by T. J. Quinn
“We’re not in a hurry, so we’ll go through this place thoroughly. The Taucets’ technology is a lot more advanced than ours, which is a bit incomprehensible since they aren’t the smartest guys I’ve met,” he said, scowling.
“Perhaps, they bought it. Their invasion proves beyond a doubt there is life out there, and probably much more than we can even imagine,” she suggested.
He nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“The guys I was following when I left the colony were coming out some sort of underground level,” he muttered, looking around. “I don’t remember seeing any underground construction, and yet, there was no doubt they were coming out of it.”
“Perhaps, they had some sort of shield that prevented it from being scanned, similar to what the people in the cave use,” she suggested.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking; come, I believe it was this way,” he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him.
After a few minutes of looking, he finally found the place he was looking for, but there was no sign of underground construction.
“I know it’s here. We’ll just have to dig to get to it,” he said, determined to find it.
“Just be careful. There could be Taucets hiding there for all we know,” she said, with a frown. She didn’t like the fact the place was so well hidden.
The last thing she wanted was an unexpected attack.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure they were all exterminated that day,” he assured her, as he looked for something he could use as a shovel.
Chapter Thirteen
After a few minutes digging, he finally reached a metallic surface. With a victorious grunt, he continued until he found the control system that gave access to the underground construction.
“I could blast this lock, but I’m not sure that would grant us access,” he said, as he looked at the electronic lock.
“Don’t. If it has a security system and you blow the lock, we’ll never be able to enter,” she warned him, as she approached the lock and took a good look at it.
“Yes, the metal they use is harder than any other one we have here, on Earth. It’s very hard to destroy it, and I surely don’t have what we would need for it.”
“I’m sure we can decipher how this thing works,” she said after she managed to take the control out of the wall.
They worked on it for over an hour, studying the wires and circuits in the control, until they were able to make it work.
Ophelia let out a loud cry of excitement when a huge panel slid open revealing a staircase.
Bretdon kissed her and picked up his gun. “I want you to go back to the vehicle and stay alert for any kind of trouble. If there are problems, I want you to run out of here and go back to the caves for help. The vehicle is set to take you there as fast as possible.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m staying with you…” she protested, but he didn’t let her finish.
He cupped her face and lifted it. “If we’re both caught, no one will come rescue us, Ophelia. I need you to stay on watch and go get help if I need it.”
She sobbed and nodded, hating the idea of leaving him all alone and possibly in great danger.
“Very well, just be careful, please, if there’s any sign of Taucets inside, run back, and we’ll go get reinforcements.”
“I will don’t worry. Now, go.” He ordered, and she ran back to where they had left their vehicle, hopping into the driver’s seat and starting the engine, getting ready to escape, in case she needed.
The minutes that went by felt like centuries, and Ophelia used the time to pray to all gods and powerful entities of the universe to protect Bretdon.
They must have heard her because soon, he was coming out of the underground construction with a pleased smile.
Sobbing, Ophelia turned off the engine and jumped out of the vehicle, and ran to his open arms. “The place is empty. I didn’t search it completely, but I’m sure we’ll find a few things to take back to the caves.”
She kissed him, excited. “Wonderful. Now, let’s take a look at it.”
He chuckled but didn’t try to stop her. She knew better than him what they were looking for, so her help in this search was essential.
The place was bigger than she expected. Once inside it, Bretdon scanned it so they wouldn’t get lost in the maze of corridors that led to all sorts of chambers.
“This is clearly where the Taucets lived,” she said, with a frown.
“Yes, I’m starting to think the same. That means we didn’t kill all of them when we attacked the colony,” he agreed.
“Yes, I believe you’re right. Either way, they abandoned this place, for all we can see,” she said, pointing at the open closets and drawers, evidence of a rushed departure.
“You’re probably right. They are supposed to have females and children with them, here on Earth, but we have never seen either,” he told her, thoughtful.
“Perhaps, these were their chambers,” she suggested, looking around.
“It’s quite possible.”
They continued their search, taking with them all the electronic devices they found. Hoping they would teach them a lot about the aliens’ technology.
“Look at this, Ophelia,” he called out to her when they were in some sort of meeting room. “Could this be what we are looking for?” he asked, showing her a small device.
She crossed the room to meet him and picked the device from his hands, examining it thoroughly. “It looks like some sort of communication device. What I can’t tell is its range,” she said, returning it to Bretdon for him to put in the bag they were filling. “Let’s see if we can find others like that one.”
At the end of their exploration, they had found several devices she was sure would be very useful, but she had no idea if they would be able to use any of them for intergalactic communication.
They spent the night in the Taucets’underground facility, relishing at having a warm place and soft bed to sleep on. They even found food in the place they didn’t let go to waste.
“We should look near the vessel wreckages. If we can find their communication system, we might be able to fix it with all the devices we have here,” she suggested the following morning, while they were having breakfast.
“That’s a good idea. Those should be able to transmit into the outer space.”
