by Zoey Indiana
"I just want to be a real person who can live my life. I don't want to be some baby making machine, a kept man so I will let everyone climb aboard when they want." His cheeks flamed. "I want to be my own person."
Lux stroked his knee as she spoke, "There's no point wishing for things that will never happen. Wouldn't you be happier to accept this as your role in life?" She patted his knee then pulled her hand back. "The more you fight it, the worse you make it for yourself. I understand it's not ideal, but it wouldn't be that bad. They would provide anything you want."
Except the one thing he wanted most in his life. An ache formed in his chest as he thought about what it would feel like for a woman to care about him. His life could have been different if his mother was still alive, but she died birthing him. Lux was his friend until she realized that tactic wouldn't work. Then she would return to chasing him like the rest.
"I can't do this anymore." Bash jumped up and sprinted towards where De'Nara lived. He had to get his freedom even if it meant making a bargain he would live to regret.
Chapter 2
Lay'ata Base: Freya
Freya followed the other members of Kaun'az Squad out of the briefing room. Something about this mission wasn't right, but she couldn't place it. To her knowledge, the Resistance didn't reach this far, but there were reports of recent sightings.
"Is this your first mission?" O'Paka squeaked. Ever since Freya had taken her to the Infirm, O'Paka hadn't left her side. Freya hadn't decided if she was annoying or intriguing.
"Hardly." She listened to Sha'Rah's conversation, but O'Paka interrupted again.
"I'm so nervous, what if something happens to us? Will they come and save us?" Freya shook her head. This woman had no business joining ARI, she was like a terrified bunny fleeing from a hungry wolf pack.
"They couldn't care less about us. If we all died, they'd only care about the number of reports they'd have to file."
O'Paka gasped in horror, "You're joking!"
"I'd be lying if I told you otherwise, and that's not worth the effort."
Based on the personnel file she obtained, after her mother lost her temper, she'd forced O'Paka to join. Sending her to the harshest base with no training was Brigadier General Sorasta's way of making her late blooming daughter learn how to woman up. Freya had never contemplated having a daughter and didn't remember her mother, but the other soldiers loved their mothers. Weren't mothers supposed to take care of their daughters? Proof that no one could be trusted.
An image of O'Paka lying dead on a rocky floor with her neck cut intruded into her mind. Freya stumbled from the vividness, and a quick glance showed O'Paka was unaware of the danger while she chatted to herself. There was no way this woman could protect herself.
Freya grabbed her arm and slowed their pace until the others were far enough away. "Whatever you do, do not leave my side while we are off base."
O'Paka's eyes widened as she started to tremble. "Why?"
"Nothing specific, but I can protect you if you're close." She paused not wanting to frighten her more. "Just in case fighting breaks out."
"Where did you learn to fight?" The answer to the question was something she wouldn't say. While most soldiers volunteered when they became of age, that hadn't been the case for her.
"A friend taught me when I was young."
"Why? Young girls shouldn't need to know how to fight." O'Paka's relentless questions pushed her to the verge of sanity. Why, why, why? There was a never-ending barrage of questions. By the time she lost her patience and told O'Paka she was at her daily limit they were already putting on their gear. A hover transit dropped them several kilometers from the base near the reported sightings.
The hour-long hike through rough terrain and trees was quiet aside from trail noises. It wasn't until they neared the mouth of a cave that her hair started to stand on the back of her neck. She couldn't figure out if it was something new or if they were close to the area where her vision took place. Sha'Rah headed into the cave without a word and the rest of the squad followed. If she was leading, this would be when she gave each woman a task while in an area where they were easy prey, Freya thought to herself.
Freya followed behind O'Paka into the wide opening of the cave. There were rocks and debris all around, but no traces of human traffic.
"Let's go." Sha'Rah motioned to a wide tunnel, about three women across. As they trudged through the darkness, the sounds of them moving echoed. After a short distance, they couldn't even stand side by side. Tactic wise, this was the worst idea ever.
Sha'Rah signaled a halt with her hand which was pointless. The group didn't understand the need for, nor know how to be silent. If there was anyone else in the cave system, they would hear the group coming from several meters away. This was more evidence that the soldiers at Lay'ata Base were undertrained and didn't fit in at the bases.
A shout rang as chaos broke out. Freya pushed forward to see to her left, some members from her squad were hiding behind a rock formation. Women she didn't recognize fired blasters at them from the right. Bursts of light helped illuminate the cavern from the blasts, but it was too dark for her to see more than flashes of shapes. She grabbed O'Paka, pulling her back from the fight. When she didn't react, Freya shoved her into the safety of the tunnel. The woman would get herself killed before Freya could information out of her. As her attention returned to the fighting, it snapped to a shadow towering over the others.
Light continued to flare and disappear, and Freya gasped. One attacker looked similar to an outdated photograph of a man she'd once seen. Trying to reach out to him with her telepathy, there was too much chaos to single him out. Listening to the thoughts from the women surrounding him, confirmed it was in fact a man.
