Finn: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 10) (12 page)

“Two beautiful ladies talking about sex. My day is looking pretty darn good.”

The deep voice behind them made Cam straighten like she’d been slapped. She rolled her eyes. “What did I do to deserve this?”

Lia looked up and saw Hemi Rahia from Squad Three.
Wow
. The man was certainly a sight to behold. The berserker looked like he’d just come from the gym, and was only wearing cargo pants, and a towel around his neck. He was a big bear of a man. His thick, barrel chest was bare, and all his muscles and tattoos were on display.
A lot
of muscles and tattoos.

The way the man looked at Cam’s bare legs…well, the raw, hungry look almost made Lia blush and want to look away.

“I’ve got to go.” Lia leaned in close to Cam. “I hope you listen to your own advice, Cam.”

Lia pulled her shirt over her head and walked out of the pool room to the sounds of Cam and Hemi arguing behind her.

She needed to find Finn. Even if she couldn’t find the right words to say to him, she wanted to be with him before this mission.

She hurried down the hall, and when she turned a corner, she collided with a hard chest.

Finn.
She looked up at him, her heart thumping. “I was coming to look for you.”

“I’ve been looking for you, too.”

***

Finn thought Lia looked cute, with her wet hair out and the hint of her swimsuit beneath her shirt. But he only had to look at her tight face to know the weight of the situation was dragging on her.

“Come with me.” He grabbed her hand and towed her down the corridor.

“Finn. I wanted to—”

“Shh. Not yet.”

The Enclave was starting to wake. A few people were heading out to the dining room for breakfast, others on their way to the gym and the pool. Finn made sure he dodged around them all and didn’t stop to chat. As soon as he found the exit he wanted, he urged Lia up the ladder.

“We’re going outside?” She started climbing, but looked back down at him. “We aren’t allowed outside. What if—”

“I’ve cleared it with the squad on patrol.” At the top of the ladder, he reached past her and pressed the correct code to open the hatch.

Together, they climbed out into the cool morning air. It was still dark, but the eastern horizon was starting to lighten.

He pulled her over to a spot he’d already selected. It was a soft patch of grass on a small rise, under a single tree.

He sat down and pulled her down between his legs. He tugged her back until she rested against his chest.

She turned to face him. “I’m sorry about my reaction earlier.” She cupped his cheek in her hand. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

He couldn’t lie to himself or her. He had been hurt. But her apology and the look in her eyes went a long way to soothing it.

Turning her palm over, he pressed his hand over hers. “I’m yours, Lia. Whatever happens when we leave on the mission.”

He heard her shaky intake of breath. “Finn.”

“Shh. Look.” He turned her.

The sun was rising. It wasn’t a gentle sunrise, but instead, a violent blast of colors: pinks, oranges, golds and reds. Together they watched as the light of the waking day stretched out across the sky. It made her skin glow, and soon he was watching the beauty of her, not the sunrise.

She was with him. That was enough for now. She had to work through her own emotions, but Finn knew she was his.

“It’s beautiful.” She spun and pressed her mouth to his.

The kiss started soft, but it didn’t stay that way. Desire trickled in, hot and hard.

“I want you.” Lia pressed harder against him, biting down on his bottom lip. “Now. Inside me.”

“Not here, sweetheart.” It wasn’t safe. He pulled her up and they hurried back inside. But they’d only made it a few steps down the empty corridor, when they were tearing at each other’s clothes again. They slammed together, mouths and hands all over each other.

Finn spun her around and pressed her against the wall. “My room is the closest.”

Her hands were tearing at his belt. “Too far. Now. Now.” Her voice was a chant.

Damn, he couldn’t wait, either. His mind fuzzed over with desire. The hall was empty, and it was a little-used side corridor. With a growl, he made short work of flicking open his fly. He boosted her up, and reached under the towel wrapped around her waist. He found the damp, stretchy fabric of her swimsuit, and shoved it aside. A second later, he slid inside her.

She moaned. He grabbed her wrists and pressed them to the wall above her head. Holding them with one hand, he cupped her butt with the other. Slowly, he moved inside her. In, drag out, push back in. Their gazes locked, and he saw so much simmering in her eyes.

Yes, for now, this was enough. This was worth everything.

