by V. E. Lemp
“I did learn a few tricks from the Oneiroi. As long as we stay inside I can prevent our pursuers from entering the cabin.”
“Will they lose their will to move? I’ve seen Alice do that.”
“Exactly. I’m not as skilled as the Oneiroi. I can’t manage it out in the open. But I can set a perimeter they won’t be able to cross.”
More gunshots rang outside the cabin. Alex crept to one of the front windows, careful to keep his body behind the wall as he peered through the dirty glass. “They just shot out your tires. I’m afraid we’re stuck here.”
Karen gripped the edge of the counter with both hands to steady herself. “And I can’t call Mark.”
He walked back toward her. “We can’t call anyone, it seems.”
“No, no, you don’t understand. I have to call Mark. If he doesn’t hear from me by midnight, he’ll come looking for me.”
“And how will he…?” Reaching her, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “He put a tracker on you, didn’t he?”
“Yes. So he’ll find us. Even if I destroy the tracker now, I’m sure he’s already registered this location.” Karen let go of the counter and leaned into Alex. “And he’ll walk into an ambush.”
He put his arms around her. “I’m positive he won’t come alone. He’ll surely bring backup. And I”—he brushed her hair with a kiss—“will try to get a message to someone who can warn him.”
“Alice?” Karen leaned back against his arms and gazed up into his face. His blue eyes regarded her with a look that made the tears welling in her eyes spill over.
“Or one of her friends.” He wiped away her tears with the back of his hand. “Now, let’s get you off your feet, kiddo. You’ve injured your leg rather badly.” He guided her over to the bed. “The sheets should be reasonably clean under this spread.” He yanked off the dusty coverlet and tossed it on the floor, then lifted Karen onto the bed and propped pillows behind her head. “You rest. I’m going to see if there’s anything I can use to clean those wounds.”
Karen leaned back into the pillows, raised a hand to her forehead, and fingered the lump rising at her hairline. Her head throbbed, but that discomfort was overshadowed by the pain in her right leg. It felt as if fire ants were swarming up from her ankle to her knee. She lifted it slightly, observing the blood soaking the shredded fabric of her khaki pants.
Alex placed a small cooler on the floor beside the bed. “There’s not much here of any use, but fortunately Jasper brought some bottled water. That’ll help. And I found some old sheets on a shelf in the bathroom. They appear to be clean. But there’s no antiseptic, I’m afraid.” He was holding a pair of scissors.
“What’s that for?” Karen struggled into a sitting position.
“I must cut away the leg of your pants before I can clean the wounds. You don’t need to sit up if you don’t feel like it.” He propped one of the lanterns on the bed.
“I want to see what you’re doing.” Karen laid her hand on his arm. “I don’t want an impromptu amputation.”
He flashed a grin. “Don’t worry. I’m no artist, but I can handle a pair of scissors.” He swiftly cut around her pant leg near her upper thigh and then ripped the fabric along the side seam, until it reached her lower leg. “This part might be uncomfortable. Better grab the headboard and hold tight.”
Karen wrapped her fingers around one of the iron posts. “I think I have some aspirin in my purse.”
“You don’t want that.” Alex began to peel away the blood-soaked fabric. “You’re bleeding too much as it is.” His face was taut with concentration.
Karen’s fingers ached from the pressure of her grip. She clenched her teeth, determined not to cry, but couldn’t prevent a low, keening sound from escaping her closed lips.
“So sorry, my sweet.” Alex paused for a moment and stroked her arm. “Almost done.” He removed the last pieces of fabric and used one of the bottles of water to wash away the blood and debris. “You’re developing some rather nasty bruises, I’m afraid. But some of these”—he laid his fingers against her thigh—“seem old. Been bumping into things?”
She met his searching gaze. “I don’t really remember. Mark hasn’t been beating me, if that’s your concern.”
“It isn’t. Here, hold this against your shin, would you?” He handed her a folded pad of fabric and ripped the rest of the sheet into strips. “Put some pressure on it.”
