After she’d dried herself, she took a branch from the stack of dry wood off to the side, lit the tip and explored the cave or dwelling. It was going to be a tight fit when all of the humans and Mateer were inside, but at least they’d be warm. She checked unsuccessfully for vidcams since Mateer had told her the Khagrish built the place. She assumed the aliens must have a way to monitor what went on in the Preserve, but couldn’t find anything. Another fire pit lay toward the rear of the cave, so she took wood from the pile and got a second fire going.
By the time she had a satisfactory blaze, the first bedraggled humans were rushing into the cave, shivering and soaked. Megan encouraged them to cluster close to the fire she’d made, to allow room for more people to crowd inside upon arrival.
Harker stumbled across the threshold, supporting one of the men who’d sided with him. Megan realized most of the people had made it, but there was no sign of Walt or Mateer.
“Doc!” Walt came inside, cradling a sobbing, injured woman in his arms.
Megan hastened to his side, as he laid the befuddled woman gently on the cave’s floor beside the fire. A long cut across her forehead bled sluggishly. Pushing the patient’s matted hair aside to see the extent of the injury more clearly, she asked, “What happened?”
“She fell into a pit dug into the grassland,” Walt said. “Mateer grabbed her before she went all the way to the bottom, but she hit her head on a protruding rock.”
Megan examined the woman’s skull, but found no sign of a fracture. The patient was a bit incoherent but answered most of the questions Megan asked properly. She did her best to check reflexes. “Knocked herself out briefly, concussion maybe. We’ll need to keep a close eye on her tonight. Where is Mateer?”
“Robby Marr broke his ankle and insisted on being left behind. Mateer went to get him,” Walt said, rising. “I’m going to see if I can help.”
Thunder drowned out what Megan was going to say and, as the sound died away, she was relieved to see Mateer duck into the cave with the unlucky Robby slung over his shoulder. The alien brought the man to her and placed him next to the injured woman. “Busy night for you, doctor,” he said.
“I’m glad we’re all safe under a roof, thanks to you,” Megan answered, examining Robby’s ankle since there wasn’t anything more she could do for the woman who’d fallen, other than observation. “I wish I had more to work with for treating these two.” She spared a moment to check him out as she worked. “Are you ok?”
Eyes gleaming in the firelight, reminding her of a large, hungry cat, Mateer kept his tone mild. “I’m fine.”
She made to move over. “You must be freezing, come sit by the fire.”
“I’ll keep watch at the entrance,” he said. “I don’t feel the cold as much as you humans do.”
Once everyone was in the cave, the place grew warm. The humans shared out what remained of the fruit then people huddled together or lay down separately and soon the room grew quiet. Megan was too on edge from the constant barrage of thunder to sleep and, after checking her patients one more time, she worked her way carefully to the cave’s entrance, where Mateer sat, back against the wall. As she got closer, she realized he was using the talons of one hand like knives, to sharpen the end of a surprisingly well-made spear.
“You can’t sleep?” he asked in a low voice as she sat beside him.
She shook her head. “I told you, thunder was my big phobia.” Peering past him, she watched sheets of rain blow vertically past the mouth of the faux cavern. “This is quite a storm, certainly living up to your promise.”
“It’ll pass us by morning,” he said, continuing to work on the weapon. “Your people can harvest berries and tubers, and I’ll hunt meat. Walt said he’d like to go along.” Mateer gave her a sideways glance. “What do you know of him?”
“He’s not from the colony so I don’t know him at all prior to waking up here. As far as I can tell so far, he thinks more along the lines I do, to not make things easy for the Khagrish, to be on our guard.” She lowered her voice. “Harker worries me—he’s too willing to sacrifice others if he thinks it’ll get him better treatment. He was talking to me yesterday about how every experiment has participants who don’t get subjected to the same rigors, who get left unmolested because they’re the controls to indicate the norm. He wants Lampergg to choose him.”
Lips slightly parted to reveal the tips of his fangs, Mateer stared into the depths of the cave where the man was snoring loudly, before refocusing his attention on the outer world. “Lampergg will enjoy manipulating such a one. The Khagrish relish mind games almost as much as they rejoice in conducting the perverted experiments requiring torture and killing. And their methods of running experiments aren’t like anything you know in your world.”
“Conditions here just keep getting worse and worse, the more you tell me. Forget Harker, he’s a blowhard. Why did you ask about Walt?”
“I think he’s a soldier, maybe even one of your Special Forces. I think he’d make a good ally. Harker, not so much.”
She shivered, and Mateer set aside the spear to slowly encircle her waist with his arm, as if to give her time to protest or move. “You’re cold, you should return to the fire.”
“You’re nice and warm,” she said drowsily. “And it’s good we have a chance to talk, although I had a whole list of things to discuss with you and so far all I’ve done is answer your questions.
“Nonetheless, I’m on watch, and you need sleep more than conversation.” Mateer paused, smiling, as she yawned. “You’re proving my point – sleep is the prescription, doctor.”
