No Rules

by McCormick, Jenna

  Or to save her.

  Hot tears spilled down her cheeks at the thought of him dying like that. Did it really matter if he had shagged someone else when she’d essentially driven him to it? What kind of whore was she that she ignored the basic nature of a man, hoping to change him into her girlish dream of Prince Charming, faithful, loving, and all that rot?

  A dumb whore. Soon to be a dead whore.

  Her throat ached, dry with lack of water. Though the stone walls were wet, she didn’t see any standing water. Probably just as well; with her luck she’d infect herself with some sort of alien microbe and end up hosting a colony of angry killer insects that would eat their way out of her body.

  Stop blaming luck; own your own shit.

  She was responsible for everything wrong in her life. It was time to stop blaming her father, her mother, the johns, the universe for her misfortune. Her fat was in the fire because she sat in the wrong spot and was too stubborn to move. It broke her heart to see Del take ownership of all the bad things that had happened to his family when he’d done nothing except survive. He hadn’t hurt anyone else for profit.

  She wanted to tell him that, to confess all her sins. Hell, if she made it out of this cave and found a way off this world, she’d go with him to the empaths’ homeworld, turn herself over to them for punishment. The assassin could piss directly off—she didn’t owe him or Illustra anything, and the thought of dying by way of one of his mind fucks was worse than calling it quits in this maze of tunnels.

  “Please,” she begged whatever deity might be listening. “Let me get Ari out of here. I’ll fix all my mistakes, just let me see her safe.”

  The tunnel inclined sharply, and her breaths huffed out faster. This definitely wasn’t the right way; she would have remembered a steep grade when coming in. Exhausted and teeming with frustration, she sat down hard, probably bruising her tailbone in the process.

  Where had she gone wrong? This whole experience was like one big, screwed-up metaphor for her life. Stumbling around in the dark, making bad choice after bad choice, all shortsighted decisions because she was ill-equipped to see beyond the end of her nose. Wiping the tears away with her grubby sleeve, she tried to summon the strength to turn around and try again.

  A weird scratching sound broke her from her mental flagellation. “Hello?”

  No answer. Ari stirred against her breastbone, leaving a trail of sweat. Her fever had broken and Alison breathed a might easier. The scraping noise came again.

  Climbing to her feet, she decided to investigate. Moving slowly, she climbed up the steep hill, bracing one hand on the wall to help her balance.

  Up ahead, a mountain of rock loomed. Scowling, she moved closer so the bioluminescent light from Ari’s pack highlighted what was obviously a cave-in. The scraping sound came again, from the other side of the mounded-up stones.

  “Is someone there?” she shouted, hoping someone might be trying to dig through.

  Still no answer.

  “If you can hear me, I’m trapped in here with an infant!”

  As if to underscore her statement, Ari started to cry again.

  An eerie cry pierced through the stone and her blood flash-froze. That wasn’t a person trying to get through the wall of rock; it was one of those helcats, looking for dinner. Could it smell her?

  Heart pounding, she backed up, spinning around as the tunnel sloped back down. If she wasn’t so afraid of tripping and landing on the baby, she’d sprint through the darkness. As it was she moved much faster, putting as much distance between them and the predator as possible.

  The sound of rocks being dislodged made her scream in terror. The creature was breaking through. “Help me!”

  “Alison!” The male shout came from up ahead, the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard.

  “Del! I’m here!”

  “Stay where you are. I’m coming!”

  Her feet stilled and she waited, afraid to take yet another wrong turn, more afraid he wouldn’t reach her before that thing managed to break through.

  The one good thing about Ari’s nonstop crying, it made for an audio trail of bread crumbs, easy for him to follow. The welcome sight of a torchlight glinting off the wet cave walls filled her with relief. “Over here!”

  Then he was there, running to her for all he was worth. He hugged her, careful not to squish Ari between them.

  “Thank the stars,” he breathed.

  The relief in his voice filled her with remorse. “Del, I’m so sorry.”

