The Mammoth Book of Futuristic Romance (Mammoth Books)

by Trisha Telep

  The old doc has been captured, the new man signed.

  The young doc is still evading us, the first man responded.

  Are you sure we need them both?

  Our orders were clear.

  Have they passed this point already?

  Maybe. No one ahead or behind has seen them either.

  Ghosts.

  Yes. That’s the point.

  We know the rendezvous. We should tighten formation and wait for them there.

  The first man gazed around the clearing, looking at every tree but not behind him where Reid and Jessica were. With a sigh, he nodded. Both men gathered themselves and crept away. Reid watched them as far as he could, until they reached the darker depths and disappeared completely.

  Reid rested his head on Jessica’s shoulder, taking his first deep breath. His arms were beginning to shake from the effort of holding himself completely still. Jessica’s had begun trembling against him awhile before. Standing motionless on a tree branch was not easy.

  “What just happened?”

  “Have you ever heard the term ‘FUBAR’?”

  “No.”

  “Soldiers created it over a hundred years ago to describe moments like this.” Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. Yep, that was their situation now.

  “What does it mean?”

  “It means they have the rendezvous, they have your dad and they have Mike. They just need us for a complete set.”

  Five

  “What are you doing?” Jessica paused at the edge of the stream, her hands dripping cool water over her neck, as she tried not to flip out at the thought of her father being captured. The transition from dawn to early morning was unexpectedly hot, and her skirt and suit jacket felt heavy and smothering.

  Reid poked around the saplings and bushes lining the stream and the base of the mountain. “According to my research, this mountain is riddled with caves.”

  She scowled, disbelief twisting her eyebrows. “You think hiding in a cave is the best move right now?”

  “Not exactly. But sitting exposed while we hash out what to do next doesn’t seem too genius.”

  Her skin suddenly chilled. “What’s to hash? We rescue my father.”

  Reid continued his search, moving aside bushes and trees and even a few rocks. “By just walking in, getting him and leaving?”

  If that’s what it took, yes. Not rescuing him was not an option. “Why not? We’ve been walking right past these guys all morning.”

  “Okay, fine. Then what? Where do we hide him?”

  “We’re two miles away from the rendezvous point. How does hiding him this far back help?” Not having him face her was really annoying.

  “The rendezvous is compromised. We need a new one. I’ll call and set it up.”

  That silenced her for a moment. He turned back to searching and didn’t see as she stalked right up behind him. At the last minute, he turned and she pushed him up against the boulders. In a low, deadly voice, she asked, “You’ll call?”

  He gave her a charming grin. “Yes. And no, I couldn’t have done it sooner. Considering the mountains, the best reception is with the satellite in place and the sun up, so solar power can boost the signal.”

  “So we’re going into a cave?” In what world did that make sense?

  He tugged on her ponytail. “Good Lord, sweetheart. Trust me a little, will you?”

  Jessica stared up at the man whose strength and determination had protected her all morning. He had rescued her from an exploding plane, even if it was by scaring her to death. It was his eyes and smile that calmed her when the enemy came too close. “Of course I trust you.”

  Just as his smile widened, she couldn’t help but add, “A little.”

  He tweaked her nose and rolled his eyes. “Good. Now, behave yourself and crawl into the cave.”

  She glanced down where he pointed. The opening was tiny and shared with the stream. Raising her brows, she gave him a doubtful look. “You want me to do what?”

  “I’ll be right behind you.” Before she could comment, he explained. “I need to cover the entrance.”

  Jessica sighed, but when he looked behind her and stiffened, she started moving, even before he gave her the order. “Now.”

  Thankfully, her skirt was long enough to cushion her knees as she crawled over rocks, through the water. She could hear Reid behind her, barely, but it was enough to comfort her as the darkness became complete. Her bag was on her back, safe from the water. She reached into it and felt for her safety ring. Feeling for the dangling unicorn pendant on her mother’s old keyring, she identified her small pen light and switched it on.

  The small tunnel lit up ahead of her, and she could see where the water seemed to stop. Jessica headed for that point. It seemed a little wider and they could at least sit on the side of the stream instead of in it. But once she reached it, she saw the water went down into a wider area, likely carved when the stream had been more than the trickle it was now. Carefully climbing down the few feet to the bottom, she chose a small dry area to the right. The water formed a pool in the center of a cavern barely tall enough for her to stand upright.

  Reid joined her, stooping. “This looks like a good spot to stop.”

  Jessica nodded in agreement. Squatting beside the pool, she set the light on a rock and pulled off her wet jacket, using it to wipe dirt and debris from her arms and face. The surface of her skin felt nearly chilled now, but it was a welcome chill. She was able to quickly brush her hair into a neater ponytail and rinse her mouth out with water.

  “Does that bag hold everything?” He sounded impressed.

  Jessica glanced over her shoulder at him. He leaned against a boulder, fiddling with a small communications unit. “I can live out of it for two days, at least. Would you like a protein bar? They aren’t as tasty as your chocolate, but they’re filling.”

  “Sure.”

