“Is that why they call it the wild thing?”
Tora laughed. “I have no idea. From what I remember though, Myriads are a little different from Shrouds, so I’m not sure the same rules apply to you.” She shrugged. “I haven’t read up on Myriads since I was a kid.”
Aspen glanced at her watch. It was closing in on ten o’clock. She felt her eyelids growing heavy. They should get some sleep. It had been a long day for both of them. Everyone needed to be well rested in case the shit hit the fan with the SEA. “Dare I ask, do you have any books on Myriads?” she asked, yawning.
Chapter Twenty-four
It was 2:22 a.m. by the time Aspen finished reading and clicked off the bedside lamp. Tora was already asleep on the bed beside her. They’d taken Skye’s bedroom as their new sleeping quarters—adjacent to Aspen’s bedroom, where Skye and the newborns were still resting. No longer divided by Tora’s insistence on a sleeping bag, Aspen scooted closer to the radiant woman beside her. She lay on her back and propped one arm under her head to gaze at the ceiling, basking in Tora’s body heat under the covers.
The high rock ceiling was dotted with tiny pinpricks of light—something Aspen hadn’t noticed before now. It looked like she was sleeping underneath the nighttime sky. Tora’s touch, no doubt. Probably to stave off feelings of claustrophobia that inevitably came with living underground.
Myriads were fascinating creatures. It was surreal to read about them because, well, she was one. Reading that book gave self-discovery a whole new meaning. She couldn’t wait to tell Tora about what she’d learned. Particularly the part about mating for life. Apparently, all Myriads shared the instinct to choose just one partner. Once they set their sights on someone, they excreted a pheromone specifically engineered to attract that person. How all of this could be happening inside of her without her knowledge was beyond her comprehension.
It would take some time to wrap her mind around the rest of what she’d learned about herself. This was a whole new life. Her old life had effectively been vaporized overnight. It was a lot to take in.
She closed her eyes and felt sleep tugging at her consciousness like an insistent toddler. Nodding off, she found herself feeling grateful for Oscar, Tora, Skye, the newborns, and the rest of Alpha Genesis. They were her family now. She knew they were all in this together. And it was her job to make sure everyone came out of this alive.
* * *
Tora set her hands on her hips, clearly irritated. Still wet from her shower, her curls clung to the sides of her face and neck. She looked unbelievably sexy in a towel. “So in other words, you’re cheating.”
“How’s that cheating?” Aspen asked, struggling to keep her mind out of the gutter.
“It’s just like that potion in Harry Potter—the one that makes you fall hopelessly in love with someone and turns you into an idiot.”
Aspen grinned. “I’m really looking forward to the idiot part. Wait a minute.” She shook her head, coming to her senses. “You read Harry Potter?”
“No wonder I can’t control myself when I’m around you.”
Aspen felt her grin widen. She had already showered and changed. She finished tying the laces on her sneakers and sat up. “Really?”
“Wipe that grin off your face. This is not funny.”
She tried, but the grin returned with a vengeance.
“Why do you think I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs?”
“Because you’re a control freak?”
“I don’t want my judgment impaired. How is what you’re doing any different?”
Sharing this with Tora had obviously been a mistake. Too bad she couldn’t go back in time and stick her own foot in her mouth. That would be a useful Myriad superpower to have right now. “First of all, I had no idea this was happening. And who knows if it’s even true?”
“Oh, so now you want to credit yourself with being naturally irresistible?”
“Second of all, if it is true,” Aspen went on, “is it really that big a deal? There’s a spark between us that’s been there from the beginning. The pheromones are probably just enhancing what was already there.”
Tora looked at her like she had completely lost her mind. “You’re preparing for a dangerous mission to SEA headquarters, soldiers could breach the sanctuary at any moment, and the newborns are basically helpless next door…and you’re asking me if not being able to control myself when I’m around you is a big deal? Of course it’s a big deal!” Tora shouted, tossing her hands up in frustration. “I can’t focus on anything but you. That’s a huge liability for everyone here, you and me included.”
“On a scale of one to ten, what kind of irresistible are we talking here?” She stood from the bed and set her hands on her hips. “Are we at the level of Helga’s chocolate lava cake or more along the lines of, say, Cocoa Puffs?”
“I won’t even dignify that with an answer. The point is, we can’t let this go on.”
Aspen briefly considered putting her pheromones to the test and walking over to kiss Tora. She could smell her soapy freshness from across the room and found herself fantasizing about undoing Tora’s towel, carrying her to the bed, and giving her the release she so obviously needed. Instead, she calmly took a breath and, out of respect for Tora, decided to hand the reins over on this one. It was going to take Tora some time to come around and accept that they were meant to be together. Aspen sensed it was of utmost importance to give her that time. “Okay,” she sighed. “So what do you propose we do about it?”
“It’s simple. You have to stop.”
“Stop what?” she asked, confused.
“Stop making those pheromones.”
She laughed. “I can’t. As a doctor, you should know I don’t have control over that. I didn’t even know it was happening until I read about it in that book you gave me.”
“I know, I know.” Tora shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m not thinking rationally right now.”