“Yes, exactly what I was thinking of.”
“We’ll look for it today and leave tomorrow in the morning back to the caves.”
“That should be enough time to go through the wreckage,” she agreed and looked around the place. “This place could be a perfect hideout if it wasn’t known by everybody,” she said, chuckling.
He smiled. “Yes, but it’s too dangerous to stay here more than a short period. We have no way of telling who’s watching this place.”
“I know.”
They spent the day looking around and fortunately, they managed to find the communication systems on two of the vessels. They were damaged, but Ophelia was sure she would be able to fix them with the rest of the engineers back at the caves.
After another cozy night at the hideout, they left the place before the sun was up. Although Bretdon hadn't been able to detect the presence of drones or any other surveillance equipment, he wanted to ensure their presence in the area remained unnoticed.
They hadn't encountered anyone on their trip around the Rocky Mountains since people avoided travel, afraid of being caught by the Taucets. It gave her the sense of being alone in the world, and that wasn’t a very comfortable feeling.
It took them four days to get back to the cave. They had been out a bit more than a week, but it was nice to come back to a place with familiar faces.
They met with Sandra and her people to tell her about their findings and to hear the news on the camp where her mother had been imprisoned.
“I’m sorry you weren’t able to reach the meeting point,” Sandra said after they told her about the presence of the
soldiers in the place. “But I’m glad you didn’t try to face them. We all know they didn’t stand a chance against you and after all, they were only following orders.”
“I know, that’s why I decided to head to the Taucet colony instead,” he told them all about what they had found there, and soon Sandra had the engineers looking at what they had brought back.
News from the camp wasn’t very good, though. In all that time, the presence of soldiers on it hadn't diminished.
“Why do you think is that?” Ophelia asked, worried.
“They’re still waiting for you to try contacting your mother, somehow,” the older woman explained. “We need to be patient, or the attack on the camp would quickly become a bloodbath, and that’s not how we work. We try to cause the fewest casualties possible, getting in and out of the camps as fast as we can.”
“Of course, I just wish I could do more than sit and wait,” she replied, oozing her frustration.
“Oh, sweetheart, you’re doing much more than that, believe me. With all you’ve brought back we’ll be able to establish communications with outer space and with luck, Arcadia,” the woman assured her.
Ophelia nodded and leaned her head on Bretdon’s shoulder, sitting right next to her. “Yes, I’m sure we’ll be able to put them to work. Though their circuits and wiring are quite different from ours, I’m sure we’ll be able to decipher how to put the transmitters back together.”
“You’ll be joining the team, now that you’re back?” Jonathan asked, with a hopeful smile.
“Try to keep me away,” she teased him, with a smile.
“Oh, no, I would never do it. You’re more than welcome,” he assured her.
Bretdon cleared his throat and got up. “As you can imagine, it was a very long trip for us. We need some rest,” he said gruffly.
Something had displeased him, but Ophelia couldn’t think of anything. Slowly, she got up and nodded. “Yes, I can’t wait to get a warm shower.”
“Of course, we’ll continue this tomorrow,” Sandra accepted with a smile.
They’d had dinner while they talked, so they said goodnight and left the cave they had been using ever since they had arrived there.
The minute they closed the curtain behind them, Bretdon pulled her into his arms and kissed her, only pausing to take his clothes off. His kisses showed hunger and a hint of possessiveness and Ophelia understood his gruff behavior at the table. He didn’t like the attention Jonathan gave her each time they met.
Pleased, Ophelia moaned against his lips, and surrendered completely to him, inebriated by his touch, and his taste. There was no doubt, she was growing addicted to the tickling sensation his kisses conjured in her, but she couldn’t care less.
Without stopping the kissing, he slowly helped her out of her clothes, exposing her beautiful, round breasts to his eyes and hands. Sliding his hands down her shoulders, he cupped her breasts. He kneaded them a few times, alternating rough caresses with the gentlest ones, driving her insane with the jolts of pleasure sent throughout her body.
Then, with a growl of lust and arousal, he pushed her back against the wall nearby too eager to walk the few steps that would take them to bed. He wanted her, and he wasn’t waiting for another second to have her.
His hands kneaded her breasts and played with her hard nipples, pulling them closer to his mouth, so that he could kiss and nibble them at will.
His hips pressed her stomach, and she could feel the bulge of his hard cock poking her. Driven by her own passion, she allowed her hands to slide down his perfect body, right where his shaft pressed against her. She stroked him a few times, relishing in the way it grew harder underneath her touch.
Moaning under her touch, he reached for her wet pussy, slightly forcing her legs apart, making way for his fingers. Teasingly, he rubbed her lips and her aching clit, before he pushed a finger inside her, relishing in the moans coming out of her lips.
Growling, he shoved a second finger inside her and worked on her spreading her for him and taking her a step closer to paradise.
"I want you, right now and right here," he whispered in her ear, pressing both his fingers against her sensitive spot, while his thumb rubbed her clit.
