Is this what the kids would be doing for two hours a day? Training to be mini-ninja Olympians along with their freakishly smart minds? Lord, help us all.
“Extraordinary, isn’t it?” he asked.
That was one word for it. I made an accidental croaking sound, and cleared my throat. “Yes, sir.”
We slowly walked the perimeter. I grimaced at a long set of monkey bars that went up and down, zigging side to side. What child could hold on that long? Would they be punished if they weren’t strong enough? I felt ill at the thought of them being shouted at and made to feel bad. Not that I should care, but ugh. Some of them were practically babies. Linette would throw up if she ever heard me say that.
“What do you think?” he asked.
I let out a dry laugh through my nose. “I would never be able to do this now, much less when I was a child.” For a moment I felt like I’d failed the human race by admitting that, but the Senator only chuckled in return.
“Of course not, because you weren’t made to try it over and over again each day, building strength. But you could if it were part of your daily life.”
“Can you do it?” I asked.
He grinned, then rolled up his sleeves. I couldn’t help but smile in anticipation. Was he really going to do it? The Senator walked to the end, jumped with grace and ease to grab the first bar, and then proceeded to work his way down the path, knees and elbows bent, every muscle in his arms bulging. He never slowed or paused. At the end he dropped, breathing only slightly harder than normal, and the big smile he gave me made me laugh and applaud.
“Wow,” I said. “I would give you a high five, but . . . yeah.” No touching.
I grasped my hands behind my back as he brushed his hands together, still smiling. “Well, I appreciate the thought.”
As he neared, I gathered every ounce of bravery to ask, “Senator?”
“Yes, Ms. Haines?” He stopped three feet from me.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or be inappropriate, but I’d like to know.” I swallowed and he waited patiently. “Why don’t the Baelese allow casual touching?”
I could hear my heartbeat in my eardrums.
The Senator put his hands in his pockets, and I tore my eyes away from his forearms.
“That’s a perfectly understandable question. It’s a major difference between our cultures. My people have much thicker skin than humans, over ten times thicker. And in our skin we have more nerves and nerve endings. A simple touch is not so simple. The smallest brush of a hand across our skin can drive us to distraction. It makes us want more. Do you understand?”
Literally, all I could do was nod, because at some point during his explanation, I swear he moved closer. Not close enough to touch, but close enough to make us both overly aware. It wasn’t until my eyes darted in the direction of the doors to check for the guard that the Senator grasped the back of his neck and took a step back, looking away from me and back out at the obstacle course.
“And that is why it is better to leave touching for mating. No other time.”
“Oh.” My heart went crazy inside me.
I heard the little devil of Linette on my shoulder, pushing me to do something or say something seductive. Now, you idiot, while the guard is out of sight! It was hard to be sexy on command.
My voice trembled a little. “I thought maybe it was because it was unpleasant. That you didn’t like being touched.”
“No, Ms. Haines.” He looked straight at me now. “We like it too much.”
Amber
I woke to the strange sensation of something hurting my eyes. I moaned and turned my head to the pillow as everything came back to me—the stinging in my hands, the feel of the bed beneath me, sunshine coming through the blinds. Wow . . . we hadn’t been underground that long, but I’d nearly forgotten how it felt to be naturally woken by the sun.
Wait, what time was it? I sat up, feeling groggy and sore all over. Rylen was gone. I spied a piece of paper on the desk, and got out of bed buck naked to read it.
Wanted to let you rest. When you’re up, we’ll go on a scouting run with the crew.
Really? He must be confident in the area’s safety if he’s inviting me on the run. The idea of driving through Alaska was thrilling. Of course we’d have to be on guard the whole time, but still. It brought a smile to my lips, which was quickly wiped away when I caught sight of my pile of filthy clothes. Surely there were other clothes on base that I could find, but I loathed the idea of climbing back into those things. With a groan, I did just that.
