by Crystal Dawn
Nettie was everything good and right in an uncertain world. She was the calm and the peace in the middle of the craziness. Julie knew it was all on her for not bringing Nettie into her insanity sooner. The truth was it had been a pride thing. Nettie had wanted Julie to stay home, to go to college, and to just let her help so Julie wouldn’t have to struggle to get by. Julie had told her that she wanted to do it on her own, she couldn’t rely on Nettie forever. So when everything had gone to hell in a hand basket, Julie had been too embarrassed to tell her big sister that she’d messed it all up.
How do you tell the person you love more than anyone that not only did you drop out of college, but you’re pregnant with no father in sight? A minimum wage job is the best you can do and you work for criminals because it’s illegal to lock up a god. Now to top everything off, she was risking her life and that of her baby. That was the part Nettie would understand. She always said you had to stand up for what was right. You had to protect those that couldn’t protect themselves. Nettie had always wanted to make a difference and she did. She had been in the army for five years and now she was a detective.
She was young to have worked her way up so high in the police department. Nettie was smart, beautiful, strong, and something Julie could never be, brave. Nettie would have already had this situation resolved and Apis saved. Julie wished for the millionth time in her life that she was more like Nettie. It just wasn’t going to happen. She would always be weak and a chicken shit. She looked at Apis and almost cried at how bad he looked. She dug into her purse which was more like a beach bag and pulled out a one gallon zip lock bag.
“Here’s a washcloth. You can wash everywhere they can’t see,” she suggested then turned bright red when she realized the implications of what she had just said.
Apis had water, the lazy guards didn’t want to have to remember to bring it to him, but it was set on a slow drip so he had to stand there forever just to get a handful of water. She’d brought him a cup that he hid in a hole cut in his mattress. He couldn’t let anyone know about the cup. They would wonder where it came from.
“I have to go,” Julie said shyly as she stepped up against the bars and gave him a hug.
She felt the warmth of friendship surround her. She had strong feelings for this man, this god. She wondered if she would ever see him again once he was free. She felt dizzy and she stepped back taking a deep breath. She had to hold her breath when she was close to him because the smell was so bad. If she wasn’t prego she might be able to stand it, but right now her stomach was sensitive and the smell too much.
She slipped out into the hall where she heard voices. Shit! Not only was the guard back, but he had company. She slipped into the bathroom but kept the door cracked. They stopped outside the door to the hallway that led to Apis.
“Damn boss, I don’t want to move again,” the guard, she thought his name was John, whined.
The man he spoke to jerked his head around shooting him a hard look. “Then don’t. We can always find a replacement for you.”
John paled and quickly said, “It’s okay, Boss. Whatever you say, that’s what I’ll do.”
“Very good, John. It won’t be so bad. New Orleans is a great place to live.”
“I’m sure it is, Sir.”
They went through the door and Julie couldn’t hear anymore. She made a break for the office her cart was in. She turned on the light and pretended to clean it again. She moved slowly so it would take some time and she was glad she did when ten minutes later the guard and his boss came into the office.
“Oh, sorry. We didn’t mean to interrupt you. Will you be done soon?” asked the boss. He was tall and lean with brown curly hair and a receding hairline. His eyes were too close together and a pale blue. He leered at her and his eyes roamed over her body.
“I’m almost done,” she replied trying to sound friendly but professional. She checked the trash can and wiped off the desk. “It’s all yours.” She hurried to get her cart the hell out of there. The door closed and she heard the lock click as she left.
Her knees were weak and her stomach was doing flip flops. She thought she might pass out and she was attempting to take slow deep breaths. The worst part was that the baby was kicking and rolling around reacting to his mother’s fear even though there was nothing the babe could do about it. She wanted to cry but fought hard not to because if she saw someone later, they might question what was wrong. She didn’t want to attract any attention. She needed to contact the god, Afrod, he’d said his name was, and warn them that action was imminent. She was concerned enough that they might get here too late.
She finished her shift and managed to hurry out without attracting any attention. She would call Afrod first to let him know about the complication of the proposed move they were planning. She made it to her car and headed up to the gate. The guard opened it and she drove out. They never checked for stolen items or anything else. They had gotten lazy, lax, and she was glad of it. If the gods could get here and go in right away, it would be much easier due to the poor security.
She made it home, took a shower, dressed for bed, and got her phone. The number that Afrod had given her was on her list. Afrod was funny and he could make her laugh. He had also inspired her confidence when he had sworn he would see to her safety. Once the gods dealt with freeing Apis, she would go back home to her sister and get her life on track. She had been a proud fool to stay away and struggle on her own.
She pushed the button and she could hear the phone ring. Once, twice, and finally he answered. “Julie?”
“Yes, it’s me. I had to call you to let you know tonight after I saw Apis, the guard and a guy I’ve not seen before walked by the office I was in. I listened in and they’re planning to relocate to New Orleans.”
“I thought we agreed you were to stay away from Apis and take no chances until we get there to spring him.”
“You just don’t understand, Afrod, his life hangs by a thread. I think they’ve stopped feeding him. If not for me, he’d already be dead.”
