by Anna Hackett
“There is no Blue Mountain Base,” the captain said.
“Since I’ve been based there since the invasion, along with about a thousand other survivors, I respectfully disagree,” Roth said. “I’m also head of one of the squads fighting the aliens under General Adam Holmes.”
The captain’s eyes widened. “You’re fighting the aliens?”
“Of course.” There was a frown in Roth’s voice. “What else do we do with them?”
“Avoid them,” the captain replied.
The paint-splattered man was looking at Avery. “And you? You’re part of the colonel’s squad?”
“Not usually, no. I’m Avery Stillman. I was with Coalition Central Intelligence.” Hot anger filled her throat. “And I’m guessing you’re both part of the elitist group of assholes put together by Howell, who sold out humanity.”
The captain’s eyes narrowed and the man frowned and cocked his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. The Enclave was specially designed to house survivors of the alien attack. People were selected at random by government officials. We have men, women, children. Professors, historians, artists—” he held up his hands ruefully “—scientists, and more. We are the hope for the continuation of humanity.”
Avery’s face twisted. “I’m guessing Howell sold you that bullshit.”
“President Howell set up this place, yes.” Nikolai shoved his hands in his pockets. “He’s the third leader of the Enclave.”
“Howell is scum,” Avery spat. Memories of her time with the aliens flashed through her head. “I was part of Howell’s negotiation team with the aliens. He sold us out. In return for his own safety and this precious place—” she waved a hand around “—he let them destroy the world. To take human prisoners. And he damn well gave me to them.”
“Sydney is in ruins,” Roth said quietly. “Our squads have destroyed numerous alien labs and testing facilities. Billions of humans are dead. And those who are left are scrambling to survive.”
Both Kate and Nikolai looked stunned.
Nikolai finally cursed under his breath in what Avery guessed was Russian. That seemed to shake the captain out of her spell. “We don’t know you. Howell has only done good things by the people of this Enclave. He deserves a chance to tell us his side of the story.” The woman straightened. “I’m sure there’s been some misunderstanding.”
Avery wanted to scream. She felt Roth’s gaze on her, warning her to be quiet.
“Kate, open the cells,” Nikolai said.
“What?” the captain said, frowning.
“It’s dinnertime. Let’s bring our guests to the dining room, and let them see what our Enclave is like.”
The captain looked like she wanted to protest, but finally pulled out a master key and opened the cells.
“Roth needs a doctor to look at his eye,” Avery said, moving to his side.
“And Avery has hurt ribs and a canid injury.”
The captain nodded. “I’ll see that a technician takes a look at you both. I never meant for you to be injured…you took down four of my people while under the effect of the shockround, so we had to subdue you.”
Roth nodded. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not,” Avery muttered.
Roth squeezed her arm.
“Come on,” Nikolai said, leading the way.
They left the spartan prison cells and moved into a hall. Avery gasped. This was nothing like Blue Mountain Base. The tunnels were laid with thick, sumptuous carpet, and gorgeous paintings lined the walls.
“These are beautiful,” Avery said.
Nikolai smiled. He couldn’t quite be called handsome, but his smile made him incredibly attractive. “These are from an art gallery, brought here to be kept safe. We also have a thriving artists’ community here at the Enclave.”
“You’re a painter?”
“I paint, but sculpting is my primary medium.” His gaze ran over her face. “I’d love to sculpt your face.”
Roth edged closer. “I don’t think so.”
Nikolai’s smile widened and he inclined his head.
Avery took quick glances into some of the rooms they passed. One was filled with high-tech comps, another was a huge games room; one even contained a huge, indoor swimming pool.
They passed some people, who smiled and called out hello. They all eyed Avery and Roth curiously. Everyone looked happy, healthy, and well-fed.
The light was different, too. Avery stared up at the warm glow of the lights. In Blue Mountain Base, the harsh, fluorescent lighting could get a bit much. But here, the light was more muted, nicer somehow.
