Jaci's Experiment (25 page)

Bill held Dave’s gaze for a long moment before stepping back into the shadows with a curt nod. He’d be their gardener for now, which was apparently what the Oracle wanted. Dave was right. They could do far worse than follow Caleb O’Hara’s instructions.

They ate together that night, dining on the delicious food Jane O’Hara had sent along. It was a celebration of sorts, a time for the cousins to get to know the men who had 221

rescued their mate. Dave found a bottle of whiskey in the commander’s quarters that had only gotten better with age and shared it around. They only had a shot or two each—wanting to prolong the remnant of Earth’s past glory—but it was enough to leave the cousins feeling pleasantly uninhibited and Jaci was downright naughty.

Alvians, it seemed, could not hold their liquor. She was fast asleep after only one round of loving, laid low by the combination of pleasure and very old Scotch whiskey.

Dave and Mike left her sleeping and did more exploring around the huge facility, enjoying the quiet hours of the night. Bill was fast asleep, also done in by the Scotch, and Sam was tired from his trek, so it was just Mike, Dave and BURTIN. The complex was quiet, the lights lowered to nighttime levels to help the inhabitants keep track of what time it was in the world above.

Respecting the quiet, Dave and Mike spoke telepathically, used to keeping their innermost thoughts to themselves after years in captivity.

“Emotionally, Bill’s a mess.”Dave’s words surprised Mike. He’d known the Alvian warrior was conflicted, but he’d never heard Dave assess someone so starkly. It had to be bad for Dave to lose his usual professional demeanor.

“In what way? Could he be a danger to Jaci?”

“I don’t think so. The man is consumed by guilt and self-loathing, but he’s got a core of steel, Mike.

He’s an honorable guy. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have made it this far after they awakened his emotions.”

Rick and Davin had told them a little about Bill’s past on the flight up here. They’d been reticent to speak of the man who’d been Sinclair Prime, but they’d decided—rightly so, Mike thought—that the cousins needed to know what they were walking into.

“Even knowing what he was, I feel kind of sorry for him, Dave. He didn’t choose his life. He was bred to be a killer. Hell, they even gave him wings so he could drop in from above to silence his victims. What must they have gone through to give him wings? And what must he have gone through, hiding them all his life except when training with his keepers?”

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“I think his instincts were always at war with his predetermined path. Anything with wings wants to fly free, but an assassin always has to keep to the shadows. It’s a paradox that must have created an internal, instinctual conflict in him even before they tinkered with his emotions.”

“Poor guy.”

“Yeah,”Dave agreed.

“Do you think you can help him?”

“At this point, I don’t think he’ll let me close enough to even try. Maybe in time. I think Caleb’s onto something giving him the role of head gardener. Bill needs to learn how to nurture. He’s got the instincts or he wouldn’t have been taking in strays like Sam and Jaci, or keeping watch over the O’Hara ranch.

Give him a few hundred baby plants to develop those instincts more and maybe he’ll start to heal on his own—at least enough to get him to the point where he’ll accept my help.”

“But do you really want to help him?”There was the big question. Bill was Alvian, after all. A soldier. A former Prime and master assassin. Did they really want to help him? Did he deserve it?

He’d saved Jaci’s life and Sam’s too. He’d pulled his shot at the last minute and missed Davin when he’d been sent out with orders to end the Chief Engineer’s life. He’d changed from the ruthless Alvian assassin he’d once been. He had feelings now and nurturing instincts, though he didn’t seem to recognize them at all.

Bill had a lot to learn.

But everyone deserved a second chance. Mike was a firm believer in that. As was Dave.

“I want to help him,”Dave confirmed Mike’s thoughts.
“Deep down, he’s an honorable man. And on
a practical note, with his skills, he could be a great asset to us and any other human refugees we
might come across. And what Caleb O’Hara predicted keeps running through my mind. Bill could
be the start of something…eventually. But for now, he could be a big help getting this place
habitable.”

