“This shuttle isn’t big enough to hold a pod anywhere but in the cargo hold and definitely not that many.” Ice wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure?”

“It’s in the shuttle schematics,” Zorus snapped. “Move. We don’t want to stay here.”

One of the cyborg council members nodded. “We set a fire in control so they can’t use the shuttle to come after us and Mellno is sealing the bulkheads between us and the cargo hold to slow their progress in reaching us before we can escape. He’ll be along shortly.”

Megan realized that one of the two cyborg guards was gone, only one remained with the four council members. Ice spun and gripped Megan’s upper arm. Moving fast, he yanked her along the corridor back to the lift.

The seven of them were cramped in the lift. Ice kept her against his body. She looked up at him, saw the grim set of his jaw, and knew her fears were justified. They were in really deep shit.

The doors opened and they rushed down the hallway to a curve. One of the council members stopped, frowning, and examined the wall. “I don’t understand. There should be doors here for the pods.”

Megan inched away from Ice’s body, fighting his tight hold, and saw six squared, large wall tiles instead of doors. She’d seen them before once, in that vid about the shuttle, and had completely forgotten about them until that moment.

“Shit!”

“What is it?” Ice stared down at her.

“Let go.”

He released her arm and she pushed past two of the council members, her hands touching the tiles. She found a button along the seam at the top and pushed it. The tile moved and she jumped back as it slid out from the wall, the cyborgs scrambling to get out of the way so they weren’t crushed as it extended outward into the hallway.

“They are life capsules,” Megan explained, staring at the long, box-shaped cylinder she’d revealed before lifting her gaze to Ice. “Each one only holds one person.”

Zorus broke the silence that met her explanation. “How do you open them?” He stood behind her, ending up on her side of the hallway where it had divided when the pod had blocked it.

Megan hesitated. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen one in person, just in a vid, and they didn’t exactly show how they worked. I just remember they were concealed in the wall and they are state-of-the-art.”

“Move,” Zorus pushed her roughly out of his way and touched the metal. A popping noise sounded and the lid started to lift.

Megan stared at the cushioned, black interior and shivered. It reminded her of a coffin, only much deeper than a burial one. On the interior of the lid were controls.

Zorus softly cursed.

“We have no choice. Parlis, get in. You are first.”

The councilman didn’t look happy but he moved, climbed inside the box and stretched out flat. His big shoulders barely fit side to side but he had plenty of leg room.

He nodded and then studied the panel above him.

A rumble sounded from somewhere in the ship and the lights flickered. Under Megan’s bare feet she felt a vibration. Her gaze flew to Ice.

“Explosion,” he told her softly. “I believe the Markus Models have left the cargo hold or the fire that was lit in control is causing great damage.”

The lid to the pod slowly shut, hissed loudly as it sealed, and the entire thing slid back into the wall. Megan backed up, bumping into the cyborg guard. After the square panel sealed against the wall, they heard the pod being expelled from the shuttle. It sounded as if it had been shot into space—a whooshing sound.

“He’s clear.” Zorus sighed. “I have short-range communications.”

“How?” Ice frowned.

“It’s a council upgrade,” one of them explained softly, touching another panel and activating the pod to withdraw from the wall. “We need to communicate at times without words so we are able to link together.”

Two of the council members climbed into activated pods, closed them, and they slid into the wall. Three pods remained.

Zorus visibly relaxed. “The three council members are clear and out of my range now but they made it. I wanted to make sure it was safe before I used one and it is.

Now I will go.” He tried to step around Ice.

“There are only six pods,” the cyborg guard stated softly, his gaze locking with Ice’s. “There are eight of us if Mellno is alive.”

“We’re council.” Zorus glared at Ice. “Our lives are more important. Leave Mellno and the human behind. That’s an order!”

Chapter Thirteen

Ice blocked Zorus’ way to the three remaining capsules. “You expect me to leave my wife and one of our own men behind to die?” He grabbed the councilman and slammed him against the wall, growling in rage. “You did this by putting us in this dangerous situation. Megan warned you that those androids were unstable but you wouldn’t listen. Your hatred for everything human has brought us to this moment.”

“Release me. That’s an order. I’m leaving. Kill him if your wife matters so much. I don’t care who you save but let me go!”

Ice pinned the councilman tighter against the wall and turned his head, staring at the guard. “Go.”

The cyborg hesitated.

“He told me to kill you, Roan. You heard him. Are you really going to protect him? Take the vessel and go.” Ice stared at the other man.

The guard turned, activated the capsule that slid out from the wall, and quickly climbed in. He hit the button to seal the lid, his gaze locking with Ice’s. “I owe you my life, Ice. I won’t tell anyone what happened.”

In other words, he wouldn’t tell anyone that Ice had chosen to save his life over a council member. Ice turned his head the other way. His gaze locked with Megan’s.

“Go, Megan. When you’re safe I’ll release him so he can use the last one.”

Shock burned through her. “You’re going to stay behind?”

