by Zoey Indiana
Nova scratched her forehead and searched the area. “I knew this place looked familiar, we are a few blocks from an abandoned warehouse. A few weeks ago, I scouted it while looking for a good place to open another bar.”
“Is it safe?”
“It’s not secured, but it was ideal. Not much traffic from the authorities.” Nova walked around a corner, and Cay sped up to keep her in sight. His heart pounded as the thought of seeing her face-down came back to him, but when she reappeared, she was climbing a fire escape ladder. He scrambled up the ladder after her. Once at the top, Nova stood at the edge of the building looking out on the mostly abandoned city, and silently he joined her.
“Do you ever wonder what life would be like if things were different? Born to different circumstances? What kind of people would we be?”
That question struck him to his core. He’d thought about the same thing more times than he could count. Life would be very different if he’d been born in a world where men were normal. A world where he could come and go as he pleased. He could pick a profession, hobbies, or just focus on something other than how many children he could have. Pain spiked in his chest at his failure. Not once had a woman gotten pregnant by him. The doctors at the colony said he needed more time, but he suspected it would never happen.
“What if there really are aliens out there? Other worlds where people travel at their leisure?” Nova turned to him and buried herself in his embrace. “Just knowing there are other similar species out there gives me strength.”
“You think that?”
Nova stiffened. “I didn’t mean to say that aloud.”
“Why not?”
“Because I wasn’t supposed to, it’s all still a theory.” A cold chill shot down his spine.
“Whose theory?” Nova didn’t respond, but Cay refused to be ignored. Just because the women at the colony ignored his questions, he wasn’t going to let Nova. “Tell me.”
Nova pulled back from him. “There were files found in our last raid.” Gesturing for them to walk, she continued. “Some of us believe the reason that the space travel experiments failed was because the Sovereign wanted them to. One specialist even thinks we are just an alien experiment. That one is farfetched, but it’s enough to make you wonder if the virus was real.”
His thoughts raced at the implications of what she was saying. There could be more out there, another life for him and Nova. If they could find out the truth, they might have a chance.
“How do we prove or disprove that?”
Nova glanced at him, then jumped over to a nearby roof. “We need to get better spies into ARI, someone in the inner circle of ARI brigadier generals and colonels. So far, that’s been impossible, but I have a few ideas, though.”
Nova slipped through a door on the roof. Cay remained inside his thoughts as he followed her down to a small room next to the warehouse.
“Welcome to the future home of Violet Six!” Nova swung her arms out and spun in the middle of the room.
Her unreserved giddiness made him grin. She was gorgeous when she smiled. He needed to make her do that more, and his cock rose to the challenge. Before he could think twice, he swooped her up and pinned her against the wall. Wrapping her legs around him, Cay gave into his desire. Even if they died today, he would die happy having tasted her one more time.
11 Violet Six: Nova
Her heart pounded as Cay ravished her. Clothes were in her way as she tried to feel every muscle he had. Boosting her higher, Cay’s face nuzzled her chest while his hands slipped under her shirt, trying to free her breasts from her bra.
A slow clap interrupted the lust-fueled frenzy. Looking over Cay’s shoulder, Nova’s blood froze. Her sister was standing in the middle of the warehouse, a sister who told her weeks ago she was on an undercover mission for the Resistance. One that wasn’t supposed to end for another four weeks. She pushed at Cay’s chest, and he lowered her to the ground. After all this time together, she couldn’t get over his height. She gave his taut chest a pat, then confronted her sister.
“How was your mission?”
“Don’t you mean, how is my current mission?” The icy look in her sister’s blue eyes made her shiver.
“What are you doing here, Lyn’Da?” While they hadn’t always gotten along, Nova tried to love her older sister, but she couldn’t trust her. The nine-year age gap introduced a lot of difficulties in their relationship as Lyn’Da raised her after their mother’s death.
“I could say the same thing about you, little Nova.”