  “Later,” he muttered, shoving the torch in her hands. He unfastened the carrier, trying to soothe the angry child. “She’s burning up. Did you give her anything?”

  More guilt, layered so thick it choked her. “I didn’t know what was what.”

  “Let’s get out of here. The others took different paths. We’ll meet up with them and get the hell out of here.” He strapped Ari back in her carrier and reached to take it from her.

  The sound of tumbling rocks from behind her made them both jump.

  “What was that?” Del grabbed the torch instead of the baby and turned.

  The howling cry filled the space. “It’s a helcat. It’s trying to break through the cave-in back there.”

  Del swore as an angry roar bounced off the walls. “I think it just did. Quick, give me Ari, we need to get to someone with a weapon.”

  Oh, hell, she hadn’t thought of that. Of course Del wouldn’t be armed, and while he might be able to lead them out of here, all he could do against a helcat was die with them.

  She shucked the carrier and he strapped it on quickly, taking the burden of the helpless infant off her shoulders and gripping her hand. “Hold the torch, my eyes are better in the dark.”

  She took the wooden torch from him and held it away from her face. After stumbling around with only the bioluminescent pack to guide her way the light actually made her eyes water.

  “As fast as you can.” With one arm wrapped around a frighteningly silent Ari and the other holding on to her, Fenton led her back down the tunnel. He bypassed several forks along the path, not even hesitating.

  In the distance a voice called her name. “Who’s with you?”

  “Dani and a few of the patrollers under her command.”

  She stiffened at hearing the other woman’s name but vowed she wouldn’t make an issue out of it.

  “What’s wrong?” Of course he picked up on it.

  “It’s not important.”

  “Alison, if you know something—” He cut himself off as another roar resonated from behind them. “We don’t have time for games. Tell me what made you tense up like that.”

  From his demeanor, she knew he wouldn’t let it go until she told him. “It’s you, sneaking off to be with Dani.”

  Hopping over a pit she would have stumbled into, he pulled her across, flush against his side. “I was trying to protect you. If you didn’t know I didn’t think you’d be hurt.”

  Though there was nothing funny about their situation, a laugh escaped. “Right, like me being ignorant of you sleeping with another woman makes it all okay.”

  He stopped dead in his tracks and she slammed into his back. “What?” His voice was low, quiet.

  “I saw you. With her.”

  He shot her an incredulous look. “You were jealous? That’s why you followed me here?”

  Another roar filled her with panic. “Later, we’ll hash this out later.”

  Torchlights spilled from the cavern up ahead. Picking up his pace, he practically yanked her arm out of the socket dragging her forward. “I found them, but we have a bigger problem.”

  Dani strode to his side. “Report.”

  “Helcat trying to break through at the point of the landslide.”

  Dani cursed heatedly. “If it gets through, not only are we dead but so is the entire village.”

  “Options?” Fenton patted Ari’s back. The little girl sniffled but was otherwise quiet.

  “We have to collaps
e the tunnels completely. Does anyone have explosive compound?”

  Three of the patrollers dug in their packs.

  Dani’s eyes met Alison’s. “My mother would banish us from the village if she knew we had this sort of technology.”

  “She won’t hear it from me.”

  “Good. Then let’s head back out, find a weak point far enough from the village that we can blow the whole thing.”

  “What about training?” Fenton asked.

  “The whole point was to save the people. They can’t train if they are dead. We’ll have to convince my mother to let the breeders fight or evacuate. If the creatures are desperate enough to dig through rock, our fortress won’t hold them much longer.”

  Without another word they charged up the tunnel. Fenton never let go of Alison’s hand and she knew she was slowing him down.

  “Save yourself and Ari,” she panted. “Don’t wait for me.”

  “Shut up,” he grunted, his grip tightening on her arm.

  She had no idea how far they traveled, only that her lungs and legs were burning from overuse. She fell at one point, but Del hauled her to her feet, barely breaking stride.