She took a few steps toward Tora, intent on giving her an innocent and reassuring hug.
Tora put her hand up. “Stop. Right. There.”
She did.
“Don’t you dare come any closer,” Tora said, backing away toward the bathroom. “What I need is physical distance from you.”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
“Don’t come near me,” Tora warned, her hand still in the air.
Aspen returned to the bed and promptly sat down. “My derriere is now superglued to this mattress.”
“From now on, until this battle is over and everyone’s safe, you’re not to come within thirty yards of me.”
“Like a restraining order?” She was trying her hardest not to laugh.
“Exactly,” Tora said in all seriousness.
“How will we get through this mission together?”
“I haven’t figured that part out yet.” Not taking her eyes off Aspen, Tora backed into the bathroom and slammed the door. “And separate bedrooms from now on,” she called out through the door.
“Then the earmuffs are coming with me.” Aspen grabbed them off the nightstand.
There was only silence from the other side of the door. Then, “I’d like to propose shared custody.”
“Of my earmuffs?”
“You take them today. I’ll take them tomorrow,” Tora announced through the crack.
She sighed. “Fine. Can I get up now?”
“Yes. Please, go.”
Aspen checked her watch: 7:26 a.m. “Breakfast at eight sharp,” she reminded Tora on her way past the bathroom. She heard a click on the other side of the door as Tora engaged the lock. “By the way, you’re even more beautiful when you’re mad.”
“And no more flirting!” Tora shouted.
“Thirty yards and no flirting. Copy that,” she said, grinning.
“I mean it, Aspen. Now go.”
* * *
Aspen exited the bedroom, happy to be reunited with her earmuffs as she pulled them over her ears. Her old bedroom door slid open as she walked past.<
br />
Skye appeared in the doorway, freshly showered and changed. Earlier, Aspen had chosen an outfit for Skye from her room—the room she and Tora were now sharing—and Skye had given her a set of clothes from her old bedroom in exchange. They had agreed to meet in the hallway at seven thirty.
Skye glanced at her watch. “You always this punctual?”
“Try to be.”
“I like that. Makes me feel like I can count on you.”
“You can.” She leaned against the tunnel wall. “Always.”
Skye hesitated. “When did you know you were gay?”
Caught off guard by the question, she thought for a moment. “I came out to Oscar when I was fifteen.” She thought back, remembering all the girl crushes she’d had growing up. “But I knew I liked girls way before that.”
“Did you ever like boys?”
Aspen shook her head.
“Me neither. I was just too scared to tell anyone.”
She was glad Skye felt comfortable enough to talk with her about this. “Never be scared to be who you are.”
The girl rolled her eyes. “You sound like a Nike commercial.”
She took Skye’s breakfast order and made her way to the kitchen. Skye was determined to stay by Hope’s side until she awoke with the rest of the newborns.
Aspen was on her second cup of coffee when Oscar strolled into the kitchen. He looked like he’d gotten even less sleep than she had. They had agreed to meet earlier than the designated breakfast hour to discuss her mission privately. She had already prepared his coffee. “You look well rested,” she said, handing him the steaming mug as he took a seat.
He shook his head and regarded her with a frown. “I’m worried about you, kid.”
“I’ll be fine, Pop.”
He sipped his coffee, leaned back. “I’d feel better if I was going on this mission with you.”
“We already agreed they need you down here in case—”
“Soldiers crash the party,” he finished, waving a hand in the air. “I know. Still doesn’t make me any less worried.”
They sat together in silence, buried in their own thoughts. This was sometimes what they did together if a particularly difficult situation presented itself. She’d always found it immensely comforting just to sit in the company of this great man. Oscar was truly her rock in life. Had been from the moment they’d met. She aspired to be that rock for Skye someday.
“If I don’t return—”
“Don’t talk like that,” he growled.
She came at it again in a different way. “I need to know you’ll look after Skye if I get an uncontrollable urge to fly south for the winter.”
“Of course I will. Goes without saying.” He placed a tiny earbud on the table. “This is from Tora. Something about a thirty-yard rule. She said get your breakfast to go and meet her in the tunnels. Oh, and no earmuffs. She said the earbuds won’t work with them.” Grinning, he held out his hand. “Spidey stays with me.”
* * *
Standing over the phone, the president dug his knuckles into the Oval Office desk. “What the hell’s taking so long, General?”
“Our unit took a hit, Mr. President. There were some casualties.”
“Took a hit from what? The Myriad?”
Vickers hesitated briefly on the other end. “An African elephant, sir.”
“You’re shitting me.” Tim Decker shook his head in disbelief. “Those things can turn into elephants?”
“It was news to me, too, sir.”
What was next? A dinosaur? A giant centipede? These things needed to be wiped off the planet as fast as humanly possible. As leader of the free world, he knew it was his duty to secure their extinction. “Any sign of the Myriad?”
“No, sir. But we’re confident she’s in there. We’re close to breaching the underground nest. Our boys are gearing up now with Z-23. I assure you, every precaution has been taken to ensure mission success.”