“That makes no sense, why would they starve him to death?”
“I don’t know, but they also take samples from him daily. He’s no longer healing, I’m worried for him.”
“It will be okay, Julie. Please be careful, we’ll be there tonight and I’ll call you. Are you working tonight?”
“Yes, nothings been said about them leaving officially, yet.”
“They wouldn’t tell you. You’d just go to work and find everything locked down and everyone gone. I’ll call you later in the morning. Everything is on track like we discussed.”
They said goodbye and hung up. She felt pensive now but she was still determined to get back to basics. She owed this baby a family and without a father to claim the baby that meant her sister Nettie would be the child’s only other family. Julie knew it was long past time for the call she was about to make. She hit the call button by Nettie’s name and listened to the ring. She almost backed out, she was embarrassed she’d stopped calling her sister. She’d focused on her own failure instead of the love that had always held her and Nettie together.
“Julie?”
“Nettie, how did you know it was me?”
“I found out where you were and your number weeks ago. I was just waiting, hoping you’d call.”
“Nettie, my life is such a mess.”
“Just come home sweetheart. We’ll figure everything out together. Nothing is too bad for us to fix.”
Julie burst into tears. “Oh, God, Nettie, I’m pregnant and the father took off.”
“It’s alright. I bet we’ll have the cutest baby ever. We’ll fix up the spare room as a nursery. Just come home, nothing else matters.”
“I can’t come home yet, I have to help someone.”
“Julie, I’ll come get you. Don’t do anything that will cause you to get hurt. Did the father of the baby get you involved in something dangerous?”
Julie took a deep breath and she told Nett
ie everything. Nettie asked a few questions, but she didn’t judge as Julie had feared she might. “Julie?”
“Yes, Nettie?”
“I’m so proud of you. Terrified for you, but proud of you for trying to do the right thing and help someone in need. I’m going to pack a bag, take off work, and drive right down there.”
“Don’t you dare, I know I woke you up if you’ve even been to sleep yet. I’m going to sleep until ten and then kill sometime until work. You go to sleep and drive down when you get up.”
“Maybe you’re right. I’ve been tracking some witnesses down and I was out all night but it was productive. I’ll sleep a few hours and hit the road. I should get there before you do to work. We’ll talk some more then. I want to meet these gods and make sure they’ll keep you safe.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan. Nettie?”
“Yeah, Squirt?” Nettie said using the nick name Julie hadn’t heard in forever. It was all she could do not to cry.
“Thanks for not saying I told you so,” Julie said softly so her voice wouldn’t break.
“You’re all I’ve got, Kid. Take care of yourself until I get there,” Nettie said. The I’ll take care of you then was unsaid, but understood.
“Sure thing, Sis.”
They said their goodbyes and Julie sat there just holding the phone for a while thinking about everything they’d said and all that hadn’t been said. The baby rolled in her stomach trying to get comfortable? She didn’t know but she was tired and hungry. She went to the kitchen where she fixed a sandwich and warmed up a mug of milk. She sat at the table eating so she wouldn’t make a mess. The place was a studio, not even a big one but she could barely afford it. It was clean and she had even painted and decorated ala yard sale as she could.
She felt a sense of accomplishment on what she had done with the place, the treasures she had found in the sales she had searched. She honestly couldn’t say she’d miss it even though she’d been there nearly a year and tried to make it nicer. She’d be glad when Nettie came and she followed her home.
Chapter 3
Plans to Make
Afrod’s eyes were glazed as Hades went over the plan for the hundredth time knowing they would land soon. They would have an hour drive to the hotel they intended to stay at. He planned to take Julie to the hotel with them so he could watch over her. He was even entertaining the thought of mating with her. He’d hoped but never really believe he would find a mate like the others had. Odds were against him and this girl needed him. Her fearful soft voice brought out the protector in him and he felt some kind of attachment to her he couldn’t explain.
Had he had the slightest sexual attraction to her or felt even the tiniest itsy bitsiest pull in a physical way, he would have known she was his. Maybe she was his and he was reading things wrong expecting too much when he hadn’t even seen her yet. He knew he’d kill to protect her and the innocent life that grew within her. It was a start, he would just play it by ear and see where they ended up but he was open to taking responsibility for her whether they mated or not.
Hades was winding down on his overview of what they knew, what they needed to find out, and what they would probably be doing in the light of the new information Julie had just shared with them. Part of Hades plan was to take Julie with them. It was his suspicion that she carried a god rather than a fully human baby. Afrod had a suspicion of his own and that was that Julie wouldn’t want to go. He said nothing, Hades could deal with it when and if it happened.
The pilot announced they were preparing to land. Afrod was relieved and he hoped Hades had said all he intended to. Covering everything thoroughly was good, repeating the same information over and over was not. He strapped in like the other gods did to prepare for the landing about to take place. Hades was strapped in too and finally paying attention to something else. He was talking on his headset and Afrod was sure he was double checking the rental vehicles. Something he should probably have done an hour ago. If they weren’t there now, they would have to wait until someone brought them.
