10
9
____________
Myla
I’m not going to lie—I’m afraid. Check that—I’m absolutely terrified.
I have no idea what we’re walking into. I mean, we don’t even have any weapons! Not unless you count the fact that Tekil and Andred can transform into wolves at will. Well, at least… Andred can do that, but Tekil is stuck in the same half-man, half-wolf state.
I don’t understand this uncanny attraction, but my eyes keep shifting toward Tekil. It doesn’t matter that he’s half-shifted all the time; his hard body constantly draws my attention, with those powerful muscles that ripple with each stride.
They can both fight, but how can I help? Even though they injected me with this yellow stuff, so far I don’t think I can transform into anything…I mean, I hope I can’t! I can accept it from Tekil and Andred, but me? Nope. I’m just little ol’ me from Georgia. I’m Human. Or I was. Now…I’m not quite sure.
Startled, I realize someone is calling my name. I’ve faded away again. I stop, inhale, and force myself to look at Tekil, who appears more and more worried by the minute.
“Myla, are you alright?” he asks me.
I’m painfully aware of Andred’s eyes on us. I flush, inwardly cursing my fair complexion. Hopefully it won’t be too noticeable in the moonlight.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I reply.
Another twenty minutes or so passes, and then Tekil stops abruptly, facing me. “We can make better time if I carry you.”
He’s right. When we escaped, he carried me as if I weighed nothing, and ran with uncanny speed.
Andred steps forward. “You can ride my back.” And then a sinister grin spreads across his face. “Or I can ride yours.”
Knowing exactly what he means, I look away and step over to Tekil. His lips briefly tip upwards before he hefts me into his arms, my own arms circling his neck.
Andred smirks and shakes his head, then morphs into a pre-historic wolf-like animal, and the two take off in a blur of speed. Laying my head on Tekil’s chest, I close my eyes.
I’m not sure how much time passes—maybe thirty or forty minutes—but eventually they both slow to a stop, and then Tekil sets me on my feet.
“We are nearly back at the facility entrance,” he says softly.
“Okay.” I glance around, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness, bringing everything into focus. The air smells moist, moldy, the streets are empty, and the water keeps dripping on my arms. I can’t wait to get off this planet.
“What’s the plan?” I ask.
Tekil is silent as Andred snickers behind me.
After what Andred did earlier, after what he said, I want to smack that snicker right off of his smug face. It’s not that I think he’s bad, or unreliable like Tekil suggests, but Andred is definitely using me to irritate Tekil, and I don’t like it.
“You do have some type of plan…don’t you?” I ask anxiously, rubbing my sweaty hands nervously up and down my outer thighs.
I don’t like being here, standing in their city. I know they are blind at night, but they could have guards.
“My only plan is to quietly sneak in, steal their stun guns and free everyone in the facility.”
Sounds easy enough.
Too easy.
Slowly, Tekil descends the rock steps, heading back down into the lab. My heart pounds as I stare down the dark opening, then reluctantly follow Tekil. Andred climbs down after me.
It’s very dark and as I inhale deeply to calm myself, I force myself to focus. The familiar musty stale scent of the cave and high humidity makes my heart race.
I can’t go back to living in the cage again. I can’t!
My vision dims to near darkness and my breathing is ragged until someone grabs my shoulders, shaking me slightly.
“Myla,” Tekil whispers softly into my left ear. “Calm down. I will protect you.”
His scent surrounds me, and my shoulders relax as something inside takes over. It’s a welcome relief. To my surprise, my vision sharpens until I can vividly see everything around me. My heart calms to a normal pace, I inhale deeply, and smile my thanks at Tekil.
I worry about the changes taking place in me, but this one is pretty cool. It makes me feel better to see and know what’s around me.
And having night vision just might be useful, so I keep following Tekil, now noting the eerie surroundings of creepy, moldy moss gliding along the ground. Perfect for insects and rodents. The thought makes me uneasy.
Tekil halts so abruptly that I bump into him. Without a word, he points. I peer around his shoulder and see the beginning of the line of cells.