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“So you’ve given further thought to the idea of setting this complex up as a sort of sanctuary?”

“Yeah. Come on, Mike, you have to admit it’s a perfect setup. We even have a smart computer that’s kept the place functional all these years. It’s like it was meant for us. I think, once we get used to the place and get it spiffed up a bit, we should seriously consider letting just a few select people know we’re willing to take in those, like us, who are on the run and need a place to hide. It’s what the O’Haras want and what Caleb expects, plus, it just feels right. You can’t deny that.”

Mike shook his head with a faint smile.
“No, I can’t deny it, though I had no idea we’d start
ourselves a half-way house for troubled fugitives, be they Alvian or human. The only things that
worry me are Bill’s wings. How are we going to deal with the predictable human reaction to
seeing them? I mean, we can’t ask him not to fly. After all the years he’s had to hide his wings, he
can at least fly around down here without fear of discovery. I wouldn’t want to take that away
from him.”

“You’ve always been a soft touch, Mike.”Dave rolled his eyes at his cousin, but he was grinning.
“But I
agree with you. The guy needs to fly. I guess we’ll have to deal with our tenants’ reactions—if and
when we get any tenants—when we get to that point. It might even work in our favor. Angels are
the good guys in most human belief systems.”

“They’re also the harbingers of change and messengers of momentous events.”

“I don’t know how just yet, but we might work that to our advantage some day.”

***

A few days later, Bill found Sam skipping stones at the edge of the vast underground lake. The lovers had been here earlier and the walls still glowed with echoes of their resonance. Bill had wanted to spend some time stretching his wings in the vast cavern above the lake, but Sam’s mood spoke to him. Bill was learning to read emotions better the longer he observed humans, and the more he became used to his own emotions. Each new revelation Bill achieved made him feel that much closer to sanity and reminded him of all he’d lost and all he’d gained. Each 224

time he discovered some new way of reading people and recognizing that he had the same emotions in his own psyche, he knew every last trial was worth it. He wouldn’t go back to the way he was—even if it could remove the pain.

For pain let him know he was alive. The pain of his past and the guilt that sometimes threatened to swamp him were reminders that he was still here, among the living, not the lifeless automaton he’d been before. He’d sooner die than go back to that featureless existence and he pitied any Alvian who had to exist in ignorance of the emotions the scientists had so cavalierly discarded for their entire race.

Bill cleared his throat to alert Sam to his presence, but Sam had already known Bill was near. Sam was almost as good as Bill was when it came to sensing others in his vicinity.

“What troubles you?” Bill hoped he’d struck the right tone with his query. He was still very new at talking about emotions and even newer at having human friends.

“Mike and Dave told me about my daughter. They’ve seen her. And Ruth.” Sam pitched a stone across the surface of the water with expert skill, watching it skip seven times before it succumbed to the power of gravity and sank beneath the rippling surface.

“Is Ruth the woman in your journal?” The answer was suddenly vital to Bill. That woman’s image had haunted him.

Sam nodded. “We were only together a few days, but I’ve never forgotten her. She’s special. If I believed in your people’s ways, I’d say she was my mate—I feel that strongly about her?but we’re both human.”

Bill wondered if true resonance mating could occur between humans and he suspected, given the evidence of the O’Haras, it could indeed. Though the idea that the woman whose image was etched in his mind was already mated, grated on Bill’s new emotions. He didn’t understand it at all, but then, there were lots of things he didn’t understand about emotion. He’d spend his lifetime learning it all.

