He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair and whispering, “It’s not Verity’s fault. Meera was a Koo addict. By her own choice. Her death was her own fault.”
Allana let out a breath. “I’m so sorry. That makes it even harder to deal with, I think. A loved one throwing out their life when they have so much reason to save it.”
“She made bad choices, yes.” He pulled back and watched her expression change. In the near darkness he could barely make out the concern on her face, her eyebrows drawn together into a partial scowl. “I guess we’ve both lost family members to the war’s aftermath.”
She nodded. “Guess so. But Verity is going to make things better for us and the other citizens.”
“Yes. They promised they would. We’re fortunate they wanted both of us to help and here we are.”
He closed his eyes and leaned in, his lips brushing Allana’s. She kissed him back, softly, her lips lingering on his and the warmth of hers spread across his. Not a passionate kiss, but one of understanding and care. After a few moments, she pulled back and laid her head on his chest.
“We’d better find a place to camp. It’s so dark. I don’t know what lives out here.” He stroked her wet hair. “And we should try to get dry.”
“I’m looking forward to that. I hate being wet.” She grabbed his hand, interlocking her fingers in his and he walked deeper into the forest.
He held her hand though he knew Verity wouldn’t allow it if they were around to stop it. But while it lasted, what was the harm? It felt good to have a human’s touch, if only for a few moments.
Rich earthen smells of mud and dank wood permeated the air—so different than most of the city, except the main park where the Confessor had tried to create a nature preserve. Maddox couldn’t help but smile. Maybe he’d never return to the city at all. Maybe he’d get to live in real nature, not the city’s sanitized version of it. Maybe he and Allana could remain like this forever, holding hands and walking toward something better. He kicked up a pile of wet leaves. Yes, he could get used to this.
Holding her hand, he felt invincible. He maneuvered around a rotting log and continued down a semi-trail of dirt and fallen leaves.
“Do you think someone lives out here?” she asked.
“I doubt it.” He kept checking around for signs of anyone, but saw nothing but trees and ferns and mushrooms. “It’s beautiful out here.” He checked his screen. They were a distance from the lake but not too far.
“It is. I’m tired. Can we stop now?”
“As soon as we find a spot that will keep us dry. It may be just drizzling now, but it could rain more at any time.”
A rocky slate outcropping with a ledge about ten feet off the ground projected out of the hill in front of them.
“Here?” She pointed. “Looks perfect.”
Underneath the ledge, the soil was only damp, and the ground was mostly flat. Shards of slate lay scattered on the ground, but they were flat cleavings, not pointed weapons.
Shelter, defensible, dry…
A perfect place to camp for the night.
“It does look perfect.” He scanned the area. Yeah, it really was defensible. And seemed really safe, too.
“Do you see any…creatures?” Allana peered under the stone. Her bottom was up in the air and it took all of Maddox’s reserve not to give it a whack. But it wasn’t his job to give her a spanking.
He chuckled. “For an assassin, you sure are a girl.” Maddox shone his screen light under the ledge and panned the area. “I don’t see anything.”
She poked him in the side. “I’m not a fan of creepy crawlies. Besides, you’re the one afraid of rats.”
He winced. “Yeah. Well, that’s different. Rats are big. And they have sharp teeth.”
“No, it isn’t different. Not really. Everyone is afraid of something.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Even the tough guys are afraid of something. But rats are a lot scarier than bugs.”
“Even the tough guys are scared of something. It’s okay, I’ll protect you from rats. Big teeth or small teeth.” She smiled. “Even the little ones. You don’t have to worry.”
“Let’s hope you don’t need to.” He took a deep breath of the clean night air. “Good thing I have a tent. We’ll at least have some shelter from the elements.”
“You do?” She put her hands on her hips. “Sounds like Verity planned for most contingencies.”
“Yes, it appears so. Looks like this is a good spot.”
“I don’t know anything about tents.”
