Highlander's Desire: Winter Solestice (Against All Odds Series 2)

by Veronica Wilson

  It was then that the general made her an offer: she would accompany a small military unit to the dig and inspect it personally, and he would raise her privileges significantly. Better accommodations, privacy, quality food—the list went on. Accepting the offer was a no-brainer.

  And so are most of my travelling companions, sadly.

  “Corporal,” Deborah disturbed the awkward silence again. “You wouldn’t keep anything from me, right?”

  “Of course I would.” He grinned as he turned to face her. The corporal was an exception among his men, well-spoken and easy to talk to. Under different circumstances, she might have found his company pleasant. “Need-to-know basis, ma’am. Fill in the blanks yourself.” He stopped grinning. “You’re a big PhD. I’m sure you can manage.”

  I can’t tell if he’s trying to be witty or mocking my size.

  “That’s just not fair!” If the atmosphere in the A.P.C. had made her feel uneasy before, now she outright felt naked. “I’m the least combat-capable member of the group! I should be told—“

  “You’re the least capable member of the group, period,” the female soldier interrupted. “You are also breaking our concentration. The others will not tell you this but I will. You are loud. Shut it so we can focus.” She stared into Deborah’s clear blue eyes as if the two were enemies. “You might need us to be alert later on.”

  “I highly doubt it.” Deborah couldn’t resist the urge to retort in some manner. Still, the military woman had a point. Let her have this small victory. “But I understand. Please enjoy the trip. Don’t let me bother you.”

  “Thanks, ma’am,” the corporal replied in place of his colleague, the smile back on his face. “Everyone here will appreciate it.”

  Now without a way to pass time, Deborah turned to her own window. Everything about the sunlit scenery was just boring.

  Let’s just hope that the ruins they’ve found will provide more amusement. Even if they are probably fake.

  The dig site

  Is this it? I expected something more impressive.

  The glorified hole in the ground the soldiers showed her did not meet any of Deborah’s expectations. Findings like the one in the general’s pictures never came in packages as small as the one before her. There was no external structure, no debris. Nothing that would indicate that this place was of any archeological value was present.

  She spoke her mind immediately. “This is just unimpressive. Still, a deal’s a deal, so let’s get this over with.”

  The soldiers didn’t say anything, instead merely escorting her to the entrance. The hole was big, easily over thirty feet in diameter, surrounded by a metal fence on all sides except for right in front of them, where there was a reinforced steel ladder stretching deeper down than Deborah’s eyes could see.

  She was quick to voice her protest. “No way that I’m going down there. You’ve bothered to dig this deep and didn’t even have the common decency to make a simple lift? Screw this, I’m out!” She tried to step away from the excavation site, but the bodies of several soldiers blocked her way.

  “Did you not hear me? I quit! Now be so kind as to drive me back, please.”

  They didn’t budge.

  “I can’t help but wonder,” the female soldier was the first to respond, “whether you refuse to go down because the ladder wouldn’t handle your fat ass or because you don’t think you’d fit through the hole.” She let the insult sink in for a little while, obviously taking some pleasure from the red that spread across Deborah’s plump cheeks. “Now, turn around and start descending. We will be behind and in front of you. Hell, Jenkins here will go in first, just to keep you company.” The black soldier stepped forward, passing Deborah by as he approached the ladder. “Just get on with it already. We did not drive you all the way out here so you could turn back.”

  So that’s the way it’s going to be…

  For a moment she considered making a scene. Maybe there were a few within their group who would object to forcing a civilian into a course of action she did not want to take. Probably not, though. This had to be done. There was no way around descending into that hole.

  “You don’t have the right,” she finally said, turning around. “I will do as you say, but you still don’t have the right.” She approached the opening, grabbing the metal ladder with both of her hands. This is the last way I imagined myself going out. Her body growing number by the moment, she turned around again and placed her feet on the topmost rung. She hesitated before recalling the only two ways this could go down. Even if the soldiers agreed to drive her home without inspecting the hole, what would happen to her? The life she’d had up until now could barely be called a life, especially to a woman with her appetites. I have a chance to make everything right for myself. All I need to do is this.

  She moved her foot. It separated from the metal bar and descended on to another, lower one. The other foot followed, and the arms did the rest. It was not easy. She was shivering, and it took all the willpower she had not to look down. Step by step, little by little, Deborah Hall descended into the dig, the world around her an unpleasant haze. Her awareness of the soldiers faded, and she couldn’t perceive a hint of Jenkins below her or whoever it was that came in after her. They might as well have remained back up.

  It seemed like hours went by. Then, her foot hit something different, something rough. Stirred from her dreamlike state, Deborah lost her grip on the metal and plummeted downward, hitting the ground within half a second.

  I didn’t even notice how close to the bottom I was.

  She didn’t have time to think because within a moment another soldier descended right next to her. It was the woman, and she extended her hand as soon as she stepped aside. Reluctantly, Deborah grabbed it, rising to her feet even more ponderously than usual. The female soldier seemed pleased with herself, an expression one might expect from a dog trainer.

