by M. K. Dawn
The body convulsed. Little by little, it pushed itself off the ground until it stood once again.
Uncontrollable sobs wracked her body. This can’t be real! The thing, the monster, Cale’s lips twitched into almost a grin. Sloan jabbed the top of the stand at it. “Get away from me!”
It lunged.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The elevator wasn’t moving fast enough. He should’ve taken the damn stairs. Three floors! How the hell long did it take to descend three floors? He paced, unable to stand still.
The call Archer received not five minutes ago still echoed in his ears: “Colonel! Medical Ward! Now! There’s been an attack!” That was the only detail he’d been given. He still had trouble comprehending what it meant. Probably because it had jarred him out of a deep sleep.
What did register, even through the haze of sleep, was Sloan. She’s wasn’t in their room or in their suite. Last he saw her she was headed to retrieve her wristband from the OR.
The door began to slide and he squeezed through when the opening was wide enough to accommodate his large frame. A whole host of people lined the hall. Archer barreled through them until he reached Cale’s room. Russo, Coble, and Elliot stood outside. “Where’s Sloan?”
Russo glanced into the room and shook his head. “Dr. Egan was dismissed not five minutes ago. You probably crossed paths on the elevators.”
“Is she all right?” Archer followed the man’s gaze. “What the hell happened in here?”
“Dr. Egan was attacked by a very sick man.”
Archer couldn’t believe it. “Cale attacked her?”
“He did and he almost killed her. She was pretty shaken up. Had a hard time telling us what happened. We know she struck him in the head and pierced his heart. Both with the IV stand. Don’t know the order. Not sure how long she waited to hit the decontamination button, which sent an alert to operations, who called us to check it out. Found her in the corner, IV stand still in her hands. Cale’s lifeless body was sprawled out on the floor.”
Archer stepped forward to enter the room but Russo blocked him. “No one’s allowed in there. Execs’ orders. Not sure what caused a man on his deathbed to attack someone. Don’t want to take a chance if it’s contagious.”
“You let Sloan leave,” Archer said.
“We did after a full body examination and Dr. Barnett cleared her.”
Archer scanned the hall. Where the hell was Fletcher?
“Colonel,” Russo said, “Dr. Egan will need to report to floor fourteen tomorrow morning, zero nine hundred hours, for a debriefing. Can you please escort and grant her access to the floor?”
Archer ran a hand through his hair and nodded. “Oh-nine-hundred. Got it.”
“She isn’t to speak of this to anyone.”
“We know,” Archer said. “Top-secret.”
“Yes, sir.”
Archer took one last glance inside the room. On the floor was a pool of dark green sludge similar to what he’d seen on the surface coming out of the dead man’s chest wound. The man who didn’t look much like a man at all.
***
“Sloan,” Archer’s voice bounced off the walls of their small apartment. No answer. The place was quiet. Maybe Sloan had gone to bed. After her day, who would blame her?
The bedroom was dark and he crept in as to not disturb her if she was asleep. But both beds were empty. The only two rooms left where the study and bathroom. As he passed the study, he glanced inside and it didn’t look like anyone had been in there for days. That left the bathroom.
Archer rapped on the door. “Sloan? You in there?” Silence. He knocked again. No toilet flushing, no water running. Maybe she hadn’t gone back to their room like Russo thought.
He switched on the locator app on his wristband. “Egan, Sloan.” The screen lit up and a small red dot appeared in their suite, indicating she was here.
This time Archer didn’t just glance in each room but went through them one by one, checking every closet until he was back at the bathroom. It was the last place he hadn’t fully searched. If she didn’t answer this time, he’d break down the door if he had to.
“Sloan? Are you in there? If you are, please answer.” His heart raced. What if something was wrong? She could have fallen. Hit her head. “Sloan. Last chance.”
Not a word. He tried the handle. Locked.
“Shit.” He really didn’t want to break the door, but his gut told him something wasn’t right.
It didn’t take much; a couple of shoulder hits and the door sprung open. The room felt like ice. Fall months were approaching and The Bunker’s temperature had dropped, but not this much.
The actual room was empty but the tinted shower door was closed. It was impossible to tell if someone was inside. “Sloan?”
He opened the door and found her, naked on the tile, curled up in a ball. Her lips were a pale blue and goosebumps pimpled her skin. She shivered uncontrollably.
“No, no, no. What are you doing, woman!” Archer swiped his wrist across the bathroom panel and cranked the water to hot. He stripped off his clothes and shoes, leaving on his boxers as he stepped under the near lukewarm water. He knelt beside her and pushed away her auburn hair so he could see her eyes. They were still and blank, unaware of him or anything else. “Come on, babe. Gotta get up and under the warm water before you freeze to death.”
He lifted her off the ground and cradled her small frame in his arms. Inch by inch, starting with her toes, he shifted her body under the spray.
It took a few minutes, the pink tint of her lips returned. Her eyes fluttered and refocused. “The monster?” she whispered.
“Cale?” he asked.
She buried her head in his chest. “It wasn’t him. Not really. His eyes. His teeth.” Her voice quivered.