“I’m missing so much of my daughter’s life.” When Bill didn’t comment, Sam continued speaking, skipping stones and studying the lake. “Hell, I didn’t even know about her ’til I met Jaci. She told me that Ruth talked about me and she named the baby

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Samantha—for her daddy.” Sam’s voice broke and Bill thought the man might be near tears, but he wasn’t sure. Sam cleared his throat and went on in a stronger voice. “I never thought I’d have a child of my own, much less a little girl. This world is so hard for humans, Bill, and it’s really bad for females in particular. I don’t want my baby girl in danger every waking minute, much less her mother. My only consolation is that they’re with Davin. I know he’ll do his best to keep them safe, though his position is as precarious in some ways as theirs. I wonder how long the Alvian High Council will let him get away with defying them?”

Bill knew the answer to that one. “As long as they need power, I would imagine. Chief Engineer Davin has something they desperately need. They won’t dare to destabilize him. As a throwback, they think him too volatile. They’ll humor him as long as he gives them what they want—energy.”

“But then why did they send you to kill him?” Sam turned to gaze at him with accusing eyes. Bill sighed.

He knew he had much to answer for. This was the least of his sins.

“It was a minority faction of the Council that has since been eradicated. Davin and Rick saw to that. The display they made before the Council and all those news feeds did the rest. Nobody will go after Davin again. He’s far too powerful now.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed. “You’re sure? You wouldn’t just say that to make me feel better?”

Bill didn’t understand the concept well, but he did see that Sam needed reassurance. “I’m positive. I would not lie to you, Sam.”

Sam stood and clapped Bill on the shoulder. “I’m glad to hear it.” He walked past him and made for the tunnels heading back toward the main complex. “Thanks, Bill. Enjoy your flight.”

Bill nodded, surprised Sam realized why he’d come to the giant, high-ceilinged cavern. But Sam was very observant for a human. In fact, Sam was the closest thing Bill had to a friend among his new acquaintances. He genuinely liked the man and respected his abilities.

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Bill had had friends before, among the men he’d commanded, but they were far away now, lost in another life. And Bill couldn’t be sure the camaraderie they’d shared had ever been true friendship—not the way he now understood the concept. They’d shared experiences and training, but they had never shared emotions of any sort. The emotional connection is what made friendship feel good, Bill realized as he took to the air with one powerful thrust of his wings.

His former comrades may have shared his physical attributes and abilities, but they’d never shared his feelings.

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The four of them settled into a routine of sorts. Each day they checked the perimeter they’d set up within the tunnels and worked on restoring the facility. The mules came in handy for some of the heavy lifting that needed to be done, since they didn’t want to dip into the gasoline stores to run trucks and other vehicles that had been left behind, if it could be helped. Plus, most of the vehicles would need major mechanical work to function properly after sitting dormant for decades.

BURTIN was a wealth of information, giving Bill step-by-step instructions for setting up a small corner of the hydroponics area. The others helped him move the bigger pieces of equipment into place and saw him through the first planting stages, but left him to the task when it seemed he had it well in hand.

Jaci had become something of a scavenger, locating odd bits and pieces from the various bedrooms that had once been inhabited by a large number of men and women. She took it upon herself to freshen and clean each of the chambers, though there really was no need. Dave thought it was because the tasks were familiar to her, and therefore comforting. She’d done much the same in her work performing upkeep of the cells below the Alvian city.

Each night, they’d adjourn to their chamber and make love long into the night. Sometimes they’d venture outside the complex, just to the hot spring and make love under the waterfall that brought cold water from above to the hot below and made the pool the perfect temperature for bathing…and other things.

On this particular night, the cousins left Sam and Bill far behind in the main complex, taking their time bathing in the hot spring and making love to their woman. Jaci loved the place, as did her men. They’d spent hours here, showing her just how much they loved her and making the small crystals embedded in the walls glow like little stars from their passion.

