Roman

by Roman (retail) (epub)

  The guard in the Control Room began to laugh. “Damn, now that’s a beat down. Those fucking aliens are messing with the wrong race, and it’s about time they realized it.”

  Her rage seemed almost uncontrollable, especially as she eyed the gun on his hip. She could get to it in a couple of steps, shoot him, and then go downstairs and put as many bullets as possible into the Major.

  She reverted her gaze, unable to watch anymore. She turned to leave, Eden’s cries and Benedict’s groans clawing at her heart.

  As she shut the door behind her, one thing had been made clear—her time had run out to get them out of there, and she’d have to go with her original plan.

  Chapter 34

  Roman paced his cell, feeling completely helpless and useless. It had been important for him to get out of here before, but now … now, he felt responsible for Hudson’s children, as well.

  Did Hudson know about the twins? If so, why hadn’t he ever said anything?

  He guess that no, Hudson had no idea he had two other children. He’d heard stories of the male’s conquests, so it would be safe to assume that he could have children littered all over the place.

  And that’s why birth control is so important.

  He had been waiting for the Warriors to arrive, expecting flash-bangs and a raging gun battle to happen at any moment, but it didn’t come. And now, he couldn’t wait for rescue any longer. He needed to take matters into his own hands.

  His only way out of here would be Olivia. He needed to make her understand that his assumptions on this place had been correct, and they desperately needed her help. Or, he needed to manhandle her a bit and break out.

  He hadn’t seen her at all today, which seemed odd. Maybe she felt too awkward after their shower tryst the night before, or maybe, they’d been caught. If that had been the case, he assumed he would have been the one getting the beat down. Or, maybe his would be coming later after they got rid of Olivia. He wondered what would happen to her if they had been caught. They couldn’t outright kill her, could they? No, someone, somewhere, would miss her and wonder what had happened to her.

  What the hell had Benedict done to deserve that, anyway?

  The beating had been brutal, and he hoped the male would recover quickly. He sure as shit needed a good healing.

  Dinner had come and gone, and he guessed the lights would dim shortly, indicating that the assholes who ran this place had deemed it time for them to think about sleeping. Talk about not being respected as a sixteen-hundred-year-old adult and being treated like a child.

  Sighing, he stretched out on his bed, his muscles taut, his mind churning. He’d wait either for something to happen, or for the right time for him to make something happen. Either way, shit would be going down soon.

  Chapter 35

  Olivia skipped dinner, her stomach a mess of twisted nerves. Tonight would be it. There could be many different consequences to the actions she would be taking.

  First, she and all the aliens could end up dead. The Major had made it very clear that he wouldn’t have any trouble fulfilling that obligation if necessary. Second, they could be freed, and she’d end up with buzzards picking at her bones. They could all escape. The aliens would go their way, and she’d go … where?

  The Major had been correct in saying that she really had nowhere to go and no one who cared, especially if what he said about her boss had been true. She’d completely obliterated all rules and protocols by taking the serial murder case in Phoenix. But had she deserved to be fired? If they all lived through the escape and the aliens went off, she still couldn’t go back to Virginia. She’d be a wanted woman by not only the military, but she assumed the FBI, as well.

  What a pickle she’d gotten herself into this time. She’d never felt so alone and scared in her lifetime, and that said a lot, especially considering her upbringing.

  For a brief second, she wondered if she could tag along with Roman, but then realized the absurdity of it. Although they may be lovers, she really knew so little about him. Their relationship had started on half-truths, then he’d thought of her as the enemy, which considering what she knew and what she had seen, she didn’t blame him. She had no place in his world, wherever that may be, and that really hurt.

  She had truly painted herself into a corner this time.

  Taking a small backpack from her suitcase that she had used to haul around her notebook, wallet, and water bottle while working in Phoenix, she dumped it out on the bed. A picture of Vicky tumbled out and stared up at her.

  Picking it up, she sat down, feeling like a failure on so many levels. She hadn’t been able to catch the man who’d killed her sister; she’d taken a job from a psychopath, a position she thought would fulfill her, one that could have been important work. Instead, it had been all about the mighty dollar. She liked money as much as the next person and didn’t like being without it, but she wouldn’t take part in anything where others would be lied to, hurt, and probably killed.

  “I miss you,” she whispered as she stared at her sister’s face for a few moments. Sighing, she then shoved the picture into the side pocket of the pack as tears threated to fall. She wouldn’t cry anymore. Instead, she’d act.

  They’d need water, so she grabbed a couple of bottles from the refrigerator. The aliens should have clothes, but there wasn’t much she could do about that. Eden was shorter and smaller in stature, so giving her any pants would be futile. She could give them each some socks which would help very little, but it would protect their feet a bit if they made it outside.

  With her pack full, she checked her watch. The shift in the Control Room had just changed, putting Beth behind the monitors. Before she went downstairs, she should drop in and make sure the woman had occupied herself with something else besides the area where Benedict, Eden, and Roman were being held captive.