“It’s okay. I’ve got ya.”
“I can’t get it out of my head. Please help me.”
Archer’s heart ached. “Anything.”
She brushed her lips against his bare chest, sucking and kissing her way to his nipple.
He inhaled sharply, surprised by her touch. “Um…Sloan, honey. What are you doing?”
She ran her fingers up to his neck. “I need you.”
Archer’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what was going on. “I don’t understand.”
“Sex releases endorphins, relieves stress, and helps with sleep. All of these things I need right now.” She dragged his head downward until they were inches apart. “Please.” Then she kissed him with so much passion he nearly collapsed.
His brain screamed this wasn’t right but his body wouldn’t listen. It had been too long. Too much anticipation. He needed this just as much as she did.
Dropping her legs from the crook of his arms, he wrapped them around his waist. The water shut off and he kicked open the door, snatching two towels off the rack on the wall.
There was no time for talking. No time for air. They kissed as he fumbled his way into the bedroom, trying not to bang her into the wall.
When her back hit the bed, Archer broke the kiss and angled himself to get a better look at the woman he was about to make love to.
What he saw broke his heart. Red outlined her eyes. Tears stained her face. There was such sadness to her that he had to fight breaking down himself.
“Why did you stop?” she asked.
He didn’t even think. Deep down he knew what had to be done. “I can’t do this.”
“What? Why?”
“It wouldn’t be right. You nearly lost your life today. You’re in pain and confused.”
She yanked the disheveled blankets from under her and covered up. “God. This is embarrassing.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Archer rummaged through her drawers and handed her a clean pair of underwear and her favorite flannel pajamas. “Here’s some clothes. I’m going to change. I’ll be right back.”
Two minutes later, he returned to a dark room and sniffling woman in the bed next to
his. He understood what she needed. Comfort. Intimacy. Maybe if they were a couple, sex would have stayed on the table, but they weren’t. He wasn’t even sure she liked him in that way and he didn’t want her to hate him in the morning. But there was another way. “You’re not hanging over the edge, are you?”
She lifted her head. “What?”
Archer shoved his bed over until it bumped into Sloan’s. Two beds turned into one. He slid under the covers until his front was flush against her back.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked but didn’t pull away.
“Cuddling.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve had a shitty day and everyone deserves to be held after they’ve almost been killed.”
“Oh.” Sloan relaxed in his arms. “Just don’t get used to it.”
***
Archer woke cold, alone, and disorientated. The clock read midnight. He patted the bed. Where had Sloan gone?
There was a slight rattle in the kitchen. He threw his feet off the bed, rubbed his eyes, and plodded out of the room. Sloan stood in the kitchen dressed like she was about to hit the gym. “What are you doing? You know what time it is?”
“I can’t sleep,” she snapped. “Every time I close my eyes…it doesn’t matter. I just can’t sleep. So I’m going to run a few laps. Work the stress off since someone wouldn’t help me with that earlier.”
“Call me an ass, but I don’t have sex with women on the verge of hysterics.”
She rolled her eyes. “I was fine.”
“I found you lying on the shower floor half frozen. Wouldn’t call that fine.”
“I’m going to go.” She made a beeline for the door.
Archer rushed to cut her off. “Don’t be angry. I just…don’t be angry.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Fine.”
He laughed at the overuse of the word in such a brief amount of time. Then an idea popped into his head. “Can I go with you?”
Sloan gave him a quick once-over. “Like that?”
In his sleep-induced haze, he’d forgotten he wore nothing but his boxers. “Only if you want me to.”
“Go. Change. I’ll wait.”
Archer slipped on some jogging pants, a t-shirt, and shoes and they were out the door in five minutes flat. “Weird to be wandering the halls this late at night.”
“It is.” Sloan peered up at the ceiling. “Whoever designed the lights knew what they were doing. I can almost picture an evening walk with nothing but the glow of the moon.”
They were pretty cool. The brightness shifted to mimic the day’s natural progression.
When they boarded the elevator, Archer made it a point to select the floor. It didn’t take long for Sloan to notice the shift.
“Why are we going down? The gym is above us.”
“I have a better idea. There’s something I want to show you.”
Sloan crossed her arms. “What is it?”
“A surprise.”
“I don’t know if my heart can handle another surprise today.”
Archer grinned. “This is a good surprise. Promise.”
“Fine,” Sloan huffed. “Which floor are we stopping on?”
“Sixteen.”
She dropped her head backward. “Funny. There isn’t a sixteen.”
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Archer stepped off and smiled. “My exact thought not two days ago.”
“What is this place?”
Archer held out his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
Sloan went to step off the elevator but froze. “I can’t get through.”
Archer swiped the panel and granted Sloan access. “Try it now.”
She stepped through the invisible barrier into a dark hall. “Thanks.”
“You want to talk about it?”
Her eyes dropped. “Not yet. I know I’ll have to eventually, but I’m not ready.”
“I hope you’re ready by tomorrow,” Archer grumbled.
Sloan stopped. “Why?”
