by Cathy Pegau
But there was something else in the air. She inhaled again, slower, deeper. The inside of her nose itched, and she quickly stifled a sneeze. The sudden action made her head swim, and another steadying breath turned the itch to a slight burn that she felt in her throat.
Keracite dust could be irritating or worse, hence the need for air filters, but it never burned. Whatever the crew was stirring up, it wasn’t ore.
Hearing focused on the other end of the tunnel, Natalia stood to examine the top of the barrel. Standard coded lock mechanism. The manifest screen was blank. No surprise there. No other marks.
She ran her finger over the lid and held it toward the light. A faint darkening of her skin, but that could be keracite or rock dust. She gave it a tentative sniff. No odor she could discern.
The crunch-pop of grit and rock being rolled under wheels and boots came from the tunnel. Heart beating hard in her ears, Natalia dropped down and pressed her back against the rock. Damn the void. She held her pulser in one hand, the other against the cool wall for balance and leverage. If she had to move quickly, she should be able to surprise one or two people and take them out. Preferably that would entail unconsciousness, not killing them.
A glance at the corner, where Gennie waited, showed nothing but the rock wall. Relief flowed through Natalia. She should have known that Gennie was smart enough not to risk detection.
From around the curve of the barrel, Natalia watched the crewman emerge from the tunnel and had to hold her breath or risk him hearing her gasp of surprise. He wore a protective body suit with a clear hood, complete with an air tank on his back, hoses and thick black gloves. He guided a wheeled, waist-high canister to one of the unlocked containers. He opened the lid, extended an accordion hose from the canister and inserted the nozzle into the barrel. With the flip of a switch, the canister hummed and, presumably, pumped its contents into the barrel. The man did this with an expression of complete boredom while Natalia watched in growing horror.
No miners, let alone pirqs, wore such protection. Even the external personal air filters some deep-tunnel miners used didn’t require them to cover their entire bodies. Whatever they were collecting in this shaft was too dangerous to be exposed to.
And Natalia was sitting next to at least three kiloliters of it.
Panic fluttered through her chest and her instincts told her to get out. Now.
A cooler, more levelheaded thought intervened: Another few minutes wouldn’t matter, even if whatever was in the barrels was fatal.
The agent in her agreed. She’d been exposed and would deal with it later. The survival-minded human side of her told her to hurry and get the hell out nonetheless. Natalia ignored that primal instinct, not for the first time. Hopefully she hadn’t inhaled a dangerous amount of the substance, whatever it was. She couldn’t think of anything found in keracite mines that would merit such precaution. Once she was back in Pandalus, she’d have to do some more research.
Natalia drew the collar of her blouse up to cover her nose and mouth. It was more psychological than any real protection, but it made her feel better.
The man finished transferring his load and turned off the pump. The hose and lid were returned to their place. Did he secure the canister? Natalia couldn’t tell from where she hid. He headed back up the tunnel, wheels and boots crunching.
She waited until the noise level returned to normal then stood. Exposed to anyone who came into the area, she approached the container. The lid wasn’t secured, which probably meant it wasn’t filled yet. Natalia holstered her pulser. Still holding her shirt to her face, she eased the lid up.
Inside, a third of the barrel was filled with a brownish-red powdery substance. Not all powder—there were larger chunks as well. But what was it? There was no way she was going to touch it with her bare hand, not after seeing how the crewman was decked out. How to get a sample?
Natalia lowered the lid carefully. She held her breath and found a sharp rock to tear a rough swatch out of her shirt. Lifting the lid again, she swiped the cloth along the inside surface of the barrel. When the center of the pale blue material was stained brown, she closed the lid and folded the swatch so none of the substance was exposed. It didn’t appear to be eating through the material, which was encouraging. Natalia stuffed the wad into her pocket and turned. Gennie peered around the corner. Natalia raise her hand and waved.
The crunch of tires and boots echoed down the tunnel where the man had gone. Someone was coming back.
