Taking advantage of what was available on the farm, each member of Logan's team had at least two weapons. Knives, cleavers, pitchforks, hammers and a variety of other implements had been scavenged by sundown.
As any good leader would, Logan warned them of the risks involved. For all he knew, they could be about to face an army of alien beings whose minds were all the weapons they needed. They could be charging into a situation more dangerous than anything they'd faced in the Orient. Their escape attempt could result in retaliation that would make their future even bleaker than it already was.
He gave each person the option to back out. No one did.
Since they had no way of knowing if activities outside the tack room were observed, it was decided that everyone else should retire to their tents as they had the night before. If anyone was watching, everything should appear to be normal.
Tension mounted throughout the evening as the time for action approached. Tarla knew part of the reason was coming from anticipation but she hoped it also meant that whatever had been relaxing everyone was losing strength. She asked one person after another if they could tell any difference since they had stopped eating and drinking but no one could be positive. Finally she sought out the one individual who seemed to have been the most drastically altered. Standing outside the circle of men and women around Logan, she waited for him to notice her then asked, "Could I speak to you for a moment?"
He excused himself from his team and walked away with her.
When she was certain no one could overhear, she stopped and looked up at him. "I want to wish you good luck."
He accepted her wish with a stiff nod. "You could have said that in front of everyone else."
She flinched at the harsh edge in his voice. "You're back to normal, I see."
With a negligent shrug, he said, "More or less. At least I'm in control of what I'm doing. Adrenaline alone has been known to counteract some pretty strong drugs, but it's been ten hours of no food or water and everyone seems to be getting back to being tense. So I'm fairly sure that's the delivery system."
"That's what I was thinking also." There was more she had wanted to say, but it no longer seemed necessary. They were back to being hostile acquaintances. "Good luck, then," she said and held out her hand.
He hesitated a second before taking it and, when he did, he held it considerably longer than necessary. She tried not to think about how the simple contact caused her heart to pick up its pace or how warm and strong his hand felt enveloping her own, or what she saw in his eyes. He had claimed he was in better control. Now she understood what he had not said. He still wanted her.
What she didn't understand at all was how hard she had to fight the urge to drag him to her tent and finish what they'd started in the tack room.
* * *
Immediately after Iris of Mergany had received the report of the unusual amount of activity in and out of the tack room that afternoon, she assigned a second technician to the monitors. It could be nothing but she didn't want to take any chances. They were both instructed to keep her posted and take no decisive actions regardless of how routine or peculiar it seemed to be.
Now it appeared that her precautions were warranted. The visual showed the first man who had been brought over the day before. He was again claiming to have a terrible headache. Had she not ordered the techs otherwise, they would have automatically opened the door to bring him over.
"Do a slow scan of the entire room," Iris said. The one candle lantern he had carried in with him didn't provide much light, but it was sufficient to confirm he was alone. "Fine. Transmit the anesthesia."
The first tech flipped the proper switch and almost instantly a red warning light appeared on the panel. She directed the computer to run a check on the system.
Iris watched the man on the screen slump over as he should have and thought the light was a false alarm. A few seconds later the system check was complete and a message flashed across the screen announcing a blockage in the pipe. But if it was blocked, the man should still be conscious.
"Bring up a life signs report."
The tech pressed a series of keys and the visual of the man blacked out. Instantly a white rectangle was drawn on the screen, in which the letters A through L were printed along the inside edges.
SPECIFY LIFE FORM OR PRESS ENTER FOR ALL
Iris stared at the words on the monitor and counted the letters. There were eleven other people inside that room! Neither she nor the techs had seen them. How very ingenious of these Earth men. She could hardly wait to share this information with Parisia.
"It appears that our new crossovers had thought to surprise us, ladies," Iris declared. "But due to your diligence, we have a surprise for them. Do nothing. Eventually they'll tire of their cramped quarters and give up. We will have to be even more observant for the next twenty-four hours in case they have any more ideas for escaping the commune. After that though, we should be able to return to our normal routines. Just continue to keep me advised, as you have, and pass the instructions on to your relief in the morning."
* * *
By midnight, Nadia's frustration level had reached an all-time high. Knowing Fulton was merely a weak imitation of a man prevented her from seeking any relief with him. What she wanted was the real thing and there were over a hundred of them practically at her fingertips. Practically.
Therein lay the problem. Two different men had been taken to the sanatorium and neither time could she gain access to them. With each hour that slid by, her chances of experiencing the ultimate pleasure decreased a little more.
Nor had she come up with a single plausible reason why she should be allowed to make personal contact with any of the new crossovers.
There was only one thing she could do, but the risk of discovery was extremely high. If she were caught, her career, possibly her life, could be ended.
On the other hand, if she didn't try it, there might never again be such an opportunity. She could die of old age and always regret having passed up her one chance to reach nirvana.
From what Simone had told her that evening, they had doubled the observation staff but they were concentrating primarily on the tack room. There was a good possibility that she could quickly pass through the barrier at a point far from the barn and the momentary disruption in the force field would go undetected. She rationalized that the chances of being recognized after that would be greatly hindered by a concealing shroud and the minimal moonshine that night.
