by Zoey Indiana
"You'll heal just fine if I shoot you in the leg, so the leaders can't object to that."
The woman's voice pulled Freya back, and she focused on the scene unfolding in front of her.
"Lux, please, you're being unreasonable."
Time was running out, she picked up a small rock and threw it to her right. As the woman turned to see where the sound came from, Freya concentrated on the blaster, telekinetically flinging it out of the woman's hands and into the bushes.
Lux gasped and looked around startled. Freya rushed her, and they crashed onto the ground, rolling over rocks and sticks. Ignoring the biting pain, she kept her goal in her mind. Lux sat over her, hands wrapped around Freya's neck. Freya pushed at the inside of Lux's elbow and her grip gave way. Holding one arm and kicking off her hip, Freya hooked a leg over Lux's opposite shoulder and threw her down. A crack reverberated from her elbow as Freya pinned Lux into an arm bar. The woman cried out in pain and struggled but to no avail.
Using her telepathy, she reached out to Lux's mind. But for the first time, she couldn't understand what she was hearing. Words and images that had nothing to do with each other made it impossible for Freya to dive deeper. She could hear Bash's static and wondered if that was interfering. Or maybe she was losing her ability, it wasn't unheard of. A few specimens from her lab had lost their abilities before they finished the program. Or there was another possibility, the scientists had mentioned that reading a truly insane mind may be impossible. She'd have to reflect on it later. Freya reached into a pocket and pulled out a small device, then flicked a switch and injected Lux, who fell limp within seconds.
"What did you do?" Bash rushed over.
"I saved you, again."
"That's not what I meant." Reaching out, he shook Lux's shoulder.
"Say what you mean, it's more efficient." Mumbling, she released Lux and sat up turning towards him.
When Lux remained limp Bash turned an accusatory glare at her. "Did you kill her?"
"I didn't need to kill her, she's unconscious."
"So, you didn't hurt her?" His interest in this woman made Freya's blood boil, but she wasn't sure why he had this effect on her.
"Oh, it will hurt. She'll feel like someone pulled apart then sewed her back together, but she'll be awake in twenty minutes. Aside from the immediate pain, there are no other side effects. The serum metabolizes quickly and the side effects only last a few hours. That dislocated elbow will be the worst, but she'll be fine with acceleration gel."
Freya slipped the injector back inside her pocket. "That means we need to leave now before she wakes up." Freya turned away and headed in the direction she'd come.
Loud footsteps confirmed he was following. Pulling out her handheld, she realigned it to her current position. According to this, there was a safe house nearby. About half a kilometer away. Correcting her course, she headed towards the safe house.
"Where are we going?" Bash walked almost side by side with her.
"Some place safe."
"Safe for you or me?" He asked a lot of questions, but unlike with O'Paka she didn't mind.
"Both." It was a Resistance safe house. Actually, she'd have to scout it before they arrived since there was a camp nearby. Something was still off but she would think about it when they were safe. Since he was missing, they would send out search parties, and they might know the location of the safe house. Without knowing more about the camp or the ranks of the Resistance members, she couldn't predict who would have access to safe house locations. Right now the top priority was his safety.
"Why did Lux want to shoot you?" She attempted to listen into his thoughts as he reacted to the question, but still couldn't make anything out through the static.
"I don't want to talk about it." He crossed his arms then tripped over a rock jutting out. Freya reached out to steady him and he latched on to her arm. The moment later his arms wrapped around her. She stiffened at first, no one had ever touched her like he did in this moment. Knowing no good could come of this, she told herself to let go but couldn't. Relaxing into them, he tucked her head against his chest and laid his cheek on top of her head. A brief whiff of him made her take a deeper breath. Heat built between her legs and she wondered what was happening to her body.
Something deep inside of her just felt right with his arms around her. She pulled back to look into his deep brown eyes. Placing her hands on his chest, she lost her breath at the hard muscles she felt there. They rippled under her fingers as his hands cupped her face.
Their lips met, and she felt delirious. What was it about Bash that made her feel like this? It reminded her of the adrenaline rush from flirting with danger she'd lost years ago. Her heart rate increased and her breath quickened. When he started to pull back, she fisted her hands into a shirt and pulled him back down for more. A growl rumbled through his chest as he reached down and grasped her hips.
A moment later, he wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her against a tree. Heat built between her legs until her veins felt like they were on fire. His shirt was in her way; she ripped it open then caressed his rock hard abs. Interrupting her exploration, he boosted her higher. His lips trailed down her jaw and teeth nibbled at her ear. A thrill ran through her and magnified her pleasure. To give him more access, she tilted her head to the side. Hips pressed into hers and she tightened the hold she had on him. His hands trailed up her sides underneath her shirt and froze.
"What's that?" Pushing his eyebrows together, he pulled back and looked down at her. His right hand had stopped on a nasty scar the scientists had given her during the experiments. Ice replace the fire in her body as the desire vanished. Freya pushed on his chest and he pulled back so she could hop down. Without a word, she straightened her clothing and rushed off. He was a distraction, and she reminded herself they needed to get to the safe house more than anything else.