I found Carmen going through a pile of uniforms when I got to the hall, and she pointed at me.
“You’re up! Everyone’s gone to check out the Exchange. Fite said to bring you when you got up.”
“Yes!” I nearly clapped my hands like Remy used to do when she got excited. The Exchange was like a mini mall found at a lot of military bases. They sold everything from clothes to makeup to electronics, and usually had a food court. I followed her out to a car. It was just a regular car, not a military vehicle, and I had to wonder whose it was before the war.
“How far is it?” I asked, buckling my seatbelt.
Carmen looked at the strap across my chest and laughed. “Click it or ticket?”
I blushed. “Yeah, old habits and all that.”
“It’s about two miles. We could walk it, but this base is fully loaded. They’ve got vehicles, gasoline, electricity in most of the buildings. It’s crazy.”
Amazing. There was one thing, besides clothing, that I needed, and my mouth was watering just thinking about its fresh-brewed goodness. We pulled up in the parking lot, and despite the other vehicles parked at any old angle, Carmen pulled neatly into a spot.
“Look at you parking all perfect.” Now it was my turn to laugh and her turn to blush.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said. When we got out, we literally ran to the doors of the Exchange. Then we stopped in the doorway and just laughed. It was filled with our men and women, running around like they’d been given a shopping spree. My eyes went straight to the food court, and when I saw that emblem, the one for the famous strong roast, I ran.
At least ten other people were there, trying to figure out the machines, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee hit me, nearly bringing me to my knees. Oh, if Mark could see me now in all my dramatics. The first person I recognized was Tex’s big, shaved head. He turned at the sound of my running, and pointed at me, holding up a cup.
“Taaaate!”
“Amber, here!” Matt was behind the counter wearing a green barista apron. I let out a cackle and accepted the paper cup. All refrigerated items were long gone, but there was sugar. I took a sip and closed my eyes as the flavor burst all of my senses. I think I even made an embarrassing noise and danced a little.
“I thought I’d find you here.” Rylen’s quiet voice against my ear made me warm all over. I turned to him with a smile, and he grinned back at me.
“For Mahalchick!” Tex shouted.
I turned and held up my coffee as we all shouted. “To Mark!”
Rylen twined his fingers through mine. “Come on.”
You would have thought we were all at Disneyland by the way we ran around the store, smiling like a bunch of kids. Rylen took me straight to the Ladies and Juniors clothing section. I threw shirts and jeans over my arms, then started grabbing undergarments and socks.
Rylen grabbed a loose cart and I lugged everything inside, happily sipping my coffee. He chuckled at me, which made me giggle.
“How about shoes?” he asked.
We both found ourselves boots and sneakers. Then I raided the toiletries section for shampoos, a razor, and soaps that smelled girly and made me happy. It was so weird to bag our own items at the checkout desk without paying.
J.D. and Sean came up behind us carrying armfuls of items.
“Not exactly Saks,” said J.D. with a wink. “But it’ll do.”
I held open a large bag for him. J.D. lifted h
is nose and sniffed.
“Oh, my God, is that coffee?!”
“Yes!” I said. “Come on, let’s get you some!”
Yeah, J.D. and I totally ran off to the coffee shop, leaving our stuff with Rylen and Sean. I think I heard Ry laugh and say, “Dude!” as we sprinted away.
My stomach was not very happy about the first cup I’d downed, but I would survive. J.D. bent at the waist and laughed uproariously when he saw Matt in the apron.
“What can I get you, sir?” Matt said. “We had to 86 our latte menu, because no milk, but you have your choice of all these fine flavored syrups.”
I felt a bump against my bottom and turned to see Rylen pushing the cart like Mr. Mom or something. I mouthed sorry for leaving him in the dust, and he shrugged. Matt handed me a vanilla coffee. J.D. stood in front of Sean with his cup and did a little happy jig. Sean rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hold back a smile. Then J.D. caught sight of the darkened barber shop and gasped, running.