“I’m not in the mood for your antics today, just answer my question.” Sometimes she had to be firm with her, Lyn’Da was an expert in tangents.
“I’m here to complete the most successful mission to date in ARI history.”
Lights in the room dimmed as Nova’s mind drifted... ARI history? Something was wrong, very wrong. Shaking her head, her vision focused. “What are you talking about?”
Lyn’Da snorted while she approached Nova. “So you want to know our dirty little secret? Both of us are ARI spawn, but only I excelled at it. From the day I pulled you from that experimental compound, you have been a never-ending pain in my ass. Until today, that is.”
Nova’s world collapsed in on her, suffocating her. Lyn’Da wasn’t her sister? Everything was a lie?
“I never thought your defective little brain would amount to more than a migraine for me, but I see I was wrong.” Lyn’Da used her index finger to push Nova’s forehead back. “From the moment I was born, I worked for every chance, every opportunity to prove myself worthy for a mission like this. I sacrificed my childhood, my chance at having children, everything!”
Nova gasped for air, but it didn’t exist. Every breath she took lacked the oxygen she needed to process this news.
“I knew I would be the one to help destroy the Resistance. From the moment I hid in a closet while I watched Resistance members murder my mother, I knew this day would come.” Lyn’Da’s eyes narrowed as she pulled back and looked Nova up and down. “Do you know what she did to deserve that? Nothing! They murdered her because she wasn’t Resistance. That woman was the sweetest and most caring person you could have known, and they killed her while she planned a vacation for her only daughter!”
Lyn’Da turned and stomped away from her. Nova tried to understand what she was saying, but it was too much. Lyn’Da picked up a piece of debris and threw it against the wall, shattering it. Nova heard a deep breath and Lyn’Da spun around on her heel, her long blonde hair fanned out as she stalked towards Nova.
“Raiding V-Five was such a relief. Listening to all those Resistance scum cry about how mean the Sovereign is was enough to make me want to jump in front of a transit. Then I realized you went to Gu’Kano Colony, and that was the real prize.” Lyn’Da was nose to nose with Nova. “They promoted me two ranks for that alone because we got so much intel on the Resistance from that raid. Now we can crush the Resistance like the bug it is, and I will be at the forefront of those missions.”
Lyn’Da walked circles around Nova.
“Then I track you here and guess what I find? You, with the best piece of Resistance property there is, a man. I knew there was at least one, but I wasn’t sure it was at Gu’Kano. We didn’t find a body, so we dismissed it as a rumor.”
Lyn’Da traced a finger across Cay’s chest. “It’s a shame you probably won’t survive. Much like little Nova here, I’d love to try you out.”
Fury built up in Nova, her entire life was a lie. If Lyn’Da was telling the truth, then her mother hadn’t been with the Resistance. In that moment, she swore vengeance for all the wrongs committed against herself and others. She refused to let herself be a puppet for a corrupt government. If she survived this, vengeance was past due and she would deliver it.
“Oh, and little Nova,” Lyn’Da rubbed her back against Cay as she faced Nova, “Crimson will be here any second, so it’s better for you both if you don’t resist.”
As Lyn’Da turne
d back to Cay, Nova rushed her with all the hatred and anger welling up in her. Cay jumped to the left just in time for Nova to slam into Lyn’Da. Unable to catch herself, Lyn’Da crashed into the wall. Blood splattered everywhere and Lyn’Da plunged to the concrete floor. Nova rolled the body over and searched it.
“Damn it! It should be here.” Desperation drowned her when she found nothing.
“Is this it?” Cay’s soothing baritone pulled her from the brink of insanity. In his hand was a small silver device.
“You found it.”
“It went flying when you charged her.” Cay gave the handheld to her. “Now what?”
“We get this back to the Resistance because they should be able to hack this. Since Lyn’Da was just promoted to colonel, she should have access to top-level classified information. Stuff that could help us destabilize the Sovereign.” Nova looked at Cay and her vision faltered as red invaded her sight. “No, not now!”
