Chapter Nine
“LANA, THAT’S MY GUN arm!” Elise said in irritation.
Lana eased back without breaking contact. Elise and Dan were a good team, relaying hand signals and other silent communications with nothing more than a glance at each other. Lana, on the other hand, couldn’t shake the paralyzing fear that came with knowing they were being stalked by men who wanted them dead.
Dan leaned back into the hollow of the tree in which they’d taken refuge.
“This doesn’t look good,” he whispered.
Elise pursed her lips. Lana peered around them to see the five or more armed men about twenty meters away. If the flares going up short distance away were any sign, the five men were part of a larger force between them and their destination. Brady’s men had dropped her, Elise, and Dan—along with two others—into the forest by helicopter two hours before. The forest looked little different from the one they’d just left. If the helo ride hadn’t taken three hours, she would have thought they never left.
Soon after, the men in black mowed down two of Dan’s men, and the three of them were left to fend for themselves.
Dan settled onto his knees and flipped out a tracker. Elise looked over his shoulder. Lana was helpless. She had no micro, no genetically engineered body or weapons to fight off anything that came at them.
Dan handed the tracker to Elise, who tapped the screen, pensive. He touched his earpiece.
“Yep, still here,” he replied. “Me ’n’ the girls and a shitload of bad guys where there shouldn’t be any.” His gaze rested on Lana, and he smiled.
She hugged her knees to her chest to keep from shaking. Not only were they surrounded by adversaries, it was cold. Dan had given her a jacket, but their slow crawl through the forest had left her soaked and shivering.
“Elise is plotting them,” Dan said, gaze again on the tracker. “We think there are fifteen.”
“Ish,” Elise added. “Fifteen-ish.”
“Send our coords, too, so they don’t blow us up,” Dan directed in a hushed voice.
Lana never thought she’d end up in the middle of a forest, defended by the PMF against those who seemed to want to start a second East-West civil war.
“Can you shoot, Lana?” Dan asked.
“Not straight. Been trying to teach her for weeks,” Elise answered without looking up. “She closes her eyes when she fires.”
“So, no, that won’t work,” Dan said to the person on the other end of his conversation. There was another pause. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
They looked at her, and she suspected they were silently cursing the defenseless civilian.
“Stay here. They’re calling in a strike. Elise and I will take out the rest,” Dan said.
Lana nodded, afraid to ask what happened if the plan didn’t work. He patted her arm then moved to crouch beside Elise, waiting.
The screech of incoming missiles was audible long before they hit, but the laser strikes were silent. She plugged her ears, watching as the missiles distracted the men into one direction while the laser strike knocked them dead. The ground shook beneath them as the weapons hit the ground. The scent of burnt metal and flesh soon followed, then chaos as Elise and Dan moved away from her, each going in the opposite direction under the cover of smoke.
Lana stretched onto her stomach, watching them from the safety of the tree. The strikes were enough to disarray, if not kill, most of the men. More laser fire lit the area where Elise had gone.
She sucked in a breath, heart racing. Another man dropped, this time from Dan’s direction. She couldn’t tell how many there were, not with the smoke and darkness. She heard the sounds of a physical scuffle and another shot from Dan’s direction. The adversaries were regrouping, with one barking orders to those remaining. She watched dark shapes mill and drop as the smoke cleared until they wised up and took refuge in the forest.
One charged her hiding place, and she scrambled back, pressing herself against the tree. She held her breath, listening as he prepped his weapon. Another shot pierced the tense darkness, then there was a flurry of movement. The man inches from her fired into the melee, along with the laser guns of several more. She couldn’t tell what was happening, but it seemed like there were a lot more guns in the fight than there had been a minute ago.
The gunman rested back on his heels to load a new laser charge pack. The gunfight gave another burst of life before winding down. She froze, willing the man not to look left, or he’d see her.
She heard Elise’s whistle. She couldn’t respond without drawing the man’s attention. Elise whistled again. More gunfire sounded. The man beside Lana rocked back suddenly, pounding his gun on the ground as it jammed. He looked up.
