"That's why I haven't told you yet."
"Icarus? What are you talking about?" Velex asks.
"My name isn't Icarus." Icarus reaches behind his head. There's a soft click as his mask falls to the table.
Velex gasps as he looks at Icarus's face. "Five disciplinary scars? There's no hiding those. They are unique and perfectly placed. So who are you? In the history of the IGR military, there have been eleven men marked with five scars on their right cheek for insubordination and I delivered every single scar. Only eight of them had a similar skin color to yours. You're not really my son, are you? No. You look young so you're probably a T.I.M.E. or other form of living computer and have stopped ageing. That narrows the possibilities to three. None of them were bald or had your color eyes, but those can be easily altered."
"Stop playing games. You know who I am."
"Not yet. It's a trick. I can't accept what my mind is pointing me towards."
"If you won't say it, then I'll show you." Icarus pulls off the leather glove from his left hand and holds up his hand, revealing three metal fingers.
"No. No. You can't be."
"Why not?" He removes his trench coat and drops it on the floor as he stands. There is a gust of wind as large white wings spread from his back. Napkins and utensils fall to the metal floor.
How? How is this possible? He can't breathe as he looks at the man in front of him.
"Say my name, Velex."
"I . . . can't."
Icarus flips the table over and pushes Velex up against the wall. "Say my name. You pretended to be my friend and then you say things like that? You're happy? If I died, you'd be happy?"
"Doss, I'm sorry. I had no idea . . ."
"You know what? Maybe I should kill you and see if it makes me happy."
Velex closes his eyes as he feels his friend's hand tighten around his throat. "Please don't. I'm so sorry."
"No. You aren't. But ending your pathetic life isn't worth my time." Doss lets him slide down to the floor. He picks up his trench coat and martini before walking out of the room, leaving Velex speechless with tears swelling in his eyes.
* * *
Gabriel steps into Jayce's room and lets the metal door slide shut behind him before going to the bed and setting the ceramic plate with a muffin on it and a cup of hot cocoa on the bedside table. He gently shakes the lump under the blankets. "Jayce, are you awake?"
He sits up and adjusts the black fabric around where his eyes used to be. "Yes, sir."
Gabriel joins him on the bed. "The time to make our move is approaching quickly. We have about thirty minutes until these cameras come back on. We can finally speak freely until then. I brought you a muffin from the kitchen. I made it."
"Merci." Jayce immediately relaxes and leans against Gabriel's arm. "Blueberry?"
"Of course. I know they're your favorite."
"That's very kind of you." Jayce smiles and runs his hand through this black hair. "Smells good. I didn't know you could bake."
"Yep. I'll bring you some more later, just don't let Clark find out, okay?"
"I won't."
Gabriel examines the wounds around the base of Jophiel's amethyst wings. "Are you feeling better today? These wounds still look a bit infected."
"Plus ou moins. The medicine you've been sneaking to me is working miracles. I've stopped bleeding finally."
He sighs and dabs some ointment on the bloody gashes. "You were bleeding again?"
"Especially after I sleep wrong." Jayce winces in pain.
"Does that hurt?"
"They're really sensitive."
"I'm so sorry. We will find a way to heal them. I promise. I told Clark that this was a terrible idea, but does he ever listen to me? No. He'll get what's coming for him."
"Why did you lie to Clark and tell him that you raped me?" Jayce asks. "That's kind of twisted, don't you think?"
"Because I can't risk him finding out our plan. That's what all of this is about. When I was stationed above Africa, I watched so many regimes and governments fall. Guess what was one of the primary factors in each of them? Rebellion. Someone from the inside who the leader trusted was the one person to put the knife in his back. When the time comes, you and I will be the ones with the knives. We will take Paradise for ourselves then make a new life for ourselves after we ally with the IGR."
"You still haven't told Kazimir about our plan, have you?"
"No. No one gets to know." Gabriel says as he delicately wraps gauze around Jayce's shoulders and chest to cover the wounds on his back. "That's why I have to be so mean when those cameras are on. Clark has to believe that I'm hurting you. I'm sorry, but that's just the way we have to do things until it's time to strike."
"So you'll have to keep whipping me?"
"Only enough to convince Clark."
"Don't do it so hard next time." Jayce says. "You really hurt me."
"Sorry. I tend to not think about how strong I am. Remember that if I wanted to hurt you, I could be doing a lot worse."
"True. You know, you could have told me earlier that you weren't actively trying to torture me or kill me."
Gabriel secures the bandages and hands Jayce his muffin. "I had to make it look realistic. Now I know that you're a good actor so it should get easier from here. I actually wanted to talk to you about the baby."
"Oh."
"Clark wants me to kill it, but I want to know how you feel."
Jayce picks at the blueberries on top of the muffin. "I don't know. It's weird, right? Two men shouldn't be able to have a baby. Then I have way too many fears about delivering it."
"Don't worry about that. I can surgically remove it when it has grown a bit more. What I guess I'm asking is if you want to keep it."
"And keep it hidden from Clark? How is that going to work?"
"You let me take care of that. Listen to me. The choice is yours. We can make it look like you lost the baby, but I'll take him and keep him safe." Gabriel says.
