Arrival (Planet of Last Resort #1)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

T he old house was fairly silent in the night, only mild creaking, and there were the sounds of nightbirds outside. Jeff completed his circuit of the grounds and headed inside, ascending the old staircase inside carefully in his heavy combat boots. He’d learned there was one riser that squeaked like a banshee when stepped on wrong. At the second floor he made his way to the door of the blue bedroom, which stood slightly ajar. Pushing it open, he saw the room illuminated by a gentle nightlight. Between that and the glow of the moons through the window, he didn’t need his night vision to admire Melly’s sensuous curves as she slept. Since she’d invited him to her room earlier, he’d hoped she might be awake but he knew she needed her sleep.

He leaned against the door frame to savor the view although he felt a little bit like a creeper. She’d invited him to her room, hadn’t she? He was grateful to the Lords of Space yet again for allowing him to meet her and to save her at the spaceport. She was a rare woman and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was she was attracted to him as much as he was to her. He suspected he was falling in love, which scared and excited him. The life of a Sectors Special Forces operator didn’t lend itself to forming romantic relationships and he’d never been serious about any woman before Melly. He wasn’t an unfeeling jerk—he’d made sure the woman he was involved with understood things were strictly temporary until he left on his next deployment, which was always pending. There were plenty of women whose only interest was bragging rights for having been with a Special Forces operator and who didn’t want more than a night or two anyway. He’d gotten tired of such experiences—physical release was all well and good but he’d started to long for something else, a deeper attachment, to know he mattered to a partner as much as he cared for her. To be anchored in the ever-shifting world.

He’d never met anyone like Melly before.

Of course the middle of an apocalypse wasn’t exactly the ideal time to foster a serious relationship but he was going to try.

She wore an old tee shirt and a pair of panties, lace this time, and had thrown the covers off in her slumbers. Her blaster lay on the nightstand next to the bed and he approved her caution, keeping the weapon close. Maybe she was listening to the warnings he kept trying to give her.

He couldn’t begrudge her the optimism about what they’d find when they finally arrived at her house tomorrow, misplaced though it was, but he was glad to see she wasn’t being willfully unconcerned. This was a dangerous world they’d arrived on, nothing like he’d expected and certainly not at all like the home she’d left when she went off to medical school.

She murmured in her dream, stirred and sat up, stretching sleepily, giving him a smile that made his heart pound. “Hey. I wondered when you’d accept my invitation.”

Jeff stepped into the room. “I’m doing my rounds, checking up. You probably need your sleep?—”

“Not more than I need you,” she said, her voice inviting, laced with a teasing tone. She reached for him and Jeff moved to the bed, sitting on the edge. Melly wrapped herself around him and lifted her face for a kiss, which he was happy to provide. The embrace lasted quite a while, their tongues dancing and hands roaming, before she broke it off to stare at him in the dim light. “I can be quiet if you can. The guys are asleep on the first floor or outside on guard duty, right?” She slid her hand inside the waistband of his pants and fondled his aching cock. “You’re entitled to downtime too, captain.”

“It’s a few hours until we change the guard, so yes I’m not on duty exactly.” He struggled to resist the effect her below the belt massage was having on him as she stroked and played.

Melly withdrew her hand, which drew an instant protest from him but she swept the covers back and patted the bed invitingly. “It’s a nice firm mattress, big enough for two. Especially two like us who want to be united as one.”

“I want that—I want you in every way I can have you.” He rose and pulled off his t shirt.

“It’s so damn sexy when you do that,” she said, reaching up to stroke his abs, lingering over the scar of an old wound. He had more than a few, despite having been run through the rejuve resonator by the military doctors more than once “Such a guy thing the way you whip the shirt off.”

“It’s sexy when you take off your shirt too,” he assured her as he sat to remove his boots and socks.

“Oh, like this?” She was almost purring as she pulled the garment up and over her head and threw it aside, revealing her bare breasts. “Need any help?”

Between his own eagerness to be with her and Melly’s determined efforts to unfasten his pants and set his aching shaft free, Jeff was naked in short order. His arousal stood hard and proud, ready for her attention and she obliged without another word, sucking him into her mouth and proceeding to do things to him he couldn’t resist. She hummed while she had him at her mercy and Jeff was afraid he was going to come right then. The tingling in his balls grew insistent and he pulled away from her.

