“So anyway, yeah, the U.S. military has been in desperate need of recruits for their black-ops missions. They don’t even really want the best and the brightest anymore. Just a halfway competent body is all they want. Trust me, I have no delusions of grandeur about my skills as a soldier. But it was still gratifying for people in a position of power to sense some worth in me. Yeah it may sound vain, but after a lifetime of being made to feel inadequate, this was life-changing.”
“It doesn’t sound silly at all,” I say, wishing to dispel any notion that I find Alex vain. He is nothing of the sort.
“Thanks,” Alex says with a sad smile. “So yeah, they chose me because my test scores were off the chart. At least, compared to the other recruits. And not to brag or anything, but I am pretty athletic.”
I stroke Alex’s chiseled arms. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
Alex’s grin widens.
“So yeah, I impressed all the higher-ups in the military. Jesse Hunter was part of my training class, too, and they really loved her… how ruthless and aggressive she is. I thought they might send us out on a mission against Chinese outposts in Africa, but our commander had a better idea. He had gotten word from President LeBeau that additional soldiers were needed for one of our Amazon outposts. They flew Pitbull up to meet me and Jesse, to see if we meshed. Apparently Pitbull liked what he saw, because they flew us down here the following morning. We’ve been here ever since, trying to quell the Chiquito uprising.”
Alex is finally talking about something I don’t agree with. I wonder how he feels about his mission? Does he approve of it? Does he have any qualms flushing indigenous peoples out of their native habitat?
Instead of wondering, I decide to ask him… to learn the truth.
“So you’re okay with hunting down Amazonian natives?” I ask bluntly, without any of the warmth of my previous inquiries.
I’m relieved when Alex grimaces and looks away. It’s obvious he isn’t as fond of his mission as Pitbull and the others.
“Of course not,” Alex replies after a moment of contemplation. “I’m not okay with it at all. I’ve seen the way Pitbull savagely attacks the Chiquito People. Ax and Lesnar and Cobra are just as sadistic. Even Jesse, who I had taken a liking to during boot camp, has repulsed me with her viciousness. I… well, I was actually thinking about getting a transfer, but then we received word that you guys would be joining us. I’d be a fool to pass up an opportunity to go after Klaxton. But trust me, the minute we find Klaxton, I’m out of here. I don’t like messing with people who don’t deserve it, and the Chiquito definitely don’t deserve our constant harrassment. I don’t blame them defending their homeland from poachers, loggers, mercenaries… from us.”
Alex wipes away his tears. “I’m sorry for getting all emotional. I usually don’t break down like this. You’re a good listener, by the way. I feel comfortable talking to you. So thank you. For listening. For not being judgmental. It means a lot.”
I brush Alex’s messy hair out of his eyes and say, “No, thank you for sharing your story with me. It was a brave thing to do.”
Alex wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in for a kiss.
When we finally break apart many moments later, I ask, “So what are your plans for the future?”
Alex flashes the sort of altruistic smile that you often see when someone is about to discuss their most cherished passion.
“Before I joined the military, I was going to school to be a doctor. I’d like to go back and finish. Get my degree… maybe start my own practice. I want to help heal people, not tear them down.”
“There’s nothing more noble than that,” I say, my captivation with Alex growing by the second. It’s astonishing how quickly you can fall for someone when they’re saying and doing all the right things.
“What are your plans?” Alex asks, taking me by surprise. “Are you going to continue being a bounty hunter?”
I give a quick shake of my head. “Hell no. I’m tired of this crap. I’ve been doing it far too long. We should have stopped years ago. Hell, we shouldn’t have gotten into the business at all! We were just kids when we first started. Lance’s uncle, Dagger, the man who took care of us, didn’t want us following in his footsteps, but we would always sneak out and follow him when he went on his bounty hunting missions. He finally decided if we were going to join him anyway, he might as well teach us to do it right. Still, I wish he had been a stricter father figure. He should have put his foot down… forbid us from this lifestyle. It sure would have saved us a ton of heartache.”
“Some would say it’s a good thing Dagger taught you guys to catch bad buys,” Alex says. “If it wasn’t for you, we’d be waging a nuclear war with China right about now.”
“I still think it’s going to happen sooner or later,” I say grimly.
“I’m holding out hope that when we apprehend Klaxton (notice I said when), tensions will cool off. So back to my question, what are you going to do once this is all over?”
I hesitate before replying, “I know it sounds silly and almost anti-feminist, but I really want to start a family. I want to have a bunch of kids, and maybe be a teacher. Just have a normal, typical, boring life. Except it wouldn’t be boring to me. It would be an amazing life… one well worth living.”
“That actually sounds pretty awesome,” Alex says, much to my delight. “I’ve always wanted a big family. I’ve been so lonely these past few months. I would give anything to have a kick-ass wife and a bunch of rambunctious kids running around.”
“I’d love that, too,” I say, practically gushing.
Alex gazes into my eyes again. “You look so beautiful in the pale moonlight.”