“We have a sunlight system.”
She glanced up and saw Nikolai looking at her. “Sorry?”
“An experimental sunlight system. It mimics real sunlight. It’s much healthier for the residents.”
“And this is all built in a coal mine, right?”
“That’s right.”
Captain Scott wrinkled her nose. “How did you know where to find us? What gave us away?”
“Avery saw Howell’s plans, that’s why he sold her out,” Roth said. “She knew his bunker was south of Sydney somewhere.”
“And we saw the antenna on the old coal prep plant when we flew over to take a look,” Avery added.
“Dammit.” The captain frowned. “I told my team it needed to be better hidden.” She released a breath. “We take security very seriously. The aliens don’t know the location of the Enclave, and President Howell ensured there are no plans or schematics of the place to fall into enemy hands.”
“I bet he did,” Avery said drily.
The captain’s mouth tightened. “Here’s the health center.”
The health center was a large well-stocked and well-staffed space. Avery took in the high-tech equipment and shelves packed with supplies. She watched as Roth was checked over. Her own doctor checked her ribs and told her what she already knew—nothing broken—refreshed her bandage on the canid scratch, and gave her a painkiller.
“Dinner awaits,” Nikolai said with a smile. A short walk from the health center, they reached large arched doors. “Here’s the dining room.”
They stepped into the large room. It had high, arched ceilings, and a collection of tables that made it look like a restaurant, all set with snowy-white tablecloths, beautiful patterned china, and lovely silverware.
Avery’s throat tightened. It looked like the residents of the Enclave did everything in luxury.
However, the dining room was empty.
A woman in her twenties bustled out of the kitchen and came to an abrupt stop. “Oh.” She shot Nikolai a flirtatious look before her gaze settled on Roth, her eyes going wide. “Visitors.”
“Angelina,” Nikolai said with an edge of frustration. “Where is everyone?”
“Oh, President Howell decided we should have a picnic. Everyone’s up in the Garden.”
“Thanks,” Nikolai said. “Come on.”
He led them down another hall, and soon they walked into a room filled with narrow, long, open vehicles with two-person carriages behind them.
“Hop in.” Captain Scott held open the door to one carriage.
Avery climbed in, and Roth sat beside her. With Roth’s broad shoulders, it was a tight fit. He shifted and put his arm around her.
She leaned into him. God, she had to admit it was nice to lean on someone. To have someone beside you when everything had gone to hell.
Just don’t get used to it, Avery.
The captain sat in the driver’s seat, Nikolai beside her, and the vehicle moved off.
Ahead, doors opened and they drove into a dark tunnel.
Here were signs of the tunnels’ true origins. Rough walls, pipes strung along the roof, patches of coal.
Soon, the tunnel started to ascend. Next, they reached a spiral ramp, and the engine on the vehicle droned as it carried them upward.
Roth leaned down, his lips brushing her ear. “I think we’re going up the in
side of the escarpment.”
Soon, the ramp ended, and they drove down another flat tunnel, then through a door, and they were once again in a well-lit parking area, filled with similar vehicles.
They stopped and their hosts got out.
“Come on,” Nikolai said. “We’ll find President Howell in here.”
They walked through another set of doors, and inside, Roth and Avery froze. Her mouth fell open, her gaze traveling upward. “Oh, my God.”
“Damn,” Roth muttered.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Nikolai was grinning. “We call it the Garden.”
They were in a bowl that had been cut into the escarpment. Rock walls rose on either side, and above, the night sky glittered with a sprinkle of stars. In the garden, a crowd of people sat on picnic blankets and outdoor chairs on the lush grass. Everyone was munching on food, chatting and laughing. Kids were running around, chasing each other.
To one side was a large, fenced garden area with healthy, thriving vegetables in neat rows. Old Man Hamish would go into convulsions of joy over it. To the other side were trees and flowers. The trees were strung with fairy lights that gave the place a surreal fairyland feel and, in places, Avery spotted hammocks strung between the trees.
