by Bianca D'Arc
“You’re welcome,” he said belatedly. They’d left Shaugness at the last stopping point where he’d made a small camp. Hanlon would fly back to meet him. They would rest a day or two, then begin the arduous journey back.
He left her without further ado, and Gina got down to the business at hand. She had a trek through the wilderness ahead of her and more than likely a confrontation of epic proportions when she reached her destination. She checked the compass on her wrist chronometer and oriented herself with the landscape. It looked very different from the ground, but she knew where she was.
She set out hiking and hoped she’d reach her destination within a few hours.
It was actually only three hours later when Gina recognized the first of the monitors that had been set around the perimeter of the old base. Her target was the old NORAD installation in the mountains of what had once been Colorado. The Patriarch and the seers believed there was a group of humans holed up inside the high security facility and it was her job to make contact.
The human inhabitants weren’t going to make her job easy.
She’d managed to go minutes at a time without thinking about her encounter with Grady Prime, which was an improvement. The silent forest weighed on her. She loved the outdoors, but the solitude sometimes led to too much introspection. This was one of those times when she wasn’t comfortable being left alone with only her thoughts for company. Grady Prime’s kisses were still fresh in her mind.
The very idea that an Alvian could possess emotions was foreign to her. Foreign and intriguing, God help her. Grady Prime was attractive in every way. She knew he was of the highest rank in one of the top soldier lines, but she’d never seen him fight. Gina surmised that he would be a gifted opponent in the sparring ring from the way he moved and used his body. She’d been around martial artists her entire life and found it a good way to judge men. The way they acted and reacted in the dojo often reflected the way they lived their lives.
She would never get a chance to learn that about him, and regretted it. The timing was all off. Neither of them was free to pursue the magic between them. And, oh, what magic it had been. For a little while, Grady Prime had made her forget everything. That he was Alvian didn’t matter. The world around them had ceased to exist and only the two of them mattered.
His lips on hers, his warm body pressing against hers, his passion, his emotion. It was all she needed and all she wanted.
There was more to her life now than that. More obligations. More duties. She couldn’t afford the distraction—and he was one hell of a distraction—of this complicated thing called a relationship.
They both had secrets to keep and people watching them. Gina couldn’t come out into the open in Alvian society. Not while the rest of the Zxerah remained hidden. For one thing, she was human and therefore perceived as inferior—fit only for imprisonment and study. She would never be accepted into the Alvian-dominated world, even for Grady Prime’s sake. He couldn’t keep a pet human. It just wasn’t done.
For another, Grady Prime’s life was monitored on a much closer level than other Alvians. He’d volunteered for a genetic study and that meant his life was no longer his own. He was at the beck and call of the High Council and the scientific community. He would never be permitted to be with her.
Resolved, Gina strode through the forest, aware of the tripwires and other devices monitoring her progress toward the hidden cave.
Gina made it to the entrance to the old tunnel system that led to the underground facility. It was dark—inside and out. Night had fallen and there was only a sliver of moon. Its illumination didn’t reach inside the old tunnel complex. Gina walked into the darkness, sensing the others there…waiting. Clearly this was an ambush, but there was no other way. She controlled her breathing, ready for anything.
A fist came at her, out of the dark.
Gina ducked and spun, coming up fighting as her opponent engaged. She was fighting blind. She’d trained to do this many times in her youth, and many more since then in her time with the Zxerah. Her psychic gifts also allowed her to sense displacement in the air. That skill usually helped her stay well ahead of the blows headed her way. Her opponent either had to be as telekinetically gifted as she or else he was using night vision goggles or something similar. There was no hesitation in his strikes or his blocks. He was one hell of a fighter, whoever he was.
Gina marveled at his skill even as she spun into a flying roundhouse kick aimed at his head.
“Hold!”
It was the single command given in the proper tone of voice that would stop Gina dead in her tracks, as she’d been trained since childhood to do in her father’s dojo. She landed and stood ready, waiting, prepared for anything that might come at her out of the darkness.
“Lord help me, but I’d know that flying roundhouse anywhere.” The man’s voice stirred a distant memory. “Is there a Hanson under that ninja suit?”
“Show yourself.” Gina whispered, careful to keep her voice husky and low.
A flame flared in the darkness and a torch was thrown down in front of her. Gina wasn’t fool enough to follow the torch’s progress. Instead, she protected her night vision as best she could, seeking the shadowy man who stood some distance in front of her in the darkness.
The man strode forward into the small pool of light created by the torch. His face was only a little older than she remembered, his eyes even harder than they’d been when he’d trained with her father. She knew this man. He’d been one of the elite the government had sent to study with her father¾one of the few men who had caught her eye when she was just a teenager, striving to compete for Olympic gold.
He’d been a defender of the innocent in those days. Some kind of top secret operative she hadn’t been supposed to meet, but had run across from time to time as he came and went from her father’s studio. On one memorable occasion, she’d been part of an advanced class he’d participated in. He was a good fighter. Honorable and fair. It was good to see his skills hadn’t diminished over the years.
But was he the same man of honor her father had trained? Many years had passed. He looked roughly the same, thanks to the aliens changing their DNA to slow everyone’s aging. She needed to know what kind of man he was on the inside.
