Something inside me shifted and an eerie calm descended… Something inside me clicked…
With just a thought, I accessed my NI. Instead of scrolling for information, it became an extension of my brain. Something for me to command, to control. My brain became the computer.
At my command, alarms blared. The two Humchins stopped, and the one removed his hand. I didn’t stop there. The force fields to every cell disintegrated, releasing all prisoners good and bad. The betting machines emptied all the coins, letting them crash onto the floor. I cut video feed to all cameras, leaving the security team blind to its surroundings. I did all this while lying motionless on the pallet. The one on top crawled off me. The two Humchins gave me one last leer before they glanced at each other and headed out to help with the chaos.
Zorvak
I knew she stood at the rail looking down at me. I sensed it. I felt it. If only I could see her face. Even the color of her eyes was lost to me from this distance.
Her voice sounded strong, but I felt her worry. This would be an almost impossible task and I almost aborted the mission. If only there was another way.
The fight started, and my opponent didn’t seem interested in winning. He spent most of his time dodging my blows and avoiding death. With a punch to his chin, he fell unconscious on the rink floor. The rules were to the death, but I refused to kill anyone who showed no interest in killing. Standing over the unconscious male, I closed my eyes and threw my senses outward. The vibe seemed different tonight. More electrified with anticipation as if something was about to happen. My fingers twitched. Something wasn’t right.
I stood on my platform while two Humchins drug my opponent to his platform. It lowered me back to the cell where I paced and waited in silence.
Cami’s worry stayed constant, but not alarming. Not until bone deep fear pierced my chest. I feel your fear, what is happening? My heart thundered in my chest trying to mirror her own as the fear only increased. This feeling was new for me and I didn’t like it one bit. Still, it didn’t recede. I rubbed my chest as I paced the small cell.
I pushed the fear aside and let anger take hold. Cami, what is happening?
They caught me! Oh, God, they caught me!
Unknowing of what she did, she sent mental images to me. I could see the one who stood in front of her as he reached out and cupped her breast. My fist slammed against the wall. I knew what they would do! The force field loomed in front of me, making my anger rage until it reached a boiling point and an eerie calm descended on me. I stood still and controlled my breathing and slowed my pounding heart. The rage calmed to a molten black simmer that meant death for everyone. I tried to project it to Cami, give her strength to endure their inevitable torture.
Alarms blared overhead, but I remained stock still and concentrated on Cami. With a loud pop, the force field deactivated. I didn’t know why, or how it happened, but right now I had to rescue Cami. I surged forward with death gleaming in my eyes.
Other prisoners thundered past me trying to escape, but I walked with purpose as I marched down the corridor. A lone Humchin stood at the exit with a whip in his hand. It cracked, striking one prisoner as he tried to get around him. When I got close enough, the whip posed to strike me, I grabbed his bony wrist and squeezed. The bones crumbled beneath my grip. He let out an agonized shout from his mouth as he fell to his knees. His hand fell limp when I let go. With his head positioned between my hands, I snapped his neck and grabbed his whip.
I searched each room, killing every Humchin I encountered, until I found a female sitting on the edge of a pallet. Instant relief. She never looked up as I walked in. Kneeling in front of her, I looked at her distant face. “Cami?”
When she lifted her eyes, my breath caught. They had depths of green mingled with flakes of amber that lined a black round center.
Mesmerizing.
I could stare endlessly into her amazing eyes. The complexity held my gaze until the sound of pounding feet said time to go.
We need to go. I held out my hand and waited. After a few seconds, she placed her hand in mine and nodded.
Her creamy white hand looked strange next to my dark red as she gripped my calloused hand with her soft delicate fingers. My protective instincts shot to overdrive as we headed for freedom.
The whip cracked the air, knocking a Humchin to the ground. I snapped his neck while Cami went for his holstered weapon.
How do you use this thing? She turned the incinerator over, looking for a way to fire it. Never mind.
It wouldn’t do her any good unless she had the implanted control chip to operate it. That was the Humchins failsafe to keep it out of enemy hands.
As we hurried down the corridor, I turned the corner and faced two Humchins. They were no match for me but my senses screamed one more approached from behind. Watch out!
On it! I heard the incinerator as it hummed to life. With a glance over my shoulder, I spotted the enemy laying in a heap of ashes. Shit! That’s some firepower!
How did you do that? My eyes widened in surprise as I looked from the ashes--- to her--- back to the ashes. How did she get the weapon to fire? No one has been able to steal or replicate the control chip. She grinned as she stepped around, leaving me standing with my mouth gaping in shock.
We fought our way clear, which felt both exhilarating and new. I had never had a female partner. The Humchins fought with strength, but I grinned every time she used their own weapon against them.
We cautiously approached the exit but there were no obstacles in the way, no one guarded the door. A mystery in itself as we walked out of the fight club.
The bright sun blinded me with its harsh light, but it didn’t matter. We needed to get as far away as possible. Come on. I inclined my head toward the cliffs.
No, my friends are this way. She looked over her shoulder in the opposite direction.
I shook my head. They will look for us that way. We must wait until dark.
But there’s nothing that way. Just sharp rocks.
