Dark Horizons
Page 6
"Hey, hey, Taylor!" Andrew ran forward and pried the two of them apart.
Bower gasped and coughed as the air rushed back into his lungs. Taylor stepped away, still glaring down at him. He was doubled over and wheezing, but that didn’t stop him from glaring angrily up at her. "You fucking bitch," he growled, his voice hoarse.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t hear a ‘ma’am’ attached to that," Taylor said. She was done with him, and he would be reported for insubordination. She turned to Maia. "Are you all right?"
Maia seemed to snap out of a daze and answered, "I think so." Taylor led her away before Bower could recover, slipping inside the first available building and hurrying for the elevator. She wanted to get away from other people.
Once they were safely inside, Taylor felt like she could breathe again. She stared at the elevator doors as the two of them waited through the slow ride to the bottom.
Maia broke the silence first. "Thank you."
Taylor glanced at her. "I was just doing my job." When the ikthian’s expression fell, she tried a different approach. "Look, if you’re going to escape and kill anyone while you’re here, make sure you poison him first. He deserves it."
Maia’s eyes widened at the comment, and Taylor wondered if the ikthian understood that she was joking. Probably not. "I…I have no intention of hurting anyone."
Taylor snorted. "Well, that’s a first coming from an ikthian. But I guess I believe you. Anyway, you don’t need to thank me. He obviously had it coming."
"This isn’t the first time you have come to my rescue," Maia said. "Back on Amaren, when you intersected those seekers…you saved me."
Something about the way Maia looked at her left Taylor speechless. There was admiration in her voice, but her blue eyes held something like hope. Either way, Taylor knew it was unwarranted. "I don’t think I saved you from anything," she said truthfully.
The elevator opened, and they stepped into the hall. Maia sighed. "Perhaps you will understand one day."
They spent the rest of their walk through the building in silence until Taylor led them out into the warm sunlight again. "Shortcut," she offered in explanation, giving Maia a hesitant smile. "And there aren't as many soldiers inside this time of day."
Taylor did not expect anyone else to give them trouble, but Bower’s behavior still bothered her. In her mind, Maia did not warrant that kind of attention. But she was an ikthian. Bower’s reaction would seem perfectly justified to many of the other soldiers on base. Suddenly, Taylor realized that she had been thinking of her prisoner as if she were human. It was a frightening thought, especially since she had seen ikthians massacre her squad just a few days before. Still...Taylor looked at Maia. The ikthian was hovering close to her arm, almost near enough to share body heat. Even though Maia was an alien, Taylor was disgusted by Bower’s treatment of her. She had not deserved it.
Chapter Ten
They arrived at building D-05 after a few minutes, and Maia noticed several guards in black armor waiting at the door to escort them the rest of the way. Taylor kept one hand around her elbow, guiding her firmly, but her grip was loose enough to allow her some comfort. She glanced nervously at the other humans that had fallen into step beside them before returning her gaze to Taylor, hoping for some kind of reassurance. Taylor squeezed her arm, and Maia let the tight, tense line of her shoulders relax slightly.
It was not long before they reached the second floor. Maia allowed Taylor to lead her through a nondescript door. The human's hand remained at her elbow as they stepped into the room. Three men in uniform were waiting for them. Maia recognized them, although she was not sure of their names. The muscular, dark-haired human on the right had been there to meet them at the landing pad. The silver-haired human in the middle was a high-ranking official of some sort, judging from the medals on his chest, and she remembered the pale, balding man on the left as well. Both had been present when they had assigned Taylor to be her guard.
"Lieutenant, just on time. We're about to open negotiations with the ikthians," the dark-haired man on the right said. He smiled at Taylor, and Maia noticed that she smiled back. Obviously, they were friendly. “Chairman Bouchard is particularly eager to get the ball rolling.”
"Of course, Commander Roberts." The balding man–Bouchard–cleared his throat. "I see the prisoner is in...presentable condition, Lieutenant Morgan."
"Yes, Chairman," Taylor said. She turned to the silver-haired man. "She's been fed and introduced to her new quarters, General Hunt, Sir. So far, she hasn't acted aggressively or attempted to escape."
General Hunt nodded. "A wise move. If her mother and her people come through for her, she won't have to. I just hope we can stop at least some of this bloodshed."
Maia listened intently. She had not spoken to her mother in some time before her capture. Irana did have some affection for her, although she did not entirely approve of Maia's career choice, or her current status with the Dominion. The thought of going back into such a dangerous situation made Maia's stomach clench. She hoped that the negotiations would fall through. Anything the humans did to her was bound to be less gruesome than the Dominion's punishments for traitors.
"We all want that, Sir," Taylor said. "Just tell me what I need to do, and I'll take care of it."
"For now, take the prisoner inside," Hunt ordered. "We're going to record proof of her capture and send it to the ikthians."
Maia allowed Taylor to lead her further into the room, and she began to take in her surroundings. Like the first interrogation chamber, this one was poorly lit with blank concrete walls. A battered chair sat in the center of the room, and a vid recorder floated nearby. Taylor led her over to the chair, and she sat down without instruction.
