“It’s a hurricane, sustained winds of 130 to 160 mph, with possible gusts even higher. It’ll take hours to cross the island where you are and in the middle you may get a break from the wind and rain as the eye of the storm passes over, but then the trailing winds will hit. I anticipate the storm will strike the island where you are directly in three days. Humans and Badari can’t survive a storm of this intensity on an unprotected island, so we won’t be bringing the fighters to attack until the storm has passed. There’ll be a great deal of damage to the facility where you’re currently located, which may also impede the efforts to fight the Khagrish. We might have to wait a day or two until the enemy clears the debris.”
“Well, this is great,” she said with heavy sarcasm. There were bad storms on the northern continent but nothing to rival what MARL was describing.
“I estimate the Khagrish must have endured gales of this type from three to five times a year at your location, so they undoubtedly have adequate shelters for themselves and the prisoners.”
“I’m more concerned with the passage of time before you can get us out of here,” she said, correcting his misinterpretation of her unhappiness. “The delay’s pushing our timeline, as far as the women not being forced into the next phase of the experiment.”
“You believe the Khagrish will be conducting experiments during a hurricane?” MARL’s voice was skeptical.
“No, I guess not.” The delay in the rescue was alarming to her though. The women had two more days of interviews to conduct and then the storm would be rapidly approaching, according to MARL. “How sure is this forecast of yours?”
“Weather is always subject to change.”
She imagined he’d shrug if he were anything but a floating metallic ovoid. Annoyance was a hot coal in her mind—MARL could be incredibly annoying at times. She was glad he was Jill’s sidekick and not hers.
The alien AI offered her a crumb of comfort. “The weather patterns exerting influence on the hurricane appear quite stable, however.”
Flo debated whether the Khagrish would advance the schedule for the experiment, trying to beat the storm and told herself the answer was no, because it would make the situation less stable. As far as the Khagrish knew, they had basically forever to run this hideous scheme so what were a few days lost to them?
“Do you still plan to explain matters to the Alpha there, given the new facts?” MARL asked.
“Yes. It’s getting tricky to keep telling him artful lies because the Badari can detect falsehoods, you know. We may be able to do more planning on our end with this delay. Anything else?”
“Someone is attempting to waken you.” The colors withdrew, coalescing into a huge, hypnotic ball of light in front of her. “I’ll contact you again tomorrow night.”
“Wait—”
“Dammit it, Flo, wake up!” This sibilant whisper in her ear was accompanied by a rough shake of her shoulders.
She sat up, not with her usual energy and put one hand to her head. Conversing with MARL had a debilitating effect on her. Had she been paralyzed? The mere idea filled her with dread.
Lacey knelt beside her cot. “Lords of Space, you sleep like a rock. I’ve been trying to wake you for at least five minutes. Come on, we have to hurry.”
With an effort Flo swung her legs over the edge of the bed, noticing everyone else appeared to be asleep in the darkened barracks. “What’s wrong? Where are we going?”
“It’s Shelli. She was getting more and more upset today during the debrief on the interviews and I’m worried about her. I was up to use the restroom just now and I saw her sneaking out. I’m afraid she might do something rash.”
Flo slid her feet into the flip-flops and followed Lacey out of the barracks. Pausing on the porch, she said, “Any idea where she might have gone?”
Nodding with a grim expression, Lacey said, “She was talking about the ocean earlier and how she’d like to float away and escape all the horrible things going on here.”
“She mentioned something similar to me too,” Flo said, remembering Shelli had specifically referred to killing herself if the situation got dire enough.
The two women set out at a run on the path to the beach. Flo was grateful for the three moons overhead, which made the surroundings almost as bright as day. As she went around a curve, she saw someone ahead of her, moving fast, and she sped up as well, leaving Lacey behind.
“Shelli!”