“How do you protect this?” Roth asked.
“We have an illusion system that keeps it hidden,” Nikolai said. “From above, this just looks like any other patch of trees on the escarpment.”
“We do have doors we can close in an emergency, too,” Captain Scott added.
“What about the alien bugs?” Avery asked.
“They don’t come up here to the top of the escarpment,” the captain answered.
Roth shook his head. “Still, if the aliens find this, the entire Enclave is compromised.”
“Like we said before, we work hard to keep our location a secret,” Nikolai said. “And we also have a lock-down system.”
Avery frowned. “Lock-down system?”
It was Captain Scott who answered. “If the aliens find any of the entrances to the Enclave, we have a high-tech security system that kicks in. A series of metal security doors slam down, and they are all protected with high-voltage electrical fields. We then can pull all residents back to the central core.”
Roth nodded thoughtfully. “Like a panic room.”
“Exactly. We have two years’ worth of supplies in storage and the ability to produce everything we need if we are locked in.”
Avery still wasn’t sure how she’d feel about being trapped with the enemy knocking on the door. The sound of kids squealing with laughter caught her ear, and she looked up to see an amazing treehouse perched among the branches, with several children riding a spiral slide back to the ground.
This place was beautiful, and yet horrifying all at the same time. Here, these children were having fun, completely insulated from the horrors above. Yet, the adults had to know. These people were hiding out here, pretending that nightmarish atrocities weren’t happening to the rest of their fellow humans above.
Then she spotted Bastian. The boy caught her attention and lifted a hand in greeting. Okay, maybe not all the children were insulated. In Bastian’s face, she’d read pain and grief. So the Enclave wasn’t all hearts and rainbows.
“Ah, President Howell, good evening.” Captain Scott’s voice broke through Avery’s thoughts. “We have some people who need to talk with you, sir.”
“Newcomers?” The man once in charge of the entire Coalition came toward them. He wore dark slacks and a blue shirt. He had a face perfect for a politician—clean-cut, a square jaw, a wide smile. The public had loved it. And while everything had been running well, he’d been an excellent leader.
Until the aliens had arrived. When the going got tough, he’d crumpled and shown his true colors.
He opened his arms, smiling. “Welcome to the Enclave.”
Avery stepped forward, and she had the intense pleasure of watching him stumble to a halt. His face blanched.
She’d thought she’d known what she was going to say to him. How she’d act. But everything she’d seen, the pain and terror she’d felt in the alien lab, the helplessness of lost memories, not to mention the fact she’d almost ended up being turned into an alien while this man sat here in luxury, crashed in on her. “You fucking asshole.”
Avery launched at him. She took him down, slamming her fists into his head.
Arms wrapped around her and lifted her off Howell. She kicked and struggled, but Roth held her against his chest. “Easy.”
But she couldn’t let it go. She stared down at Howell, who was still sprawled on the floor. “They put me in a tank, asshole. They tried to turn me into a goddamn alien…and they’ve done it to millions of other people. The blame’s on you, Howell. All those lives, they’re on you.”
“Easy.” Roth turned her to face him.
She felt her lips tremble. God, everyone had turned to watch the drama and she didn’t want anyone to see her pain. As a child, she’d hidden under her bedcovers to cry. She’d never let anyone see.
“I’ve got you.” Roth pressed her face into his chest.
She gripped his shirt and held on. She cried silently, her tears soaking his shirt.
His lips pressed against her hair. “I’ve got you, Avery. Always.”
Chapter Fourteen
Holding onto Avery was the only thing stopping Roth from going after Howell himself. One little twist, and it would be so easy to end the bastard who’d hurt her.
She always showed everyone her strength, so the silent tears he felt on his skin almost broke him.
Howell was spluttering as Scott helped him up. A pretty, slender blonde woman hurried over, two small boys hovering beside her. Roth recognized Howell’s young wife and family.