"Freya!"
She heard his heavy footsteps rushing to catch up with her but she refused to slow down. The last thing she wanted to think about was what had caused the scar.
"Please Freya, I don't care what caused it, I was just curious."
"Trust me, you don't want to know what caused it." She continued under her breath so he couldn't hear. "I wish I didn't know what caused it."
"It doesn't matter." His hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her to a stop. "I'm sorry I asked."
Instincts made her flex to counter his hold but stopped herself before she hit him. Pulling her wrist from his grasp, she looked away and crossed her arms. Emotions were funny things, she didn't want to show how much the scar bothered her, but her reaction alone gave her away. For the first time in many years she was losing control of her emotions.
"You're beautiful, the scar doesn't change that." Freya froze, no one had ever called her beautiful before, not even pretty. She'd never cared what other people thought about her looks. Her short haircut was practical, and there was no maintenance required aside from cutting it. All of her clothing and accessories revolved about purpose and usefulness.
At a loss for words, Freya headed towards the safe house and changed the subject. "It will be dark soon, we need to get to the safe house." This time he followed in silence.
The sky was turning a bright pink orange by the time they saw the small housing pod surrounded by thick trees. She gestured for him to crouch down by a tree.
"Don't move or make a sound." When he started to speak, she stopped him. "This will keep you hidden." Pulling out her personal cloaking device, she checked the battery then pinned it to his shirt. Three quick finger taps and he disappeared before her eyes.
Freya emphasized for Bash to stay where he was and took off to investigate. The housing pod appeared abandoned, but sometimes that was part of the facade. Focusing past the sounds of the forest, she opened her mind to more. Steady static of Bash's mind came first, but she pushed around that and heard no one else. She peered through a window only to see it was in stealth mode, even though the cloak was o
ff.
The safe house was new enough it had stealth windows, making the housing pod appear uninhabited. A small glitch in the bottom right of the window gave away the computerized image. Anyone who wasn't familiar with them wouldn't notice, but it also meant the windows didn't open.
Freya eased to the door while retrieving her handheld from her pocket. Only someone with a device and using the right program could open the door. As a common security measure, there were often traps to deter or kill intruders. Pressing a button on the handheld, she placed her hand on the wall to the right of the door at about chest height. A blue keypad lit up, and she put the code in from the handheld. The door was silent as it swung open. Peering around the door frame, she saw no one in the main part of the house. Seconds later, she verified it was safe and walked around the side of the house. Returning to where she'd left Bash, she used the handheld to turn off the cloak. Plucking the small device off his shirt, she waved him to follow her to the house.
Freya went back inside and inspected the inventory. All the necessities were there, med kit, basic rations, a few comfort items, and the housing pod had basic furniture. Checking the tap, cold water trickled out. It didn't get as warm as she would have liked, but she was used to cold water.
"This is the safe house?" He looked around with dancing eyes.
While she never had the finer things in life, she was used to high tech living. From the stories Nova told her over the years, the Resistance lived in an odd mishmash of new tech and old world.
"Yes, I need to set up the perimeter still, but it's safe." She pointed to one of the two bedrooms. "You can use this room for your private quarters, I'll be right back."
She'd already set up the perimeter regulators with the push of a button on the panel right inside the door, but she needed a moment away from him. If she didn't get away right now, she might finish what they started earlier. He distracted her to a dangerous level, and she needed to focus on what to do next. Freya knew Sha'Rah would take the opportunity to ruin her while she was away from the base and unable to defend herself from the accusations. Nova didn't even know where she was or how to assist. She had wasted everything the Resistance had invested into her and more people would die.
Lay'ata Base: O'Paka
When O'Paka watched Freya leave the cave, it saddened her to know Freya would never return. Sha'Rah had made it clear in their confrontation. She'd expected the worst when they returned, but the response had been lacking. No one seemed to care that ten women were dead, and another was missing. Guards led them to the base major's office and Sha'Rah stormed her desk.
"Freya is a spy for the Resistance, she admitted it before she left us for dead." Sha'Rah pounded her fist on Major Tas'Ki's desk. "She fired on us in the cave and betrayed ARI and the Sovereign. I need Is'az Squad assembled so we can hunt her down."
"That is a lot of accusation and no proof." Major Tas'Ki didn't take her eyes off the tab in her hands.
"I can get you proof if you assemble the team."
The major stood up and looked Sha'Rah up and down, then she turned her attention to O'Paka. "Can you corroborate this Sorasta?" Cringing at the use of her last name, she hated when people used it because it reminded her of how she'd ended up in this mess. In the few days since she'd arrived, no one stood up to Sha'Rah until Freya, and Freya had saved her life.
"I have no idea what she's talking about."
Sha'Rah had her pinned to the wall the moment the last word left her mouth. Grasping at Sha'Rah's arm, O'Paka couldn't get a good grip. Black spots danced in her vision and reality slipped away. Right before the darkness claimed her, she fell on the floor. Air burned her throat and lungs as she sucked in air. Reality crashed back as commotion broke out all around her, but she couldn't focus on the words being said. O'Paka forced her breathing under control then looked up and saw Sha'Rah in restraints and screaming.