Their eyes met. Lana’s heart stopped, and she opened her mouth to shout for Elise. He slapped his hand over her mouth and wrenched her up, the laser gun at her head. He wrapped a thick arm around her throat and dragged her from the forest. Dark corpses littered the small clearing.
“You have until the count of five to put down your weapons!” he bellowed. “One.”
She strained against him. His grip tightened, and she stilled. Two more of his men moved cautiously from the forest, looking for Elise or Dan to appear.
“Two!”
“I’m here,” Brady’s growl came from the fog. Lana made out his form as he emerged from the bushes.
“Where are the others?” the man holding her demanded.
“Just me.”
“Weapons down!”
Brady raised his gun instead, aiming it at the man holding her.
“You get one warning,” he said in a tone far more lethal than he’d ever used with her.
“You’re outnumbered, idiot,” one of the others snapped.
One shot rang out, followed by two more. The man at her back dropped, followed immediately by the other two. Dan and Elise rose from the bushes and lowered their weapons. Lana shoved away from the dead man, horrified. Brady gripped her arm, pulling her quickly through the forest. Dan ran ahead of them, Elise behind, and they flew down a deer path to a creek, then darted across rocks to the other bank.
Cold water soaked Lana’s boots as Dan kept them on the creek’s edge for a few hundred meters before veering into the surrounding forest. They stopped at a rock wall. Dan hopped onto a boulder and placed his hand on the wall. The keypad lit up, and light spilled from a door that opened slowly.
“Dan, go,” Brady ordered, releasing her. Dan and Elise ducked into the dark entrance. Brady turned away and started towards the forest. Lana caught his arm, alarmed.
“Brady!”
He faced her, and she realized how stupid it was to expect he’d do anything else but return to the fight.
“Thank you,” she managed. “Be careful.”
Brady gazed at her intently. Heart hammering, Lana rose to her tiptoes and gave him a light kiss on the lips. He snatched her, though instead of pushing her away, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, deep and hard. She returned the kiss, thrilled by his passion and her own mounting hunger.
“Lana!” Elise called from the hallway.
Brady released her suddenly, and Lana wobbled. She watched him disappear into the dark forest, her body thrumming with desire.
“Come on,” Elise said.
Breathless, Lana obeyed and joined them in the tunnel. Dan led them into a narrow hall and to another locked door. He opened it. Lana turned as the door behind them closed. Brady remained outside. Elise nudged her, and she trailed Dan as he strode down another hall. He led them through the maze until they emerged into a yawning cave lit by lanterns then continued into another set of halls. He stopped at one and pressed his thumb to the keypad.
“Lana, I’m gonna leave you here. He’ll probably be pissed at me, so don’t get comfortable,” Dan said, waving her in.
Lana entered, in shock from the night. The suite was small and comfortable with a small living area, utility area with lockers, and a door leading to a bedroom with its own bat
hroom. She stood shaking for a moment. Woodenly, she peeled off her wet clothes and climbed into a hot shower. The water stung her skin, and she grimaced as her attacker’s blood ran down the drain.
For once, she almost understood Brady’s ability to kill without regret. If she had a laser gun, she just might have pulled the trigger. She didn’t know how he could take the chance of hitting her, though! What kind of man risked the person he was trying to protect?
Overwhelmed, she closed her eyes, enjoying the heat. She turned off the shower and rifled through the room’s contents. The dresser contained neatly folded boxers and T-shirts but nothing else. She pulled on a set and dropped into the bed, exhausted.
A while later, the sound of movement outside the bedroom door pulled her from her sleep. She roused herself and opened the door from the bedroom to the living area.
Brady had piled his weapons on the couch and stripped down to a pair of pants and nothing else. Her breath caught at the sight of his wide, muscular chest, and the pants that dropped dangerously low on his hips. Her blood quickened, and she felt too hot.
He pulled on a T-shirt, unaware she was in the doorway.
“Are you that good of a shot or were you lucky?” she asked. She wanted to look away from his perfect body but found she couldn’t. Instead, she found herself recalling what almost happened.
“I’m that good.” His declaration was unhesitant, like his response to killing people.
They were just normal events of his world, a world very unlike her own. Lana couldn’t help thinking they were far too different. And that he’d saved her life again. And she wanted more than a kiss next time.
