Read Untamed Hawaiian Heat (Rift Hunters) for Free Online

with their interrogator, Elias Marinos. She frowned, realizing she didn’t think of him as a prisoner. The only word that came to mind when she thought of him was…mine.
    For the first time that morning, she was grateful Mateo had blocked his links with her. The last thing she needed was to get into an argument about this in front of Pearce. Forcing thoughts of something she didn’t know how to fix out of her mind, she clasped her hands in her lap and stared at them while the others filed in and took their seats.
    Once everyone was seated, Kiana glanced around the room, surprised to see Ash had come with them. She and Mateo had to be here, since they’d been present at the man’s arrival. It was protocol for Monte, as platoon chief, to be present; the same went for Newt with his rank as leading petty officer. But Ash was their cybernetic medical tech, and he’d already said the stranger didn’t have any implants. She opened her mouth to ask, but Lieutenant Commander Pearce spoke before she had a chance.
    “Let’s skip to the chase. I’m Lieutenant Commander Sean Pearce, base commander here. Our interrogator, Petty Officer 1 Elias Marinos, will be asking you a few questions before we decide where to put you.”
    The stranger met the commander’s eyes. “I understand the need to ascertain if I’m a threat to your people.” He turned his attention to Elias. “I’ll do my best to answer your questions.”
    Elias pulled out the handheld recorder he used for interrogations and pushed a button. “All right, then, let’s begin.” He met the stranger’s gaze. “Please state your name and where you’re from.”
    The man shifted in his seat, then glanced at her and then Mateo before answering. “I am Centurion Tiaki Jamison, Primus Patefacio Rift Hunter of the Order of Kay. I hail from the planet Mākutu in the Phoenix Galaxy.”
    Kiana exchanged looks with the others. What the hell was he talking about?
    “You mean you’re from one of the newer islands in Oceania?” Elias prompted.
    “No. I mean exactly what I said. I am from the planet Mākutu in the Phoenix Galaxy.”
    Kiana leaned forward. “You must be mistaken. This is Earth, and we’ve no record of any galaxy by that name.”
    Tiaki turned and met her gaze. “I know I’m on Earth. Where exactly I am, and what time period I’m in, I am uncertain, since I didn’t have control of where the rift was taking me.”
    “You expect us to believe this load of shit? He’s lying, Commander. That, or he’s loco. Which I wouldn’t find too far of a stretch,” Mateo interjected, his voice vibrating with anger.
    “I’ll thank you to sit down and shut up, Castillo. This is not your interrogation, and I don’t have any problems ejecting you from it.” Pearce returned his attention to Tiaki. “Start from the beginning, Mr. Jamison, and go over where you’re from again. We’ll straighten out everything as we go.”
    “I’ll gladly explain everything to you, but it might be easier for you to comprehend what I’m telling you if I show you. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to borrow the use of your monitor there.” He pointed to the massive monitor taking up the wall behind Pearce’s head.
    Pearce glanced at the others. “Proceed, but know we’re watching you very closely. One wrong move, and you will be taken into custody immediately. Understood?”
    “Perfectly. I would do the same if I were in your position.”
    Tiaki rose from his seat and approached the com control at the side of the screen. He glanced over his shoulder and briefly met Kiana’s eyes, and then Mateo’s, before reaching for a small pocket on his sleeve Kiana hadn’t noticed before. He pulled out what appeared to be a tiny, wafer-thin microchip and turned his attention to the computer.
    Kiana watched as Tiaki assessed the com panel, then laid the chip upon the housing of the hard drive. She sensed a gently pulsing energy begin to flow freely from his hand, and her own