Frantically she looked around for a place to hide the handheld. A loose brick, a hidden compartment, anything to keep this out of the hands of Crimson. Large warm hands grasped hers as she searched blindly for a place to conceal the handheld. Her vision was clearer than last time, but fine details were blind to her. The handheld disappeared from her hands.
“I’ll find a place, but then we need to run.”
She didn’t have time to tell him it was too late as the red haze completely surrounded them.
12 Violet Six: Cay
Cay turned around from hiding the handheld to see windows shatter, and small silver canisters bounced on the ground.
“Eyes!” was all he heard before the blinding light. His eardrums echoed when the concussive blast followed. Tears flowed down his cheeks as tear gas invaded his senses. Miserable and desperate, he dropped to the ground and rubbed at his eyes while frustration ate away at him. It would be impossible to escape in this madness. Determination drove him to get onto his hands and knees. He must find a way out. If he didn’t, they were doomed.
Pain exploded in his ribs as the force knocked him onto his back, and his lungs refused to cooperate. Fingers dug into his shoulders and arms as he flipped face down, and someone forced his arms back, locking them into restraints. After they restrained his ankles, he couldn’t move, so he lay there and waited for his fate. They’d never find a way to stay together even if they managed to stay alive. He almost laughed to himself; twice now, interruptions kept them apart. He wanted to worship Nova’s body once more before he died.
Hands gripped him, lifted him up, and carried him to a transit. Fresh air brought relief the moment they carried him outside. A creak of metal, then Cay flew face-down into the cargo area. After the pain eased, his thoughts drifted to Lyn’Da. The amount of planning and sheer luck that went into today’s events was staggering.
Nova had been kidnapped twice, her life and choices ripped from her grasp much like his own. Her entire reality was a facade, and the viciousness of that hurt him.
Minutes ticked by before they tossed another body with him. Pain roared through him as he turned enough to see who it was. Nova.
With his arms and legs bound, he struggled to get closer to her. Her eyes were closed and her body was limp, making his heart hurt more than his body ever could. No one deserved this, especially not Nova, and in that moment he swore to tear the Sovereign’s empire apart.
It felt like an eternity before the transit stopped. Cold dread pulsed through his body while he waited to see what their fate was, and all he could do was lie here and wait. His wrists burned, but nothing he did freed them. The transit door opened and Cay braced himself as four hands pulled him across the floor and dropped him onto a cart. Still face down, he saw nothing except the view to his right; neutral-colored walls and closed doors. When he stopped moving, hands pulled at him again and he dropped roughly on the floor. He heard a muttered curse, then a pair of footsteps left the room.
His joints ached by the time he heard the door slide open. Focusing on every little sound, he tried to figure out who had arrived, and if Nova was with them. Footsteps echoed through the room, first heading towards him, then past. Metal scraping drew closer to him. Cay braced for what was coming next, it would be worse than death. Metal creaked in the drowning silence of the room.
“I bet you didn’t expect this when you woke up this morning.” The voice tickled his brain, like something he should know but couldn’t seem to remember.
“Do you mean getting kidnapped by ARI, or staring at your ugly-ass shoes?”
The woman chuckled, and the metal chair creaked when she moved. “Take your pick.” Footsteps echoed throughout the room as she paced. “So, you’re the man I’ve heard so much about.”
“I’m honored.”
“You should be, for the foreseeable future you’re the center of attention. So much testing is needed, all thanks to you.”
His feet moved as the restraints were taken off. Now able to move them on his own, he stretched. “Let’s say we do the same thing with my hands.”
“See, that would be too easy. There is so much we need to do, and while I want you comfortable, I don’t want you too comfortable.”
The door slid open, and more women entered. Quiet conversation started in the room’s corner, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Even with bound hands, he could try to make a run for it. All he had to do was get on his feet. Sliding his knee up, he tried to get enough leverage.
