by Amelia Jade
It grew fiercer, and then slowly seemed to subside. What the hell was happening here? A drill was clearly horseshit, but what enemies did the United States have inside their borders that would assault a military base like this? Something fishy was going on. And why the hell was Pyne here, of all places? What was her government’s involvement?
So many theories ran through her mind, but there was little she could do about it. Even with Pyne’s word that she wasn’t a threat, she was still the foreigner, someone that nobody knew a thing about. She wasn’t going to be privy to anything for a while yet.
The pair waited in silence for close to half an hour before anything happened. The door to outside clanged open and the sudden noise of the storm made her jump. A hulking shape stood in the door, shoulders rising and falling. Kim took a step toward it but a hand raised up to stop her.
“Pyne?”
“Why are you here?” he asked, still cloaked in shadow so she couldn’t see. His voice sounded tired. Weak.
“He’s back,” she said plainly. “Morgan Flinn is back, and he came here. He’s up to something. I saw where he sneaked onto the base.”
“Impossible,” Pyne stated. “We would have detected him if we had. We saw you the moment you cleared the fence.”
“Well then, how did the rip in the fence get there?”
He didn’t have an answer to that one.
“I trailed his car here directly from the airport. He came here, Pyne. After a decade in hiding he’s come back out. Hell, his car is still over near where you picked me up. Let me out of here, and I’ll take you there.” She took another step toward him but he backed up again.
“No, stay there.”
She paused. “You’re scaring me, Pyne.”
“Nothing to be scared of,” he muttered. “Not anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t reply, but she sensed his attention turn to the soldier. “Take her to some quarters. Nice quarters. It’s going to have to wait until morning for me to deal with this, unfortunately.”
His head moved slightly, and she knew his eyes were looking at her. For a moment she thought they glowed blue in the dark, but it was too quick for her to be sure. “I’m sorry Kim, this isn’t how I envisioned this going. I’ll try to make it up to you tomorrow.”
Then he was gone, just like that.
“Well then, that’s some reception,” she muttered, even more mystified by the goings-on.
“Yeah, they can be like that,” the guard agreed.
“They?”
Silence.
“Okay, quarters? I’m tired.”
The guard took her through an underground tunnel into a well-lit portion of the base. He gestured and a pair of doors slid open, revealing a room appointed with bed, wardrobe, desk, and even a mini en suite washroom.
“Is this satisfactory?”
“Perfectly,” she said, stepping inside.
The doors hissed closed. She searched for a lock, only to hear it sound. From the outside.
She was no longer in a cell, but she still felt like a prisoner.
“Tomorrow ought to be interesting.”
Chapter Five
Pyne
He awoke with a start, sitting upright and throwing the blankets off. Eyes darted frantically around his quarters, trying to locate the source of the mighty roar that had awoken him. Pyne slipped out from the bed, crouching slightly to block his nakedness with the mattress. Fighting in the nude always felt awkward and weird. Too much dangly stuff flying around in unnecessary directions.
The sound came again, making him spin to look behind him until his sleep-addled brain caught up with the rest of him.
“Okay, message received.” He stood and patted his stomach as it gurgled loudly yet again, filling the room with sound. “Food is on its way.”
Wearily he walked to the shower and hopped in to some freezing cold water, relishing the icy droplets as they rinsed over his taut chest and firm stomach, prickling the skin and bringing him to full alertness. Dried and dressed ten minutes later, he left the room and proceeded to the guest section to find Kim. They had some talking to do, and he did his best talking over food and coffee.
A guard standing watch outside a particular room drew his attention like a lightning bolt. “Soldier, who’s inside there?”
“Prisoner, sir.”
He lifted his eyebrows slowly, waiting for the guard to volunteer more information.
“I’m not sure of her name, sir. I was only told to watch over her and make sure she didn’t go anywhere.”
The growl that filled the hallway didn’t come from his stomach. The private blanched, but to his credit he didn’t back away. Pyne had no recourse but to respect that. The man knew who he was; his black shirt with dragon wings on the sleeve was a giveaway to anyone on the base.
“I’m taking responsibility for this woman,” he said firmly. “She is not a prisoner, and was supposed to be accorded proper respect. You find your CO and tell them that Pyne wishes to have a word, you understand?
“Yes, sir.” The soldier didn’t move.
“Now, Private.”
“Sir, the unknown person was—”
“Private.” Pyne forced himself not to snarl directly into the soldier’s face. “The person on the inside of this room is not unknown to me. She can be trusted, and is of no threat to this base, even if she’s not cleared to know everything about it. You do understand the difference between those two things, right?”
The soldier nodded.
“Good. I am taking responsibility, as I said. I outrank you, therefore you will obey me. Go find your CO, tell him I forced you away, if that will help you avoid an ass-chewing. Either way, stand away from the door and do not interfere as I unlock it, understood?”
The soldier finally relented. Pyne made a mental note to ensure he spoke highly of the soldier to his commanding officer. Standing up to a dragon shifter was no small thing. Few men on the base would have the stones to do that.
