"Maddie! I was getting ready to come see you," John said.
"I can leave if this is a bad time," Maddie said.
"Don't be silly. Come on in," John said, opening the door.
The wet shirt clung to his chest, showing off his tight muscles. He had a towel in his hand, ruffling dry his unkempt hair. He had his back to her as he tried to dry himself off.
"What can I do for you?" John said.
"I haven't seen much of you since Jackson woke up."
"I know. The Commander has us in and out of conference rooms, trying to get a detailed account of everything that happened," John said apologetically.
"I know. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you this, but I was in one of the conference rooms today," Maddie admitted.
The towel John was using fell to the floor as he turned to her.
"You were?" he asked.
"I'm not sure why, but they had me listening in as agents gave their testimony," she said.
"So you heard." John broke eye contact with her, looking down.
"I heard," Maddie said, taking a step closer to him. "John, I've never felt for anyone the way I do for you. I'm in love with you, John. And if I have only the next day here or the next fifty years, I want it to be with you. If you'll have me, that is."
Her words seemed to hang in the air as John stood motionless, studying her face. Then, in one swift motion, John was in front of her, taking her into his arms. He ran a finger gently down her cheek, tracing the mark caused from Gatewood's attacks. He cupped her cheek and brought his lips down on hers.
It wasn't the first time they had kissed, but it was different than the others. All thoughts left her head at once. A fire started in the pit of her belly that started to grow and consume her. Their kiss grew more passionate as they clung to each other. He broke away from her lips and started kissing her neck and collarbone. Maddie moaned, his name escaping her lips. Her nails gently stroked his well-toned shoulders as John kissed the base of her throat.
"I need you." Fervor resonated in her voice.
A low, sexy growl escaped his lips as he scooped her up and carried her to his bedroom. John laid her down on his bed then stripped off his shirt. Maddie looked up at him, a storm of desire raging in her eyes. She reached up and traced the muscles on his chiseled chest and abs. Maddie sat up and raised her arms, casting aside her shirt.
"You are so incredibly sexy," John told her before kissing her again.
The rest of their clothes were quickly discarded as they got lost in each other.
#
Maddie sighed happily, feeling sedated after their lovemaking. John wrapped his around her tightly, kissing her forehead and hair.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Amazing," Maddie said her voice almost in a purr as she nuzzled his chest hair with her nose.
John chuckled happily. A thought popped in Maddie's head that made her giggle.
"What are you thinking about?" John asked.
"This was technically my first experience," she admitted.
"I didn't think about that. How was it?"
"Perfect," she said, kissing him passionately.
John rolled her onto her back as they got lost in each other again.
Maddie stirred in his arms a few hours later. A part of her was afraid to wake up. In that moment, everything felt perfect. She was lying on her side with John's arm draped across her. She smiled as she realized he wasn't going to suddenly disappear. It wasn't a dream.
Sensing that she was awake, John trailed kisses down her shoulder and forearm.
"Hi," John greeted warmly.
"Hi yourself." Maddie smiled.
"Everything still good?" John asked.
"Perfection, thy name is John," Maddie boasted.
John chuckled again, kissing the top of her shoulder. She couldn't think of another place she would rather be than in John's bed, in his arms. Mack was back in her lab, working on some top secret mission. Seth and Jackson were safe. All felt right with the world.
Buzzing from the wall snapped them out of their bliss.
"Here, throw this on," John told her, tossing her his shirt.
John wrapped a blanket around the lower half of his body. Once Maddie had his shirt on, he opened two mini doors that he had on the wall, revealing a monitor.
"Good evening, John. I'm looking for Maddie. Have you seen her?" Mack asked.
"Here I am," Maddie greeted, coming into view of the monitor.
"Oh." Mack blushed, realizing the state of undress the couple was in. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"Do you need anything?" Maddie asked.
"No, just thought I would see if you wanted to watch a movie or something. I can see you are busy," Mack said, blushing.
"Good night," John stated, closing the doors again.
Maddie giggled as John shook his head. Maddie had never seen Mack look so embarrassed and flustered. She was sure no one else had either.
"Well, that was uncomfortable," she said.
"Mack was bound to find out anyway. Still, this is pretty funny."
In that moment, something dawned on her. Something had stuck out in her mind since she arrived on base, but she didn't know enough to question it. She sat back down on the bed, lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" John asked, with a concerned look on his face.
"I think so," Maddie said, trying to wrap her mind around her thoughts.
"What's wrong?" John sat down on the bed next to her.
"What if Megan Gatewood wasn't the entire story?" she questioned.
"What do you mean?"
"We've all been so focused on Megan and her vendetta against Mack but not all the math's adding up."
"I don't understand."
"I was told I was attacked by the Gorium outside of work. I've never been a hundred percent sure about it because I didn't see anyone's faces or even where the gun shots were coming from. When we were attacked on base, Jackson told me it was agents that were attacking us, not the Gorium. I wouldn't know, Mack had a blanket over my head. I didn't actually see the Gorium until we fled to a neutral planet. Then, on the asteroid base, I didn't see any Gorium with Gatewood."
