by Zara Zenia
By staying with Elijah, I signed up for the fact that there was a good chance I would never have that.
I moved around the room, methodically repacking my bag so I would have the essentials and nothing more. I tossed a pair of cute heels into the trash. I knew that they had no use for where I was headed. I needed to keep things light so we could leave with a moment’s notice.
“We should probably try to get some sleep,” I suggested, knowing that sleep would not be easy for either of us. Elijah nodded and we got into bed.
I laid on my side and he spooned me. He sighed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“In a selfish way, I’m really glad you’re coming with me. What I can’t understand is why you’d agree to live this kind of life. You could leave right now and find someone different, someone better.”
“I don’t want someone different.”
“I know, but I can never be good enough for you. I can be cold and paranoid. I am quick to freak out and get angry. I never used to be like this. They changed me.”
I rolled over to face him.
“I don’t think I’m human. I don’t know enough about my own body to know what I’ll be like in the future. What if I need parts or drugs or something? I can’t just walk into a regular doctor when I start to fall apart.”
“I’ll lube you up when your parts get stiff,” I joked.
“I appreciate the effort,” he said, “but I’m serious. I’ve only been on the outside for about half a year. I’ve already felt some sort of decay occurring in my body. I don’t feel the same. I have no way of predicting what I’ll be like in a year or two, let alone a lifetime. I can’t leave you and the baby behind.”
He had a point. So much was still uncertain about his condition. What would happen if he was working on a construction site and he got cut? If anyone saw his quick healing skin, we’d be on the run again. There was so much that could go wrong.
“What I mean to say is, I feel guilty for dragging you into this. When you first met me, you were interested in Elijah, the human construction worker with a normal life. If you knew anything about me when we met, you would have run. That’s on me. You didn’t ask for any of this.”
“I didn’t ask to fall in love with you.”
We kissed. There were so many emotions flowing between us. Fear, love, excitement, and lust ran deep through our veins.
“We should probably try to get some sleep,” I said again, already yawning.
“I can’t.”
“Need some help?” I asked.
“What did you have in mind?”
I slid my hand under the covers and into his pants. He immediately went hard. I spit into my palm and worked it all over his shaft.
“You’re too good to me,” he breathed.
“Shh, let me do the work.”
He closed his eyes and his mouth fell agape. I stroked him slowly at first, tracing my finger along his member. Then I grasped it harder, pumping with greater and greater speed until he released.
This little trick always worked on guys. Within minutes, he was asleep. I closed my eyes and nuzzled myself into his arms. There was no way to predict the future, so I savored every moment of the present.
Chapter 22
Elijah
“Oh, shit,” I whispered after we took off for the outskirts of the city. My face was plastered on all of the giant television screens plastered on the front of every overpass.
“What is it?” Dana asked. She was a very focused getaway driver.
“When you get a moment, check out one of those screens.”
“Oh, shit,” she echoed. “What does it say?”
I tried to read as we passed through. “Something about me being on the loose, armed and dangerous, call this number if you think you’ve seen him.”
“You should probably duck down or something,” she suggested. “You don’t want anyone to see you from the window.”
I slipped on my sunglasses and slumped down in my seat. I would have reclined it, but all of our possessions were stuffed in the back seat.
During the first five hours of driving, we passed through three cities that had my information posted on the screens. We tried to listen to the radio to help pass the time, but I didn’t want to hear the occasional news report about my escape from the army.
“I think it’s best if we find somewhere a little quieter to stay,” Dana said. “Somewhere that doesn’t have these ridiculous signs.”
Dana was an immense help during our trip out of the city. I knew she was tired of driving, but I couldn’t really drive in her stead. In the passenger seat, I could hide my face in a book or magazine if someone drove by. I could cover my face and pretend to be sleeping. If I drove, anyone could look at the signs with my face on them and make the connection. For now, I would continue to be useless and sit in the passenger seat.
I wanted to keep going until it got too late to drive, but Dana wanted to stop sooner. She saw a billboard for a campsite where people could rent cabins. It looked cheesy, like there would probably be a lot of families there, but Dana insisted we check it out.
“You said you always wanted to live in a cabin in the woods,” she said. I couldn’t argue with that.
“Let me do the talking,” she said when we pulled up to the office building. The air smelled clean and fresh, and the pine needles made a soft cushion under my feet.
“Do you have any vacancies?” Dana asked cheerily. “My husband and I are on a road trip for our honeymoon and we couldn’t resist staying at a place like this. It’s gorgeous!”
I couldn’t tell if Dana actually liked these kinds of places or if she was acting. It seemed so natural.
“Sure,” the receptionist said. “We just have one cabin available. It’s pretty cozy, but comfortable enough for just two people. The downside is, it’s pretty far into the woods, so you’ll have to do some walking. Is that all right?”
“Perfect,” Dana gushed.