* * *
Earmuff-less once again, Aspen grabbed a winter coat, scarf, and gloves for her trip to the surface. She had no idea what the weather was like, but it was probably pretty damn cold. She bade Skye and the sleeping newborns farewell, entered the passcode, and stepped into the tunnels.
Miller was keeping watch outside her bedroom door. “On your way to visit our friends?”
She nodded.
“Careful,” he warned. “I’d feel better if one of the pack was going with you.”
“You and Oscar both worry too much. The pack needs you here. Where’s Tora?”
He nodded at the other end of the tunnel.
She squinted into the distance. There, standing beside the first trolley in line, was Tora. She was pointing to her ear.
Aspen withdrew the earbud from her pocket and slid it in place.
“Testing…one, two.” Tora’s voice came through loud and clear. “Do you copy?”
“You’ve watched too many spy movies. I can hear you just fine.”
“We’ll ride in separate trolleys to entry point eleven. I’ll lead you there. Obviously, we’ll stay in touch with these along the way.”
“Obviously.” She hoped this arrangement wouldn’t last too much longer. She missed being near Tora already. Following Tora’s lead, she climbed inside the trolley and started the engine. “Are we there yet?” she joked.
“Entry point eleven is about ten miles out. As far as I can tell, it hasn’t been breached.” Tora was all business. “Did you pick your bird?”
“Two, actually. The brown booby and the bay-breasted warbler.”
There was a brief silence. “Did you pick those for the reasons I’m thinking you did?”
“They reminded me of boobs.”
Tora sighed, clearly annoyed.
“Boobs make me happy,” she said in her own defense. “I needed happy thoughts for this mission.”
“The SEA is headquartered in Chittenden. It’s about an hour’s drive from here. We’ll head north, in separate cars of course.”
“Thirty-yard rule,” Aspen said aloud, rolling her eyes.
“We’ll follow the highway all the way there. It’s a pretty straight shot, not far past Rutland. Also worth noting are the electrified fences surrounding their facility.”
“Copy that. No perching on the electrified fence.” Her stomach did a series of somersaults at the idea of perching anywhere. Highly underappreciated, the ground was a beautiful thing. Every fiber of her being told her the ground was where she was meant to have her feet at all times. But she could do this. She had to. Instinct told her this was the card they needed to play right now. “Anything else I should know?”
“No ledges on the windows, so you’ll have to get creative if you want to take a look around. Just don’t get too close. Their policy has always been shoot first, ask never. They’re pretty unforgiving with local wildlife.”
She shook her head. Unbelievable. This all needed to change.
“There’s a folder on the seat beside you,” Tora went on. “Gaylord’s photo is inside. Commit his face to memory so you know who to look for. Entering or exiting the facility, he’s hard to miss. He’ll be the only one with bodyguards flanking both sides. He’s always impeccably dressed in a suit and bow tie. He wears white gloves and carries a black cane with a golden horse head handle. From above, you’ll see he wears a bowler hat with a feather on the side.”
“What’s a bowler hat?” Aspen wondered aloud.
“It’s a black felt hat, rounded at the top with a brim that goes all the way around,” Tora explained. “Like a Charlie Chaplin hat.”
“He sounds odd.”
“I’ve never met him, but my father shared a few interesting facts.”
“Such as?”
“He doesn’t need the cane to help him walk but insists on carrying it with him everywhere he goes. He never married, never had children, was born and raised in Boston but doesn’t have the accent. My father thought he suffered from an excessive fear of germs because he
never touched anything with his bare hands.”
Aspen decided odd was too generous. Freakish was more like it. This was who the government had put in charge of the SEA?
They drove the next several minutes in silence as she thought about her upcoming mission. She’d retrieve as much intel as possible and return to the sanctuary to plan an attack that would effectively neutralize the SEA. She had no idea if that was even possible or what such an attack strategy would entail. For the time being, she had to do what she did best and fly, quite literally, by the seat of her pants.
Chapter Twenty-five
“Entry point eleven is up ahead,” Tora said, interrupting Aspen’s thoughts. “It’s now ten past eight in the morning. If we’re not back by nine o’clock tonight, Oscar will send Miller and Beckett to the surface to track us.”
“I’m going alone,” Aspen said firmly. After giving it a great deal of thought, she’d already made up her mind.
“That wasn’t what we agreed on.”
“Makes more sense for me to go and you to stay.”
“Is this your passive-aggressive way of objecting to the thirty-yard rule?”
“First of all—and you should know this by now—there’s nothing whatsoever that’s passive-aggressive about me. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. Second, as much as I may not like it—which I don’t, by the way—I’ll respect the thirty-yard rule because it’s important to you. You’re important to me. So what’s important to you is important to me. It’s important you understand that,” she said, half teasing in an attempt to bring some levity to the situation.
“I can’t send you out there alone—”
“You’re not. This is my decision. You know these tunnels better than anyone. You’re indispensable here. With the SEA breathing down our necks, this isn’t the time for you to leave. Besides, it’ll be easier and less conspicuous if I just shapeshift and fly there instead of driving.”
“It’s over an hour by car. That’s a long way for you to fly. What if you get tired?”
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