John thought about what she said and slowly started nodding.
"I hadn't thought about it, but you’re right."
"The Gorium attacked us on Aurora after Mack spoke with Commander Westlake," Maddie pointed out.
"Wait, hold on. What are you saying?"
"When the ISC fell under attack, most of the database was destroyed. Commander Westlake said he was leading an investigation but we hadn't heard anything yet. We all just assumed it was connected."
"You’re right. So what are you thinking?"
"What if she was only part of the story? What if she was only seeking revenge on Mack and the Gorium weren't working for her?" Maddie asked.
"If that's the case, then the Gorium still plan on attacking," John stated.
"And we're all sitting ducks."
"We've got to talk to Commander Westlake."
"Um, do we have to?" Maddie bit her lip.
Her question took John by surprise.
"Of course." John blinked a few times.
"It's just that everything I'm thinking leads me back to him," Maddie said.
John took her hands into his lap, pulling her closer to him. "I know it's in your nature to question things, but the Commander has always been honest and forthcoming with us. You'll feel better after talking to him."
Maddie sighed, knowing that until she had actual proof, John wouldn't believe anything disparaging about Commander Westlake. She just couldn't shake the feeling he was the center of it. John kissed her forehead then jumped off the bed and began fumbling around for their clothes. He fell over as he was trying to put on a pair of pants. Maddie covered her hand over her mouth to keep from giggling.
"I will kill myself if you can fit into my jeans," Maddie told him.
"You weren't complaining ea
rlier," John teased as he threw the jeans at her.
Maddie blushed as she watched him get dressed.
"Hey," John said as Maddie pulled on her pants.
He stroked her chin gently as he looked into her eyes.
"I love you," he told her.
"I love you back." she smiled at him.
For a moment, they both forgot the sense of urgency to report her suspicions and got lost in each other’s embrace.
John growled as he pulled away from her. "Later," he promised her.
CHAPTER NINE
John walked Maddie back to her dorm then went to go fill in Mack. They needed to come up with a plan before they could barge into Commander Westlake's office.
Maddie decided to take a quick shower to help collect her thoughts. Everything seemed like pieces of a puzzle that refused to connect together. If the Gorium weren't working for Gatewood, then who were they working for? Were they solely trying to kill Mack, or did they have another purpose?
Something else was plaguing her that she needed to talk to Mack about. Jackson had stated before that only the agent and the Commander could locate a clone and she knew that Mack wouldn't have given Megan information on how to find her. So if she was wrong about the Commander, how exactly did Megan know anything about her?
Everyone had spoken very highly of the Commander and seemed to blindly follow his orders. They must have had their reasons for doing so. Every instinct in her was screaming that something wasn't right. And her thoughts kept going back to the Commander and wondering what his involvement was.
Maddie could hear movement in her dorm. John must have grabbed Mack already and they were waiting for her. She quickly dried her hair and threw on some clothes, anxious to talk to Mack.
"Hey, guys, so-" Maddie began as she left her bathroom.
To her surprise, Commander Westlake sat at the foot of her bed. Maddie's eyes locked on him as her body went rigid.
"Oh, Commander. Forgive me, I wasn't expecting you," Maddie stammered.
"I'm just full of surprises. Just like you."
There was a chill to his voice that frightened her. A large lump formed in her throat as every fiber of her being screamed to get the hell out of the room.
"I don't know what you mean." Maddie shook her head.
"I know you don't, which is a pity."
The Commander snapped his fingers and two guards approached her from the corner of her room, grabbing her arms. Maddie screamed as her head was covered by a large brown bag. Something hit her on the side of the head and she lost consciousness.
"Take her to my ship. Have it ready for takeoff. I'll dispatch the others," the Commander told his operatives.
"Yes, sir," One of them picked up an unconscious Maddie and carried her to the hangar.
Charlie watched with a smile as they left. He rubbed his hands together gleefully, anxious to begin finding the secrets the clone had trapped inside her. He quickly walked back to his office unseen.
#
"I never thought about it. Didn't even question it," Mack said outside of Maddie's door.
"None of us did." John knocked several times on the door hard.
"But I'm a scientist, John. I question everything." Mack shook her head.
"That's...odd," John said, knocking again.
"Maddie?" Mack pressed her ear to the door but didn't hear anything on the other side.
The two exchanged worried looks when Maddie still didn't come to the door. Mack turned the doorknob and was surprised when it opened freely. The two searched the tiny dorm room but there was no sign of her. The two then rushed to the Commander's office.
"This is highly unusual!" Commander Westlake exclaimed as John and Mack barged in.
"Forgive us, sir, but there isn't any time to waste here." Mack apologized.
"What is it?" the Commander gruffly asked.
"Sir, Maddie is missing," John stated.
"Ms. Rhodes?" Commander Westlake raised his eyebrow.
"Sir, I dropped her off at her dorm this evening and when I returned, she was gone," John said.
"You dropped her off at her quarters. Why?" Commander Westlake questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Well, I..." John started.
John looked desperately over to Mack.
