"To find a cure for the virus." Aimee speculated.
"To find a cure for the virus so that they can once again go home."
"But," she hesitated, "that is not your home."
This time the silence between them was heavy.
"My home was destroyed," he declared quietly. "I cannot go back there yet. If I cannot rebuild my home, then at least I can help to reconstruct the home of the people who saved me."
So many questions roiled through Aimee's head. She yearned to know more about this intense man. But a funny sweet smell filled the chamber and she sneezed.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes." She sneezed again. "I smell...honeysuckle?"
"I'm not sure what honeysuckle is. I don't think we have a sample in the atrium. You didn't happen to bring any with you, did you?"
Aimee thought of the big bushes with tiny yellow flowers that constantly needed to be trimmed along their driveway. "No. I didn't."
"The Bordran gasses have started. Their oxygen supports mecaws. Humans. But the oxygen has a very sweet smell to it. It's just possible it could make you sick. Look down at your suit. Is everything okay?"
Aimee glanced down at her stomach which remained blissfully wrapped in silver. She ran a cursory check over all the other major organs and there wasn't even a faint shade of pink to be found.
"All clear here." Hah, she sounded like a co-pilot.
"Alright, are you secure?"
The eggshell curled around her as she tested the resistance of the walls and found them to be very rigid. If she allowed herself, she might start to panic at the inability to break out of its confines, but she had faith in Zak. She was able to lean forward enough to stare at the nearly blinding green veil. There was no way to discern a planet beneath the vibrant stratum. Distracted, Aimee wondered if Zak wore sunglasses when he passed through here. She was going to ask, but the terra angel bucked under her feet and she yelped.
"Is everything okay up there?" she called out.
"Yes. We'll be through it shortly. Hold on."
There wasn't much to hold on to other than the rim of the seat beneath her. The glow outside was so distracting that Aimee tucked herself back inside her shell and squeezed her eyes shut, counting the relentless shudders as if they were thunderclaps.
"Gayat!"
She recognized Zak's curse. Maybe it meant, dammit. Whatever it was, it didn't bode well.
Before she could even ask what was wrong, the craft shuddered. It felt like they had been hit by a truck. Unable to lean forward, inertia plied her back against her seat.
Aimee struggled to right herself, prepared to ask if this was normal when another collision shook the terra angel. Were it not for her little cocoon, she would have been flung against the wall.
“Zak! Is this normal?”
Another thunderous impact and now the spacecraft started to rock—a dreadful wobble of instability—an sign that the pilot had lost control. Aimee caught a glimpse of her suit. The patch around her stomach glowed yellow. Yeah, like she needed the suit to tell her that she felt like throwing up.
She tried to call out to Zak, but the cadence of explosions drowned out her voice. Finally she could hear him over the clamor.
"Aimee, brace yourself. We're going to crash."
Crash?
There was no chance to respond. The ship vibrated so severely that her jaw jiggled in its sockets. She tucked her knees up inside the egg shell, praying this little alcove would protect her. Somehow she felt safer knowing that she was facing the opposite direction of the nose of the craft, but Zak—
It was her last thought.
Chapter Nine
Someone was calling her. It was a male voice. Her Dad? Had she overslept?
"Aimee?"
Normally she could smell him. Her father wore an aftershave that alerted you ten feet in advance that he was coming. She wrinkled her nose but only smelled smoke. Smoke!
Her eyes flew open and were besieged by orbs of gold. She blinked away the sting of smoke and gulped in air as the trauma kicked in.
"Zak!"
His glance trace down the length of her body and back up again.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was hoarse.
Her elbow throbbed, but she doubted that would register on the suit.
"No. I don't think so." She stared at the man crouched down in front of her. "Are you?" she volleyed.
"No." He rose, using the outside of her shell for support.
Aimee stared at his chest. It was broad and rose and fell on troubled breaths, but the fabric remained a solid onyx shield.
