Depths Of Desire

by Ruth D. Kerce

  “No fucking way.”

  Torque cracked open the door. People ran back and forth along the hallway. Many looked scared. Others looked wary and kept checking behind them. “I see a lot of panic. I don’t see anyone who doesn’t look like they should be here. Yet.”

  “I’m not getting a response from anyone,” Jaeda said. She reattached her comm unit to her belt.

  “If it’s the Egesa, they’ll head for the armory and for the control sections,” Torque said.

  “The armory will be shut tight after the alarm.”

  “Unless that’s where they penetrated and already have it under control,” Grady said. He grabbed what looked like an Earth comm unit. “I’ve got warriors on standby. Shit. No service.”

  “Do you have a trans-conn?” Torque asked.

  “Of course.” Grady pulled it from his jacket. “What the hell?” He fiddled with the controls. “It’s powered down.”

  “They’re draining energy sources,” Jaeda said. “We need to get to control to assess what’s happening. We can monitor the whole facility from there.” She squeezed past Torque to look out the door. “Follow me.”

  Torque and Grady fell in step behind her. She trotted to a stairwell. “Better we take the stairs.”

  “Wait. Let me.” Torque pulled out his weapon and cracked open the stairwell door.

  Jaeda’s eyes widened. “Where the hell did you get a gun?”

  “Brought it in with me. Grady, you armed?”

  “You know it.” He pulled out a disruptor.

  Jaeda gave them both an incredulous look. “So much for security.”

  “Earth security,” Torque said. “It has limits. You need to do physical body searches. The old ways are oftentimes the best ways.”

  True. She pulled a weapon out of her boot. When he and Grady looked at her in surprise, she shrugged. “Like you said.”

  Torque chuckled then he looked up and down the stairway. “We’re clear.” They headed inside and descended. First him, then Jaeda. Grady held the rear. Torque continually looked down the middle of the stairwell to the levels below, making sure that they weren’t headed toward a group of Egesa or whoever had breached the facility. He was grateful that he’d left a vid-cell with Leila. As long as it worked, she’d be able to contact Halah and get back to the ship.

  * * * * *

  Leila’s heart pounded.

  Kirk pulled her behind him and around a corner. “This way. Stop fiddling with that thing and keep an eye out.”

  “I can’t contact the ship. Nobody is answering. Brianna isn’t answering either. Can you get in contact with Jaeda?”

  “My comm is showing no service. We need to get to a safe zone.” He pulled her into an elevator and they started down.

  Leila was glad that they’d gotten the serum specifications sent out and the duplication process set in motion. The disease center wanted her to confirm the safety of the virus they intended to use in conjunction with Torque’s ammo redesign specifications. She’d specifically brought the AMD unit for any advanced testing that might need to be done while on Earth. But that wouldn’t be possible now. They’d have to continue the production without it and take their chances. She set her case on the floor.

  “You should have left that.”

  “And tip the Egesa off to what we’re doing? If they analyze the vials still in there, it won’t take much for them to figure out what our plans are.”

  “We don’t even know it’s the Egesa who breached the facility.”

  “Who else could it be?” A jolt tossed them against the back wall as the elevator came to a stop. “What happened?” A bad feeling raced down her spine.

  Kirk moved to the front of the elevator and punched a few buttons. “Shit! We’re stuck.” He glanced up.

  “What do we do?”

  “We go up. There’ll be a side ladder. We can climb up until we get to a door control. Then after we’re on the floor, we’ll take the stairs down. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”

  She glanced up and saw a hatch. After living in the Lair on Xylon, she was used to being underground so this was merely a glitch. Even so, she worried about getting out of here and off Earth.

  Kirk chuckled.

  She looked over at him. “What?”

  “I’m glad I got that injection. If I fall and break my leg, it’ll heal fast, right?”

  “It’ll heal. But don’t take any unnecessary chances. Healing is fast but isn’t immediate. Remember, severe injuries take longer and oftentimes require additional treatment.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I have a doctor by my side.” He cupped his hands. “I’ll boost you up to open the panel.”