Instead of walking forward, Tekil grabs my hand and pulls me back around the corner.
This is it.
My heartrate increases a little and I swallow hard.
“What’s the plan?” I ask again in a barely audible whisper.
Tekil looks at me, then quickly glances around the corner. “Vi’del and Zeno are being kept in a separate area, at the northernmost point in the lab. There should be no more than twenty Arcadidia inside…”
“TWENTY?” I mouth dramatically to get my point across, still afraid of making any noise.
“There are shock weapons kept in an alcove close to the cages,” Tekil replies quietly. “I have seen it.”
“Okay that’s great,” I whisper. “But how are we going to get close enough to grab them? Won’t there be guards along the way?”
Tekil gives me a truly startling but brilliant smile.
“It is night,” he says simply. “The Arcadidia sleep at night.”
My eyebrows rise. “ALL of them? And leave the place unguarded?” I think back, trying to remember. I don’t think that can be right. Surely I would’ve noticed that!
He nods. “All of them. Even though we have escaped, they will have the others secured. They will not think we would return so quickly, and they can only search by day, if they search at all. Just as the sun pains us, the darkness makes it impossible for them to see.”
“Wow, they really are giant spiders with brains,” I mutter, but in the back of my mind, I keep thinking about artificial lights. I really don’t think it will be as easy as he believes.
Tekil cocks his head slightly. “Spiders?”
“Bugs,” I offer by way of explanation. “Insects, on my homeworld. They’re usually pretty tiny, but some of ’em get to be bigger than your fists. Kinda intelligent, but not sentient. The Arcadidia look like gigantic versions of them.” I grin. “And weirdly enough, spiders can’t see in the dark either.”
Tekil blinks, and I’m not sure he understands what I’m talking about.
“That is our advantage,” he says, still speaking in a hushed tone.
Andred crosses him arms, visibly annoyed. “Are you two going to stand here and chat all night, or are we going to get this over with?”
Might as well, I silently concur. I certainly don’t like standing around. Just increases our chances of getting caught.
“All right.” I blow out a long breath. “I’m ready.”
I can practically feel Tekil hesitating, but finally he nods.
“Very well,” he agrees, then points his finger at me. “But you stay behind us.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. He turns, slowly creeping down the passageway with soft steps. As we pass by one cage, I recognize it as Tekil’s and glance inside. It looks the same as mine: bleak, empty. When we pass by my old cage, I swallow hard as every terrible memory rushes back, and a quote from Nietzsche echoes in my mind:
Be careful hunting monsters, lest you become one yourself, for when you stare into the Abyss, the Abyss also stares into you…
____________
Tekil
I am here, brothers .
We are ready , Zeno replies.
It would be best if Myla waited outside, but Tekil knew she would refuse. At least this way, he can make sure she’s safe. Myla is small, yet possesses an inner strength and steadfastness that surprises him.
She follows silently as he leads the way through the cave. Andred is equally quiet; the only sounds are their breathing and the constant dripping water from somewhere inside the cave.
Slowly, he leads Myla and Andred to the far end of the west wing. Mold and dark green algae-like growths cover the walls. The smell of decaying foliage is stronger than he remembers.
A gentle touch on his left arm. Myla. He glances over his shoulder and wordlessly points towards the alcove in the distance. She nods, understanding where he is heading as he carefully pushes her against the wall, holding up a hand and gesturing for her to stay. With Andred at his side, Tekil slips into the alcove and begins removing stun weapons, switching them to kill. They are small and oddly shaped, but highly effective. He takes a few extra for his team and gestures for Myla to come, handing one to her and silently showing her where to press and aim. She nods and grips the weapon.
Heading out, they turn left down a different passageway, and creep toward the cells. Even now, none of the Acradidia are present to accost them. Tekil begins to wonder if it might be possible to retrieve Vi’del and Zeno without alerting the Acradidia .
Hopefully.