Karen leaned forward and pressed the material against her leg. “Hurts like hell.”
“I’m sure it does, but we need to stop the bleeding.” Alex reached out and smoothed her hair away from the bump on her forehead. “I see you cracked your head as well. My poor darling. This isn’t what you signed up for.”
“But at least I’m alive. Jasper …” Karen’s voice broke on the name. “He wanted to do the right thing and look what happened.” She dashed away tears with her free hand.
Alex sat on the bed. “He did do the right thing. He knew the risks, and was willing to sacrifice himself for the truth. That’s something no one can take from him. And we still have the file, remember?”
“We have to make sure Myron gets that file, no matter what happens. I don’t want Jasper’s sacrifice to be in vain.” Karen’s hands were shaking so hard she could barely keep the folded fabric pressed against her leg.
Alex laid his hands over hers. “Let go now,” he said, lifting her fingers and tossing the bloody fabric on the floor. He replaced it with another pad of material and wrapped the strips he’d made around her leg, anchoring the improvised bandage in place. “The bleeding’s slowed. You need to lie back and try to relax.”
“Relax? I’m in pain and there are men outside with guns and Mark’s liable to walk into a trap and you think I can relax?”
“You need to try.” Alex stood and gathered up the debris from the floor. “I’ll be back in a moment. I need to clean up this mess and see if I can contact someone to warn Mark.”
Karen pressed back against the pillows. The pain radiated from her lower leg in waves. She clenched her teeth and focused on watching Alex as he tossed out the bloodied scraps of fabric and rinsed his hands with a little bit of the bottled water, then settled in one of the dilapidated armchairs. He sat quite still with his eyes closed for some time.
Finally, he rose to his feet and said, “The message is sent. I trust Alice will make sure Mark’s warned before he arrives.” He walked back to Karen and pulled another bottle of water from the cooler before sitting on the edge of the bed. “You should drink a little. No sense getting dehydrated on top of everything else.”
Karen struggled into a sitting position before taking the water. “You as well,” she said, holding out the bottle after a long swallow.
“I’m not injured.”
Karen surveyed him with a critical eye. “No, but I think you’ve been expending a ton of energy, mentally as well as physically. You’re exhausted. I can see it in your face.”
Alex smiled. “That bad, is it?” He took the bottle and took a few sips. “How’s the pain?”
“Bad. But I’ll manage.”
He set the bottle on the floor. “I may be able to help. If you’ll allow it.”
“That depends. What’re we talking about?”
“My training with the Oneiroi was rather thorough. I think I can block the pain. But it would require some physical proximity.”
Karen eyed him carefully. “What does that mean?”
Alex swung his legs up on the bed. “Nothing that would cause your husband any concern.” He swiftly scooped her up and moved her closer to the wall before she could do anything except swear.
“Warn me next time.” She winced as Alex stretched out next to her.
“It’s better if I don’t.” He placed two of the pillows behind his head. “The anticipation of pain is often worse than the pain itself.”
“Is that so?” Karen sat up as he adjusted the pillows to support her back. “So what’s this technique for blocking pain
? Hypnotism or something? Although, to tell the truth, at this point I’d try just about anything.” She leaned back and glanced over at him.
He raised his eyebrows and flashed a wicked smile. “You would?”
Karen tapped his hand briskly. “Don’t get any ideas. Besides, you wouldn’t take advantage of an injured woman, would you?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Alex stretched his arm out across the pillows behind Karen. “It’s tempting.”
She met his amused gaze with a frown. “I’m not in the mood for your teasing, so lay off. Just tell me how you propose to help.” She felt his arm drop down onto her shoulder.
“First we need to be closer.” He pulled her gently to his side, until her head was lying on his chest. “Now close your eyes.” His hand rested against her forehead.
“Try to relax,” he whispered into her ear, before brushing the back of her neck with his lips. “No wiggling, you’ll jostle the bandage off your leg.”