With this discovery, her priorities changed. Even if she gave herself away, a man was more important to the cause than anything she could achieve as a spy. The Sovereign was responsible for men's extinction, depending on the theory, they either bio-engineered a virus to kill them off, or it was a coverup for an experiment gone wrong. No one knew for sure, but she knew finding the answer was the key to destabilizing their power.
Before she talked herself out of it, she spun the revolving chamber on her Reaper to stun instead of kill. She opened fire on her team and the unidentified women on the man's side. He dropped to the ground and Freya raced through the cavern. Despite staying low, she felt the heat from the blasters pass over her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a woman cover him and raise her weapon at Freya. Firing first, the woman collapsed. He got to his feet as Freya reached him. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him towards the tunnel behind him. When he resisted, she used telepathy to nudge him but couldn't. Trying harder, she couldn't penetrate his thoughts or read them, all she found was an impenetrable wall of static.
The wall exploded next to him and it was all the convincing needed. He turned towards Freya and his blank stare locked onto her. This time when she pulled on his arm, he didn't resist. They hurried down the tunnel until there was a split.
"Which way?" He didn't respond, so she shook his arm. "I need to know which way to go."
His eyes left her face and looked over to the right side.
"Okay, let's go."
She let him to the right side of the tunnel until they found an opening. Peering out, she looked for signs of another ambush but saw nothing.
"Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."
The man nodded and stood where she left him. After a quick look around, she found nothing and returned to the cave entrance.
"Let's go somewhere safer." She took a couple steps away from the cave but he didn't move. His face remained blank, showing signs of shock from the near death experience. Returning to him, she grabbed his arm again and led him out. The hard muscles of his arm threatened to distract her, she'd felt nothing like it before.
Freya returned to the little area she'd found while scouting. It had great cover from a fallen tree and the ground was flat and clear
from debris. If she kept them hidden for now, she would have time to decide what to do next. Since she was certain saving him had blown her cover, she could never return to Lay'ata Base. She needed to know what to do with him. Men would help fortify the Resistance, but if those women back in the cave were part of the Resistance, she needed to return him. If they found out she was the reason he went missing and their comrades were dead, they would reject her. Then she would be a spy without allegiance.
She urged him to sit, and he complied. The color was returning to his face, but he still stared off into the distance. Pulling out a small device, she clicked buttons to cycle through the programs. According to her handheld, around here was a Resistance safe house. Though the information she had on this device was a few years old, the house should still be on it. Unless there was a Resistance colony nearby, then it made no sense to have a safe house so close. Something else was going on, and she needed to figure it out.
She snuck a glance at him and her heart pounded. There was something alluring but at the same time forbidden about him. His skin was a tawny color that contrasted with the navy colored cotton shirt he wore. Long hair hung down to his shoulders, with hair on his face that went down to his neck. Wondering what it would feel like, her fingers itched to slide through it. An odd feeling in the pit of her stomach made her pause. What was that feeling and why did it seem like he caused it?
Even though he was sitting on a tree stump, he was just as tall as she was standing. Peeking at his arms, she forced herself not to react, his biceps were larger around than her thighs. Just from appearances alone, he looked like he could snap her in half. The only thing on her side was her small stature and agility, and he appeared to be a novice at fighting.
Returning her attention to the digital map, she found herself on the ground gasping for air. Fire burned through her lungs as she tried to sucked in a breathe. The man sat on her chest, pinning her arms to the ground. She shouldn't have let her guard down just because he was a man. It felt like a tree had fallen on her and she couldn't get a breath.
Pulling her left arm as close her head as his strength allowed, she used her right leg to thrust her hips up. He lost his center of gravity and went sprawling. Worked like a charm every time. Within seconds she was on top and pinned him. All of a sudden, she became aware of his hard muscles between her thighs. Sitting on his abs, they felt like solid trulium, and a fire burned in her veins. She expected him to counter the move, to fight for his life, but his lips brushed hers.
Outside Lay'ata Base: Bash
Bash couldn't believe he'd kissed her. Where had the urge come from? His entire life, women had tried to seduce or use him from the moment they saw him, but this woman had saved him. From the moment he saw her in the cavern, fighting like a mythological war goddess from the stories of ancient history, he'd gotten hard as a rock. She took his breath away, moving like a lithe predator on the hunt. For the first time, he wanted to be hunted. Her lips felt like nothing he'd experienced before. Not wanting to overpower her, he pulled back an inch. She gazed down at him and he got lost in her eyes. They were a deep rich purple and appeared almost metallic as she stared back at him.
When her lips met his, he ached in need. He raised himself into a sitting position without breaking the kiss. When she parted her lips, she tasted better than anything he'd ever dreamed. His hands drifted into her short black hair while he continued to taste her. If he died right now, he wouldn't have a single regret except not getting to know this woman more.
Mine! Reverberated through his mind as her hands caressed his chest.
Suddenly he was on his back again and she was gone. His soul cried out for her touch, and his body begged for her warmth. Calming his ragged breathing, he sat up and looked for her. She stood a few feet away with her eyes wide and fingers pressed against her lips.