  “Here,” Dani called at a bottleneck in the tunnel. Several others converged at the same point. “Give me the explosive and detonators.”

  A roar echoed through the walls and the ground seemed to shake. “It’s through!” one of the patrollers shouted.

  “Chem whips at the ready.” Dani knelt down. “As soon as this is armed, we need to run.”

  Despite her exhaustion it took all of Alison’s willpower not to bolt, knowing that thing was barreling down the darkened pathways, sniffing them out.

  “No,” Dani breathed, pounding her fist on the wall.

  “What’s wrong?” Fenton asked.

  She turned to face him, her expression grim. “The delay won’t work. Someone has to stay behind and set it off manually.”

  Another roar, even closer this time.

  “I’ll do it.” Del started unfastening Ari’s carrier.

  “No!” Alison shouted. “She needs you, let me stay.”

  “Both of you are going so shut up.” Dani turned to one of the patrollers. “Tell Kel I love him.”

  The woman nodded and clapped Dani on the shoulder. “May peace find you.”

  “Dani, no.” Fenton shook his head. “Your people need you.”

  She turned to face him, face them both. “Yes, they do. They are getting all I have to give. It is up to you to convince my mother of the danger. Safe journey, alien warrior, protect your blessings.”

  Instead of the embrace Alison expected, Del thumped his hand over his heart then grabbed Alison’s hand. “Let’s go.”

  She followed him, the patrollers bringing up the rear. Her heart thudded with every step, but she ran for all she was worth.

  The opening to the sanctuary was in sight when entire tunnel shook. Del moved faster, gripping her sweaty hand in his as dust and smoke billowed out around them, choking them.

  Del covered Ari’s face with one hand, the other still holding hers. “Drop the torch and cover your face—” He broke off, coughing.

  The tunnel spit them out onto the lawn, still rumbling from the explosion. Del tugged her down onto a mossy patch, still hacking. The patrollers collapsed nearby. As the dust settled, all eyes turned to the opening.

  “Nothing could survive that.” Even as she said the words she hoped they weren’t true.

  People moved closer, men and women coming to gawk at the carnage. Gwella pushed through the gathering crowd. “What happened? Report!”

  The patroller with the shorn hair, the one Dani had instructed, stood up. “A helcat broke through the rockslide. Dani brought the mountain down to make sure it wouldn’t get to the village.”

  “Where is she?” Gwella’s voice was hollow.

  “Empress, I’m sorry, she stayed behind to ensure our escape.”

  Gwella swayed on her feet as though the ground still shook. Her eyes appeared unfocused. Alison rose and moved toward her. “I’m so sorry.” She tried to wrap her arms around the distraught woman, but Gwella wasn’t having it.

  “You! You and your breeder did this. Cost my daughter her life!” she spat, her voice full of venom. Turning to her patrollers, she ordered, “Seize them.”

  21

  “Del? Can you hear me?” Alison’s soft voice and cool hands on his face pulled him out of the fog he’d been floating in.

  He groaned, wishing she’d left him there. His bones ached, his head pounded, and his mouth felt gritty, as if he’d been eating sand. Opening his eyes, he squinted into the gloom. Beneath him the floor felt hard and cold. They were in a stone room, a heavy wooden door the only exit. “What happened?” His voice was weak and reedy.

  Her hands smoothed his hair back from his face. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Struggling to sit up, he fought his body’s weakness. The effort nearly exhausted him. Alison wrapped her arms around herself. He blinked at her in the darkness and guessed she couldn’t see at all. He wavered slightly but considered it a victory when he didn’t fall flat on his face. Propping himself against the wall, he searched his mind for the last thing that had happened.

  “Dani, in the caves.” He closed his eyes, remembering her sacrifice. He’d left soldiers behind before, but this had been different. For one thing, he hadn’t been in command. If he had he would have ordered her to safety. They’d made it out, him with Alison’s hand in his and Ari strapped to his chest—

  His eyes flew open. “Where’s Ari? Is she still sick?”