She squeezed her eyelids tighter and fought her impulse to move. “Now what?”
“Open your mind.”
For several minutes, Karen was aware of nothing but the inside of her eyelids, Alex’s warmth, and the steady rhythm of his breathing. Then she felt her body float up from the bed. There was a light in the distance, and she swam through the darkness to reach it. As her hands touched the edge of the light, it flared and enveloped her in brightness.
She stood on a beach. The sea stretched before her, its gentle waves rolling in and slipping out again. The sky was clear as glass. The sun warmed her bare arms, and a gentle wind tousled her hair. Alex walked up beside her. He gave her one of his dazzling smiles, his teeth very white against his tanned skin. His hair was bleached silver by the sunlight.
“The tide is going out,” he said, laying a hand on her shoulder.
Karen breathed in the salt spray. “How are you doing this?” She wiggled her bare toes in damp sand.
“Just as in your dreams.”
“But I’m not dreaming.” Karen turned and looked up into his face. “This could be considered a very dangerous skill.”
He regarded her with amusement. “I promise not to use it indiscriminately. Your pain has receded, I hope?”
Karen stretched out her leg, examining its unblemished contours. “It has. I don’t even feel a twinge right now.”
Alex took her hand. “Good. Now let’s walk a little ways together.”
“So you can create images in someone’s mind, asleep or awake? I suppose the Oneiroi can as well.” The edge of the waves foamed over Karen’s feet.
“Much better than me. Why do you think those alien abduction stories always sound so similar? It’s not because the events are always the same, or the locations.”
“You mean the abductees see what the Oneiroi want them to see? But reports do mention encounters with little gray men, and aren’t those actual robots?”
“Yes, but they aren’t exactly as described. If you saw them without any mental manipulation by the Oneiroi you’d instantly know that they weren’t living beings.” Alex stopped walking and released her hand. “Most of the time the abductees are never taken off Earth.”
Karen turned to look at him. “Seriously? They have secret installations somewhere?”
“They do. Protected by Exocorp and its affiliates. I suppose in the past they simply took their chances, or some governments aided them. It isn’t hard to hide such things, with enough money to pay off anyone who might want to talk.”
“Or enough muscle to frighten them.”
“That too.” Alex placed his hand against the side of her face. “Let me take you somewhere else. Somewhere you can’t go on your own.”
Karen closed her eyes. When she opened them she stood in the midst of a forest of crystals. They sprang from the earth like the spires of a cathedral, their faceted surfaces refracting the light. Karen gasped and threw out her hands. Alex captured her flying fingers and pulled her close.
“This is a world no human has seen,” he whispered into her ear, “except for me. Through a virtual reality interface, of course. And now you can share it with me.”
“So beautiful.” Karen scarcely dared to breathe. The sky was white as snow, and the crystals glowed as if lit from within. Every color gleamed within their clear depths, rainbows created from faceted prisms.
Karen tightened her grip on Alex’s hand. “You’ve been here before?”
“Yes, many times.” He rested his head against her temple. “Now watch.”
The spiky blossoms that tipped the crystals vibrated like hummingbird wings against the air. In one sweep they sailed into the icy sky.
“They’re alive,” Karen said in astonishment.
“As alive as you or I. Though nothing like us. Nothing at all.”
“This is what you saw, when you lived on the Oneiroi ship?”
Alex wrapped his arms around her. “This and many more things. So much more. I always longed to share it with you. I knew how you’d love such sights.”
Karen leaned back against him, watching the light play over the crystal landscape. “How could you ever leave? To see such wonders, it’s more than I could dream. Why would you give it up?”
“For you.” He kissed the back of her neck. “I gave it up for you. Because what I feel when I’m with you is worth more than all these wonders.”
“Oh, Alex.” She turned in his arms, pressing her forehead into his shoulder. “You shouldn’t have. I can’t give you what you want.”
Alex tipped up her head with one finger under her chin. “Just open your heart.”
“My heart’s open. That’s not the issue.”