  She chose two from her bag and settled closer to him. The space was much wider than the tunnel, but that wasn’t saying much. They couldn’t sit side by side. Reid pulled her back to his front, between his legs, so she could lie back comfortably. “Rest a bit while we make contact.”

  She hated to appear weak, even for a second, but what the hell. He’d already seen her at her panicky worst that morning. And honestly, two hours of sneaking through a forest in the heat, tense with worry, made relaxing in a cool, dark cavern an irresistible temptation. And since they were waiting to talk to someone, she could do without guilt. Jessica adjusted her seat and fell back, letting his chest and arms cradle her.

  Six

  “Is the unit working?”

  “It’s all set up. I set a wireless signal outside the cave, it will amplify this unit. The call has gone out. As soon as the satellite catches the signal, they’ll get it. Right now, we just have to wait for them to respond.” He took a bite of his protein bar.

  Jessica’s fears showed in her voice. She swallowed a bite of her own bar before asking. “Do you think they’re hurting my dad?”

  “No.”

  Jessica angled her head up to face him. The flashlight cast enough of a glow that she could see his firm jaw already shading with the hint of whiskers. “Don’t tell me the nice version. Be honest. I can handle it.”

  “Honestly,” he angled down to meet her gaze. “He’s seventy-nine years old, and whatever they need from him cannot and will not be gotten through force. He’s a stubborn man and the kind of torture it would require would kill him. It would be a total failure when there are simpler ways.”

  Jessica narrowed her eyes. “Like threatening his only child, conceived late in life through a miracle intervention?”

  His expression turned even grimmer. “If what they want is even his to give.”

  “What else could it be?”

  He looked at her, his gaze prodding her to understand. “What if it’s you they want? First generation born with TERA, genius ability and the experience of working with your father and the miracle dru
g?”

  Her brows twisted in her confusion. “I thought this attack was politically motivated?”

  Reid shrugged. “His allies want him on the speaking circuit. His detractors don’t want a martyr catching the sympathy vote with his last wish. You weren’t supposed to be on the jet. They already have your father, but are still searching for you. In force.”

  She nodded, resting the side of her face on his chest as she stared into blackness. “You’re right. It doesn’t add up.”

  “Do you have any idea why they would want you?”

  “TERA is already widely available to anyone who wants it. I might be first generation, but I am far from the only one born with it inside me.”

  “What are you working on now?”

  She shook her head. “That’s clearance-only. Top level.”

  “Which means you and your father know, and who else?”

  Jessica bit her lip, considering. “Our assistant, Sally. She is the one who encouraged me to go with Dad on this trip. I was worried about the stressful pace of the speaking engagements. Dad’s very healthy. TERA helped him through heart malfunctions when I was in college, but he’s been working hard and burning both ends for most of his life. It takes a toll.”

  Reid squeezed her close for a moment. “It’s completely understandable that you would worry about him.”

  “Falcon, this is the Aerie. Over.”

  The sudden blast of speech made them both jump. The signal was clear, hardly any static.

  “Hello, Aerie. This is Falcon. The fledgling and the eyas bated safely, but the flight was more turbulent than planned. Over.”

  Jessica frowned. If her father was the “fledgling”, then she was the “eyas”. She was not a downy baby chick, even if it made sense in falconry terms.

  Reid grinned at her, running her ponytail through his fist as he listened.

  “State your status, Falcon. Over.”

  “The fledgling and his dirt hawker are caught in a bow net.”

  A trap. Jessica nodded.

  “Status. Over.”

  “The falcon and eyas are safe and laying down. Over.”

  “Wait on. Over.”

  “What does that mean?” Jessica frowned at him. “They want us to just sit here?”

  Reid nodded. “For the moment, while they consider our situation.”

  “Why do they have to consider anything? You and I can just—”

  He laughed. “Dr Sweetheart, if we want everyone to make it out alive, then we’ll need reinforcements. Or, at the very least, a ride home. We just need to wait a minute.”

  Jessica huffed, glancing around their dimly lit cavern. The little flashlight was already fading and she dreaded attempting to crawl out of the cavern in complete darkness. Besides, the cooler air was no longer a pleasant break from a steamy morning, and with her wet jacket off and her skirt still drenched, it was getting downright cold. She shivered.

  Reid reached between them and unzipped the front of his already dry suit, and then pulled her close, sharing his heat with her. “It won’t be long.”

  Jessica huddled back against him, his undershirt soft against her cheek. She hadn’t been this close to a man in a long while. Most of her relationships happened after a scientific breakthrough, when her work didn’t consume her every conscious and unconscious thought and there were celebrations and fun to be had. Which meant her relationships were very few and far between.

  Out of those few, not one had smelled quite like Reid. With him, there wasn’t the overwhelming, cloying musk of cologne, or the too-sweet smell of scented laundry soap, or the grisly scent of sweat. He just smelled comfortable, safe, and she could almost imagine his arms belonged around her.

  The voice from Aerie spoke, and she jumped. Reid responded with a complicated mix of military shorthand and falconry that barely made sense. All she caught was “wing over”, “dho-gazza”, and “slip”. Jessica blinked in the dimness; the flashlight had faded even more. She looked up at Reid’s face, waiting until he signed off. “I didn’t follow all of that.”