I glance up to find the moon has indeed made a cameo appearance on this cloudy night. The rain clouds from moments before have moved on. It looks like another wave is on the way, but for this briefest of moments, the moon is free to shine.
“You look pretty beautiful yourself,” I reciprocate.
Alex leans in for another kiss, this one the most passionate yet. Both of our hands run up and down each other’s bodies, grabbing anything and everything they can. It’s like we’re both enveloped in a cloud of lust.
Alex starts unbuckling my belt. I push him away.
Alex steps back and stammers, “What’s wrong? Did I… are you…”
I shake my head, causing my fiery red hair to whip around in the breeze. Out of the corners of my eyes it looks like wisps of flame.
“I just… I think we’re going way too fast,” I say, although I quickly regret putting the brakes on things. I could really use some action. Why must I always overthink things?
Alex forces a smile that does little to hide his disappointment. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re probably right. We are going kind of fast. I just got a little carried away.”
“Wait!” I blurt out. “Maybe… maybe we’re not taking things too fast. Maybe… maybe we should do this.”
Alex’s forced smile turns into a genuine one. “I may be a little biased on the matter, but I certainly think so.”
Giving into temptation, I begin removing my body armor. “What the hell. We’re probably going to get killed in the coming days anyway. Might as well make the most of the little time we have left.”
Alex’s eyes widen and his jaw drops open as I slip out of my pants and remove my bra and panties. The cool jungle breeze keeps my nipples hard, which Alex seems to enjoy (judging by the fact he’s practically gawking at my chest).
Stammering like a drunken fool (and I suppose we’re both pretty wasted) Alex says, “You are… without a doubt… the most beautiful woman in the world. Seeing you here in the moonlight, surrounded by hundreds of fireflies… it’s like a work of art.”
“Just shut up and kiss me,” I say.
Alex pulls off his Kevlar vest, removes his shirt, and drops his pants. This time my eyes widen and my jaw drops. Alex has one of the most chiseled bodies I’ve ever seen. His pecks look like they were sculpted out
of marble, as do his ripped 8-pack abs. He has just the right amount of hair adorning his chest and stomach. My eyes wander downward. I’m pleased to see that he wasn’t lying about his size earlier. In fact, he might not have given himself enough credit.
Alex steps toward me. “Now about that kiss…”
We both throw ourselves at each other like wild, sex-starved animals. Our tongues flicker around inside each other’s mouths and our hands grope each other’s bare asses. Alex lowers to the ground, pulling me down on top of him. His mouth moves to my breasts. I throw back my head and moan, my body engulfed in a state of orgasmic ecstasy. I know it’s ridiculous to be doing something like this with a guy I just met, but sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and take a chance with someone. And besides, after all the shit I’ve gone through in recent months, I deserve this… a little bit of adulterous fun. The fact we’re practically perfect strangers makes our romp in the jungle all the more alluring. There’s no baggage… no history between us… nothing to ruin this moment. All we have to go on, in fact, is our own lust and sexual attraction. It’s time for me to quit over-analyzing the situation and give in to my desires.
Alex moans as I rock back and forth on top of him, his hands holding my breasts for support. I haven’t done this in many weeks. In fact, the last time I did anything like this was with Lance, back when we weren’t constantly at each other’s throats. Lance has always been pretty good in bed, but this… this is way better. It could be the booze, or just the excitement of doing it out in the wild, or the fact that Alex is insanely gorgeous and insanely… well, huge. Hell, it’s all that combined. All I know is that this feels so right, in more ways than one.
I lean overtop Alex and give him another sensuous kiss. Alex gives one final thrust, one final shudder, and then his taut body begins to relax. I slide off of him and lay in his arms, resting my head on his slowly heaving chest. A few bugs try to crawl on us, but we merely flick them away. Another cool breeze billows across the river bank, causing us both to shiver in exhilaration. At this moment, on this night, all is right in the world.
Alex starts chuckling.
I lift my head and ask, “What the hell’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I just… well, this is crazy awesome. Better than I ever expected. And trust me, I’ve fantasized about having sex with you for years.”
“That wasn’t creepy at all,” I say, grinning.
Alex laughs and says, “I really needed this.”
“So did I.”
“I think we should do this at least once a night. And maybe every morning, too. And a couple times in the afternoon.”
I burst out laughing. I can’t help it, Alex is just too cute. I love how he says exactly what’s on his mind, no matter how awkward or embarrassing it may seem.
Alex tenses up and his smile disappears.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper.
“I think… someone is watching us,” Alex whispers back.
I turn my head and peer into the nearby brush. I gasp when I notice a dark shape in the leaves. The bush rustles and then the shape vanishes.
Alex grabs his goggles off the ground and slides them over his eyes. I grab a handgun from my utility belt and leap to my feet, still completely naked.
“Come out and show yourself, or I swear to God I’ll fire,” Alex says, hovering his right hand over the side of his goggles. “You have until the count of three! One…”
I cock my gun and point it into the bushes.
