“What did happen last night, Thomas?” Her blue eyes seemed cool, but her voice wasn’t.
“I want to know if I am imagining things.” He put his hands against his head. “Am I going insane?” He looked up, she came around the desk and stood in front of him. She’s so beautiful, he thought and wanted to reach out, take her into his arms and kiss her sensuous full lips.
“Tell me what you think happened,” she said softly.
He shook his head. “I can’t speak it out loud. Maybe it never did happen. Where are all the girls?”
“They are sleeping. They need the rest.”
“Why?”
“Last night’s ceremony took a lot out of them, physically and mentally.” She put a hand against his cheek. “You are The Chosen One, Brother Thomas, and you have a right to know.” She took his hand. “Come into the garden with me.”
They walked down a narrow sandy path. There were shrubs and wild flowers blooming all around them. Sister Angela led him to a bench made from tree branches and motioned for him to sit down. “I have not always walked the Good Road,” she began, joining him on the bench. “Neither have my Angels. You see, I come from a mining planet. I grew up in harsh surroundings. My parents were both killed when I was ten years old. I survived the only way I could. I sold my body. Asteroid miners pay good money and most of them don’t care how old you are.
“I became very good at my profession. Once I was old enough I picked young girls off the street. I taught them everything I learned the hard way. I gave them protection and a place to stay. My House of Angels became well known and I amassed a fortune.
“But I also attracted the attention of a certain criminal organization, and when it became clear that my business might be taken over, that my life might even be in danger, I decided it was time to get out and move on. I took my Angels and boarded a ship headed for the colonies.”
Tom listened silently. He looked up when Sister Angela paused. “So the church and all this is just a lie!”
Sister Angela shook her head. “No, it isn’t. My father was a preacher. He taught me everything about The Good Book. When I boarded that ship I vowed to change my ways. I would teach my girls everything my parents taught me. They would become good and faithful wives to some hard working colonists. They would live a harsh, but fulfilling life.”
“Looks like you failed.”
“No, no, I didn’t fail. Everything is happening the way it was ordained.” She put a hand on his arm. “Not long ago I had a vision. You were in it, Brother Thomas. I was told that my Angels and I were the Blessed Vessels and you were The Chosen One. Whatever happened these last two nights is part of a great plan. You and I, we have no control over it.”
Tom laughed harshly. “I have no control over it, that much is true. But you, you lured me to the pond where you fed me some kind of drug, and all that chanting, those naked girls! You! It just made me crazy.” He looked at Sister Angela. “You know, I came here to ask your forgiveness for what I did. But now, I don’t know anymore.”
She touched his cheek with a soft hand. “There is nothing to forgive, Brother Thomas. It was all ordained,” she said gently. Then she put her lips on his. They were warm and soft. He wanted to take her into his arms, but resisted the temptation.
“I better get back to my chores,” he said, getting up. “That generator is still not working properly.” When he walked away, she called after him, “By the way, my name really is Angela.”
He left the garden, his mind in turmoil. How did he know if Sister Angela really had a vision? She had been a prostitute for so long, probably done drugs for years. It was quite possible that her mind was so warped she actually conjured up a vision.
The drink she gave him, he held no doubts that it had been drugged. He coupled with girls younger than his own daughters. On some planets, he’d be thrown in jail for what he did, on others, he might even lose his life. They are prostitutes, whores! his mind shouted. All of them, including Sister Angela!
“Good morning, Preacher-man,” a voice said behind him. He turned, saw Orona trying to catch up with him. She reached him, gave him a bright smile.
She wore a coarse brown robe, like most of the women, but in his mind he saw her slim naked body. He knew now that he had not been dreaming; what he remembered about her was true.
Her almond eyes sparkled with mischief when she looked at him. “What I said last night about you coming down to the pond tonight, I meant it,” she said. “You sure know how to please a woman.”
Tom felt awkward, was lost for words. “I’m not sure,” he finally stammered. “If my wife finds out…”
Orona laughed. “Your wife! I wouldn’t worry about her. She’s been fogging Stephan Tilus every night.”
