Damage Control (Valiant Knox)

by Jess Anastasi

  “Feel like a spot of fishing?”

  Kayla shook her head and held up her half-finished MRB. “No way. I might eat fish, but I don’t want to see it alive before I do so, and I definitely don’t want to have anything to do with gutting or de-scaling.”

  “Suit yourself,” she muttered, turning to trail Granger outside. He’d moved off into the field, wading through thigh-high grass, holding the net up, ready to trap the first unsuspecting rabboon he came across. She took a moment to cast a searching glance across the landscape, looking for any signs that there might be other people around. For half a second she considered turning around and heading back inside with the excuse that she didn’t want to or couldn’t catch fish after all, but the lure of something other than an MRB to eat proved too hard to resist. She’d just make sure she didn’t go too far.

  With her heart skipping a beat or two, she turned toward the stream, the gently flowing water reflecting the last orange streaks of the sky and dark gray of the clouds. The water was literally crystal clear and not very deep; she could see the rocky bottom.

  Were there even fish in a stream like this? She walked to the edge and set down the net, taking a moment to wet her face and drink from her cupped hands. Somewhere in the distance, grass birds were calling back and forth, while insects chirped in the last of the day’s humidity. The peacefulness of it all struck her quite suddenly.

  Like almost all of earth, her home state was one big city. The few vacant stretches of land were nothing but dusty, barren dirt. Though Earth still maintained around twenty billion inhabitants and acted as the central government to all the far-reaching systems and planets that had been colonized over the last few hundred years, the original birthplace of human beings had long since seen the death of Mother Nature. The only examples of what had once been a gloriously green world were now housed in special biospheres with carefully maintained mini-ecosystems, like living museums.

  But she couldn’t let the novel tranquility lull her, not when she’d been getting closer and closer to finding the traitor.

  With a short sigh for her aching muscles, Mia grabbed the net and stood, turning left and trekking along the bank, looking for anything that might pass for a meal. Even some kind of fresh water crustacean would probably be better than the MRBs. She’d been going along for about ten minutes and was considering giving up when the stream widened and deepened slightly. With the light almost gone, and stray droplets of rain beginning to fall, it was hard to see much, but a large school of fish darted up and splashed out of the water.

  With an excited burst of energy rushing through her, it was simply a matter of throwing out the net, drawing the string to close it and then tugging it into the bank. Without much effort at all, she’d caught seven fish.

  “I should have guessed that you’d be the one out here catching everyone else’s dinner.”

  She shot to her feet, the voice familiar, but still zapping her system with acute shock.

  “Leigh—I mean Captain Alphin! What are you doing here?” He stood on the opposite bank, arms crossed and leaning against a tree trunk. She glanced back toward the barn in the distance, but didn’t see anyone else, not the other recruits or instructors.

  “It’s okay. There’s no one else around to hear you calling me Leigh.” His lips quirked in a short smile. “As to what I’m doing here? Monitoring and assessing, mostly. There’s somewhat of a gray area legality-wise when it comes to taking a class of green recruits and dumping them in the middle of nowhere to find their own way to base. As long as we’re within a mile or so of you at all times, the brass can’t say we put you in undue danger or whatever crap they come up with.”

  Suddenly the day’s walk took on a whole different light. “So you never actually left us?”

  It had all been a ruse, another test for them to pass or fail. Of course, she’d already known it was a test, the parameters just hadn’t been what she’d thought.

  “For all intents and purposes, yes, we did leave you. We maybe didn’t go as far as you thought.”

  The heavy knot of tension she’d been carrying unwound a little. All day, she’d stressed about the traitor making an attempt on her, but the entire time, Leigh had been nearby.

  “So where are the other instructors?”

  “Checking in with the rest of the recruits, since you’re all fairly scattered. You and the others did well to get this far. I don’t think any of the others found shelter, so they’ll probably spend an uncomfortable night getting rained on.”