“…two…”
Alex’s goggle lenses begin to glow red.
“…three!”
A massive black shape leaps out of the bushes and lunges toward Alex. Alex fires off two laser beams. The lasers whoosh into the forest, toppling several trees and sending dozens of birds screeching and fluttering into the sky. The massive figure punches Alex in the face, sending him toppling to the ground. I point my gun at the figure and fire off several shots. One of the bullets ricochets off the shadowy figure and whizzes past my own head. I’m about to fire off another shot when a gleaming, metallic arm reaches out from the shadows and yanks my gun out of my hands.
I stagger back and hold up my fists. “Stay back! Stay back or I’ll…”
Two glowing red eyes stare at me from the darkness. “Or you’ll do what? Throw some feeble punches?”
I squint my eyes and say, “Grenade?!”
Sure enough, Grenade emerges from the shadows, looking totally pissed off. I mean, he usually looks pissed off, but this time he seems super-duper pissed.
“You and your douchebag lover are terrible shots,” Grenade growls, looking down at Alex in disdain. “You’re lucky I wasn’t out to kill ya.”
The shock of Grenade lunging out of the bushes gives way to anger.
I cover my breasts with my arms and shout, “Grenade, what the fuck are you doing out here?! Were you… my God, were you watching us the entire time?”
Grenade’s entire face turns bright red. “Hell no I wasn’t watching you two! I was following someone.”
Grenade glances over his shoulder and peers into the surrounding darkness, his cyborg eyeballs scanning for his elusive prey. After a few seconds of searching, he curses and turns back to me. Speaking in a much quieter voice, he says, “I was taking a stroll around the compound when I saw you two leave. I was going to leave you alone, but a few minutes later I saw someone run into the jungle after you.”
“Who was it?” I ask, startled.
“Hell if I know,” Grenade growls. “Whoever it was, they were fast. I’ve been following their tracks, and they led me directly to you. Whoever it was, you two scared them off when you started hooting and hollering like a couple of jackasses.”
Grenade glares down at Alex, who is in the process of pulling his pants on.
“This was all consensual, right?” Grenade growls, glancing at me as I quickly snap on my bra.
“Yes Grenade,” I say irritably. “And if you could keep this between the three of us, I’d greatly appreciate it. I don’t want any unnecessary drama with Lance.”
Greande shrugs. “I don’t care what you kids do with your love lives. Just be a little more discreet next time. And pay attention to your surroundings. We are in a dangerous, hostile place. No more of these midnight strolls into the jungle. You hear me?”
“Yes, I hear you,” I grumble as I finish putting on the rest of my body armor.
Grenade turns back toward the bushes. “You kids go back. I’m going to stay out here a little while longer… see if I can’t track down your stalker.”
And with that, Grenade slinks back into the jungle, like he’s right at home with the snakes and spiders.
I sigh and say, “Sorry about that. He’s a good guy, but he’s not all there mentally.”
“He’s scary as fuck,” Alex says with a nervous laugh. “Now let’s head back. Your cyborg friend spoiled the mood.”
Alex grabs my hand and we walk back through the meandering trail, this time keeping a close eye out for shadowy figures crouched behind bushes.
*
Thankfully Alex and I make it back to the compound without any issues. I’m not surprised to find the living room empty. It’s very late. Everyone must be asleep. (Well, except for Lance and his new buddies. They’re probably snorting coke and injecting heroin.)
Alex rubs the back of his head and awkwardly says, “Soo… you, like, want to sleep in my room?”
I smirk and say, “Alex, we just had sex in the jungle. You don’t have to act all nervous asking me to sleep in your bedroom.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Alex says sheepishly. He seriously is way too cute.
Alex opens his bedroom door and turns on the light, gesturing for me to enter. I’m just about to when a muffled scream stops me in my tracks.
“Did you hear that?” I whisper.
Alex’s face darkens. “Yes. It came from the dungeon. Pitbull must be interrogating the native we brought back earlier.”
“In
terrogating?” I say incredulously. “Alex, that doesn’t sound like an interrogation. It sounds like torture!”
Alex pauses before saying, “Pitbull isn’t known for his gentle side.”
“I’m not going to stand here and listen to the tortured screams of a defenseless native,” I say, storming over to the dungeon door.
Alex grabs my arm. “Boom Boom, wait!”
I tear my arm from Alex’s grasp. “What?”
Alex sighs and says, “Let me go first.”
Alex opens the door and cautiously descends down the stairs. I follow him, my hand hovering over my gun. I’ve had plenty of experiences dealing with Pitbull. While we’ve been cordial to one another throughout the evening, there’s still a lot of bad blood between us. I’ve seen what he can do when he’s angry. I won’t hesitate blasting him in his cyborg eyeballs if he so much as attempts to lay a finger on me.
World War Forever (Highway To Armageddon Book 2) Page 25