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***

Grady Prime was on a mission. Perhaps it would prove to be his last mission, but he welcomed the unknown future if it meant a change from the endless monotony of his existence. Still, this mission had delayed the experiment for him. He needed to be off-duty in order to administer the experimental treatment, and he was most definitely on duty until Jaci 192 had been apprehended and returned to the city for questioning. He’d known there was something different about her, but he hadn’t been able to put his finger on exactly what it was. Now that he knew she’d already taken the treatment, albeit accidentally, he wanted to talk to her about the changes she’d undergone as the agent reshaped her DNA on a molecular level. Maybe she’d speak with him on the shuttle trip home, though he knew she’d have little incentive to want to speak to him after he captured her. Especially since he’d be delivering her into a prison cell at the end of that journey. Still, he liked the woman and hoped she would speak with him. She’d already been through the journey he would be undertaking as soon as he got back to base.

Of course, he had to find her first. She’d led him a merry chase, but he thought he had her now. She had to have help, and following the human male had led Grady Prime to a place he never would have expected. It was an unknown human base of some kind that had weathered the apocalypse in surprisingly good shape.

He and his men had found other places like this from time to time, but he’d never suspected there would be one here in the middle of the mountains they’d already searched in every way possible—with every instrument they had.

But Grady Prime had always had an instinct for the hunt. He could feel when he was being observed and he could sense prey long before they showed up on sensors or were picked up by other hunters. He felt eyes in the woods now and picked his path carefully. He also sensed his target nearby. How he knew these things, he’d never bothered to ask. He just took it as the natural ability it was and used it to his best advantage. It was part of what had helped him become Prime at so young an age.

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Grady Prime observed the human male entering a small, unremarkable cave and staked out the area.

There were undoubtedly sensors in the area. They’d found such at all the previous installations they’d reconnoitered. The secret here would be to lay low and wait until they were lulled into a sense of security. Grady Prime would bide his time under cover of the woods, watching and waiting for his opportunity.

He waited for deepest night to make his move. He followed where the male had gone, examining the ground carefully, but moving as quickly as possible. If any of the hardware in the facility were still working, they could have been alerted to his presence already. He was counting on the lateness of the hour, and the fact that there couldn’t be that many of them, to aid him in his mission. He would find them now, but the tracks would tell their own story, letting him know what he was up against.

Sure, he could call for backup, but this was one small woman whom he had once considered a friend and one, perhaps two, humans. He knew he could handle this situation alone and truth be told, he wanted to give Jaci 192 a chance to speak to him away from the rest of his men. He wanted a moment to talk with her and see for himself the changes that had come over her. He had to know if she was irrational or insane. He had to see his possible future for himself.

What he found was not what he had expected. Instead of a madwoman on the run, he found her frolicking in a steamy, mossy cave that had water running swiftly through it from a waterfall above that dropped away into a shallow, bubbling pool below. It was a hot spring of some kind, lit with crystals embedded in the very walls, glowing brighter each time she touched one of the two men who flanked her.

Grady Prime crept inside, disabling the small proximity alarm which had also been taken, or perhaps supplied, by her unknown allies, and two other backup sensors that they had put near the entrance to warn them of anyone approaching.

He recognized the two males with Jaci 192. He had pitted his skills against this pair before. They had led him in circles, but his tracking skills had prevailed. He had almost hated to see them captured, but he was only doing his job. He respected the men, though

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they never knew it. They had challenged him and stumped him a few times, but in the end, he won as usual, and they had lost their freedom.

Grady Prime crept slowly into the cave, rounding a corner that arched sharply away from the nearly hidden entrance to a main tunnel. It was well lit and all but unseen from the outside. He watched from the shadows, knowing his quarry was trapped. He would take a moment to observe them, to see how Jaci 192 interacted with the Breeds now that he knew she had taken the experimental agent. This was purely for his own edification and he would never admit to delaying the performance of his duty to his superiors, but he had to know. It was his life on the line, his future. He had to know if the agent made her unstable or insane, or if it even worked at all. So he ducked silently behind a rock formation to observe.

The males stood at the edge of the pool and Jaci 192 was already in the water. The men joined her with sighs of pleasure as the warm water lapped at their muscles. Immediately, one of the males took her naked form in his arms and kissed her soundly.

