Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Anna cried out Fig’s name as she came hard. That was the best sound he’d ever heard. He had her pinned against the shower wall where he’d fucked her. Sex was one of his favorite new things to do with her.
She dropped her face against his shoulder, panting. He held her tight in his arms, her wrapped around him. “That was mind-blowing.”
“I like shower sex, too,” he admitted.
“I just like sex with you. I don’t care where we are or in what position. It’s always fantastic.”
He chuckled and squeezed her ass with both of his hands where he held her, stepping away from the wall. Fig helped Anna stand and finish their shower. The past few days had been the best of his life.
Anna had called it their honeymoon to celebrate their marriage. She’d said it was as real, even if they couldn’t legally file it with humans. They’d had lots of sex, talked during meals to get to know each other better, and took long naps in between.
Fig helped Anna dry off before exiting the bathroom. A flashing red square on the entertainment wall killed his good mood. Whoever was out there kept transmitting every six hours, trying to lure him into responding. That meant they hadn’t assumed he had flown far from that section of space.
It wouldn’t be a problem to remain where they were for months. He had enough supplies to last them far longer than that. Fig had told Big all about Anna, though, and admitted to having her made into a clone. He’d promised to send word that he’d safely retrieved her from the transport.
That hadn’t happened. He couldn’t risk sending a transmission with another shuttle within sensor range. They’d be able to track his signal to the moon crater they hid inside. Part of him feared that Big would get worried and either come himself or send someone else to check on them. They’d fly right into a possible trap.
“Shit. They are still out there, aren’t they?”
“Yes.” He didn’t want Anna to worry, but he wouldn’t lie.
Anna pressed against his side, running her hands over his chest as if to soothe his worries. “They’ll eventually have to give up, right? Is there any chance whoever is out there might find us?”
“We’re very difficult to locate but not impossible if they believe we’re using this moon to hide. They could begin searching each crater.”
“How many of them are there?”
He took a deep breath. “Approximately a hundred are large enough for a shuttle to fly into. They’d use up a lot of fuel, though. That wouldn’t be wise to do.”
“You still look worried. Why?”
He met her gaze, staring into her beautiful green eyes. “Big must be worried. I haven’t been able to contact him since I attacked the transport. He knew my plans and about you. He or Blade might come searching for me.”
“That would be bad if that other ship is hostile.” Anna tended to chew on her bottom lip when she was thinking. He found that adorable. “What can we do?”
“I won’t risk you.”
“What would you do if I wasn’t here?”
“I’d confront them to figure out who they are and what their intentions are. Then, I’d fly back into the asteroid field to lose them. They went around it before. The odds are in my favor—they won’t risk it. Only very skilled pilots would be able to avoid terminal collisions.”
“You can’t send a message to Big?”
“No. Another vessel will be able to narrow down where we’re hiding if we send a transmission.”
“Well, shit.” Anna patted his chest. “I trust you, handsome. We can’t have your friends possibly being hurt while we do nothing. Will we be able to tell if Big comes here? That way, we’ll outnumber whoever is out there if they are only in one ship when we’ll have two.”
“The rock walls of the crater won’t let their sensors see us, but it works both ways. We can’t see what’s out there, either. I’m only picking up their transmission because―”
“I remember. You told me that before. What does your gut tell you about whoever is out there?”
Fig thought about it. “I’m not certain. It could be a crew of pirates or a clone retrieval team sent from Clone World. Rico Florigo won’t want anyone to learn that six clones escaped from him. He’s not a kind human.”
“I’m getting that impression from everything you’ve told me.” She chewed on her lower lip more. “I think we should take the risk. I trust you.”
“I want to keep you safe.”
“Not at the expense of your friends. You told me the other night that they are more like brothers to you. It’s been a hell of a long time since I had family, but I do remember how important mine was to me when they were still alive. You flew us through that asteroid field before without crashing us. I know you can do it again.”
“That was before we married. You’re my first priority now, Anna.”
“You are the sweetest man ever. I love you for saying that and meaning it. But there’s one thing you should learn about me. I’m not selfish enough to let you suffer any guilt if something happens to Big or the others while we’re hidden away. You love them too. I hear it in the way you’ve spoken about all of them. I say we get out of this crater, find out who keeps sending that signal we’ve been ignoring, and deal with them. We’ll head to your home base you want us to live on afterward. Then we’ll all be safe, right?”