“He’s a council member. I may dislike him but I won’t kill him.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Hot tears filled her eyes and she had to blink them back.

“Those Markus Models will kill you or return you to Earth. Either way you’ll die. No.”

“Fine. Both of you stay. Release me. Those things are coming. I just heard the lift doors.” Zorus struggled but couldn’t break free of Ice’s hold on him.

Ice spun, keeping one hand on Zorus and his other hand lifted, his weapon pointing toward the bend of the hallway. In seconds a large shape rounded the corner and Megan gasped. It wasn’t a Markus Model or the other cyborg guard, Mellno. It was the bald cyborg. The one Ice had asked to get her bots. He was out of breath, had cuts on both arms, and a torn shirt.

Ice lowered his weapon. “Coal? What are you doing on board? You should be on the Star.”’ “With my damaged implants I couldn’t connect to the shuttle computer.” He touched his head. “I couldn’t bypass the doors that locked me inside a storage room when I entered it in search of the remaining bots. It seems some doors you may enter but need a code to exit. What is going on?”

“No time to explain.”

Ice turned and his gaze locked with Megan’s. She could see fear in his blue gaze.

His voice rang with desperation when he spoke. “I love you, Megan. Get in the damn life capsule for me.”

“No.” She refused to leave him. “We’ll fight them. We’ll―”

A loud boom reverberated through the ship. The gravity stabilizers wavered so all four of them lost their balance and slowly lifted from the floor. The lights flickered and the gravity restored, slamming them to the deck.

“The shuttle is unstable,” Zorus yelled. “Release me. I’m a council member. I’m giving you a direct order.” He tried to shove Ice again.

Ice punched Zorus in the face, hard. The cyborg grunted and then went limp but Ice grabbed him with both hands, holding him up. He turned and stared at Coal.

“There are only two pods left and they only hold one person each.”

Coal closed his eyes for a few seconds and then opened them. He lifted out his arms. “Give him to me. You both need to escape now. I’ll stay behind.”

Ice didn’t move. “Coal, you and Megan are taking the life capsules. I’m staying behind with Zorus.”

Coal shook his head. “You have a woman. I have no one, Ice.” He hesitated, lifted his hand, and touched the back of his head. “I am damaged. I am no longer useful without active implants. You heard our doctors. The scar tissue is too severe to replace them. I couldn’t even get myself out of a simple locked door without tearing through a wall with my body strength. Save your own life and be happy with your female.”

“Please come with me,” Megan begged. “Ice? I love you.”

He turned his head, his beautiful silvery-blue gaze holding her captive with a sad look. “I have strong issues with tight spaces, Megan. I can’t get into one of those capsules even if I were willing to allow Coal to take my place by staying behind. I would do almost anything for you but I just can’t put myself into that thing without losing control. I would damage the interior of the capsule when I struggled to get out of it, reasonable or not, and it would be a waste of two lives when one could be saved.”

Megan blinked. “You’re claustrophobic? Seriously? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re a big, strong cyborg.” She knew her mouth was agape in astonishment.

“Just shut off your emotion, do that thing you do and activate those chips you told me about. I know you said you like to feel everything but you can feel after we’re safely away from this damn place.”

“I was tortured,” Ice admitted. “I know the fear is illogical but I’m unable to shut it down even when I’ve attempted it. It’s too deeply instilled.”

“But you―”

“I’m sorry,” Ice said, cutting her off. “Coal, promise me you will protect her from the council. Don’t allow them to harm Megan.”

“I swear,” Coal agreed. “Ice? Look at me.”

Ice turned to face Coal and Megan watched in utter shock as the bald cyborg threw a powerful punch that landed directly on Ice’s chin, sending the man she loved into an unmoving heap on the floor with the already unconscious Zorus. She was so surprised she couldn’t even move for seconds. Her gaze lifted and Coal sighed, staring back at her. He shrugged.

“He can’t be fearful if he’s not conscious to experience emotion.” He bent and grabbed Ice under his arms. “Open a pod. I’ll place him inside it and you take the remaining one. When he wakes, tell him to live a happy life for me, and that will make us even. I kept my promise. I protected your life since you won’t be in any danger with a live male in your family unit.”

She numbly moved and activated a pod. The smell of acid smoke teased her nose and she sniffed. Coal frowned and inhaled. He looked grim as their gazes met.

“The fire has spread inside the walls, into the electrical conduits is my best estimation. It’s just a matter of time before the damage is so severe that no life will be sustainable. We don’t have much time. Open it.”

The pod had slid out fully from the wall and she touched the top, activating the lid to open up. Coal adjusted his hold on Ice’s large body, cradling him in his massive arms enough to lift him over the edge and settle his body down. Megan only hesitated for a second before she climbed in after him. A hand grabbed her arm, stopping her. Her head jerked up.

“What are you doing? These are designed for one individual.”

“If he wakes before we’re picked up, he’s going to freak out and may get himself killed. If I’m on top of him I can keep him calm and still.” She paused. “And I’d rather risk both of our lives than just leave you behind to die.”