Hades looked happy enough so they must be waiting. The plane was dropping slowly and circling the airport. They would be on the ground in fifteen minutes or less. There were ten of them total just like Adonis’ team that had left before them. He wondered how Adonis was doing and hoped all went well with their mission. He jerked slightly as the plane touched down. A couple taps against the ground and they were slowing down. They would pull off to the side and exit there instead of entering directly into the airport. The pilot would pull over to where the two SUVs waited for them.
They all grabbed their gear and exited the plane. The SUVs stood waiting just as promised. He figured it was lunch time because he was hungry but they wouldn’t eat until they arrived. One thing all gods had been taught at a young age was discipline. Once they arrived, checked into the hotel, and made arrangements with Julie, they would see to their needs. Julie worked from four pm until 1 am with a lunch break built in. They should have enough time to talk to her before she was scheduled to go to work.
Hades wanted to fly by the seat of their pants and Afrod saw no other choice. They would try to hack the alarms and cameras and just bust down the doors and take their god back. Julie didn’t think there were any babies or other gods on the premises anymore. If they were getting ready to leave and had allowed Apis to get in such bad shape, Afrod assumed they planned to kill him when they left. That meant other prisoners, if there ever had been any, had been sent ahead.
It made less for them to focus on but they were recovering less people too. He wasn’t sure what he preferred. Apis would be the priority except for keeping Julie safe since he was the only prisoner. They would, however, also be looking for information on other facilities, females that had been bred, and any babies Origin had harvested. Harvested was the term Origin used for the involuntary insemination and later the stealing of the babies from their mother’s wombs.
Afrod wanted to catch every one of them and send them to the deepest darkest hole he could find to live out their lives without any kind of warmth or human kindness. It was the least they deserved. The only Origin employees worth anything, were the few that had been coerced into working for them. These people were a minority, few and far between. Julie was one, but she hadn’t even known who she was working for. It may not even have been Origin but one of the companies they had purchased to hide under.
They were all loaded and the first SUV pulled onto the road the other following closely behind. In an hour, give or take a few minutes, they would be at the hotel according to the GPS on the dash. The hotel was ten minutes from Julie’s and they would call hoping she would meet them. Afrod thought she would since she had been protective and concerned enough about Apis to risk not only her life, but her baby’s. Having done so much, what was a little more? They would tempt her additionally by ordering food for her. He knew from being around some of the mates that pregnant females couldn’t resist offers of food. They were always hungry because the babies were growing.
They reached the hotel before any of them had time to get bored and the simpering female desk clerk took good care of them. Eros was paying her some attention and he would probably see to her needs if the opportunity presented itself. Good for him, chances to spend time with females didn’t come around nearly enough for gods. They all went to their rooms and dropped their stuff before going to a conference room the hotel set up for their use.
“Call Julie and convince her to come here,” instructed Hades.
Yeah, easy for him to say. “I’ll do my best.” Afrod pulled out his phone and pushed Julie’s number.
She answered on the second ring, out of breath. “Julie,” she huffed.
“This is Afrod, Sweetheart. We made it to the hotel you recommended. Can you meet us here? We ordered some food so we can eat while we talk.”
“If I do, I can only stay an hour. I have someone coming by.”
“Who would that be?” Afrod asked curious.
&
nbsp; “Nettie,” she whispered.
Afrod wasn’t afraid, just a little intimidated after all Julie had told him. Nettie would have a tongue so sharp she would shred the male she derided. Afrod was relieved once he thought things over. Nettie would be Hades’ or Eros’ problem.
“Just have her meet you here. She probably wants to know what’s going on.” Afrod saw no problem with that. They wanted Julie in Olympus, but they wouldn’t keep her from her family. Gods who had never had a real family understood the value of one more than those who had been raised in one.
“Okay,” Julie breathed in relief. “She’ll be glad to meet you guys. Did I tell you she was a cop?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Maybe she can help.”
“We’ll see. Why don’t you come on over and then we’ll talk.”
“She’s coming?” Hades asked.
“Yes, and her sister is meeting her here.”
Hades raised his brow but said nothing so Afrod said nothing more. They set up the computers and Hades sent two gods to scout the building Julie worked at. Another god got on the computer and started trying to hack in their system. Julie had told him security was flawed. They were using the old outdated system and a teenager could hack in. Case in point, Pluto, the Roman equivalent of Hades was right now accessing their system. Cameras were only on entrances and the alarm system was old and easy to get around.
The more Afrod saw, the more he was sure they were going in tonight. They already had access to the cameras and the alarm system. There wasn’t much more information they needed to get the mission underway. They weren’t able to get a visual on Apis, but they all knew it was him. All they had to do now was order food and wait for it and Julie to arrive. They ordered pizzas, fifteen of them with various toppings and crusts. They added wings and breadsticks, a feast fit for gods.
Julie came just before the delivery man. She was gorgeous, but so tiny. Five feet tall and a hundred pounds soaking wet. Afrod knew she was twenty one, or he would have thought her closer to sixteen. A small baby bump was barely visible. She was shy and overwhelmed by all the gods in the room.