“Debriefing with the execs. Russo didn’t mention it?”
“That’s the scary guy with the neck tattoo?”
“Yeah.”
“He may have. I don’t remember much.”
Archer ran his fingers down her arm. “You were in shock.”
A pink tint touched the tip of her nose. “Where are we?”
“Come on.” He laced his fingers through hers. “I’ll show you.” She didn’t fight his hand, which surprised him.
“Or you could just tell me.”
“Patience.” He led her around a small corner off on the left, to the bench where he and Cale had their last real conversation.
“It’s almost tropical down here.”
And pitch dark. “I didn’t realize the lights would be turned off. Got to turn them on at the control panel. You okay?”
“I’m not afraid of the dark, Archer.”
He hurried back the way they’d come. When he flipped the lights on he heard a gasp.
“Sloan?”
“It’s beautiful,” she sighed as he came up behind her.
His eyes wandered to the woman in front of him. Even with her messy bun and worn work-out clothes her beauty put the cavern to shame.
She swiveled around. “I didn’t know there were hot springs here. You should have told me. I would have brought a change of clothes.”
“What fun would that be?” He pulled down his pants.
“Oh no.” She backed away as he removed his shirt. “I do not go skinny dipping.”
“You’ve mentioned on several occasions how much you miss taking a hot bath. Do you wear a bathing suit in the tub?”
“This is different.”
Archer hooked his thumbs on the elastic of his boxers. “How?”
“Well.” Sloan’s eyes danced from his hands to his eyes. “For one, I bathe alone.”
He snorted “I haven’t taken a bath alone since I was seven.” Archer dropped his boxers and grinned.
Sloan averted her eyes but didn’t turn away. “Was that necessary?”
“You’re a freaking doctor, Slash. How the hell does nudity bother you? Unless you just get all hot and bothered by my physique?”
“You have no shame.” She lifted her shirt over her head. “Get in the water and turn around so I can get undressed.”
She didn’t have to ask twice. A naked woman was a naked woman whether he saw her or not. He was neck deep in the hot tub-like water when he heard a soft splash behind him.
“My God, this is amazing.”
Archer couldn’t agree more. The water was clear and the light was bright, which hid very little from his view.
“Stop staring, Archer.”
He thought back to a few hours ago when she practically begged him to make love to her. How angry she was when she thought he didn’t want to. Want was never the problem when he was around her. Timing—that was a different story. But now, in this moment, no one was crying or drunk. It was just the two of them alone in this little slice of heaven. “We’ve never talked about the other night. Or what happened after the shower.”
“What about it?” She continued to swim in the opposite direction, but he knew he had her attention.
“Well, don’t you think we should discuss why you keep throwing yourself at me?” He wanted to keep the conversation light and playful.
Sloan looked down, unable to meet his eyes. “I didn’t throw myself at you.”
“The night after the bar, after God knows how many tequila shots, you kissed me.”
“I was drunk.” She dragged her fingers through the water. “Lost all my inhibitions.”
Archer paddled closer. “What you’re saying is the alcohol allowed you to relax. Let your hair down.”
“Don’t you have enough room on your side of the pool?”
“Too much, I would say. It’s kind of lonely.”
Sloan floated backwards until her back hit the rocky edge. “
Did you know there was an underwater bench over here?”
He swam up next to her and sat down. If he closed his eyes, he could almost picture himself at a backyard barbecue, sitting in the hot tub after a long day of grilling. “This is nice.”
Sloan sank deeper into the water and rested her head on the ledge. “It would be perfect if I wasn’t naked.”
Archer scooted closer and propped his arm beside her head. “I wholeheartedly disagree.”
“Stop it,” she said, draping her arms over her chest.
“I saw you naked a few hours ago, Slash.”
“That was different,” she argued.
“Why, because you were emotionally distressed?”
“Yes…no.” She turned her attention to an ordinary rock.
“Slash—Sloan, are you attracted to me?”
“There is no denying you have attributes that anyone would find attractive.”
With the tips of his fingers, he turned her head to face him. “Do you have feelings for me? More than friends?”
Her eyes fluttered.
“Because I do.” He leaned down and nipped at her bottom lip. “Very strong feelings.” His body ached with need but before that need was filled he wanted more. “Sloan. Say something.”
“I don’t…”
“Stop using that damn brain of yours and let your emotions take over.”
She took a deep breath. “I…you’re…you’re the most important person in the world to me.”
That was all he needed to hear. An overwhelming engulfed him and he needed her more than he ever needed anyone else in his entire life. In one fluid movement, he captured her lips and heaved her into his lap. Then he buried himself deep inside her succulent core.
She moaned and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Her hips rocked against his, each thrust bringing him closer to the sweet release he so desperately craved. Foreplay was pointless. The hunger was too intense. It was desperate—at times feral—unadulterated sex. Her core tightened and he couldn’t hold on any longer. His climax was pure ecstasy; nothing he’d ever felt before.
Sloan leaned back just enough so they were face to face. “That was—”
“If you say anything other than amazing, I’m throwing you into the deep part of the springs.”
