Something drew him to her. The scene unfolding in front of her made her want to help instead of run away. So she decided to stay.
As she approached them, the cyborg whipped around, laser weapon in hand. Micah immediately put her hands up in the air. When he recognized her, he put down his gun. "What are you doing out here?" he asked gruffly. "Planning to escape? You're free to go now."
"What happened?" Micah asked, as she crouched down beside him. "Is she alright?"
"Shelley's going to be okay," he answered. "Philip's an ass, that traitor. He suddenly turned on us. The government probably paid him off to rat us out. I suspect Vince is in on it too. I have to find him."
"Okay, go," Micah said. "I'll stay with Shelley."
He hesitated before taking off.
Shelley was beginning to recover from the shock of what had occurred. She was still very much in pain, but she reached out and squeezed Micah's hand. Giving a little smile, she whispered, "Thanks. And I'm sorry for shooting you."
"Oh, no worries," Micah said. "It was painful, but at least it was just a temporary sleeping drug and not a real bullet."
"We never had plans of killing you," Shelley said. "Actually, my brother Drake had been searching for you for quite some time because we knew that you had a lot of valuable information that can help us with our own mission."
"Drake," Micah repeated the name, thinking of the good-looking cyborg who affected her so much. "So what's your mission exactly?"
"He'd always suspected that the New Government was using the cyborgs, not for peace and order but to keep people at bay so nobody would find out what they were really up to," Shelley explained, in between her heavy breathing. She paused for a while to rest before continuing. "Yes, we know they're up to no good. We just don't have an idea yet what it is they want to accomplish."
"But why are you training to become part of them?"
"I've always wanted to be a cyborg too, just so I could keep avoiding taking those happy pills," Shelley confided. "All our relatives and friends have become like… dolls… We can't even recognize them anymore apart from their faces and physical features."
"I know what you mean," Micah said, thinking of her good friend Elise. "That's why we've got to expose them while it's still early."
"But we need proof," Shelley countered. "And so many people will never believe us. Besides, as soon as we go out in the open, we're as good as dead already."
Micah had been coming up with a plan for months now. She didn't want to share it just yet so she kept quiet. But she could sense Shelley's honesty and desperation. She knew that this girl was telling the truth and that just maybe, she and Drake could help out in her mission.
*****
Drake could not track Vince down anymore. Even the others had gone, afraid to become fugitives or to be considered rebels. He'd already hidden Philip's body and was positive that he had not been able to communicate anything to their headquarters. Nevertheless, he was certain that some of their bosses were already looking for him.
As Shelley was healing, they decided it was best to lay low in the woods. During this time, Micah got to spend a lot of time with Drake. They talked a lot and eventually found out that they had plenty in common.
"Our parents got into an unfortunate accident a few years back," Drake had told her one afternoon while they were hunting in the forest for their food. "But now I'm not so sure if it was really an accident. My dad was involved with the New Government's secret project- the development of the happy pills."
"Oh," was all Micah could say. She listened as he went on to tell her the story of how the cyborg police had made him stronger and braver as a person. Helping protect people gave him fulfillment and somehow seemed to bury the pain of loss further down.
"Must be tough," Micah remarked. "But from what I know, cyborgs are also injected with drugs. These are supposed to keep you loyal followers, right?"
"They integrated special devices into my body so that I could be stronger and faster. I got the abilities, but the brainwashing drugs they injected seemed to have been impeded by these devices. Later on, I noticed that my colleagues were becoming different than they were before. I was the only one who wasn't following blindly. There were commands I didn't agree with, so they gave me more of the drug. My body wasn't responding accordingly, but I didn't want it to seem obvious. They did tests on me and knew I was different. They kept eyes on me. And so I pretended to eventually change. I copied the others and after a while, they dropped their guard on me. That was when I began to do a bit of research."
Micah nodded thoughtfully, now fully understanding where he was coming from and why he was also determined to find out what was going on. At that moment, she knew she could really trust him and work with him closely. Somehow, that thought filled her with a warm feeling that she had never experienced before.
She found herself sharing more, talking about growing up in a community of rebels and about how she went on to become Renegade Leader of the group. She talked about the great pain of losing so many of her loved ones in various ways, and the immense agony of being a failure because most of her team members had been seized or killed. As she recalled all the bitter memories, pain gripped her heart and she realized she wasn't as hard-hearted as she thought she'd become.
"I want to bring them down," she revealed. "Really, really make them eat dirt." Her quiet words made him look at her in awe.
"I understand," he finally said, after a minute of silence.
They had come upon a cliff from which they could see the sun setting in the distance. In silence, they watched the sunset side by side, relishing the beauty of the sky bursting with swirling hues of pinks, oranges, and purples.
It had been so long since Micah felt relaxed. The natural exquisiteness of the sunset and the forest setting made her feel renewed. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of the cool breeze on her skin. She didn't even realize that she had stepped forward a little too much. Suddenly, her eyes flew open as she lost her balance and almost tripped toward the open precipice. Strong arms caught her just in time, wrapping around her slender body and bringing her close to his body.
