by Lisa Lace
“Do you know what I think?” Clayton had not returned to his side of the cave. He was on his knees, trying to intimidate Rachel with his height. “I think Wrath is right about you. You’re a spy, just not a spy for Cyborg Sector. You’re watching me for the cyborgs. You’re reporting back to them on everything I say. Hell, for all I know you are a cyborg.”
“That’s ridiculous. I came to New Mexico on the same plane as you. I had never even seen a cyborg until we arrived.” She wanted to move farther away from him, but the wall stopped her.
Clayton wasn’t listening to her. He had already convinced himself that he was right. “It makes sense. You didn’t die in the van accident. What a happy coincidence.”
“Neither did you!” Rachel was starting to get angry. Why was Clayton suddenly making these accusations?
“It’s the only explanation for your actions. I’ve seen the way you look at Wrath, that big behemoth you claim you once knew. Your eyes reveal all of your feelings. I know it, and I’m sure he does too. The only way you’d prefer him over the only other human around would be if you’re working for them. I’ll show you.” Clayton started to nod. His eyes glittered as they swept over her body. “I can make you remember what it means to be human.”
He grabbed Rachel by the shoulders, shoving her painfully to the ground. The motion scraped her back against the rocks behind her. Before she knew it, Clayton was on top of her, his weight pinning her painfully against the rough floor of the cave. “There are plenty of things you and I can do together that a cyborg wouldn’t understand. You think you want him? He’s just a machine. What does he know about pleasing a woman? You don’t want a cold robot, Rachel. You want a warm human.” He pushed her shirt up over her breasts.
Rachel tried to pull it back down, but he grabbed her hands by the wrist and slammed them to the ground. He straddled her and pressed his erect cock against her body. She tried to squirm out from under him, but her struggles were fruitless. The motion only made him press down harder.
“Oh, yeah, baby. Keep on doing that. We’ll have a good time together.” Clayton buried his face in her breasts.
The noise that erupted throughout the cavern sounded like an animal cry. It was a shriek that could have come from a dragon guarding its hoard of gold or a banshee wailing in the Irish countryside. Once it had subsided, Rachel realized that it had come from her mouth. The noise didn’t dissuade Clayton from doing what he wanted, but it summoned Wrath.
He stood in the doorway between the cyborgs and humans, eyes darting from side to side and nostrils flaring. “What are you doing?” His bellowing voice filled the cave as much as Rachel’s scream had.
Before Clayton had a chance to run away, Wrath reached down and grabbed him with one hand. He easily picked up the human and threw him against the opposite wall. The air was knocked out of Clayton’s lungs with an audible grunt as he hit the rock and fell to the floor. He crumpled into a ball and stayed there with his nose leaking blood.
Rachel was grateful that the cyborg had saved her, but she shriveled in fear at the way he looked at her. His hands curled into fists, and his blue eyes blazed in the dim light. She flinched as he reached for her, expecting the same treatment as Clayton. Perhaps this would be the end for her. She wouldn’t survive the impact. Her corpse would rot in an underground dungeon.
Instead of swinging his fists, Wrath pulled Rachel to her feet. Her head reeled as she looked up at Wrath. “The girl stays with me.” Wrath wrapped his hand firmly around her wrist as they left the smaller cave together.
As they emerged into the larger cavern filled with cyborgs, Rachel felt shy as all their eyes turned toward her. Wrath gestured to a corner where she obediently sat down. He lay down in front of her, facing away, and didn’t speak. Rachel did her best to sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
Hours later, the cyborgs and humans were moving together down the tunnel. Wrath found the rhythmic thump of boots on the ground soothing. He had eaten and rested, but his body felt unsatiated. The way the humans had acted, particularly the male, and the way he had behaved in response to it disturbed him deeply. It shouldn’t matter what the humans did to or with each other; that was their business. He was only using them as insurance against Cyborg Sector.