"What is your name?" He needed to know.
"Freya." She really was a mythological goddess of ancient history.
"You can call me Bash." He stood up and tugged on his shirt to straighten it. "It's nice to meet you Freya."
When he looked at her again, she remained silent watching him. Looking at her face, she hid her thoughts. He wondered what she was thinking in that moment. Stepping back to reality, he couldn't forget about what led to this moment. He'd sought De'Nara to argue for his freedom, and she'd denied him. Then he'd made a deal he wasn't sure he could live with. Three women and three encounters each, that was the price of this field trip.
Now fate dropped the perfect woman into his lap, except she was the enemy. Part of the government organization charged with suppressing the people and regulating everything they did. They'd eliminated an entire gender just to have more control over the people. Thinking about it made him sick. Revolutionaries had founded the Resistance from the atrocities committed against civilians, which made him wonder about something else.
"Why did you bring me here?"
When she didn't answer he tried again.
"Why did you risk yourself to pull me out of the cavern?" If she was a loyalist, then she should have killed him. He was, according to her organization, an abomination.
"You're a man." Her simple answer didn't satisfy the question.
"So? You are from ARI, you're supposed to kill me on sight."
He invaded her personal space, but Freya didn't flinch or step back as he tried to intimidate her with his hulking size.
"Why didn't you kill me. That's why you were in the cave in the first place, wasn't it?"
She hesitated for a moment too long before she spoke. "I saved you because the patrol you were with should have never brought you this far out. It's not safe for you to be outside the perimeter."
She was lying… had to be. There was no way she could know so much about the Resistance. "What are you talking about?" He decided to play it safe and not provide any information.
Freya's head cocked to one side. "You live inside the perimeter for the Resistance camp located nearby. I didn't know they'd expanded this far."
Her cold responses sent shivers through him. She knew way too much about the Resistance. He thought about all the women and children back at the camp. They were all in danger if ARI knew where the Resistance camp was. Based on where they were in the cave system, ARI was heading straight toward them. He'd even shown Freya through the tunnels.
He was an idiot for letting a gorgeous woman distract him. Gah, what had he been thinking when he approached De'Nara? This was proof he'd been born for one purpose and that was all he was good for. A hand landing on his arm snapped him from his mental tirade. Freya's fingers jerked back, leaving his skin on fire from her touch. He looked down at her again.
"I know you won't believe this but I'm part of the Resistance as a spy." She paused, glancing away from him for a moment. "I have contacts in various other camps to prove it, but I didn't know there was one out here."
His mind whirled, a spy? He wished he could believe her, but it seemed too convenient. The Resistance was tiny compared to ARI and lacked the resources to place a spy. She had to be lying, women at the camp talked in front of him and told him inspiring stories. For years he'd heard stories of the Resistance's fight against the Sovereign. Then again, those same women lied to get what they wanted from him. The only time women spoke the truth was if it worked for them. Running his fingers through his long hair, he tugged at it in frustration. But what if she spoke the truth? She might be the key to a life outside the camp, he wouldn't be free, but with more freedom than now. Or it could be worse.
"I don't believe you." Bash turned away from her and paced. It just didn't make sense. What were the chances she would say whatever she thought he wanted to hear just to get him in bed with her? He'd surprised her, but she'd kissed him back. It was enough to make him crazy.
He stopped and turned toward her again. "Prove it."
"I already did."
"How?" He asked, unsure of how she had proven herself.
"I saved you from dying back i
n the cavern." Even as she spoke, she remained motionless.
"Bah, that doesn't count. It wasn't like they hit me or anything, you saw a man and assumed he needed saving."
"You would be dead if I hadn't moved you. The blaster fire hit the wall instead of your forehead." Freya crossed her arms as she spoke.
"They weren't that close, you just assumed that since I'm a guy, I don't know how to protect myself." His anger bubbled, how could someone so beautiful and seductive make him so angry?
"Lyr'i was crouched down behind a rock and aiming for a kill shot. If I hadn't shot her, someone I'm supposed to be protecting I might add, then you would've died. There's more than eighty percent chance I blew my cover to pull you out of there." Her face remained composed but her breasts caught his attention. Her all black bodysuit accentuated every curve she had. The long gray vest did nothing to detract from. "Hey! Look me in the face when I yell at you, I'm up here."
The shout snapped his attention, and heat rushed over his face as he realized Freya had caught him staring at her breasts. He couldn't help but wonder what she looked like underneath all the clothing
Bash cleared his throat and looked back at her vibrant purple eyes. "I'm sorry what did you say?" For the life of him, he couldn't remember. If he didn't know better, it sounded like she was growling at him.
"Look, I have to go back and check on my squad. I'll be right back then we can finish this discussion."
"Wait why? I thought you said I blew your cover?" If she was working with the Resistance she might be able to help him. She would be familiar with the cause and know what needed to be done, but she had to have more compassion the women at the camp. She'd refused his advances just a moment ago, and that had never happened before. If she didn't have the same obsession for him that Lux, Deja, and the others had, he may have a chance of changing his life.