“I do.” He kicked at the dirt and sticks on the ground, clearing a space for the tent. The outcropping might just be tall enough for the tent to fit under.
“I figured.” She climbed under the ledge and sat down. “Feels good to rest a moment.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I couldn’t have gone on much longer. I can’t remember a worse day. Well, maybe the day my family…”
“Probably not the best day to dwell on.” He sat on the damp ground beside her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
“Look forward.”
“Yes. I’ll send a message that we’re safe and will plan to meet up tomorrow. Then we’ll set up the tent and get some sleep.” He poked at his wrist screen. “You better send a message, too. They’re going to want confirmation that you’re okay.”
“I know. I’ll do it now.” She touched her screen, and then sat up. “Do you think we’re really safe here? I mean, those Sentinels might come looking for us. I know you said they didn’t leave city proper, but they were right there shooting at us at the lake. That’s pretty close and I don’t want to wake up to them. They’re scary.”
“They didn’t leave the city. Technically, they were still in the sewers when they were in the pipes, and they didn’t follow us into the lake. So maybe the sewers serve as boundaries.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m not sure I’d wake up even if they did show up, so they’d better not. I’m trusting Verity that they know what they’re talking about.” She yawned. “Let’s get that tent ready.”
“I have a small perimeter alarm I’ll set up farther out. If the Sentinels come close, we’ll have some warning. Not much, but maybe enough to get out of here.”
“Good, that makes me feel a little better. I really need to get this information to safety.”
“Verity thinks of everything.”
“When they want something badly enough.” Allana glanced out into the darkened forest.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He scooted closer. “Why wouldn’t they protect us?”
“Nothing. They are protecting us, aren’t they?” She finger-combed her wet hair. “Feels like they’ve thought of everything, that’s all.”
“Seems like they have.”
“And yet…” She tugged at a wet tangle. “Somehow, I don’t feel completely safe.”
“I think that’s normal, given the day you’ve had.”
“Maybe.” She paused and stared at her screen a moment, her bottom lip between her teeth. She tapped on the screen and the bezel slid away, revealing a tiny disk. “But until this in in the right hands, I won’t feel truly safe.”
“What’s that?”
“The download of the Confessor’s files. I did a data dump from his computer to this microdisk before I left. I’m not sure what all is on here, but I know Verity wants it. Soon.”
“We’ll turn it in tomorrow.”
She nodded. “I hope so.” She clicked the compartment back into place. “The city’s future depends on it.”
“Don’t worry, we’re safe here.”
“Yeah, so you keep telling me. But I’m hungry.”
He smiled. “I wish we could start a fire, but that’s too risky. I do have food though. We can eat after the tent’s up.”
“Then let’s do it.”
Maddox undid the waterproof flap on his pack and then unzipped it. He handed Allana her Lancer and set his on the ground beside him. Somewhere in t
he distance, a creature howled and Maddox paused to listen to the lone wail. A coyote, maybe. He’d never seen one, but had heard of them. Mostly solitary creatures except when protecting their nuclear family or in the occasional sharing of a kill.
He’d not spent a lot of time with Meera, and losing her had drowned him in guilt. What if he’d been able to save her? He used to be a lot like a lone coyote, even when he had family.
Still am.
He pulled out the tent, a compacted brick about six inches by four. He set it on the ground and pulled out a pack of rations and set it beside the tent.
Dinner.
“This is the tent?” Allana picked it up and examined it. “It’s small!”
“Yes, has to be so I can carry it.”
“Impressive.”
“Give it here. And watch out, it pops open quickly.”
Allana handed him the block then backed away. He undid the pouch, careful not to catch any of the material in the thin zipper. He held the bundle at arm’s length in front and pulled the dangling cord. A small two-person tent hissed and popped open then expanded under the ledge, complete with self-inflated floor.
A miracle of Verity’s engineering department.
