œSomeone to trust when most others can’t be.” Raine gave an easygoing wink. “You can tell your friends to come out now. We gotta hustle to get to Karesh Commune before nightfall. Don’t wanna be stuck in the middle of the desert at night.”
    At my whistle, the others appeared. Once we’d taken care of the how-dos, Raine jerked his head to the building behind him, indicating we should enter.
    Inside, he smirked in the low, cool light. “Get rid of the rags. You look like something straight out of a Company promo. You’re liable to get yourselves shot within three klicks of Karesh.” He kicked several bundles of clothes toward us.
    What the hell? This was the second time we’d been asked to change in less than an hour, for exactly the same reason: fitting in. Farrow was probably in her element. Sure enough, she’d reinvented herself into a colorfully skirted Freelander in record time. When Leon began to disrobe, I fought between turning my back and watching every article of clothing leave his body. In the end, I faced away from him, and stood in front of everyone else in an effort to provide a shield from all other eyes.
    By the time I dressed in long pants and a loose tunic, Leon was ready. He wore flowing gypsy pants that gathered so low on his hips the teasing tip of his tattoo showed. There was no shirt on his torso, just an expanse of bare skin I wanted to run my hands all over.
    Raine beckoned us out the back of the building. I was blinded by the harsh sunlight, and it took a moment for my sight to adjust to the open expanse of terrain where Omega Territory left off.
    â€œWelcome to your transport.” Raine waved toward a group of tall, gangly animals roped up to a ramshackle shelter.
    I stared at the two-humped beasts. And I’d thought the Predator was bad.
    â€œCamels.” Raine led us over.
    The giant animal closest to Cannon hissed at him. The former Alpha commander looked like he might piss himself—or pull his Glock.
    â€œCareful. They bite,” Raine warned with a chuckle.
    I cautiously sidled up to a camel, gathering the reins.
    â€œTwo