  Even as he spoke, a few more drops splashed down from the sky, the wind picking up slightly.

  “Do you have any idea how much I freaked out after you left? Since the incident in the launch bay, I couldn’t help thinking—”

  “That if the traitor knew you were the one who’d been tracking him, what better opportunity to get rid of you than while you were off the ship?”

  Her shoulders drooped a little, his words effectively cutting off the indignation she’d built up. If Leigh had considered the possibility, then maybe she wasn’t so paranoid and crazy after all.

  “I’ve been snatching glances behind me all day. The possibility that I’d started going nuts had crossed my mind.” She felt a little silly admitting it, and if it had been anyone else but Leigh, she wouldn’t have said a word.

  His expression took on a grim tightness. “It’s not crazy to be on alert like that Mia. That’s how a good soldier survives. I’m sorry. You don’t know how much I wanted to talk with you before now. I almost said something on the transport down here, but I couldn’t be sure we wouldn’t be overheard. I’m just glad you’re smart enough to see the danger.”

  “Yeah, well I wasn’t the only one in that launch bay, so I hope you’re taking precautions as well.”

  His lips kicked up in a half smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me. Just watch out for yourself until your boots are back on the Knox’s deck. Speaking of which, I should probably get back. I’m supposed to be reporting the recruits’ progress.” He sounded as reluctant as she felt. Which was ridiculous. Did she want to stand around out here in the dark and get rained on? Unfortunately, if the answered featured her getting to spend a few more minutes with Leigh, then obviously she wasn’t as sensible as she’d always believed.

  Despite the fact that he was more than ten feet away and the stream separated them, just seeing him had brought a profound measure of comfort. Comfort and a sharp, surprising surge of longing.

  The last few days, she’d been able to keep from examining how deep her feelings ran and how she craved his touch, because there’d always been other people around and the danger to both their careers outweighed the reward. However, now they were most definitely alone and her body was waking up, despite the aches, tension, and exhaustion from the long day.

  “You know, we’re lucky that this stream is keeping us apart,” Leigh said, his voice pitched low. “Because I definitely would have tried to kiss you by now, even though we’re meant to be keeping things under wraps. But if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to decide wet clothes and the possibility of getting caught aren’t enough to stop me.”

  “Looking at you like what?” She could have slapped herself as the words practically oozed out, all husky and definitely asking for more than the simple question she’d voice.

  Leigh pushed up from the tree and walked to stand at the very edge of the opposite bank. “Like you’re remembering how you stripped me naked and took me on one hell of a ride in that jet. Like maybe you’re thinking about doing it again.”

  Well, she hadn’t been until he’d said it, but she sure was now. Oh God, temptation had never looked so good—in clothes or out. Even though she’d vowed she wouldn’t put Leigh’s career at risk, the idea of wading across the stream and giving into the desire swelling through her, like a jet-propulsion system heating up, was about to overtake all of her resolve. Fine tingles ran over her skin, leaving a rippling warmth that pool
ed in her stomach. Delicious anticipation made her muscles tighten with hunger for him, to experience again the rapture of having him inside her, of the way he could satisfy her deeper and more profoundly than she’d ever thought possible.

  Leigh slowly reached up and unzipped his flight jacket. “We both know the risks, and we both know exactly what happens when we’re together. Just say the word and I’ll be over there and all over you before the sound has even finished leaving your lips.”

  The jacket open, he reached up and started on the fastenings of his shirt. Her throat seized, the back of her mouth going dry. She wanted to, God, how she just wanted to yell, Yes!, and strip out of her own clothes, maybe meet him halfway and let the water cool her oversensitized skin, even as he set fire to her from the inside out.

  But the word had gotten trapped somewhere between her brain and her tongue, no doubt blocked by the small kernel of sense trying to tell her that if one of the other recruits came looking for her and instead found her naked and rolling around with the CAFF…yeah, that scenario was the stuff of nightmares.