“I need to be inside you now ,” he said, laying her on her back and coming over her. His cock probed the vee of her thighs, which Melly helpfully parted to give him access. Jeff rubbed the tip of his shaft up and down her soft folds, enjoying how wet and aroused she was. He took himself in hand and entered her, going balls deep with one thrust since she was so ready.

Melly arched her back and breathed a sound of pleasure that inflamed him. She was hot and tight around him, providing resistance with her inner core muscles which heightened his passion, and she moved her body in perfect time with his as he pumped in and out. She had her legs locked around his butt, holding him to the task and the furled points of her breasts against his chest emphasized the passion she was feeling. He moved one hand to caress the pearl of nerves hidden in her folds and Melly shattered, climaxing so hard he was swept along with her in a whiteout of sensation and strong emotion. True to her promise she bit her lip and kept her cries of satisfaction locked inside. Deep in her most private places, Jeff felt the pressure of her body milking his for the hot seed, and was overwhelmed at the way the two of them had united into one. He collapsed onto her for an instant before taking his weight on his elbows.

Staring into her flushed, beautiful face, he said, “I’ve never felt like this before. You’re a special person, Melisande Jericho and I’m the luckiest bastard in the Sectors, to be here with you right now.”

“Kiss me,” she said, pulling him down.

Lips locked, they indulged in a long, drawn out kiss, and then he rolled onto his back, bringing her with him to rest against his shoulder. Although he regretted losing the haven of her body for his cock, he wanted to hold her and savor the comfort of simply being with her in the postcoital glow. He’d do anything required to keep her safe from the chaos this planet had fallen into.

When Melly woke up in the morning, a little sore from the night’s activities, which had included a vigorous round two, Jeff was already dressed and gone. She didn’t take his absence amiss, remembering he’d told her he had to do another tour of the premises before dawn. She stretched and sat up, the rumpled sheets reminding her of the comfort they’d found in each other. Jeff banished her nightmares when he came to her bed. He was a pretty special guy and she couldn’t believe her luck in meeting him, although granted the circumstances were hardly ideal. He was a skilled lover, considerate and creative. Not to mention well endowed. Stretching like a cat she would have purred in satisfaction if she could. No complaints from me. Jeff took delight in every aspect of her body, which was pleasing since she was occasionally a bit insecure about certain things, like the ample nature of her curves. Jeff relished them, lingering over her breasts as if he could never get enough and claiming her hips and derriere cushioned him perfectly when he was deep inside, doing dirty and delicious things to make her see stars and comets. Multiple orgasms had worn her out in the best possible way. He could be sweet and he could turn on the alpha male eroticism and Melly loved it all.

She did a few quick isometric exercises in bed to alleviate the effects of the unaccustomed activity of the night before, then rose and went to take a quick shower before getting dressed. Sparing a glance for the bed, she sighed, pulled the sheets and comforter level and then she packed her things and headed down the stairs, leaving her pack in the living room beside the couch.

Cody was in the kitchen, flipping pancakes. He waved a spatula at her. “Morning, doc. Captain wants to leave in an hour. We’re keeping an eye on a mob of infected that may intersect our route to the river so we haven’t got much time.” Without asking he stacked three giant pancakes on her plate and handed her a bottle of syrup. “Sorry there’s no bacon but I have scrambled eggs if you’d like.”

Fork already in its way to her lips, Melly paused. “Eggs? I thought you said the food in the stasis keepers had gone bad?”

He winked. “The Moellar farm has a big flock of chickens. I strolled out there this morning after the damn rooster woke me up with all his noise and robbed the nests, got a few sharp pecks but the old biddies decided they liked me when I spread fistfuls of feed for them.”

“I don’t want your bravery to be in vain,” she said with a smile. “Dish me up some eggs by all means.”

Cody obliged with a smaller plate full of fluffy scrambled eggs and she dug in. “You’re my last customer, doc, so if it’s all right with you, I’m going to catch a shower and go help with the APC’s so we can depart on time.”

“What’s wrong with the APC’s?” she asked in alarm.

“Nothing, don’t worry. Just doing a bit of maintenance and rearranging items in the cargo compartments. Routine,” he assured her. Dumping the pans in the sink, he walked out with a wave.

The kitchen was eerily empty without anyone else there so Melly rushed through the rest of her breakfast, wondering when they’d have a hot meal again. At my house, silly. Dad’s got solar power for backup.

