by S. E. Smith
Lina’s smile was bittersweet. “Yeah, we do. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said and stepped through the opening.
Taking a deep breath once again, Lina pushed down memories of the man from more than a decade before and focused on the task at hand. Walking across the storage bay to the bathroom, she grabbed a bucket along the way. She stepped inside, placed the bucket in the sink, and turned on the faucet.
Her attention was drawn to a soft knock on the door behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Andy leaning against the doorframe. She turned back around and stared down at the water filling the bucket.
“That was pretty clever, switching the carts like that,” Lina commented.
Andy straightened behind her and walked over to lean against the wall so that they were facing each other. Lina kept her head down and continued to watch the water pouring into the bucket. She finally looked up when Andy didn’t immediately respond.
“Yeah, it was. Gail must have seen the guards and realized what was about to happen before we did. She warned Mirela and Bailey. They commandeered another cart while Gail pushed the one with the Trivator in it. Bailey told me, and I met up with Gail and took over the cart while she fell back to give you guys coverage if you needed it,” Andy explained.
Lina nodded. “That was really a smart move,” she said again, reaching over the bucket to turn off the water.
“Lina, you know that the Waxian isn’t going to stop until he’s torn up every inch of this station,” Andy warned, reaching out to touch her arm.
Picking up the bucket of water, Lina nodded. “I know,” she replied before pushing past Andy and exiting the room.
Lina was all too aware of the can of worms they had just opened. Her hope was that they would be gone before the Waxian found their hiding place. One thing in their favor was that the clientele of the Spaceport appeared to hate the idea of surveillance cameras. There were some on the upper levels from what she had seen, but none in the lower, seedier sections. The few that had been installed down there were usually gone within an hour.
Still, Lina wasn’t positive whether they had been seen or not. All this anxiety was making her nauseous. If the bucket weren’t so heavy, she would have carried it with one hand so she could rub her aching stomach. She really hoped she wasn’t getting an ulcer.
Chapter Six
“Hey, how’s he doing? Do you need fresh water?” Mechelle asked, peering through a small opening in the curtain.
Lina glanced up from where she was running the damp cloth over Edge’s bare flesh. For the past three hours, she had been tenderly running the tepid water over his hot skin. Goosebumps covered his body now.
“No, I think I’ll give his body a chance to rest before I do any more. I could use some soup for him, though,” she replied.
Mechelle nodded. “I have a pot warming. I’ll bring some for you both,” she said.
“Thanks, Mechelle,” Lina replied, carefully folding the wet cloth and hanging it on the side of the bucket.
“Hey, Mechelle,” Bailey said.
Lina listened as Bailey and Mechelle talked quietly outside the curtain. She pulled the thin blanket over Edge’s body. He jerked, groaning softly, and she smoothed her hand over his brow. She hated that they were forced to tie his wrists to the metal frame of her bed. It felt a lot like kicking a wounded or sick animal when they were too defenseless to do anything about it. Still, they’d had no choice when he began to violently thrash as Bailey was examining him.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. No one is going to hurt you here. I promise,” Lina softly vowed, falling into the soothing tones she used to use back home when she helped doc in the infirmary.
Bailey had been the first to notice that the big guy appeared to calm down whenever she spoke to or touched him. Bailey figured it was because he associated her touch and the sound of her voice with freedom. Whatever worked was good enough for her. She’d touch and coo to the guy all the way back to Earth if she had to.
Her fingers traced the outline of his face. She remembered him. Her brother, Tim, used to freak out about her ability to remember a face, but her memory of his face was for a different reason – a personal one forged by tragedy. She always thought faces told so much about a person. The lines on their faces, their mouths, and their eyes told a story about their life and who they were deep inside.
This guy had been one of the Trivators who patrolled the city near the river. She’d seen him five times before she and the other women had been taken. The last time she’d seen him would forever be burned into her memory.
Tears burned her eyes as she remembered the night that she had tried so hard to forget. Why did the Trivator have to be him? She’d thought she had finally closed and locked the door on that part of her life, the night when the last of her innocence, her belief in love, hope, and happiness, had been stripped away in a hail of gun and laser fire. The night a huge alien warrior stood over the man she loved, unaware of the devastation he, the other warriors, and the humans they had been fighting with, had left behind.
Unable to cope with the sudden rush of emotions, Lina slammed the door shut on her memory of that night. Now was not the time to reopen old wounds. Once they were free and back on Earth, she could let the memories come and deal with them, but not right now. The dark emotions connected with that time in her life still carried enough weight to pull her down into a dark abyss she wasn’t sure she could crawl back out of again.
Drawing in a deep breath, she instead focused on trying to understand the story etched into Edge’s face. She slid her fingers down to his mouth and ran her thumb along his bottom lip. She hissed when his lips suddenly parted and the tip of her thumb brushed against the sharp edges of his teeth.
His lips closed around her thumb. They both released a soft moan when he gently sucked on it. Lina was surprised at the physical response she felt with the intimate gesture. She quickly pulled her thumb free when she heard Bailey say she needed to see Edge.
“Lina, I found something that might help him if we can get him to drink it,” Bailey said, pulling the curtain back and stepping in.
