Heath

by Arcadia Shield

  “It wasn’t an accident. And it’s happened more than once,” said Juniper. “And you report nothing the militia does. Who do you report it to?”

  “The State,” said Annie. “They’d make sure the families were looked after.”

  Juniper snorted. “I’ll remember that the next time it happens.”

  Heath looked around the room. Everything was dated and patched together, but the place was clean. There were even a few pictures of landscapes propped against the walls. “How long have you lived here?”

  “Three months. I had another base I preferred, but a group of guys discovered it, and wanted it for themselves. They said I could stay with them, but not for free. I had to work if I wanted my space there. And they didn’t want coins or credits. I’d rather sleep in the gutters than do that.”

  Heath felt the press of Annie’s leg against his and saw the distaste on her face. She was getting an unpleasant reality check of life outside of State-approved zones.

  “I knew there were other underground spaces. It was just a case of finding one.” Juniper glanced at the screen. “I’m handy with tech and nabbed some kit from the back of a militia truck one night. It gave me resistivity readings of what was beneath the market and behind the walls, and I found this place. I drilled a few holes through the rock and linked into the power grid. I’ve got free energy, all thanks to the State.”

  Arlo patted down his pockets. “Looks like we need to be careful, if you’re light-fingered.”

  “Don’t think you’ve got anything I want.”

  Arlo flashed her a smile. “Wait until you get to know me.”

  Juniper shook her head. “You can stay here tonight. I’ll get the supplies sorted for tomorrow.”

  “Don’t go alone,” said Heath.

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “I don’t know you,” said Heath. “Arlo will come with you.”

  “It will be my pleasure,” said Arlo.

  Juniper shrugged. “Whatever you need. But I need coin if I’m to get us everything. We need transport, food, and any tech I can scramble.”

  “We’ve got a vehicle,” said Heath.

  “What kind?”

  “Modified Cobra,” said Lincoln. “Parked less than a mile from here.”

  “That will draw too much attention,” said Juniper.

  “We have camouflage,” said Arlo. “No one will see us coming.”

  “I can get something that’s fast, small, and reliable. We’ll blend in with anyone else stupid enough to be in there.”

  Heath nodded. “We can get the Cobra later. Or remote drive it back to a central point and collect it when it’s safe to do so.”

  Annie pulled out the purse of coins and handed some to Juniper.

  “This will do for now.” Juniper slid the coins into a pocket, and looked at Arlo. “Come on. Let me show you around this fabulous place. Once you get the two-cent tour, you’ll never want to leave.”

  Arlo opened the door, and Juniper walked through. “Let’s hope she doesn’t slit my throat.” He winked at Heath as he disappeared along the corridor behind Juniper.

  “What now?” asked Lincoln.

  “Now we rest,” said Heath. “I want us moving by first light. The Black Zone is no-man’s-land and comes with a nuclear hazard warning.”

  “It’s radioactive?” Annie’s mouth dropped open.

  “Only if you believe the State lies.”

  “And let’s not forget the new volcanos off the coast that sound ready to blow,” said Lincoln. “Worse than any nuclear blast, if we get caught there when that happens.”

  “You don’t believe the site’s contaminated?” said Annie.

  “It isn’t,” said Lincoln. “Hive One ran a scan of the area. There’s nothing there.”

  “It’s another method the State use to cover up something they don’t want anyone to see,” said Heath. “Fake the radiation and people stay away.”

  Annie chewed on her bottom lip. “They’re taking people into the Black Zone.”

  “How do you know that?” asked Heath.

  “Juniper said she saw truckloads of people being taken there.”

  “Doubtful they’ll ever come out,” said Lincoln.

  Annie rubbed her forehead. “I can’t figure out what the State would want with them there, though. Especially if there’s a nuclear hazard risk.”