  “You should have been a drill sergeant,” Deborah spouted while the other men dismounted from the ladder. “I’m afraid that might have made you happier than this.”

  “And you should put a sock in it from time to time,” the female soldier replied, letting her hand go and stepping away.

  “As should you, Private Williams,” the corporal was quick to add as he arrived. “We’ll talk later, all of you. Now, go and scout the perimeter as we’ve planned. We know it’s secure but do another sweep to be certain. Go!”

  In response, the team spread out just the way he ordered, leaving him and Deborah alone in the dimly lit place.

  “They’re good at what they do,” he said after a few seconds. “But no one’s perfect. I hope you can understand that, ma’am.”

  “I suppose I can. Still doesn’t excuse forcing me into this.”

  “So, you think that you exercising your right to forfeit would be proper toward us, ma’am? After we drove your… person all the way out here?”

  “No, I don’t suppose it would be.” She stared at the rocky floor, feeling somewhat ashamed of her cowardice. “So, when can I examine the place? How many relevant spots are there? Can we do it all in one day?”

  “There are more points of interest than you or I would like.” The corporal pulled out a folded piece of paper from one of his many pouches and handed it to her. When unfolded, it seemed like a cruel joke. The map was huge, and the amount of red dots on it threatened to discourage even her professional curiosity.

  “Oh. My. God. You do realize how long this is going to take, right?”

  “I don’t know what to say other than ‘better get cracking, then’. This riddle isn’t going to solve itself, ma’am.”

  “I know, but this can take – “

  “All is clear on my end, sir,” Private Williams interrupted as she leapt from the darkness behind them. “The big expert can begin from there if she wants.”

  “The expert will do just that, but not because you suggested it,” Deborah replied. It’s going to be a long month, at the very least.

&nbs
p; “Whatever.” Williams was just about to turn and lead them to the location when the corporal signaled for her to remain where she was.

  “You will wait for everyone to gather here. I will escort the expert myself. After you’ve all confirmed that there is no problem, you will come and meet with us. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The corporal tilted his head toward the darkness, and Deborah followed. He pulled out a neon torch, turning it on and shedding significant light on their situation. Surrounding them was a rather deep cave. It was old. That much was apparent even to an untrained eye. That fact came as a muffled shock: if the ruins she had been shown were actually real archeological discoveries rather than fakes and located here, then mankind would have to reevaluate what they knew about the history of America.

  “Alright, I take anything bad I might have said back. This is effin’ incredible!” she exclaimed, visibly elated.

  “Wait ‘til you what lies in store,” the corporal answered. “There is a reason we’re taking this much effort to explore this place, after all.”

  Of course there is. She stared at his back as he walked away, his comment having reminded her of how little the soldiers trusted or respected her. And vice versa.

  “Of course there is,” she commented. “You just won’t tell me.”

  The corporal did not answer.

  Deeper

  “I refuse to believe my eyes.” Deborah stared at the humongous structure. It was a pyramid, formed in a style that combined the aesthetics and functions of cultures that officially never had any contact with each other. Seeing something like that on a picture was one thing, but witnessing the glory in person was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

  How long was I descending anyway? I can’t recall. She pondered for a while, the structure’s size having reminded her just how deep underground they were.

  Her knowledge of the world challenged, Deborah had to close her eyes. Thoughts raced through her head, colliding with each other in an attempt to form a coherent answer to the puzzle. Predictably, nothing came to her.

  “So, Doc, what are we looking at?” The corporal asked, the tone of his voice betraying just how obvious Deborah’s surprise was.

  “I… I have no earthly idea. This place…” She approached a wall slowly, running her hands across the smooth surface. “This place, this thing, it defies everything we know about world history.” She turned toward him, intent clear in her eyes. “We’re going to be here for a good while, corporal.”

  “We came prepared for that, ma’am.”

  “Good… great, actually. I might need some help, you know? If I have to take notes and compare them myself, this investigation might not even get resolved in our lifetimes.”

  “We’ll see what we can do, ma’am. Our courier will be due in very little time. We will be able to notify HQ about what we need then. In the meantime, we will—“ He stopped talking and grabbed at his holster with his right hand. His eyes twitched as they tried to penetrate the darkness many times over. In less than a second they fixed onto something, but by then it was too late.

  Something hit him in the forehead, affixing itself to his skin as if it was laced with a powerful adhesive. A moment later, the metal thing glowed an intense white, forcing Deborah to avert her eyes. By the time the brilliant display was over the corporal had fallen down to his knees and the device disconnected from his forehead on its own. He hit the ground face-first, raising a significant amount of dust.

  “Help!” Deborah screamed out, her voice echoing through the subterranean ruins. Come on, that must have alerted someone! Someone approached her, step by step, from the very direction the device had appeared. Please tell me I’m not alone here. The figure was now visible, the neon light that the corporal had held illuminating some of his features from the floor. I don’t want to die!