“President Howell, do you know this woman?” Captain Scott asked.
Howell tugged on his shirt, straightening his mussed clothes. “Agent Stillman is clearly traumatized by whatever terrible circumstances she’s endured. Last time I saw her, she was…upset that she hadn’t been selected for the Enclave.”
Avery whipped around, that familiar glint in her eyes. She took a step forward and two soldiers moved in front of Howell.
Avery didn’t make a sound. She kicked one in the knee and he toppled. She turned and slammed a fist into the other man’s face. Something broke in his nose and blood gushed. She was moving again, landing a hard kick at the man struggling to get back on his feet. Roth winced, but didn’t move. He knew just how hard her blows were.
Besides, he figured these dickheads deserved it.
A perfectly executed front kick sent the man with the broken nose crashing into a chair. She turned to Howell.
But Roth knew he needed to stop this before Scott’s soldiers hurt her or dragged her off to a cell. He grabbed her, pulling her to his side and looked at Howell. “You want to say that again?”
Roth’s low, lethal tone made Howell take an automatic step back.
“Daddy, did you give that lady to the aliens?” one of Howell’s sons, a boy of about five, asked.
Howell’s mouth opened, then closed.
Roth saw Captain Scott squeeze her eyes closed and nearby, Nikolai cursed under his breath.
“Gregory, what is going on?” Howell’s wife demanded.
“Mrs. Howell, because of your husband, most of the Coalition’s citizens are dead.” Avery glared at Howell. “I don’t know what lies you’ve been telling these people, but there are survivors out there.” She pointed upward. “Some still hiding in the ruins, some running from the aliens, and the rest of us are finding ways to fight back.”
“We have a lot of innocent people over at Blue Mountain Base,” Roth added, sliding his arm across Avery’s shoulders. “Survivors of the alien labs, children, military personnel who go out there every day to fight. But we recently found out, Howell, that you sold all the Coalition military information to the aliens in return for them leaving you and your Enclave alone.”
> Gasps echoed around. A muscle ticked in Howell’s tight jaw.
“That means our base is no longer safe. There’s every chance we’ll have to evacuate. That’s why we came here. To investigate your secret bunker, and see if it was a viable alternative for our people.”
Howell dragged in a deep breath, found his composure, and put on his best politician’s smile. “Like I said, Agent Stillman is traumatized. Whatever she’s told you, it isn’t true. And I’m sorry, but I can’t jeopardize the lives of the people here by overcrowding the Enclave with more survivors.”
“Or you don’t want to sully your artists, scientists, and beautiful people,” Avery spat. “Or more importantly, don’t want to risk your own hide and comfort.”
“Enough.” Captain Scott stepped forward. “Sir, I think you, Nikolai and I need to have a meeting.”
Nikolai made a sound and his gaze hit Roth’s. He looked pissed as hell. “We absolutely need to have a meeting. The three of us are in charge here, remember, not just you, Howell.”
Oh, Roth would have liked to have been in on that meeting.
“But first,” Nikolai said, “I think our guests need to be shown to their quarters.”
“You mean our cells,” Avery said.
“No.” The artist’s voice was firm. “Kate, have one of your people show Roth and Avery to one of the guest rooms.”
The captain hesitated, then nodded and waved one of her security team over.
Roth ushered Avery out of the Garden with one last, scathing glance at Howell. He kept his arm around her as the young soldier showed them to a vehicle and drove them back to the main part of the Enclave.
He felt Avery vibrating with anger. The tears were gone, and his ferocious agent was back.
After a short walk from the vehicle, the young man opened a door. “Here’s your room.” He waved them in.
The room was quite spacious, and Roth eyed the large bed. After eighteen months of squeezing his large frame into the narrow bunks at Blue Mountain Base, the double looked huge and beyond inviting.
“Bathroom’s through there.” The man glanced at them both. “Ah, I believe you’ll find some basic medical supplies under the sink.”