“See, this is what I’m talking about. I take my eyes off you for five seconds and you’re already trying to escape. This relationship is not going to work if we don’t have trust.”
“Take these restraints off and I’ll show you a little trust.”
“All in good time.” More footsteps entered the room. “Okay, let’s get him up.”
Several sets of hands pulled him up to his knees. Using them for balance, Cay struggled to his feet, and didn’t see much as he looked around. The small room had all white walls and four women surrounded him, one of them wearing the masked Crimson uniform he’d seen earlier.
Assuming the one in the Crimson uniform was the woman who’d been in the room with him the whole time, Cay observed the other women. One of them walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. Unsure of what would happen, Cay braced for the worst. Another woman brought a metal chair over and indicated for him to sit down. When he hesitated, the hand on the shoulder pushed him into it.
Once in the chair, a woman left the room then several minutes later she returned with a bag. Setting the bag on a small table next to him, she pulled out various devices and tools. He refused to show fear even as they prepared to torture him. The woman in Crimson got close enough to him that she traced a finger from his shoulder down to his arm.
“Don’t worry, this won’t hurt too much.”
Cay braced himself, but all they did was scan him at first. The handheld made several beeping noises, but gave no clues to what they were scanning him for. Crimson conferred with some of the other women, but too quietly for him to understand what they were saying. The woman with the scanner returned to the kit and pulled out a long injector. Bracing for the worst, relief coursed through him when all he felt was a prick. Looking at the injector sticking out of his arm, Cay realized they were drawing blood.
“What are you doing, why do you need my blood?”
“Such an inquisitive thing you are.” Crimson leaned in close, with the mask over her nose and mouth, her green eyes caught his attention.
The urge to pull away from her was almost more than he could handle, but he didn’t want to show her how uncomfortable he was. Instead, he encroached on her space.
“Oh, he’s trying to retain any bit of control he has left. Don’t worry, that won’t last long.” She looked up to the woman with the injector. “I want the results pronto.”
“Where’s Nova?” There was still no sign of her anywhere. Crimson stared at him for a moment but said nothing. Refusing to break eye contact, Cay didn’t bl
ink.
Slowly, she reached up to her mask and pulled it down, revealing a face he knew all too well. An’Da. He clenched his jaw, refusing to let anything out. She leaned in closer and kissed his pursed lips, causing his stomach to heave.
“Oh Cay, I know what you’re thinking. How did such a nice woman end up working for Crimson? The truth is, I’m undercover for the reserve division of Crimson. Just as deadly, but half the work. I bust my ass every day for the Resistance, risking my life to keep members safe.” She cupped his cheek and looked into his eyes. When he tried to pull away, she gripped him. “I’ve dedicated my entire life to improving the Resistance. Even when they lose sight of the true focus, I stand loyal to the Patriots.”
An’Da pulled back and returned to her creaky metal chair. Who the hell were the Patriots? Were they a splinter group of the Resistance, or something else? His brain misfired as he tried to sort through events. She pulled out a handheld and kept busy with it for several minutes. The silence destroyed him bit by bit. If they meant to torture him with pain, they had failed. Hell, they hadn’t tried. But if their goal was to drive him insane with silence and unanswered questions, that was working.
Minutes later, there was a quiet chime. An’Da tapped a few times on her handheld and looked up, every emotion showing on her face.
“I’ve looked through every intelligence report there is, and I don’t understand. How can you be infertile?”
13 Gu'Rati Resistance Colony: Nova
Nova rubbed the healed wound on her forearm. Just having the track chip removed lifted her spirits. Lyn’Da. Her heart trembled in her chest, and her lungs seized. She’d killed her own sister, the woman who’d raised her from a child.
But she wasn’t your sister.
The guilt didn’t dissipate, instead it washed over her in tidal waves with frustration and hate. How could she trust someone so evil?