  Whatever her fate may be after this night, at least she would know that she’d done the right thing, or at least tried to.

  Chapter 36

  Roman stared out his cell, his head pressed against the glass. He willed the others to look his way. Maybe they could communicate somehow and figure a way out.

  Holy shit—he’d stumbled on Hudson’s kids. He’d only doubted himself for a second, but there really couldn’t be any question. He felt like he looked at Hudson when he stared at Benedict and Eden. Whoever their mother was, or had been, she hadn’t had much say in the gene pool. Hudson’s features had definitely dominated in that coupling.

  If the male knew his kids had been held captive, he would bring down a nuclear-type assault on this place, whether he knew his offspring or not.

  Olivia came into view, her face serious. She hadn’t bothered taking her shoes off, and she wore a backpack slung over her shoulder. He glanced again toward the hall, but didn’t see a guard, and he wondered if this would be his chance to grab her and get the hell out. He figured he had a better chance by himself, but at least, he could get back to the silo and notify everyone to exactly who resided in this fuck-all.

  Olivia placed her hand on the pad; his door slid open.

  “We’re leaving,” she whispered, her gaze pleading with him. “I need your help.”

  He poked his head out into the hallway, making sure this wasn’t some type of trick that would lead him to getting the snot beaten out of him.

  She grabbed his forearm, still taking quietly. “This is as real as it gets, Roman. I saw what they did to Benedict. You were right—everything you said was right. I need you to help me convince Benedict and Eden that they can trust me.”

  He tilted his head. “How do I know I can trust you?”

  She pursed her lips then shrugged. “I don’t know what I can say in the next thirty seconds to make you realize I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life, but I’m leaving this place in less than a minute. I want to take you all with me.”

  He studied her face, and did a gut check. Yes, he believed her. His chance for escape had come, and he hadn’t
even had to manhandle her to get it done.

  As he stepped fully into the hallway, she stopped at Benedict’s room and opened the door. Then she moved to Eden’s.

  Benedict rose from his chair and stared at him, his face a bruised and swollen mess.

  “My name’s Roman. We’re leaving.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “How do I know this isn’t some trick? I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I know your father. I can take you to him. It’s a place where you and Eden will be safe and live with your own kind.”

  Surprise registered on his face. “You know my father?”

  “Yes.”

  He shook his head. “My own kind? I don’t even know what that is.”

  “I can explain everything once we’re somewhere safe, but now is not the time for a history lesson.”

  Eden and Olivia came next to him.

  “Benedict, please! We must go!”

  He stared at the three of them for a second, then stepped forward and took Eden into a big bear hug. “I’ve been so worried they would hurt you.”

  She shook her head, then moved away from him. “No. I’m well. We must trust Olivia.”

  He glanced over at her, his eyes raking her over from head to toe. “Are you certain, Eden?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I see the color blue around her.”

  Roman furrowed his brow, not exactly sure what the hell that meant, but if it stopped the chitchat and got them moving, he didn’t care if she saw the whole fucking rainbow.

  Benedict took Eden’s hand and followed Roman and Olivia. She placed her hand on the pad, and they stepped out of the cell area.

  Roman followed closely behind her, his heart pounding in his chest while his admiration for Olivia seemed to increase with each step. What she had done could end her up with a bullet in her head. She’d said his thoughts about this place had been correct, so it could be a definite possibility.

  A shadow of doubt crossed him as they entered the elevator. What did she gain by this?

  “Why are you doing this?”

  She didn’t look at him, just watched the numbers above. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

  They’d apparently been underground, and he almost chuckled at the irony. He had been safe deep in the bowls of the earth in the silo, and he’d been in mortal danger here.

  “There’ll be a guard coming up here shortly. I think we have one more hallway to go, then another door. He’ll be after that.”

  “Which way are we going out, Olivia?”

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The front door.”

  Well, okay. But then, he reminded himself that right from the start, he’d never thought of her as subtle.

  Chapter 37

  “You’re awfully quiet for a change, Blake. Does a scorpion have you by the balls?”

  Blake lay in the dirt, Hudson on one side of him, Cohen on the other. They’d parked the car about a mile away and hiked in, grateful for the clouds that seemed to be working in their favor while hiding the moon.

  Each had on night vision goggles, and they’d located the facility. If they didn’t have the coordinates, he felt certain they never would have found it. They may have stumbled up on it, but it wasn’t even easy to see for people actually looking for it.

  “Just trying to concentrate, Hudson.”

  In reality, he simply tried not to lose his shit, and the way he felt now, a scorpion grabbing his nuts would be a walk in the park to the thoughts churning through his brain.

  Sophia was pregnant.

  Dammit. Dammit all to Hell and back.

  He hadn’t been kind to her about the revelation, which only added to his stress. After an explosive argument where he had said some things he shouldn’t have and wished he could take back, he’d left her in sobs in their quarters.

