by Marnee Blake
And he couldn’t get enough.
It wasn’t only the feel of her, of what she was doing. It was the way she sighed and arched into him. The way she tugged at his hair, sending ripples of need running through him. The way she responded without fear.
She was brave even here, in the most vulnerable of places.
He’d been fooling himself if he thought he could control this situation. And if he couldn’t control it, he didn’t know why he had to fight it any longer.
He wanted her. So much it hurt.
So he leaned back to kneel between her thighs, determined to memorize every inch of her. Holding her eyes, he ran his trembling hands over her, reveling in the softness of her skin and the strength in her small frame. She managed to be both soft and strong simultaneously without a trace of irony.
When his fingers found the soft center of her, her nails sank into the sheets and her eyes shone the bluest blue.
With the color high in her cheeks and her hair mussed, she was complete perfection.
He needed more. More for himself, more for her. So he bent his head and replaced his fingers with his mouth.
She cried out. Her heels dug into the mattress beside him, and her hips came off the bed. He trailed his fingers along her sides, watching her up the length of her body. She was breathing fast. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth opened the slightest bit. The sight of her, coupled with the taste of her on his tongue, brought him closer to the edge of sanity than he could ever remember.
He bungee jumped and drove too fast, skydived and BASE jumped, but nothing would ever beat the rush of Blue beneath him.
They didn’t have a lot of time, but he used what he had to his advantage. With the blood rushing in his ears, he stayed with her until she gasped, calling his name, and fell apart under his shaking hands. In the aftermath, he gathered her to him and rolled to the side, catching his breath. Gradually, reality returned. He leaned back and pulled away from her, immediately missing her warmth.
“Nick,” he offered by way of explanation, not bothering to hide his disappointment. Beside him, the color was high in her cheeks and her hair was mussed. He couldn’t resist pulling her close and kissing her again.
She chuckled and then sat up awkwardly, reaching for her clothes. He tugged his own shirt over his head before he moved to sit beside her, trying to get his bearings. In the silence that followed, he closed his eyes, and he could still see Blue, her hands out and feet apart, her bright blond hair whipping in the wind, as she faced down the helicopter and ripped it apart. She’d stared at it, and it had fallen to pieces. Then she’d spilled onto the ground in a heap.
She’d knelt there, making no sense, rambling on as if she was coming out of anesthesia. More alarming was the slow trickle of blood from her ears and nose. He’d stroked her hair, feeling sick.
In that field, he’d realized that this was nothing like Bobby. She and Bobby shared persistence and stubbornness, all right. Two more bullheaded people he’d never met. Took one to know one, after all, and he wasn’t exactly mild tempered, either. But Blue wasn’t Bobby, not at all. She was worse. Because while Bobby wanted the things he wanted, he would have listened if he’d thought he was in danger. Blue? She would go to any length, risk her own safety and health, push any boundary, if it would protect the people she cared about.
She humbled and terrified him. He had no idea how to guard her against herself. Wasn’t sure he wanted to anymore.
“We’ll stay here tonight. You need to rest. Tomorrow, we’ll leave for Bragg.”
They stayed like that for a long moment, neither saying anything. Then, with a deep breath, she said, “I want to contact the media.”
That wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. “What?”
“I think we should go to the media. With what happened to us.”
“Come on, Blue. What would we tell them? We have no proof. Luke couldn’t find anything online. I bet Goldstone has covered up most of this already.”
“Goldstone took Kitty. Do you think it’s going to be easy for us to find her? To get her away from them? The media can dig around in places we can’t.”
“So can the army. If we go to the media, who protects us while some investigative reporter digs up enough to expose Goldstone? That could take days, weeks, even. That’s time we don’t have.” He shook his head. “No, I think we should go to the army. At Bragg. Now. We’ll be there tomorrow night, if I can manage it. They’ll be able to help us.” They’d need to jack another car in the morning. They’d only driven a half an hour out of San Antonio, because he’d refused to drive too far with Blue barely conscious. But, if they took turns driving, they could make it from San Antonio to Bragg tomorrow. Then they wouldn’t be alone. He wouldn’t bear all of the responsibility for what happened to them.
