With Brianne's help, the slightly tranquilized men were efficiently herded through the transfer room and onto shuttles that took them straight to the flight center. It was decided that someone had to stay and babysit the newcomers until their minds cleared enough for them to comprehend what was going on. Geoffrey, Robin, T.J., and Lee volunteered to take the first shift, while Brianne made arrangements for beds, food and other necessary supplies to be delivered. Everyone else was finally free to go home and catch up on their sleep.
* * *
In spite of all the things they could have discussed on the way back to their residence, Tarla and Logan made the trip in silence. She assumed exhaustion had him too tired to talk. For her, it was a matter of having too many things to say. Her assumption about his state of fatigue was proven wrong the moment they were inside their apartment.
She was about to ask if he'd like something to eat or drink when he abruptly pulled her against him and his mouth stole the words right out of hers. She didn't need to be privy to his thoughts to know that this kiss told of long nights of unsatisfied need for her.
Unlike the gentle, beautiful way he usually made love to her, what he was doing to her now was closer to the primitive assaults of their pre-joining encounters. He was completely out of control as his tongue stabbed at hers and his fingers tore at the closures on her caftan.
And she couldn't have loved it more.
She hadn't even known how desperate she had been to feel his hands on her breasts until they were there, molding her flesh and feeding the runaway fire his kisses had ignited. He was behaving like an uncivilized animal, and it was exactly what she needed to release her pent-up frustration.
Her fingers tangled in his hair to force him to hold still for a return attack on his mouth. There would be time for leisurely lovemaking later. With no further preliminaries, she yanked open his pants and pushed them over his hips while his hands were just as hurriedly lifting her caftan and underslip and disposing of her panties.
She gasped once as his body roughly pinned hers up against the wall and made her feel the raw power of his desire. But she brought him inside and used him with a savagery that belied her smaller size.
She lowered the mental block and hungrily seized everything he had to give her.
He welcomed the blending of their minds and devoured all she had to give him.
And the explosive release of their combined physical and emotional selves left them trembling in its wake.
Wordlessly, Logan carried her to the bathroom where they shared a shower that was much more arousing than cleansing. When they finally made it to the bed, they were again frantic to join their bodies in an attempt to make up for lost time. Their second frenzied coupling finally allowed them to fall asleep in each other's arms.
Tarla awoke with the realization that she hadn't raised the mental block before they fell asleep. She knew he would understand but she'd made him a promise to allow him as much privacy as possible, so she quickly rebuilt the shield between them.
Careful not to wake him, she quietly got out of bed and put on the satiny blue underslip she'd discarded so hastily a few hours before. Stepping out on the balcony for some fresh air, she took in what had become one of her favorite views—the city at night. Somehow it was both visually stimulating and emotionally calming. It exuded the sense of security she'd taken for granted in Innerworld and never felt on Outerworld.
From what they'd heard today however, this was no longer a safe haven. Unless she and her people successfully performed the tasks requested of them, the entire population of Heart could be decimated at any moment.
As terrifying as that possibility was, that wasn't what had awakened her. It was Logan's memories, the ones she had locked away months ago. They had all been freed while she slept with the block removed. But she didn't want to know all those things because of the joining. She wanted him to tell her about his life. She needed him to want to share his story with her... even if she knew all of it already.
She sensed a movement behind her a moment before Logan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her bare shoulder. Leaning back against his solid chest, she sighed with the contentment she always felt when he held her like this.
"I reached for you and you weren't there," he whispered into her ear.
She folded her arms over his. "Sorry. I couldn't sleep."
"Worried?"
"Yes." She took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on her mind for days. "Assuming we've done a good job and we will all survive whatever is about to happen here, do you want to go back to Earth?" She felt his heartbeat quicken as she waited for his answer.
"I'm not sure. It's not like I have a lot of choices. I go back and end up serving a life sentence at Leavenworth. I stay here, and I could be turned into a house pet for somebody like Nadia."
"We could appeal the conviction."
Logan snorted. "Not much chance of that. For every crime I was accused of, there were at least two witnesses who swore I was guilty, and half of them were officers. An appeal would be a waste of time."
"But you're innocent," Tarla countered.
"I know you know that," he murmured and kissed the top of her head. "But the way you know it isn't exactly admissible in court... at least not in... Outerworld."
"Well then, we could live in Innerworld or relocate to Norona. As my mate, you are welcome wherever I am."
"Good to know I have so many choices," he said with a hint of bitterness.
She turned in his arms. "Are you going to start sulking again?"
He chuckled and kissed her nose. "I don't sulk. Sorry. Sometimes I forget that I'm no longer trapped in a world specially designed to torture me."
"I'll forgive you if you tell me all about your life before we ended up here."
He gave her a curious look and turned her around in his arms again. "You know all there was."
"Humor me. For just a little while, pretend our minds aren't open books. Tell me about your life."
"Geez," Logan whispered and hugged her tightly. "You are a pushy little thing." With a bit more prodding, Logan related the bleakness of his childhood and his inability to walk away from an underdog in need of help... and his belief that no woman as incredible as her would ever want to be his wife.