"What happened?" She poked her legs out of the seat's confines.
Zak stepped back to give her some space. His dark hair was mussed and there was a smudge of blood at the top of his right temple.
"Oh my God. You are hurt!" she cried.
When she would have reached for that wound, he held a hand up, deterring her. "I'm fine," he stated. "It's just a scratch. We were very lucky, but we can't stay here. We have to leave the ship."
"Oh God, are you afraid it's going to blow up?"
"No," Zak stooped to peer out the window, but a veil of smoke obscured the view. "I'm afraid whoever shot us down will finish what they started."
* * *
Red splotches of panic flooded Aimee's cheeks.
Zak used his shoulder to shove open the outside panel. With all the fancy mechanical bells and whistles this little space ship had—in the end it came down to elbow grease to exit it.
Zak craned his head and looked in each direction before turning back towards her. "It looks clear. Let's go."
Fear kept her rooted. This stupid little egg made her feel protected. Zak must have read her panic. His expression eased...slightly. He held his hand out.
"Come on, Aimee. It will be okay."
False assurances, she thought, but she reached for that hand. The grip was confident. She linked her fingers with his and felt the impetus as he tugged her from her seat.
Zak stepped down onto the surface, but for her it was a leap. She hit the ground and felt the suction of the terrain as she sunk into mud. Not much was visible because the smoke still stung her eyes. Careless of whether it was awkward or not, she clung to Zak's hand for all she was worth. She was not going to lose this man.
"There is a patch of trees only a few centrams—I mean, yards away," he whispered.
Aimee squinted, but could distinguish nothing in the pervasive fog.
"If you say so."
She felt the tug of his hand and followed his heels as she trained her gaze on the strange turf.
Jogging a short distance, they entered a thicket of trees that resembled cactuses with pale yellow spikes. On such a fertile planet, how ironic to find a species associated with drought. There was no relationship between these gigantic trunks and the spiny cacti from home. When she tipped her head back, these trees were as tall as her eyes could see. Smoke still seeped in between the lofty limbs and somewhere atop that vaporous umbrella was a dark sky. It wasn’t the blanket of night. More like the rich mauve shade of pre-dawn. A dawn with no visible stars.
It was warm too. Humid. It felt like a jungle. A jungle with cactus trees.
What was she expecting from her first foreign planet?
Zak let go of her hand. She panicked again and sought him out in the shadows.
"Was there an explosion? I didn't see any fire when we jumped out of the ship, but there's so much smoke...."
Zak scanned their environment. His gaze was keen, his demeanor alert. She just now noticed the weapon in his other hand.
"It's not smoke. These are the indigenous gasses of Bordran. It is why we had to land here instead of using the ray."
"Who shot us down?" Her voice wobbled.
Zak executed a slow rotation with his weapon extended. It might resemble a gun, but she had no doubt that it fired something other than bullets.
"I'm not sure," he kept his voice low. "They told me that th
e last time we visited Bordran it was primarily uninhabited. It's always dark, and not the most hospitable environment for mecaws, but I'm sure some nomadic culture decided to make it their home."
Aimee shivered despite the heat. She pictured a giant purple Cyclops with fangs, and the talons of a hawk.
"What about Zari? Are we stranded here? How will we get back?"
Zak stepped deeper into the thicket. She could hear the suction of the wet ground tugging at his feet. She fell in close behind him.
"I can fix Zari," he tossed over his shoulder, "but whoever shot us down probably knows where the ship crashed so they will be here soon. Chances are they are just scavengers. We don't have to worry about it being the Korons at least."
Right. The Korons hated water. And this place was one giant, murky swamp.
"So what is the plan?" she asked.
"We find a secure refuge and wait them out."
"What if they scavenge the ship?"
"Then—" Zak turned around. His expression was as menacing as this perpetual twilight. "I'll have to kill them."
"Oh." Aimee gulped.