“Wow. I guess we don’t try to put that back in the pouch tomorrow.” She walked around the tent’s perimeter, checking it out from all sides.
He smiled. “One time use only. Maybe a little wasteful, but on a job like this, it’s a necessity.” He pulled out a blanket and two inflatable pillows from his pack, tucked into small cubes. “Here, open these pillows.” He tossed the pillow packs to her and opened the blanket and shoved it into the tent. “I hope one blanket is enough.”
“Should be.” Allana popped open the pillows, gave them a shake to inflate them, and then stuffed them in the tent door. “I’m almost willing to skip food and just go to sleep. This little hideaway is perfect.”
“No, you need to eat. We’re going to need energy tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I know. But bed sounds pretty good right now.” She sat beside him. “What have you got for us to eat?”
“Meal replacement bars and water.” He smirked. “Not much of a spread but it will have to do.”
Allana laughed. “I’ve seen enough water to last me a lifetime.”
4
Darkness shadowed every crevice and tree branch with a heaviness only sunshine could lift. From under the ledge, Maddox gazed into the forest. He’d placed a couple of biolumen sticks around the campsite, settling in a faint glow around the tent, but otherwise the whole area was dark. He rubbed his eyes. Why had he told Allana about Meera? He’d never told anyone about his sister’s death and now he’d told a stranger.
He sighed and scratched his cheek. With the perimeter alarm in place, he felt a little more secure, though if the alarm sensed Sentinels, he and Allana wouldn’t have a lot of time to react. While he was activating the device’s sensors, a whole herd of deer was grazing in the underbrush. Thank goodness the sensors could tell the difference between human and animal, otherwise, it’d likely be a long night of false alarms and jaunts through a dark forest due to herds of deer.
He’d told her about Meera because he felt a connection, but now he was going to lose Allana, that was just the way things worked. In Verity, everyone had a job, you did it then you went back to your old job unless they needed you again. He’d be unlikely to even get a chance to even say good bye tomorrow. Wasn’t an efficient thing to do but worked pretty well.
And tomorrow, Allana would go back to the faction and be proclaimed a hero. Verity would take her in and he’d never see her again. Once they had a hero, they tended to keep them and put them on show as needed.
Dammit.
The rain filtered through the trees and the wind scattered the drops on the forest floor. Occasionally, something scurried through the brush, or an animal called out, but mostly the evening was quiet. If there hadn’t been a murder earlier, the night would’ve been the most peaceful one he’d ever experienced.
He sipped the last of his water ration then set the bottle aside. It’d decompose by next week, along with the tent and other refuse they left behind. He had a water purifier bottle with him and he’d have to use it if he wanted more to drink.
“Maddox?” Allana called from inside the tent. “Are you coming? We need to get some sleep.”
“Just a minute, I’ve got to shut down out here. Get these lights out.” He pulled off his boots and then socks and pushed them against the wall under the ledge. Maybe they’d dry out overnight, at least some. Few things were worse than hiking in heavy, wet gear, though he was used to it. At least the boots were made to keep the wetness away from his skin, something that had saved his feet from serious issues in the past. Verity thought of everything. From the moment he’d signed up with them, they’d provided everything. He’d chosen the right side, for sure. Still, he felt weird.
He gathered the light sticks near him, turning them off and putting them in his pack. He put his Lancer back in the pack too. Allana’s was in the tent, in case they needed a weapon, though he’d have plenty of time to get his if the Sentinels showed up.
He zipped his pack and set it outside the tent’s doorway flap. When he moved to the other side of the tent to collect the remaining sticks, he froze.
Allana’s skinsuit draped over the side of the tent like a deflated balloon. That meant… He swallowed hard. He grabbed the remaining sticks and clicked them off, save one, and stuffed them into his pack. What was he supposed to do now, if she was naked?
He bent to enter the tent and she peered back at him, the biolumen light in the tent casting her face in an otherworldly glow. There was no mistaking the humor in her look. She was laughing. “Aren’t you going to take off your clothes and hang them to dry?” she asked. “You’re not coming to bed wet, are you?”
