“Release them?”
He sensed her shifting in his periphery, but didn’t look at her. His body didn’t want to move, frozen by the tableau before him. Who could do something like this? It defied all logic, all civility. Why?
“Zee?” she said, tugging on his hand. “What did you mean by ‘release them’?”
He looked down at her, at the kind, liquid purple eyes staring up at him. He ran his hand along her silky cheek, grateful for her presence. “We need to burn them.”
She stiffened, whispering, “Won’t that bring the Thunnus to us?”
He looked away, admitting she was right. If he burned them now, the enemy would be upon them in minutes. His gut twisted with the knowledge, wanting to shove it aside, but that was why he’d left the bodies at the battle scene just days ago. He was tempted to just do the right thing by them and damn the consequences.
But he couldn’t do that to Ellie. She’d done nothing but help him. He couldn’t repay that with almost certain death.
And it would be. Alerting the enemy to their presence in such a way would bring them en masse, and neither of them would be able to hold them off, not when an entire unit of Ateles soldiers had died under their might.
He reached out his other hand and pulled her tight to his chest, tucking her head under his chin. Her delicate fingers ghosted over his back, finding the little spots where his armor met up and tickling the skin underneath.
“We can’t,” he choked out.
“I know,” she whispered. “We’ll come back for them. I promise.”
“Thank you,” he said, closing his eyes.
I’ll be back, my comrades. I promise.
Ellie held onto Zee for the longest time, eyes closed and simply breathing in his scent, a scent contaminated with the death surrounding them. It turned the moment bittersweet, but didn’t taint it. Zee needed to work through his grief, and she would be there to help him.
I promise.
Time passed, and her body started to ache from staying in one position for so long. She marked the time by the chill that seeped into her bones as the night grew deeper, colder. Even her feet were cold, the wet mud soaking her boots and turning her socks damp as well.
But she didn’t complain. She just waited. This moment, this time, was for Zee. She would wait however long he needed.
Eventually, when she felt like she would never be warm again, Zee pulled back, taking with him the only heat she had in the cold night. She almost protested, but held her tongue.
Ellie looked up at him, determined to be his rock right now. “Ready?”
He nodded, looking behind her at his unit one last time, before nodding again and walking back to the path they’d arrived by. When they reached it, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her. The small cliff reached way above her head when standing, a sheer face of mud, rocks, and roots. She grabbed at the roots, using them and him as leverage to climb up to the path.
How did I get down here without breaking something?
She grunted as she climbed, sweat beading on her skin in the chill air. Zee stood right behind her, holding her up. He pushed on her legs one moment, then her butt, then her waist once more, all depending on what she needed. With one last heave, his entire hand imprinted on her ass, she pulled herself over the ledge, rolling onto her back. Zee followed right behind her, so graceful she wanted to hurt him, but that would require getting up from her sprawl on the ground.
Zee stood tall above her, a stoic statue seemingly untouched by the world. She saw none of the pain he must be feeling. What would she feel if it were her friends down there? Cass, Victoria, and Jess popped into her head, and she repressed a shudder.
God, I hope it never comes to that…
“Now what?” Ellie whispered over Zee’s shoulder.
Zee tried to ignore her, tried to focus on the task at hand, but it was difficult. She was difficult to ignore under the best of circumstances, but his mind kept flitting back to that terrible mass grave, and the distraction she served was much appreciated.
He looked out ahead of them at the enemy camp, frowning. Now what? He didn’t have an answer to that. The visage down below had wiped his mind of all else. He couldn’t even remember what they’d been doing before Ellie drew them to that place.
Zee stared off into the distance, not really seeing the empty tents or unused vehicles.
Now what?
Ellie’s hand ghosted over his shoulder, and the tension drained from him. He turned to her, her liquid eyes soft and compassionate. She was so alien, but he never had any trouble understanding her anymore. He knew her mannerisms like he knew his own tail.
She jerked her head to the side, and he followed her through the trees, not really caring where they went, what they did.
Moments ticked by without preamble, quiet and still. Lifeless.
Like my unit…
He shook his head, striving to drive the thought from his mind.
No.
Those thoughts served no purpose, no value. They would not stop the enemies’ plans. They would not save lives.
Ellie stopped at their “campsite,” but Zee didn’t. He continued until his body came flush to her back, and his arms wrapped around her. He dropped his head, breathing in her scent, taking solace in the solid feel and warmth of her. The soft strands of her hair brushed across his cheek, and he rubbed against them, losing himself to the moment.
She gripped his hands, running her silky fingers across the backs, a gesture that almost hypnotized him. Zee simply drifted, wanting the moment to last forever. He wanted the world to disappear. He wanted their problems to disappear.
But life didn’t work that way, and he pulled back with a sigh.
Ellie turned, looking up at him, a gentle smile tilting her lips.
“We need a plan.” His thick voice cracked over the words.
She nodded, her hand twitching at her side. “Ideas?”
His mind went blank.
He had nothing.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ellie thought hard as they returned to the ship, her mind scrambling for a plan. She couldn’t rely on Zee for this. Sure, he was the soldier, but he’d been through so much. There had to be something she could do.