  * * * * *

  Earth’s Orbit

  Daegal looked over the steady stream of reports he was getting in. Things seemed to be progressing, though slower than he’d hoped. Still, victory was well within their grasp.

  When the door to his quarters slid open, he turned. His brother was back. “Come.” He motioned him closer. “What do you have to report?”

  “We’re in the process of shutting down power sources. We’ve also taken over most all Earth tracking facilities and missile operations. Essentially the humans are paralyzed. We’re rounding up prisoners and will send the healthy ones to our transports as soon as they’re cleared.”

  “Wonderful. Kill the rest so we’re not infected with their diseases and filth. What about the militaries in the noncompliant countries?”

  “They’re making a pathetic stand. It’s only a matter of time before they’re defeated.”

  “And the Xylon Warriors on planet?”

  “They’ve organized a few effective raids but their numbers are so small against ours that they can’t win in the end.” He wobbled slightly and reached out to steady himself.

  Daegal grabbed his arm. “Let’s get you to medical. You’ll be the first recipient of the harvested spinal fluid.”

  “And you?”

  Daegal hesitated at the look on his brother’s face. Was that regret he saw? Odd, but now wasn’t the time to question him. “I am feeling the effects but I’m managing.” He was actually surprised. Normally his brother fared better than he did. Sending him to conduct negotiations had obviously drained him more than they’d expected. “After you are seen to, I will get my injection. We both will be strong and powerful once more. So powerful that nobody will be able to defeat us. Until then, our commanders are loyal and will carry out our wishes.”

  “Have we gotten word on the number of off-planet Xylon survivors or their force capabilities from their non-Earth substations?”

  Daegal shook his head. “Communication has been patchy. A solar storm is creating interference right now. But they couldn’t possibly have enough survivors to defeat us.”

  “What of the unidentified ships in orbit around Earth?”

  Deageal’s concern increased. His brother’s breathing was not normal. Sweat trickled out from beneath his mask. “It is nothing to concern yourself with. Supply ships only. Under robotic control, we think.” He didn’t actually believe that but he saw no reason to add to his brother’s stress. “I have some men looking into it?”

  The man visibly seemed to relax at the news. “And Laszlo? You have felt the strain?”

  “Yes.” Daegal smiled, barely able to contain his excitement. “He is dying. He is not a threat to us anymore.”

  “What about the legacies? Any word?”

  He guided his brother out of the room. “Laszlo’s legacies are also dead. Rest assured we will reign supreme—here and on all the planets we will soon conquer.”

  * * * * *

  Planet Earth, State of Colorado, U.S.A.

  Underground Tracking Facility

  Torque, Jaeda and Grady exited the stairwell. The hair on the back of Torque’s neck bristled and he held up a hand to stop everyone. Grady pushed Jaeda flush against the wall. Torque knew he’d smelled it too. Egesa.

  Four of the creatures suddenly round
ed the corner, obviously headed for the control center. Upon seeing two Xylon Warriors—their jackets were a dead giveaway—the Egesa froze just long enough to give Torque and Grady the advantage.

  Torque took out the first creature in the team. Grady took down two more. The fourth one got off a shot but it went wild as he was hit square in the forehead. Torque turned toward Jaeda, who shrugged and lowered her weapon. “Hideous creatures.” She squeezed between the two men. “This way.”

  Down the hall, the control center came into view. They all slid to a stop and Torque punched the entry button. Nothing.

  “It’s locked down.” Jaeda pulled out her security card and swiped it through the reader. It buzzed but nothing else happened. “Damn it. It’s been set to high-secure mode. We need a second card.”

  At the sound of boots quickly approaching, Grady and Torque turned and aimed. Two people rounded the corner in a full run.

  “Whoa!” Kirk stopped, skidding forward slightly. “Don’t shoot!”

  “They’re with us,” Torque told Grady.