Fig felt torn. He would feel responsible if anything happened to Big or any of the others who came looking for him. They might suspect his shuttle had taken damage from the transport’s automated defense systems but not that another shuttle was trying to hunt him. They’d end up in a battle they weren’t prepared for and could lose.
Then again, Anna was his to protect. He had given her life. She deserved to live a long, happy one. To risk it seems…criminal. Wrong.
“Handsome, we should do the right thing. That’s taking the risk ourselves.”
Her softly spoken words penetrated his thoughts. “We could die if we’re captured, or they might just blow our shuttle up as soon as they get a weapon lock on us.”
“I understand the danger. Or we could leave this crater, ditch whoever is out there, run like hell until we lose them, and then go to your home base.”
He hugged her, closing his eyes. “You’ve become my everything, Anna. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She clung to him. “That’s why we need to do the right thing by being proactive. We’ll take the risks so your family doesn’t fly into a trap.”
He nodded. “Okay. I am a skilled pilot.”
“I believe that. You’re amazing.”
A smile curved his lips. “Alright. Let’s finish getting dressed and go to the cockpit.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
“I want you to promise me something, though.”
She tensed in his arms. “What? Don’t make me smack you upside the head if it’s something stupid.”
He chuckled. “What would that be?”
“I don’t know. You offering to sacrifice yourself in some way so I can live. That would be dumb. We’re partners now, Fig. Married. I go where you go. Do you understand?”
“Yes. We don’t have a life pod onboard for me to put you in. I wish I had one.”
“I wouldn’t use it unless you were inside it with me. I’m sticking to you like glue, handsome. Now, do you still want to ask me to promise you something?”
“Yes. I want you to stay behind me if we get boarded. Big and Blade taught us how to defend ourselves. I can fight. Whoever is out there will be human. I’m stronger and faster than they are. Let me deal with them if there is a physical battle.”
“I promise to stay behind you, but I’m also going to assure you that I’ll grab the first thing handy and beat the hell out of anyone attacking you. I’m stronger and faster than a human, too, since I’m a clone.”
“You still think like a human, though, Anna.”
“You’re not the only quick learner here. I’ll figure out my new strength while helping you keep us safe. Later, I want you to teach me how to fight. It sounds like fun to grapple with you.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’d be honored to teach you anything you want.”
“Good. Now, let’s get ready and deal with whoever has been annoying us with the flashing incoming transmission messages during our honeymoon.”
Fig released her and put on thick clothing, asking her to do the same. Anna had to fold the arms and legs of the pants and shirt he gave her to fit her much smaller body. He wanted as much material to protect their skin as possible in case they were boarded.
A clone retrieval team would probably want to take them alive at first after realizing there were only two of them. They’d want to torture them both to learn the location of the other missing clones.
Pirates might kill them outright, but it was doubtful. They’d want to know if they had any hoarded merchandise they could steal. It was also a possibility that they’d want to use them the way they had Blade by making them slaves. He hoped that was the case because then he’d have a chance of saving Anna if they remained alive.
He couldn’t do that if whoever was out there just blew their shuttle up from a distance. The thought of watching Anna die a second time left him feeling terrified. They both left his cabin and walked hand in hand to the cockpit.
“Strap in tight,” he ordered.
Anna did it. “I wish I knew anything about shuttles. I’m useless just sitting here. It would probably be a good thing for you to teach me how to fly one of these one day soon.”
“I’m hoping we won’t have to take more flights once I safely get you to our home base. Rod, Free, and Ram can bring us more plasma when our supplies run low. Those males are single without females to protect on their shuttles.”
“I look forward to meeting all of them.”
“I’m going to make that happen.” Fig started the engines, determined to face whatever it took to get Anna out of danger. “Are you strapped tight? I might have to pull some drastic maneuvers once we leave the crater if they are close enough to target us with weapons. I won’t see them until we’re exposed.”
“I’m ready. Don’t worry about me. Focus on flying. I love you, Fig.”
He turned his head, staring deeply into her eyes. “I love you too, Anna. I’m not letting you die a second time.”