"Him?"
"It's a boy."
"I want him to live, only because he carries Jarred's DNA." Jayce says.
"That's what I thought you'd say. I have one more piece of information for you. Take my hand."
Jayce holds onto Gabriel's hand. "What is it?"
"Jarred is alive."
* * *
Doss removes his colored contacts from his eyes and tosses them in the trash as he storms through the lab. He throws his empty martini glass against the door where it shatters.
Kazimir looks up from his work and removes his safety glasses. "Um . . . are you okay?"
"Velex knows."
"Oh."
Doss cries out and punches the metal wall. "Do you hate me?"
"What's this about?"
"Velex said he was happy when he thought I was dead."
"I warned you to be careful if you ever revealed your identity to him." Kazimir says. "Velex is in a very fragile mental state right now. He got removed from his position in the military after all the abuse he took. Now he's finding out that the long-lost son he thought he had isn't his son but is instead his best friend who was supposed to be dead. That's a lot of stress to put on any person, even someone as collected as Velex." Kazimir pats the chair next to him. "Come sit with me. We'll discuss this."
Velex slowly walks into the room and he is obviously trying to ignore them.
"Velex? Axel, come here."
He growls and grumbles something under his breath as he comes over and sits next to Doss. "What?"
"Tell Doss you didn't mean those things you said." Kazimir orders.
Velex looks directly at Doss. "I meant everything. But before you freak out again, think back to what I said. Doss, you are my dearest friend and I fell apart when I watched the signals from your space fighter go blank. Then I got that call from another pilot who saw you crash. At that moment, part of myself died with you. All I meant was that . . . Doss, you act without thinking and that makes things hard on me. Come on, man. Yo
u're an adult. I shouldn't have to hold your hand and carry you through every little day to day task. That's why I said that. But listen to me." Velex reaches over and takes Doss's hand in his. "You know how I feel about you. I would do anything for you. You're my friend and so much more than just some robot. I was angry and I said things I didn't mean. It's not an excuse, but I have been dealing with so much in my life recently. Actually, I need you more now than I ever have. Doss, please forgive me and let's try to get back to the way we were before all of this happened."
Doss shakes his head and a tiny smile spreads across his lips. "I have one thing to say. Velex, you're an ass."
Velex laughs and embraces him. "I know. You can get back at me later."
"What about your wife?" Kazimir asks.
"Oh."
"Oh? That's all you've got to say? So I guess she doesn't know that you're alive?"
"No. Katarina thinks I'm dead." Doss says.
"Don't you want your wife?" Velex asks.
"I do, but I don't know how to tell her. She was flirting with me. Well, with Icarus, but that still counts as me, right?"
Velex looks around the room. "Where are Katarina and Jarred anyway?"
"They're down in the basement training." Kazimir says.
"Training for what?"
"You know how Jarred is. He has to always be prepared for combat and fighting. I think they're practicing hand to hand combat today."
"What should I do about Kat?" Doss asks. "I want to be with her. I love her, but how will she react when she finds out?"
Kazimir turns back to the robotic arm he's adjusting. "There's only one way to find out. The longer you wait, the angrier she will be when you finally do reveal yourself."
9
Doss mentally prepares himself for what is coming. Why is this making him so nervous? Katarina is his wife, after all. Surely she will be thrilled, right? But what if she's not? All of his confidence is dashed upon the cliffs of reality now as he sits here waiting for Katarina to come up from the basement with Jarred. Jarred figured out who Icarus was as soon as they met. There's no hiding things like that from a trained mercenary assassin like Jarred. But he gave Doss his word that he wouldn't tell Katarina the truth.
One of the reasons he's so nervous about this is because he sees how much his apparent death has impacted her. She's more grounded, stable, and not afraid to let her true feelings be known. If Doss suddenly comes back into her life, will she still have this newfound confidence or will she fall back into how she was before?
So now, he's doing all he can to keep his mind off of this. He found a pipe near the ceiling that could support his weight so he's doing chin-ups like a mad man. Being more or less stuck down here hasn't been very good for his normal fitness routine so he's had to make due and improvise with what he's been able to find and the techniques that Jarred has shown him. They've started to grow closer the longer they're around each other. Though, Doss knows he'll never be as muscular as that man.
"Hey."
Speaking of Mr. Muscles. Doss drops down to the floor and takes off his shirt which he wipes the sweat from his face with. "Hey, Jarred." He sees the four long scars that are still healing on Jarred's bare chest. Cain sure got him good with those claws.
Jarred gets a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "Are you going to tell her? I see you have your wings out."
"It's the right thing to do, don't you think?"
"That's entirely up to you. She's finishing up some stuff downstairs and should be coming up here soon. You'd better think about what you're gonna say."
As Doss's wings fold up so he can slip his shirt back on, he tries to formulate his plan of attack. He spreads his wings again through the slits in his shirt and leans against the wall. "Man, I don't even know."
"Don't tell me you're not happy to have your wife back. Wait until tonight. Then you'll be happy."
"Will I?"