“It shall be mine!”
As he ran his hands over the black and white chair, then the silver scissors, Top and Colonel Latham came into the Exchange. Both looked as satisfied as cats who’d just moused a barn.
“Enjoy,” said Top to everyone in earshot. “But don’t get too comfortable. This place is only temporary for us. We’ve got a meeting tomorrow morning at 0800. Everyone’s got their orders between now and then. Otherwise, enjoy your day.” He looked at Matt and smirked. Everyone else laughed at how Matt suddenly stiffened, at attention in his apron.
“At ease, son. And gimme one of them caramel espresso thingies, would you?”
Remy
Dinner. Time for our awkward triangle again, made even more awkward by the weird feelings I was having. I could never tell Linette and Tater about my conversation with the Senator. Linette would curse me for not pushing for more. Tater would read right through me and know my emotions were getting in the way. Because no matter how hard I tried to see the Senator as an enemy—the evil, alien leader—my stupid, tender heart still felt the tiniest bit bad for him. When I was in his presence, it was nearly impossible to imagine him capable of atrocities.
I’d spent the afternoon telling myself exactly what Tater would say to me. He killed your parents. He killed my family. He gave the order to kill billions of people, including innocent children, all over the globe.
That did the trick to temporarily sour my stomach.
But there was one thing I could tell them.
“Third week of July,” I whispered.
They both paused midway through their sips of tomato soup, and then kept eating as if they hadn’t heard.
After a minute, Linette asked in a low voice, “How do you know?”
“I got a look at a calendar in a room. That week is blacked out.” I dipped dry toast into my soup.
A small, smug smile of victory graced Linette’s pretty lips. “Can’t wait.”
I took a bite and whispered, “Do you think anyone here will be willing to fight?”
“Yes,” Tater answered for her. That was all he said, and it made me relieved. I began to stand when Linette quietly cleared her throat.
“Find out if the head roach is mating too.”
I swallowed down the rising bile in my throat, and met Tater’s intense brown eyes. His gaze held a warning, a silent plea to be careful. I nodded down at my tray and left them to do my kitchen chores before it was time to meet the four girls in the dorm for our lesson.
The next morning, accompanied by a guard, I led the children outside to meet an extremely fit Baelese woman. She wore gym shorts and a sports tank, and every muscle on display was cut. I felt extremely soft, in more ways than one, when she gave me a sneer up and down before barking orders at the children to line up.
I stood against the wall, knowing this was going to be awful.
And it was.
Yes, they were aliens, and their minds were beyond intelligent, but their bodies were small. They were just kids. She pushed them so hard with no build-up. They kept falling and slipping. Their little faces were scrunched up. A few of them, who dared to cry, were shouted at so thoroughly everyone in Primo Town probably heard.
I kept my eyes averted and my jaw locked, biting my tongue harder than I ever had in my life. She was like a drill sergeant on crack.
When I heard a tiny scream, followed by a crack, I had to look. Little Milna was laying at the base of the ladder, holding her head. The instructor was bent over her, screaming, and the little girl was struggling to sit up.
“Get up! Get up!”
I ran and skidded to a stop next to them. “Milna! Are you o—”
A thump against my cheekbone, followed by a bloom of vicious pain, sent me flying back on my butt, covering my cheek with my hand.
“How dare you!” The way her head jerked toward me, and the predatorial look in her eyes was like something out of a horror movie. “Go to the wall. Stand there and do not move.”
Every ounce of fear and worry that had been pumping through my blood fizzled and settled into an eerie calm as I pushed to my feet and walked unsteadily to the wall. I pressed my cheek and chest to the wall, arms at my sides, and I remained there for the next twenty minutes until I heard the instructor’s voice again.
“Take them back to class.” Followed by a mumbled, “Worthless human.”
When I pulled away from the wall, I felt my forehead. A rough spot was there from how hard I pressed myself into the stonework. What the heck?