Andred grips his arm and gestures towards a cell on the right; his team—Soav and Hitak—are in there. Tekil nods. Like Vi’del and Zeno, they are linked and, judging by his prior unwillingness to return for them, Andred is not. As he had warned Myla earlier, Andred is a most unstable being.
Here , Zeno’s voice calls in his mind. Tekil looks up and sees his team.
Free us first , Vi’del urges. He doesn’t need to say why but there’s no need—Tekil is leading the rescue and he is linked to them. Only Andred remains un-linked, and Tekil is uncertain how much he trusts Soav and Hitak; for all he knows, they might simply abandon the rescue and run off with (or without) Andred if they are freed first.
Carefully, Tekil approaches the cell, ignoring Andred’s angry gestures toward his own team. Vi’del and Zeno step forward, their faces battle ready. Tekil glances over the control locking mechanism just out of his team’s reach, then catches Zeno’s gaze.
Do you know the code? he asks.
No.
I have seen it once, I will try that one before blasting it open.
Zeno nods and watches with Vi’del as Tekil reaches for the control pad and types in a series of strange, web-like marks that Tekil can barely register as actual “writing”:
Expecting the cell door to quietly spring open, Tekil is somewhat startled when it doesn’t. Instead, a loud high-pitched alarm blares throughout the facility, and all the lights blink on simultaneously.
“Crap!” Myla curses behind him, just as Andred growls.
Tekil is momentarily too astonished to move…
“They must have changed the code after we escaped!” Myla says, breaking the spell.
Andred fires his weapon in unison with Tekil, and the cage doors shatter, releasing Vi’del, Zeno, Soav and Hitak all at once.
The Acradidia are screaming as they filter in one after another. Tekil hands Vi’del, Soav, and Hitak the extra weapons and then he, Myla, and Andred stand in a tight circle, weapons aimed. Zeno stalks over and rips Myla’s weapon away from her, shoving her behind him. Visibly annoyed, Myla snatches her weapon back with a low growl at Zeno. He doesn’t get a chance to argue before Myla fires at the enemy. Then Andred lets out another intense growl, and fires at the Acradidia too, and the fight truly begins.
Black blood splashes against the walls with each hit. The high frequency screaming seems endless as more and more Acradidia keep filtering in. Myla, Tekil notes, has already taken down three of them.
There are more of them than I realized … Tekil thinks.
Really? I hadn’t noticed , comes Vi’del’s sarcastically grim reply, and Tekil senses Zeno’s sardonic amusement at the sheer outrageousness of the situation.
One of the Acradidia returns fire, almost hitting Tekil in the shoulder. Zeno fires at it, scoring a direct hit. A feminine shriek followed by the sound of a weapon hitting the floor catches his attention. And then…
“Nooo!” Tekil hears Myla yell as he spins around and sees an Acradidia taking aim, at him. It all happens so fast. The weapon is aimed at him, but Myla, clutching an injured hand, nevertheless springs up, twisting her body to place it between him and the weapon; Zeno shoots the Acradidia in synchronous unity as the alien fires its own weapon. And then the acidic blood splatters across Myla’s face and shoulders, the weapons’ beam nicking her side. She screams as she bounces off the floor and rolls around in agony.
End this! Zeno orders.
Both Zeno and Tekil open fire on the remaining Acradidia , and from the corner of his eye, Tekil sees Vi’del lay down his weapon and scoop Myla up in his arms.
Tekil fires at the Acradidia in front of him, killing it in one shot, but another and another takes its place, until finally the last one falls.
The silence is deafening, the only sound Myla’s low sobs of pain. Anger boils up and Tekil wants to kill them all again.
“Release the other prisoners,” Zeno orders with icy calm.
Hitak roars, bends down and picks up another weapon, and as he stalks slowly down the passageway, fires at every locking mechanism until they all spring open.
Tekil hands Zeno his weapon, heads over to Vi’del, and takes Myla into his own arms.
She has been shot , Vi’del growls, staring at the blood coating his hands.