“I need to know things, facts to help me navigate this place, to take better care of my fellow humans.” More about you. She was barely able to keep herself from voicing her revealing final thought. Maybe I am too tired to extract information from him tonight. Which was a pity, because Mateer seemed as if he might be willing to talk. Another yawn had her stretching and she stood up.
“We can talk more tomorrow.” Mateer rose as well. “I’m sorry I have no blanket or pillow to ease your slumber.”
“Knowing you’re between me and the thunder is enough comfort for tonight. Thank you.” She went to her spot by the fire, lay on her side facing her patients and let herself drift into oblivion.
CHAPTER FOUR
The next day dawned bright and clear, and Mateer showed a few volunteers where to harvest berries and others where to dig for the tubers he’d indicated were good eating after a few hours of roasting in the coals. The Badari warrior took several people hunting with him, and in the afternoon the party of men and women strutted triumphantly into camp with a good quantity of meat in makeshift sacks made from the giant leaves, the way Mateer had brought the fruit to Megan the other day.
Using the salvaged antigrav litter, Mateer and Walt constructed crude grilling racks over the fire and cooked the thick steaks. The aroma was mouthwatering and, by the time the Badari declared the meal ready to eat, the entire crowd of humans was gathered in a big circle around the fire. They were awkward about eating with no utensils but it was either that or starve.
Megan took her portion, served on yet another leaf, narrower and stiff, and sat against the far wall of the cave, where Mateer soon joined her.
“This is delicious.” She pointed at the green flesh of the baked tuber.
“And the meat? Not to your taste?”
“I’m working up to the protein component. It’s a challenge with no knife or fork.”
His talons snicked out from his fingertips. “Allow me?”
She hesitated for a moment, pondering the situation, but hunger won out. “Of course. Thank you.”
“I washed my hands in the stream,” he said conversationally. “I understand about the importance of cleanliness, doctor. There’s a special type of sand our healer uses as soap when we’re forced to be in the wild.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be insulting. Especially not after all you’ve done to help us. We’d h
“Probably not,” he agreed, making neat bite-sized pieces of her meat with his impressive talons.
Next morning, she saw Mateer heading away from the cave and, with no hesitation, she decided to follow him. A day spent with the other humans, listening to Harker give orders and theorize about the Khagrish intentions had no appeal for her. Mateer was quite a mystery wrapped in a lethal, handsome package, and she wanted to know more, despite her misgivings about what he’d said Lampergg might be maneuvering the two of them into. Grabbing a handful of the berries to munch on, she toiled after him as he climbed a gentle hill. When she reached the top he was nowhere in sight, and she paused in disbelief. Where had he disappeared to in such a hurry?
“Looking for me?”
At the sound of his deep voice right in her ear, Megan jumped and wheeled to see him behind her, a big grin on his face. Laughing to cover her momentary fright, she gave him a gentle push, which had no effect at all on him, of course. “You startled me. How do you manage to move so quietly?”
“It’s a gift,” he said, although his tone didn’t indicate any pleasure in the skill. “You shouldn’t be out here alone, better go back to the cave with the others. I can take a moment to escort you. There are predators in the Preserve, as I’ve mentioned before.”
“I’d rather go with you, wherever you’re bound for.”
“Even if I’m going hunting?”
“As a doctor, I’m hardly the squeamish type. Besides, we have enough meat for now, you said so yourself. But if you don’t want company—”
“Your company is always a pleasure,” he said. “Come then, but it’ll be a hike for you.”
They walked in silence. She knew he was shortening his stride for her as well as picking the easiest path, courtesies she appreciated. “Are you native to this world then? You know it so well, all the details of the wildlife and the edible vegetation, and other aspects like the weather.”
“I’ve lived here all my life,” he said, which was sort of an answer, but she had the impression there was much more behind the simple statement.
Hoping to encourage a conversation, she said, “We lived all over the Sectors when I was growing up. Our parents were in the service, and we got posted to different bases. I didn’t stay in one spot for long until I went to college then medical school, at a fancy Inner Sectors institution. I had a full ride scholarship. Jill was in the service—well, I imagine she briefed you on her record.”
He shook his head. “We’ve not had much time for simple conversation. She may have told her mate. How did you end up on the colony world then?”
“Jill cashed out her veterans’ benefits and bought a homestead there. Our parents passed away when a plague swept their Sector. Lily had the infection as well, but she survived.”
“Now that I’ve met you, I was pondering the difference between the two of you,” he said. “She has a much more fragile air, easily overwhelmed by events or adversity.”
“I’m the elder, and I guess I’ve been the bossy one of the two of us since birth. I sheltered her when we were kids. Jill was older than us, of course, and not home much. Lily and I aren’t identical, you know.”
He paused and turned to her, eyes narrowed, face intent, as if what he intended to say was supremely important to him. “I could never mistake you, even if you and she were identical to the eye. When I saw you in the hallway at the lab the first time I was disoriented, enraged to have been captured rather than killed, or I wouldn’t have been confused.”