"Sir, that's not really the point here. See, Maddie had a theory that we were going to talk to you about. But when we went to get her, she had disappeared," Mack stated.
"Agent Rhodes, you do not tell me what you think I should or should not know in my command," the Commander sternly said.
Mack was taken aback by his statement. "I didn't mean to offend, sir, but I do think you are missing the point here."
"Wasn't Agent Gray still in charge of her security?" the Commander asked.
"Ye...yes, sir," Mack reluctantly replied. "But Agent Gray is still in the hospital recovering."
"There was no need for Jackson to guard her. As I said, she was with me until I dropped her off," John intervened.
"What I am hearing is Agent Gray has fallen down on his duties of protecting her," the Commander stated, ignoring both of their statements. "Don't worry, Agent Rhodes. I will have a competent agent search for her. She couldn't have gone far."
"Charlie, I don't think Maddie wandered off. I think there is something more at play here," Mack said.
The Commander ignored her pleas and, instead, hit a few buttons on his comm system.
"Agent McCain, I need you to do a sweep of the ISC. Ms. Rhodes appears to have gone into hiding," Commander Westlake ordered.
"Yes, sir," Will McCain's voice replied.
"Will?" Mack questioned, looking over at Charlie in disbelief. "Agent McCain works in medical technologies and development, sir."
"Why are you questioning my authority, Agent Rhodes?" the Commander raised an eyebrow at her. "Agent McCain is a highly skilled agent, smart enough to track down a simple girl who has run off."
"Sir, I don't think Maddie is trying to run away. I think she was kidnapped!" Desperation seeping in his voie.
That made the Commander laugh.
"You think she was kidnapped? My dear boy, what gives you that impression?"
"Sir, as we mentioned before, we were speaking this evening, and she had come up with a theory we were going to discuss with you."
John took a deep breath then launched into a thin description of Maddie's thoughts that there was something else in play. He didn't get to dive too in depth with the theory when the Commander cut him off.
"I'm going to stop you right there. We are family here, Agent Brooks. The idea that someone at this agency would try to hurt this family is ludicrous." The Commander rolled his eyes.
"No, sir. I understand that-" John began.
"This is not a big deal. The clone must have gotten scared and ran off. We'll find her," the Commander said dismissively.
"Charlie, you are not listening-" Mack argued.
"Agent Rhodes, you forget your place!" Commander Westlake yelled, slamming his fist into his desk.
Mack gasped in alarm.
"I know for a fact Maddie didn't decide to run," John wasn't going to back down.
"You know for a fact, Agent Brooks? And how would you know that?" Commander Westlake asked.
"Because she loves me. We love each other. We were together in my home tonight," John admitted.
"Love? Did I hear you correctly? You love each other?"
The Commander rose from his desk and circled them.
"Why do I have to remind you that Maddie Rhodes is a clone? She was created in a lab. Her thoughts and processes were copied. Her existence was made, not born. She doesn't have the ability to love," Commander Westlake said coldly.
"That's where you’re wrong," John said through gritted teeth.
Commander Westlake smirked. "I feel bad for you, son. Good looking guy like yourself could have anyone he wanted. Yet you give your heart to someone who can't really love you back. And one that will not exist in
a few days. Now get out of my office."
John stared hard at the Commander, contemplating knocking the older man on his ass. Mack tugged hard on John's arm, pleading with him to leave.
"Now!" Commander Westlake bellowed.
"Let's go find her," Mack whispered.
John kept his eyes locked on the Commander but allowed Mack to pull him out of the office.
#
"Something isn't right here," Mack stated.
After their meeting with Commander Westlake, Mack and John met up with Jackson and Seth in Mack's lab. John wasn't able to keep still.
"Pacing isn't going to help her," Seth told his brother.
"And sitting around discussing this is? We've got to find her!"
Seth grabbed his younger brother by the shoulders, forcing him to stop pacing. Seth locked in on John's frantic eyes and attempted to calm him down.
"I understand, little brother, but Maddie needs you to be clear-headed. Acting like this could only endanger her," Seth told him.
John slowly let out a deep breath and nodded.
"Will is leading a team to search the building," Jackson announced.
"What good does it do? We know she's not here," John said, worry echoing in his voice.
"We need to rule everything out, John. Will's search will also look at computer logs for in and out-going flights," Jackson said.
"The hell with protocol right now!" John yelled.
"What would you have us do, John? If you have other ideas, I'm listening." Mack folded her arms over her chest.
John opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"That's what I thought. We know she isn't here, but we don't have any leads as to where to look," Mack said.
"Yes, we do," John sullenly said.
The group looked eagerly at John.
"Maddie said that something wasn't right. She thought someone other than Gatewood was working with the Goruim," John told the group.
"Who?" Seth asked.
John hesitated. "I don't know. But after talking to the Commander, I'm beginning to have my suspicions,"
"Suspicions?" Jackson questioned.
"Maddie didn't want to go to Commander Westlake initially. She more or less told me that she thought he had something to do with it, more than he is leading on. After the conversation in his office, the way he reacted, plus what little bit she told me, I'm beginning to wonder myself," John told them.
Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars Page 253