There was really only one way to find out.
Gina took off her mask and held his eyes as she bowed. The shock written plain on his face was almost comical. The joy that followed made her feel warm inside.
“My God, little Gina Hanson. I thought you must be long dead.”
“A touch of foresight saved my life.”
“And the rest of your family?”
“I don’t know.” She dropped her hands to her sides. “I was traveling when the bombardment started. I never made it home, and I don’t know what happened to them.”
“Then how—” He cut himself off, remembering their circumstances. This girl had always had a way of ruining his concentration, though when he’d known her, she’d been only a charming teenager, well protected by her family and totally off limits. “Forgive me.” He stepped back and gave the signal to his men.
Lights flared and the chamber came to life. He watched Gina blink in the sudden light and take in her surroundings. She was just as petite as he remembered, though there was no doubt she was fully grown. She had the curvaceous figure of a woman and the sleek muscles of a fighter under her close-fitting black garb. The fabric was of alien origin he saw immediately. He had to tread lightly. For all he knew, she was an Alvian spy. He had more than just his own life to think about.
“I’d love to reminisce about old times, but that will have to wait.” He hated the wary look that entered her lovely dark eyes, but he had to think of his people before his own desires. “How did you find the tunnels and why are you here?”
“I got the schematics of this place from one of its smaller partner sites. There’s an old NORAD installation in California. I’ve lived there for the past few years, under the protection of a
secret sect of Alvians called the Zxerah. They’re sort of like old world ninjas. They answer only to the Alvian High Council and sometimes not even them. The Patriarch of the Zxerah has known about this network of installations for a long time.”
“Then why haven’t they come for us before? And why send you? Are you the scout for a larger invasion force?”
“The Zxerah have no interest in capturing humans. They took me in, and I’ve lived and trained with them as a member of their clan since just after the cataclysm. They have quite a number of human adoptees in the clan. One of them is a gifted visionary, and she works directly for the Patriarch. She foresaw it was the right time to act, to put all the enclaves of humans in touch with one another. I’m the one she said had to be sent. And now I understand why…it’s because of you, Jim. We knew each other in the old world.”
“I knew your father and your oldest brother. You were just a shadow in the dojo—a pretty face that looked good wearing a gold medal at the Olympics. I didn’t really know you.” Her face crumpled at his harsh words, but he had to take her measure. “I’m willing to listen, Gina.”
“That’s all we ask.”
“We?”
“You have allies you can’t even imagine, Jim. The resistance is building and every day more Alvians see the light. They’ve begun experimenting on themselves—returning emotion to selected volunteers among their population. Do you ever wonder why the only humans who survived had some kind of extra-sensory ability?”
Her change of subject caught him unawares. “Of course I’ve wondered. Do you know the answer?”
Gina stepped closer to him, putting herself into his personal sphere. “We all have some of their DNA. The Alvians sent an expeditionary group here centuries before the rest of them arrived. Those early explorers never made it back to Alvia. Instead, they settled here and mingled with the locals. We’re the result. Didn’t you ever wonder why the Alvians shared so much in common with our mythology about elves? As near as I can guess, the explorers mostly settled in Northern Europe and the DNA spread to every corner of the globe from there.”
“No shit?” That certainly would explain a lot.
“Apparently when Alvian and human DNA mix, the result is something altogether new to both races. Telepathy, foresight, telekinesis, healing, you name it, we’ve got it. They’ve been running experiments. One of their top female researchers even had a child by a human. He’s more powerful than any of us psychically. From all accounts, the kid’s like the second coming of Merlin or something.”
“He’s half alien. Where do his loyalties lie?”
“He has full human emotions and was raised by his human family. Where do you think?”
Jim liked the way Gina challenged him. Holy shit. Little Gina Hanson had survived. Not only was she alive and kicking with Olympic Gold Medal accuracy, she was all grown up and a knockout in more ways than one. He had a hard time concentrating on what she was saying, distracted by her ultra-feminine form under that space-age black suit that hugged every hot curve.
“It’s almost dinner time. Let’s discuss this over a meal. What do you say?”
“I wouldn’t turn down food. Thanks for the invitation.” Gina smiled and it nearly took his breath away. He had to concentrate on business. Gina Hanson was just a kid. Or…she had been a kid when he’d known her all those years ago. With the way the Alvians had monkeyed with everyone’s DNA, nobody aged anymore—or at least not much.
The gap between them didn’t seem so vast anymore. After all, it was the mileage sometimes, not the years, and every human survivor had been through hell and back in the years since the cataclysm.
He made a few discrete hand signals to his top lieutenants and ushered Gina into the first ring. He wouldn’t let her any deeper into the complex until he was sure of her, but this would do for now. There was a room they’d turned into a conference room that could be used, and a secure bunk where he could house her for the night, if necessary. And he thought it would be necessary. No way was he letting Gina Hanson out of here now. She was a puzzle he wanted to solve¾with her Alvian clothing and claims of friendship with some secret ninja sect. Either she was completely batty or she was the messenger his friend Tory had claimed would come.