“Are you okay?” he asked in a softer tone. “He didn’t hurt you?”
“If I had a gun, I might have almost thought of killing him,” she admitted.
“Good thing you didn’t have one,” he said, amused. “I told you I’d protect you. We’re in this together. No one threatens what’s mine.” He sat down to pull off his boots.
She said nothing, not sure what to think of his words. The idea of belonging to her Guardian was thrilling. The idea of belonging to a remorseless insurgent leader was terrifying. He’d said the same words the Guardian did. He said the words with the same assurance he said everything.
Yet, he’d refused her offer to become his companion. The way he kissed her and the way his gaze lingered on her every time they spoke was more than enough to convince her he was attracted to her. She wondered what kept him back and what exactly he wanted. He’d asked for nothing.
“You’re staring at me. What?” Brady asked, without looking up.
“I’m trying to figure you out.”
“There’s nothing much to me. I’m a soldier.”
“Traitor to your country.”
“You’re smart enough to know better. The PMF will be the only thing that holds this country together. You just don’t want to admit what’s going on around you.”
“That makes two of us,” she mused.
Brady glanced over his shoulder at her.
“I was thinking about how you kissed me,” she said. “It was … ah … anyway, Brady, I feel like I know you already.”
He bristled. Instead of answering, he rose and faced her. Lana stepped out of the doorway as he approached, assuming he meant to ignore her and head to the bedroom to rest. Brady paused in front of her, meeting her gaze.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I thought otherwise,” she replied.
He kissed her in response, as intense as he had been at the entrance of the underground base. She sensed his restraint break. His hands roamed her body, and she returned his hot kisses, wanting him with the same lust she felt from him. Her question slid away from her mind as he maneuvered her into the bedroom and lowered her onto the bed. Lana pulled him on top of her, certain he wouldn’t walk away this time.
Brady made love to her with passion and tenderness, a combination that made her fall even harder for the side of him that had kept her company for weeks and protected her. He held her afterwards until she drifted into a doze. She awoke beneath the sheets of his bed, warm and comfortable. Her skin smelled of him, and she smiled.
Brady stirred across the room. He was getting dressed in his uniform.
“Gotta fight bad guys.” His voice held a tight note, one she couldn’t place. He didn’t look at her.
“Are you all right?” she asked, pushing herself up.
“Yeah.” He was distant again.
Lana pulled the blankets up as well, feeling exposed rather than comfortable at his sudden change.
“You’re not upset about what happened are you?” she asked.
“I needed a woman,” he said dismissively, as if she was a common prostitute.
Lana studied his back as he moved. She sensed there was something behind his words. He was trying to push her away again, as he had before. Only this time, he’d gone too far with her to completely walk away. She wondered what it was that kept him at war with himself and tried not to let his words affect her.
“Are you taking me as your companion?” she asked.
“Not in the middle of a war.”
“You never answered my question. Do I know you from somewhere?”
Brady’s movement paused then resumed. He whipped open the door to the living area and began placing his weapons around his body. Lana eased out of bed and put on her clothing before joining him.
“Do I?” she prodded at his silence.
“No.”
Disappointment spiraled through her. Her Guardian slept with her then lied to her. Confusion and anger stirred again. Why would he lie about knowing her? He’d been so sweet to her just a hour before. It was plain he regretted it. He still didn’t look at her, and she couldn’t help feeling hurt.
“I’m going on a mission. Will be back in the morning,” Brady said and strode to the door. “I don’t need to tell you not to leave, do I?”
“No,” she whispered. Lana watched him leave and rubbed her face, exhausted. She wasn’t certain what to think right now. Her body still thrummed with desire for him. It was scrambling her logic and had completely decimated her self-control where he was concerned.
Frustrated, she headed to the small bedroom and dropped into the bed. She wrapped her arms around a pillow that smelled like him and stared at the wall, distraught by the feelings of both anger and need for the complicated man. What had started as admiration and respect for the Guardian was turning into something more, and she didn’t know what to do about it.
Lana slept until Elise woke her for breakfast by beating on her door in the morning. Someone had cleaned her clothing and draped it over the couch. Lana changed quickly, her body sore from the night with her Guardian. She wrenched the door open.