She shook her head. “I was thinking about that while we were on our way here. How did Goldstone get a helicopter over a Home Depot in San Antonio? Where were the police? Men with guns were everywhere, and you know some of those shoppers were videotaping it all. But we didn’t hear anything on the radio, nothing on the news. Goldstone couldn’t cover all of that up, but the government could.”
“You think the army knows.”
She nodded. “I do. San Antonio is a big city. Not like Glory. Not out in the boonies.”
That was true. He debated other possible explanations. “Maybe the police and the army thought it was a training exercise. Maybe they got clearance. Private citizens own and rent helicopters, too. That doctor poisoned a whole town, and Goldstone has been covering that up for days. You don’t think they would lie about a helicopter?”
“Maybe. But it feels wrong. Don’t you think?”
He had to admit it was possible. Still… “You don’t trust any government institution. But your father’s experience isn’t everyone’s experience.”
She jerked, as if she’d been slapped. He’d overstepped, mentioning her father. She’d see it as a low blow. But she was being unreasonable. He wasn’t going to let her put them in more danger because of her irrational distaste for the government.
Besides, even if the army knew, and they might, he didn’t see any other option. The risk to their—her—health was just too great. Her symptoms were getting worse. She needed help, fast.
Her gaze dropped to her hands, and he felt like an asshole. When she spoke, her voice was strong. “I don’t want to go. To Bragg.”
“What?” His head spun. Didn’t she understand the stakes?
She glanced up. “Not until we talk to the media. Can’t you see it would be safer if we had someone private, someone with nothing to gain, involved?” When he didn’t immediately respond, she pressed on. “Didn’t you say that this…what they did to us, was funded by the government? Come on, Seth. They have to know.”
“Yes, they funded it. But they pulled the funding when they saw it was too dangerous. They didn’t agree to kill an entire town. And we need help. Your side effects? The nosebleeds and the headaches? After that helicopter stunt, you were delirious. We can’t exactly walk into any hospital. They aren’t going to know what’s wrong. They don’t have access to the drug. The army is our best bet to get help for that. We don’t have time to wait around while the media decides they can trust us or until they can dig around in Goldstone’s business.”
Today’s near misses had sealed that for him. And the effects of using their powers? They’d taken enough chances.
“We could go to my mother’s house. While we wait for the media.”
“Your mother?”
Blue’s face twisted. “Yeah. She’s in Idaho, on some commune. We could go. Stay with her. Wait until this blows over. See if the media, or we, can find Kitty.” She squeezed his hand. “Please. Let’s get out of here. We could go. The two of us. We’ll figure out another way, give it some time.”
“What about your headaches, the nosebleeds? I bet this commune doesn’t even have a first aid box. Come on, Blue. Even you must see we need help.” T
he army would have people who could figure this out. Hell, she might be right. They might already know about Goldstone, the drug. But if the army knew what Goldstone had done, maybe someone had information about the drug already. If there was a cure, some antidote, they might already have it. It was the best chance to get help for her.
“No.” She shook her head adamantly. “I won’t use the powers. From here on, I won’t use them. If I don’t use them, they can’t hurt me.”
But he shook his head. “Yes, you will. If you feel like you have to use them.” As he stared into her earnest face, her concern, the naked feeling she had for him ripped at his chest. She would try to protect him, if she had to.
“Please, listen to me. We can’t go to them. They’ll poke us and prod us. Turn us into lab rats. You must see that. We can’t go.” Her fingers gripped her knees. “What about Kitty? Who is going to get Kitty?”
She was right. At least partly.
His stomach sick, he kissed her cheek. “Okay. Maybe you’re right.”
Yeah, she was right. They might study him. They might have to. After all, how else would they find a cure, a way to fix them, if they didn’t already have one? But he was going to contact them anyway.