  “No need to be alarmed, pretty lady,” the stranger said, his voice possessed of an unusual synthetic quality, an obvious effect of the mask he wore. He was very tall and distinctly well muscled, a quality that was further accentuated by the tight black bodysuit he wore. The garment left nothing to the imagination, revealing every muscle as if the stranger’s body had been covered with black paint and subsequently oiled up. The covering over his face was plain, disregarding the voice box over his mouth and something that resembled a pair of shades over the eyes. “I assure you that I come in peace, although your companions made my claim less than convincing.”

  What? Is he one of the invaders? A robot? It doesn’t match any description I’ve read.

  Deborah had no idea what to say in this situation, so she did what she always did—she said the first thing that came to her mind. “What… what the hell is going on here?”

  “I have taken out your soldiers,” the bodysuit-wearing hunk replied as he grabbed his mask with his right hand. In a single motion he removed it, revealing a handsome human face beneath. He possessed strong features with a powerful jaw and prominent cheekbones. His hair was bright brown and slightly messy due to the compression of the headgear.

  Not half bad, Deborah concluded. She was just about to comment on the intruder’s appearance when he opened his eyes, propelling her into a state of disbelief and awe. An intense blue light overcame the white one that was still being given off by the torch. It originated from his eyes: they were devoid of whites, and glowed an intense shade of blue.

  “You… you’re not human, are you?” she asked immediately, the shock doing little to slow her verbal reaction.

  “Not in the least,” he responded in a deep voice, a slight chuckle creeping into his voice. “And you are a hell of a lot of woman. Just the way I like.”

  This was the tipping point. The stranger’s inhuman eyes touched some forgotten part of Deborah’s being, and the feeling was terrifying. Shock getting the better of her, Deborah turned around screaming. There was no precise thought or plan within her, only an overpowering instinct to survive. Her surroundings blurred and she didn’t know whether the alien gave chase, but she still ran.

  It didn’t last very long. Her plump frame jiggled with every move she made, dragging her closer and closer to the ground. She kept propelling herself forward relentlessly with all the force her body could muster, but the pain that spread through her chest insisted that she stop.

  “Goddamn it!” she yelled, or at least tried to. What came out of her mouth sounded more like the death throes of a choking animal than any sound a human would produce.

  “I don’t see why this is necessary,” the alien commented, creeping from the dark behind her. The cave gleamed blue again, and her knees started wobbling beneath her. “There is absolutely no way for you to escape from me.” His breathing was steady and well paced, as if he had not exerted himself at all—a sharp contrast to Deborah’s own condition.

  “What are you—“ She couldn’t finish her sentence, the contractions in her abdomen forcing her to inhale instead. She extended her hand as if to keep the invader at bay while she regained her ability to reason. Unmoved by her silent plea he drew closer and closer, ending his advance only a foot away from her.

  “The finest human athletes could not outmaneuver me, pretty woman.” The way his voice made her feel clashed with the overall sensation of hopelessness that had driven Deborah to flee. Everything she knew kept screaming for her to get as far away from this… thing as she could. Still, there was something… everything about him, now that she thought about it, that grabbed her attention and refused to let go. He finished, “What chance do you think you might have?”

  So this is how a moth feels toward the flame?

  “I don’t suppose you’d let me go if I asked you nicely?” Deborah finally managed to ask, her voice still shaky and infirm. “If I, say, throw my feminine charms at you, would that please you enough to let me go?”

  “If you did something like that, my dear, I’m afraid that I would never release my grasp.” The alien seemed amused, but somehow a bit hurried.

  O
h, well. She hadn’t expected it to work, but something had to be attempted.

  “Now then, let me help you up so we can get you to the ship.” He extended his hand gently, but the air about him communicated that he was just as capable of dragging her by force if she resisted.

  “To the ship!? No way, no how, not ever!” As quickly as she was able, Deborah straightened herself up again, taking special care not to touch the alien’s hand in any way.

  “I’m afraid you don’t have any real choice in the matter.” Even without whites, it was strangely apparent how his eyes simply ate her up. “In a couple of your minutes we will be back in my ship, and it is up to you whether you will be there by will or force.”

  “Is that how you usually woo girls?” She tried to smile but her lips simply wouldn’t move in that manner. “Is that standard procedure where you’re from?”

  “I’m afraid not,” the alien replied, the expression of amusement disappearing from his face without a moment’s notice. Slowly, he lowered his hand before he spoke again. “We don’t woo girls on my home planet anymore.”

  “And why is that so?” Deborah inquired, now genuinely interested.

  “Because we don’t have girls back there anymore.”

  An unpleasant silence crept up between them. The invader said nothing for a good while, merely staring through her with those bizarre eyes of his.

  How do I reply to that?

  “As I was saying, you will end up in my ship one way or another. He extended his arm yet again, this time in a much less courteous manner. “What is it going to be, pretty lady?”