  Leila stumbled into Kirk’s back. “We’ve got Egesa on our tails.”

  “I need you to swipe your card, Kirk,” Jaeda said.

  He grabbed his card and ran it down the sensor just as an Egesa soldier rounded the corner. Grady fired and the creature went down. The door to the control center slid open and everyone filed inside. Torque shot at two more Egesa through the crack in the door as it closed. He couldn’t tell if he’d hit them or not. The door closed too quickly.

  When they turned, they all simply stood staring at the control center in silence. Leila was the one who finally spoke. “Where is everyone?”

  “Fuck.” Jaeda rushed over to a console. She pressed a series of buttons. “We’re shielded now.”

  “What’s that mean?” Grady picked up a donut left beside another console and stuffed it in his mouth.

  “The staff had to have been taken by surprise. The whole lot of them must have been materialized out of here. They wouldn’t have left voluntarily. I’ve blocked transport access.”

  “We can do that?” Kirk asked.

  “It’s top secret. The system sucks energy like crazy so it’s not normally engaged. It was programmed to auto-set during any high-level attack or breach.”

  “You all did a bang-up job with that programming,” Grady said around a mouthful of food.

  “Shut up, Grady.” Torque assessed their situation. “Can the Egesa cut the power?”

  “Not in here.”

  The best course of action now was to get out of this facility, reconnect with Brianna and find a new base of operation. “We need to contact Halah, turn off the shield and have her materialize us up to the ship.” The oxygen levels in the orbiter would only accommodate five though. One of them would have to be left behind.

  “I haven’t been able to reach Halah,” Leila informed him. “She must be out of orbit and out of range.”

  Torque grunted. “Figures. Shitty timing as usual. Keep trying to reach her. And contact Brianna.”

  “I’ve tried. I can’t get her either. I don’t know why.”

  “Where the hell are our squadrons?” Grady asked.

  Torque turned toward him. “Xylon’s gone. Daegal hit us with a PowerIIRad. We think the Ice Moon is still operational and are trying to regroup from there.”

  “So the rumors are true,” Grady murmured, looking stunned. “Laszlo?”

  “Still alive, but not well. Braden is in charge back home. Brianna is in charge of this Earth mission.”

  Slowly Grady sank down to sit atop one of the desks. “And you’re sporting Laszlo’s insignia. Convenient for the Kolls.”

  Many Xylons would no doubt believe that their family had taken advantage of this situation to snatch up even more power than they already had. It wasn’t true, but the accusation in Grady’s words was clear. He could also see defeat in his eyes. Torque walked over to him and leaned close. “Snap out of whatever ideas are running through your thick head. We’re going to take out these fuckers and save everyone who’s left that we can. Got it?” He knew that Grady had no immediate family on Xylon to mourn. The loss of friends and their whole way of life would take a toll, but couldn’t be dwelt on now. They had to concentrate on the fight.

  Grady took in a deep breath and looked at Torque. He still didn’t speak but he let out the breath he was holding in a swoosh and nodded.

  Torque headed back toward Jaeda. “Do you have video of the inside of this facility? Can we determine how many Egesa are down here and where they’re at?”

  “I’ll bring it up.” Jaeda headed over to a bank of screens and sat down.

  “I’ve got nothing on the airwaves,” Kirk said. “No radio, no television, nothing on satellite either.”

  “Most of the video feeds are down.” Jaeda flipped several switches. “It looks like the cameras are being smashed. Some are better hidden than others though. Here.”

  Everyone but Grady crowded around Jaeda. Torque rubbed his chin. “Damn. It looks like a whole contingent of Egesa soldiers. They must think this facility is important.”

  Kirk headed toward the back of the room. “We have a lot of weaponry and tracking equipment here. Also communication channels to the world. And some of the top scientists work here as well as top military commanders and personnel.” He opened a door. “Break room is clear.”