When she brought her dishes to the sink, she hesitated. Despite the dire situation it felt wrong to leave a mess behind. Quickly she loaded the dishwasher and started it, hoping the cycle would complete before the power went down again. No one would be here to maintain the connections if there was any problem. Standing at the counter she glanced out the door and was delighted by masses of colorful flowers so she checked her chrono and then walked through the antibug screen and onto the back porch. The garden was extensive and she walked along the border enjoying the perfume and the accompaniment of songs from the birds in the hug trees shading the lawn. She walked around a corner and saw the grave ahead.

Pausing in midstep, she swallowed hard and retraced her steps to the flowers, picking a handful of the ones with easily broken stems and no thorns. Then she walked to the grave and contemplated the hastily written inscription on the board serving as a marker.

“Betty Marie Mollar,” she read out loud. “Beloved wife, mother and friend.”

Tears in her eyes she sank to her knees in the lush grass beside the grave and laid her floral offering on the fresh mound of dirt. “Thank you for letting us use your beautiful home,” she whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

“We found her husband in the barn,” Jeff said from behind her, footsteps cushioned by the grass. “We think he opened all the stalls, set the herd of cows free in the big pasture and let the chickens fly loose and then killed himself.”

She rose to her feet, stiff from being cross legged on the damp ground. Jeff came to help and pulled her into a hug. “They had a good life here,” he said. “Many happy years from the looks of it.”

“Was he infected?” she asked.

“Hard to tell from the condition of the body, but I’m guessing yes. She got sick first, maybe even turned and he did what he had to do, for both of them.” Jeff’s voice was full of compassion.

“Promise me you’ll do the same,” Melly said fiercely, locking eyes with him. “If I get bitten or scratched swear to me you won’t let me become one of those things.”

There was silence between them but the feeling wasn’t awkward in any way. She could tell they were in agreement, if unhappy about the fact.

“I give you my word. It would be the hardest thing I ever did, sweetheart, and my life would be over too once it was done. Like Mr. Moellar. The light would have gone out.”

She rested her head on his chest and sighed. “But you’d fight on, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t give up. Promise me that too. If—if anyone else is still alive and uninfected on Randal Four, they need you.”

“Melisande, you have to make me the same promise,” he said gently. “If something happens to me?—”

Melly shook her head violently and put her fingers over his lips. “Don’t even say it. We’re going to get to my family’s house and we’ll make plans from there and it’ll all be fine.”

Jeff stared at her as if sorting through various responses and then kissed her cheek. “Sure. Are you ready to go? Got all your things? We’re moving out now.”

“I left my backpack in the living room.” She took his hand and they walked toward the house in a companionable silence.

I feel like we took vows but not the normal kind. This is a screwed up world we’re in but I’m glad Jeff’s here with me. Melly squeezed his hand as they ascended the broad stairs to the porch and Jeff gave her a genuine smile and a side hug.

“We’ll be fine, doc, you’ll see.” He walked away in the direction of the vehicles and she ran into the house for her things. When she emerged, Zach was waiting for her.

“You found a friend,” she said in surprise, looking at the large brown and white canine seated at his side. “Wherever did you pick up the dog?”

“In the barn, standing guard,” he said a little uncomfortably. Probably because of what the faithful dog had been guarding—the body of his former master. “Had a big old bag of kibble torn open so he hasn’t been going hungry. Took me a while to win his trust. Name’s Buddy according to the tag on his collar.”

Melly let the dog sniff her hand and then once he’d licked her thoroughly, she petted his head. “What happens to him now?”

“The captain said we could take him with us. He’s real well behaved.” Zach was eyeing her with a frown and shifted from one foot to the other. “I just…sometimes I get feelings, you know? And I gotta a feeling we’re going to need Buddy. Doc, can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure but I don’t know much about dogs,” she said with a laugh, trying to absorb the fact Jeff had given permission to take the dog. She was astonished he’d agreed but it pleased her no end.

“He’s kinda limping on the left forepaw. I know you’re a people doctor not a veterinarian but could you—would you take a look?”

“You realize I’d be breaking the law if I do?” She winked to show she wasn’t upset and took the sting out of the comment.

Zach did an elaborate survey of the completely empty landscape around them. “I don’t think those laws are in effect anymore, doc.”

“Sure, I’ll do a quick exam. I hate to see an animal suffer. Bring him over to the steps.” She retraced her path to the porch and sat on the third riser.