“I…guess I need to hang them. Just a minute.” He backed out of the tent. Hell. He hadn’t been naked around a woman in longer than he cared to remember. And never around one quite so feminine as Allana. Especially a female who was in his charge. This was work, not play, no matter what his body said.
Hell, I already crossed that line a couple times today.
He dragged his damp shirt over his head and draped it over his pack, straightening the wrinkles. The cool night air touched his wet skin and sent chills rippling across his torso, hardening his nipples. He rubbed his arms and shook his head at what the night air would do to other parts of his anatomy. And first impressions are so important. He jumped up and down a few times to try and get warm.
Since when did he care about making an impression?
With his back to the tent, he unbuckled his belt and undid his pants, still wet from the rain, then slipped them down at once with his damp underwear. He heard an intake of breath and turned in time to see the tent flap move into a closed position. Allana had been watching him undress.
His face heated.
Fumbling to get out of his pants, he cursed under his breath. He’d escape into the tent under the covers where he’d face other problems. He shook his head at the thought. At least he wouldn’t be standing naked in front of her. His leg caught in his pants and he stumbled, barely catching himself from falling onto his face.
She giggled.
Great. An audience.
He tugged his pants off, quickly spread them over his pack to dry, and then bent to grab the last working biolumen light. He dove into the tent, landing on the blanket on the floor, his teeth chattering. The air in the small confines of the tent felt better than outside in the damp air, but still held a chill. He took a long slow breath and blew out a cloud.
“It’s warmer underneath.” Allana held the blanket up and he caught a glimpse of her nakedness. He looked away, his face burning.
Could it be any more difficult?
Yes, it could. His dick hardened and bobbed. Shit.
“Maybe I should sleep on top of the blanket.” He covered himself with his hands, aware he was only
calling attention to his state.
Allana smiled. “Seriously?” She held the blanket up again. “Don’t you know the best way to stay warm is skin to skin contact? Come on, get under here with me. Don’t be shy.”
She’s enjoying this. Or she’s enjoying picking on me.
“Okay. But you stay over there. There’s plenty of room.” He had to keep his head clear for the mission. He had no business kissing Allana, much less climbing into bed naked with her. Verity would be pretty upset about that.
And why would he even fucking tell them?
He stuck the light to the tent ceiling then scrambled under the cover. Regardless of what he was thinking, his body was betraying him in a bad way.
A very bad way.
“Oh, come on. Where’s the fun in being so far away?” She scooted close and he thought he might faint. Dizziness overtook him as her warmth met his cold body. Her leg moved over his, and he reached for her. When her smooth hip bumped his and her soft breasts pressed against his arm, he gave in. After all, he was only human and his attraction to her was genuine. What was the harm if she wanted it too? Verity didn’t have to know. No one did.
And he wanted her.
She put her arms around his neck and kissed him, and he kissed her back, seeking out her tongue, her teeth, her secrets. Suddenly, everything they’d been through fell away like rainwater over a spillway and all that remained was his need to possess her.
Now.
He pushed her hair back and kissed her jaw, as she lifted her chin to give him access to her neck. He nipped and she jerked and moaned, pressing her sex against his leg again and again until his thigh was slick and wet. She moved her hands over his chest and arms, rubbing, feeling, massaging.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” He searched for any sign that he was taking advantage. Verity wouldn’t respond well if he did. Hell, Verity wasn’t going to like this at all.
She nodded. “Since I met you.”
“I don’t believe that.” He held her at arms’ length and studied her half-lidded expression and pouty mouth. Goddamn it, he didn’t care anymore if she was telling the truth or if he was risking Verity’s wrath. He wanted her and she wanted him. If it ended badly, well, he went into things with his eyes open and his body willing.
Wicked Legends: A Dystopian Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Collection Page 48