He moved his hips faster, slamming into her. He felt her body go tight and clamp down on him. They both found their release, and he swallowed her cry with his lips.

Throughout the day, they were never far from each other. They slept together, ate together, planned their mission together, and spent several hours making love—in Finn’s bed, in the shower, on the floor.

But all too soon, Finn was pulling on his combat flight suit and watching Lia do the same.

Her face was grim now. The sweetness and happiness of the day had leached away. Soon, they were going to head to the hangar and board the Hawk. Neither of them mentioned it, but the pressure surrounding today’s mission was intense.

When they stepped into the hangar, it felt strange for Finn not to be the one doing the flight checks on the Hawk. He saw his fellow pilot, Thom, checking over the outside of the copter. Hell Squad stood beside the quadcopter—all of them in their black armor, and holding their carbines in their hands. Finn had never seen a tougher or more competent group than this squad of soldiers.

Marcus lifted his chin. “Ready?”

Finn nodded. “Let’s do this.”

“Hope you guys have room for a couple of passengers.”

They all turned to see Devlin Gray striding in, decked out in armor. Taylor from Squad Nine was two steps behind him. She was holding her carbine, her mahogany hair pulled back in a tight ponytail.

“Need a lift?” Finn asked.

Dev nodded. “The general’s given the green light for my trip to sneak around the alien factories. Roth nominated Taylor to accompany me.”

“Lucky me.” The female soldier gave a small smile. “I’ve been told not to shoot anything unless absolutely necessary.” She lifted her carbine. “I hope it’s necessary.”

“Is the Aeron facility close enough for you?” Marcus asked.

Dev nodded. “We’ll go in on foot from there. We’ll be out of comms range for two days, gather as much intel as we can, then call for a pick up.”

“So, are we ready?” Finn asked.

Noah appeared from around the other side of the Hawk. “My team and I have been loading your gear. The amplifier is in.” He nodded his head.

Finn saw the large, ball-shaped device resting inside the Hawk. “Bigger than I thought it would be.”

It was a bit larger than an inflatable beach ball, made of a metallic black-and-gray, with a few blinking lights.

“I’ve also loaded in the other gear you’ll need. The tools you requested to cut the jet down and move it.” Noah pointed. “Laser cutters, and the magna-lifts that the maintenance guys use in here to move the aircraft around the hangar.”

Finn knew the units could do some heavy lifting. They’d make this job a lot easier.

“Lia, I also got the list of stuff you needed. The thermonuclear powerpack for the jet, the comp tablets you need to fly it, and one tube of synthetic rubber coating.”

“Thanks, Noah,” Lia said.

“Synthetic rubber?” Finn looked at her.

“The tires will have deteriorated,” she answered. “This coating can be sprayed on the existing tires and it will hold them together long enough for us to get off the ground.”

“And for landing?”

She shrugged. “We’ll have to improvise.”

“All right,” Marcus said. “Let’s get moving.”

“Good luck.” Noah looked at Finn and Lia, and nodded. “See you when you get back.”

They climbed aboard the Hawk. For Finn, it felt odd being in the back of the Hawk, while someone else was up front flying.

He sat and shifted his weight, trying to get comfortable in one of the seats. He hated the tense quiet in the air, the steady hum of anticipation. In the cockpit, he was always too busy flying to be stewing over an upcoming mission.

Lia sat down beside him, and slipped her hand into his. Instantly, he could breathe a little easier. They were going to do this, and do their bit to help save humanity.

And afterward, he was going to bring his woman home.

Chapter Twelve

As the Hawk lowered, Lia’s stomach did a sickening turn. Around her, the Hell Squad members were standing, double-checking weapons and murmuring quietly to each other.

They didn’t look worried or nervous. Lia dragged in a deep breath. She could do this. She had to do this. Not only for the people of the Enclave, or for humanity itself. She had to do it for herself, and for Finn.

Devlin and Taylor sat at the back of the Hawk. Lia still couldn’t believe the two of them were going to head straight into the heart of alien territory, alone, with no back up. It made Lia’s mouth go dry. But neither of them looked concerned, either. They both looked focused and prepared.

“All right, let’s go.” Marcus slid the side door open. “Dev and Taylor, this is where we say goodbye.”