When Zach walked Buddy over to her and had him sit, he ordered the dog to shake hands and he raised the paw in question with no hesitation.

Melly took it in hand and leaned in close to peer at the pads. “If he bites me you’re in big trouble,” she warned Zach. “Wait a minute, there’s something sharp here.” She ran her thumb over the spot and Buddy whimpered. “Most likely a spikehog spine. He must have been messing with one recently. They shed their spines as a defense mechanism. I’ll have to check his mouth and face as well. I’ve got to remove any I find and it won’t be pretty.”

“Thought you said you weren’t a vet?”

“I’m not but I helped my Dad more than once when our family dogs mixed it up with spikehogs and he had to pull the quills.”

She did a thorough exam, marveling at how patient the dog was. Peripherally she was aware of the other men gathering in a circle to watch her but her concentration was all for her four-footed patient. “Good boy,” she said, patting Buddy’s head. “Maybe three quills in his muzzle, none in the mouth, thank goodness and the one in the paw. If I don’t extract them now they work their way into the body and do immense damage. It’s a painful way to go.” She checked with Jeff, who was watching her with an expressionless face. “It won’t take long, since there are so few quills.”

The captain turned to Zach. “Tell me again we need the dog? Or should we put him out of his misery?”

“I have that feeling, sir.” Zach rubbed the back of his neck. “Same one when we were about to get ambushed on Boronna Three. And when the tangos sneaked into the base on Quidly One and?—”

Jeff held up a hand. “I believe you, soldier. Your feelings or hunches or whatever they are have proved themselves too many times in the past.”

“If Buddy co-operates, I can do this in about five minutes,” Melly said, anxious to keep the poor dog alive. She was confident she could handle the procedure.

“You have what you need to take care of it?” Jeff asked.

“Yes and without putting much of a dent in our own supplies.”

“Today is all about you, doc,” he said with a sweeping gesture. “If you want to take the time before we head out to your folks, I’ve got no problem waiting a few minutes.”

“I probably need two of you to hold him,” she said. “It’s not exactly painless although I’ll give him a numbing agent. And an antibiotic. Most people don’t realize many of the same drugs we use on humans can also be used on animals. Not all though but I’ll do what my Dad developed as tried and true methods which always worked.”

“Was he a vet?” Zach asked.

“No, just self taught on a lot of subjects.” She was busy setting out the equipment and injects she’d need. Calculating the doses for Buddy took a minute but she settled on the same ones she’d use for a small child. “He’s an engineer and he consults for most of the big companies on the planet. He does offworld consulting too.” Talking about him gave her a pang—her parents and her brother had to be alive and waiting for her. Melly donned gloves and ran the decontam ray, added a mask and indicated for Zach and Cody to get a good grip on Buddy.

The next few minutes were tense but she kept telling herself it was like treating a young child, who wouldn’t understand what she was doing either. Zach kept up a reassuring stream of chatter in a low voice, patting the dog and telling him what a good boy he was. Cody kept silent but his hold on Buddy was firm but gentle. Most of the spines came out easily enough, telling her the encounter with the spikehog must have been recent but the last one in Buddy’s muzzle was stubborn. The spines had hooks at the ends so she was forced to inflict damage as she yanked them out. By the time she got the last one and laid it aside on the stair she was sweating and the dog was trembling and whimpering. She gave him the medinject of antibiotic, cleaned the wounds and sealed them and said, “All done.”

“You have a nice bedside manner, doc,” Jeff said. “Well done. Are we good to go now?”

“It’s not what I paid all those credits to learn in medschool,” she said, patting the dog on the head. He didn’t seem to hold a grudge, licking her face., “But I’m glad I could help.”

Zach carried Buddy to the APC and Melly started to gather up the extracted spines and other trash.

Jeff stopped her with one hand on her arm. “Leave it, doc. We should get going.”

Melly decided not to argue with him this time. She closed up her medkit and tucked it in the backpack, which Jeff took from her, slinging it over his shoulder easily. When she stood up he gave her a hug and a kiss on the lips and then led her to the waiting vehicle. Cody already had the engine revving. Buddy was curled up on a seat in the rear and she gave him a couple of pats before moving to her own seat.

Five minutes later the APCs were rolling down the long Moellar driveway, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. From her seat Melly watched the big farmhouse recede in the rear vids until it was no longer visible and then with a sigh she focused on the forward screens instead and settled in for a long day of driving, with a reunion with her family at the end.