Another round of pops had me running across the path until I disappeared behind the wall. I crouched down again, peeking around its opposite corner. I spotted Reece’s backside poking out from behind a drum. He leant back as blue paint splattered beside him with a thwack and a cuss word I couldn’t quite make out.
Lifting my gun, I placed my elbow on my bent knee and rested its butt against my shoulder. It almost felt like I was back out in the field. I drew in a breath and squeezed the trigger. My gun popped, and Reece yelped as my bullet found his right leg. Paint spattered over his black pants. He swung around as I ducked back behind my metal wall, breathing heavily. I decided to return to my original position, but as I took off across the path, the pop of a gun sounded moments. A hard slap punched the side of my stomach.
“Argh!” I cried, my hand instinctively going to the spot. It stung like I’d been hit by a whip.
I made it behind the pallet wall as another round of pops sounded.
Okay, paintballs hurt.
Looking at the red paint splattered against the black of my shirt, I cursed Reece in my mind. I was going to get him back for that.
Poking my head around the side of the barrel, another pop had me ducking back as blue paint splattered beside me where my face had just been, some of it hitting my goggles. I wiped at the droplets, further smearing the paint and making it harder to see. The crunch of boots on gravel grew closer.
I only just made it around the side of the pallet as paint splattered against the wall while I crossed the path back behind the metal wall. Someone was pursuing me, so I leapt into a sprint. Another pop, and something slapped my back with a quick sting. Ducking behind a pile of old tires, I growled to myself before popping my head up over the tires. Ricko’s head bobbed up from behind a drum and he took a few shots behind another metal wall before running in and ambushing Reece.
“You got me, you got me!” Reece called out.
Ricko kept firing at him.
Ricko stood in the clear, an amused smirk on his face at having defeated Reece. I’d show him what it was like to be defeated. Taking aim, I fired at his torso. Pop, pop. Both shots hit him hard as yellow paint spread across his black shirt.
He groaned and ran to hide behind a pile of wooden pallets. But I kept firing, each bullet and hitting him hard on the legs and back.
A loud siren sounded above us. The game was over.
I stepped out from my hiding place as Reece and Ricko stepped out from theirs. Both Reece and Ricko were covered in various shades of paint.
“Did you even get hit?” asked Reece, looking over himself.
“Yes, here.” I pointed at my stomach and back. “Those paint pellets freaking sting.”
“Are you kidding me? I must’ve got shot about twenty times. What was with the rapid fire, Agent Rickson?” complained Reece. “I’m going to be black and blue tomorrow.”
“Just showing you who’s boss,” Ricko replied, lifting his shirt to take a peek at his own welts.
“Are you trying to say Ky’s your boss then? Because she smashed you with bullets at the end there,” said Reece with a grin.
“Lucky shots,” said Ricko. “That was fun though, right?”
“It really was,” he conceded.
I lifted my shirt, grimacing at the red welt on my stomach. “Not sure I’ll race back for another go. I like shooting at things, not the other way around.”
They both laughed.
“Let’s get packed up and we’ll head back to Skywatchers for lunch,” said Ricko. “Good work, guys.”
We handed back our paintball guns and piled into the black sedan. Moments later, we were back on the highway.
“So, can we go back out in the field now?” I asked Ricko.
“Can’t a guy breathe for a moment before you start making demands?” he asked.
“Reece proved he’s a good shot.” I pointed at the mess on his shirt. “Several times.”
“He is a good shot,” said Ricko.
“And he didn’t knock any of the pallets over.” I turned to shoot Reece a teasing grin.
“Oh, for… that was an accident!” Reece said with an eye-roll.
“His stealth has definitely improved since his first mission,” replied Ricko.
“So?” I asked.
He sighed. “So, I’ll talk to Commander Kane.”
“Yes!” I pumped my fist in the air.
“No promises. But I’ll see what I can do. You two seem to have gotten over what happened last time you were out in the field. You haven’t said anything to anyone it, have you?”
“Not a word,” I said.
“Not even a syllable,” confirmed Reece.
“I hope so. That’s the last thing Skywatchers needs at the moment,” said Ricko.
“So you’re really going to tell Commander Kane you think we’re ready to go back out?” I asked.
“I said I would, didn’t I? Just don’t get your hopes up until he says yes, okay?”
“You’re the best, thanks Ricko,” I said.
“Thanks, Ricko,” said Reece.
“I’m not sure you’ll be thanking me when those bruises blossom,” he replied.
“I can deal. I hope the bruises don’t ruin your girls’ night tonight, Ky,” teased Reece.
“Girls’ night?” asked Ricko.
“It’s nothing,” I replied, trying not to blush.
Reece broke into a mischievous smile. “One of the hunters asked Ky to go to her room and have a girls’ night tonight. Ky said yes.”
I turned and gave him a warning glare. If I was any closer I would’ve punched him in the throat to stop him from speaking.
“And who is this lucky girl?” asked Ricko.
“Just so we’re clear, I didn’t say yes. The idiot in the back told her I’d go, then he did some weird brain trick on me so I’d say I wouldn’t bail on her. Looks like I have an excuse not to go, what with all of these bruises.”
