“We don’t know,” Dad said. “Tas has some suspicions, but we can talk about them later.”
I gave my father a quick look over my shoulder, remembering that in this situation he was both my father and my captain. “Yes, Captain. Did the cloak hold?”
“It waffled some toward the end.”
Having been cleared to leave whenever he felt up to it, Conner rose from his bed with good color and sound energy, considering what he’d been through. He stepped next to Tas and placed his arm around his father’s shoulder. Conner had his mother’s auburn hair and eyes. The height he’d gotten from Tas, though he wasn’t quite as broad as his father. “Let’s go, Dad, and give Victoria some space.”
Still in his ghostly world, Tas nodded. “Let me know if anything changes,” he said, and hesitantly walked out with Conner.
Dad squeezed my shoulder. “Focus on Victoria right now. We’ll talk about the rest later.”
After my father left, I wiped Victoria’s blood from my flight suit until the stain lightened enough not to be immediately noticed. I didn’t want the sight to scare her when she woke. I looked for signs that she would wake. Her pale skin showed the weakness of her body, but her emotional state concerned me more. It was so fragile now, and I had no idea if she could handle what she’d just been thrust into.
CHAPTER 51 -
BRIAN
Lying face down in the rear of one of the SUVs, arms handcuffed behind my back, I struggled to breathe through the heavy blanket that had been thrown over me. A smothering pocket of heat created from my trapped breath caused a layer of sweat to form on my face and neck.
Through the thick material, I strained to hear any clues about where we might be going, and whether or not Tori, Gaige, and their companion had escaped. I couldn’t make out anything clearly. Whatever Tori had gotten herself into, I hoped to hell Gaige could get her out, because I couldn’t help her now.
After what seemed like hours, the motion of the vehicle stopped. I heard the muffled sound of the rear doors opening. Someone whipped back the blanket that had been covering me and a blast of cold air hit me full force. Five men—all military—hovered outside the back of the SUV. Two of them dragged me out of the car and dropped me on the pavement of a parking lot where I landed firmly on my kneecaps.
In the dark, the men guided me, not so gently, into a building and down a flight of stairs. After one quick turn, they stopped and removed the handcuffs. Before I could make any moves to get away, they gave me a hearty shove that sent me reeling into the back wall of a dimly lit cell. My chin stung from the salty sweat on my face and I knew I’d lost some flesh when I hit the rough brick. Metal bars slammed closed behind me with a damp echo and the men left without a word.
Something told me this facility wasn’t a part of any jurisdiction’s justice system. Aiding and abetting a fugitive’s escape from justice. Guilty. Someone had already played judge, jury, and . . . well, hopefully not executioner.
In less than a day I had gone from the United States’ top stealth scientist to prisoner. I’d underestimated the gravity of the situation by a mile. My credentials had given me no protection. I was as expendable as anyone else, and not just in regard to the job. General Ash hadn’t been exaggerating to protect his precious rank. What had happened to him? Had he remained in the not-so-good graces of whoever called the shots, or was he in some unofficial, probably even unknown, cell like me? Or worse?
I touched the raw spot on my chin, wondering what else might be coming.
PART II
CHAPTER 52 -
VICTORIA
Muffled voices somewhere in the distance attempted to seep into my awareness. I didn’t know to whom the voices belonged or what they were saying. Nor could I muster enough strength to figure it out. I was there, but I was not, aware merely of my existence . . . somewhere.
I allowed myself to drift in and out of consciousness until I gathered enough energy to open my eyes. Someone sat by my side with his head resting on the edge of my bed. A warmth cradled my hand. And my soul. Though I couldn’t completely make out his form in the dim light, I already knew it was Gaige who held my hand. I tried to say his name, but didn’t have the strength to form the word.
“Wake slowly, eighty percent Earth illumination,” a female said.
The room began to lighten. The walls changed from black to gray, then to pastel orange, and finally a delicate shade of blue. It was as if the sun had risen in the room, though with a gentler light.