The scene about her melted, the crystals dissolving like icicles in the sun. Karen looked around Alex’s shoulder and spied a forest springing up on the perimeter of a familiar clearing.
“No.” She pushed at Alex’s chest with her open palms. “Don’t do this. Don’t bring me back here.” The steady rush of the falls filled her ears, not quite masking the sound of Alex’s breathing.
“Karen, I’m in your mind. I know you love me still. I can read it in your thoughts.” He grasped her by the elbows and pulled her into a close embrace. “You can’t pretend with me.”
“Damn it, stop.” She brought her heel down onto the arch of his foot. Her eyes flew open as a jagged bolt of pain shot up through her leg. She sat up in the bed, pulling herself clear of Alex’s arms. Tears filled her eyes, and she grabbed for one of the iron bed posts to resist doubling over.
Alex sat up slowly, his eyes never leaving her face. “So you prefer pain to the truth?”
Karen met his gaze without flinching. “It’s agonizing either way. You’re right, of course. I do still love you, in a way. But not the way you want. And, whatever happens, I’ll never betray Mark.”
Alex’s eyes were cold as shards of ice. “Loyalty above all, then?”
“It isn’t just loyalty.” Karen inched closer to the wall, wincing with each movement. “I truly love Mark. You’d have read that in my mind too, if you’d bothered to search deep enough. It’s a different kind of love, but don’t you dare imagine my feelings for my husband are less than what I feel for you. My love for you is untethered, unconnected to my daily life. It swirls like a leaf in the wind. My love for Mark is a tree that’s taken root in my soul. It may have started as a small seed, but it grows every day. It shelters me, it connects me to the sky as well as the earth. I won’t uproot that tree. I will not rip apart my soul for you, whatever I might feel.”
Alex laid his fingers against her lips. “All this talk. What does it mean, in the end?”
Karen pulled away from his touch. “It means everything. I’ve found something truly good. I have no intention of destroying that to satisfy a momentary desire.”
“Momentary? I wasn’t thinking of some fleeting affair, my sweet. I want you back, permanently.” He leaned against the pillows, watching her from beneath his lowered eyelids.
“Impossible. We�
�d burn out like two stars colliding.” Karen shifted position and gasped as pain radiated through her body. She fell back against the wall, banging her head.
Alex took hold of her. “This is foolishness. Whatever you feel for me, now is not the time to stand on your principles. There’s no need to remain in pain just to prove a point.”
“I would love to rest.” Her words were muffled in his shirt. “If you’d take me back to that beach and just sit with me …”
“Very well.” He turned her until she lay cradled in his arms.
After a moment, she heard the sound of waves and lifted her head. She was sitting in the sand, her back pressed against Alex’s chest. She glanced up his face. His expression was unreadable. “Thank you,” she whispered, “for taking away the pain.”
Alex stared out to sea. “If only you could do the same for me.”
Karen shook her head. “I dream of the day when we can love one another without pain.”
Alex stroked her forehead with his fingers. “You need rest. Go to sleep.”
Karen drifted into slumber as naturally as flotsam washing out to sea. She did not dream.
She woke while it was still dark. Shifting in Alex’s arms, she looked up at his face.
“You’re awake. Haven’t you slept at all?”
“No. I need to stay alert to keep our friends outside at bay.”
“Sorry. Hadn’t thought of that.”
“It’s all right.” Alex tightened his arms around her. “Besides, I have no desire to sleep. I don’t intend to miss a moment of holding you.”
She sighed. “You really must let this go.”
“Go back to sleep,” Alex said, pressing his hand against her forehead.
She fought to stay awake but could not beat back the wave of drowsiness that washed over her.
She opened her eyes to light spilling in the front window. She was alone on the bed.
She struggled into a sitting position. “What’s going on?”
Alex stood by the window, looking out. “Your husband’s just arrived. He’s brought reinforcements, but there’s apparently no need. Our pursuers have vanished, along with Jasper’s body.”