“I didn’t mind,” she said, since his tone was apologetic. People mistaking her for her twin happened so often she learned long ago not to take offense. “Knowing you’d seen her gave me hope actually.”
Mateer cut off a stalk of bell-like purple and white flowers with one swipe from his talon and handed them to her. “The scent is amazing. Something happy to brighten the day.”
He walked on while she was sniffing the petals, so Megan hastened to catch up. She kept talking—nearly babbling—because it seemed he wasn’t going to offer any conversation, and the silence bothered her. “Where was I? Oh right, our parents had died, Lily was practically an invalid, and Jill had bought us all a place on Amarcae 7. I moved there with my sisters, at first to take care of Lily when I wasn’t working at the small hospital then, when she was fully recovered, I stayed because I’d wandered enough in my life.”
“And now here you are.” He made a sweeping gesture taking in the prairie and the hills. “And no one knows where this place is.”
“But surely—”
Mateer shook his head. “When we Badari were taken offworld for military missions, we were in cryo sleep. So I have no idea how far we might be from the Sectors. Even Gabe has no idea. Even MARL doesn’t know—” He clamped his lips together. “Forget I said that name.”
“I don’t—I don’t know those last two people.” She sniffed the flower. “Someday, when we’re out of this awful place, will you share the details you’re plainly holding in reserve?”
He gave her a rueful look. “I like your confidence that we can escape. Yes, of course, when the time is right, there’ll be no secrets between us. I promise.” Before she could answer, he pointed to a grove of trees ahead. “Our destination.”
Shading her eyes with her hand, she peered into the distance, expecting a structure and finding only a line of trees. “What’s so special about the place?”
He gave her a serious look. “Do you mind if I answer you after we get there? And I’ve seen for myself?’
“Well sure.”
Hesitating, he blinked. “I’m not trying to be rude.”
Afraid her tone might have been too abrupt, Megan gave reassurance. “No, I didn’t think you were.”
Megan was wildly curious what they’d find at the cluster of trees but, other than the fact the towering, heavily leafed trees grew in a perfect circle, there was nothing unusual she could see. Mateer left her and walked into the center of the circle. He pivoted 360 degrees as if searching for something or waiting for a sign.
The setting was peaceful, with the breeze rustling the leaves, but she felt reluctant to join him, not wanting to intrude on whatever mission brought him here, so she perched on the flat top of a boulder half buried in the grass. Eyes closed, she stretched out, enjoying the warmth of the sun.
“We can go back now.” His voice was flat.
Surprised, Megan sat up and overbalanced, nearly falling from the rock, but he caught her easily and set her on her feet. She clung to him, scanning his face for any clue about his change in mood. “What’s the matter? It’s a very pretty place—how did you know it’d be here?”
For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then his shoulders slumped and he let her go while he turned to view the trees again. “It’s called the Ring of the Great Mother and we—the Badari—believed it grew of its own accord, a gift from the goddess our ancestors worshipped. Or so I foolishly accepted, until I realized there was a Ring here, identical to the one in our Preserve. The duplication means the Khagrish planted both of them. The bastards created our most sacred place like they created everything else, so is our entire belief system all a lie?”
“I’m not following you,” she said, concerned to see him so agitated. Mateer had been nothing but calm and assured since he recovered from the Khagrish torture so his current tormented state was disconcerting. “Start at the beginning, please. What do you mean the Khagrish created everything?”
He allowed his fangs to extend, and his curving black talons to appear. “Did you think these were natural evolution?”
Megan had a glimmer of what he was driving at. “The Khagrish created you? Your people?”
“You’d have learned the truth about me eventually,” he said. “I’d hoped you’d get to know me first, so you wouldn’t care, wouldn’t see me as a science experiment, even if I am one. I know Jill sees Aydarr as a man, and he’s blessed.”
“When I look at you, I see Mateer, a proud man, who has worked hard to help me and my people survive this frightening experience. I see a friend, or at least I hope I do.” She chose her words with extreme care. This big, tough warrior was in emotional pain, and it tore at her heart. “I certainly regard you as a friend. The one bright point in this nightmare.”
He laughed in genuine amusement. “I’ll settle for being a bright point. Probably no other Badari has ever been so described. But I do have to agree this is a nightmare, and it’s a long way from being over.”
Reaching out to him, she caught his hand, squeezing his fingers. “I’m grateful for your help and your friendship.”
He gave her an awkward half bow. “I’m honored to be your friend.”
“When do we have to head back to rejoin the others?” Shading her eyes, she tried to measure the sun’s position in the sky. “Do we have time to talk this out? I want to know what’s upset you. This spot is so beautiful and peaceful. I don’t see anything to cause distress.”
“Indeed, the trees make for a beautiful setting. The grove at our former Preserve is a sacred place where we worship our goddess, where we bring new members into the pack and they swear loyalty to the alpha.” He sat on the boulder and patted the stone beside him in invitation.
Megan plunked herself down and reached for his hand. “Talk.”
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