He couldn’t see any other way to help her.
She sprang forward and hugged him, laughing in relief. “Oh, God. Thank you. We’ll leave tomorrow. Mom lives off the grid. If we want to disappear for a while, that’s the way to go. I shouldn’t have to use any powers in Idaho.” She pulled away to smile up at him. “With the way you drive, we should be there in a few days.”
In the face of her teasing, he felt even worse. But he nodded, did his best to smile back. “Why don’t you grab a shower?”
She dropped a kiss on his mouth before she grabbed her bag and headed for the bathroom.
The sound of the key swipe sounded, and Nick stepped in. His friend took one look at him and shook his head. “Whatever just happened, it’s not good.”
Seth shook his head. When the shower started, he exhaled. “I need your phone. You said Major Martins is at Sam Houston, right?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I’m going to call him.”
Nick’s eyebrow went up. “Asking him out on a date?”
“No. Ass.” Seth exhaled. “I’m going to see if he can help us.”
“Seth…”
“No, hear me out. Martins, he’s good people. Maybe he can find out something, maybe they have some information about this drug. Maybe he can help us. It’s worth a try. I can’t let her keep going like this. She’s going to get herself killed.”
“He’s going to want to see you.” Nick shook his head. “No way he’ll give you anything over the phone. He’s no idiot.”
“I know. I’ll go tonight.”
“I’m going with you.”
“No.” Seth shook his head. “No, you have to stay and keep an eye on her. Take her to her mom’s, where she’ll be safe. When I find out how to fix what’s going on, I’ll contact you.” It was the best he could do. If he allowed things to keep going on like this, either he was going to get Blue killed or she’d end up doing it to herself. Neither option was acceptable.
“I don’t like this.”
“What choices do we have?”
Nick didn’t answer, only slipped the battery back into his phone and passed it to him.
Seth stepped into the hall, heading toward the snack alcove as he dialed 411. With some finagling, he finally connected to Martins’s home number. His wife answered, and after long moments, Major Martins was on the line. “This better be pretty goddamn important.”
“I apologize, sir, for calling you at home.”
“As you should. Who the hell is this?”
“This is Specialist Seth Campbell, sir. I worked with you a few months back, sir. At training at Fort Hood.”
A brief pause. “I remember you. You still better have a good explanation for this call.”
A few minutes later, it was arranged. He’d meet Martins at 2300 hours at Sam Houston.
He turned to the snack machine, deposited a handful of coins and stabbed the E7 button. A Twix bar dropped down, and he retrieved it before trotting back to their hotel room.
This was the best thing. He knew it was. It wasn’t safe, not at all. But Martins would get them information. He could get them answers.
Blue greeted him at the door with a scowl. “Where the hell have you been?”
He lifted the chocolate bar, waving it at her. “Hungry?”
She smiled, seemed to relax. “You’re a good man.”
Over her head, he nodded at Nick.
Night fell. They put SportsCenter on. It acted like a lullaby for Blue. She was asleep in minutes.
He waited until he heard her steady breathing before he rose. He stared at her for a long moment, her wild blond curls on the pillow, but he didn’t dare touch her. Then he sat at the little desk, wrote her the note he’d been composing in his head for the last hour, and dropped the bulk of the money Luke had left them next to it.
In silence, Nick walked him out to the street. “I hate this.”
Yeah. He did, too. But he couldn’t think of anything else. “Give her another fifteen minutes, twenty, tops, and get moving. If they talk to me and decide they want her, you’ll be long gone by the time they get here. You know how to wire, right?” Nick nodded. “Jack a car and head to her mother’s. She lives on some compound, off the grid. Blue will help you. I’ll track you down, meet up with you as soon as I can.” He cleared his throat. “But if I don’t…” He didn’t want to think about not meeting them, but he had to be practical. “If I don’t, try to find Kitty. She needs our help.”