  “They want us to change direction. Instead of racing for the rendezvous, they want us to set a trap that positions all of us to get rescued.” He sounded too grim for her peace.

  “What kind of trap?”

  “The kind where I let you get caught.”

  Seven

  The kind where I let you get caught.

  Really? Jessica shoved the tail end of her hair out of her face and stormed back down the small tunnel to the outside – “stormed” as in carefully placed her knees on the rocks as she crawled as rapidly as possible, holding the nearly dead flashlight with her teeth. Reid was behind her because she’d refused to be left in that tomb-like cavern alone for even a nanosecond. Besides, if anyone was waiting for her once she emerged from the cave, it would all work out perfectly. She was supposed to be caught.

  She didn’t disagree with the plan, exactly, but something about it felt wrong. That ephemeral sliver of feeling left her irritable. Reaching the opening to the tunnels, Jessica slowed down, sliding through the water so she wouldn’t make a loud splash.

  When she emerged, she quickly pulled a pair of pajamas from her bag and slid them on, removing her wet skirt and shirt. She couldn’t stand her soggy clothes another minute.

  Reid finally crawled out of the cavern and retrieved his signal booster. “I still don’t understand why this plan bothers you. It’s a much more efficient way to find out where they are holding him.”

  “Yes, much more efficient. Are you ready?” She met his scrutiny with a detached impatience she’d had a long time to practice.

  His square jaw firmed so hard he had to be grinding his teeth. “In three minutes, I will be. Be careful. I will be watching over you, but be careful anyway.”

  He started to walk away when she grabbed his arm and raised her gaze to his. “I know you will, but watch your back, too. They want something from us, so my father and I are relatively safe.”

  “If any of our assumptions about what they want are wrong, then we should assume they blew up the helijet with the intent to kill you.” His grim expression underscored his words.

  She nodded and looked down.

  Which is why he caught her by surprise with a quick, hard kiss. She knew heat, firm lips, a slight scratch of whiskers, and then nothing, as he turned and walked away.

  Jessica huffed and shook her head. “How like a man to be so dramatic.”

  Three minutes later, Lieutenant Reid Kincaid had claimed a high vantage point and watched as Jessica began to slip through the foliage. Her pale-blue pajamas stood out, much more than her suit had, from the darker greens and browns around her. It shouldn’t take long for her to be picked up. He aimed his sights around him, focusing grimly.

  To his surprise and shock, he’d apparently taught her too well. She slipped through two clearings and around numerous trees with no one the wiser. He grinned. She probably considered it a point of pride to not make it too easy for their enemies to capture her. Thankfully, she made an error before too much time passed.

  One man held her wrist behind her back as another searched her purse.

  The leader spoke clearly into his communications unit. “Command, I have the doc.”

  “And her guardian angel?”

  “There appears to be no sign of him.” The man gave Jessica a suspicious look.

  Amazing woman that she was, she didn’t hesitate to smear his name. “You mean the groping bastard that pulled me out of a helijet into the most terrifying minutes of my life? He’s probably still on the ground, holding himself, praying for mercy. I do not like to be touched. You should remember that.”

  The soldier took in her proud stance, the arrogant tilt of her head, and the determination in the set of her shoulders. The commander spoke into his unit again. “She claims to have incapacitated him, sir.”

  Soon after, Reid watched them leave. Several others joined them, guarding their retreat. When they were out of sigh
t, Reid descended the tree and watched the screen on his forearm bracers for the digital tracking arrow to match the one she’d placed inside her bra.

  Aerie would’ve seen the signal as soon as she started to move. Now Reid just had to follow it, and map the details of the area for his reinforcements.

  Jessica’s heart hammered as she was led to the small clearing with a large cavern entrance at the back. Her father was visible, sitting on the floor in the cavern with his hands behind his back and a bandage wrapped around one ankle. He was pale and seemed to be in pain. She rushed forward, only to be jerked back by men who clearly did not understand not to touch her. At least they’d been mostly respectful up until now.

  “Not so fast, doc. There’s someone who would like to speak with you.” The soldier tilted her to her left.

  A familiar man approached her, though his clothing was far from the formal apparel she normally associated him with. His wavy blond hair was the same. His sparkling green eyes and charming grin. Stephen Carson had cornered both her and her assistant, Sally, at more than one public event. Only now did she see the seriousness behind his everyday good looks, and the sinister intent he’d hidden behind all those questions about TERA. She’d assumed he was faking an interest in her work in order to get closer to her. It had been vice versa and, though she’d resisted his advances, she now felt like a complete fool.

  “Dr Cross.” His gaze raked her thin nightwear, making her wish she wore heavier materials to bed.

  “Mr Carson. Fancy meeting you here.” Jessica trotted out their typical greeting, infusing it with bitter sarcasm.

  “Don’t be angry, Jessica. It had to happen this way.”

  “I truly doubt that, Stephen.” Jessica crossed her arms. She’d purposefully tripped over branches and dragged her feet on her way to the clearing, giving Aerie time to arrive and position for their rescue. If she could delay even further by fighting with Stephen Carson, all the better. “If you have done anything to hurt my father, I will kill you.”