"Or disable them," he hedged. "Whatever it takes to get us back in that TA and on our way." He turned away, leaving her to contemplate the man she was stranded with. Was he dangerous? Of course he was dangerous. He was a Warrior. This was his job. But was she in danger with him?
"This looks good." His husky tone invaded her thoughts.
As they tramped deeper into the jungle of tall cactuses, a new crop of fauna appeared. Thick ivy vines wrapped around the trunks of the trees in an attempt to scale their way to the tops. The ivy was so pervasive that what Zak was calling her attentions towards was an alcove formed beneath a mesh of the writhing creepers.
"You first." His attempt at a smile was weak.
Aimee looked into the lair of shadows and then tipped her head back to peer up at the trees. For a moment she was reminded of the woods on the other side of the pond. Her fear of that forest had come to fruition.
With one more uneasy glance into that thicket of shadows, she tensed at the sound of someone, or something plodding through the mud. Over her shoulder her eyes connected with Zak’s. Danger flashed there, and when he nudged her, she dove into the cave. He followed, and his tall frame eclipsed her view of the outside. Urging her deeper into the shelter, Zak crowded her into the pit that smelled of mud and seaweed. Her hands fell flat onto the mucky surface as she crept deeper inside.
Zak pressed back against her, using his body as a shield, his black suit diffusing the glare of her silver one. With the touch of his hand on her thigh he indicated for her to remain still. She didn't need the warning. Except for the quivers of fear, she remained motionless. Attentive. Listening. Afraid to breathe.
The footfalls approached. Whatever it was, there was more than one of it. Or maybe it was a sumpum and had six feet. God, she hoped it was a sumpum.
Aimee noticed Zak's arm shift and saw the flash of his gun in the limited light.
Then I'll kill them.
The emotionless way he had uttered that. What type of life did this man lead?
Zak swiveled on his heels and leaned in close. Close enough that she felt his breath against her cheek and then the slight touch of his lips against her ear. A blanket of goosebumps showered over her body.
"I am going out there," he whispered up tight against her ear so that no one else could hear.
"No!" she had to choke on the word so that she didn't shout. Instead she shook her head vehemently. Again his lips brushed her ear.
"It sounds like there are only two of them. I like my chances, but you cannot move. Do you hear me? Don't try anything crazy, Aimee. Please stay here."
Don't try anything crazy, like climb into his ship and pretend that you're going to fly it back to Earth.
She nodded, and her fingers clawed into the mud.
Zak shifted, and then with one surge his black form melted into the shadows.
Never before had she felt so alone. Fear took on a whole new meaning. What did she have to fear back home? College? Worrying how she would fit in, or whether she would get good grades? Wondering how she was going to help her parents pay for tuition. Fearing that Ziggy was getting old and would die soon.
Here in this hollowed-out crop of vines, with her only link to reality—her only source of protection now swallowed by the night. In this black realm, she waited for death to come at the hands of a creature the likes of which a human had never seen.
Here, she knew fear.
Aimee tensed at the sound of a skirmish. Curiosity clawed at her insides, but terror overruled it and made her shrink back even further. Curse this damn silver suit. She might as well have strapped on a few neon signs while she was at it.
A strange sound ensued. Something electric—like kinetic energy—or a sparkler. A loud thump was heard as the moist ground beneath her palms vibrated.
“Aimee.”
Zak.
Relief welled into tears, but she blinked them back and crawled towards his voice.
“It’s okay, Aimee. They are—” he hesitated, “they are not a problem anymore.”
Still hesitant, she stuck her head out and couldn’t locate him.
“Zak?”
“Right here.”
He was directly in front of her, but dressed in black and standing before a cactus, he blended with the tree itself.
“Wh—what happened?” she stammered.