Nobody put much store in Tory’s visions. The poor woman had been driven insane when her baby had died, but she was still the strongest foreseer in his group. He heard her words, though he took them with a grain of salt. Half the time she rambled. The other half…well, he’d learned a thing or two from those rare moments of clarity.
There weren’t many women in his group, but he demanded they be treated with respect. Even crazy Tory. They fed her, gave her a place to stay and work to occupy her hands. Her mind was another thing entirely. Jim had heard there were mind healers, but he’d never met one. If he ever came across one though, he’d do anything to get some help for Tory. Nobody deserved torture like she went through on a daily basis, constantly reliving the death of her beloved baby.
Luckily Tory wasn’t among the group that brought food from below for the impromptu feast. Jim signaled his command group to stay. They all should hear what Gina had to say so they could discuss it later. Plus, each of his men had different talents. Pierre, for instance, was gifted at telling lies from truth, while Max had a touch of empathy that often came in handy.
Gina seemed comfortable among his men, though most women nowadays had reason to fear any group of strange males. Women were scarce and though he hated to admit it, a lot of men had turned into animals.
He knew Gina could defend herself. Maybe not against a crowd, but certainly against a few rogues. For that reason, perhaps, she didn’t walk with the fear Jim saw all too often in women these days.
She dropped her small pack on the table and pushed it toward him as she sat.
“Feel free to look through it. I’ve got some rations, water, a map and spare socks in there.”
Jim motioned to one of his men who flicked the satchel open with his mind. If it was booby-trapped nobody needed to lose a finger or hand. The bag floated into the air and was upended over the table. Out dropped the items she’d claimed would be there. Nothing more was revealed when Larry showed off his fine-tuned telekinetic skill, turning the bag inside out with his mind. He dropped it on Jim’s signal and Gina picked it up, using a pull of her own telekinesis to draw the bag and objects to her side of the table. Apparently she didn’t have—or didn’t want to expose—the same deftness Larry had shown.
“That was pretty cool,” she said, nodding at Larry. Gina turned the bag right side out the old-fashioned way and stuffed her possessions back with her hands.
Larry smiled at her, tipping the brim of his hat as Jim watched uncomfortably. The bastard was flirting with her and it irked the hell out of him.
“Back to business.” Jim shot a glare at Larry.
“Aren’t you going to search me?” The comically innocent blink of her big brown eyes set Jim’s teeth on edge. He had to hand it to her—she hadn’t lost that infamous mischievous Hanson sense of humor.
“I’d volunteer for that dangerous duty, sir,” Larry said immediately as Pierre and Max cursed him jokingly.
“Thanks.” Jim shook his head, not amused. “That won’t be necessary at the moment. Gina,” he warned her, “behave.”
She bristled, but the smile lingered. Still, she’d effectively broken the ice. The plates were passed around and food deposited in the center of the table as others brought it to the conference room’s door. They peered in, trying to get a look at the newcomer. This meeting was for command staff only and nobody else was invited to stay. They’d hear about it soon enough, once he’d had a chance to question Gina.
A commotion at the door drew all their attention and Jim cursed under his breath to see Tory there, her hair a mess, her eyes hollow. She was in one of her crazy moods. He hated seeing her this way. He tried to intercept her but Tory only had eyes for Gina.
“I saw you,” she accused in a broke
n whisper.
Gina stood, moving closer to the distraught woman. Her gentle words surprised them all. “I saw you too. Come here, Victoria.”
Gina held out her arms and the other woman rushed into them. Gina shushed her as she would a child when Tory’s body trembled and her arms wrapped around Gina, clinging for comfort. Gina put her hands over Tory’s head and murmured soothing sounds. Even Jim could feel there was something more going on. Tory quieted quicker than she ever did when she was in one of these wild moods, and Jim could reach no other conclusion than it was another of Gina’s talents at work.
“You’re a mind healer too?” He heard the note of awe in his own voice. Mind healers were rare. He’d never met one.
Gina met his eyes over Tory’s trembling head. “Only a touch. I’m a jack-of-all-trades psychically. Master of none. But I can help calm her until we can get her to someone who really can help. My brother Bryan was the truly gifted one in the family.” She kept her tone gentle and calm, stroking Tory’s wild hair into some semblance of order until the woman quieted.
When Tory pulled back, she was more lucid than Jim had ever seen her.
“I saw you in a vision. You’re going to bring the angel to us.”
And there she went, Jim thought with a grimace. Talking about angels again. A quick look at Gina’s face didn’t show the disdain he figured she’d feel at such a wild claim. Instead, she smiled kindly.
“I will, Victoria. If your leader here is willing to listen.” She cocked her head at him, sending a smile that warmed him straight down to his toes. Tory, too, was looking at him, a graceful blush staining her cheeks. She would be a pretty woman, he suddenly realized, if she could ever get over the horrors of her past.
“You need to listen to her,” Tory said as she let go of Gina and walked toward the door—toward Jim. Her eyes were earnest and thankfully sane. “She’s going to bring great changes to us all. They’ll be good changes—or at least—the chance for good. We’ll need to take a stand soon. She’ll help.” Tory looked back and smiled at Gina once more. “And the angels.”