Gennie disappeared behind the corner. No time to make it across the open area to join her. Natalia ducked behind the line of barrels and drew her feet out of the line of sight. Heart pounding, breath regulated to slow and silent, she waited for the crewman to shout the alarm. The lid clanked open, and the soft pumping sounds from the canister indicated he hadn’t seen her.
Natalia’s nose itched. Damn, damn, damn. She pinched her nostrils together, but it was coming. Holding her breath, Natalia’s ears popped as she controlled the sneeze. The unavoidable sound was a cross between a squeal and a snort. Had the man heard? She blinked back the tears that came with suppressing the force of air.
The canister continued its steady pumping. No one came around the barrel, seeking the source of the odd sound. Perhaps the pump and the hood of the protective suit covered the noise.
The pump stopped. The zip of the hose retracting into the canister. The clank of the lid closing. Wheels and boots lumbering back into the shaft.
Slowly, Natalia leaned forward. The area was clear. She bolted to where Gennie hid behind the rock wall.
Gennie’s dark eyes were wide, her face pale in the diffused light. She ran her gaze over Natalia, as if she expected to find a wound.
Natalia grinned, adrenaline pulsing through her. “Got it,” she whispered. “Let’s get the hell outta here.”
* * *
The swatch of cloth lay in Natalia’s leather-gloved hand, the brown stain like dried blood.
“So, what is it?” Gennie sat next to her on the couch. The anti-anxiety meds were wearing off, making her jittery. She needed tea.
“No idea,” Natalia said, “but the way those guys were dressed, it’s not good.” She rubbed her nose with the back of her other hand.
Gennie studied her face. “Your eyes are red.”
“I’m fine.” She folded the cloth. “We won’t know what this is until I can get it to a lab to be analyzed. Now that we have it, and the rest of the corroborating files, we can see if the Reyeses are up to something.” Natalia held Gennie’s gaze, her blue eyes soft with resignation. “If they are, the CMA investigation will keep them busy and you can get off Nevarro, so that’s something.”
Gennie was grateful for everything Natalia had done for her and her kids. Even without knowing the full story, she had trusted Gennie. To a degree, anyway. And that was something.
“Go take a shower and get that stuff, whatever it is, off you. Clothes in the washer too.” Gennie stood and walked to the kitchen area. “I’ll find something to put it in.”
Natalia came up behind her as Gennie searched the cupboard for a container. She set the folded cloth on the counter, her other hand at the small of Gennie’s back. A shimmer of electricity traveled up Gennie’s spine. She couldn’t blame the meds for how her hands were trembling.
“I’m proud of you, you know,” Natalia said quietly. “How you came into the tunnel with me, even though you were scared. I knew you had my back, and I appreciate that.”
Natalia went to the bedroom to gather her toiletries. What the hell was Gennie supposed to do now? She resumed her search, only half remembering what she was looking for.
The plastic cover around gauze pads in the medkit was the closest thing she could find that would safely contain the brown substance. She carefully tore it open, dumped the gauze and wrapped the plastic around the cloth. Secure
d with medical tape, the packet should stay intact until Natalia could get it to a lab. It wasn’t as hermetically sealed as the barrels, but it should do.
By the time Natalia headed for the shower, Gennie knew exactly what she would do next. She washed up in the small kitchen basin and brushed her teeth. Natalia mentioned the aroma and tingling feeling in her nose, but Gennie had felt none of it. Hopefully her exposure had been minimal, but she made sure all of her clothes were going into the cleaner as soon as possible.
Donning her pajama pants and a tank, Gennie busied herself brewing tea she was sure she wouldn’t get to finish once Natalia returned.
* * *
Natalia eased the door open, moving quietly as to not wake Gennie. She’d left the light on; that was thoughtful of her.
Stepping into their room, Natalia cocked her head in surprise when she saw Gennie in the kitchen. She swallowed hard. Gennie wore blue pajama pants that hugged her hips and a pale yellow tank thin enough to see the hint of dark areolas. “I figured you’d be in bed by now.”