The other runner turned and then put on a desperate burst of speed, going out of sight over the slight rise marking the edge of the beach. Flo accelerated, sprinting now. It was alarming to her that Shelli hadn’t stopped to at least tell them she wanted to be alone but instead was acting rather guiltily. She couldn’t actually be contemplating suicide, could she? Reaching the ridge, Flo paused for a second to stare out to sea, where she saw a head bobbing in the sparkling silver and black waves, Shelli stroking determinedly on a course away from the beach. “Seven hells!”
Struggling out of her jumpsuit as she ran to the water’s edge, Flo abandoned her flip-flops and dove into the water in her underwear, swimming strongly. “Shelli, come back in to shore,” she yelled when she surfaced, treading water briefly.
The other swimmer didn’t hesitate but kept going, although her pace was less hectic. Suddenly she was swept to the side, most likely by a riptide and went under. Flo didn’t waste any more breath but put her head down and used her best stroke, adapting to the choppy conditions of the open water. When she came up for air and to check on Shelli, the woman was flailing as she was pulled by the current and screaming.
Flo adjusted her course and felt the current grab her, so she used the ocean’s power to take her where she wanted to be and managed to reach Shelli as she was going under again. The other woman had her head back, gasping for air and had stopped kicking but as Flo came closer, Shelli tried to grab for her. Flo managed to avoid the now-panicky girl and got in a good position to grab Shelli from behind.
“Stop struggling, relax and we’ll be okay,” she said harshly, trying to penetrate Shelli’s obvious terror. “We’ll have to drift with the current, parallel to the shore, and when we can get out of the riptide, we will, I promise.”
Shelli was panicked beyond comprehension, trying to twist as if to hug Flo, at which point she knew they’d both probably drown, so she released her hold long enough to retreat a few feet and then surge forward, knocking Shelli out with a fist to the jaw. She caught Shelli before she could swallow too much water or go under, and then settled in to tow the now limp body, while trying to keep them both afloat on the riptide.
She was tired, her arms and legs aching. Obviously the conversation with MARL had debilitated her. Flo wondered how much longer she’d be trapped in the current. Something brushed against her legs and swam away and she remembered Daegan had told her there were predators in the ocean here. She was bumped again, more aggressively and this time several oddly shaped fins slid by her in the water, moving slightly out to sea but a great deal too close for comfort.
No knife, no blaster, can’t let go of Shelli—we’re totally screwed out here if whatever those are decide to take a bite next.
At least Aydarr had the location of the island now, even if she drowned or was killed out here, but rescuing the imprisoned Badari would be much harder without their advance knowledge and co-operation. She probably shouldn’t have risked her own mission to try and save Shelli but Flo couldn’t stand by and watch someone drown either. Determined not to give up, she forced herself to keep kicking although her arms and legs were like lead weights.
Hands tugged at her tight grip on Shelli. “Let go, let us help you.” Daegan was inches from her face, shouting and swimming strongly beside her. Confused, afraid she was hallucinating, Flo blinked hard. Not only was the Alpha there, so were three of his men.
She released Shelli to the second enforcer and immediately Daegan put his arm around Flo herself and began towing her toward the beach, his tremendous strength enoug
h to get them out of the riptide. Looking back, she saw the first enforcer and the other soldier embroiled in a fight with a hulking sea creature. Unable to see clearly as the men and the beast fought in the midst of the waves, she remembered the Badari had total night vision thanks to their DNA enhancements and could hold their breath underwater for lengthy periods of time.
“Will your men be all right?” she yelled.
Daegan turned his head to smile at her. “Have some concern for yourself, Flo of the Sectors. You took such a risk tonight—what am I going to do about you?”
His question sounded more tender than sharp and she relaxed, content to be rescued when she had been the rescuer originally. By the time Daegan carried her to the beach in his strong arms, not accepting her repeated requests to walk, Flo was more herself.
He laid her next to Shelli. Lacey was there, holding the other woman’s hand as she coughed and wept. Flo was glad to see if Shelli’d had water in her lungs she was doing better now.
A fifth Badari was there as well and from the faint green glow emanating from his hands, Flo knew he was the healer.