But he couldn’t deny the rage that had overtaken him upon seeing Clayton on top of Rachel. The human had been lucky to survive the incident. In retrospect, Wrath wished he had executed Clayton. It would have been a suitable punishment for the man to perish. Rachel walked directly behind Wrath as they continued their voyage underground. He had not bothered to tie her hands again.
The cyborg could not deny that Rachel triggered strange feelings in him. He had heard Clayton’s accusations and was intrigued to imagine that the female had more than a passing interest in him. Rachel had vehemently denied being an agent, but she had not addressed her interest. The thought distracted him, especially when they were isolated together in the corner of the cavern.
They would be through the tunnels soon. Wrath’s night vision would no longer be necessary when ambient light made its way into the passage. It would be more productive to think about their plans than Rachel. And he had to remember that she had only come here to lure him back to Cyborg Sector, where he would lose all autonomy. The corner of his mouth curled up in a smile as he realized he could take advantage of the situation even though she was a spy.
Fresh air began trickling up the shaft, and Green Squad emerged into the early morning. The sun was starting to make its way over the horizon. It pushed its light up in an orange glow that made the highest parts of the mountains look like they were on fire. A valley of long shadows fell away from the tunnel exit. The cyborgs and their prisoners stood on a rocky ledge. They were in the open and free, for now.
“We need four cyborgs on watch duty,” he ordered. “We’ll stop here for the moment, but if Cyborg Sector catches up, we want to know as soon as possible.” Wrath took a look at their new camping area. Most of the ledge was open to the elements. Only the sloping mountain at the rear provided any cover. A few yards away he spotted a small indentation in the rock. “I’ll be over here. Leave me undisturbed unless there is an emergency.”
Rachel didn’t move as he walked away, thinking that his commands applied to her as well. Wrath didn’t intend to leave her alone. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her alongside. Instead of tagging behind him, there was enough room here for Rachel to walk next to him.
In the grotto, the ground was softer than the tunnel. Sand covered the floor like in the original cave. Once inside, he only needed to scan for a few seconds to ensure no dangerous creatures waited for him.
Rachel looked up at Wrath, hoping he would be willing to open up to her. He was tired of talking but was having problems keeping his desire under control. He glanced at the entrance again to make sure they were isolated from the other cyborgs. When he was confident they were alone, he wrapped his arms around Rachel, feeling the soft curves of her body and kissing her. She didn’t try to move away. Her scent made his cock erect immediately. Her lips felt willing and eager.
“Earlier, you said you knew me,” he whispered as they pulled apart. “Did we do these kinds of things?”
Rachel nodded without saying anything. She couldn’t help staring at his lips. Clayton had been right. They wanted each other.
“Show me.” Wrath kissed her hungrily once again. The reporter’s arms, which had initially remained stiffly at her side, slowly wrapped themselves around his torso as her fingers pushed softly into his flesh.
She complied without a word when Wrath tugged her gently to the ground. There was no struggle as there had been with Clayton. Instead of screaming and trying to get away, she raised her arms to help the cyborg remove her shirt. It was different with Wrath because it was something she desired.
As he moved his hand to unfasten her jeans, Rachel reached up and began working on the clasp of his trousers. A bolt of electricity shot through his body. He pushed her pants do
wn roughly, no longer having enough patience to be gentle. She didn’t mind, voluntarily wriggling out of the clothing. Rachel removed her bra and was naked before him.
He took a moment to enjoy the sight. Wrath had not thought about women or sex in his time with Green Squad. At least, not until Rachel had come along. Now he knew why. Nothing in his imagination could have compared with what he saw before him. Pearly white skin looked soft and smooth on her trim waist and flat stomach. Rachel’s breasts, round, bouncy and tempting, were things of perfection. Wrath let his eyes roam lower to the open slit between her legs. The reporter looked up at him with excitement in her eyes as she bit her lower lip.