After all, who in their right mind would purposely enter the commune? Perhaps if she were in a different frame of mind, she wouldn't either. But frustration, curiosity and anticipation had control of every bit of reason she possessed.
Exchanging her nightgown for a black, hooded, floor-length caftan, she became a figure that could slip into the night and walk through walls.
* * *
Higgs was so frustrated, he wanted to scream. He burned up a little nervous energy by kicking at the loose stones on the ground.
It just wasn't fair! He was a military police officer. He should have been chosen to serve on McKay's advance team, like Gianni. Instead, he'd been assigned to patrol the area outside the barn and around the tents to make sure everyone stayed put. He figured this was McKay's way of getting back at him for being his guard, but dammit, that wasn't his fault. He'd tried to explain his position but no-o-o, McKay had to be the kind to hold a grudge.
On top of that, Higgs was hungry and thirsty. He knew the orders to fast were justified since he was back to feeling as jumpy as always. It was just so hard to ignore an empty stomach and dry throat. Hopefully it would all be over any minute and—
He thought he saw something in the distance. The stars and crescent moon were partially clouded over, yet it was bright enough for him to detect a shape moving across the open field. His duty may not have been on the front line but he did have a job to do nonetheless. Picking up his pace, he headed for whoever it was who dared to disobey the major's order.
"Halt," he shouted when he was about fifty feet from the shrouded figure. "Who goes there?" Rather than stop or identify himself, the person kept walking toward him.
Higgs's empty stomach did a somersault and he took a step backward. It only just occurred to him that this might not be one of his kind, but one of them, and he didn't even have a weapon to defend himself. "Who... who are you?" he asked, nearly strangling on the words.
The figure stopped a few feet away and pushed back the hood, allowing Higgs to see what appeared to be a woman. She was at least six inches taller than he, with a plain face except for a rather large nose. With a slight shake of her head, black hair cascaded loose and settled down past her waist. He was momentarily distracted by all that beautiful hair, but he quickly regained his fear. "You're not one of us," he stated unnecessarily.
"No, I am not," Nadia replied in a velvety voice. "I am from beyond the barrier. You may call me Parisia. I have come to copulate with you."
Chapter 9
Higgs almost swallowed his tongue. "Co-co-copulate? W-w-with me?"
"Are you not an adult male from Earth?"
"Yeah, sure, but—"
"Then we will copulate." She unfastened the caftan and let it drop to the ground at her feet.
Higgs gaped at the voluptuous body being offered to him but he was too frightened to respond in a normal manner. "Uh, Parisia? Couldn't we, uh, get to know each other a little first?"
She took a loud, exasperated breath that caused her large breasts to jiggle. He couldn't help but notice, but it struck him that maybe she was tricking him in some way. Like, maybe she could read his mind and make her body appear to be the kind that would normally drive him up a wall with lust, when really she looked like a lizard or something equally gross.
The woman slipped her fingers into the dark patch of hair between her legs and his lower body gave a hint of response regardless of what she truly was.
"What is it you wish to know before you proceed?" she asked, while readying herself for the act.
Higgs racked his brain for a coherent question. "Uh, you said your name's Parisia. Mine's Higgs. Ray Higgs. Where are we? How'd we get here? Why are we confined to this farm? How many of you are there beyond the wall? Are you human or—"
"Enough! I have no patience for this 'getting to know each other.' I will answer one question only, then we will copulate... or you will be punished."
Higgs gulped as he imagined all sorts of horrible punishments that she might subject him to. If he was going to have sex forced on him by an alien, only one question was really important. "Uh, are you, uh, human, like me?"
"Yes," she hissed impatiently. "I am as human as you, perhaps more so. Now remove your clothes before you anger me further!"
Higgs's hands shook as he shed his clothing as quickly as possible. He always knew this was going to happen to him someday. How many hundreds of stories had he read about alien abductions and their abusive treatment of the humans they chose to study? Almost every report referred to experimentation involving the sex organs. Good God. He was about to become a sex slave to an alien, possibly even father a baby mutant for her.
As the cool night air shriveled his manhood even more than her threats had already, he wondered what sort of punishment she would deliver if he tried, but couldn't.
The woman scowled at the useless appendage drooping between his thighs. "You are not engorged. Are you not stricken with madness at the sight of me?" She lifted her heavy breasts. "Do these parts not interest you enough to make your manpiece grow?"
Higgs watched her toy with her own nipples, pinching and twisting them between her fingers and felt another twitch of interest. "You have a beautiful body, Parisia, really. It's just that you, uh, caught me by surprise, and I, uh, never had to do this under orders before."
"Oh?" she asked with a curious expression. "How would you usually become ready?"
He couldn't believe this was happening. Not only was she planning to take advantage of him, she needed lessons in how to do it!
For the umpteenth time in his young life, he thanked God for his mother's best friend, Celia, who, upon accidentally glimpsing his excessive endowment, had taken it upon herself to tutor him in subjects never covered in the classroom. Thinking of "Aunt" Celia helped calm his fears enough to say, "Well, uh, gentle persuasion goes a lot further than orders in this kind of situation."
