Gracie's Touch Zion Warriors 1 (2 page)

“What if they find you? What if it doesn’t work and you get trapped there?” Chance asked huskily
as he held her against his hard length
.

“They won’t. It will work. I’ve double and triple checked the programs to make sure they would work. You saw for yourself how the
shield
collapsed and I was able to take control of the ship and bring it down. The alien didn’t have a clue about what was happening.” Gracie said
softly as she
wrapp
ed
her arms around Chance. She wanted to give him reassurance but she also needed it herself.

“When do we do this?” Adrian asked.

“Tomorrow
morning
.” Adam replied. “We’ve received confirmation from around the world that everyone will be ready.”

Mark nodded. “You better come back,
little britches
, or I’m going to be mighty pissed at you.”

Gracie smiled softly before replying. “I will,
Mark
. I will.”

Gracie slowly walked into the bathroom and stared at her reflection. She tried to calm the trembling in her hands as she pushed her
short
,
thick strawberry blonde
hair away from her face so she could wash without it getting wet. Gracie wouldn’t say she was beautiful, more like cute. Her
strawberry blonde hair was cut in a bob that came to her chin
, her eyes were too big and a deep, dark
green. She had a short button nose
and lips just a little on the full size. She was very pale from having spent most of her time underground in the subway tunnels of New York. She was
also very petite for her age
but that was mostly due to not having very much food for too many years. The guys had finally set up grow lights in one tunnel and they grew what they could. Mark had been the farmer of the group having come from the Midwest in search of survivors. Chance knew a little but that was mostly because of the pot plants he used to grow when he was a teenager. Adam and Adrian
were
native New Yorkers used to the mean streets. They
were
the fighters of the group and
were
instrumental in saving the lives of each of them on more than one occasion.

Gracie
watched as her hair swished around her face as she leaned forward and drew in a deep breath
. She tried to sound confident about what she was about to do but in reality, she was scared to death. She wasn’t sure it was going to work and she knew if it did, there was an excellent possibility she wouldn’t survive. She figured it would be a one-way ticket but she also knew if the guys knew that
,
they would never let her go. If there was a chance they
c
ould turn the tide on this war and defeat the aliens, she was going to take it. The only reason she was the best candidate for this mission was because if the aliens figured out what she was doing and tried to stop her
,
she had a chance of counter-acting their programming. So, scared or not, she was it. Gracie washed her face and brushed her teeth before pulling on a comfortable pair of worn jeans, an oversized T-Shirt with a picture
of New York on the front
and slipping into her running shoes. She grabbed some personal items and shoved them into her oversized leather bag along with an extra shirt and her hoodie. Last
,
she grabbed her tablet pc and chargers. Looking around for the last time at the little cot up
set up
against the stone wall, Gracie pulled aside the blanket she used as a door and walked down to the main staging area.

Adam, Adrian, Chance, and Mark were waiting for her by the time she got to the center area they used as a main living quarter. Chance helped Gracie up onto the platform then stood back as the other six men who made up Team
Two
looked her over.

“Not much to you.” One of the men said spitting on the floor. “Maybe if they catch you they won’t thin
k there is enough of you to eat. You sure as hell aren’t big enough for parts.
”

Adrian, wh
o was standing slightly to the l
eft of the man, turned in a blur of motion and struck the man in the jaw sending him to the floor on his ass. “S
hut your mouth!” He snarled cle
nching his fists tightly. “She is risking her life to do something no one else can, you piece of shit. Give her the respect she deserves.”

“And don’t s
pit on the floor. This is our living area.
” Gracie said
as
calmly
as she could
.

The words of the man sent a shiver down her spine. They frequently received reports that the aliens were using humans for parts to repair the damage to their own organic bodies. Gracie didn’t want to think of
her family ending up that way.
Chance could sense how the words of the man upset Gracie and it took everything inside him not to just kill the bastard right then and there. He walked over and pulled Gracie close to his body, trying to give her what little protection and support he could.

“Gracie.” Chance called out quietly a few hours later.

Gracie and the guys went over the plans again
with Team Two before calling it a night
. They looked over every aspect of what they were about to do. It was essentially Gracie’s plan. When she first worked out the programming to not only disarm the shields protecting the Alluthan spaceships but how to override their system and bring it down using a simulator she had been ecstatic. If a world-wide, systematic coordination of attacks could be organized then it was possible to turn the tide on the war and possibly even bring it to an end. It took over two months for Gracie to finally convince the other four guys it was a possibility and that only happened when she took over the supply ship now down in the old warehouse. The Alluthan on board had no idea that it was not following a direct order from the mother ship. Once Gracie proved she could override, control, and operate one of the spaceships Adam began communicating with other rebel forces around the world through the ham-radio and low frequency signals set up.