“We’re together forever. It’s my new motto. Right along with sex with you is the best.”
His Anna made him laugh despite the stress he was under. “Perhaps we can have a second honeymoon after this. To celebrate.”
“Deal.”
Fig faced forward, started the engines, and severed the lines that had tethered his shuttle to the crater walls. His heart pounded from adrenaline and fear. It was terrifying taking risks with Anna’s life. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to her.
He second-guessed his decision to even enter the crater. He should have kept flying until he got out of sensor range of the other ship, changed course, and made his way back home.
Instead, he’d been too eager to see Anna and make sure that she was actually inside that cryo unit. His impatience was the cause of their current dire situation. He wouldn’t make that mistake in the future.
“Brace and hold on tight,” he ordered Anna. “Here we go.”
* * * * *
The shuttle engines suddenly grew loud, and Anna was thrown back against her plush seat. A few feet separated her from Fig. The view in front of them was dark gray rock, but it flew past them. It was so close that it looked as if they might slam into it.
Terror had Anna pressing her lips tight together and digging her fingernails into the arms of the chair. She’d never been the type to enjoy rollercoasters or scary amusement rides. Even the entertainment videos she chose were geared toward comedies and lighthearted subjects. Real life had been grim enough.
It was tempting to scream when another large chunk of gray rock barely missed them, but that might distract Fig. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Suddenly, the rocks were gone, and it was all black nothingness showing out of the front window. She spotted a few stars in the distance.
The view changed as Fig turned the shuttle. She got to see the moon. It looked a lot like images she’d seen of the one near Earth. He seemed to be flying them close to the surface as they zipped between two gray mountain mounds.
Questions popped into her mind, but Anna kept her mouth closed. She’d ask later when their lives weren’t in danger. All his attention needed to be on flying as they dove down into a huge crater. Fig didn’t stay in it long, flying upward to avoid slamming into a wall of stone.
“I’m picking up a solo shuttle on sensors,” Fig announced.
A beep sounded. It startled Anna enough to gasp.
“They are hailing us.” Fig’s fingers flew over the controls. The front view suddenly magnified.
Anna stared at another shuttle in the distance. It was just floating in space near the moon. “What do we do?” She kept her voice low, the moment strained.
Fig hesitated before speaking. “I’m going to respond and see who they are and what they want. Don’t say a word. I want them to think I’m alone if possible. They may not have known I stole you from that transport. I destroyed it after I took you from the cargo hold.”
She nodded, her gaze locked on the other shuttle. It was far away, but they were flying closer. At least, that’s what it looked like to her.
“Why do you keep hailing me? What do you want?”
Fig’s harsh tone had Anna look at him. His angry expression matched how he sounded. A shiver ran down her spine. She wasn’t afraid of him, but she was seeing a dangerous side of him. It was somewhat comforting since she knew he was being that way to protect her.
Long seconds passed before a female voice responded. “Three, six, nine, alpha, knowledge, three, zero, five, franklin.”
Shock showed on Fig’s face since Anna was still watching him. His mouth parted, but he didn’t say a word. Then he looked angry again. Anna was just really confused. None of what the woman said made a lick of sense to her.
“I’m one of three. Do you understand?” The woman speaking paused. “I mean no harm. Can we dock together and speak in person?”
Fig’s mouth opened but then closed. He looked stunned again.
“What is it?” Anna whispered low, hoping her voice wouldn’t carry to whoever was out there if communications were still open on their side.
Fig glanced at her but then motioned for her to be silent. He cleared his throat. “Nine, bar, seven, one, dark, quad, ten.”
The woman responded immediately. “Five, three, zero, bar.”
“Seven, seven, seven,” he stated.
There was a click.
“Unbelievable,” Fig muttered. “I’ve momentarily ended communications.”
“What did all that mean?” Anna kept watching him. Fig was staring at the shuttle in the distance. “It sounded like numbers and gibberish words strung together to me.”
“It’s not gibberish. It’s the transaction used to help us escape from Clone World.”
“What does that mean?”
“She’s claiming to be the one who paid the pilot to fly us from the surface, but that’s impossible.”
“Why?”