Lina looked up at Bailey. “What is it?” she asked, unconsciously laying a protective hand on Edge’s chest.
Bailey smiled and held up a container. “Super water! Do you remember the supplemental packs the Trivators handed out in an effort to get into our good graces back on Earth?” she asked, gently shaking the dark gray bottle in her hand.
Lina’s eyes widened and she grinned. “Yeah. It was like a super dose of energy drinks, only better,” she replied, reaching for the bottle when Bailey held it out to her.
Bailey pulled one of the empty boxes closer to the bed and sat down. She nodded at the container Lina was now holding. A smile pulled at the corner of her lips.
“A few days ago, Andy and I were out looking for new stuff. I remembered spying a vendor unloading cases of this stuff. I saw them on display today in the market. Mirela recognized them as well. We sort of helped ourselves to a few bottles when the Waxian and his guards made an appearance,” Bailey admitted. “I wanted to make sure it was what I thought it was before I gave it to your friend there.”
Lina ignored the friend comment. “So, you drank some? Did it give you that familiar oomph?” she asked.
Bailey laughed and shook her head. “No, I didn’t try it. I left that wonderful test to Mirela. She’s got a good buzz going,” she shared.
Lina looked down at Edge. She had been alarmed when she felt his ribs nearly poking through his skin. Twisting around, she sat so that she was next to his head.
“Help me prop him up. I don’t want him to choke on the liquid,” Lina instructed.
Bailey had already stood up and moved to the other side of the bed. Together, they gently raised Edge until he was at an angle where he would be less likely to choke. Lina scooted behind him. Bailey unscrewed the top for her. Holding the metal container to his lips and whispering in his ear, Lina quietly coaxed him to ta
ke a sip.
“Come on, sweetheart. Drink a little of this. We need you up and kicking ass as soon as possible,” she whispered.
A few drops dampened his cracked lips, and she saw his Adam’s apple move. Careful to not spill the liquid, she tipped it a little more. A soft moan escaped him, and his arms jerked as he tried to lift them.
Lina saw his eyelashes twitch before his eyelids slowly rose. He moved his head to the side, away from the lip of the container. Every time Lina tried to place it against his lips, he would turn away his head.
“Listen, Edge. You’ve got to drink some of this. You’re dehydrated. That isn’t a good thing, in case you didn’t know it. This is some of your Trivator super water,” Lina murmured against his ear.
“Re… lease… me,” he ordered.
Lina looked up at Bailey. She could see the expression of uncertainty on the other woman’s face. Neither one of them was sure how safe it would be to grant him his request.
“Yeah, well, let’s not, until I know you aren’t going to beat the shit out of us. I’m already sporting a few bruises from just cleaning you up a bit,” Lina joked, stroking his arm with her free hand.
His head moved again, and she could tell he was trying to look at her. Her arms tightened around him when he started to slide to one side. Bailey reached out and took the container from her so she could use both hands to steady him.
“I….” He stopped and licked his lips. A frown creased his brow as he tried again. “I… hurt you?”
Lina couldn’t stop the chuckle that slipped out. Her breath brushed against his forehead, and she pressed a kiss against his temple. She could feel Bailey’s surprise at her intimate response. Lina shot the other woman a warning glance.
“You couldn’t hurt a fly at the moment, big guy. How about giving me a little trust? I want you to drink this super water so you can fight off whatever it is they pumped into you. You work with me and we’ll talk about untying your wrists,” she promised.
His eyes darkened. “No,” he said before clamping his lips together.
Lina pursed her lips in irritation when Bailey snickered. Hard-headed, stupid, irritating… the list of words ran through her head. With a muttered oath, she reached down and released the cord holding his right wrist.
“Lina, are you sure…?” Bailey started to protest.
Lina gave a sharp nod of her head. “Untie him please, and leave us alone,” she said.
Bailey reluctantly untied the rope holding Edge’s left wrist. She held out the container with the water. Edge’s eyes remained glued on the other woman’s uncertain expression and her every movement—and not in a good way.
“If you need us, we’ll be here in less than a second,” Bailey said, returning Edge’s hard glare with one of her own.
Nodding her head again, Lina waited until Bailey stepped out of the small enclosure. Lina sighed and leaned back against the pillow that Mechelle had made for her. Edge shifted and she felt him relax a little once he was confident that Bailey wasn’t coming back.
“Give me… the… water,” he ordered.
Lina’s lips twisted in an effort to contain a smart-ass reply. She held out the container. His hands shook as he lifted them. She could feel and see his growing frustration at his own weakness.
“Hold on,” she muttered.
Pushing against him, she tilted him forward and slid out from behind him. Still supporting him with one hand, she grabbed a spare blanket from inside the crate she used as a nightstand. Between the blanket and her pillow, they gave him enough support to lean back without being at an uncomfortable angle.
She twisted around until she could sit on the bed, and she took the container from him. Removing the lid, she picked up his left hand and wrapped it around the metal bottle. His skin felt cool to her touch now.
“Okay, now try,” she instructed.