  Heath saw Lincoln raise his eyebrows and gesture at Annie, but he shook his head. When the time was right, he’d offer Annie The Jolt. But until then, she needed to keep her memories intact. If he was the reason she lost her grip on what was real, he’d never forgive himself. She had a brilliant mind, but it was more than that. He’d forgotten how much he’d loved spending time with her, having someone to argue with, someone who didn’t let him get away with everything he believed. Heath wouldn’t risk using an experimental treatment on Annie. He’d rather return her to her safe, State-run life than do that. His stomach griped at the thought. No, there was a better way to get Annie on his side. He just needed to find it.

  Lincoln rested his gun against the wall and sat on a cushion opposite Heath and Annie. He closed his eyes. “Wake me up when something exciting happens.”

  Heath looked at Annie. “You should get some sleep, too.”

  “I’m too wired to sleep,” said Annie. “I have a feeling about the Black Zone. My dad must be there. It makes sense now why he hasn’t kept in contact. I hope I haven’t dragged you all here for nothing.”

  “You said yourself he’s never gone this long without getting in touch,” said Heath. “Better to be safe and make sure everything is okay. And since we’re here, we can see what dragon finds he’s discovered. Help him with the study of them.”

  “This is his last expedition,” said Annie, her expression hardening.

  “You can’t force that on him,” said Heath. “If he loves exploring as much as I do, it will destroy him if he can’t go on his expeditions.”

  “He’s the only parent I have left,” said Annie. “I will make him see sense if it kills me.”

  Heath grimaced. “Don’t say that. Death comes too easily when you hunt for it.”

  Annie gave him a quizzical look, clearly deciding to change the subject. “Juniper said there’s food, if we want it.”

  “I could eat.” Heath watched as Annie stood and walked to the kitchenette. She took a small pan off the two-ring stove and carried it back before sitting down. “Only one spoon.”

  “I don’t mind sharing.” Heath grinned at her. “Just like old times, when you’d order a giant, ice cream dessert and then not finish it.”

  “I only did that because you wouldn’t order anything for yourself.” Annie grinned back. “And you have a secret sweet tooth you’d never admit to.”

  “Is that so?” Heath never ordered a dessert when they ate together for a reason. It gave him the chance to share with Annie and watch her eyes grow bright with excitement as the ice cream arrived. He’d relished watching her scooping the icy dessert into her mouth and licking her lips before diving in again. Just the thought of her pleasure made his pulse speed up.

  “I know you better than you think,” said Annie. She tested some of the soup in the pot. “This isn’t bad.”

  She handed the spoon to Heath, and he tried it. It was watery, but well-seasoned with peppery spices. “Juniper hasn’t got much here.”

  “She looks like she’s done a good job,” said Annie. “Must be hard being on your own in a place like this.”

  “Like she has a choice,” said Heath.

  Annie frowned as she took the spoon back. “I wish you’d stop badmouthing the State. They’re not perfect—”

  “No, they’re far from perfect. They’re a living nightmare.” Heath rubbed his forehead.

  “We will never agree about this,” said Annie.

  Heath nodded. They wouldn’t until Annie realized her memories were built on hypnotic suggestion. “Time to get some sleep. We can discuss all the wonderful th
ings the State have done tomorrow.”

  Annie ate more soup before offering Heath the rest, but he waved it away. He had no appetite and felt exhausted. He needed a boost of adrenaline, but if Lincoln spotted him getting jacked up on the stuff, he wouldn’t be happy.

  Annie stood, her back stiff, and put the pot back on the stove.

  “Get some rest. Tomorrow we’ll find your father,” said Heath, sensing tension in the air, and knowing his sharpness with Annie was the reason for it.

  Annie nodded once, and settled on a large, red cushion against the opposite wall.

  Heath hated the way she wasn’t looking at him. He hadn’t meant to snap, but being at the mercy of the State, and having so few people who understood what they were doing, frustrated the hell out of him. Heath’s frustration was made worse because the woman lying across the room from him didn’t believe him. She looked at him like he was a freak and a liar. Annie tolerated his dragon talk because she wanted something out of him. She could be his greatest ally, but right now, she’d never felt farther away.

  “Good night,” said Heath.

  Annie didn’t reply.