The cyborg couldn’t stand it any longer. Wrath ripped off his shirt and stepped out of his pants. He had to have her now. He wanted every inch of his skin to be touching her. Wrath lowered himself on top of Rachel, reveling in the silky feel of her skin. He knew he could have asked her to do anything, and she would have obeyed, but neither one of them wanted to waste their time on foreplay.
Lining himself up above her entrance, he slowly pushed his way inside her. Rachel gasped with pleasure, her stomach tensing for a moment as he penetrated through the tightness of her core. The silky feeling made him want more, and he slowly moved his cock in and out.
Rachel closed her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. He wanted all of her. Simply being inside of her wasn’t enough to satisfy his hunger. He kissed her again, using his tongue to pry open her lips and giving full access to her mouth. The cyborg probed deep inside her as he slowly pumped away, making sure every inch of his cock was inside Rachel.
The girl’s legs lifted and curled around him as she raked her heels against his lower back. Delicate hands clutched at the area below his shoulder blades. Wrath moaned as he sank deeper inside her. He buried his cock to the hilt, and no matter how hard he pushed inside her she never complained. She took him in, again and again, using her legs to ensure their connection.
It didn’t last long enough, but he couldn’t hold back. His cock swelled inside her pussy as she sighed underneath him. Wrath’s hips moved faster, bringing an explosion from his cock. Wrath pumped away, completely filling Rachel with his hot cum.
The cyborg’s body fit perfectly on top of her when they finished. To his surprise, Rachel didn’t shove him away or make a move to get dressed. Instead, she kept her body wrapped around him and slowly ran her hands in long strokes down his back. For a moment, he imagined himself in another place. They were in a room, but it wasn’t in Cyborg Sector. Wrath and Rachel were on a bed and lay together as moonlight streamed in through a curtained window. She looked younger and smoother than she did now. Shadows of furniture in the room stretched around their naked bodies.
The vision was gone as quickly as it had arrived. It left a trace of pain in his head that diminished the pleasure from their activities. The cyborg regretfully hoisted himself off Rachel, no longer content to lie wrapped in her arms. Wrath shook the sand out of his pants and began to get dressed.
He could guess what was coming next. Rachel would start working on him again to try to convince him they had a shared past. She would use sex as a tool and mention that he wouldn’t want to fuck her if he didn’t remember it from before. Was it true? Or was it because she was an attractive woman, and he would have always desired her?
Rachel kept an eye on Wrath as she fetched her clothing and slowly — ever so slowly — put it back on her body. The look of fear and desperation that had been on her face since her arrival had disappeared, replaced with one of fulfillment. It sent a flush of heat through Wrath’s cheeks.
“You can stay here while we get organized,” he said gruffly. The cyborg tried to avoid looking at her. “Your guard will remain. Do not attempt to escape.”
She sat back, knees bent and arms wrapped around herself. Rachel smiled at him. “Okay. I won’t.”
Wrath went back to the other cyborgs, his face strangely flushed.
Chapter Seventeen
Rachel watched Wrath as he strode away from their grotto. She took notice of his muscular thighs and nice round ass. Even through his uniform, she could see every cord of muscle as he walked, and she bit her lip in appreciation. He was still her type.
She knew that she should try to get some sleep. She had only dozed while they were inside the mountain, and her heavy eyelids indicated a day of hiking through the desert would be a struggle. She still didn’t know what Wrath planned to do with her, but she seemed safe for the moment. He had rescued her from the unwelcome advances of Clayton. Hopefully, that meant she was under his protection.
As soon as he had grabbed her body and kissed her, she understood the cyborg was no longer Robert. It was hard for her not to think of him as a past lover. He still had golden hair and the full lips she used to kiss every day after he walked her home.
Underneath the skin, he was a different person. The teenage boy who took her virginity and whom she had secretly hoped to marry someday was gone. Rachel suspected the military had changed him considerably even before the scientists at Cyborg Sector had operated on him. Robert had been hesitant when asking Rachel to make love, but Wrath was ready to fuck. He wanted her and wasn’t going to accept 'no' for an answer.