She didn’t look away. He lifted his shaking hand. Lina didn’t help him, even though she could hear the liquid sloshing inside the bottle. It was obvious that he wanted to do this on his own. He raised his other hand and grasped the container with both hands so he could steady it before lifting it to his lips.
Lina followed his shaky movements. He took a tentative sip and paused. A few seconds later, he took another one, this time drinking nearly a quarter of the contents. On his third helping, Lina couldn’t stand it anymore and lifted her hand to cover his.
“Easy, big guy. Something tells me it has been a while since you’ve had anything in your stomach besides the lethal cocktails the Waxian was feeding you. The last thing you want to do is get sick,” she cautioned.
He took another defiant gulp before he lowered the nearly empty container. Lina carefully took it out of his hands. His color already looked better than it had when they’d found him. She wasn’t sure how much of the stuff Mirela and Bailey had pilfered, but she might need to send them for more if it helped get him back on his feet this quickly.
“Who are you, and where am I?” he demanded, glancing around the enclosed area before returning his attention to her face.
Lina raised an eyebrow and lifted the container. “I told you before, but in case you missed it, my name is Lina Daniels. I’m a human. I’m guessing this stuff works pretty damn fast. You’re already becoming the arrogant ass that most of your kind are,” she observed.
He frowned at her. “I don’t remember the females of your kind using such colorful language. Where am I?” he questioned again in a more demanding voice.
Lina didn’t miss the way his gaze returned to the container. She held it out to him. Her eyes widened when he wrapped his hand around her wrist instead and jerked her off balance with a strength that surprised her.
Fury at being tricked flashed through her. She raised her hand and pressed it against his chest to brace herself. They were practically nose to nose.
“Don’t piss me off, Trivator. We may need your help, but I’m not above killing your ass if you pose a threat to my friends or me,” she hissed.
For a few seconds, they stared at each other. She couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were an unusual color of brown with golden flecks in them. His pupils were still slightly larger than normal for a Trivator. Lina curled her fingers against his bare skin.
“Lina, I have the…,” Mechelle said behind her. “Oh! I… Do you need help?”
Lina felt a shudder run through Edge before he slowly released her wrist. She leaned back until she was sitting on the bed again, and flashed a look of warning at Edge before she turned her head to look at Mechelle. Rising to her feet, she stepped up to Mechelle and held out her hands for the tray. Lina nodded to Mechelle when her friend asked if everything was alright again.
“Everything’s fine. I was checking Edge’s pupils,” Lina replied.
Mechelle raised an eyebrow. Lina resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the skeptical look on the other woman’s face. Mechelle looked at Edge who was watching them with an intense expression.
“Bailey said to make sure he ate this slowly. His system may have some issues if it’s been a while since he’s eaten,” Mechelle murmured.
“Thanks, Mechelle,” Lina replied, turning to place the tray on the crate.
“Right…pupils,” Mechelle muttered under her breath as she was leaving.
Chapter Seven
Edge carefully observed the exchange between the two women. He knew that they were human. What he didn’t understand was how they could be here. Leaning his head back, he fought against the desire to close his eyes again as a wave of fatigue hit him.
Grasping the container with the nutrient-rich water, he raised it to his lips. His hands shook so badly he was forced to grasp it with both of them. Frustration and rage burned through him. He had never in his life felt so weak.
He followed the woman with his eyes as she placed the tray on the crate next to the bed. Two bowls sat on the thin sheet of metal. Spirals of steam rose from each bowl. The fragrant scent of the soup made his stomach clench
with hunger. It had been weeks since he had eaten anything.
“You might want me to help you with this,” she said, picking up one of the bowls.
Edge ground his teeth together when he saw her glance at his shaking hands. He lowered the container of water back to the bed. His mind felt disconnected and fuzzy. He was trying to piece everything together, but the effort caused his head to pound.
“Where am I?” he asked again, this time in a softer voice.
Lina gave him a rueful smile. “You’re basically in the sewers,” she said, lifting the spoon to his lips. “You eat, I’ll talk.”
Edge grunted his agreement. This woman – Lina – was very bossy, he decided, opening his lips and accepting the warm soup. The liquid hit his taste buds and he moaned in bliss.
Lina chuckled. “I swear Gail is the best cook in the universe. She can take the most unappetizing stuff and create a dish that will make your mouth water.” Her expression sobered as she continued. “There are six of us all together. You’ve met Bailey. She was the one who helped doctor you up a bit. Mechelle is the one who brought us the soup. Her twin sister, Mirela, is here as well. Then, there is Gail, Andy, and myself,” she explained.
Edge frowned. “How…?” he asked between mouthfuls.
Lina’s mouth tightened, and she looked down at the bowl in her hand for a second before spooning up more soup and lifting it to his lips. There was anger in her dark brown eyes. He was fascinated by how they could express so many emotions in them.
“A son-of-a-bitch named Colbert Allen sold us to a blue prick named Badrick. He was the Usoleum who the Alliance council assigned to Chicago. Badrick was supposed to be working to end the battle between Destin and Colbert. Instead, Colbert and he had come up with a partnership to sell human women to a bunch of other aliens. Those in our shipment were divided up. A group of aliens known as the Armatrux took us,” she bitterly explained.