But what?
She’d been raised among diplomats and knew her way around negotiating, but she didn’t think talking would cut it this time. And as a cargo ship captain? More talking with a little overt posturing and threats. Again, not exactly what she needed in this instance.
She suspected if she even tried, she would get shot on the spot.
But did they have enough information to go to his people? Could they fly to the colony and warn them? Would they listen?
Her stomach twisted and sank with dread.
They entered the clearing with her ship, and she slowed their vehicle, commanding the bay doors to open with her watch. The mechanics whirred, and the shadowed depths of the cargo bay revealed themselves sliver by sliver. She stopped, waiting on the unfortunately slow sequence. Zee didn’t say a word, the silence consuming her as the doors opened fully, and she parked their vehicle in the cargo bay.
His arms slipped from her, and her gut twisted, like he was slipping away from her. She turned to face him, but he didn’t look at her.
“Zee?”
He waved her off. “I’m going to have a chat with Angus.”
She nodded, not saying anything as she threw her leg over the vehicle and dropped to the floor. A hollow feeling settled in her chest as he walked away.
Zee crossed the ship with long strides, the loud claps of sound as his feet hit the metal plates soothing him somewhat. He kept his mind blank, kept the thoughts that buzzed around his head from consuming him, but he hadn’t missed the plaintive tone to Ellie’s voice.
Hacht, he’d messed up. But what did he know about relationships? And with an alien, no less. Ellie was more than he deserved, certainly more than he could handle.
He stomped into t
he control room. “Any updates?” Beyond the seats filling the middle of the room, darkness cloaked the forest, creating shadows his eyes couldn’t pierce from the light of the ship’s interior.
Angus didn’t answer him. Somehow, the AI’s silence felt heavy.
How did he do that?
“Angus?” A hint of irritation tinged his voice.
Angus scoffed, but still kept his silence.
“Did Ellie send you the data from her recordings?”
“Now you’re concerned about Ellie?”
Zee froze as he reached the seat, his claws digging into the smooth, firm material. “What are you upset about, Angus?” And he had no doubt Angus was upset. He’d encountered enough AIs to know that a well-programmed one could mimic anything a person could do. And AIs liked to learn. They learned from databases, but they also learned from people. He’d encountered more than a few battle AIs who cursed worse than any soldier.
“Ellie’s emotional state is subpar.”
Zee froze. Angus was upset because Ellie was? He turned around, though he couldn’t see her from here. A closed door and a lot of hallway stood in his way.
Hacht, he’d definitely screwed up. “I’ll make it up to her, Angus. I promise.”
Angus scoffed again, but finally settled down. “Yes, Ellie transmitted her data to me, and I’m also currently processing the bot’s data as well.”
“How long until you’ve finished analysis?”
“No more than a few hours.”
Zee frowned, but it was certainly less time than it would take him to go through multiple streams of audiovisual data encompassing hours of surveillance. “Keep me informed. I’ll see to Ellie.”
“You do that,” Angus said, a threat in his voice.
Hacht, he’d just been threatened by an AI.
Ellie stalked across the cargo bay. She jerked her jacket off and flung it across the room, but it practically floated across the room. Not satisfying. Next, she ripped her pack off her back and tossed it at the workstation. It hit the wall above it, banging into tools that rattled but didn’t fall, then thumped against the built-in table, its straps falling haphazardly around it. Better. She scooped up a strap that fell over the edge, straightening everything and emptying the pack.
She shouldn’t be upset. Why was she upset? He’d had a rough day. He deserved a little leeway. So why did she want to hit something? She jerked the zipper closed with too much force, then put the pack back in its place on the wall.
“Ellie?” Zee said.
She turned around, gripping the table’s edge behind her. “Yes?”
Zee stared at her, something intense going on behind those dark eyes. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, shaking his head.
He crossed the cargo bay slowly, not saying a word. Ellie took in shallow breaths, her mind racing, wondering what he would do, what he would say. Why was he back here? Why had he left?
He stopped barely a foot in front of her and stared.
She held her breath, waiting, but the moment dragged on, making her want to twitch, fidget.
What is he waiting for?
The seconds multiplied, but she didn’t push him. His body heat cooked her at this distance, and her hands twitched to reach out and touch him, to hold him. She looked up, staring deep into his eyes. The more she stared, the deeper she fell, reminding her of the meditation she rarely ever did.
A few more minutes of this, and she would collapse to the floor like a batch of wet noodles…
Then he reached out, his hand coming out of nowhere, and touched her cheek, the gesture as gentle as a butterfly’s wings. They stood there for a few moments more, then he leaned in and pulled her into an embrace. Awkwardly pressed against hard armor, she stood there with her arms flat at her sides, her body pleasantly warm as he engulfed her in solid strength.
Finally, she lifted her arms, wrapping them around the small of his back, and buried her face in his chest armor, her upset completely forgotten.
She could have stayed there forever, but nothing lasted that long. Finally, he pulled back slightly, though only far enough to see her face. From shoulders down, they were still glued together. He smiled down at her.