Dev reached the door, Taylor beside him. “Good luck.” His sharp gaze moved to Lia and Finn. “Hope your mission goes smoothly.”

Marcus grasped the man’s hand. “Yours, too.” Marcus looked at Taylor. “Keep him out of trouble.”

Taylor nodded. “We’ll be back in two days. Roth’s promised to have a bottle of Chardonnay on ice for me.”

The pair jumped out of the Hawk and in the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the darkness. Lia watched Hell Squad leap out next and then she jumped out behind them. As her boots hit the ground, Finn landed beside her. He was carrying some of the equipment they needed to cut down the jet.

Ahead, she saw Reed had the amplifier strapped onto his back.

“Stay close,” Finn murmured.

“I wasn’t planning on running off alone,” she murmured back. Hell Squad moved into position, surrounding them. A big wall of strength and muscle, all of them with their carbines up. Lia instantly felt a little safer.

They dashed through the darkness, past the crumpled hangars and twisted remains of jets parked near the runway. As Lia took in all the destruction, worry took hold, and she wondered if they even had a chance. Even if they beat the Gizzida, how could they ever rebuild what they’d had before? Despair was an ugly, heavy rock in her belly.

Then, she looked at Hell Squad and Finn. She remembered that the Enclave was home to some of the best scientists, teachers, and artists in the world…and those who’d come from Blue Mountain Base were no slouches, either. Noah, Holmes, the men and woman surrounding her right now. They all had valuable skills, and, combined with the data and records that had been saved, she was consoled by the fact that they could forge something from the ruins of their planet.

She smiled to herself. On top of that, they had one huge advantage—good, old-fashioned human grit and determination. With that, she was pretty sure they could achieve anything.

As the main building of Aeron loomed like a hulking shadow ahead, Lia’s pulse picked up. She was getting ahead of herself, with all this thought about rebuilding. They still had a long fight ahead to beat the aliens, but first, they needed to get this jet in the air and the amplifier in the water.

Ahead, she saw Marcus signal to Gabe. The big soldier moved forward, and, with a few pounding knocks of his shoulder, he slammed the door to the building down.

Marcus touched his ear. “Elle?”

“All clear, Marcus. Our scans have some interference, but I have no alien signatures in your vicinity—”

“We’re going in,” Marcus growled.

Hell Squad moved forward, slipping inside the shattered doorway. Finn went next and then Lia followed him inside.

They moved through a maze of corridors, Marcus leading with a flashlight. Soon, they stepped out into the huge, voluminous lobby.

Marcus’ light cut through the darkness. Overturned chairs sat near an abandoned reception desk, which was littered with long-dead potted plants. Then, the light stopped, highlighting the suspended jet.

They all moved around it, gazing upward, studying the craft.

“Hell,” Cruz muttered.

Two large metal cables were connected from the jet to the ceiling.

“Reed and Shaw, get those magna-lifts attached to it,” Marcus said. “Gabe and Claudia, get up there with the laser cutters, and cut those cables down.”

Lia and Finn stood back. She watched as Gabe and Claudia nimbly climbed up on top of the jet. They both moved along to the huge wires holding it—one at the front and one at the back of the aircraft. The laser cutters fired up, glowing orange in the darkness.

Lia looked around. Her anxiety was ratcheting up. She hoped to hell the aliens stayed away.

“Hey, Lia? You okay?”

She nodded at Finn. “I just want to get airborne.”

There was a loud clang. The jet dropped down at the back end, the magna-lifts taking the weight of it and holding it just off the floor.

Claudia finished cutting her cable, and soon, all of Hell Squad surrounded the jet, grunting, groaning, and swearing as they maneuvered it onto a flat part of the floor.

“Finn and Lia, take the laser cutters. You’ll need to cut a hole through the wall, large enough to get the jet outside,” Marcus said.

They took the laser cutters from Gabe and Claudia. They were neat metallic tools that could be easily carried with both hands. They were smaller than Lia had imagined, but heavier. She and Finn moved over to the wall that was closest to the runway. She pressed the button on the cutter, and a flame of orange laser flared out.

Soon, she and Finn were cutting into the wall. The laser cutter sliced through the metal and plaster like a knife moving through butter.