“This one is fine as far as I can tell,” he said to Daegan, indicating Shelli. “She’ll have to be watched for inflammation of the lungs for a few days. “ He cast a puzzled glance at his fingers. “My power has a hard time recognizing her as a being in need.”
“That’s the way it work with humans,” Flo said, coughing a bit herself. “Don’t worry about it.”
Daegan looked at her strangely but he wrapped her in a blanket. “Check Flo next.”
Realizing she was shivering and her white underwear had gone see through once it became wet, she was grateful for the blanket. She opened her mouth to protest and shut it again promptly when Daegan glared at her. The healer made quick work of running his hands over her body, a few inches in the air away from her skin. He lingered a bit at the site where MARL had implanted his manifestation but then sat back on his heels and shut off the green glow emanating from his hands.
“Also fine.”
“Good.” Daegan accepted the report matter of factly but his eyes as he watched Flo glowed even more brightly.
“Thank you—all of you,” Shelli said, hiccupping from all the sobbing she’d been doing. “I’m sorry,” she said directly to Flo. “I never meant for anyone else to be in danger. I just—I just couldn’t face another day in this place, worrying about Ardem, my husband, worrying about what was going to happen to me when the experiment goes into the next phase.” She seemed nervous about the Badari, clinging to Lacey and huddling closer when the soldiers moved too abruptly.
Flo patted her arm. “You fought to live once we got caught in the damn riptide. I saw the true Shelli, the tough woman who wants to survive this and thumb her nose at the Khagrish. Remember your strength in the moment.”
Glancing beyond her, Shelli gave a little shriek and Flo hastily turned her head to the water’s edge, where the two Badari who’d been fighting the unknown sea monster were now trudging ashore, carrying a monstrous carcass which the pair dropped onto the sand.
“Any injuries?” asked the healer.
“Only to the marhaddak,” said the enforcer with a laugh, kicking the corpse. Tentacles flopped onto the sand from the bullet shaped body and Flo shuddered. The thing was probably nine feet long, with twin dorsal fins. “It’ll be good eating.”
Daegan checked the location of the moons above, gauging how much time was left before dawn. “Go ahead and render it but work fast. Divide the meat evenly between the pods.” He pointed at the healer, “You can go now.” Daegan was in an efficient, no-nonsense mood, issuing orders to everyone, including the women. “We need to get you to your barracks as quietly as possible. The Khagrish don’t pay much attention to anything that happens in the Preserve but we also try to stay under their scanners rather than provoke them to curiosity. The less interaction with them the better.” He checked with Flo. “Can you walk?”
“Sure.” Scrambling to her feet, she had to grab at his arm to get her balance.
Daegan pulled her close. “I thought as much. I’ll help you.”
“I brought your things,” Lacey said. “When the Badari arrived your uh friend told me to stick with them and took off down the beach but I did remember to grab your stuff. I’m sorry I didn’t come into the water to help but I’m a terrible swimmer.”
Flo shook her head and raised her hands in a ‘no harm no foul’ gesture to placate Lacey and assure her there was no problem. “Don’t worry about it. We didn’t all need to be out there in the water.”
Shelli shook her head. “I can’t go back. I know you’re right, Flo, about how much I do want to live, to find my husband someday, but I refuse to submit to—”
Eye glowing, Daegan stepped away from Flo and went to the distraught woman, taking her hands in his. She seemed mesmerized by him and Flo sensed the Alpha’s power flaring in the night. “I give you my word you’ll not be forced to submit to any male. I’ll provide you a partner in the next phase who will pretend you’ve mated and leave you untouched.”
“Just her?” Lacey said. As everyone stared at her she raised her hands and retreated a step, saying hastily, “I’m academically curious about the underlying motivation.” Tapping her chest she smiled shakily. “Scientist here, remember? Gathering data.”