The lady gave her a key and directions to the cabin. It sounded like it was a little under a mile from the road. I grabbed our bags from the car and hauled them down the path. Finally, I could do something useful.
I felt like a loser. Here I was, following a girl I had known for a relatively short amount of time, depending on her to rescue me. I was supposed to be a soldier. I had to be strong and protect her. And yet, here I was, being protected by a tiny, pregnant girl. It wasn’t how I wanted things to be.
She would be better off without me. I wouldn’t tie her down. She could never live a normal life with me, and I don’t think she completely understood that. She said that she loved me and wanted to be with me, but I know that if she left right now, she’d forget all about me in a few months. She could meet someone that could help take care of the baby, and everything would be fine. I couldn’t be the man she needed me to be.
After our silent walk through the woods, we arrived at our cabin. Dana described it as a shack. It was a lot further away than the other cabins, so it probably got the least amount of use. There was one lone light fixture in the bedroom, and the bathroom was comprised of a tiny shower shoved up next to the toilet and sink. The carpet looked worn and the mattress was heavily used, but it was still nice. Dana had a good sense about what I would like.
“I knew you’d like it,” she said in response to my involuntary grin.
There was no refrigerator, so we ate the most perishable foods from our cooler for supper. I would probably be pretty tired of sandwiches by the time this was all over.
With our remaining hour of daylight, we decided to stretch our legs after our long car ride and explore the woods. I had been cooped up for so long since I had entered The Organization, and it was nice to be able to spend some time outside.
We strolled through the trees as the sky turned a brilliant shade of orange. We were far enough away from the road that we could no longer hear the whoosh of passing cars. There was nothing here but the crunch of our footsteps, the wind th
rough the trees, and the soft chirp of crickets. I felt at peace.
“This is nice,” she said, kicking a pinecone along the path. “I can totally see why you would want to live in a place like this.”
“I’ve always loved being alone outside. It’s so peaceful.”
We walked in silence. I liked that Dana was okay with silence. Often times, people feel uneasy when there isn’t any conversation. To me, the silence between us meant that we were comfortable in each other’s presence, so there was no need to fill the air with unnecessary chatter.
We turned around when the pink sky was tinged with violet.
“What the plan?” Dana asked. I could tell she was tired from the day of driving and our long walk through the woods. “Do we leave in the morning, or do we stay here for a few days?”
I thought about it for a few steps. I felt safe out here. There were no televisions or signs with my face on them. If we were going to stay anywhere for more than a day, this would be it.
“We can stay here another night. I think this place is safe for now.”
I could tell she was happy about my decision. It did almost feel like we were on vacation.
We got back to the cabin as the last remaining rays of light colored the sky. We flipped off our shoes and jumped onto the bed. Our combined weight on the mattress caused an ear-splitting shriek of the rusty coils.
The combination of the sound and our subsequent shock sent us into hysterics. I couldn’t stop laughing and Dana looked like she was about to pee herself.
“How are we supposed to sleep on this thing?” Dana hiccuped.
“Luckily no one is around to hear it,” I replied.
I playfully grabbed her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. I planted kisses all over her face and neck. She had that ravenous look on her face that she got whenever she wanted me to give it to her. I had had enough of letting her do all of the work. I was going to be in control for the rest of the night.
“Take off your clothes,” I ordered.
She complied and stripped down naked, lying flat on her back. I took my time, kissing every part of her body, running my lips and tongue all over her skin until she was covered in goose bumps. I spent extra time on her breasts and inner thighs, teasing her. I touched her with a few fingers, feeling the moisture that developed between her legs. I leaned down, tasting her with soft flicks of my tongue. She was squirming with anticipation.
I was fully aroused. To be honest, it didn’t take much with her. I easily slid inside of her, her back arching with delight. We took our time, trying to make the sensations last longer. I loved seeing the waves of pleasure wash over her. The sight alone was almost as stimulating as my movements inside of her. When she came, she let out a loud moan, expressing her content without worrying about anyone hearing. The sound was music to my ears and sent me into spasms. She was irresistible.
She was the first to fall asleep that night. I stayed awake a few moments longer, watching her abdomen rise and fall with each breath. I wondered if she knew how much power she had over me. The Organization could hunt me down and eventually kill me, but this girl could break me instantly with the lightest touch.
Chapter 23
Elijah
We awoke the next morning to the few rays of sunlight streaming in through the cracks between the blinds and the sound of birds singing. Dana and I stayed in bed cuddling, in no hurry to go anywhere.
“The brochures say that there’s a lake around here,” Dana said, running her hands through my hair. “Want to check it out?”
“I don’t have my swimsuit.”
“Then go skinny-dipping. I don’t think anyone would mind.”
“The last thing I want is to be caught by The Organization because I was picked up for indecent exposure.”
“I guess, but I don’t know what else we’ll do today. Horseback riding is probably out of the question,” she said, poking her tiny belly.
Eventually, we got out of bed and got dressed. Breakfast was a protein bar and a piece of fruit. I was craving bacon and eggs.