  “She’s upstairs and she’s fine. I can hear her crying from time to time. Gwella’s breeder is looking after her.”

  He sagged, grateful for that much. “What was wrong with her?”

  “The same thing that was wrong with you, whatever it was. Some kind of viral infection by the look of it. It took you down almost as soon as we were brought here, almost a week ago by my count.”

  A week. No wonder he felt so awful. He turned to look at her, saw her barely repressed fear. “You’ve been taking care of me alone all this time?”

  “I did the best I could. With what they gave me, which wasn’t much. Gwella’s still irate.” She paused and cleared her throat. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like a meteor landed squarely on my head but I’ll live. Are you all right?” He fought back the storm of worry that he’d left her and Ari unprotected for a week.

  “I’m fine. I was just scared.”

  Scared that he would die and she’d be alone. He imagined what it would be like for him if she wasn’t here. Unbearable didn’t begin to cover it. “Thank you.”

  She didn’t say anything, just looked toward the door. “What are we going to do now?”

  He rose to his feet, bracing himself on the wall. “Maybe I can phase—”

  She exploded to her feet and clapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t even think it, Del. We’re in enough trouble already. Gwella’s talking about banishing us.”

  He moved her hand aside. “We can’t let that happen. If we don’t convince Gwella to leave, the helcats will do us all in. That one who chased us through the tunnels was starving, desperate, and it broke through a rock wall. How long will this settlement hold against a dozen of them?”

  She hugged herself even more tightly. “This is all my fault. If not for me, you and Ari would have gone to the empaths’ homeworld and be safely settling in to a new life. I’m sorry, so sorry I fucked everything up for you.” She slid down the wall and put her face in her hands.

  He sat next to her, grateful for the excuse to be off his feet. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her tightly against him. “Hush now.”

  Sobs racked her entire body, a week’s worth of pent-up fear and frustration finding an outlet. He held her and let her cry, occasionally murmuring that it would be all right.

  He lost track of how long they sat there, but gradually the haze over
his mind dissipated, leaving him able to remember.

  She’d quieted but he sensed she hadn’t fallen asleep. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with her, but his need to clear the air compelled him to speak. “Do you really think I was sneaking off to have sex with Dani?”

  Her posture stiffened and she sat up, turning to face him. He saw her eyes scanning, searching for him in the darkness. “I didn’t know what to think. All I knew was that you left and it was obvious you were hiding something from me.”

  As the remembered fear surfaced, his grip on her tightened. “So instead of waiting to ask me about it, you risked your life, Ari’s life, and for what? To confirm your suspicions? You never trusted me at all, did you?” His voice grew louder with every syllable.

  She tried to pull out of his grip, almost succeeded thanks to his weakened state. “Don’t yell at me. I know I fucked up.”

  Seething, he released her and rose to his feet. His weakness didn’t help ease his ire. “That doesn’t begin to fix this. We’re going to die, Alison. With Dani’s help at least we stood a chance of convincing Gwella, but now that she’s gone . . .” He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair.

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled again, a huddled tribute to misery.

  Closing his eyes, he tried to find his calm center. Shouting at her wouldn’t do any good. She recognized her mistake, and it was his as well. Was it right to ask her to trust him when he’d kept things from her? The woman had spent the better part of a week caring for him, cleaning him, spoon-feeding him, and doing her best to ensure he lived long enough to give them a fighting chance.

  “I’m sorry too. I should have told you what was going on with Dani and Kel and the breeders. Don’t assume all the fault is yours.”

  She nodded and rested her head on her knees.

  Standing here thinking about all the ways they went wrong wouldn’t help either of them. After another slow breath he forced his weakened body to move.

  Instinctively, he fell into the first of his forms, then another and another. His motions were slow, choppy, and it took longer than usual. He was sweating, muscles shaking but he pushed onward.

  A scuffling sound drew his attention. “What are you doing?”