Stunned by what she said Tom stared at her. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing,” he said, “she thinks she’s dreaming.”
“She does?” Orona’s expression became thoughtful. “That might explain why she acts so crazy. She seems like a wild, sex-starved nympho when she’s out at night, no inhibitions what so ever, none. But during the day she’s reserved and doesn’t want to talk about anything but her work.” She turned to leave, over her shoulder she said, “So don’t forget about tonight. I’ll be waiting.”
Tom didn’t answer, changing his mind about the generator. It could wait. He headed for the hospital station instead.
There was a nurse on duty behind the desk in the small front office.
“Is Dr. McClary in?” he asked.
The nurse smiled. “Good morning, Mr. McClary. Your wife is in, but she’s busy with a patient.”
“That’s all right, maybe I’ll be back later.” Tom turned to leave when the door to one of the examination rooms opened and Anina walked out.
“Tom?” she said, puzzled. “Something wrong?”
He stared at her; she looked good in her white lab coat. He noticed that her hair hung loose around her shoulders. “I don’t know,” he said, “can we talk?”
“Sure, come into my office.”
They walked down a short corridor, entered another small room. “They don’t give you much space,” he commented.
She smiled. “It’s big enough. I just use it to make some notes.” Her eyes were thoughtful when she looked at him. “What is it, Thomas? You seem agitated. Are you ill?” Concerned, she laid a hand against his forehead.
He shook it away, sat down in one of the two plastic chairs. “Are you fucking Stephan Tilus?” The words came out unbidden, harsh. Under usual circumstances, he would never say it like that.
“What?” She put a hand to her mouth. Her eyes were large. She looked frightened.
“Are you having sex with Stephan?” he asked again, choosing his words more carefully this time.
“How can you…how would you…?”
“How I know? It doesn’t matter. Are you?”
She sank into the other chair and stared at her hands. They were shaking. “Am I talking in my sleep?” she didn’t wait for him to answer. “These dreams I’ve been having, they seem so real, but they are only dreams, nothing more. They fade as the day goes by.”
“They are not dreams, Anina. What you experience is real,” he said gently.
“No, you are wrong!” she almost shouted. “I would never do those things in real life. They are fantasies, just crazy dreams. They mean absolutely nothing.”
He reached out, took her shaking hands into his and pulled them against his lips. His tears fell on them. “It’s all right, honey. You have no control over it. None of us have.”
She pulled her hand away. “What do you mean? What have you done?”
He stood up, pulled her close against him. “My dreams were as bad as yours,” he said, “only now I know that I was not dreaming. You’re the doctor. Tell me, has anyone come to you to talk about his or her dreams?”
“They wouldn’t come to me. I’m only a GP. Maybe you should ask Dr. Rodriguez, he’s the psychiatrist. I can’t talk about my pat
ients, but you are my husband. Yesterday Rob Cameron came into my office; he’s one of the geologists. He was gone for a couple of weeks. He didn’t look too good. He told me about the nightmares he’s experienced when he camped out in the bush. He talked about alien life forms, babbled on about this beautiful woman in the lake. I sent him to Dr. Rodriguez.”
She was composed again, almost cool. “Was Orona in your dreams?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said, “but only very briefly.”
The light in the ceiling flickered. Anina’s eyes were on his face; they seemed shiny with moisture. “You still haven’t fixed the generator,” she said.
“I know,” he nodded. “I’ll get to it right away.”
“That’s good.” She began fidgeting with her hair. “I think I’ll start wearing my bun again, what do you think?”
Smiling, he nodded. He could see a tear rolling down her cheek, and on an impulse, he took her into his arms. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear.
“Me too,” she said and gently pushed him away. “You better go now. I have a patient waiting.”
“So do I,” he grinned. “Except mine can’t tell me where it hurts.”
When he walked into the front office, he saw a tall, blond woman in a white outfit bending over the desk. She looked up when he went past her. “Oh, hello Tom,” she said, “what are you doing here?”