O'Paka thought back to what happened in the cave, Sha'Rah called Freya a traitor, and threatened to poison her. She'd also referenced the great massacre, but O'Paka wouldn't mention anything about it. When the massacre happened, she'd been a young child. It still made her sad to think about all the people who died. Even though she knew something else had been happening between the two women, she didn't know what it was. Freya had saved her life twice, she wouldn't betray her as payback. Every second she was here proved she didn't belong. She wanted to be somewhere she could express herself, where death didn't stalk her. A memory of her paints and brushes surfaced as she recalled her life from before the day her mother threw them away.
Her mother had been angry at her again for not having a real job. Although she was an up-and-coming painter, Brigadier General Sorasta threw everything away claiming it was time to grow up. Despite that O'Paka had gotten approval to work as an artist from the Worker's Division of Employment. It was the only time she'd had lost her temper, calling her mother some choice things which ended with a slap. Next thing she knew, she was in restraints and being handed over to an ARI Major. Her mother stationed her here at Lay'ata Base the next day with no training.
A hand on her shoulder startled her from the memories. Looking over she saw Major Tas'Ki.
"Can you get up?"
O'Paka nodded. Major Tas'Ki gestured for her to sit in a chair, and she slid into the seat dreading what would happen next.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell me about what happened in the cavern?"
"Sha'Rah led us into an ambush, or that's how it seemed. We were walking through a narrow tunnel and when we stepped out into the cavern, the Resistance was there and fired at us. Freya pushed me into the tunnel to guard it. I didn't want any of them to get past us." It was a lie, but she hoped it was believable. In reality, she'd cowered behind a rock with her hands over her ears, unable to move.
"What happened next?"
"When the fighting was over, I peered around the cavern and saw several members of our squad on the ground. Freya was missing, everyone was dead except Sha'Rah, then I helped her through the tunnel to the opening we'd entered from."
"And that's Freya returned?"
O'Paka nodded.
"Tell me what happened next."
"Freya said she saw some Resistance members escape, and she followed them until they stopped to tend to wounds, then she came back to check for survivors."
"Remember if you lie or withhold information, it is a disciplinary action." Major Tas'Ki tapped her desk while she watched her. O'Paka resisted the urge to fidget, but she didn't work well under pressure.
"Sha'Rah called her a liar and a spy. She told her if she ever returned to base, she would poison Freya. Nobody would be able to cure her or prove it when she died. There was some arguing and then Freya left to follow the Resistance back to their camp, and I helped Sha'Rah back to base."
"There's nothing else?"
O'Paka let go of her jacket and kept her voice steady as she spoke. "We had to leave the bodies behind. I couldn't help Sha'Rah and get them back."
Major Tas'Ki waved her hand dismissively. "You can lead a team to retrieve the bodies."
She didn't want to go back, just thinking about all the death made her stomach queasy. "What will happen to Sha'Rah?"
"I will send her to Is'Ora Prison for Rectification Treatment. Once she completes it, she will return here." Major Tas'Ki tapped on her tab a few times then looked up. "I've assembled Is'az Squad for you to lead. They will collect the bodies and any other pertinent evidence. Meet them at corridor 284. You're dismissed."
She saluted the major and rushed out. Looking for the meeting spot, she remembered her mother's threats about Rectification Treatment, it was so awful she almost lost the contents of her stomach. ARI was horrible. She needed to find a way out of this even if it mean defecting to the Resistance and declaring herself her mother's enemy.
Chapter 4
Safe House: Bash
Looking around the house, Bash noticed how small it was. The living area comprised a forest green armchair and a gre
y couch separated by a small table. On the opposite side was a kitchenette with a table and chairs. Heat built up in his chest as he started to shake. How could Lux betray him like she had? She'd pulled a blaster on him and would have shot him if Freya hadn't stepped in. It was absurd. He was a living human being, and he had just as much right to a life as they did. No matter what he did, they would treat him as a trophy. Nothing would change that.
When he opened the door for the private area Freya pointed out for him, the lights were already on. He removed the scraps of his shirt still clinging to his body and tossed them on the dark blue bed. The room was just as sparsely decorated as his own back at his cabin. No, at their cabin, reminding himself that nothing there belonged to him. He noticed the lights in the main part of the house had turned off. Just for fun, he stepped out of the bedroom and chuckled when the lights turned back on in the main room. This was more advanced than the cabin back in Hiro Camp. More amused by this than he should have been, he jumped in, jumped out, and the lights never failed to switch.
"This is amazing." Bash couldn't wait to see what other fascinating things the house could do.
"It's standard." Freya's voice startled him. He hadn't noticed her reenter the cabin.
"Oh, none of the houses at the camp do this. Not that I know of, anyway." Bash looked over to see Freya leaning against the wall with her arms crossed watching him.