  Grady snapped to his feet and stepped forward. “Don’t ever do that, dumbass. Let Torque or me check out closed areas. A soldier could have been on the other side of the door and shot a hole right through your ugly head.”

  “Are we stuck here?” Leila asked, cutting off whatever Kirk’s response would have been.

  “For now,” Torque told her.

  “There’s food and drink in the break room.” Jaeda looked over the controls. “We’ll be all right for a while.”

  Torque leaned closer to speak with her. “I know that no one can materialize in, but if we got in here with two security cards, can the Egesa do the same? If they’ve captured the team who worked here, they have their access passes.”

  Her eyes widened. “Shit. I should thought of that. Kirk! Door access?”

  “We’re okay,” Kirk said from another panel on the opposite side of the room. “I’ve disengaged the door-entry system. It can only be opened from the inside.”

  Jaeda smiled at him and the tension in the room eased.

  “Do you think they know we’re in here?” Leila asked.

  “Probably,” Torque answered, turning toward her. “They’ll review whatever video they have after they find the dead soldiers. They’ll try to materialize into the room or dematerialize us out. When that doesn’t work, they try to bypass the door lock. If that doesn’t work, then they’ll try to blow the door.”

  “It’s reinforced steel.” Jaeda swiveled her chair toward the group. “They can’t get in short of destroying this whole place.”

  Grady looked around the room. “What about the ventilation shafts?”

  “Too small to get through.” Kirk pointed to the grates then hit a blue button and entered some data into the computer. “And I just switched our air to contained.”

  “Meaning what?” Leila asked, walking over to him.

  “They won’t be able to pump anything into the room. The control center is designed to be a safe zone once all the systems are properly engaged.”

  Grady moved over to Torque. “How the hell are we going to get out of here? You know they’ll just wait us out.”

  “Yeah, I know. Brianna is on the outside. When she can’t get in contact with us, she’ll return and see that the facility has been taken over. You have people who will be looking for you too. They’ll get us out.”

  Grady lowered his voice. “Sitting on my ass, waiting to be rescued, would not be my first choice.”

  “If it were just you and me, I’d agree. We have the whole group to think of now.”

  “So what are we supposed to do? Count the cracks in th
e floor? I’m too worked up and mad as hell to do nothing.”

  “Practice some training moves then. That’ll work off some of your tension.”

  Grady glanced toward Leila. A predatory look crossed his face. “Actually, I can think of something more satisfying. How about a little pussy party to take our minds off all this shit?”

  “Leave her alone, Grady. Leila’s mated and branded.”

  “So? I’m a warrior. The brand won’t hurt me and some good fucking is just what we need to bond and to get our bodies ready for battle. That one looks like a sweet, sexy morsel.”

  “She doesn’t fuck around. She’s mated to Erik Rhodes.”

  “All Xylons fuck around.” His brow crinkled. “Erik, huh?” He seemed to think a while on that before he continued. “I know him. He’s got a nasty temper when riled. We’ll there’s always Jaeda.”

  Torque grabbed his arm. “She’s off limits too.”

  Grady pulled away. “Seems to me that’s her decision, not yours. Nobody has a claim on her. She would have told me.”

  “I’m telling you. Consider her claimed. By me.” Regardless of his visions, he didn’t intend to let any other man touch Jaeda unless her sanity was truly in jeopardy. He’d shared plenty of women with other warriors in the past. But Jaeda was special.

  Since Grady hadn’t zeroed in on Jaeda first, he doubted their relationship had become physical yet. That was a great relief and meant he still had the upper hand. He intended to play it.

  “Fucking warrior mentality isn’t what it used to be,” Grady muttered. “I miss the old days.”

  Torque clapped him on the shoulder. “Check out that break room, assess what we’ve got, and make sure there’s no other way in or out from there.” Torque walked over to Jaeda. “Do any other accesses exist to this area? Maybe for maintenance purposes?”

  She crinkled her brow in thought. “Kirk! Maintenance. Are there any crawlspaces that we might be overlooking to get to the equipment in here?”