“Good morning, Mabel.” Tom was surprised to see her in such friendly spirits.
She straightened up, brushed down the front of her coat. He couldn’t help but notice the swell of her breasts and wondered what she looked like naked.
“Do you have a moment, Tom?” she asked.
“I was going to check out the generator,” he said, “but it can wait.”
She grabbed his arm. “Let’s go outside.”
To escape the searing heat of the blazing sun in the bright sky they headed for the shadows of a tall Corander tree. It was cooler under the thick low hanging branches.
“Another beautiful day,” Tom said, for lack of anything else to say.
“It sure is,” the woman said, she seemed to hesitate, looked at Tom with pale, blue eyes. “The days have been beautiful, but what about the nights?”
Tom stared into her pale eyes. Those eyes, he thought, no wonder they call her ‘The Ice-cube’. He never seemed able to warm up to her. “The nights can be very beautiful, too,” he said.
“Yeah,” Mabel nodded. “Listen, Tom, we never really talk much, you and I. I’m not much for small talk, and I don’t have many friends, you know. But you seem like a nice guy, with you helping out at Sister Angela’s church and other stuff. People trust you, so I thought, maybe I could talk to you.”
She started talking fast, under her breath, as if afraid, someone might hear.
Tom smiled. “I am a good listener, Mabel. If I can help, I will. And don’t worry, I’ll keep it confidential.”
She sighed. “You know Ted Cameron. I’ve been having sex with him for three nights in a row now.”
A little embarrassed Tom held up a hand. “Your love life is your business, Mabel. You don’t have to explain to anybody.”
“I know, but Tom, think about it. Ted Cameron? I’ve said no to guys that are more attractive. Ted is a bore, during the day I can’t stand him, at night I can’t get enough of him. I am like a sex-starved nymphomaniac. That is not like me.”
Tom smiled. “I can’t comment on that, Mabel. I don’t know you well enough.”
A rosy tint colored Mabel’s cheeks. “You’re funny, Tom. In case you don’t know, I’ve had my fantasies too, and you’ve been in them.” She put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, Tom, I don’t know why I said that. It just came out. You are married, for heaven’s sake. I must be insane.”
“I’m flattered, Mabel.” Tom was still smiling, but then he became serious. “You’ve been frank with me. You have a right to question your sanity. I’ve been questioning mine. What if I told you I’ve had sex with Sister Angela?”
“You and Sister Angela?” Mabel’s eyes widened. “When?”
“For a couple of nights now. Always at night, all night long. I am out of control, can’t stop. And not just Sister Angela. I’ve had sex will all of her Angels. Three nights ago, I discovered my wife with Stephan Tilus. Now you’re telling me this about you and Ted. Here comes the crazy part, Sister Angela thinks she is having a religious experience, you think you are going insane and my wife thinks it is nothing but a dream. There is something weird going on.”
“Your wife and Stephan?” There was a strange expression in Mabel’s face. Her eyes were on Tom. “In that case I wouldn’t feel too bad if you and I…” she caught herself. “I mean I’d rather do it with you than with Ted.” Her eyes grew large, she closed them for a quick moment, and then looked at him with a crooked smile, “I don’t know what I’m saying anymore.”
Looking into her pale eyes, he thought, She’s very beautiful and attractive, and she wants me. She’s right, with Anina screwing Stephan it would make it just fair. If she gets pregnant, I’d just be doing my share in the continued existence of our colony on this planet.
“Say yes, Tom,” she said with a husky voice, “I don’t know why, but I have the sudden urge to be with you tonight. It’s like a vision. I see you making love to me and it seems right. Maybe I’m having a religious experience, too.” She laughed and touched his hand. “I have a good feeling about this. I’ll be waiting for you tonight by the women’s bathing place.”
He watched her walk away as she headed back toward the hospital; his mind was spinning. This was the second woman who had propositioned him. He had no intentions meeting her or Orona, tempting though it might be.
No, this night he would spend with his wife.
