by Allison West
She hated when her rear was plugged, making it uncomfortable to sit, stand, or do much of anything without the reminder of its weight in her bottom. Right now the one he’d administered had been far bigger than the last plug she’d been forced to take at the prison colony.
“Now stand up,” Poppa said, gently guiding her off his lap. “Leave your panties on the floor and go stand in the corner. Keep your dress above your waist.”
Her eyes widened in horror. What if someone saw her put on display? In fact, everyone would be able to see her with the gown lifted and the cameras pointed right at her bottom. How humiliating! Why couldn’t her poppa realize what she’d done was for him?
Standing in the corner, she heard the slight ding of metal, as he must have found the scalpel and pocketed the weapon. “You’ve been a naughty girl, Jade. You’re lucky I don’t bring out the whip.”
She tensed in the corner, her red cheeks already felt swollen and hot. When would she be able to sit down? Perhaps it was good she wasn’t allowed to be served breakfast. Jade didn’t think she could sit on a wooden chair and eat without the pain making her nauseous.
With her nose in the corner and her bottom put on display, she could feel his shadow as he came up behind her.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Poppa said, his breath brushing gradually across her ear and down her neck.
“There’s always a choice.” Her rear stung and she wouldn’t forget the fact that her attempt to help them escape only resulted in a harsh spanking and her bottom being plugged. Jade wasn’t pleased with the outcome. If this was how he treated her for trying to help, then he could worry about saving them!
Jade’s bottom lip trembled, unpleased with her punishment. Her eyes welled up once again like a child who wanted to be done with her discipline.
“One hour, Jade.”
She nodded, resting her cold cheeks against the walls. She could feel the vibrations through the wall, the storm hadn’t yet passed. The thunder was forgotten although it still rumbled overhead. With the pain to her bottom, every other fear appeared to cease in that very moment of being spanked.
Gradually the sounds came back, reaching her ears. “I don’t like storms,” she said. Her voice was fragile, her words innocent and child-like. Jade couldn’t remember the last time she feared a thunderstorm. When she was a child, they’d keep her up all night, afraid the roof would blow off the house or lightening would strike her home and set the house ablaze. Those childish irrational fears crept back around her, making the storm appear frightening. She jumped with every roar of thunder. Trembling in the corner, she didn’t dare spin around to look at her poppa. Would he be disappointed to see how afraid she was of the storm?
Shaking in the corner, her body didn’t cease quivering for the entire hour. Tears constantly rolled down her cheeks. She knew her eyes were probably red and puffy. Hiccups soon followed and although Jade tried to calm herself down, it wasn’t working.
She couldn’t see her poppa in the room with her nose pressed to the wall, but every so often she’d hear the click of his shoes over the wooden floorboards. He hadn’t left her, which meant he skipped breakfast as well. She felt bad for making him miss a meal that he’d cooked.
“Time’s up, Jade. Come here.”
She dropped the hem of her gown, letting it fall around her knees. Her eyes were filled with a new round of tears as she turned to face her poppa. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” he said, pulling her into his arms for a hug. “You’ll leave that plug in your bottom until I tell you to remove it, okay?”
Jade nodded, deciding it was best not to argue with him. Her rear still burned from the earlier spankings.
The door to the nursery room squeaked as Chilton and Dr. Rainer joined Jade and Poppa.
“What can I help you gentleman with?” Poppa asked.
“I’d like to examine her eyes again. Every few hours for the first couple of days,” Dr. Rainer said. He removed his penlight from his pocket.
Jade squeezed her poppa’s hand tight, not wanting to undergo any further testing.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
She slowly inched forward, but Dr. Rainer made most of the journey across the room. He flipped on the light and flashed it in her eyes, studying her irises.
“There’s still no change but the behavior we’ve been seeing is mildly conclusive,” Dr. Rainer said to Chilton.
“What does that mean?” Jade asked.
“It means we believe the activator may have worked on you, at least the second dosage that you’ve ingested. You’re not showing any signs of the golden halo but perhaps it’s your alien physiology that is able to reject the color change,” Dr. Rainer said.
Jade shook her head and shut her eyes. She hated being called an alien.
“It’s fine, we’re done with her,” Chilton said.
Jade heard two sets of footsteps retreat and the door open and shut. Gradually she opened her eyes to see that Chilton and Dr. Rainer had both left the room. Were they really done with Jade or were they done today with their mad scientist tests? She didn’t want to stick around and find out.
“Will the storm be over soon?” Jade almost felt relieved there weren’t any windows to see the damage outside. It sounded awful with the wind hammering the building repeatedly. She worried the roof would rip off and the storm would suck them out of the building, throwing them across the sky like giant missiles.
“Yes, but it’s not the storm I’m worried about,” Poppa said, staring at Jade.
“What’s wrong?” Jade asked. “I don’t understand.”
He sighed, probably deciding on how to answer. His eyes glanced up toward the cameras. Jade stared at the door. Was he afraid of Chilton and Dr. Rainer? She wasn’t happy with them but at least they left her alone. She didn’t know what she’d do if they dragged her away from her poppa. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” he said, assuring her as he patted her shoulder.