Exactly. They will never look for us there.
She stared with longing in the other direction, but finally nodded, and we took off.
After a while, she said, I need to slow down.
When we stopped running, I glanced over and noted she was out of breath. Sorry, at one point I could’ve kept up this pace, but I haven’t been able to run since arriving here. Two miles is my limit now.
I nodded as I shielded my eyes. The cliff of rocks was just ahead and I needed to get inside before I went permanently blind. But for now, I kept my eyes closed, only opening one to a squint.
What’s wrong?
Her breathing had slowed and she stood staring at me. My eyes cannot stand this much light.
It is harsh, that’s for sure. A minute or so later, she said, Here, maybe this will help. She nudged my arm. Bend down, you’re too tall.
I knelt on bended knee. My sex twitched when her soft fingers grazed my temple. Dressed in only a loincloth, I willed it to stay put. She wrapped a dark piece of cloth around my head, effectively covering my eyes. The comfort was immediate, giving my burning eyes much needed relief. Thank you!
10
____________________
Enlightenment
Cami
My NI and I were now one and I used it to wreak as much havoc as possible on those sick bastards. It was one thing when everyone participated freely, but here, that wasn’t the case. They took prisoners, forced them into slavery. If possible, I’d burn this place down and enjoy every minute of it.
Zorvak kneeled in front of me and held out his hand. His color reminded me of myths when demons roamed the Earth. They drew pictures of red muscular men with horns. Zorvak didn’t have horns, only a black mohawk. At once I feared him, now he was the calm in the face of a storm. My rock on shifting sand. When I placed my hand in his, a new kind of excitement thrummed inside as sparks jumped from his hand and zipped through mine.
Anger took over when we hea
ded out the door and faced another one of those ugly bastards. Zorvak killed him, and then I stole his weapon. It was like a gun, but much more advanced than the ones I’d trained with on Earth. I initially asked Zorvak how to work it, but then instantly knew that my NI would do that. There was no trigger to pull, just order it to fire. Easy.
While he fought with two Humchins, I watched his back. I’d already seen the other one coming when he shouted for me to watch out. I took aim and mentally ordered it to fire, killing him instantly. Okay, killing was an understatement. He turned to ashes before my very eyes. A wave of guilt rushed over me for murdering a living being, but I couldn’t be captured again. I knew in my heart I wouldn’t survive it.
After we exited the building, the first rays streaked across the sky. “Well shit! The sun is already up.” We needed to hurry.
After a moment of debating, we headed for the cliffs. The thought of spending the day out here didn’t thrill me in the least. The sun could be brutal, especially to my porcelain skin.
We ran. My lungs burned, my side hurt, but I pumped my legs and tried to keep up. At one time, this would have been easy. But after a month of not exercising, this hurt.
I need to slow down. There, I admitted it. He didn’t even look tired and here I stood bent over, heaving as sweat dripped from my brow.
When I caught my breath, I straightened back up. He had a pained look on his face as he stood with his eyes tightly closed. I narrowed mine as I scrutinized his expression. What’s wrong?
My eyes cannot stand this much light.
I glanced down at my body and grimaced. How could I let him suffer when I could help? He still had his eyes closed so I quickly took off my t-shirt and ripped a strip of cloth from the bottom before sliding it back on. Now it was a belly shirt.
Here, maybe this will help. He towered over me, making it difficult to place the blindfold over his eyes. Bend down.
When he knelt, I stepped forward. His warm breath brushed my neck as I covered his eyes. My fingers brushed his temple just before I tied it in place. Being this close to him ignited my body with fire. My breasts ached with need while my core throbbed with desire. My hands hovered right above his shoulders, wanting to caress his skin. But instead of touching him, I closed my eyes, swallowed hard, and stepped back.
Thank you!
Averting my eyes from his muscular body, I said, You’re welcome. Are you able to still see?
“Yes.”
We resumed walking toward the cliffs. Walking, not running. There were no trees, no flowers, just a hard-barren red desert with jagged rocks. It had to be at least 110 degrees, maybe hotter. I licked my cracked lips and swallowed, trying to moisten my throat. It didn’t help.
Are you alright? He asked without looking in my direction.
What to say? Hell no, I was not all right. One bowl of yellow soup wasn’t enough food to sustain this kind of activity. But I didn’t want to appear weak so I settled for, Just peachy.
The way his mouth twitched made one side of my mouth curl upward. As we walked, I kept sneaking peeks at him. I didn’t mean any disrespect, but it was a little hard to get used to.
What are you thinking about?
How your muscles ripple with every stride. How strong your hands are. How long it’s been since I’ve been touched by a man. Of course, I didn’t say any of that.
You’re red.
And?
And, nothing. It’s just hard to get used to.
You are not used to seeing other species?
I chuckled. I’m getting used to it. Of all the different species here, Zorvak was the normal one. Made more like me.
We are almost there.
I looked at the cliffs and could see tiny caves. But how did he know which one to choose? As we passed by the first cave, I glanced longingly inside. My exposed skin burned. The second cave now looked even better and I wanted to scream when we kept walking. When we rounded a rock, and came to a third cave, he stopped.
Here we are. Wait here and let me check it out.