She smiled to herself as she replayed the memory in her mind. Wrath demanded a certain amount of respect for his authority, and she hadn’t known his dominance would be such a turn-on for her. Rachel had dated quite a bit in college, but most of the guys had been geeky English majors too shy to do anything more than hold open the door. Once she’d landed her first job as a reporter, there were local fans who saw her on television and were willing to buy her dinner, but they had never been particularly attractive.
Despite his brusque manner, Wrath intrigued her. He had fucked her like he knew she would comply. He didn’t ask any questions or leave room for arguments. After all these years, Rachel had forgotten how well-endowed he was. The way he filled her gave her a sense of satisfaction she hadn’t had in a long time. Wrath plowed into her as though his body needed hers. She had eagerly indulged in the weight of his body on top of her, the slick feeling of his tongue inside her mouth, and the hard cock between his legs as he insisted she take every inch of him. Rachel had been happy to yield. At that moment, she would have given anything he asked of her.
Rachel had no illusions about the future of their relationship. If Green Squad ended up living on their own, she would have a rugged lifestyle if she stayed with them. Life with a cyborg would be far from the typical American dream of a house with a white picket fence and two children.
She would be roughing it with a group of dirty, half-crazed cyborgs. How would the rest of Green Squad treat her? Would Weapon be thinking about different ways he could murder her, only waiting for Wrath to turn his back so he could make his move? If something were to happen to Wrath, where would she stand with Green Squad.
Rachel sighed. The sex had been fantastic, but she knew it would be better for her future if she managed to get away from Wrath.
There was a guard posted at the entrance to her tiny inlet in the side of the mountain. Apparently, fucking didn’t automatically earn a cyborg’s trust. On the opposite wall, Rachel could see Wrath and the other cyborgs hovering around the tunnel entrance. The blonde cyborg stood before the others, speaking to them, listening to their replies, and nodding his head as he considered their suggestions.
It was interesting to see how the chain of command worked with Green Squad. Wrath was clearly in charge. He had ordered his men to kill and refrain from killing. They obeyed him without question, yet he valued their opinions and intentionally gathered as much information as possible before he made any final decisions. Wrath was programmed to be a killer, but he had learned to be methodical and analyze problems.
Clayton sat several yards away and was sweltering in the hot sun. He had ropes around his wrists again and looked like he was having problems sitting up. A cyborg watched over him, sweating but not as affected by the desert
conditions as his human captive. Rachel hadn’t been pleased with the consultant’s actions but didn’t want him to die. The man had acted out of desperation, perhaps driven to madness by the situation. Rachel wondered if she could convince Wrath to spare him. Did the cyborgs need a reason to kill Clayton? It would leave no chance for redemption in the eyes of the media, if they cared about that sort of thing.
Rachel suddenly remembered that she was part of the media. Being isolated in the desert with a squad of rogue cyborgs and fighting for her life had taken away all thoughts about her job. The major news corporations were probably getting sky-high ratings by blasting the story of a young reporter captured by cyborgs in New Mexico. She could imagine all the so-called experts on television giving their opinions on Rachel’s ordeals. If she managed to make it out of here alive, she was going to be the biggest story of the year.
She would have to decide how much she was willing to reveal. As a journalist, Rachel had relied on people to spill their secrets and divulge their life stories. It was the life blood of the news. It put money into her bank account. For Rachel, this story wasn’t about someone else held hostage by a stranger or who had a near-death experience during a car crash. The events unfolding around her were personal. She didn’t want her time with Wrath polluted with newsroom speculation and sensationalism. Would she be able to speak publicly about it?
Slumping back against the smooth rock wall, Rachel noticed that the cyborg guarding her was staring at her face. He gazed at her curiously, as though he understood what Rachel and Wrath had done together but couldn’t figure out why. The comfort that came from being with the cyborg leader faded away. The reporter wrapped her arms around her knees and pointedly ignored her guardian, choosing instead to shift her focus to the mountains in the distance.