Edge of Darkness
Page 24
“Stop…” he said.
“Let me in.”
“No. I can’t do this with you right now. This is hard enough for me to deal with without you pushing to meld with me.”
“I need to feel you. I need to keep a piece of you with me,” she said tearfully.
“You do. You have my heart; you know that.”
“I want more…”
He kissed the top of her head and pulled away, heading back toward the shuttle. He couldn’t do this with her. He couldn’t leave her for a month knowing how much she needed him. He already knew how much he needed her. It was painfully obvious.
She followed closely behind, and he answered questions that were asked by the engineering staff as he made his way into the shuttle. When the last one left, he took her inside the cockpit and sat her down.
“Stick by Gage and the team while I’m gone,” he said, kneeling in front of her, taking her hands in his. “Jordan can help you with any augment issues. If I’m free, I’ll message you, but don’t count on it too much. I’m sure I’ll be busy bombing the shit out of GenMed’s space station.”
“I’ll message you to let you know I’m thinking of you,” she said, lacing her fingers in his.
“I’d like that. Space is a lonely place, and I’m going to miss being with you.”
He let her connect then. He had to feel her one more time before he left her. It was as intimate as sex, maybe more so, and the brief link between them had her climbing into his lap, where he kissed her deeply, inhaling her scent, memorizing her curves with his hands.
He broke the connection on a ragged breath, pressing his forehead against hers as they both panted.
“When I get back, I’ll give you what you need,” he said, and kissed her again, tasting her tears on her lips.
“Promise?” she asked.
“With everything that I am,” he said, and, after kissing her one last time, he stood, lifted her off her feet, and hugged her tightly.
“Time to lock down,” Gage shouted into the cabin from the back of the shuttle.
“Gotta go,” he said to her, and kissed her lightly.
“Love you.” Her words were soft and nearly inaudible, but he heard them and it stopped his heart.
He couldn’t return the sentiment--he hadn’t said those words to anyone but Kayla, but it wasn’t that he didn’t feel it. He’d loved Sierra for so many years, but now it was right there in front of him and it stung the tip of his tongue. He couldn’t get them out.
Though her eyes showed her resignation, she put her finger to his lips and kissed the tip of his nose.
“Come back in one piece, that’s all I ask,” she said, stood, and left the cabin, left his space… and he could feel the immediate loss of her.
He sat in the darkness of the cockpit for a few moments, the disconnect from her devastating.
“You OK?” Gage stepped in and sat next to him, his hands clasped in front of him.
Calder swallowed hard and closed his eyes, tried to focus on the mission ahead. Clearing his throat, he stood and grabbed his tablet off the deck.
“Take care of her, man. Make sure she’s OK,” he said.
“You got it,” Gage said as he stood, chucked him on the shoulder, and turned to leave.
“Start the countdown,” Calder said, and, setting his tablet aside, he sat, buckled his harness, and began hitting switches overhead to start the power-up sequence.
“Safe flight, McKenna,” Gage shouted from the bulkhead, and locked down the hatch. The cabin hissed as it pressurized slowly, and Calder plugged his nose and popped his ears as he ran through the final lockdown.
“Base, this is Ghostwolf, Alpha two two four, ready for departure.”
“You are clear to depart, Ghostwolf.”
He watched as the bay doors opened then taxied the shuttle out onto the open deck. With one last breathe, looking back at Sierra, he grabbed the throttle and, with a single push, burst forward and disappeared into the star-filled void.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am and always will be an admitted technophile. Tech and gadgets are a passion for me. I’m a geek through and through.
Having worked in the tech field all through the 80s and 90s, I rode that cool wave of the dotcom era and saw everything from its infancy until it nearly burned out. It was a truly amazing time and I have experiences that I will never forget. Those experiences drive my work and this novel is no exception.
I hope you have enjoyed “Edge of Darkness” as much as I enjoyed writing it. Further adventures with Calder and the team are right around the corner, so keep checking in!
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