I don’t think so. I wanted out of the hot sun and into a cool shade as quickly as possible. He walked in and with one hand, he tore the blindfold off his face. I followed closely behind. The cool air brushed my burning cheeks. My eyes closed briefly in relief. I heard the trickle of running water and wanted to make a mad dash toward the sound. But I didn’t.
He stopped and abruptly turned, causing me to collide into his chest. To keep me from falling, he instantly wrapped his arms around me. My body roared to life with his touch. His hard-muscled body caressing mine. I felt him tense and then relax.
I thought I told you to wait outside.
Yeah, and?
If I were guessing, I’d say he rolled his eyes at me, but I couldn’t tell with his black eyes. I just had that effect on some people.
Come on. He stepped back and took my hand.
We headed toward the sound of water. The cave itself resembled one on earth. Mostly rock with smooth moist edges inside. Drops of water dripped from above. Plush yellow foliage lined the floor around the walls of the cave. When we rounded a corner, it opened to a large chamber. Light shone down from a small opening in the high ceiling. In the center, a pool shimmered as a small trickle of water tumbled down a mountain of rocks. My cracked lips and dry mouth beckoned me over. I only needed a gallon or two.
Zorvak tugged on my hand. My eyes slid to his. He grinned and inclined his head toward the water. He didn’t have to ask me twice.
With cupped hands, I knelt and scooped up some water. It could’ve been salt water and I wouldn’t have cared. Well, maybe a little.
As I gulped the handful, I closed my eyes and savored the ice-cold liquid that touched my lips and moistened my throat.
I turned sharply at the sound of a loud splash. Zorvak emerged from the water with a smile. With one hand, he raked his fingers through his hair, knocking off the excess water. Huge muscles rippled with each movement. “What are you doing?”
Slowly, he waved his hands back and forth, skimming the top of the water. He cocked his head to the side and said, “Cooling off. My body is not use to such harsh temperatures.”
“And you think mine is?” I raised one eyebrow and stared at the water glistening on his face. When I was on Earth, I often dreamed of swimming in a lake, an ocean, it didn’t matter. Maybe lying on a white sandy beach letting the salt water lap at my ankles.
He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said, then grinned mischievously.
“What?”
“Are you trying to turn red for me?”
I scrunched my nose and crossed my arms. “What are you talking about?”
When he inclined his head toward my body, I glanced down. A nice sunburn covered my arms and legs. Probably my face, too.
He dove under the water once again. When he resurfaced, I stared at his muscles with hungry eyes. My gaze lazily traveled up his body until it reached his masculine face that sported a smirk. Shit, he caught me! But dammit, it wasn’t my fault. I’d spent so much time training, I’d neglected this part of my life.
“Are you coming in?”
Hmm… that was a good question. “I don’t want to get my clothes wet.”
“Then take them off. That’s what I did.”
Oh, sweet mother, I inwardly groaned as naked images of him popped into my mind.
He laughed. “Not quite, Ji’si. But close.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but I had a sinking feeling he knew what I pictured in my head. “What does Ji’si mean?”
“Nothing. Are you joining me or shall I join you?” He enjoyed the situation a little too much.
“You really like making me uncomfortable, don’t you? Fine, turn around.”
He slowly turned, but I didn’t trust him not to look. I wasn’t a prude. Okay, maybe I was. But it had been years since a man had seen me naked.
I quickly jerked my clothes off, dropped them in a heap next to a large rock, and jumped in the water. My h
ead went under, and for a moment, I swear my heart stood still. When I surfaced, I rubbed the water from my eyes while gasping and yelled, “Oh, shit! That’s cold!” My breaths came in quick short pants as I tried to adjust to the freezing temperature.
He laughed, waded over, and pulled me into his arms. I laid my head against his chest and savored the warmth seeping from his body.
Is that better?
Much. I snuggled in closer, loving the feel of his arms wrapped around me. It had been so long since any man had held me in his arms, precisely four years. Thank you.
He stroked my hair with a gentle caress.
Thank you for trying to rescue me.
You’re welcome. Thank you for saving me. And he did save me. I didn’t run, didn’t try to save myself. I just sat there lost in the task of wreaking havoc on the Humchins.
How could I not? I still don’t understand what happened back there. And how did you fire the incinerator?
You mean the gun that reduced that asshole to ashes?
I felt his chest rumble with laughter. Yes, the gun.
The same way I set off the alarms, dropped all the force fields, and… I laughed, leaned back, and looked into his eyes. “Cut their video feed and emptied the coins from all the betting machines. They will be busy for a while.”
“How?” I couldn’t read his eyes, they were deep, solid black. No white, no color, but I felt his amazement.
“How can I feel what you are feeling?”
He stared into my eyes and I could swear I saw colors swirling in his endless pools of stormy midnight. So different than a moment ago. “Can you feel this?” he growled with molten desire.
His need slammed into me as he held my gaze. His chest heaved as though he held himself back. I didn’t want him to. It had been too long since a man had looked at me, touched me, and I wanted him. Wanted Zorvak. My eyes slid lazily over his muscled-perfect body.
Zorvak's Rescue: Compatibles Page 8