  ANNIE SHIFTED ON THE cushion she’d been lying on for the last few hours. The cold from the floor seeped through the cushion’s thin fabric and made it hard to get comfortable. She was still pissed at Heath for shutting her down and refusing to talk to her. She didn’t buy into his wild fantasies about the State, even though her own thoughts kept colliding with the ideas he offered her.

  The bottom line was, he was wrong. Oh, she’d play along, providing he helped find her father. After that, she was done with him. Heath was too stubborn for his own good. Look where it had gotten him. He was a fugitive, living underground, dragging his brothers along with him, and anyone else deluded enough to believe in dragons.

  Once they were out of the Badlands, she’d cut contact with Heath and get on with her life. The thought made Annie’s heart shrivel. Heath stirred something inside her, an urge to take risks and take a peek at other possibilities. It was rare to find someone who challenged her on her beliefs. And every time he touched her, her skin sizzled and she grew warm, feeling like she had too many layers on and needed to shed them and let the air touch her, cool her down, and shake the lustful thoughts of Heath away. But he was not for her; they were too different. And he was dangerous.

  She couldn’t stay in contact with Heath after this. Her thoughts drifted to the university, and a bubble of doubt formed. She’d been nominated to go on a year-long expedition into the gorge levels in the southwest to study a former colony that had died out. Annie preferred older anthropological studies, but this one excited her. The site had been untouched since the colony died, and no one knew what happened. She could see several research papers coming out of this, and a promotion. Keeping ties with fugitives would jeopardize that.

  But as she lay in the gloom, Annie also realized the expedition was meaningless, if she didn’t have what was left of her family around her to support her and see her succeed. She turned on her side and looked at Heath, his face lit from the dull light of the screen on the wall. His hands rested on his thighs and his head was tipped back. He still had those dark, sexy looks that had drawn her the first time she’d seen him.

  She smiled as she remembered that day. Heath had been hurrying along the corridor at the university, his arms full of books and his black shirt untucked. He was arguing with a colleague about a new remote resonance device that had the potential to record remains up to one hundred feet below ground.

  His intensity had attracted her. She’d followed along behind him and his colleague for a few steps, until he’d turned and dazzled her with his green eyes. If Heath knew how hot he was, he didn’t exploit it, and was oblivious of all the looks and offers of coffee he got from other women. For Annie, that made him even more attractive.

  She watched him sleeping. A small sigh slipped from her lips. But they’d gone no further than being friends. Work had gotten in the way for both of them. Maybe she’d gotten scared of what was on offer, as well. A life with Heath would have been filled with adventure, but that came at a cost. Some of his theories were off-the-wall and eccentric. People had seen him as a maverick and didn’t want to work with him. And that was before he lost control of his delusions when it came to dragons.

  That was part of the reason she’d introduced Heath to her friend, Suki. She’d hidden the jealousy she’d felt when they’d gone out on their first date and hadn’t asked Suki how things had gone. Then three months’ funding came up to study a newly discovered Amazonian tribe. When Annie had returned, Heath had just lost his job and was on his way out, before vanishing for a year.

  Annie sat up as she heard movement on the other side of the door. Her hand reached for the pulse laser gun she’d placed by the cushion. She let out a breath as Juniper and Arlo walked in, both carrying full bags. Checking the time, she was surprised to see five hours had passed. She felt like she’d barely slept.

  Heath lifted his head at the same time as Lincoln, not seeming surprised to find Juniper and Arlo there. “Is everything ready?”

  “It’s time to go. It’s almost dawn,” said Juniper. “I’ve got the transport outside. And clothes for everyone so you don’t scare people off dressed as soldiers.”

  “Come on, sleeping beauties,” said Arlo. “Let’s find out what the Black Zone has to offer us.”

  Chapter 8

  Heath scrubbed a hand across his face. His sleep had been sporadic, adding to his bone-aching tiredness. “Got anywhere to wash up before we go?” he asked Juniper.

  “Down the corridor on the left,” said Juniper. “It’s not pretty, but the water is safe to use.”

  “Thanks. We leave in ten minutes.” Heath looked at Arlo, who was stretching his arms over his head and yawning. “Everything good?”