She gasped and whimpered as shudders of sheer pleasure rushed through her whole body. "Oh, yes, please,” she moaned. He rubbed harder and applied a little more pressure harder until she was sobbing of sheer need in his arms. "Oh god, yes, yes, take me, please."
He took her hands away from his cock, and raising one of her legs up, he thrust his cock all the way in her tight pussy, stretching her walls, even more, opening a passage for him. He would never get tired of the incredible feeling of her walls stretching to welcome him.
He drew his shaft almost completely out just to thrust it back in, hard, before he started to plunge in and out of her, going faster and deeper each time. He buried his face in her neck, kissing and nibbling the soft skin, loving the way she moaned.
Lost in the pleasure he was giving her, she took hold of his head, and pulled him closer to her, her fingers running aimlessly around his hair, neck, and shoulders.
Her moans were now so high, her breath so fast, that her mind was quickly falling into a turmoil of sensations. The tickling sensation seemed to spread to her whole body, enhancing her pleasure a million times and soon she was coming hard, grasped around him.
Her body shuddered so much she almost lost consciousness of the world around her. The only real thing seemed to be him, and she didn’t hesitate to cling to him.
With a few more thrusts he jumped over the edge, right after her, as his teeth were driven into the tender flesh of her neck, marking her as his and his alone.
The orgasm that washed over them was so powerful they were drenched in sweat and gasping for air when the waves finally subsided.
With one last kiss on her luscious lips, he carried her to the bathroom, where they stood under the warm stream for a while, before they were able to bathe.
Chapter Fourteen
The following morning, while they were getting ready to join the community for breakfast, Bretdon turned to look at her.
“Will you be working with that guy today?” he asked, in a tone intended to be plain, but she could tell he wasn’t pleased with the idea.
“I guess. I’ll be working with the engineering team, and he’s part of it,” she replied, in a calm tone. She had no interest in Jonathan, but it was nice knowing Bretdon cared enough for her as to feel some sort of jealousy.
“I don’t like him. I would appreciate if you stayed away from him, as much as possible. There’s something about him I really don’t like,” he said in a stern tone.
She could have protested his request, but she could tell the feeling was sincere, and she had no interest in hurting him in any way.
“I’ll be there to work, nothing else, believe me. But I’ll do as you say,” she assured him. “Will you be training the warriors with Kirkcal?”
“Yes, that’s the plan. We’ll also dedicate some time to study the camp’s plans, to find the best way to get in,” he informed her.
“I would love to see those, too,” she said, even knowing his answer in advanced.
“I don’t want you anywhere near that camp, Ophelia. Please, trust me, I’ll get your mother out of there.”
“I know that it’s just very frustrating not being able to do anything other than wait.”
“I know, and I understand the way you feel. But, if things don’t go as planned, I want to be sure you’ll be safe.”
“It doesn’t seem fair, you’ll expose yourself to save my mother.”
“Just remember if it weren’t for you meeting me, your mother wouldn’t be at that camp in the first place,” he interrupted her.
“This is not your fault or mine. This is just part of the government’s game to keep all of us under their control,” she retorted, in a grumpy tone.
“Ophelia, I’m trained, warrior. You don’t even know how to use a gun.
” He raised his hand when she opened her mouth to talk. “Yes, I’m well aware you could learn, but you need to let me do this for you.” He cupped her face and kissed her forehead.
She closed her eyes and sighed. “I just want this to be over as soon as possible.”
“I know, and in a couple of weeks, it will be over, believe me. We’ll get your mother and a few other people out of that camp.”
She leaned forward and rested her forehead on his broad chest, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her for a few moments.
After breakfast, Bretdon watched Ophelia leave the main room accompanied by a small group of engineers, with Jonathan right next to her. The frown on his expression became deeper, and only Kirkcal’s chuckle right next to him was able to make him look away.
“What?” he barked at his new friend.
“If looks could kill, that poor guy would be lying in a puddle of blood,” Kirkcal replied, in a teasing tone.
“He’s after her. I can smell his pheromones each time he’s next to her,” he grumbled.
“My dear friend, it doesn’t matter, she only has eyes for you. He’s no threat to you,” his friend assured him, patting his back.
Bretdon snorted. “I could easily squeeze him underneath my foot, of course, he’s no threat to me. I just hate seeing him drooling around my woman,” he snarled, through gritted teeth.
“I’m starting to understand exactly how you feel,” his friend said, with a stern tone.
Surprised, Bretdon turned to look at Kirkcal, but his friend’s attention was fixed on someone else. Lovely Marian was still sitting at a table chatting with some friends, apparently oblivious to Kirkcal’s attention.
“She’s a beautiful woman,” he said, with a perceptive smile on his face. It felt good knowing he wasn’t the only one troubled by a human female.
“Yes, she is, and I’m sure she wouldn’t want anything to do with a fugitive cyborg, someone her people don’t even consider human,” he said, in a cold tone, turning around and walking towards the training area.