“Not yet.” She held out a cup. “Thought tea might settle my nerves. Want some?”
Tea? No.
She dropped her contaminated clothes on the floor and crossed the room. Natalia wrapped her hands around the cup, covering Gennie’s, not moving to take the tea. “Still feeling shaky from being in the void?”
“Not shaky, exactly,” Gennie said. “And not from being in the void.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips against Natalia’s, careful not to jostle the hot drink between them.
Natalia forced herself to calmly set the cup on the counter, rather than fling it into the sink and take Gennie on top of the rickety table. She searched Gennie’s face. When she spoke, her words were a low, rough whisper that betrayed the desire welling inside. “Why are you doing this? Why now?”
Gennie caressed Natalia’s arm with her fingertip. Natalia trembled at her touch, wanting more. “Seducing you at The Carmen was only supposed to get you up to the room so I could talk to you. It became more than that. I can’t stop thinking I should have waited to knock you out until after we were done.”
Natalia laughed. Gennie’s dark eyes danced. She was relieved, perhaps, that the reference hadn’t upset Natalia. Truth be told, Natalia was a little surprised she wasn’t as torqued about the incident as she had been. Maybe because she’d been thinking the same thing.
They’d come a long way in trusting each other in that short time. Gennie had gone into the void. She’d had Natalia’s back. They were partners in this. Despite Gennie holding out on her about the Reyeses, Natalia saw the concern and wariness in her eyes. Something painful and personal was going on in Gennie’s life. And while Natalia could claim this was only a physical attraction, that they just couldn’t help themselves, she knew one truth. Whatever Gennie’s problems were with the Reyeses, Natalia wanted to make it better.
Gennie continued stroking Natalia’s skin, sending tingles pulsing up her arm. “I shouldn’t have put this off. Shouldn’t have started and stopped things when we both knew this was too powerful to avoid in the long run.”
Natalia had to agree there, but they’d both had their reasons for not following through. For the life of her, Natalia couldn’t remember what hers were at the moment.
“When the train leaves Grand Meridian the day after tomorrow,” Gennie said, “we’ll never see each other again. Not knowing what you really taste like would haunt me.”
She stepped closer, allowing the tips of their breasts to brush together through the thin material of their shirts, and touched her lips to Natalia’s. Natalia curled her fists in the sides of Gennie’s top and kissed her the way she’d been thinking about for days. Tongues stroked and teeth nipped. Gennie took Natalia’s lower lip between her teeth and drew her hands over Natalia’s breasts to roll her nipples between thumbs and fingers.
Natalia sucked in a breath as fire licked through her. She shoved Gennie’s shirt up, tore away from her mouth and took one of Gennie’s nipples between her lips. The salt of her skin danced on Natalia’s tongue. The warm metal of Gennie’s pendant brushed her cheek.
One hand on Natalia’s head, Gennie arched her back, pushing herself farther into Natalia’s mouth. “God, don’t stop.”
She had no intention of doing any such thing. She seized the other nipple and swirled her tongue around the firm flesh. Gennie covered one of Natalia’s hands with her own, slid it down over her hip to the front of her pajamas. She moaned as Natalia curled her fingers into heat and softness.
Feeling her arousal, smelling it on her, was more than Natalia could stand. She grabbed Gennie’s hand to lead her to the bedroom. The only light came from the single window between the beds, enough to see by while providing tantalizing shadows.
Natalia brought Gennie to her bed and stepped back. Her gaze traveled the woman’s body. Beautiful. So beautiful. Gennie’s lips parted, her luscious breasts rising and falling beneath the tank top.
Gennie threaded her fingers through Natalia’s hair. Loose fists at the back of Natalia’s head drew her in. She covered Natalia’s mouth with her own. Tongues lashed, tasting, exploring.
She set her palms on Gennie’s hips and broke the kiss. “Tell me what you want.”
“You.” Gennie’s dark eyes glittered in the diffuse light. She shimmied out of her pajama pants. “I want you. Right now.”