The woman approaching my bed was an exotic beauty with a silky black ponytail tied low at the back of her neck. She wore an outfit similar in both style and material to the ones Gaige and Conner wore, except hers was two-piece. “Hello, Victoria. I’m Zada, your doctor. He just drifted off.”
I looked down at a sleeping Gaige then back at the doctor and the new world that surrounded me. The milky white floors and sky blue walls shined like polished glass. My eyes followed the walls up to where they curved into the same blue ceiling, with no hard corners to mark the transition. A sunshine glow emanated from the walls and ceiling, warming my face like a summer day.
“We made it,” I said.
Gaige stirred. “You okay?” His hand tightened on mine.
“I’m fine.”
Gaige breathed a relieved sigh and said a quiet thank you that I thought was meant for someone or something higher than any of us in the room.
“You need anything?” Gaige said.
“I just want to take it all in.” I lifted my head, easing my hand out of Gaige’s to push myself up. The top of the bed rose to meet me and I rested against it.
“This room is our ship’s version of an emergency room,” Gaige said.
The place contained no furniture except my bed and Gaige’s chair, but could have held much more. Scrutinizing the room for every detail, I noticed barely visible lines etched into the luminescent walls and ceiling. The same outlines surrounded the area where my bed and Gaige’s chair extended from the wall. Maybe the place did hold more furniture. We just couldn’t see it right now.
On the far side of the room, a small silver robot about the size of a Frisbee, but thicker, hovered in the air. I studied the smooth curve of its top, its flat bottom, the intricate patterns that marked its surface. It made no movement, just hung there, still and quiet. After a few moments, I gave up on my hopes of seeing the droid in action and followed the gentle curve of the sparsely furnished room back to Gaige. Then I saw them. Three dark circular blotches on the front of his flight suit where the material had been nearly shredded. “Are you hurt?” I reached my hand toward the marks. “Did they do that to you?”
He grasped my hand to keep me from touching him. “I’m fine.”
“Gaige, are you hurt?” The words came out louder than I’d planned.
“Really, I’m fine. They've been healed. I acted on reflex.” Gaige placed my hand on his chest. “You can touch them. They don't hurt.”
I dragged my fingers lightly across one of the coarse marks. He didn’t flinch and didn’t seem to be in pain.
“See.” Gaige said. “Now what about you? Are you sure you feel okay?”
I felt no pain, no nausea. Only relief. “I feel good.”
“Let’s give Gaige some peace of mind.” The doctor rolled her eyes toward Gaige and pursed her lips. “Again.” She smiled and pulled something from the wall that, once removed from its hiding place, looked like a bar code scanner. “This will check whether all your systems are functioning properly. You won’t feel a thing.” She held the scanner over me, moving it from my head down the length of my body. Symbols I didn’t recognize flashed on a display screen on the backside of the device. “She’s still doing well. Why don’t I check your status too, Gaige?”
Gaige agreed and the doctor commanded a bed to extend from the wall next to mine. Gaige sat and lowered the top part of his flight suit to his waist. Three large yellow bruises—barely visible—mottled the skin on his chest. Not the color of fresh br
uises. Like Gaige had said, they truly had healed. Or nearly so.
“Why don’t you lie down, Gaige. This will only take a minute.”
Gaige did as the doctor told him and she scanned her medical device over his chest. By the time she pushed the scanner back into the wall, Gaige was fast asleep.
“I thought that might work,” she said under her breath.
“Has he been here with me the whole time I’ve been unconscious?”
“Yes. He refused to leave you. I figured if I had him lie down, he’d fall asleep. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No. Not at all. Let him sleep. He must be exhausted.” I searched for the bruises on his chest. If I hadn’t already known they were there, I might have missed them. But, considering the condition of his flight suit, his injuries must have been serious when we arrived here. “Will he be okay?”
“Gaige will be fine. All his injuries have been healed. He just needs rest now.”