He met her gaze. “The granddaughter of Rico Florigo was the one who helped us escape Clone World. Free, her, and I were the only three who knew those details. She’s claiming to be Marisol Florigo.”
“Why didn’t she just say that?”
“Transmissions aren’t secured between that shuttle and ours. If she really is Marisol, it would be extremely dangerous for her if anyone realized her identity.”
“Why?”
“She’s the sole heir to Clone World. At least, that’s what everyone believes. Humans would attempt to ransom her back to her grandfather for an immense fortune. They don’t know how little Rico Florigo values the lives of his family. He ordered the shuttle carrying his lone son and daughter-in-law to be destroyed when some clones tried to use them as hostages to escape Clone World. Those were Marisol’s parents. There were no survivors.”
Anna felt horrified.
“I don’t know why she would be here trying to contact us. She changed her mind.”
“About what?”
Fig looked sad. “Free was in love with her. She promised to meet up with him months after our escape once it was safe to do so. Her grandfather couldn’t find out that she helped us. He’s a vindictive, unforgiving human. Marisol knew he’d send an army searching for us and wouldn’t stop until we were all dead if he learned she chose a clone over him. To help a group of his property get off Clone World would be considered the ultimate betrayal by him after he killed his own son to prevent it from happening.”
Anna let that sink in. “She didn’t show up at the meeting?”
“No. Marisol broke Free’s heart.”
Anna turned her head, staring at the other shuttle. “Maybe she changed her mind since then. We have a saying about how absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
“Or it could be a trap. Her regret might not be meeting with Free but about helping us escape in the first place.”
“That would be bad.”
“Yes, it would.”
“Are we going to meet with her and talk in person?”
“No. This is a decision Free needs to make for himself. I’m not putting you at risk.” Fig held her gaze. “Be silent while I communicate with her.”
“Alright.”
Fig turned communications back on. “I’m not the one you need to speak to. Do you have the capability to wait here for a while?”
“Yes.” The woman’s voice sounded shaky. “Is he alive? Please, tell me.”
“He’s alive.”
“Thank you. Yes, we can wait here.”
“We?”
“I have four friends with me that have a lot in common with you.”
Fig closed his eyes.
Anna could piece that together by guessing the woman meant the four were also clones. When Fig opened his eyes, she swore there were tears there.
He blinked them away. “Understood. Wait here. Don’t attempt to follow us.”
“We’ll wait,” the woman whispered.
Fig ended the communications and turned the shuttle, flying them into dark space.
“The four are clones, right? That’s how I took her words.”
“I believe so,” Fig confirmed.
“Why does that upset you?”
He held her gaze. “We’ve felt a lot of guilt that so many of us were left behind. At first, we planned to rescue some of our friends once we got settled into our freedom and found a safe place to call home. But we were na?ve and didn’t understand how impossible that would be. Clone World is too heavily protected. Even if we could manage to land there, their defenses would blow any unauthorized ship apart if it attempted to leave the surface.”
“That’s not your fault.”
“Clones are our people. It feels like we abandoned them. Logic has nothing to do with emotions.”
“That’s true.” Anna loosened her belts and reached out. “I love you.”
Fig clasped her hand. “I love you too.”
“Is she following us in the other shuttle?”
“No. I’m on high alert, though. We’re traveling in the wrong direction right now, but once we’re far enough away to leave sensor range, we’ll head toward home base.” He squeezed her hand. “Then I’ll have to give Free the news, and he’ll have to decide if speaking to Marisol is worth the risk. It still could be a trap.”
“What does your gut say?”
He hesitated. “I never trusted her, but I’m biased against humans. None of them treated me well on Clone World.”
“That woman did help you escape, right? We have another saying back on Earth. Actions speak louder than words.”
“Yet, she broke Free’s heart.”
“Shit happens, Fig. Maybe there’s a good reason why she didn’t meet up with you when she was supposed to.”
“Perhaps.”
“Are you going to contact Free now to let him know?”
“I will when it’s safe. Transmissions can be hacked. I want to get far from this system before I attempt it. Better yet, I think Big should be the one to do it. I’d like his opinion first.”
“You’re protecting Free.”
Fig nodded. “I don’t want to see him feel hope and have it destroyed again.”
“That’s understandable. You’re a good man.”