Chapter Twelve
Exploration Team Delta
A spine tingling roar was the only warning, and then the cat-like creature was upon Kendrick, who brought up the rear. Striker turned when he heard the man’s scream. Man and beast were both rolling on the ground, the animal snarling and Kendrick yelling for help.
Before Striker could act, Remington casually walked up to them, pulled out his antique gun and put a bullet into the body of the cat. With a defying scream, the beast let go of Kendrick and swiped at Remington with a huge paw. He jumped back, fired another shot between the snapping jaws. Spitting and snarling, the beast advanced toward Remington, dragging its large body along the ground. Remington emptied a whole clip into the body of the animal, until it stopped kicking.
Kendrick was still screaming, holding his bloody arm. Dr. Liss rushed to his side. “Someone help me,” she called over her shoulder. Striker reached them, to look in horror at the man’s torn arm.
Rummaging through her bag, Dr. Liss pulled out a strip of leather, wrapped it around the injured arm and tightened it. “I’ve stopped the bleeding,” she said to Striker, “that’s all I can do. I hope the CMD can save his arm.”
Breanna and Monaca set up the portable medical unit. Dr. Liss hooked it up to Kendrick, who by now was only half-conscious. He relaxed, when the CMD pumped his body full of painkillers.
“Is he going to be alright?” Breanna asked.
Dr. Liss shrugged. “This unit is the best modern science has produced so far. It will disinfect the wound, mend torn muscles and ligaments, and graft artificial skin. He has a good chance.”
Striker wondered what would happen once the medical unit ran out of drugs and supplies. Dr. Liss seemed competent, but she could never handle surgeries or serious injuries and illnesses. He studied the body of the dead creature. It was large, covered with shaggy hair, its six legs ending in huge four-digit paws, which were equipped with long, sharp and wicked claws that were capable of inflicting terrible wounds. Pointy canines protruded from the long snout, and the long tail was tipped with a hard, spiny ball. There was no question, this was a savage, deadly predator.
“Let’s hope there aren’t too many of these around.” Breanna, who came up behind h
im, voiced his own thoughts. He turned, smiled at her. She leaned against him. “Andrea says Kendrick will be all right. His arm will be useless for a while, but it will mend. He’s lucky he didn’t loose it.”
“We’ll have to be much more aware of our surroundings from now on,” Striker said. “Next time we may not be so fortunate.” He looked at Breanna. “About the other night…” he began.
“What about it?” Her green eyes were large when she looked at him.
“I don’t want you to think that I took advantage of the situation,” he said. “I mean…it was you who climbed in with me…” he hesitated, “maybe I misunderstood.”
She laughed softly. “You didn’t misunderstand. Actually, I should be the one apologizing. Maybe it was I who assumed too much.”
“Well, well…” said a deep voice behind them. “The two lovers.”
Striker turned his head to look at the big man. “I guess you’re the hero now, Remington. Kendrick owes you his life.”
“Just doing my job.” Remington grinned.
“You’ll be out of ammo if you don’t practice a little restraint,” Striker said.
“Don’t you worry.” Remington padded his backpack. “I am well stocked.”
“Not my worry, as long as you are the one who carries it.”
Remington prodded the carcass of the large cat with his foot. “Sooner or later we will have to look for food, those rations won’t last forever. Wonder what this critter tastes like.” He tipped his broad-rimmed hat in a mock-salute. “Since everybody seems to look upon you as the team-leader, Striker, what are your orders regarding this animal?”
“We’ll leave it for the carrion-eaters.” The man’s sarcastic attitude annoyed Striker. He knew Remington was trying to rile him, but he refused to take the bait. “If you want to make yourself useful, Remington, why don’t you sweep the area and see if there are any other dangerous animals around. Pick yourself a couple of men. Make sure they’re armed.”
“Yes, sir, lieutenant!” Remington tipped his hat again and walked away. That was the first time he called him by his rank, but Striker knew Remington was just mocking him. One day they would be butting heads, and it would not be a good day. Remington was a big man, with bulging, corded muscles, not an adversary to be underestimated.
The Xandra (Book 1): Daughter of the Dark Page 8