Gracie knew she would never be able to sleep
after the other team left
. Crocker
,
from Team Two
,
said he would have the things she would need on the supply ship for her arrival at five the next morning. Everything was ready. Now, she sat listening to the communications going on back and forth between the different bases of the Alluthans on the ground and the mother ship.
That was where their downfall would be
…Gracie thought.
They put all their eggs in one basket, on in this case, one ship.
The Alluthans believed the humans too primitive to attack them in space. Everything was run from the mother ship…all communications, orders, even power was distributed from there. If it was destroyed then all their resources were gone.

Gracie started when she heard Chance’s voice call out to her softly. Turning, she watched as he came into the small computer room the guys had set up for her. She couldn’t help but smile as she watched him. She loved him so much. She had since the first time she saw him five years ago. His gentle touch drew her out of the alcove she was hiding in and his strong arms made her feel safe. She knew he loved her too. She tried to act upon their love six months ago but Chance said it was not the time. He had made a promise to Adam to wait until she was eighteen before he claimed her as his. Gracie had argued but Chance remained firm. Adam was the father figure to them all and they respected him.

Adam wanted to make sure Gracie was old enough to understand her decision. Gracie did understand. She also understood life could be short. With considerable reluctance, both Gracie and Chance agreed they would wait until she was eighteen to act upon their physical desires. Now, it looked like their love would become another tragedy in history –for Gracie knew deep down she was never coming back. In a way, she was glad they never made the finally commitment to each other. Perhaps it would be easier for Chance to move on. Gracie knew she would always regret not forcing the issue for her own selfish reasons as she would have loved to have that memory to take with her when she died.

Gracie forced a smile on her face and the tears away as she looked at Chance’s worried face. “Hey, Chance.” She said in a husky voice filled with emotion.

Chance heard the tears she was fighting so hard to push back. Rushing forward, he wrapped his strong arms around her tightly. “Let me go with you.” He whispered against her forehead. “Let me go with you and we can both come back. I’ll tell Adam that you need me.”

Gracie squeezed Chance close to her and closed her eyes. “You can’t. I’m good but not that good. The Alluthans scan each ship for heat signatures. If they pick up two signatures in a supply ship designed for one then they will destroy it before it ever gets near them. Besides, Adam needs you here to help with the attacks. You are supposed to take out the camp holding my parents and sister. You promised to see if they survived.” Gracie said looking up into Chance’s eyes, pleading with him not to argue with her.

Chance slid his arms up and gently cupped Gracie’s face between his large palms. He pressed a kiss to her lips groaning when she opened to him. Tonight could very well be their last night together, forever. Chance briefly thought of his promise to Adam then thought to hell with it. Gracie was his.

“Come with me to my room. Let me love you, Gracie.” Chance murmured against her lips.

Gracie was torn between wanting to push Chance away from the hurt she knew he was going to feel when she was gone and her own selfish desire to grab what little life she had left. The feel of Chance’s hand on her breast made the decision for her. She would be selfish and take what little happiness she could with her.

Chance squeezed Gracie’s hand as he pulled her after him out of the alcove set up as a computer room. He hated he could not give Gracie a real bed for her first time or even the promise of a full night. Instead, all he could give her was a small pallet on a cold, stone floor and a few hours at best. He resolved to make it the most beautiful experience he could for her. She deserved that and more.

They had almost reached the area he claimed as his own when Adrian came running up to them. He was breathing hard and looked pissed as hell. Chance instinctively pulled Gracie closer as his stomach knotted. Something had happened and it wasn’t going to be good.

“Fighters are headed this way.” Adrian blurted out. “Word is they are going to level this part of the city, including the holding camps.”

Gracie gasped. Her parents and sister, if they were still alive, were in the holding camp. If the Alluthans took out the warehouse down by the river then their chance at bringing down the mother ship would take much longer and more lives would be lost.

“I have to leave…now.” Gracie said. “When are the fighters expected?” She asked as she pulled away from Chance.

“A couple hours at most.” Adrian responded grimly.

Gracie nodded and looked back at Chance one last time before turning to follow Adrian. “Gracie.” Chance said hoarsely knowing his time with her was coming to an end.

“I love you, Chance.” Gracie said softly letting one of her hands run up and over his cheek as a single tear coursed down hers. “I always will.”