"Taylor, over here," said Roberts.
Taylor returned to the commander’s side as they prepared the vid equipment, and Bouchard moved to stand beside Maia. "Someone fix this damnable mic," he said. One member of the camera crew took a step forward, and Maia noticed the nervous glance he shot in her direction. "We haven’t got all day," Bouchard snapped, the wrinkles in his forehead becoming even more prominent.
"Yes, Sir." Cautiously, the man stepped forward and fixed the small microphone attached to Bouchard’s suit. His hands trembled, and he deliberately looked away from Maia's chair. With some surprise, she realized that the human was absolutely terrified of her. She wondered what he had been told about the ikthians to make him so hesitant. The horrible man outside had given her some clue with his derogatory comments, but she was still surprised that her mere presence could instill so much fear. Maia resolved to ask Taylor what exactly a human might think a chained ikthian capable of doing.
"Stop behaving like a child," Bouchard said as the man tried and failed to correct the mic. "She cannot release toxins as long as she is wearing the collar. It will shock her if she tries."
The technician swallowed nervously, but pushed on with his task. Finally, he finished and scurried away to rejoin the camera crew, leaving Maia alone next to Bouchard.
"Lieutenant Morgan," General Hunt said. He gestured to the empty space opposite Bouchard. "Please join the Chairman behind the prisoner."
Maia's gaze met Taylor's as she left the rest of the group and walked around the chair. She resisted the temptation to turn and watch Taylor's movements as the human stepped into place behind her. A warm hand rested on her shoulder, and Maia tensed for a second before she realized it was Taylor. For some reason, that realization comforted her.
"All right," Bouchard said. "Get ready to record. We'll edit later."
"Recording," the man behind the floating camera said.
"I am Chairman Bouchard of the Human Council for Defense." Maia had no idea what to do with her facial expression. She knew she should stare directly into the camera, but she was hyperaware of Taylor's presence behind her. She also did not want to think about who would view this footage back on Korithia. "We have captured Maia Kalanis, the daughter of Irana Kalanis. So far, she has not bee
n harmed." Maia's shoulders tensed, and she felt Taylor squeeze slightly, as if to comfort her. "She will remain unharmed if you agree to open negotiations with us, and cease attacks on all human and naledai forces while the negotiations are in progress." For some reason, Bouchard's voice set Maia on edge. She would have to ask Taylor about him later.
Before he could continue, General Hunt held up his hand, motioning for the camera to stop recording. "That's really all we need. We stated our demands, and we proved that the prisoner is in our custody."
Maia breathed a sigh of relief as Commander Roberts nodded his approval. "Short and sweet. Now, we just have to wait for their answer." He looked past Maia and addressed Taylor directly. "Good work, Lieutenant. You can take the prisoner back now. We’ll contact you if we need anything else."
The walk back to her prison was slower than the journey to the interrogation had been, Maia observed as Taylor led her from the interrogation room. Unfortunately, more humans were out and about this time. Maia's skin crawled as she felt countless pairs of eyes watching her. It was even worse than before. She hated being stared at, and she instinctively pulled closer to Taylor. Although her captor was a human, she was also Maia's only protector. What if Taylor had not been sympathetic to her when Sergeant Bower had attacked? The outcome might have been very different.
When Taylor had first captured her, Maia assumed she had traded one hell for another, though the humans seemed content to wait and see how useful she could be before throwing her away. The time she had spent with Taylor had convinced her that remaining with the humans would be safer than returning to Dominion, but the hate in Bower’s eyes was more than enough to remind her that she was still among enemies.
Another thought occurred to her, rising unbidden in her mind. What if someone less sympathetic had found her in the canyon? Any other human would have shot her without a second thought, but Taylor had hesitated. Without her, Maia knew she would not have left Amaren alive. Perhaps that was why she found Taylor so intriguing, even beyond her usual scientific curiosity. The human had saved her, even though she had no reason.
Chapter Eleven
Maia felt a wave of relief as soon as the door to the captain's quarters closed behind them. Even though it was technically her prison, she felt safer inside the barracks than out among the soldiers.
"Here, give me your wrists," Taylor said once they were alone. Maia offered them, staring down at Taylor's hands as she undid the cuffs. The human’s hands were less elegant than she had expected, calloused and scarred in a few places with uneven white marks. A question rose in her mind before she could stifle it. How would those hands feel on her skin?
"Are you okay?" Taylor asked, and Maia forced herself to look up into the human’s face. She was a little surprised that Taylor seemed able to read her emotions. Based on her experience with the humans on base so far, most of them thought that ikthians were little more than animals. Even a few of Taylor’s comments had been hurtful.
"I am all right," Maia murmured dismissively. She did not like the involuntary reaction her body had to Taylor’s presence. The more time she spent around Taylor, the more confused she felt. She should have been worrying about being a prisoner of war, about the Dominion's attempts to find and kill her, but instead, she found herself wondering what Taylor thought of her. It was disconcerting to say the least.
Apparently taking Maia at her word, Taylor shrugged and headed for the washroom, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Not sure what else to do, Maia sat on the couch, trying to process the uncomfortable realization that Taylor's departure had lowered her mood, even though she had only gone into the next room.
