Adam (13 page)

“I’m amazed that while working as a soldier, risking your life, you also ran the underground cyborg freedom group.”

“I’m great at multitasking.”

The source of her giggles wasn’t immediately clear. “And here I thought you were just a pretty face.”

“Now who’s showing sexism?” He pretended affront just to hear her giggle some more.

They need a moment of levity because, in just minutes, they would discover if the rendezvous point was compromised.

All seemed quiet on the downtown side street lined with duplexes, stucco, and brick-faced townhomes. A quick catalogue of vehicles and license plates matched previous sweeps of the area with the exception of two, neither of which showed any signs of electronic activity or life. He parked a few blocks away just in case.

As he stepped from the sedan, he continuously scanned around him, alert for anything out of place, ears attuned to any scrape of a shoe or a hushed whisper.

Everything remained quiet.

With one hand in the middle of Laura’s back, he guided her while his other hand dangled at his side, ready to grab his weapon at the slightest sign of conflict. Like an ordinary couple, out for a late night walk, they strolled casually toward the safe house.

At least he strolled casually. By his side, Laura was visibly nervous, eyes darting around, body tense and ready for flight.

“Relax. Act natural,” he murmured.

“Exactly what is natural when you’re expecting at any moment for guys dressed in combat gear to pop out of an alley and start shooting?” Sarcastically said but, at the same time, just hissing her query did ease some of her rigidity.

“I guess telling you to pull up your panties and to stop acting like a princess at her first ball won’t help?”

“If I pull this thong up any higher, it will need medical extraction,” she grumbled.

His laughter echoed loudly and yet, despite the mirth, drew no attention. “Never fear, Doc. If your thong requires removal, then I am more than happy to offer my services.”

He didn’t need to turn his head to know she probably blushed.

Before the door of a nondescript brownstone, he stopped them. The home itself didn’t look different than any of the others. A slim multi-level townhouse squashed between two others, whose only difference was the address posted above its peeling paint frame.

“Ready to see who awaits behind door number seven thirty-two?” he asked.

“Not really, but I guess we don’t have a choice.”

Adam knocked briskly. Three sharp raps, to which he added a tiny mental probe.
We’re here. Anybody home?

When the reply came, only his iron control kept him from reacting. Someone was home, but it seemed only part of the gang had made it. And as for his cy-cave? Nothing remained of it at all. Sob.

“They blew my house up?”

Poor Adam. He sounded so incredulous. Having one’s home taken away, and so violently, had to suck. But of worse import than the loss of his property was other news.

A petite Latina, smelling strongly of smoke, gave her report in a raspy voice. “I never even saw it coming. The bastards dropped a bloody bomb on the place. A bomb, for fuck’s sake.”

“Who dropped it?” Adam asked.

“The fucking military, who else?” snapped Anastasia. Pointing a remote at a television bolted to a living room wall—a room, which mind-boggling enough, featured faded velour couches with crocheted afghans slung over the backs—she raised the sound on the newscast that showed a video of billowing clouds of smoke.

“…the press release from the military states it was an unfortunate accident. One of their jets on route to the nearby training base had a faulty catch release, dropping the deadly missile on a house in this quiet suburban neighborhood. Residents are visibly shaken. While a few houses sustained damage in the blast, only one has been completely razed to the ground. Ironically enough, the home belonged to Corporal Adam Robinson of the US military. It is unknown at this time if the corporal was home. Investigators will have to wait until the ruins cool down before sifting for human remains. This devastating calamity comes on the heels of two other catastrophic events. The massive fire and explosion in a downtown condo complex, which has resulted in several fatalities, plus the fiery crash of an as-yet-unidentified helicopter. It has many wondering if our city is being targeted by terrorists, or worse.”

With a click of a button, Anastasia muted the television. “I’d say that confirms it. Your cover is blown.”

“Blown to splinters,” he muttered. “But everyone made it out?”

Seth shook his head. “Not quite. Avion’s missing.”

“Dead?”

“Maybe.” The Latina met his gaze, clearly upset but trying not to show weakness. It would ruin the tough persona she tried to exude. “We only had seconds after my sensors caught the falling missile. We ran for the emergency tunnel. I had Avion in front of me so I could protect him from the blast. I stopped for just a moment at the second to last security portal. I was hoping if I closed it, that it would prove dense enough to give us protection from the impact.” She grimaced. “I should have kept running. Damn thing blew off its hinges and flattened me. By the time I extricated myself and crept from the remains of the tunnel, I couldn’t find Avion. And I didn’t dare remain, not with all the cops running around the place.”

“Any sign of the military?”

She shook her head. “No. But when I logged into our forum, there was a message from Talpa.”

