by KD Jones
It melted her heart a little that he was ready to defend her. She patted his arm. “It’s okay, Kyle. Sometimes it’s better to let people think I’m not smart because then they tend to underestimate me.”
“Is that how you got away? Do you know who took you and what they wanted?”
“The guys that took me are from down here in one of the tribes. But they were being paid to do it by a man from Dome 28. It’s the dome two cities over from here. He has been trading with the tribe people for a while now, hoping to garner enough money and power to become a dome leader.”
“That’s not how the dome system is set up.”
Rachel shrugged. “That’s what I tried to tell him, but he seems to think that he can buy his way to the top.” She stood up and helped Kyle as he swayed to get to his feet.
“Sorry I knocked you down. I couldn’t see well in the dark and panicked.”
“It’s okay. Just don’t tell anyone that you knocked me out. I can just hear my brothers and father telling me I must be weak to let a girl knock me down.”
She tried not to giggle but it slipped out. That only infuriated him.
“Laughing right now is not helping.”
She laughed even harder. She stopped when he winced. “Sorry. Why are you still in so much pain? I thought the patch would help.”
“It has helped a lot, but as the swelling goes down there is still some pain involved.”
“Do you need another patch?” Rachel reached down to the medical packet and pulled out another patch. He took it from her but instead of putting it on him, he put it on the side of her cheek where there was swelling and bruising. She felt an immediate relief to her pain. “Why?”
He gently rubbed her other cheek with his fingertips. It was so light but the touch seemed to reach down to her very soul.
“No one should ever hurt something so beautiful.” His voice faded as he stared at her lips.
“Kyle…” she whispered, reaching up with both hands to grasp his wrist.
He released her but she could see the reluctance on his face. He looked around at the room they were in. “What is this place?”
“It’s like a small engineering office. Some of the subway maintenance people would use it like an office of sorts, I guess. Maggie would know better than me.”
He stumbled, trying to make his way to the door. “How long have we been here?”
She reached out and caught his elbow to steady him. “I’m not really sure. The men chasing us came back this way a few minutes ago. They tried the door but couldn’t get in. I’m afraid they may come back with something to open the door. We need to leave before they get back.”
She watched as he reached inside his pocket and pulled out the pieces of his communicator.
“Do you think you can fix it?” she asked.
He started putting some of the pieces together. Then he frowned. “It’s missing something.” He turned it on and they heard scratchy sounds. “The long-range chip isn’t working.”
“What does that mean?”
“It will work, but it has a lot of interference. We need to be closer to my campsite where we have a long-range receiver.” He looked around in frustration. “Is there another way out?”
“Yeah, over there is a door to a stairwell that goes down to a level just below the subway. It’s where all the piping for water, power, and sewer are run. We might be able to use that to travel back to the main tribe area and hopefully find another control room to come back up in.”
He nodded. “That’s the best we got.” He limped over to the door and opened it up. The stairway was kind of steep. He took a step and almost fell. Rachel reached out and caught him around the waist.
“Let me help before you fall on your head.”
He growled something about not being helpless. But he leaned on her as they slowly made their way down the stairs. Once they reached the bottom, they were both sweating from the effort.
“Thanks.” He grumbled under his breath.
“You would do the same for me. Thank you for coming for me. If I had to be here on my own, I would be scared shitless.”
“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” he told her.
Rachel looked away not sure if he could see her blushing. It was dark but Drastans did have better eyesight than humans. “I’m not good with directions. Which way do we go?”
Kyle pointed to the right. “Hopefully it doesn’t lead to a dead end.”
Yeah, Rachel thought to herself. That would be bad. She wrapped her arm around his waist and propped her shoulder under his to help him walk. She shivered at the warmth that came from his body. And his scent was driving her crazy. It was a warm, spicy, woodsy smell. It was sexy as hell.
“What kind of cologne is that?”
“Cologne?”
“Cologne or perfume. We humans create liquid substances that we put on our bodies that make us smell nice. You have a nice smell.”
“I don’t wear that. It messes with my senses. Is that why you sometimes smell like a sweet flower?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I like to wear something with a honeysuckle smell to it. I forgot to put some on today though. I probably stink to high heaven.”
Kyle leaned over to put his nose against her neck and took in a deep sniff. “Mmmm...I like your natural smell much better.”
She gulped. Having him that close, almost skin-to-skin had her breath coming in short gasps. “What do I smell like?”
“You still smell sweet. But also like sunshine and sex...like mine.”
Oh my God. Rachel knew she should pull away but the moment his lips touched hers all rational thought left her. She wanted this. She wanted him. Nothing was stopping them now. There were no parents or siblings or other warriors getting in the way. She could do all the things she had only ever fantasized about. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her even closer. Yes yes yes. It was finally going to happen. She would lose her virginity to a man she really…
“Ouch! Easy there, I’m still recovering from the goose egg you gave me.”