I sighed and laid my head back against the bed. Gaige was safe, away from the maniacs who’d been after him. And after me too. Gaige felt I wouldn’t have been safe if he’d left me in the lab. But why? My mind was so foggy and it all seemed like a dream now. A crazy, unbelievable dream. Yet there I was, on a real, honest-to-goodness spaceship, with Gaige lying next to me. My mind raced through all the things he’d done for me. “He’s a good person.”
A strange feeling in regard to the doctor drew my attention to her. Our eyes locked in an unspoken conversation . . . or agreement . . . or knowing. Gaige was a good person. I knew it and she knew it. But she also knew more.
“Doctor?”
She blinked, breaking the trance. “Yes, you’re right. Gaige is a good person. For now, let’s just say you’ve come to mean a lot to him.” She stood and removed the medical device from the wall. “Why don’t I see how your arm is healing?”
“My arm?” For the first time, I realized the sleeve of my sweater had been cut open. I’d remembered the plan to abandon our attempt to make it to the shuttles and instead go to the ship somehow. There had been no time for details. But only now did I remember hearing the shots and feeling the pain in my arm.
“Yes, that’s right. You were shot in the arm. It’s been healed, though. The pinkness will soon fade.” The doctor scanned the side of my arm, looked at the readout screen, and then placed the device back into the wall. She eyed the thin scar. “It’s mending nicely.”
A pink line about four inches long ran horizontally across the side of my arm. I reached my hand through the slit in my sweater and rubbed my fingers across the wound. It didn’t hurt and, other than the color, the smooth mark was not at all distinguishable from the area of skin around it. “I can’t believe they really shot at us.”
“Yes, it’s a difficult concept. Your injuries could have been much worse. Fatal even. The flight suits can withstand penetration by most Earth bullets. Gaige knew your clothing could not, so he tried to block you from the bullets. The best he could, anyway.”
I remembered Gaige stepping in front of me. “I’m the reason for his injuries?”
“No, you’re not the reason. The men were aiming for all of you. Even Conner was hit. But, because of the suits, Gaige's and Conner’s injuries were only impact wounds from the force of the bullets and were easily treated. Both will be fine.”
“Good.” There was so much to absorb in the new place. Floating robots, bulletproof suits. They all factored in to remind me that I was now the alien in someone else’s world.
“Is there anything I can get you? Food? Water? I provided you with hydration. Something like your Earth IVs, but administered by patch rather than needles. I also provided nutrients the same way. But I can get you some real water or food now that you’re awake.”
My mouth was moist and my stomach satisfied. I could think of nothing I needed, but with Gaige lying bare-chested, I wondered if he should have a blanket. “No, I think I’m fine for now. Could I get a blanket for Gaige, though?”
“The room tracks both core and surface body temperatures and will adjust to keep him comfortable. You as well. But if you’d feel better having blankets, I can get you some.”
“Oh. No, as long as he’s comfortable, that won’t be necessary.”
“Would you like some more comfortable clothing? Gaige didn’t think you’d want to be changed while you slept.” The doctor lowered her head, attempting to hide a grin.
Gaige did seem to know me well, and she knew it. I could have used something more comfortable than my jeans to sleep in, but was glad Gaige hadn’t allowed them to expose me to the world, or at least the people who happened to be in the room. A yawn fought to break free. I didn’t want to be rude by yawning in the doctor’s face, so I stifled it, straining to keep my jaw clamped shut until it passed. At that point, I just wanted time alone to process all that had happened. “I know I just woke up, but I think I could sleep a while longer. Maybe after I wake again, I could shower and change then?”
“Absolutely. We’ll get you a change of clothes whenever you’re ready. For now, rest as much as you need to. Being exposed to all of us is a lot to manage if you’re not used to it. You’ll continue to need time for that. It will be a long, sometimes tough, process.”
“Gaige said it might be a difficult adjustment.”
“Gaige was right, but things will get easier. Give yourself time.” The doctor stood and briefly laid a hand on my shoulder. “Everything will be okay. I’m going to check on a patient in another room. If you need anything, Toji can help you.”