“I knew it!” Reece leaned back, hands behind his head and a smug grin on his face.
“I have an excuse, but I’m not going to use it. Hanging out with Natalie has to be better than spending time with you two. Maybe some girl time is what I need after all the time I’ve had to spend with males.”
“What is she saying, Reece? Are we not good enough for the amazing Ky?” Ricko fake pouted.
“Doesn’t sound like it,” replied Reece giving me the same look.
“Ugh. You two are pathetic!”
Turns out the only pathetic person was me. My plate shook in my hands and my throat threatened to close up on me as I followed Natalie towards her room on floor six. I hadn’t been so nervous in my life.
At lunch I’d positioned myself at the end of the table beside Reece so as to avoid having to talking about the upcoming girls’ night. The only mention she’d made of it was when I left, telling the whole table she’d see me tonight. I could’ve throat punched Reece all over again when I caught sight of the smirk smeared across his face. This was his fault. And when everything went pear-shaped, I’d make sure he knew it.
“You know, when you were running late, I thought you’d ditched me.” Natalie juggled her plate while she dug in her pocket for her room key.
“Sorry,” was all I could say.
She laughed so effortlessly it almost made me jealous. When was the last time I laughed like that?
“You don’t need to be sorry. You’re here, aren’t you?” She scanned the card and pushed her door open. “Welcome to my humble abode. I’m pretty sure you’ll find your way around, since every damn room is identical in this place.”
I followed her in, and she sat her plate on a small desk beside the door. She was right. Every piece of furniture was exactly the same as mine, even the red rug beside her bed. The only difference was a silver frame on her bedside table. It held a photo of her and a tall, broad-shouldered guy with short blonde hair.
“He was my boyfriend.” She made her way over to the table and lifted the f
rame. “He was three years older than me and was a hunter too.”
“Did you meet at Skywatchers?” I asked.
“No, I was twenty when I met him. He was in the military and was invited to join Skywatchers after the invasion. He said he wouldn’t join unless they’d take me too.”
“Is he still here?”
She stared at the picture and let out a sad sigh. “No. He’s gone.” She sat the frame back on the table. “Turns out even being a badass alien hunter can’t save you from cancer.”
A pang of sadness knifed through me. “I’m so sorry.” I hope I sounded sympathetic.
“It’s okay. He passed away a year ago today. It was kind of why I invited you up here. I didn’t want to be alone and feeling sorry for myself.”
I stared down at my plate, unsure what to say. I was so bad at situations like this.
“Want to sit at the table?” she asked. “I’ll move it over so it’s next to the bed.”
She slid the table across the carpet and sat on the edge of her bed. I took the wooden chair opposite her.
Our food had gone room temperature while we’d made our way to her room, but I still enjoyed the roast chicken and vegetables. I also enjoyed the fact it gave me something to focus on other than the awkwardness of being in Natalie’s room.
“So, you know my story. What’s yours?” she asked.
I swallowed a cold bite of food. “I don’t really have much of a story.”
“What? You’re the youngest and best hunter ever to grace the Skywatcher halls, and you’re telling me your story’s not exciting?” she asked in disbelief. “Come on, spill. What sort of girls’ night is this if you don’t tell me something about your past?”
I shrugged. “My brother worked for Skywatchers before the invasion. He died the night the aliens first came, and I persuaded the Commander and Ricko to train me. That’s it.”
“Was it an alien that killed him?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Those vermin.” Anger filled her eyes. “To think they live among every day civilians. It brings bile to my throat.”
Seems we had more in common than I’d thought.
“Why do you hate them so much?” I asked. “Apart from the fact they murder innocent humans.”
“Lincoln, that was my boyfriend’s name, he was extremely patriotic and would’ve done anything for our country. He passed his passion for defending it onto me. Anything that puts our country and people at risk is an enemy in my eyes.”
“My skin crawls every time I think about it,” I confessed. “About what they did to my brother.”
“We’ll get them, every last one. I just know we will,” she said.
I smiled, placing my knife and fork down on my empty plate.
“Now, onto a lighter note. How about you tell me a bit more about that handsome recruit of yours?”
“You mean apart from the fact he screwed up his very first mission?” I asked.
“He did? He kept that a secret.”
“I was just about ready to take a head shot when the idiot knocked over a pile of pallets. You could probably hear from a mile away,” I said.
“Oh, that’s so bad,” she laughed. “So nothing more than trainer and trainee then?”
I prayed the heat in my cheeks didn’t show. “Nothing more. I can’t remember the last time I even looked at a guy as more than another alien hunter.”
“I hear you. It’s pretty sad, right? Surrounded by testosterone and still no love interest.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So… you and Justin?”
“That idiot?” She rolled her eyes, affronted by the idea. “No way. He’s a nice guy and all, all right looking I suppose, but he’s more like a brother to me. I haven’t even thought about dating since losing Lincoln. Not sure another guy could ever measure up, to be honest. Has anything ever happened between you and Agent Rickson? I know you’re friends…”
“More like acquaintances. He trained me when I first came here.”