“Sorry.” It was like the moment had been doused with cold water. Probably for the better, considering they were on the run and needed to concentrate on their surroundings. The intimate moment was lost now. She sighed.
“Come on, let’s get moving.”
Chapter 11
Six hours later
“What do you mean you lost his signal?” Captain Liam Estro and Lieutenant Colonel David James yelled at the very pale lieutenant at the same time.
“Sirs, there is extreme interference with our communications the farther down the subway tunnels that someone goes. The last message we received was broken up but we could make out that he believed he found Miss James’s trail. We think that if we are closer to them we would pick up their signal.”
“I want to know how my daughter was taken with all your security around!” Lieutenant Colonel James glared at Liam.
“David, calm down. They’re doing everything they can to find her,” Mrs. James said, trying to calm her husband.
Liam felt sick inside at the thought that something could have happened to his sister-in-law. She was so fragile. But he also knew his brother. “This was a joint security effort. I’m not sure how they broke our security measures, but it could have been a leak. Look, if Kyle found her trail he won’t give up until he has her back. I know him. He’ll do everything he can to protect her.”
“He better. I’m at the point of withdrawing all association with you people,” Lieutenant Colonel James threatened.
Damn it! Liam couldn’t let that happen. It was exactly what these radicals wanted. “We are deploying a search team to retrieve them now. We’ve sent down Maggie’s friend Corey Nash. She says he knows these tunnels better than anyone.”
The lieutenant colonel grunted. “I want some of my own people involved in the search. At this point, I can’t trust you to get the job done.” He turned to give orders to h
is second before storming off.
Liam watched him go with dread. His father-in-law was furious. And Liam didn’t blame him at all. How these guys got past their security was worrisome. It led to questions of whether humans were selling information or if his people were involved. Not every Drastan was happy about their presence on Earth.
He turned to look down at Maggie’s mother. “We’ll find her.”
Mrs. James nodded, wiping her tears away. “I know you will. I also know how much Kyle cares about Rachel. He’ll protect her. I know he will.”
Liam nodded as she turned to leave. Yeah, Kyle would give his life to protect Rachel. He just hoped they could find them both before it came to that.
*****
“How long have we been walking?” Rachel asked.
Kyle looked down at her strained face. She had surprised him with how strong she was emotionally, mentally, and physically. She hadn’t complained — not once. This was the first time that she actually asked about the time. She was about to fall down from exhaustion. He was too. He would heal much faster if he could get a little rest.
“Three hours. I think we can rest for a little bit. Let me find a good location that might provide cover.” He scanned the area off to the right side of the tunnel tracks and saw benches that were bolted down. They could lie on those, but wouldn’t have any cover. He almost missed a door because it was blocked.
“Is that another control room?”
“I’m not sure. The lettering looks different. The other one said Engineering. This one looks like it says Employees Only.” Rachel walked with Kyle and helped him move metal pieces that had fallen in front of the door.
He shoved the door open and used his penlight to search for a light switch. He turned it on and it flickered before it gave out a steady low light. They walked inside.
Rachel looked around. She saw more benches and also lockers. “It’s a locker room.”
“What is that?”
“Usually employees and change into their work clothes and leave their personal possessions inside the lockers. There might be…” Rachel walked through an open doorway on the other side of the room and turned on another light switch. “Yes!”
Kyle followed her. “What is it?”
“A bathroom with shower stalls.” She walked into one of the stalls and turned the tap. The faucet made a chugging sound, and then brown water came out in spurts. “There’s cold water but the hot doesn’t work.”
“Why is it brown?” Kyle asked, looking at the water in disgust.
“It’s not been used in a while. From what Maggie says the water comes from a deep wells underneath the subway. I’ll let it run for a bit to see if it will run clear.”
“The other tribes I’ve seen don’t have rooms like this to bathe in.”
“It’s the location the tribes chose to live in. We’re kind of deep inside the subway station, which isn’t convenient for the tribes who have to search for food and trade with one another. Probably when the subway station had to send workers out this far to work on the system, they provided lockers and showers for them.”
“If the hot water isn’t working, then that explains the lack of heat in this area,” Kyle commented, going back to the locker room.
“Yeah, that’s probably why no one stayed in this area. No heat.” She walked over to a locker and opened it. It wasn’t locked but it was empty inside.
“What are you doing?” Kyle asked, watching her.
“I am looking for something we can use. Maybe clothes, towels, food if we’re lucky. I’m hungry.”
“I have a few ration bars with me,” Kyle offered, moving to a locker to open it up. He found nothing.
“Well, that’s something. And now we have water to drink. So we’ll be okay for a while.” She frowned when she found a locked locker. “Damn it!”
“Here, let me at it.” Kyle gently moved her out of the way so that he could examine the crude lock.
“How’s your head?” she asked.
“Better. I don’t feel like I am walking around with weights on top of my head.” He punched the side of the locker, denting the metal and breaking the lock. He opened the door. “Found some things here.”