She’s your only company. Of course you have grown attached. The lone thought flickered through her mind, though Maia knew she was just trying to rationalize away the emotion. That was something her colleagues had always criticized her for. There had to be a rationalization for everything.
"And why shouldn’t there be?" she had always replied. "This galaxy has yet to prove that things simply ‘happen’. There is always an order to be distilled from the chaos." The basis of Maia’s research had been on this slightly paranoid belief, and in the end, she had been right. Even now in Taylor's company, she could only find more evidence mounting to support her argument. It did not take a geneticist to observe the similarities between their species, but it had taken Maia’s research to prove it meant something.
However, her interest in Taylor extended beyond scientific curiosity. The way her blood rushed every time the human touched her was a clear indication. Maia wondered for a moment if this was her own doing. Perhaps if she had taken the time to gain more romantic and sexual experience instead of burying herself in her work, she would have been able to handle this situation better.
Ikthians did not have sex with aliens often, despite what the rumors claimed. Some of the protectorate nations were more accepting of the practice than others, but it was considered foolish to pursue romantic endeavors with other species. Her people liked to state that they were the achievement of evolved life. The theory dissolved quickly if ikthians started mating and raising families with other species, even if they were of equal intelligence and capability. The humans were quickly proving themselves to Maia. Taylor, at least, was perfectly capable of the same wide range of emotions that her species felt, and showed a level of intelligence equal to most ikthians. She also had a certain surety and bluntness to her that Maia found somewhat annoying, and, she had to admit, attractive in an irritating sort of way.
The sound of the door opening gave Maia a few moments of warning before Taylor's return, but it was not enough time to try and will away the blush staining her cheeks. It did not help that Taylor had decided to emerge wearing less clothes than she had left with. Her uniform was gone, stripped away to reveal a plain white compression shirt and a loose pair of undergarments that cut off at mid-thigh. There was a strip of olive skin between them, positioned at exactly the right height to highlight Taylor's navel and the line that bisected her abdominal muscles.
"I’m going to work on some things," Taylor said, walking right past Maia. She watched the human move, aware of how the water droplets rolled over the curve of her muscular arms. Taylor slumped into a desk chair and pulled herself up to the wooden tabletop. Maia was surprised to find that she enjoyed watching Taylor's hands activate the graphic interface. For some reason, the deft movements of her fingers were a point of interest. She shook her head and stood up, deciding to follow Taylor’s example and head for the shower. Her skin was feeling dry anyway.
"I will be in the washroom," she said. Taylor barely nodded as she kept working. As far as guarding her went, the human was fairly lax in her duties, but she had probably assessed Maia to be low risk. Maia had already considered searching for a weapon in the apartment, but aside from Taylor’s gun, which she always kept close, there was nothing for her to use. The apartment had been combed over quite thoroughly before she had arrived.
Maia stepped into the steam-filled room and breathed deeply, the moisture immediately soothing the aches in her body. Earth was far too dry for her liking, she had decided, but this room provided some relief when she needed it. She shut the door and stripped down, turning on the flow of water before stepping into the shower. At least humans had these devices, but more than anything, she wanted a proper body of water to go swimming in. She knew Earth had oceans, rivers, and lakes, but she doubted the humans would let her near one just because she felt a little homesick. For now, the water cascading over her body was more than enough to sate her. She did not require water in excess to survive, but it made her daily life more tolerable.
Maia ran her hands over her parched skin, enjoying the steam as it caressed her arms and legs. She found herself remembering the way Taylor’s hands had looked. The sure, steady movements. The small scars. The large palms. She reached up to touch her own shoulder, remembering the way Taylor had gripped it with a reserved sort of strength while the camera recorded them.
She debated with herself for a little while, letting her fingertips rest just below her navel. Why was she suddenly thrumming with energy? Why was her skin so exquisitely sensitive? They were not new feelings. Despite her inexperience, Maia was somewhat familiar with physical desire and how her body worked. But why was this happening now? She was a prisoner, and although she had escaped from the seekers and the Dominion, her life was still in danger.
Perhaps, Maia thought, she was mistaken. The hand that had hesitated on her lower abdomen began moving again, sliding downwards, cupping between her legs. Her breath hitched when her fingers met wetness and welcoming heat. No, not mistaken. Before she could talk herself out of it, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, tracing her outer lips until they began blossoming apart. The steady, insistent throb that had started low in her stomach began spreading downward to meet her fingertips.
"What am I doing?" she murmured to herself, so softly that she could barely hear herself over the hiss of the shower. "Why am I…" Then she found the tight ridge just above her entrance and began circling, rubbing, flicking over the sensitive tip, and suddenly, she did not care. Not about what was causing her sudden spike in desire, or her current situation. At least for the moment, none of it mattered.
As her hand began moving faster, she tried to conjure up a face from her memory, someone suitable to think about. One of her old schoolmates, although they had long since drifted apart. The particularly attractive professor she had studied with for two semesters, back before she had started working for the University. And, finally, someone completely imaginary. A face with dark eyes, a strong chin, and a shock of dark hair...