Jarred sits at the table and opens a package of crackers. "I can't tell you what you should do, but I'll let you know what I'd do. If I could be back with my husband for one night, I would make that night the most spectacular and heartfelt night either of us had ever known. We would talk about everything and simply enjoy being back in each other's arms."
"I'll find a way to get you down to Paradise."
"So Clark and Gabriel can kill me?" Jarred asks. "No thanks."
"Wouldn't you risk anything to be back with Jayce?"
"Tell me something."
"What?" Doss asks.
"What was your initial reaction when you found out that Kat and I were exiled to Barren Void?"
"Well, my space fighter crashed into Clark's space carrier and I flew out just in time. Lucky for me, Zerachiel was still there so he helped me get away. After that, I didn't know anything until I got back to Himmel and met with Kazimir who was able to bully and threaten Dressler enough to allow me to live under an alias. If it wasn't for Kazimir, I would have probably been executed right there. I then found out about you two being declared dead. Honestly, that was the worst moment of my life, but I knew I had to continue doing all I could for the betterment of humanity."
"I know you're probably having doubts about the way Kat feels about you, but as her owner, I can tell you that she loves you. She truly does."
"I just worry because of how promiscuous she had been acting."
Jarred finishes the crackers and tosses the wrapper across the room. "She hasn't expressed any interest in or kissed any other man. Well . . . except me, but that was my fault. I kissed her."
"You? You kissed a woman?"
"It wasn't anything I want to remember. I just wanted to see if I would enjoy it. I didn't. We thought you were dead."
"Don't worry about it."
Velex joins them and pours his eighth cup of coffee for the day. "So you've decided to stop hiding your wings, Doss?"
"I guess. Axel, what if she isn't happy that I'm alive?"
"Don't even ask something like that."
"I can't do this."
Jarred stands and pushes Doss against the counter. "Dude, stop."
Velex digs in his pocket and sets a house key card on the counter next to Doss. "I have a vacation house out in the highlands that I'll let you stay in for a week. Get away from all of this for a while, discuss things, and repair anything that is broken. Think of it as the honeymoon you never had."
Footsteps approach the room in the hallway and Katarina steps into the doorway with her hair in a ponytail and sweat beading up on her pink face. "Jarred, we need to-" She stops speaking as her eyes lands on Doss's wings. Suddenly, she turns pale and collapses to the floor.
Doss runs to her and kneels down, taking her in his arms. "Kat?"
"Oh my God. Is she okay?" Velex asks.
"She fainted." Doss says as he instinctually shelters her in his wings and holds her. "Kat, wake up."
She moans a bit then her eyes flutter open. "Doss?"
"It's me."
"I am I dead?"
He smiles and pushes her bangs out of her face. "No. I'm alive. I'm here."
When it finally fully registers in her mind, she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him. "Doss!"
* * *
Jarred waves goodbye to Doss and Katarina as they go off to the highlands together. Good for them. At least Doss was able to gather enough courage to tell her. They seemed happy. That's enough of that. If he doesn't stop thinking about them being together, then he's going to start thinking about Jayce. And thinking about Jayce will only make him weak now. He has to keep moving forward with whatever his role will be in these plans and projects that the others are working on. He knows that his one wish will never come true. There's no way to get back down to Paradise and free Jayce. That's just the simple and undeniable truth. To keep his mind from devouring him, he goes down the hallway towards the beeping and soft humming of all manner of machines. He stops outside one of the rooms filled with large computer mainframes and monitors lining the walls.
>
Velex looks up and waves for him to come in. "Wanna come see what we've been working on? This mainframe is directly connected to the electrical grid for the entire planet of Himmel. From here, we can monitor how much electricity is being used by all the necessary functions and programs that keep this planet running way out here in the middle of nothing. Without this line here, we would lose the atmosphere generator and all freeze to death. Our closest star is Proxima Centauri. I don't know how much you're familiar with astronomy so I'll put this in the simplest terms. It's a red dwarf star with low light output. While we are technically within the habitable zone, due to the stellar flares and fluctuating energy output, we are still very much in danger if we lose our artificial atmosphere. Not to mention the cosmic radiation, asteroids, and everything else. If we lose this, then our gravity simulator will undoubtedly be damaged as well leading to a very unfavorable situation."
Well, those were certainly some words. But what did that all mean? "Uh huh."
"You didn't follow any of that, did you?" Velex asks.
"Sorry."
"No problem. I can teach you more about it sometime if you like. It's extremely fascinating. I was actually working on a degree in astronomy back in 1999, but then things . . . changed. Let's just say that Doss was created and Kazimir paid well."
"Gotcha."
Velex pulls up a grid on the screen. "Here. Sit next to me and I'll go over some other things."
Jarred sits in the chair next to him and reaches out to touch the monitor when everything stops. All at once, the power goes out. The lights go dark, the multitude of glowing and blinking buttons are now black, and an eerie silence falls over the building.
"Strange."
Kazimir runs into the room with a flashlight. "What did you do?"
Velex is flipping switches and testing things. "Nothing."
"Did Jarred touch that mainframe?" Kazimir asks.
"Yes, but-"
Paradise Awakened Trilogy Page 49