“Of course.” Something flashed in Nick’s eyes, and Seth wondered if maybe there was more there than he knew about.
Seth stared at him. He trusted Nick with his life, with Blue’s life, but he wondered if he was doing the right thing. No time to second-guess now. If this could help Blue, this was what he’d do.
He nodded and shook the other man’s hand.
He walked a few blocks before he caught a cab and took it to the gate at Sam Houston. When the MP at the gate stopped him, he showed his credentials and requested to see Martins. The MP went into his booth. Seth watched him as he studied his military ID. He glanced out at him and picked up the phone. When he realized Seth was watching, he turned his back so he couldn’t read his lips. He watched as the MP in the booth nodded and hung up.
They knew.
Damn it.
Though he was pissed, he’d known it was possible. He’d committed to this plan. He was going to see it through, either way. But now he had to worry about Blue. He checked his watch—2307. It had only taken him fifteen minutes to get here. He frowned. He hoped Nick didn’t wait too long to get moving.
Two other MPs joined the one from the booth, then they all turned toward him. In seconds, he was surrounded. “Please come with us, Specialist Campbell.”
Seth nodded. He’d expected as much, hadn’t he? “I’m supposed to see Major Martins. He’s expecting me.”
“We are to escort you.”
Yeah, he’d bet they were.
Together, they all entered the base. It looked like any other hall on any other base that Seth had ever been in. He followed the MP to an empty conference room. They waved him inside and closed the door behind him. The ominous sound of the lock catching echoed through the room.
Where the hell was Martins? His mind told him that it was possible, even likely now that he saw the extent of security here, that the army had known about this whole fiasco—the drugs, the running, Goldstone—the whole time. Probably wasn’t a good sign that they’d locked him in, though.
Seth knew someone, somewhere was listening in, so he kept his trap closed and waited.
And waited. And waited. He remained seated, his head in his arms, preferring to remain awake. He didn’t want to be disoriented for whatever was coming.
When the knock came
at the door, he sat up even as the exhaustion crashed down on him. The events of the last couple days hadn’t been kind. The door opened, and uniformed men trooped in. He snapped to attention.
Martins entered, followed by enough brass to remodel a house.
Thank God Blue hadn’t come.
“At ease, soldier.” The highest rank, a colonel, waved him down. Seth dropped his arm. “Have a seat, Specialist Campbell.”
He did as ordered. Martins sat across from him, the colonel—Lloyd, according to his name patch—sat beside him. The others were first and second lieutenants. Seth ignored Martins and met Lloyd’s eyes.
“Fine mess you’ve found your way into, soldier.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You want to tell us what happened out there, son?” The colonel raised his eyebrows.
Naturally, he’d be skeptical. Who wouldn’t be? The stuff he was about to say was incredible. But Lloyd knew something already. He had to. Apparently this would be a game of show-and-tell. And it seemed he’d have to go first.
Still. Blue’s health depended on him and what he said here. He wouldn’t let her down. He took a deep breath and started. “I was on my way to pick up Specialist Degrassi before heading to training at Fort Bragg. I stopped in Glory, Colorado, for the night and woke up as strong as an ox and as fast as a train.”
Chapter Eighteen
A firm hand shook her. “Blue. We need to get moving.”
Her eyelids felt like concrete. She finally pried them open and sat up, glancing around at the crappy blinds. Her disorientation cleared. The hotel. But it was still dark out.
“Rise and shine. We need to go.”
That wasn’t Seth. She sat up, instantly alert. “Where’s Seth?”
Nick’s smile faded. “Blue…”
“He’s gone.” Her desperate mind suggested breakfast. Or a trip out for coffee. But she knew better. “God damn him.” She threw the blankets off, bounding out of bed and reaching for her clothes.
The feeling of abandonment crushed her. What had happened? They’d talked last night. She’d thought they were on the same page. Hell, she’d thought they’d gotten past his macho Captain America fixation and moved to somewhere better.