“Impossible,” Laura exclaimed. “I haven’t sent anything.”

Sharp gazes turned her way, and Laura clamped her lips, suddenly unsure of what to say.

“We’ll explain later,” Adam said. “What did the message say, Rosalind?”

“Your broken plane is in custody.”

“Broken plane? How is that a clue?” Laura couldn’t help but muse aloud.

Anastasia had the reply. “Avion is French for airplane. He chose that as his new name because he compared his liberation to being able to soar again. In his past human life, and when under mental occupation, he was a fighter pilot. One of the best, I might add.”

“So what are we going to do about his capture? We can’t leave him in their hands,” Seth declared.

“Bad odds or not, no way are we letting Avion remain in their clutches. I think it’s a safe bet to assume they’re expecting us to mount a rescue. So we’ll have to move fast then and see if we can catch them off guard.”

Busy tapping away at a laptop balanced on her lap, Rosalind didn’t even look up as she said, “Given I already have a backdoor tap into their network, I’ll do what I can to take systems offline. The more chaos, the merrier.”

“I already took stock of our supplies here and am pleased to announce there are ample guns, ammo, and explosives, enough to start a minor war.”

“You have all that?”

He shot her a grin. “I believe in being prepared because a cyborg never knows when he’ll have to start a revolution.

“What about transportation?” Seth asked.

Adam looked to Rosalind. “Does this safe house have something parked in the garage?”

“No.”

“I thought all these places were supposed to have some kind of transportation.”

“We do. Usually. That SUV got loaned out to the cyber unit we rescued a few weeks back who headed south to check out rumors of a cyborg resistance group living in the desert. But now that we’ve piled you with bad news, time for some good. I forgot to tell you that I had your Charger sent in a few days ago to have the nitro system topped up, so guess what I’ve got sitting out back.”

Kids lit up when they entered a candy store. Adam lit up at the mention of a car. “My cy-car made it?”

Laura leaned over to Anastasia and whispered, “What the heck is a cy-car?”

The blonde snickered. “It’s Adam’s version of the Batmobile. A black Dodge Charger with enough modifications to make not just Batman jealous but also to give every guy with an ounce of testosterone in his body a boner.”

Given the way Seth’s eyes brightened as Adam told him about the modifications—spikes that could project from the wheel hubs, rockets strapped to the undercarriage, bulletproof windows and body, turbo-powered engine, flame-resistant paint—Adam wasn’t the only one who loved the car. Even without seeing it, Seth was halfway there.

“If you fellows are done drooling over Adam’s toy, can we get back to planning the rescue?”

“What’s left to plan? We go in. Kick some ass. Save Avion. Get out.”

Anastasia rolled her eyes. “Only a male would make it sound so simple. Okay, smart ass, let’s say it does work out and we get in and out intact. Have you thought about what happens after that?”

Adam rubbed his chin. “I guess going home is out of the question now that my cover is blown. I guess we don’t have many options. What other safe houses do we have left?”

“After today, probably none. We’re even taking a chance just being here,” Rosalind replied. “We can’t be sure just how deep into our secrets they’ve penetrated.”

“Or so we assume. We’ll play it safe them. We’ll disband the liberation group and lie low for a while.”

“You need to do more than lie low,” Anastasia growled. “They know your face. You can’t stay here. I wouldn’t recommend Rosalind does either. Murray, your human pilot, is already out of the country with a new identity. Face it, Adam. Your liberation days are done.”

Cyborg or not, anyone could see the emotional struggle on his face. “Done? But what of our brethren still on the planet?”

“They’ll need to make a choice. Either take their chances on Earth or head for space. And that includes you. It’s time you left before you end up as a piece of scrap metal or, worse, as one of the experiments in a lab somewhere.”

“Leave?” Adam’s eyes widened. “But if I leave, how will I help those still being held prisoner?”

This time Laura stepped in. “I don’t know about your intel, but given I’ve not heard rumor of any cyborgs in the last twelve months other than the one that might be prisoner at the factory, I’d say it’s perhaps time to concede you’ve done all you can on Earth. It’s been long enough that any who remain obviously know how to hide themselves. Perhaps it’s time you focused your energy on helping those who’ve escaped remain free and build themselves new lives.”

“And what about you?” He asked the question to Laura directly.

“What about me?”

“You can’t stay either.”

She’d honestly not thought that far ahead. She’d not been thinking at all. Even while they planned an assault to rescue this Avion fellow, it had never occurred to her what her role would be in the upcoming battle. “Where will I go?” she mused aloud, the sudden bleakness of her future not encouraging.