I jumped when I heard a knock at the door.
“That’ll be the cleaning lady,” Dana called from the bathroom where she was brushing her teeth. “Just tell her that we just need fresh towels.”
I slowly opened the creaky wooden door. Unfortunately, Dana’s guess about our visitor was incorrect.
A middle-aged man in a black suit and gray shirt was at the door. He was tall and had bright green eyes that were impossible to ignore once he removed his tinted glasses.
“Are you Elijah Hall?”
“No, I think you have the wrong cabin,” I said quickly.
Dana came out of the bathroom.
“Can we help you?” she asked.
“Miss, I need to speak with Elijah. Is there somewhere you can go?”
“What’s the problem?” she asked.
I turned to face her and raised my eyebrows. She understood instantly.
She grabbed something from the side pocket on her suitcase and darted between the man and me. She held up a small knife, the same knife she stabbed me with.
“Who are you?” I asked the man. It was a silly question. I knew who he was, more or less. I knew whom he was a part of. “What are you doing here?”
“I think you know,” the man said, his voice deep and soft.
“You’re not taking him!” Dana shrieked. “You can’t hurt him. Step back or I’ll stab you.”
The man sighed. He clearly wasn’t interested in playing these games.
“Listen, ma’am, I’m not here to hurt Elijah. I just need to talk to him.”
“Yeah, right,” I snickered. “And the next thing I know, I’m on the operating table, waiting to be butchered.”
“Can we all sit down?” the man said, growing impatient. “Look,” he leaned in closer. “I don’t have a lot of time. We need to have a discussion now, before any more lives are lost.”
I gestured him in. He sat in the chair and Dana sat down next to me on the foot of the bed. He looked at Dana, confused as to why she was with me.
“She can stay,” I told him. “She knows everything anyway.”
“How many people have you told about The Organization?”
“Just her. She’s my girlfriend.” I could see her smiling bashfully out of the corner of my eye.
“Very well. As you may have already guessed, I am an agent working within The Organization’s ranks. My job was to work on public relations, so if classified information was released about our project, I could make all negative perception of what we were doing disappear. Recently, I heard some disturbing information that led me to find you. Word got out that one of the patients had escaped. That you had escaped. Long story short, I came to find you, not so I could capture you, but so I could save you.”
“Save me? Now why would you want to do that?”
He clenched his jaw. “My name is Kingsley Hall, and our shared name is no coincidence. On February fourth, twenty-seven years ago, my wife and I celebrated the birth of our baby boy. Just a few months later, she was killed in a car accident. I wasn’t ready to be a father in the first place. I was a military man, and I was constantly being deployed. I couldn’t raise a child, not without my wife. I wasn’t proud of it, but I gave my newborn son up for adoption.”
Dana’s eyes were filled with tears. I felt like I wasn’t hearing things correctly.
“From that point on, I couldn’t keep track of where my baby ended up. When I got the report about the runaway soldier with my son’s name, I knew it was time to finally make things right. I needed to find you.”
“You?” I said. “You were the cause of everything that went wrong in my life?”
“I wanted you to have a better life. I couldn’t take care of you on my own.”
“I went from home to home, unwanted. I joined the army as soon as I could to have an escape from it all. I was mutilated and tested on without my consent, by you and your agency and now you’re here t
o make amends?”
I was fuming. All my life, I had wondered about my parents. I assumed they were young, or on drugs, or dead. I mourned for the mother I never knew, but was furious at my father for abandoning me and being the root of my pain and suffering.
“Get out,” I yelled. “There’s nothing you can do.”
“Elijah,” Dana interjected. “Listen to what he has to say.”
“All right, tell me your plan,” I said sarcastically.
“Basically, I’m going to get inside of The Organization’s information center and change their data. Nobody actually does any research these days. If the computer tells them something, they accept it as fact. There are so many secrets within The Organization, that if you hear something, you don’t ask questions. Most things go unspoken. Have you seen the billboards?”
“How could I not? My face was everywhere.”
“You’re smart to come here. If you stayed in any town with your wanted signs up, you would have been caught instantly, disguise or not. We programmed the messages to make your face easier to match.”
“How so?” Dana asked. She was clearly engrossed by this conversation.
“When you see an advertisement for a new product, like a car or a watch, what is it that prompts you to buy it?”
“They create a story around the product, and the consumer wants to buy into that fantasy by purchasing the product,” Dana answered.
“Ah, yes,” Kingsley said. “That’s exactly what they want you to think. In fact, there’s a lot more science involved. Every time your eyes meet one of those screens that are everywhere, a signal is transmitted into your brain. These invisible waves can make you do anything, depending on how strong they are. For example, if someone is selling a new type of toothpaste, the signals are set low, so you don’t feel suspicious when you’re at the store and you’re filling your cart full of toothpaste. Instead, it piques your curiosity, and you pick one up while doing your weekly shopping.”