She turned around and placed her hands on the sides of his face. "Close your eyes and take a deep slow breath." As he exhaled she drew his head down for a tender kiss. "There. I just put a big pink bubble around all those awful memories. You don't ever have to relive them. Now tell me about the men who beat you into confessing."
The horror of the days that led up to the trumped-up court martial came flooding back and it took him a minute to comply. "As usual, everything would have been just fine if I'd minded my own business, but I was never very good at that. Just about everyone in the company knew about the drug smuggling ring and suspected there was some spying going on too. It didn't take much for me to find out that my captain and a number of others in our unit were involved, but I needed some solid evidence before I could turn them in.
"One day I saw the captain taking a young Chinese boy into his tent and thought if I got close enough, I might hear something important. Instead, I wound up stopping him from raping the kid at knife point."
Tarla's sharp intake of breath caused him to pause before going on. "I didn't kill him. When the boy ran out, the guy turned the knife on me. We fought. He lost. But he was still very much alive when I went for help. Somebody—I never figured out who—cut his throat before I got back."
"Could it have been the boy?" Tarla asked.
He shrugged. "Maybe, or one of the man's partners who decided to take advantage of an opportunity to be rid of him. I might have been able to save myself from being brought up on a murder charge, if I hadn't opened my mouth about my suspicions to the wrong major. I was locked up so tight after that, it was a week before I found out all the charges being brought against me. Apparently, the whole network was about
to be exposed and they needed a scapegoat, fast. I had conveniently offered myself up to them and they didn't waste a second accepting."
"But I heard you pled guilty on all charges. Why didn't you defend yourself?"
He let out a dry laugh. "That's where the scene you saw comes in. I tried to deny everything. And got beaten nearly to death for it. I was informed in no uncertain terms that I could plead guilty and accept a prison sentence with a remote chance of parole someday... or die right there, branded a traitor."
Again she turned around and kissed his pain away. "I love you, Logan. Even if I'd never touched your mind, I would know you were innocent just by watching you all these months. You are a totally unique, wonderful, caring, brilliant man, and everyone here knows it."
He dipped his head to kiss her again, but she touched her fingers to his lips. "Wait. I'm not finished. I started this conversation for a reason and got a little sidetracked. I understand the odds, but I wanted you to know that, even if you decide to go back to Earth, we're a team now. Forever. As long as I'm with you, I'd be happy to help appeal your case, then have two children and a dog and live in a pretty little house with a big yard in a small town."
He kissed her quickly, before she could stop him again. "Not fair. You got that right out of one my fantasies about you. If you're going to make all the decisions, we may as well stay here on Heart." His grin assured her that he was teasing. "But the truth is, I think I'd like Innerworld. Maybe they could change my appearance and train me to become an emissary like you."
She studied his eyes. "Possible. The emissary part I mean, not the makeover. I love you just the way you are."
He grinned. "Even the scars?"
"Maybe they could go, but only because they are reminders of times you don't need to think about any more."
He was about to kiss her again but stepped back. Looking very serious, he closed his eyes for a few seconds. Then he smiled and kissed her again. "I have to admit. That was a pretty cool trick. I haven't actually forgotten any of it, but it's like there was a big chunk of heavy rock inside my chest and now it's gone. How did you do that?"
She smiled. "One of the positive side effects of joining is that we can ease the other's pain. But I only helped. Remember, you're to blame for everything."
He rolled his eyes skyward. "Anyway, it reminds me of what I wanted to talk to you about today. I know you've been as careful as possible to keep the mental block up between us."
"Please don't be upset," she said quickly, guessing what he was going to say. "I was so tired, I just forgot—"
He pressed a finger to her lips. "I know. And now I realize it's got to be hard for you to keep it up all the time. I just wanted you to know I really appreciate it and maybe one of these days—"
She stopped him with the same touch. "I'm just happy you're willing to be open while we're making love. I'd hate to have to use any of my focus for something so mundane."
He ran his hand down her back and gave her bottom a squeeze. "I do love the way you focus."
"I'm very glad to hear that, "she murmured sliding a hand down his body. "Because I'm feeling a powerful need to focus again right now."
Like any devoted Heart man, he was happy to grant her wish.
Chapter 22
Tarla looked around the busy space traffic control room with a great deal of pride. She could hardly believe how quickly the last six weeks had flown by. Earth and Heart people alike sent up grateful prayers for every day that passed without any sign of an attack force.
The group of dissidents had been peacefully exiled to the commune after time-release capsules of the antidote were surgically implanted in their brains. Even if they never touched the water, the drug would be periodically dumped into their systems for a full year. By that time, the medics hoped to have perfected a more permanent, behavior-altering solution.
Gianni and the other men staying at the flight center were completely back to normal by their third week off the antidote and had been flying practice missions on a daily basis.
A few problems had shown up when the barrier was first formed, but the last series of tests had gone perfectly.