Jade didn’t feel the least bit at ease, but she took his advice and did as he told her.
She couldn’t ask about the scalpel but she noticed it wasn’t lying on the floor which was at least good news. He had it in his pocket most likely.
* * * * *
She found it difficult to sleep. Her poppa had put her to bed but she tossed and turned until finally the exhaustion set in. During the night, her eyes gradually opened to the strange sound of breathing beside her ear.
Hands came down, pinning her against the mattress as a male form climbed atop her body, straddling her.
The man’s size was long and tall but thin. He barely had any muscles under his clothes. It certainly wasn’t Poppa paying her a surprise visit. Besides he’d have been kind and gentle. There was a rough calloused nature to the man who trapped her against the mattress.
His steel gray eyes made her stomach flop. She’d seen him briefly before in passing. Though she didn’t know him other than another poppa at the prison colony, what was he doing on the surface of Adair? How had he gotten here?
“This is your fault!” he shouted, angry for something she’d done. “You and your stupid poppa couldn’t keep your hands to yourselves.”
Her eyes widened, realizing the connection. He must have been Sierra’s poppa! She’d told him, jealous of the interaction and he’d gone to Damien about it. Why had he been sent down to the surface though? Had he been punished for knowing too much?
Jade opened her mouth and screamed as loud as her lungs would carry. She had only one chance to make noise and wake everyone in the premises. Weren’t the cameras on? She glanced at the surveillance equipment and noticed the red light had been shut off. Shit. Was it a professional inside job? Did this man now work for Chilton? Were they trying to kill her, rape her, or both?
“I’m here because of you,” he hissed.
She wrestled him, wishing she’d have been able to hide that scalpel as she’d desired under her mattress. At
least then she’d have a fighting chance to wield him off her form and protect herself.
“No you’re here because you’re a rat!” Jade shouted. He couldn’t keep a secret. That wasn’t her fault.
His hands pushed her gown higher, caressing her thighs as his fingers seemed to have one goal in mind.
Her knee came up to his crotch. He didn’t have to be from Earth to have the same horrifying experience as she watched him double over in pain, groaning.
She took the opportunity to slip out of bed, but all doors except the washroom were locked. Jade couldn’t escape or get to Poppa’s room for help.
“Help!” she screamed and the attacker pounced on her, covering her lips with one hand and securing her wrists with the other hand above her head.
“You will be quiet,” he hissed into her ear.
Jade squirmed as she attempted to get away. He had her pinned down and he may have been small for a man but he was still taller and bigger than her.
The room once bathed in darkness glimmered as light flooded in from the door. Trapped to the ground, the bright light blinding from behind, she couldn’t quite see who entered the room. Did Chilton see there was no live footage and scurried to see what Jade had done? Or perhaps her screams had carried across the hall and woke her poppa from slumber.
Catching a slight glimpse of her poppa’s dirty blond hair and sun-kissed tan, he grabbed the nearest weapon, a lamp and ripped the cord from the wall. Using the base, he slammed the assailant over the head, watching him fall unconscious.
Using the long cord, he secured the intruder’s hands behind his back and tied him up with the wire. It would have to do. Pulling the security badge and keys from his pocket he reached for Jade’s hand. “Come on. We don’t have much time, lets go.”
“Where?” she asked, standing in her nightgown, more afraid than she’d ever been. She was not only on foreign soil but another planet! Jade didn’t know what to expect and the fear made her freeze.
“I don’t have time to explain.” He took her hand and pulled her to follow. She trailed a few steps behind, but refused to loosen her grip on his hand.
With the keycard in her poppa’s grasp, he unlocked the doors in each hall, managing a silent escape. With the car keys from the man who attacked her in hand, he hit the unlock key and watched as the headlights for a nearby motorcycle flipped on.
“Great,” he muttered under his breath.
Thunder had ceased but lightening still lit the night sky. Jade suspected it would be morning soon. She climbed on after him, gripping his waist as she breathed in the air. He complained about it not being clean, but her mind felt less foggy already.
“Hold on,” he said, starting the engine as he pulled away from the facility.
Jade refused to let go, gripping his waist, clinging to him because her life depended on it. At least they were free, but how long would they survive?
Chapter 14
Holden knew of only one place to go. Assuming Stefan was still alive, he’d gifted him the original galactopter, a time dilator that wasn’t even supposed to exist. Stefan had once lived in a secluded part of the mountains making it difficult to get to and impossible to track. He kept to himself and lived off the radar. At least he used to. Was Stefan still alive? There was only one way to find out.
He glanced over his shoulder as the sun broke across the horizon. There was still no sign of Chilton or anyone else. They rode away from the storm and the further the two of them traveled, he grew slightly more optimistic they might actually survive.
Jade had been quiet most of the ride. He’d felt her arms tight around his chest making it at times difficult for him to breathe. It didn’t help that the air quality was below optimum levels but they weren’t traveling through any zones that required a mask, something neither of them had on them. Acquiring one wouldn’t be easy and without question. Besides they needed to not be seen and the best way to do that was to get to Stefan as quickly as possible.