He flicked the lock and went to open the door. Frowning, he caught himself and knocked smartly. This was her quarters; he couldn’t just go barging in there without announcing himself.
“Who is it?” came the reply, muffled through the metal but easily audible to him.
“Me. Pyne.”
There was a slow delay, and then the door slid open to reveal her. Pyne took a moment to admire her in all her glory, well aware that he was staring, and all the while not giving a damn.
Kim was just as pretty as he remembered, except now he found every bit about her captivating. The way her long brown hair with its gentle waves fell down the back of her neck from the ponytail she almost obsessively kept it in. Her eyes, the perfect brown mixed with specks of bright gold instead of the more common amber shade.
It made her stand apart, giving her a slightly exotic flavor that he found intoxicating. Pyne knew there was more to her, the long oval face with its wide cheeks and big, friendly smile that could become the flattest stare when directed at a criminal. She had square shoulders and slightly wider hips, giving her body and its tendency to thickness some beautiful curves that he just couldn’t wait to dance his fingertips across.
She’s more beautiful than I remember, he thought, watching her full lips move as she spoke.
Internally his dragon agreed, judging by the way it was going ballistic, straining to get free from the chains of his mind. Images came to him, of Pyne walking into her room and locking the door behind him. There was a desk at perfect height if she sat upon it, so that he could just press up between her legs and—
“I’m sorry, could you start again?” he said jovially. The fight with his dragon continued for a few seconds longer, but then he reined it in. His control had always been superb, and he wasn’t about to slack now.
“I said you look like shit.”
“Good to see you too after a decade,” he returned promptly. “Though maybe you’d l
ook better in handcuffs and shackles. What do you think?” he asked, but the guard was long gone. Right.
“Who are you talking to? Are you losing your mind?” She stepped out of the room. “I tried that once. It didn’t work so well.”
“No, what happened?”
“I spent six years in a coma.”
Pyne doubled over as an explosive laugh hit him without warning. “That’s not quite how I remember it.”
“Oh, I know. But you see, I had a long time to reflect on it.”
“Yeah, like six years’ worth,” he muttered, stealing her joke.
“Precisely.” Kim laughed, shutting the door behind her.
“What are you doing?”
“You came to get me for breakfast, or interrogation, did you not? Either way, I don’t see us staying here. So, lead on.”
“I don’t recall you being quite so observant and straightforward.”
“I’ve changed.” She winked. “Somewhat.”
Pyne was totally enthralled by her, and he followed along, pointing out where they were going, instead of leading the way as he’d planned. Kim had him on a leash like a puppy dog, and no matter how hard he fought, one twinkle in her eye or curl of her lips and he fell right back down.
The silence eventually allowed him to retake control of the situation. They walked side by side. Learning from Aric’s experience he took her up to the surface to the officers’ mess hall, and not one of the ones for the enlisted soldiers.
“So,” Kim said awkwardly as they exited the elevator and walked out into the open.
“So.” He thought frantically. “You came out of the coma.”
You fucking idiot. You gloriously magnificent bastard. What sort of line is THAT?! A million things to ask her, and you make the brilliant observation that she came out of the coma. Which, by the way, is evident by the fact SHE’S HERE WALKING NEXT TO YOU.
“Some days I wonder,” she shot back sarcastically.
He stopped, they exchanged looks, and then both of them promptly doubled over with laughter, leaning on each other for support.
“Okay,” he said after a minute and several looks from passing soldiers. “Let’s acknowledge how terrible of a line that was, and then just leave it in the past, where it belongs. Tell me your story. What happened to you and how did you end up all the way out here? That’s a mighty coincidence.”
He knew what she’d told him the night before, but he wanted to know more. The entire backstory.
“It was a hair over six years before I woke up.” She shook her head. “That’s still taking some getting used to. Six full years of my life, gone. The prime.”
He could hear the pain in her voice. There was a darkness there. “I’m still working on accepting that loss. It seems silly, since I didn’t actually experience anything, but it’s not been as easy as one thinks. Only being thankful that I’m alive has truly helped counter that.”
Pyne hung his head. “Listen, Kim. I’m sorry. I should have been the one driving, I—”
“Oh shut up. I don’t hold you responsible in the slightest. Not even deep down in here,” she said, tapping her breastbone. “We did nothing out of the ordinary, and I’m flattered that you trusted me enough to let me drive. That meant a lot at the time, and still does.”
He fell quiet, not sure what else to say.
“After I woke up and came to terms with where I was, I had to begin rehabbing.” She shuddered as he held open the door to the officers club. “I had wasted away, Pyne. I used to love the body I had.” She looked down. “I’m okay with this, but it’s not what I had, and I doubt I’ll ever get it back.”
Pyne almost told her that he preferred her this way. That he liked the thickness she’d acquired. That her curves were more pronounced, and that he longed to touch her softness, to explore all the changes to her body. But that wasn’t appropriate. For him to say he liked her new body while she was lamenting it…not a smart idea on his part. Hopefully he could convince her in time, however, to appreciate the beauty of what she currently possessed.