Peering down into her tear-filled eyes, Tekil sees the red splotches scattered across her face and arms. Her side is literally weeping blood. Even though they are not linked with her as with each other, all three of them can almost feel her pain.
We need to heal her! Tekil cries, bordering on panic as fear courses though his body.
Humans are fragile, and her wounds appear life-threatening.
Without waiting on Andred and his team, Tekil, Vi’del and Zeno stalk out of the room, not caring about the other prisoners. They are all free and right now, Myla is the first priority.
Where are we going? Vi’del asks, a sliver of worry in his own voice.
I need to find water and rinse the wounds , Tekil replies.
Perhaps the lab? Zeno suggests.
Tekil hesitates. The lab is the last place Tekil wants to be, but what choice do they have?
It is worth checking, although the quicker we get out of here, the better I will feel, Tekil replies.
Me too! Vi’del and Zeno reply in unison.
Stalking into the lab brings back far too many painful memories. Pushing them away, Tekil lays Myla on the metal table, while the others search the room.
Her skin looks painful to the touch as it melts away from the burning acid. Raw areas are sprinkled across her face and neck, spreading out to her shoulders.
Tekil rips the long brown covering over her head and examines her lower right-side wound. Exhaling in relief, it’s not that deep.
“I am sorry, Myla. I should have protected you better.”
Clutching her small hand, his chest tightens and he desperately wants to transfer the healing nanonites, but the acid will burn his mouth if they try to heal her too soon. Every second of the search feels like an hour. Tekil is about to give up when Vi’del says, Found some!
He rushes over carrying a pail. Instinctively, Tekil sniffs the contents just to make sure it is indeed water. It is stagnant and a little moldy, but it’s still water. The three of them surround Myla, cupping their hands in the pale and softly pouring water over the irritated burns.
“It hurts!” she screams, trying to claw at the wounds.
Tekil grips her wrists and pins them to the table, being careful not to touch her injured hand.
“Why? Why would you do that to me?” she sobs.
His heart aches, knowing she is recalling the experiments.
“I am sorry, Myla,” Tekil whispers tenderly. He presses his eyes shut, not wanting to see the accusations on her face.
Hurry , he tells the others.
After a couple of minutes, Zeno says, “The acid is gone.”
Not waiting even one second longer, Tekil bends over and laps at her forehead, cheeks, across her nose and chin, giving her the healing nanonites. Zeno starts with the right side of her neck until he moves down to her shoulder. Vi’del begins with the left, eventually working down to her hand.
As Tekil is healing the wound on her lower lip, she surprises him when her tongue sneaks out and licks his lower lip just before kissing him, twirling her tongue with his. His cock roars to life but he pushes the intense feelings away. She is hurt and they are in the Acradidia lab.
“You are also injured,” Zeno says, pointing to Tekil’s upper arm.
Tekil has been so worried about Myla, he hasn’t even noticed until now. Looking over the wound, he sees angry blotches where some of the acidic blood must have also splattered on him.
Only now does he notice the burning sensation, but he has far more important things to worry about. Things such as healing Myla and getting out of here. Reaching into the pail, he quickly splashes water on his own wounds, knowing the nanonites will take care of the rest. He learned that ages ago, the hard way.
Quickly grabbing the ugly brown covering, Tekil gently but efficiently pulls it over Myla’s head and lifts her into his arms, cradling her tight against his chest.
What are you doing? Zeno demands.
But Tekil ignores the question. We must go .
Where?
I know of a resting place.
Walking out of the lab, Vi’del takes point, and Zeno brings up the rear, always keeping watch for more Acradidia .
When they reach the rock ladder, Myla says softly, “Put me down.”
“No.”
Using one hand, Tekil grabs the ladder and hauls himself upward. It isn’t easy with Myla clutched against his chest, but eventually he manages to reach the top.
The other two change to their animal forms as Tekil leads the way, running at an unnatural speed.
Once they make it to the canopy tree, Tekil drops to his knees, parts the branches and carefully lays Myla inside. She’s already asleep.