Rachel came over and peered inside the locker. “It’s musty smelling, but beggars can’t be choosers.” She reached inside and pulled out a towel and a one piece overall uniform. They were too big for her so she handed them to Kyle.
He lifted the garment to his nose and sneezed before throwing it to the ground. “I’ll stick with my own clothes.”
Rachel tried to hide a giggle. She agreed with him on that. She wasn’t going to put on clothes that hadn’t been washed in years. It was stiff in places and she didn’t even want to think about what that was from. The towel was a different story. It had been folded neatly, which made her think it was a clean one, or at least before the nukes hit it had been clean.
“I might take a quick shower and get some of this filth off me. See if you can find more towels that are folded. Those will be mostly likely the clean ones. We can fold some up to use as a pillow or blanket so we can get some rest.”
“What will you wear?”
“I’ll put my own clothes back on after I’m dry.” She walked back through the entry leading to the showers.
*****
Damn. Images of Rachel completely bare with water rushing over her body plagued him as he punched another locker to open it. There was nothing in it but old shoes and a name badge. He closed it and went to open another. This one had a folded towel. He pulled it out and placed it on the bench.
He kept searching and found three more towels, a couple of jackets they could use as blankets, and a water bottle that he thought they could fill up and drink from. It would come in really handy when they moved on. He stopped and listened for the water but did not hear it running. He assumed she had finished her shower. He headed in that direction and froze when he saw her.
“Kyle!” Rachel reached up to cover herself.
“I thought you were done.”
She reached for her towel and wrapped it around her body. “I am, but I wanted to check the other stalls to see if they were working. Only two work.” She shivered. “Why are you in here?”
He held up the water bottle. “I thought I would fill this up.” He bent over and turned the water on.
“Perfect. I could definitely use something to eat and drink right now. Not to mention an hour or two of sleep would really do a world of good. I feel like I am the walking dead here.”
“Do your dead walk?” He frowned, looking concerned.
“Of course not. It’s a figure of speech. It just means I’m really tired.”
“Yes, then I am walking dead too. Come, let’s eat and then get some rest.” He motioned for her to head in front of him.
“Did you find anything useful?” Rachel asked him.
“Just a few more towels and a couple of coats. The coats didn’t smell worn so I’m not sure they were used much.”
“Good. I didn’t want to put my clothes on right away. They were kind of sweaty. Hoping they will dry out some.”
He watched her as she checked out the two coats. Neither one would really fit her. She was too short and whoever owned the coats was big.
“I’ll use this one. It should cover me up.” She put her arms through the sleeves, which overlapped her hands by three inches. She then zipped the coat up. She shimmied and the towel she had been wearing fell to her feet.
“It’s thick. Should keep us warm.”
Kyle closed his eyes. The towel was gone which meant she was completely naked under that coat. His body was already hard for her. With her being washed free of the dust, he could smell her sweet fragrance and it was driving him crazy. He had to get his mind off of her.
He walked over to a bench and tried lying flat on his back. It wasn’t comfortable at all. He turned on his side, which proved to be even less comfortable. “Fuck.”
“Come over here. The f
loor is the best we’re going to get.” Rachel called out.
He looked over at her and his heart rate sped up. She had used the towels he found and laid them on the hard floor to make a pallet. The other coat she had rolled up into an oblong shape and she was using it as a pillow.
He stood up and made his way toward her. He could see her tracking him. He liked the way she checked him out from top to bottom. Then she licked her lips. A growl of need rose deep in his throat.
“Rachel.”
“Yes?”
“I’m going to kiss you again.”
Her eyes blinked up at him. “Are you asking me?”
He shook his head as he knelt down on his knees and crawled the rest of the way to her. “No honey, I’m telling you, not asking. I’m going to kiss you.”
She licked her lips. “Mmm...okay.”
He lowered his face toward hers and gently touched her lips with his. The taste of her was too much yet not enough. He had to have more. He had to have all of her. He gripped the back of her head gently as he pulled her to him. He had her in his grasps and he wasn’t going to let go.
Chapter 12
Rachel wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, careful not to touch his head injury. Thankfully, the swelling was almost gone. She just didn’t want anything else to interrupt them this time. This time, she wanted to take this further than she ever had before.
That wouldn’t be hard. She grew up in the dome that her father was in charge of. Her parents were extremely protective, especially when they thought her older sister Maggie had died from the nuclear disaster.
But she had found ways around her father’s rules. She had a few dates, or just time alone with an occasional guy in a secluded storage area. A little necking, a whole lot of kissing. She felt she was an expert on kissing. But none of the guys she kissed before could hold a candle to Kyle.
The moment his lips touched hers she felt a spark zip through her whole body and center right at her pussy. She shivered with an unfamiliar ache.
She opened her mouth and his tongue took over. He explored her and conquered her. She teased him back and almost smiled at his groan of pleasure. It made her feel bolder to know she had this kind of effect on him.