They were seated and a waiter promptly took their order. Kim gave him a sidelong glance when he finished, but she made no comment about the quantity of food he ordered.
Pyne was famished. After the brutal, no-holds-barred fight with the Outsiders, which they’d won by the skin of their teeth, he’d been too tired and in too much pain to do much more than get back to his bed and pass out. Now he needed to replenish all the reserves of energy he’d used up. That required food. A lot of it.
“So you finished rehab, obviously. Then what?” he said, putting the focus back on her.
“Once I was discharged I tried to get my old job back. They wouldn’t give it to me out of liability, so they gave me a lovely severance package and said thank you for all your service. I moped around for a month, then saw a job posting and applied. It was just a desk clerk at first, but eventually I worked my way up to Investigator.”
“That’s amazing. With the National Guard?” he was fairly certain he recalled something like that being bandied about the night before.
“Yes.”
He sat back and regarded her. The drive within this woman was fascinating. So many people would have taken severance packages like that and wasted time away like crazy. Partying and just being a general lie-about. Not Kim though. She’d been upset by the lack of work, and had decided that if she couldn’t do it as a civilian, she’d do it for the military. Amazing.
“So anyway, I was on a case working at the airport. I’m getting frustrated, so I go for a walk. Lo and behold, who do I see rushing to get onto a plane, but Morgan fucking Flinn.” She slammed a closed fist down on the table, making the cutlery jump.
“So you followed him,” he said.
“Yes. I hopped on the plane without telling anyone and came here,” she explained. “I should have just shut the plane down and had our agents take him in. But I didn’t.” He watched as she cursed herself silently.
“That would have been a bad idea.” He didn’t elaborate on why.
“Right. Well, I followed him here to outside your base. He’s in here somewhere, Pyne. I saw the hole in the fence.”
“We would have caught him,” he said firmly. “There’s no way he would have gotten onto the base undetected. We had you on the map as soon as you started to climb the hill.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I just am. You’ll have to trust me on that. I can’t tell you everything. Security clearance, you understand.”
She nodded. Kim was military, he knew she would understand.
“I’m going to prove it to you though. His car is out there.” She frowned. “As is my rental, which I suppose I should get back.”
Their food arrived and Pyne dug in hastily. “I’ll take you there right after this.”
Kim eyed him as he dug in deep to a plate piled high with scrambled eggs. “Somehow I doubt I could drag you away from that even if I were trying to seduce you.”
Egg flew everywhere.
Chapter Six
Kim
Her car was parked in front of Morgan’s.
“That’s not where I left it,” she hissed as they came to a halt. Her eyes were focused outside the car, scanning the farmland for any movement.
Pyne slid the military police car off the road and brought it to a smooth halt behind their fugitive’s rental. She hoped he thought of it as “theirs” as well. This would be much easier with Pyne and whatever help he could bring from the local government. Then they could apprehend Morgan and she could be on a flight back home as soon as possible.
“He’s not here,” Pyne said as he eased his way out of the car. “In fact, I suspect it wasn’t him who moved it.”
Kim was skeptical of that. “How can you be so confident?”
Pyne fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment. “If he came back here, why just move your car and leave his? Wouldn’t he have left the same
way he came? Besides, look at the front seat. Morgan is nearly my height. He couldn’t have fit.”
She came up alongside the window of her rental. The seat was actually farther forward than she’d put it. “It could be a ruse. He was here.”
Pyne put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “I believe you, Kim. You don’t have to convince me anymore. This was his car. All I’m saying is that someone else moved it, probably a local this morning. Morgan was here, but he never came back.”
Relieved by his belief in her story she nodded and went over to it. It was unlocked. “Let’s see if he left anything of interest.” She doubted it, but they had to check.
Twenty minutes later Pyne’s head popped out from the back seat, surprising her. “I don’t think there’s anything here.”
She recovered from the quick jolt at the suddenness of his movement.
“Sorry,” he laughed.
“It’s fine. I think you’re right. It’s just a rental. His luggage is gone, but I didn’t see him actually load it either.” She’d been in such a mad rush to get a car rented before he took off that she’d not seen anything. It was sheer luck he was still in the parking structure when she got to her ride.
“Stay here a moment, will you?” Pyne asked as he extricated himself from the car.
“Uh, sure. Where are you going?”
He looked over at the forest. “Um.”
“If you’re going to relieve yourself just say so,” she laughed. “I’m a full-grown adult. I can handle that.”
Pyne grinned in relief. “Yeah, okay. Sorry, was just being silly.” He winked and disappeared into the trees.
She paced back and forth, looking at Morgan’s car. The thing that escaped her was why? Why had he gone to all the trouble to come all the way out here just to abandon a car? Why was this so important to him? Most importantly, why was he back after so long?
Pyne was gone a long time, much longer than expected. When he finally came back out of the woods he was unusually thoughtful.
“What is it? If you’ve got a clue let me know. We need to solve this ASAP so I can get back before my alibi runs out.”