“Where are we going?” she asked into his ear.
He smiled, not that she could see but he was glad she was still awake. Did she like the sight of his world? It probably wasn’t much to enjoy looking at, considering how beautiful Earth still was in her time period. All he wanted was to go back to her world, prevent the invasion from ever happening, and protect Jade. Was it so much to ask for?
“I’m trying to get you home.”
“Oh, good.” She rested her cheek against his back. “How much longer?” She sounded tired and for good reason, that bastard had attacked and woken her from slumber. He’d wanted to ask her how she was doing but she was still breathing and seemed far less shaken up than she’d been when they escaped. Time for questions and pleasantries would have to wait.
Without directions, Holden had to try and remember his way up the switchback roads as they ascended the mountain. Further from civilization there were still a few trees but no signs of life. He wouldn’t have wanted to take the drive at night, let alone winter or fog. The steep climb forced the bike to tilt but Jade held on and Holden refused to let go.
“Almost there.” This at least was the easy part.
When would Chilton awaken and realize Jade and he had disappeared? Would they have until sunrise before they evacuated the facility and began tracking them down? If that was the case, they had a few hours head start. Or did the bastard who attacked Jade wake Chilton and alert them right away of the escape? He’d seen no sign of drones flying overhead. There’d been no cars or other vehicles since they’d left the facility. The roads were empty but that had as much to do with the storm which evacuated the city.
Approaching an empty lot, he shut off the engine. Jade loosened her grasp and climbed off the bike first. In the distance was a flat plot of land with trees surrounding the entire view. He removed himself from the vehicle.
“I don’t see anything.”
“Just wait for it.” He watched the empty space, looking for the slight glimmer that would give away the undeniable presence of a hidden home. Stefan had invited him here once before and assuming he hadn’t moved or been arrested, then there was no reason to believe he wasn’t still cooped up inside.
“Hands up,” a strange voice emitted from the forest. It didn’t sound human as the voice had been processed through a machine to mask who was hidden inside the premises.
Holden held his hands up into the air and Jade watched his movements before doing the same thing.
“Why are you back?”
“I’ve run into a hiccup,” Holden said. “I need another galactopter.”
Several loud beeps coursed through the forest, making him cover his ears from the sound. They were like pings, searching for other forms of life.
Satisfied they were alone, the shield lowered between them, revealing a mansion and green house to the side. Stefan never had the need or desire to leave. Some things, it seemed, hadn’t changed.
Holden reached for Jade’s hand and walked with her toward the front door of the complex. Before he had the chance to knock, Stefan pulled the door open with haste, glancing him over. “What’d you do to my galactopter?”
“I lost it,” Holden said, not caring at the moment to elaborate on the specifics. He didn’t lie, it was lost, just in space. “No one else can get ahold of it. I promise it’s gone for good.”
“You risk too many futures by the changes you want to make,” Stefan said. “Let me see what I have around here. I can make another time dilator but it won’t have all the same functionality of the galactopter.”
“What’s the difference?” Jade asked.
Stefan sized the young woman up, glancing her over. She still wore her nightgown and looked rather uncomfortable in the outfit but at least she was dressed. “You’re not from Adair, are you?”
“How can you tell?”
Holden rested a hand on Jade’s arm, silently telling her to be quiet.
“We traveled through the worm hole together back to Adair. It was an accident,
” Holden said.
“An accident? How do you accidentally activate the portal to return to your world?”
“I activated it,” Jade confessed, her voice soft and tranquil. Her eyes remained trained on the ground.
“I see. She never should have had possession of the galactopter.” He stared into her darkened irises, seeing something no one else had. “She’s an Earth girl, isn’t she?” Stefan said, examining Jade closer as he walked around her in a circle. “And by the looks of it, not from the current time.”
Jade frowned. “What does he mean?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Holden said, shaking his head, dismissing Jade’s question. “Can you help us or not?”
“I believe so,” Stefan said. “I’ve got enough components and the energy to open up a portal that will send you both back to your young woman’s timeline.”
“And to Earth,” Jade added.
“Yes.” Stefan nodded. “That’s the plan.”
Holden glanced through the window. “How long will it take?” He worried that Chilton and his men would be after Jade. Had they found a way to tag her with the activator? It wasn’t unheard of to use a radioactive element as a tracking device, especially in prisoners.
“As long as I need. Relax, Holden, I’ve put up the force field around my home. No one is getting in.”
“Or out,” Jade said under her breath.
Holden knew he could trust Stefan. If anyone could help get Jade home, he was the one with the resources and knowledge.
“I must inform you both of the consequences of using a time dilator. I’ve already been over this once with you, Holden. There are some side effects to your body and occasionally one’s mind.”
“Side effects?” Jade repeated.
“Nausea, vomiting, tremors, psychosis, and even death. Usually one trip doesn’t cause any adverse effects but it’s the introduction of multiple journeys within a short span of time that can tear apart your molecular structure and in effect kill you. I’m not telling you this to scare you, I just think it’s best to be well informed when making a decision that could prove fatal.”