This would not be a slow, sensual ride.
Gennie sat on the edge of the bed and kissed between Natalia’s breasts, down her belly. She lowered Natalia’s shorts, caressing the backs of her thighs, behind her knees. Light, feathery touches that made her skin tingle.
Teeth nipped and lips soothed as they traveled over Natalia’s left hip, across to the right hip, back to her mons. Gennie ran her hands up Natalia’s legs. She cupped Natalia’s buttocks and pressed her nose into the juncture. Warm, wet licks sent bursts of need through her and her muscles quivered.
Natalia kneed Gennie’s legs open and removed her sleep shirt. Gennie pulled the yellow tank over her head. The silver chain and pendant around her neck glinted in the moonlight between full breasts. Natalia thumbed the dark nipples.
Gennie drew her down for a kiss as she lay back. Natalia lay on top of her, finding the exact spot where they fit together. Breasts to breasts, belly to belly, nipples aching, Natalia rocked herself against Gennie, damp curls on bare flesh. Sweat-slick skin slid over sweat-slick skin. Gennie wrapped a leg around Natalia’s hips, increasing force and friction.
“Hurry, Natya,” she breathed in Natalia’s ear. “Harder.”
Natalia didn’t know where the nickname had come from, but the way she said it with quickening breath sent excitement and anticipation humming through Natalia’s body. She straddled Gennie’s thigh and thrust her own into the heat between Gennie’s legs. Her fingernails dug into Natalia’s back, adding delicious pinpoints of pain to the growing pleasure.
Gennie arched upward, trembling, straining. She cried out, shuddering with her release. Natalia kissed Gennie’s neck, her sweet, musky scent filling Natalia’s senses as a white-hot orgasm rocketed through her.
Chapter Thirteen
Gennie brushed her lips against Natalia’s sweat-damp temple. The weight of her body was comforting. Like she belonged there. Gennie inhaled her scent, allowing herself the indulgence, and traced lazy figure eights on her lower back as their breathing returned to normal.
Natalia kissed her neck, her chin, her lips, then rolled onto the bed. Gennie immediately missed the warmth, the solidness of her. Natalia lay on her side, resting her head on her bent arm and draping the other across Gennie’s middle.
“That was amazing.” Natalia nuzzled her ear. “Better than amazing.”
Gennie faced her, leg curled over Natalia’s leg, and drew herself closer. Hips, bellies an
d breasts together, she regained some of the warmth. “Care for another go?”
Natalia laughed and kissed her nose. “In a bit.”
A sudden pang startled Gennie. The gesture was meant to be playful, yet it felt intimate, like they’d shared something more than sex.
Natalia noticed her reaction and tilted her head. Her blue eyes searched Gennie’s face. “You okay?”
Gennie swallowed hard, swallowed the whole of the truth, and not for the first time. Not for the last. “Fine.”
For several seconds, the CMA agent said nothing, just stared at her as if that would get Gennie to open up. Gennie forced her muscles to relax and snuggled closer. She kissed Natalia. “I’m fine.”
Her expression didn’t change. “Funny, but I don’t believe you.”
“I guess I can’t make you believe me.”
She tried to kiss her again, in the hopes that another round of lovemaking would put the thought out of her mind, but Natalia would have none of it. She dodged Gennie’s seeking mouth and eased away from her, putting just enough space between them that Gennie shivered with exposure.
“I don’t expect one hundred percent honesty from anyone, Gennie,” she said, “but I thought by now you’d trust me at least a little.”
Guilt burned through her. She should trust Natalia, just as Natalia had trusted her when going into the tunnel earlier. Should. Couldn’t.
“I do trust you.” She caressed Natalia’s cheek with the back of her fingers. “There are just some things...”
Natalia covered her hand and squeezed her fingers gently. “That no one could know or understand.”
“Leave it alone, Natya, please.” She brushed her lips across Natalia’s chin then flicked her tongue against her throat. “I’ve told you everything you need to know, I swear.”
“Tell me something I don’t need to know.”