The world seemed to pause for a moment as Micah caught her breath and tried to calm her racing heart.
"Are you okay?" she heard him whisper on top of her head.
She nodded, still wide-eyed from nearly falling. "Thanks," she murmured softly.
He held her close, awakening all her senses and heating up her body. She could feel the beating heart beneath his chest, thumping in rhythm with the wind and the rustle of leaves. And as their surroundings darkened, she felt him tip her chin up gently. She gazed up into his passionate brown eyes which were fixed on her.
Without a word, he leaned forward and dampened her lips with his in a sweet kiss that made her blood rush. She lifted her hands to his neck, which drove him to kiss her again- this time with more force and greater passion. She returned it fervently, losing herself in the pleasurable act.
Their kiss deepened, their tongues eventually finding one another and intertwining in an erotic dance that filled their bodies with intense heat and aching. As they devoured and caressed each other, Micah felt Drake leading her back to the shadows of the trees.
They stepped into pitch blackness where the moonlight could not reach them. Drake pressed her against a tree trunk with his arms resting on either side of her face. His lips moistened her neck while his tongue swirled circles on the surface of her skin. She felt the heat mounting inside her body, spreading to all her extremities and making her burn to be touched and fondled.
His hand groped under her shirt, crawling under her sports bra and cupping her breast. His thumb rubbed against her nipple, making it taut. She let out a soft moan and felt the warmth pooling between her legs.
BOOM!
The sudden sound of an explosion made them jump apart, immediately alert.
"What was that?" Micah asked breathlessly.
"Come on," Drake said, takin
g off instantly. Micah ran after him, following his lead as they both shot across the deep areas of the forest back to the cabin where Shelley was resting.
When they got there, they were shocked to find the cabin in flames. "Shelley!" Drake yelled, racing toward the fire.
Micah grabbed him with all her might, trying to stop him from going in. He struggled with her and eventually came free. She couldn't do anything but watch him go into the burning lodge. He was a cyborg with extraordinary strength and speed, after all.
After five minutes, he still had not come out. The black smoke rose to the sky in enormous billows, mixing with the sizzling orange blazes all around the cabin. Micah stood there, trying to look beyond. "Drake! Drake!" she screamed.
Finally, after a while, she saw him come out coughing, his clothes seared and charred. He staggered to where she was standing and dropped to his knees. "She's… not… there…" he said, in between heavy panting.
At that exact moment, his fireproof police communication device let out a ping. He took it out of his pocket and read the message. It had been a while since he'd last heard from anyone in the police force.
Micah watched his face fill with alarm. He looked up at her and said in a slightly trembling voice, "The General got her."
*****
The chief of the cyborg police force was called the General, known to be ruthless. Even the members of the force and other government officials were frightened of him. Nevertheless, Drake had wanted to rush into their headquarters to save his sister. But Micah had stopped him. "We'll all just end up dead," she told him. "We need a good plan first."
"But they might kill her before we get there!" Drake protested.
"No," Micah said firmly, shaking her head. "They won't do that because I'm the one they want. This is their way of luring us into their trap."
"You're right," Drake agreed, taking a deep breath. "In the meantime, we'll just have to hope and pray that they are not hurting her."
They stomped through the woods throughout the night, very exhausted, looking for some sort of shelter. Finally, they came to an abandoned vehicle. It was an old-fashioned, beat-up van that had been left in the forest a long time ago.
"We have to save our energy as we plan for our next step," Micah said. "We can't just act without thinking."
A ping came again and Drake's device flashed with a green light. This time, it was a message from one of his friends on the police force. He was informing him that Shelley was okay for the moment and that the General was awaiting his return.
"Thank God," he said, and breathed a sigh of relief as he and Micah sat down at the back of the van. It was only the rear door that could be opened. The back seats were lying flat on the floor of the vehicle, providing enough room for the two of them to sleep.
Micah gave him a weak smile. "We can do this," she said with confidence.
"It's funny, you know…" he started, gazing into her eyes as they sat across from each other. "I'm the one who's supposed to be braver, stronger, and faster. Yet here you are assuring me that everything will be okay. I'm the one who's trained to never feel fear, even in these situations. But when it's family that's involved, it can be unnerving. It's more difficult to control emotions."
"I understand," Micah said. "People think I’m so unfeeling. I myself used to believe that I could no longer feel fear, misery, and all those things. But it's not true. I'm still human. You are too."
"She's my only family left," Drake said. "I can't lose her."
"You won't," Micah promised. "We won't let it happen." She reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.
He smiled and put a hand on top of her hand. Then before she knew it, they were in each other's arms again, kissing, devouring each other’s mouths hungrily. He lifted her shirt up as their lips and tongues swirled and consumed one another. She raised her arms and they broke apart so he could take off her shirt. Her heaving breasts were awaiting him, eager to be set free. He quickly pulled off her sports bra and threw it aside before leaning forward to kiss her breasts, and flicking his tongue playfully across her flesh.