Though no one had thought it could be done in such a short time span, Heart's new defense system had been fully functional for a week now. A few Heart women had even volunteered for control tower assignments once they were assured their jobs would be non-violent.
Aside from all the activity associated with protecting the planet, another unusual sight had captured everyone's attention. For the first time in recorded history, the second sun had appeared two weeks ago and, instead of vanishing again within a day or two, it had risen every day since. Fortunately, not one crossover had shown up during that time, but it was still odd.
* * *
"Tarla?" Charlene called from her monitor station. "Could you come take a look at this?"
Tarla hurried over to her and squinted at the spot of static in the upper left corner of the screen. She touched several keys that should have either cleared the reception or told her what the problem was, but the computer insisted all systems were in good working order. "Kara? Mandy? Are you having any problems?"
"Yeah," Mandy said. "I've got the same snow in the opposite corner."
"Mine's at the top," Kara added.
Tarla went from one station to another checking the monitors for each sector of space then sat back down at her own place. Flickering spots were somewhere at the edge of every monitor.
It took nearly a full minute of intent staring at the screen before she realized the static was expanding and very slowly moving toward the center of the screen. She needed only a microsecond after that to guess what that meant. "Lord help us. Those are ships! There must be thousands of them closing in on the planet from all sides."
She ordered herself to be calm. Everyone else would react however she did. Taking a deep breath, she stood and faced everyone in the room. "All right. No one panic. Remember, they can't get through the barrier, they can only weaken it if they repeatedly hit the same spot. It's our job to notify our pilots of the hit locations so they can repair the spot before it gets hit again.
"Zoli, contact the flight center and get the rest of the pilots up in the air immediately, then sound the general alarm. The rest of you know what your jobs are. You did great during the training exercises, and I know you'll be even better under real pressure. Good luck."
Satisfied that her voice hadn't cracked through her prep speech, she sat back down, opened the channel to the ten pilots in her sector, and reported the situation.
"They're still some distance away, and definitely not using FTL at the moment. The computer is estimating that you should have a visual of them on your screens within an hour. We've already begun transmitting our request that they identify themselves on the universal frequency, but no response yet."
"Are you okay?" Logan asked over the com, his voice filled with concern.
"I'd be better if you were here." She felt him smiling for her in spite of the deadly threat heading right for him.
"I'll be back before you have a chance to miss me."
"I love you."
"I love you too, angel."
"Hey guys," Robin's voice chirped in. "None of that mushy stuff. I'm nervous enough."
"You, my dear, are never nervous," Geoffrey said in a teasing tone. "You thrive on this kind of excitement and you know it."
A chorus of laughter filled Tarla's ears. "Robin's right everybody. No more chatter. This is the real thing."
Just as the computer had called it, the first visual sightings of vessels were reported an hour later. The giant wall screen that had shown nothing but empty space was now filled with the views from each of the hundred patrol ships. The massive fleet of approaching vessels was possibly the most terrifying thing Tarla had ever seen, but she suppressed her fear to keep the rest of the women in the control room calm.
"They still haven't identified themselves or attempted to contact us in any other way
," Tarla said over the open channel. "We have to assume we will soon be under attack. Stand by."
She felt her heart pounding as she counted off the seconds to impact.
Suddenly the wall screen displayed a series of fiery bursts as the front line of invaders crashed into the invisible barrier. The control room simultaneously reverberated with incoming reports and outgoing repair orders.
Like everyone else, Tarla correlated locations of hits with pilot positions as quickly as she could. "Logan, 42.2 lat, 26 and 26.5 long. Robin, 44.1 lat, 25.2 and 25.3 long." For nearly fifteen minutes, the explosions occurred at a faster rate than the barrier could be refortified. Then as abruptly as they had begun, they ceased.
When the smoke cleared, there was only a fraction of the original number of enemy ships left intact, but it was still a lot more than Heart had protecting it.
"They're going to try firing now," Logan declared. "Get ready for round two."
Tarla held her breath and punched in the code that would reverse the polarity of the magnetic field in the barrier. This was the only part Geoffrey had been truly concerned about. Without knowledge of the enemies' weapons, they couldn't be entirely certain that the polarity reversal would do the trick.
The room was completely silent as the women watched every vessel on the screen fire what looked like torpedoes directly at them. Exactly as Geoffrey had intended, the torpedoes ricocheted off the field and went soaring back to their sources with lethal accuracy.
This time, when the smoke cleared, there wasn't a single, whole ship left in sight.
* * *
"Withdraw!" Commander Xytoc shouted as soon as he heard the dying screams come to an end. How could a planet of weak, human females destroy nearly every ship in his fleet in a matter of minutes? They weren't supposed to have any defense system! He would see someone squashed for feeding him such misinformation!
There must have been something wrong with the ships themselves, he concluded a moment later. After all, this was supposed to be a surprise attack, but the FTL power had died well before they'd reached their destination, giving the enemy far too much warning of their approach. The scientists would be the first to pay for their error.
LOGAN (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 5) Page 29