Zak tipped his head to direct her glance. Oh! Well, it wasn’t a purple Cyclops. As best she could tell in the dark, it looked like two jolly green giants. Not giants, but judging from their reclined position, they were about seven or eight feet tall. They had humanistic features. Their skin was the color of the algae that rimmed the pond in her back yard. They wore suits—or armor of intricately woven shrubbery. You wouldn’t think a leaf could offer much in the form of protection, but the density of this weave of vegetation seemed impenetrable. Well, not so impenetrable. They lay on the ground and Zak stood above them, his chest heaving slightly.
“Are they dead?” she whispered.
Turmoil lingered in Zak’s eyes. “I’m not sure. I’ve never seen this race before. They must thrive off the flora on this planet. I don’t want to chance that they undergo any sort of photosynthesis or such.”
“So what is your plan then?”
“We’re going to tie them up as a precaution, and we’re going to have to wait it out and see if others come. I need time in that ship—” He glanced up at the tree tops. “—and I need light.”
“What are we going to do until then?” Her voice pitched.
“Shhh.” Zak scanned the woods, the gun still secured in his grip. “There’s not much of a choice. We hide out for the night in this cave. If it is still quiet by morning, then I can work on the TA.”
“We’re spending the night in there?” she squeaked.
“We need to stay near the ship in case others come, but we can’t stay in the ship in case others come.”
Translation was that Zak did not want them to sit vulnerably inside the terra angel. He wanted the advantage of being outside in case any giant green men showed up.
Aimee stared at that black alcove with dismay. She wrapped her arms around her. The onslaught of night was very subtle because it had been dark on this planet to begin with. But now that the temperature was falling, the nagging chills of fear wormed into her limbs.
“Can you help me with this?”
“Huh?” She was distracted—still staring at that darkened lair.
“Can you help me tie them?”
Zak had crouched down beside the giants and was using belts from their uniforms to bind their arms and legs. The belts were like gnarled tree roots. Aimee stooped beside him and caught a strong whiff of vegetation. She wrapped the root around one of the giants’ ankles, worried that the creature would kick her. The feet were large and swathed in tree bark and the legs looked like hard-packed green clay. These green giant
s were a manifestation of the jungle itself. A gangly succession of limbs and leaves hell bent on making her life miserable.
Aimee twisted the cord around three more times and secured it as best she could with a knot. Zak joined her and gave a hefty jerk to the end of the loop for good measure. He retrieved his laser and stood up, surveying the area with the keenness of a trained predator. Poised for attack, his rigid stance made Aimee all the more paranoid.
“Okay, it’s time.” He nodded at the cave.
She gave him her best plaintive look, but he just shook his head.
With one final glance at the inert giants, Aimee got down on all fours and crawled into the black chasm. Zak fell in behind her, prompting her to scoot in as far as she could go. She settled against a meshed wall of roots and vines, grateful to find solid ground to sit on. The smell of mud pervaded the niche.
Aimee felt Zak's leg stretch out next to hers and was glad for that contact.
“You’re hungry.”
“What? No, I’m not hungry at all.”
“Yes you are,” he said quietly. “Your suit.”
Aimee glanced down. In the darkness she could see a faint yellow glow emanating from her abdomen. Great, her stomach was a damn night light.
It had not lit up because she was hungry, though. It was the contact with his thigh that set her on edge.
“Your suit.” She shifted the balance. “Why is it black?”
Zak remained silent. She thought maybe he had heard something outside so she held her breath.
“I have a different chromosomal makeup than the people of Anthum.”
No kidding. The passengers on the Horus all were fair in color, but Zak—Zak definitely had a unique genetic makeup.
“But you said that you’re susceptible to the virus too?”
“So they tell me.”
She could feel his shrug against her shoulder.
Aimee hesitated. The dark emboldened her. “Zak,” she paused. “How did you end up on the Horus? Did the virus strike your family?”
He did not respond.
She had gone too far. Not only was it none of her business, but she sensed that whatever happened to strand Zak on the Horus was traumatic. She wondered how old he had been, but there was no chance she was going to ask.
Beyond : Series Bundle (9781311505637) Page 11