Grady heard the Hum first, then saw the flicker of orange light in the tiny crystals that lived in the walls of this cave. They glowed for Jaci and the Breed, stealing Grady’s breath as their kiss deepened and they truly Embraced. The crystals glowed with bright yellow sunlight. They were indeed, resonance mates.

Grady would not have believed it had he not seen it with his own eyes. But even as he thought this, the first male let her go and the other male took her in his arms, repeating the Kiss and Embrace. The Hum intensified again and the raw crystal in the walls of the cave shone brightly for them. Both of these men resonated with Jaci 192 and were her true mates.

By rights of ancient Alvian law, these three could not be separated, even by ruling of the High Council.

Grady knew what his orders were, but he also knew what was right. Decision made, he stepped out from behind the rock formation.

“Holy shit!” Dave’s tone had Mike lifting Jaci and putting her behind them. Something was very wrong.

“Where did he come from?”

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Jaci pushed her way out from behind her men.

“Grady Prime?” Dismay filled her tone.

“Yes, Jaci 192. I’ve been sent to take you back.”

His voice was like winter, cold and unfeeling. It didn’t give them much hope.

Jaci surprised them all by stepping from the pool and calmly wrapping her towel around herself. She faced Grady with anger in her eyes.

“You’ll just have to kill me now, Grady Prime. I will not go with you any other way. I would rather die.”

Grady lifted the large weapon strapped around his shoulders and the two men started forward, but he only lifted the gun clear and tossed it back toward the tunnel entrance. Three pairs of confused eyes regarded him.

“I didn’t come here to kill anyone.”

“Then why did you come?” Dave had a towel around his waist as he faced the alien warrior, but Grady had eyes only for their woman.

“I came for answers,” the warrior said softly, just an echo of humanity in his deep, melodic, alien voice,

“and I’ve found only more questions.”

Jaci breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief but the cousins weren’t letting their guard down just yet.

They had a history with this soldier and they didn’t trust him.

“I tried to tell you what I could when I gave you the skinpatch. Grady Prime, I consider you a friend and if what I believe about your character is true, then you should, by all means, go forward with the treatment. It will change your life forever.”

“As it has yours? I saw the crystals glow. You have found not one, but two resonance mates. How is this possible?”

Jaci shook her head. “Davin has theories. You should find time to speak with him privately if you seek that answer. I only know that these men are my true mates and I will not part with them for any reason ever again. I love them.”

“You can feel? You feel love?” Grady asked his gaze intent.

Jaci nodded, a smile curving her lips. “Love, anger, pity, sorrow, hope, excitement, joy and so much more. Grady Prime, our people don’t know what they’re missing!”

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“Perhaps you could show them. If you come back to the city and tell them what’s happened…show them the proof of your mating with these men. They might listen.”

But Jaci shook her head. “That’s not my place, Grady Prime. Not yet. Perhaps not ever. I would not have been chosen to participate in the experiment. I don’t hold high enough rank. But you might have that chance. You’re among the best of the best, and they’ll listen to you. They won’t want to lose your skills and they’ll listen and hear what you have to say.”

Grady stepped right up to her and placed one large, calloused palm on her cheek. The cousins flanked her, letting him know that he was getting too close to their woman, but he would not be cowed.

“You are much more than you think, Jaci 192. As a soldier, I’ve come to believe in fate. I think it was fate that stuck that skinpatch on your arm and fate that brought you to your true mates. I don’t think fate is done with you yet, either, but I’ll respect your wishes for now. According to the ancient laws, you would have one month of freedom to be with your true mate after Joining before having to resume your duties and no one—not even the High Council?has authority to separate true resonance mates.” He stepped back from her, smiling faintly. “As a warrior, I can do no other than obey the law.”

“But what about your orders? Didn’t they send you to take us back?” Mike asked with a hint of challenge.

Grady turned laser-like blue eyes on him. “The ancient law supersedes orders given by a mere scientist.