“So, you’re telling me I’m not getting any gossip out of you?”
“If you were looking for something juicy, you picked the wrong girl, I’m afraid.”
“Well, then…” A mischievous smile appeared on Natalie’s face. “If I’m not going to get any gossip, when was the last time you had a facial?”
Was she serious? “I don’t think I’ve ever had a facial.”
Her eyes and mouth widened. “Never had a facial? Well, by the time you go to bed you’ll be a new woman. This is going to change your life.”
I swallowed hard.
Two throat punches. That’s what Reece is getting. Maybe a kick to his man-parts too.
Chapter Sixteen
“You look different,” said Reece from across the breakfast table the next morning.
After dinner, Natalie had smeared a smooth green paste over both of our faces that smelled of lavender. We’d spent the time waiting to wash them off, talking, mostly whinging, about the boys and about some of the missions we’d been on, aliens we’d killed. I’d never imagined there could be a female in Skywatchers who hated the aliens as much as I did. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but her long blonde hair and bright green eyes certainly didn’t scream, ‘I love to kill alien scum.’
As I left her room, she’d given me a small tube of oil saying it was a treatment to put through my hair. I’d done it straight after my shower before bed, and my hair was now soft and shiny. She was right. I felt like a new person. I’d woken up refreshed, as though I hadn’t spent the last two years hiding in bushes and sneaking through grass, mud and dirt. It was the first time I’d felt remotely feminine in years. She promised next time she’d soak my hands and feet.
“She’s practically glowing,” beamed Natalie.
“Looks like whatever happened at your girls’ night worked,” said Reece.
“You look beautiful,” said Justin.
I almost choked on his compliment and looked to Reece for something, anything to stop the embarrassment creeping up my neck into my cheeks.
It was Natalie who changed the tone. “What happens at girls’ night stays at girls’ night. What’s everyone got happening today?”
Justin gazed at his plate, dejected. I ignored Natalie’s proud grin as though her stupid mask had somehow made me more attractive to the opposite sex. Maybe last night wasn’t such a great idea. The great feeling I’d had when I woke faded.
After breakfast, Reece followed me towards the elevator.
“So, last night wasn’t too bad was it?” he asked.
“It was okay. The face mask was nice,” I said. “Feel my cheeks, they’re so smooth.”
He gave me a strange look before prodding my left cheek. I grabbed his hand and ran his fingers over it.
He nodded in approval. “Nice. Where do I get a face mask?”
“I have no idea. You’ll have to ask Natalie.”
“Was it nice spending time with another female for a change?”
“Yeah, it was. You were right. I had a good time. Who knew I’d have so much in common with another hunter? We spent the night talking about how much we hate aliens and about some of the missions we’ve been on. I think it’s really brought my mojo back.”
He let out a sigh.
“What? Won’t be long before you’re racking up your own hunting stories to tell your friends in the gym,” I said.
“I’m glad you had a good night.”
“Are you fishing for a thank you? Because if you are, you’re not getting one. You still threw me in the deep end. You’re just lucky I managed to swim. And that Natalie wasn’t a piranha.”
He laughed. “Best we get to training before we cop another lecture from Agent Rickson.”
“Can we not tell him about the girls’ night? I don’t need two of you paying me out for actually acting like a girl for once.”
“My lips are sealed,” he said, running his fingers across his closed mouth.
I lifted my arm, cringing at
the bruise forming on my stomach. It’d been three days since Ricko had taken Reece and me to the paintball range. Three days of monotony. Wake, breakfast, train, lunch, train, dinner, sleep. Reece and the others made the day go much faster, though. It was nice having another female to back me up when the boys banded together. How had I not gone mad the two years I spent keeping everyone at arm’s length? I hated to admit it, but Commander Kane had been right. Having something that resembled a friendship wasn’t so bad after all. Every time I spoke to Natalie, she reminded me why I’d become a hunter in the first place. Maybe Reece had known she was exactly what I needed to get my head back in the game.
A knock came from my door. I pulled my singlet back down and answered it. Standing in my doorway, as though I’d conjured him with my thoughts, was Reece.
“What are you up to?” he asked.
“Just checking out my bruises from paintball. Those little suckers do some damage,” I moaned.
“How’s the bruising?”
“The purple and blue are turning yellow,” I replied letting him in. “So, great, I guess.”
He lifted up his shirt, revealing a muscular torso covered in round bruises. “Yup, mine too.”
I grimaced. “Ricko really got you good.”
“Let’s hope it satisfied him enough to convince Commander Kane to give us an assignment soon. I miss fresh air.”
“You’re starting to sound like me.”
“Must be spending too much time together,” he said.
“I’m almost desperate enough to ask Ricko to take us back to the paintball range.”
“I’m not quite there yet. It was fun, but these bruises suuuuck,” he said.
“Maybe next time he could take us to Laser Tag instead?” I suggested.
“Now that would be fun.”
“Ready to hit the gym?” I said, bringing us back to reality.
“At least it’ll get us moving.”
We left my room and made our way down to the gym. Reece ventured over to the weights while I mounted an exercise bike.
Aphelion Page 10