It was the Latina who answered. “Oh, please. You’re coming with us. And before you argue, anyone can tell you’ve got the hots for each other. Where Adam goes, you go. So if he’s going off-planet, then pack your bags, honey, because you’re going too.”

“But I’m not cyborg.”

“And?” The word emerged almost in synchronicity from all those present.

“What will I do?”

Adam shot her a smile. “Do? That’s easy. For one, keep on with what you’re doing now, but with fewer secrets. You’ve already been studying the nanotechnology with your hands tied behind your back. If you come with us, you could continue to do so but with live volunteers to give you samples and answer questions.”

Exciting for the researcher in her, and yet the woman, one who’d recently made love to a certain male, couldn’t help but feel disappointed that Adam didn’t give her a better reason. A more emotional one. Foolish, given they both worked on rationality. Still though…

“It’s settled then. You’re coming with us. Just not on the mission. Laura, you’ll stay here with Rosalind and help her prepare for our probably hasty departure. Given we’re going to have to get our asses out of there pronto, I need you both ready to move as soon as we grab Avion and get out. Rosalind, do we have any friendly ships in the area that would be willing to move some hot cargo?”

“Not that I know of offhand. But I’ve already started putting out some feelers. Worst-case scenario, I’ll commandeer the computer on one.”

“What’s our timeline?” Seth asked.

“As short as possible. We don’t want to give them too much time to call in reinforcements. How long do you need, Rosalind?” Adam asked.

“I’ll need at least an hour or more to plant my virus bombs in their network to bring their system down. Maybe more to coordinate a vessel for our escape.”

“All right, folks, we’ve got thirty minutes to get ready. I intend to use that time to get cleaned up and into some fresh gear. Beep me if you need my input.”

Apparently, Adam couldn’t get clean on his own. Before Laura could protest, he’d dragged her into a bathroom stuck in the eighties. Pink tile, faux marble countertop with the chrome on the tap starting to rust. The best feature of the space, other than its cleanliness, was the hot water that poured out of the sputtering showerhead.

Was it her or was getting naked at a time like this foolish? “Should we really be taking a shower? What if we’re attacked?”

Rolling a muscled shoulder, his shirt already shed, Adam laughed. “Then we’ll at least be clean.”

“You know, if this were a scene in a movie or a book, the audience would be screaming at us and calling us idiots.”

“Women might. Men, on the other hand, would be cheering because things are about to get naked and steamy.”

“Says who?”

“Says me. Strip, Doc.”

“Giving me orders now, are you?”

“Damned straight. I am, after all, the resistance leader. And I say resistance against what I plan is futile.”

“That has to be the cheesiest seduction line I’ve ever had the misfortune to hear.”

“Maybe, and yet you’re getting naked.”

Indeed she was because, foolish or not, if this was her last chance to catch a glimpse of nirvana, then she was taking it. In a few hours, she could be dead. Rather than dwell on that dire thought, why not lose herself in a moment of pleasure?

“I smell like dead fish.” And sex. An interesting combination that surely everyone had noted. The retrospect had the ability to make her cheeks warm. It also hastened her stripping so she could step into the hot water.

Ah. Pure bliss. She tilted her face into the hot spray, unheeding of the fact that she had perhaps only hours to live. Heck, it could be minutes. Adam was right. This was worth the time. Especially when he joined her, his body crowding in behind, his heated skin brushing against her and awakening all her nerve endings.

The scientist in her vaguely wondered if his heritage was why she felt such an electric tingle when they touched. The woman in her knew better.
It’s because we’re made for each other.
Flights of fancy didn’t usually strike her often, but in this case, she couldn’t help it.

Scoffing at the notion of instant attraction didn’t make her immune. On the contrary, her emotions, when it came to Adam, threatened to overwhelm. It almost panicked her. How could she have come to care for him in such a quick time? It made no logical sense. And yet, she wouldn’t exchange this crazy, feverish rollercoaster of feelings for anything.

Turning, she pressed her face against his solid chest, seeking the solidity of his body, needing to get closer. Despite not saying anything, he seemed to sense her need for reassurance.

“Everything will be all right,” he said as he hugged her tight.

“How can you be sure? The odds are against us. You could die.”

“Could isn’t a word I like to use. And as for die? Not today. Not tomorrow. Not for a long time. Especially not now that I’ve found a reason to truly live.” He tilted her chin until she faced him. “Once this mission is over, I’m coming for you, and we’re getting off this rock.”

“To go where?”

“Anywhere. The galaxy is ours.”

Ours. How she liked the sound of that. “You want me with you?” Yes, she asked. Had to. Before he’d spoken of taking her to keep her safe, but now, he spoke as if there was more to it than that. Like he…wanted her with him.