  A kid. That was the last thing they needed, especially with his genes. He had the distinct title of being a direct descendant of a Colonist—not even a generation or two down, but from the fucker’s very loins. He recalled the way the bastard had killed his mother, had beaten him, and how at the tender age of fifteen, Blake had put a bullet through his heart and watched him explode into a pile of ash.

  He had visions of his own progeny running through the silo with a kitchen knife, slicing anyone who tried to get too close to him. Blake figured he’d probably get what he deserved, and he’d wake up one night to have his son or daughter standing over him, and the little shit would the sink a blade directly into his heart and watch him die a slow, horrible death, all the while laughing hysterically.

  Or maybe the little devil would be terrible from the very start and give Sophia an awful pregnancy filled with sickness and pain, and then kill her on its way out.

  That would be something he could never survive.

  “Yeah, well, usually, you’re pretty talkative and we have to tell you to shut up so we can concentrate.”

  He sighed. “Just not in the chatty mood, man.”

  It had to be close to midnight, and they hadn’t seen anyone coming or going. They didn’t even know the location of the front door. If they were to get Roman out, they needed more information on the place, and frustration rolled through him at his current circumstances and the ones he’d left at home.

  Suddenly, he saw movement, or did his eyes play tricks on him? “What the hell is that?”

  They remained silent for a second, then Cohen spoke. “It looks like three people in white dresses.”

  “Their eyes are glowing, right?”

  “Yes, they are,” Hudson murmured. “Why are they dressed like that? Did they sign up for target practice?”

  “I wish they had color on the night vision.”

  Cohen set down his goggles. “Who’s that other person?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Hudson turned to him and Cohen. “We’ve got three with their eyes glowing, and an unknown. I think it’s safe to say that the three are ours.”

  “But who are they?”

  Hudson stood and cracked his knuckles. “Don’t know, don’t care. Cohen, go get the car. Blake, move with me.”

  He got to his feet and pulled his gun from its holster and the machine gun from his back. Flipping off the safety, the Colonist side of him hoped for a little rumble just so he had something else to concentrate on besides Sophia and their damn, wicked baby.

  Chapter 38

  Roman’s heart raced as he looked around the desolate land for something that resembled a place for them to take cover. It seemed non-existent—he couldn’t find a rock formation, a mountain, or anywhere to hide for miles.

  He shook out his hand, his knuckles still hurting from punching the guard on the way out. The guy had a head like a brick, and had fought back. For a few brief seconds, Roman had thought they may not make it out, but then he’d come to the conclusion that wouldn’t be an option and decided to fight dirty. A knee to the groin, an uppercut, and slamming his elbow down on the back of the guy’s head had finally incapacitated him.

  He glanced over at Olivia, who looked just as panicked as he did. “Where do we go?”

  She shook her head. “I think we just get away from here.”

  An alarm sounded from the facility, and the four of them took off running. Despite the socks he wore, rocks dug into his feet, but he pressed on. Glancing behind him, he saw Benedict and Eden were keeping up, but they needed to move faster. If they didn’t put some distance between themselves and the facility, they’d all end up with bullets in their backs.

  He pushed on, wondering just how much carnage the bottom of his feet would hold if they made it out alive.

  “We have to move faster,” he whispered behind him, and Benedict and Eden picked up the pace, both breathing as heavily as he and Olivia were.

  He heard shouts behind them and cursed as he glanced around the area. They would be sitting ducks wearing white. Nowhere did he see anywhere to hide, to even try to get the upper hand on the guards. His feet hurt, his
panic levels rose, and he felt certain he would die out in the middle of this tundra with a few bullets grinding up his spine.

  The thought of giving up briefly crossed his mind, but he couldn’t do that. They needed to escape for Hudson’s children, for Olivia, and for him. Yes, he hadn’t exactly been the best member of society here on Earth, but he sent up a quick prayer to his gods and promised he’d do better if they could all get out this mess alive and well.

  Suddenly, he heard footsteps pounding on the ground in front of him. Shit. They were being chased from behind, and they seemed to be running right into more soldiers. He glanced around in search of a way out of the mess, but found none.

  “Roman! Get down, you son of a bitch!”

  Blake. He’d never been happier to hear the bastard’s voice. He turned to the others. “Everyone down on the ground—now!”

  He dove for Olivia and tackled her to the ground, noticing that Benedict had done the same with Eden.

  Bullets flew above their heads, and Eden screamed while Olivia stifled a yell. He lay as flat as possible while keeping Olivia close to him, her head right next to his. She trembled in his arms as tears streamed down her face, her eyes closed. He wished he had something to say to assure her that everything would be okay, but he didn’t. It would be up to Blake and the Warriors to get them to safety.

  Eden screamed again, and Roman looked back. “If she wants to live, she needs to shut the fuck up!”

  Benedict glared at him, then shushed his sister.

  The footsteps from in front of them moved quicker than the sound of the yells from behind them. He considered this a good thing—Blake and whoever he had with him seemed to be making excellent progress. The rat-a-tat-tat of machine gun fire sounded from both directions. He hoped the Warriors had brought more than enough ammo, because they very well may be outmanned.