  Except her traitorous body didn’t want to listen to cool logic. Before she’d even realized what she was doing, she’d reached up and unzipped her own jacket. Leigh stopped working on his own shirt to stare at her, his gaze very definitely dropping down to her chest. In this post-sunset gray twilight, it was hard to see much, and very soon, neither of them would be able to see anything at all.

  “Your turn. Unfasten your shirt.” His voice came out with a rough edge and a very definite tone of command. Maybe she would have been annoyed about any other guy ordering her around, but she’d already come to terms with the fact that Leigh being high-handed only turned her on.

  Her fingers weren’t exactly steady as they caught the clasps, but in a few moments she’d undone every fastener.

  “Show me.” This time his words were low, almost inaudible, but a shiver raked down her spine, as though he stood right next to her and had whispered in her ear. She parted her shirt, revealing nothing but the singlet she usually wore underneath. He made a frustrated noise, but it turned into a groan as she tugged the singlet up before he told her to do so. He went down on his knees in the grass, gaze raking over her with an intensity that left her aching, but gave her a rushing thrill at the simple power she held over him.

  “I want you naked. I want to see every bare inch of you.”

  A short laugh escaped her, both because of the way his words washed through her, leaving tingles and the absurdity of their situation.

  “And how do I explain needing to activate my beacon in order to be evaced out of here from exposure?” She tugged her singlet back down.

  Leigh frowned at her, a definite thwarted gleam in his gaze. “It’s not that cold. And I could be persuaded to come over and warm you up—for medical reasons only.”

  “Wolfe! You better not be lost because I’m totally not coming to find you.” Granger’s voice carried on the rising wind, and she glanced over her shoulder. It was so dark now the barn was little more than a hulking form in the field, and she couldn’t make out where Granger was.

  When she looked back at Leigh, he’d risen to his feet and started refastening his shirt. “Good night, Mia, remember to stay alert and stay strong. Whatever tomorrow brings, I won’t be far away.”

  Before she could reply, he’d shifted back from the bank and slipped around the tree, disappearing into the night shadows.

  She blew out a long uneven breath, wishing she could dispel the tension from her limbs just as easily. Leigh had her all wound up—though to be fair, it was half her own fault. She didn’t have to play along with the game he’d started.

  With hasty movements, she righted her clothes, the stray raindrops forming a drizzle. She scooped up the net with the fish, where she’d dropped it on the bank earlier, and hurried back toward the barn. As she walked in, she found the rest of the recruits crowded around Granger, who was arranging two skinned rabboons over the fire.

  “I hope you’re also an expert at preparing fish, Granger, because I wouldn’t have the first clue where to begin on these.” She walked over and set the net down next to where he crouched in front of the fire.

  “Good job, Wolfe.” Granger turned to flip the net open, then glanced up at her with a grin. “I can teach you, if you want.”

  An automatic refusal sprang to her lips, because like Kayla had said, while she might enjoy eating fish, the idea of actually cutting them up and cooking them made her squeamish. But while she didn’t ever plan on finding herself in the situation where she would need to catch and cook her own food, it would be a good skill to have.

  She nodded and Granger’s grin widened. “Knew you’d be up for it.”

  By the time they had the fish cooking on the fire and smelling delicious, the clouds had opened a steady downpour, drumming above them in a lulling rhythm.

  Everyone ate, and at Granger’s insistence she even tried some of the rabboon. It didn’t taste bad, but it definitely didn’t taste like chicken; it was much gamier.

  They organized a couple of recruits to take turns keeping watch, and after so many late nights working on the FP profiling, she was glad no one asked her to volunteer. After that, people began dozing off.

  Mia moved to sit next to Kayla, getting her thermo sheet out as a definite chill chased away the last of the day’s warmth. Where was Leigh right now? He hadn’t said anything about finding shelter for himself. She hoped he wasn’t stuck out in this downpour like the rest of the recruits apparently were.