Daegan’s face was set in a frown, eyes glowing slightly and Flo wasn’t surprised when Lacey lowered her eyes. “We Badari regard the mate bond as a sacred thing, not to be interfered with by any other. Your friend here is deeply committed to her mate, obviously, if she’s willing to die rather than endure the touch of a Badari. We honor that. And no, I cannot extend such courtesy to the rest of you because we’re prisoners too and the fate of our young males and cubs rests on our compliance with what the Khagrish want. They won’t hesitate to kill a portion of my people if we fail to participate—such atrocities have happened before when there was rebellion among the Badari. My first loyalty is to my own kind. One woman I can help. I can only regret the rest of you being caught in this situation.” Now he turned to Shelli, who stood with open mouth and wide eyes. “But it must be our secret, understand? I will have your word.”
She nodded in slow motion as if hypnotized. “I promise.”
“Well I‘m not talking about any of this,” Flo said. “Lacey?”
The scientist gave a start. “Right, my lips are sealed. Totally.”
Daegan released Shelli. “Go with Rokhan here, both of you. I’ll follow with Flo.”
She stood and watched the two women move off with the second enforcer and the healer, who picked Shelli up with her permission and headed along the trail inland with no hesitation.
Daegan came back to her. “You’re deep in thought.”
“It’s very kind what you’re doing for Shelli. I hope she can keep the secret, and Lacey as well.” Doubt nibbled at the edges of Flo’s mind. There was so much at stake for Daegan personally and he was trusting two women neither of them knew at all.
He shrugged. “I wish the problem didn’t exist at all. Our honor will be stained enough by being involved in this forced mating, even with those of you who don’t have husbands.”
Wanting to reassure him, Flo touched his arm gently. “It won’t come to that.”
He looked at her sternly, his eyes glowing. “Always you’re so confident. We must talk.”
A flash of completely out of character panic ran through her like a cold shock. There was no way she was ready to have the deep conversation with Daegan tonight. She ran her fingers through her hair. “Yes, but not now. Tomorrow. I think I’d better get back to the barracks, don’t you?”
Without asking, he swept her into his arms and strode toward the tree line.
“Hey.” She pushed against him but given how weary she was from the fight with the ocean she wasn’t going to make any impression on him in this condition. “Next time you might ask a lady before sweeping her off her feet. Some of us like to walk.”
> “I was so afraid for you,” he said, voice quiet in the night. “How have you gotten so deeply into my thoughts?”
The question was rhetorical but a warm glow suffused her at his obvious attraction to her. “So in order to arrive in the nick of time tonight you must have set a watch on the women’s barracks?”
With a soft laugh, he shook his head. “My man was stationed there to watch over only you.”
She succumbed to the temptation to rest her head against his broad chest. “Daegan, there’s so much we have to discuss. Better not get too wrapped up in the personal aspects of this—this whatever we might have between us until you know more.”
“You feel it too?” He glanced at her, sounding pleased.
Wordlessly, she nodded. “And it’s making my life complicated, let me assure you.”
They’d reached the edge of the clearing where the women’s building stood. Daegan halted and set her on the ground as carefully as if she was made of delicate china. She handed him the blanket and hastily donned her jumpsuit, conscious of him watching her. She didn’t mind his scrutiny, might even have done a bit of extra hip shimmying as she got into the one piece garment, although her muscles ached from exhaustion. The ocean had nearly won tonight, if not for Daegan arriving in the nick of time. Why couldn’t I have met you at the valley, when we didn’t have to have secrets? No other Badari had ever appealed to her the way this man did and she very much feared their Great Mother was amusing herself at their expense, drawing them into a potential mate bond.
She had no idea how he’d react to her tomorrow when she launched into the explanation of why she was on the island. Briefly she was tempted to say she’d tell him everything now but the conversation with MARL, followed by the near drowning, left her wobbly and exhausted. She needed to be in better control before discussing anything.
“Sleep well,” he said, touching her cheek with one finger.
“I’ll do that.” Flo walked toward the barracks, hoping no one was waiting up inside to talk to her. Luckily the other occupants of the room were asleep or pretending to be and she slipped into her own bunk against the far wall and closed her eyes gratefully.
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