THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

hadn’t reached this point to lose. He could not allow anyone to come and go into that Sphere who could put everything at risk. “I’d pay out of my pocket to see the face of the one called Callan confront what I have in mind. His Warrior House is a bigger worry than those blasted Governing MystiKs. They’re enough of pain in my side, but Callan has some paying up to do.” 
    Rustaad moved to leave.
    SEOH’s voice stopped him. “Plus I want those Sphere interlopers caught and brought to me. I can’t imagine a MystiK figuring out how to get inside the Sphere, but let me find out the intruders are TecKnati...and blood will run.”
    “Very well. I’ll arrange the meeting in the battle room.” Rustaad indicated the soundproof room where SEOH brought his most loyal and brightest minds to discuss things the board would never know about.
    When Rustaad turned to leave again, SEOH added, “Wait. I have good news.”
    “Oh?”  Rustaad paused, completely still. At times it appeared the man didn’t breathe.
    “Another sign that the Byzantine Institute in the past is on track.”
    “Do we know if they found the Genera-Y computer?” 
    “Unfortunately not yet. If only we could communicate directly with them.”  SEOH shook his head at the frustration of having operatives who were assigned a mission but could not make contact with anyone in the future. “But no matter, we did receive verification that the genetic monitoring program is performing just the way we intended. They’ve clearly begun to identify MystiK ancestors and have the female Bio-Genetics Research Center up and running at the Institute.”
    He smiled at Rustaad’s raised brows, adding, “It’s true. I received a report today that several entire families of MystiKs in three cities disappeared. These must be descendants of females going through the Bio-Genetic program in the past.”
    “No TecKnati children missing?”
    “Not a one.”
    Rustaad actually grinned. “My admiration SEOH, the egg removal program works.”
    “Absolutely. I wish there was a way to communicate with the agents we sent back to the year 2009 to let them know the eggs they’ve removed from MystiK ancestors have wiped out entire lines.”
    “The agents we sent are exceptional scientists and well-trained TecKnati who’ll continue to perform their jobs regardless, even if they never learn of the results. This is outstanding. And neutralizing MystiKs this way defies their power, because the treaty’s specific words were ‘no TecKnati shall kill a MystiK born since A.C.E. 2127.’  Fools weren’t bright enough to consider that the treaty did not prevent sending someone into the past to prevent a MystiK birth.” His grin deepened.
    Caught up in Rustaad’s unusual show of emotion, SEOH even chuckled, more than pleased with the results of his plan. “Our agents in the Byzantine Institute have clearly reproduced ANASKO technology for engineering the removal of eggs from a female without leaving a mark on her body.”
    “MystiK female ancestors will not suspect they’ve been sterilized. Excellent.” 

CHAPTER 34
     
    When the panels on the transender pod slammed shut trapping us inside, I froze, digesting Callan’s last words.
    C’raydonians were hunted as a rabid race.
    All my people were dead.
    And Callan would turn eighteen soon.
    It was Gabby who shook me loose from my stalled state when she asked Tony, “What now?”
    “Don’t know. This was all I found out.”
    A low hum started again, picking up volume until the sound screeched.
    Gabby dug her fingers into my arm and yelled at Tony, “Grab Rayen’s other arm.”
    “Why?”  Tony acted appalled that she thought he should cling to a girl.
    “Don’t go back to being a jerk just when you’ve shown signs of evolving into an intelligent life form,” Gabby shot at him, raising her voice over the increasing whine. “You’re the one who wanted to do this. You’re the one who said it took all three of us, so either grab her arm or say goodbye.” 
    I didn’t know whether Gabby was right or not, but just as my body felt pulled in multiple directions and everything began to blur, Tony’s hand latched onto my other arm.
    I clenched from head to toe against the sensation of being warped while suspended in a spinning free fall. My body turned into a human bungee cord, stretched thin and sucked forward.
    With my hands slapped against my body, I shot through a rotating tunnel of blurry muted