“Angus is analyzing the data we provided. He said it will take a few hours to go through it all.”
Ellie nodded against his chest then looked up, a smirk on her face. “Whatever will we do?”
He chuckled, his smile growing to match hers. “I don’t know, but we should be comfortable doing it.”
She laughed back. “Mmm. Where can we possibly get comfortable?”
He nuzzled the top of her head, her hair brushing against his cheek. “Your bedroom has some very comfy chairs.”
Ellie nodded. “It does.” She paused, trying to suppress her laughter and probably failing. “The bed is even comfier.”
“That it is,” he said, leaning down and kissing her forehead. “Shall we?”
She nodded. “Let’s.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Damn, bowlegged had an entirely new meaning for her now. Zee had made excellent use of the last few hours.
Until Angus interrupted.
She grumbled under her breath as she dropped onto the corner of the bed, pulling a baggy shirt over her head and calling it good enough. Zee stood gloriously naked in front of the wall display in her bedroom, taking in all the information Angus had compiled. Deep in thought, his tail twitched back and forth as he scratched the back of his neck, his arm and shoulder muscles bunching as he did.
Damn.
She sighed and stood, stepping up behind him. “What is it?”
He turned to her, a smirk on his face.
Double damn. Her mind fritzed out for a moment, losing her train of thought. She cleared her throat, buying herself time to get her brain back on point.
Zee gave her a knowing look and turned back to the display. His hand froze on the back of his neck, his body canted thoughtfully toward the wall.
Ellie stepped up beside him, keeping him in her periphery and her hands to herself. “Anything we can use?”
He turned to her, his expression suddenly serious. “Oh, plenty. There’s detailed information about the planned invasion, but it won’t do us any good if we can’t contact anyone.”
Ellie looked at him. His black jaw was tense. She wanted to touch him, run a gentle hand over his face, but that wouldn’t solve their problems. She sighed. “What can we do?”
“I don’t know.”
Ellie had stopped staring at the wall hours ago. She took a shower, ate, exercised, and now stared at Zee, her eyes glazing over with boredom. He hadn’t moved. He hadn’t even gotten dressed yet, still standing naked in front of the wall. And the worst part was, he’d been doing it so long, she wasn’t even ogling him anymore.
This isn’t normal.
She bit her lip, chewing on it as she watched him. His head bobbed back and forth, going over detail after detail. She hadn’t been in the room the entire time, but she’d seen the duplicate screens more than once now. Hours had gone by, but he didn’t quit.
She’d offered him food, rest, a shower, sparring. Hell, she’d even offered him sexy times, and he just shook her off, his mind consumed with the task at hand.
She jerked, the bed shifting under her as an image of decaying bodies at the bottom of a pit popped into her head.
His unit.
Her breath stuttered in her chest as the wall screen flickered once more as Zee selected another file. Ellie blinked, the afterimage of a map burned into the backs of her eyelids. She looked at him, his still stance, the agitated twitching of his tail, the way he manically processed information as if searching for the impossible.
She stood, the comforter slipping beneath her, a corner dropping to the floor as she crossed to him. He didn’t even register her presence. His head didn’t even flinch in her direction.
“Zee,” she said softly.
He didn’t look at her.
She reac
hed out a hand, touching his cheek and pulling his face down so their eyes met. “Enough. This won’t bring them back.”
He jerked out of her hold, but didn’t look back at the wall. “What?” He looked confused.
“Your unit.” She waved her hand at the huge map. “This is not helping anyone. I know we don’t know what to do, but this isn’t it. We can do better.”
His gaze softened and awareness returned to his eyes.
He sees me.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He shook his head, his entire body turning loose as the tension melted away.
She chuckled. “Hey, it’s all right. We’ll get through this.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zee held tighter to Ellie, grateful for her presence. He looked down at her, wondering when she’d gotten dressed.
“What is it?” she asked, looking perplexed.
“Nothing. Was just wondering when you got dressed.”
“Zee, I got dressed hours ago. You’ve been in a fog in front of that wall all day.”
Had he? It hadn’t felt that long, but he’d kept hoping he would find something they could use. They needed a timeline to bring to the military. It would allow them to act. Without it, even with all the data they’d been collecting, they would be flying blind.
“I guess I should get dressed, huh?” He smiled self-deprecatingly.
“Just maybe,” she said, pushing away from him.
He crossed the room, finding his base layer and armor on the other side of the bed. He pulled each item on, only taking his gaze away from Ellie for moments at a time. She sat on the edge of the red bed covering and leaned back on her hands.
Mostly clothed, he sat down next to her to pull on his boots. She leaned into his shoulder, the slight weight comforting. He took a deep breath. “We need to know the timeline.”
She sighed and hunched over. “I was afraid you’d say that.” She looked at him while leaning on her forearms, hands dangling between her knees. Her expression was a little defeated as she spoke. “We’ve already gone out there several times. What are the chances we’ll find it this time? Wouldn’t it be better to come forward with the information we do have? Isn’t something better than nothing?”
Shifting Cargo (A Shift in Space Book 1) Page 13