  “No trouble.”

  Juniper grinned at Heath. “I kept your brother out of danger. Although it wasn’t easy.”

  “Trouble seems to find me.” Arlo shrugged. “And Juniper had me running around most of the night like a pack animal. I need food before we go.”

  “We can eat on the move.” Heath got to his feet and walked along the corridor, discovering a small stone room with a hole in the floor, and a single pipe hanging overhead. He turned the handle on the pipe and water rushed out. It was tepid, but just what he needed. Splashing his face several times, Heath ran his hands through his hair.

  Propped on a stone lip was a broken piece of mirror. Heath grimaced as he caught his unkempt reflection in it. He rarely cared what he looked like, but being around Annie made him feel different, as if he wanted to prove he was good enough. Right now, he was a mess and strung out. He needed to be on top of his game to take care of Annie.

  Heath took a disposable syringe from the inside of his jacket and pulled the cap off. He jabbed the needle in his arm. His nostrils flared as the adrenaline shot through him. TO HERE

  He looked at his reflection again and watched his pupils dilate as energy pulsed in his veins. Finally, he felt alive. He dropped the used syringe into the hole in the floor.

  Heath headed back to the others, repressing the urge to bounce on his toes. “Let’s get moving.”

  Juniper led them to the exit, Arlo behind her, and the rest following. Chilly, early morning air flooded through the door as she opened it and peered outside.

  Dawn was an hour away, and the streets were silent as Heath walked out of the doorway. He spotted three black, off-road dirt bikes in the shadows.

  “These will get us where we need to go.” Juniper led the group to the bikes.

  Heath nodded, impressed with her choice. They were lighter than most two wheelers, and had high ground clearance, with little bodywork to damage.

  “Only three bikes?” asked Lincoln.

  “I get my own ride,” said Juniper. “The four of you can share.”

  “I thought we were riding together?” Arlo grinned at Juniper.

  “Get over your
self,” said Juniper, as she strapped her bag to the bike. “You’re not my type.”

  Arlo’s bottom lip jutted out. “I’m everybody’s type.”

  “Ride with me,” Heath said to Annie.

  “Sure.” She strapped her own bag on her back.

  Heath detected a coolness in Annie’s voice and didn’t blame her for giving him the cold shoulder. He needed to keep things professional between them. Arguing about the State wouldn’t make that easy, despite how frustrated he was every time he thought of their lies.

  “I’ve keyed the coordinates into each bike.” Juniper slung her leg over a bike and fastened her helmet under her chin.

  “Comms are patchy in the Black Zone, so memorize the map before we leave, in case things cut out,” said Heath.

  “Yeah. I don’t want to have to come find any of you if you take a wrong turn. And keep up,” said Juniper.

  Lincoln smirked as he hopped on the other bike. “We can manage that.” Arlo climbed on and gripped the handle behind him as Lincoln started the engine. It purred underneath him, barely making a sound.

  Heath started his own bike and then handed a helmet to Annie. She fastened it without a word and climbed on, wrapping an arm around his waist.

  Heath liked the feel of her there, holding on to him. He could feel her body heat, and fought lustful thoughts as warmth spread through him, and a hardness grew between his legs. He took a couple of deep breaths. Riding a bike with a hard-on was never a good plan. He placed a hand over hers. “Hold on tight. This will be a rough ride.”

  Annie flexed her fingers in acknowledgement.

  Heath scanned the map laid out on the bike’s navigation system. They had a ten mile journey ahead of them, and would do that before first light. He cruised out of the shadows and led the others into the gloom.

  AS THE BIKE BOUNCED out of a hole in the rough ground, Annie gripped Heath’s stomach, and looped her other arm around his middle until her hands connected. She felt his lean muscles tense in response.

  She slid closer until she pressed her cheek to Heath’s back. The vibrations from the bike danced up her thighs and made her insides heat with pleasure. It had been a while since she’d felt like this and having Heath close only made the experience more intense. She could smell his body heat and noticed a trickle of sweat on his neck she was tempted to taste.