She moaned deeply, digging her fingers into his scalp and gripping his brown locks. She leaned down and grazed her warm, wet tongue softly and slowly against the inside of his ear as he stroked and sucked her nipples. It drove him crazy. He moaned against her skin and sucked harder. Her already taut and aroused body tightened at his moans. Within seconds, they stripped each other of their clothing. The pieces lay scattered around them as they touched each other.
He was sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him when he lifted her to straddle his body. She willingly spread her legs and positioned herself on top of him. Her breasts were still in his mouth and the tip of his erection rubbed the outer lips of her wetness. She slid seductively against him. His cock was hard and long, and she felt it throb and pulse against her… eager to get inside. She wanted him, inside her, now. She moaned and rubbed against him harder. Drake took his time and she let him control the pace.
He squeezed his fingers into her hips and slowly pushed Micah down onto him, as he lifted his hips and she felt him penetrating her in a deliciously erotic pace. She groaned with pleasure as she felt him stretching her He was watching his body enter her body and lifted his gaze to stare deeply into her eyes as he fully entered her. Drake moaned her name breathlessly, “Micah.” He slid his hands to her bottom, squeezed and pulled her against him tighter. Micah moved herself up and down Drake, getting enfolded in amazing carnal gratification.
Intense heat enveloped their bodies as their mating deepened and consumed them, taking them higher and higher into intense pleasure. He was kissing her everywhere, thrusting into her body deeper and harder. Micah met him thrust for thrust. They were enraptured with one another and frantically moving their hips. “Don’t stop Drake. Don’t stop.” Micah moaned and Drake gasped. “Say my name again Micah.” She squeezed her thighs around Drake as he said her name and she moaned back. “Drake, Drake, Drake.” He thrust into her body deep, dug his fingers into her hips hard and she felt him pulsing inside her. She leaned in and kissed him frantically as her body responded to his pleasure and she shuddered through her orgasm with Drake.
They squeezed their arms around each other. Their heavy, deep breathing slowing down. Sweat dripped off their skin. Drake kissed her softly against her hair. For a few minutes, neither said anything. Then to Micah's astonishment, Drake slid his hand against the back of her neck and pushed her head gently against his shoulder. Micah snuggled in Drake’s arms. She knew then that it was more than just sex for both of them. The act somehow meant much more than physical attraction.
"What do you really dream of, Micah Morgan?" he whispered in the dark.
She was surprised, but she closed her eyes and imagined the vision that she'd always dreamed of. She pictured a world of caring yet real human beings. It wasn't perfect, but at least it was genuine. She pictured herself not having to always run, but instead living a peaceful and happy life with a family of her own. She pictured simple get-togethers with friends who were true to her and to themselves. And in her mind, the government served the people and did not use or hurt them. "I don't want a perfect world, Drake," she answered. "I just want a real world we can live in… a world of true humans with true feelings."
He nodded, seeming to understand what she was saying.
"What about you?" she asked.
"When I was young, I used to dream of becoming the best policeman there ever was, of making a mark in this world and protecting as many people as I could." He replied, his eyes taking on a faraway look. "But now, it all seems out of reach. Everything's messed up."
"You can still achieve all of those things," Micah said pensively. "When the evil leaders of the government are finally replaced, we can all start over."
"Many people don't want to start over," he replied.
"That's because they don't realize what's happening," she said. "We need to snap them back to reality. We need to put a s
top to their intake of those drugs."
As the night extended, they discussed more and came up with alternative plans on how they could get into the headquarters and rescue Shelley. That was the top priority. But every time they thought of a plan, they always came up with potential setbacks that could be too dangerous for them and bound to fail.
"You need to turn me in," Micah said, without warning.
Drake's face showed his disagreement, but Micah was quick to insist and prove her point. "It's the best option. Trade me with her so we can at least assure her safety. I can fight better than Shelley. Besides, I have no family to worry about me even if I get killed in the process. Nobody will care. You can just continue the mission by yourself, Drake. I trust you."
"Don't talk that way," he said immediately, his expression a cross between anger and fear.
She met his intense gaze, and for the first time in a very long period, she actually felt that someone cared for her again. He squeezed her hands and embraced her then. There were no words and yet the gesture gave her the message he wished to convey.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "But I believe it's still the best way to go about it."
"We'll think of something," he said quickly. "Let's talk in the morning."
*****
She pressed herself against the cold, hard steel wall and held her breath as she heard footsteps coming. They were getting nearer and nearer. But she was prepared to fight, no matter what it took. She waited for them to round the corner, her grip on her gun tightening as she anticipated the enemies.
But they didn't come. The sound of the footsteps faded away. They seemed to have turned to another hallway than the one where she was.
Drake was probably looking for her by now or wondering where she had suddenly gone. The two of them had broken into the cyborg police headquarters, dressed in uniform and disguised as part of the team. They had stolen actual IDs of two cyborgs in order to gain access to different areas of the building.
Somewhere in the main lobby, the hidden explosives were ticking away, scheduled to blow up in a couple minutes, to cause a distraction. This way, they would have time and less opponents to face so they could rescue Shelley and possibly look for evidence in the General's office.
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