“It’s about time,” Elise complained. “And for the record, you’re not supposed to get caught when the bad guys come for you.”
Lana frowned, looking Elise over from head to foot. The elite fed soldier was dressed in PMF gray.
“Elise,” she said in disapproval.
“Someone has to protect you,” Elise replied with a smile. “Let’s get some food.”
“It doesn’t bother you?” Lana pressed. “Wearing their colors? Betraying your country?”
“That’s the harshest thing I’ve ever heard leave your mouth. Good girl!”
Elise strode away. Lana followed. They grabbed food from the small cafeteria that was devoid of people at the late hour of morning. Lana hadn’t expected to sleep in so long but was grateful Elise had thought to leave her alone for the full night. Elise straddled a chair, and Lana sat across from her.
“Elise—” she started.
“I don’t see things as simply as you,” Elise said. “This isn’t a case of good guy, bad guy. I agree with Dan—someone in the government wants to start another civil war. What do you think?”
Lana listened, nibbling a pastry. It was impossible for her to t
hink anything different. Her thoughts went from Brady to Greenie and the communications she’d forwarded to her micro. She itched to have her micro again, to look at the logs and hack into whatever she could to find the answers.
She flushed despite herself. She’d paid her one night with Brady and still didn’t have her micro or the vault. He seemed immune to most emotions remotely human. What more did he want from her?
“Well? You’re the analyst,” Elise prompted. “I’m a grunt because I couldn’t pass the fed tests, you know.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Elise,” Lana chided. “I don’t have any empirical evidence to suggest—”
“Don’t use that fed speak on me,” Elise said with an exasperated sigh. “I asked what you think, not what you know.”
“I don’t think the PMF did it,” Lana said at last.
“That was painful. Remind me never to ask your opinion on what I’m wearing.”
Lana half-listened, thoughts on Greenie and the Horsemen. The weight of those secrets robbed her of her appetite and made her feel tired again, even after a full night of rest.
“I think someone in the government was working with some very powerful partners who had the funding, operational planning, and corrupt government officials in high enough places to execute,” she said.
“Is that close to what I said?” Elise grinned.
Lana nodded.
“Awesome.”
“I still don’t consider the PMF an ally.”
“If you want to stay alive, you better learn to adapt,” Elise advised. “Something we learned in my training: survive then worry about fighting another day.”
“We come from two different worlds.”
“I have a feeling this will be permanent.”
Lana agreed silently. Even if she reached the Peace Command Center, the world wouldn’t right itself. She’d hoped her burden would end there, and the secrets she kept could be turned over to someone who could fix things. She suddenly found these thoughts foolish.
She wished to talk to Guardian again, to hear his take on the world. He’d been her only friend. Her thoughts turned dark as her mind wandered to Brady. Their relationship had changed to one far more dangerous, less open.
“Elise, can I use your micro?” Lana asked suddenly, surprised to see the elite soldier had it at her waist.
“Later. We got something to do first,” Elise said, standing. “I’m going to teach you some self-defense. The next time someone grabs you, you can take care of him. This afternoon, we’re learning some basic survival shit, since it’s clear you don’t know any of it. All your fancy training won’t …”
Lana half-listened to Elise’s lecture, thinking about how she could hack into her micro with Elise’s. She followed her friend to a portion of the underground site converted into a massive gym and training facility. A dozen or so of the PMF soldiers were present. Elise breezed by them, unaffected. Lana couldn’t help but feel self-conscious at the lingering looks they gave her. She didn’t have Elise’s physique; she was clearly not one of the genetically altered warriors.
Elise peeled off her shirt to reveal a snug undershirt that outlined the shape of her muscular upper body.
“We’ll start with how to break some general holds,” Elise said.
“Brady said to help if you need it,” a deep male voice said.
Lana turned to look at the speaker and craned her neck back. He was bigger than Brady by a head and one and a half times as wide. She felt like a flower next to a tree and stared, hoping Elise didn’t take his offer seriously.
“Great!” Elise said with enthusiasm. “Put her in a choke hold.”
Lana paled, expecting her day wasn’t about to get any easier.