I could barely think as I followed the guard back to our room. It wasn’t until we got to the doors that I thought to turn and find Milna. It took all of my willpower not to touch her and feel her head. Instead I said gently, “Turn around.”
I squatted enough to peer at the spot on the back of her head that appeared raised through the hair. I glanced up at the guard.
“She was hurt during the exercises. Do you have a nurse?”
The guard looked at her. “Are you bleeding, Milna?”
She felt it, and her fingers were dry. “It just hurts a little.”
“She will heal quickly,” the guard said. “Much quicker than you would.” He jerked his head toward the room, so I went in.
As we walked, Milna whispered, “It is okay, Ms. Remy.” She looked up at me with huge doe eyes. “Do not worry for me. Pain is only temporary.”
“I know,” I whispered, very aware of my throbbing cheek. “But it made me sad to see you hurt, and when you were crying.”
“I cried because I am so weak and small. It is frustrating. But I will get stronger.” She looked right at me, serious, never smiling.
I glanced around, but nobody was near. “Does it scare you when the instructor yells at you?”
Her head tilted in confusion. “Of course not. She wants us to get stronger and be the best we can.”
Oh, my gosh. My abdomen clenched as if I’d been struck.
They weren’t human. They weren’t anything like us. How many reminders did I need before it would sink in?
Amber
On Wednesday morning, we were up before the butt crack of dawn, preparing for the arrival of the Alaskan humans who worked for the Baelese. They used to call them the DRP—Disaster Relief Personnel—or Derps, as we named them. They were basically the sellouts who worked for the DRI to round up other humans. But they didn’t know they were aliens. At least, I’m pretty sure they didn’t know back then. Did they know now? Were they working for them because they were evil bastards, or because it was the only way to stay alive?
That’s what we would find out today. And we’d either have some new allies, or we’d have a fight on our hands.
I was finally feeling rested this morning, and had more energy than I’d had in a long while. My hands had healed over. Food and coffee probably had something to do with that. And a comfortable mattress with a sexy man keeping me warm. But in my exhaustion the past couple nights I hadn’t really had a chance to take full advantage of that yet, something I pl
anned to remedy tonight. So, I was really hoping for peaceful proceedings today.
Everyone on base was armed and ready by sun up. We had people lying in wait outdoors, and people at every window facing the gate. The men and women who would be going out to greet them wore the uniforms of dead Baelese. So creepy. Carmen was one of them. She usually wore her chestnut hair back in a simple ponytail, but Shavontae and I had to curl it and dab on some makeup to make her look like one of them. It was bizarre seeing her all done up, but at least she didn’t have to fake the scowl.
I sat between Tex and Rylen with my medic bag at the ready. We watched as Top, New York Josh, Carmen, and several others approached the gate and waited. The next ten minutes felt like an eternity before three civilian vehicles rolled up slowly to the gate. My heart pounded and the tension in the room thickened. Ry and Tex both had their guns aimed through an opening in the window.
We watched as Top approached the first vehicle’s window. After the briefest chat ever, he waved the truck in, followed by an SUV and a sedan. All three parked and people began to file out. Like, literally file out and form a line facing our fake Baelese. I counted ten human men and three women. They looked weird. I’m not sure why. I kept staring, trying to figure out what felt so . . . off.
Top pointed to our building, and the thirteen humans turned as one and walked.
“Something ain’t right,” Tex said.
“Yeah,” Rylen agreed, and I nodded. I felt edgier now than I had before they arrived.
A minute later, Top came in our room and looked at me. “Tate. Come with me.”
I shared a confused look with the guys, and they followed as I went. We met the dentist, Captain Ward, in the hall, also appearing perplexed. We joined Top inside a larger room where the thirteen humans stood. A chill slipped up my spine as I took in the sight of their glazed expressions. Their limp arms. Almost like they were all in shock, yet still functional. What was wrong with them?