"Explain how this gentle persuasion works."
"Well, uh, first there's usually some kissing, then some touching, and, uh, it helps if you use your mouth too."
She reached down and squeezed his genitals.
"Ouch! Easy does it." He took her hand and demonstrated what he meant. "Gently." His shaft extended an inch. "You see? That works better."
"Yes. I understand the touching. Show me these other actions you require."
He pulled her head down to his and closed his eyes. If he could just block out what she was for a few minutes, his body would take over after that. She was momentarily shocked when he pushed his tongue into her mouth but she caught on quickly enough. And she moaned with pleasure when he moved his mouth to her breast and used his tongue and teeth on her there. He could do this after all. She tasted and felt like a human woman to him and that was the only thing that mattered at the moment.
When his fingers slipped into her thatch of tight curls, he was the one shocked by how damp she already was. He inserted one, two, three then all four fingers as far as he could and her only response was a frustrated cry. At least he was assured that she could take all he had to give, which he had often been told was more than the average man could boast of.
Handling him the way he'd shown her, she brought him to a respectable size but he knew he could do even better. "Now your mouth," he told her, and explained exactly what he needed her to do. He anticipated her surprise but her hesitation was brief. A minute later he gave her points for being the fastest learner in the universe.
And a few minutes after that, he was able to deliver what she had come to him for. As she squealed and bucked beneath him, he forgot what she was and enjoyed the free ride. But once they were both satisfied, he felt cocky enough to demand answers to the questions he'd asked before.
"I do not wish to converse," she declared in her authoritarian manner. "We will copulate again."
"That's easy for you to say," Higgs replied. "You sure don't know much about this. If you're human, how come you don't know about men's bodies?"
She made a growling sound of irritation. "Our men are not capable of performing this function." She examined the softening flesh of his genitals. "What is required for you to become engorged again?"
He was fairly sure he could manage it again, but he was now clearheaded enough to bargain for his service. "It takes a little time and a lot of the kind of attention you gave me before. But in exchange, I want some answers."
Her eyes opened wide. She was clearly not accustomed to making deals. "Do not forget that I can punish you for your insolence at any time. However, you pleased me well enough. I will answer another question after we copulate again."
Higgs had only needed a reminder of punishment to weaken his flash of confidence. "Okay. But understand, it won't be so fast this time and there's no way I'll be able to go a third time, no matter how much you threaten me."
"Understood. Proceed."
She needed no further instructions this time and even improvised a bit, much to Higgs's surprise. Her enthusiastic efforts had him ready for another bout much sooner than he'd thought possible but, when it was over, he insisted there was no way he could do it again that night.
She was openly annoyed to have her fun come to an end so quickly despite the fact that he had warned her in advance. "How long before you are able to function again?"
"A day," Higgs answered without thinking.
"Then I will return at this time tomorrow. You will be here when I arrive and you will teach me more about this."
"More?"
"D
on't think to hide anything from me. I will know if you do. I wish to study every position of copulation and method of inducing pleasure."
It hadn't occurred to Higgs that she would demand a rematch. Then he recalled that some abductees swore that their alien captors came for them more than once. If he was to be studied, however, he wanted to get something in return. "What about my questions?"
As she rose and picked up her caftan, she said, "One more question tonight. You may ask another tomorrow if I am satisfied with your performance."
Higgs figured one question was better than none. He knew her name was Parisia, she claimed to be human and there were men among her people but they were impotent. "Okay, one question. Uh, where are we?"
Fastening her gown, she answered, "This is Heart, a mirror planet to your Earth."
"A parallel universe?" Higgs exclaimed. "But how did we get here? Did the storm create a gateway of some sort and our plane—"
"Cease. I have answered your one question. If you wish more information, you will be here tomorrow night... prepared to please me in some new fashion."
He watched her remove what looked like a cigar from her pocket and point it at him. Before he could avoid it, she sprayed a mist in his face.
Instantly his eyes blurred and he tried to wipe them, only to discover that his hands didn't respond. In fact, his entire body was paralyzed where he stood.
She had one final order for him before she departed. "Until I tell you otherwise, do not drink any of the water or eat any food cooked in it."
* * *
Nadia ran as fast as she could toward the barrier. At the medium setting she had used, the paralyzer spray only immobilized a large creature for a few minutes. She had kept the canister of deterrent after her last safari into the wilderness, though at the time, she hadn't any idea that she would be using it on a very different sort of beast. Hopefully, it wouldn't harm the man in any permanent way.
Her lungs burned from the unusual exertion but she didn't dare slow down until she reached the barrier. Barely pausing to extract a thin, rectangular box from her pocket, she created a narrow opening, hurried through and closed it again. That box was another object she had kept without reason, except as a souvenir of her stint with Protective Services. The tool's main function was to detect, repair and reinforce any weakness in the barrier, but it could also work in reverse to cause a flaw just as well.
LOGAN (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 5) Page 11