  As she closed her eyes, her mind filled with him and the last words he’d spoken to her—that he would be nearby if she needed him. For half a second, she felt a little guilty. That Leigh was looking out for her, even at a distance, made the notion that she had another full day’s walk ahead of her tomorrow that much easier to endure.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Mia gasped awake as someone kicked her in the thigh, sending pain shooting into her hip. She half rolled, only to come face-to-face with the barrel of an old-fashioned assault rifle. Shifting her gaze beyond the gun, she found herself staring up at a dark-robed soldier, patch announcing his allegiance to the CSS pinned to the middle of his chest. He had a hood pulled up over his head and material obscuring the lower half of his face, but she could see his eyes, and they glared down at her with malice.

  “Get up,” he growled, kicking at her again.

  The last time she’d faced a hooded attacker in the ready room on board the Knox whammed her from nowhere, stealing her breath as disorientating dizziness cut through her. Around her, Kayla and the eight other recruits were also being dragged from their sleep and thrust onto their knees in a tight group in the middle of the barn, including the guy who should have been on watch. So much for having a guard. Though, considering the number of CS Soldiers surrounding them, a lookout who’d actually stayed awake wouldn’t have made much difference.

  She’d tried to stay awake most of the night herself, but eventually exhaustion had gotten the better of her.

  Her captor stepped forward, grabbing her shoulder and half of her ponytail, which he yanked painfully. He jerked her up and propelled her over to the rest of the recruits. She landed on her shoulder awkwardly, but she’d barely gone down before he roughly pulled her up to kneel.

  He stepped back with the others to form a circle around them.

  “In the name of his holiness, Pontifex Ronald Martin Benedictus, you are being detained for the crime of trespassing on the sacred lands of Ilari,” one of the robed men spoke up. “You will be sent to the nearest Enlightening Camp for reeducation. At any time, you may choose to repent and join our holy war to rid our system of those who perpetrate and extol the evil seductress that is technology.”

  The man gave a single nod. The rest of the robed figures stepped forward, grabbing up recruits and hustling them toward the door.

  As two sets of hands clamped onto Mia, wild disbelief washed through her in a numbing wave. No. This co
uldn’t be happening. They weren’t in CSS territory; they were only a few miles from the UEF base. How could such a large group of CSS be here and have found them?

  But the answer was obvious, the move she’d been terrified of since yesterday. The traitor didn’t need to reveal himself or get his hands dirty to get rid of her. All he had to do was tell his people where she was and the rest took care of itself. No one would realize that a group of captured recruits resulted from the sole intent of eliminating her. Oh God, every one here was going to be tortured and possibly killed, and it was all her fault.

  Leigh had said he’d be nearby. Surely he must have seen them, even now be getting reinforcements— A slice of heart-spasming cold sliced through her. Unless this patrol had found Leigh and—

  She couldn’t finish the thought, her stomach cramping and legs giving out as they reached the barn doorway. Her captors didn’t give her a second to find her feet, just kept dragging her until she scrambled and got some footing.

  Outside, the early morning sunlight blinded her, the rain and clouds from the night before blowing away to leave the world all sparkling and too bright. After blinking her eyes a few times, her gaze came into focus on an ancient, clunking shuttle set down in the field a little way off from the barn. The ship had to be at least three hundred years old, some of the earliest tech of its type. It looked like it belonged in a museum, not actively used in a war.

  Ahead of her, there was a commotion. Granger had broken free of his captors and gotten his hands on a gun. His actions spurred two other nearby recruits who started fighting harder to pull free.

  Granger brought the gun up to aim at the nearest CS Soldier, but the leader came up behind him, pulling a sidearm from beneath his robes.

  “Granger!” She yanked against the soldiers holding her and one of them clipped her in the side of the head, sending her mind lurching as a shot rang out. By the time everything stopped spinning and she could focus again, Granger was lying on the ground and everyone had frozen in place.