She turned to the little droid robot that had been hovering in the air on the other side of the room. It came alive with tiny yellow lights embedded around its disc-shaped body. These lights blinked randomly for a second or two and then stayed solid. The robot glided through the air, smooth and soundless. It stopped a foot or so from me and floated effortlessly down to my eye level.
“This is Toji, my droid assistant,” the doctor said. “Toji, this is Victoria.”
A few of the tiny lights on the droid turned green and blinked. It extended a jointed arm from its body and reached its small metal hand toward me. Its fingers encased my own hand more gently than I’d expected from the blocky metal digits. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Victoria,” the droid said in a silky male voice.
“Um, it’s nice to meet you, too.” I pulled my hand back, wondering if the contraption could actually have a conversation with me or if it had been pre-programmed with canned responses, unaware of my actual comment or even my presence. I turned to the doctor. “Does it comprehend what I’m saying?”
“Yes, Toji understands. Though constructed from artificial means, he’s an intelligent being. He can have a perfectly coherent conversation, in English or any other language, with completely appropriate responses. In addition to Toji, the room monitors medical needs and will alert us to anything you might not be able to tell us.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
“Please, call me Zada,” she said. “I’ll turn the lights down so you can both sleep more easily.” She gave a command and the lighting in the room reduced to no more than that of a nightlight. Zada left the room through a section of the wall that opened on its own and then slid silently closed behind her.
A tiny pang of anxiety stirred my stomach. Perhaps it was unease over the difficult adjustment I’d been warned about. And perhaps not. I wasn’t sure of these new feelings.
With only the two of us in the room, I couldn’t keep myself away from Gaige. I slid off my bed and stepped next to him. I studied his face. His brow bore no worry lines now. Stubble from his time on the run and waiting for me to wake covered his firm jaw. The lips that had kissed my forehead rested with their edges curved upward in a slight smile, even as he slept. I let my eyes trace down his body, past his neck and his broad shoulders, to the arms that had carried me so protectively. His chest, once marred with bruises from shielding me, rose and fell beneath perfectly healed, bronzed skin. I stood for a long time watching
him sleep. He was the most beautiful being I’d ever laid my eyes on, both inside and out. In that moment I knew, without a doubt, I was undeniably in love with him.
Not thinking, I placed my hand on his cheek and stroked it. His eyes opened ever so slightly. His gentle smile grew and he reached his arm out for me to lie with him. I crawled into the bed and snuggled into the warmth of his body. He fell back to sleep instantly.
Lying next to him, I was more content than I’d ever been in my life. I could have stayed like that forever. With my face resting on his bare chest, I heard every beat of his heart. I felt his chest rise as he breathed in, and then listened for him to slowly exhale. Absorbing every moment of him, I drifted off in his arms, so content. I wanted every night to be exactly like that. But somehow, I knew that whatever had happened back on Earth—it wasn’t over.
CHAPTER 53 -
LOME
Deep underground, the smell of earth hung heavy in our thick-walled complex. I snorted the scent of it from my nostrils, sick of the dank, dark dungeon we’d been concealing ourselves in all these years. But daylight and fresh air, finally, were not far from us. For now, we’d remain patient. A skill that only in hiding the Tamanacke had learned to use to our advantage. A skill we’d continue to master, remaining hidden from the prying eyes of the general Earthling population and the range of any surveillance devices from beyond, Anuan or otherwise.
My leaders filed into the meeting room and formed an impeccable line, ready for my orders. This was an army. Well-disciplined, obedient, competent. Nothing like these imbecile leaders we’d had to deal with on Earth, these stupid Anuan offspring. If I said capture, my men captured. If I said kill, they killed. No excuses, no mistakes.
“Squad Leads reporting, ready and eager for your instructions, Candar Lome,” Cruck announced.
The Anuan Legacy: Book 1 of The Anuan Legacy Series Page 12