True mates may not be separated for any reason. Only my direct chain of command can issue capture orders in conflict with other laws and even then, they could be appealed to the High Council on grounds that they are superseded by superior law. Since I’m Prime, I am the highest authority before the High Council. I’ve decided that Mara 12’s orders are illegal now that I’ve seen the proof of resonance. I can leave you here with no harm to my honor.”

“Very tidy,” Dave commented from the side.

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Grady bared his teeth in what passed for a smile. “Yes, indeed.” For a short moment the three men shared a bit of camaraderie, but it didn’t last.

“Will you tell them?” Jaci’s voice bit through the quiet. She was clearly worried.

Grady shook his head. “Your trail is nearly invisible. I tracked you alone. No one knows I found you and they don’t need to know as far as I’m concerned. Jaci 192,” his voice dropped, “you’ve found what many of us seek. You’ve found your true mates and you have my congratulations and envy.”

“I thought your kind couldn’t feel such things?” Dave’s voice challenged him, but Grady didn’t appear to take offense.

“Because I’m a soldier, I feel more than most. I feel…echoes. And I want to feel more. It’s always just beyond my reach and it has taunted me most of my life. That’s why I volunteered for the experiment.”

Jaci lowered her eyes, sighing heavily. “You won’t regret it, Grady Prime. But it’s overwhelming at first.

Do not despair. Seek help from those with emotions who can understand what you’re going through. My friends among the humans and my mates helped me through the initial disorientation. You’ll need someone to help you too.”

“But I’ll be watched closely as part of the experiment.”

“But you are also Prime. Very few of the Maras will argue with you should you want to talk to someone other than one of them.”

Mike touched her arm and the Hum sounded to both pairs of Alvian ears. Grady’s eyes shot to hers as she smiled.

“Maybe he could talk to Harry,” Mike suggested.

“And Caleb,” Dave added from her other side.

“The Haras?” Grady nodded, thinking. “I have known them for many years. It would not seem too odd if I were to seek them out.”

Jaci touched his arm. “Then do it. You could have a worse reaction than I did because of your warrior DNA. For me, the emotions started to intensify on the second day, then became progressively worse for the next few days. I was feeling overwhelmed

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and didn’t know where to turn, but David and Michael helped me. Perhaps Hara and Caleb can do something similar for you.”

Grady saw the wisdom in that, already thinking and strategizing ahead. “What you suggest has merit. I will consider it closely and thank you for your candor.”

“So that’s it? You’re letting us go?” Mike asked, just to be sure.

“That’s it, as you say. I stayed on in the woods alone after I sent all my troops back to the city. I wanted to find Jaci 192 for my own reasons. I wanted to see what the skinpatch had done to her before I embark on the journey myself. I’ve satisfied my curiosity now. She is neither insane nor unstable that I can see. It gives me…hope…if that’s the right word for the echo of feeling.”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Dave said. “And just so you can be certain, Jaci is becoming better adjusted to her emotions every day. In the old world, I counseled those with mental and emotional problems. What we called psychiatry was my field of expertise.” Mike knew from his cousin’s tone that the doctor was definitely
in
. For whatever reason, Dave had decided to help the man who’d once captured and imprisoned them, and who’d had sex with their mate. Remembering that didn’t sit to well with Mike, but he didn’t say anything. He just stood back and watched. If Grady made the slightest move, Mike would give him something to think about.

“I can assure you…” Dave put one arm around Jaci’s shoulders, “…she’s as well grounded as anyone in her position could possibly be and she integrates more of the emotion with each passing day. I like to think that Mike and I have some influence on her progress.” Dave gestured toward his cousin. “But I also believe a balance can be reached—given time—on one’s own. Talking to the O’Haras would be beneficial to you, but try to keep your spirits up and don’t despair when the emotions start to feel overwhelming. There is hope for you. And hope for you, Grady Prime, means hope for your entire race.