SharedObjectives (12 page)

“Don’t worry, love, I’m nowhere near done.” True to his
words, Ben slid his fingers back over her anus again just a few seconds later.
This time they seemed to be covered in something slick. She only had a moment
to rejoice before her muscles stretched to allow one of his fingers entrance.
It did burn just a bit at first but as he slid the finger farther into her that
receded and became background noise to the pleasure. “You have a lovely ass.”
He slid the finger in and out of her passage as he spoke. “So tight and plump.”

He pulled his finger all the way out and she found herself
crouching low to Dixie just so she could thrust her ass higher in offering to
Ben. She needed to be touched. Needed it desperately. “Please.”

“What do you need, sweetheart?” Dixie’s rough voice revealed
how much of a toll staying patient was taking on him.

She rubbed her breasts against his body and then nipped on
his neck before answering. “I need more.”

This time Ben slid two fingers into her ass. She was so
relieved she rocked back against his hand. “Yes.” And she continued rocking
back against his hand even as Dixie began to run his fingers over her clit
lightly. “More.” She must have sounded greedy and half-crazed but they had
asked her what she needed.

Ben pulled his fingers out of her again and this time
Dixie’s hands slid over her ass cheeks. He pulled them apart gently and then
held them. “Relax,” he whispered just as the tip of Ben’s cock brushed against
her.

If she weren’t so turned-on, she probably would’ve laughed
at the suggestion. But she was aroused. She also felt empty. So very empty. And
she’d do whatever she had to do to be filled. And if it just took a bit of
relaxation on her part, she could do that.

Ben grabbed on to her hips and then slid into her slowly,
giving her time to relax and regulate her breathing so she could better accept
him. “That’s it, love.” His cock felt slippery, much like his fingers had. It
helped him slide into her smoothly until she felt the flat plane of his hips
resting against her ass. He paused, allowing her to adjust to the stretching
sensation. “Are you okay?”

She tightened her anal muscles to test them and felt him
spasm in her. It was better than okay. She’d never felt so sexy or erotic in
her life. When she told him so, he used his grip on her hips to pull out a few
inches and then glide back into her. Before long, she was lost to the rhythm.
When he paused again, she took a moment to catch her breath before looking over
her shoulder at him in question.

“I think Dixie would like to join the party now.” He winked
just as she heard the sound of a condom being opened.

“Is that possible?” She enjoyed what Ben was doing to her
but she didn’t know if she could handle being stretched much more.

“You tell us,” Dixie said as he slowly started to slide into
her pussy. Her muscles clenched tightly around him as he entered her, telling
her how much her body craved his possession as well. And, when he was fully
seated in her, she found she felt surprisingly complete. “You good?”

“Better than good. Perfect.” That wasn’t an exaggeration.
When they’d told Michael they were a tri, it was as if their relationship had
become official. Now, though, with both of her men buried inside her, they were
proving it. They belonged together. They were a unit.

Dixie nodded at Ben who began to move again. It took a
minute to find the right rhythm and pace but when they did she was able to move
with their possession easily.

Delicious friction consumed her. Ben held her hips in a
tight grip as Dixie kneaded her breasts and pulled on her nipples. And she was
so wonderfully full. She was stretched to the point that one man or the other
stroked and hit every sensitive nerve inside her with each thrust. It was so
intense she could no longer think. She could only feel. And she quickly flew
into the most intense climax she’d ever experienced. And her boys weren’t far
behind her. It seemed they were just holding out, waiting for her, to find
their own pleasure. As her muscles tightened around both of them, they twitched
and shuddered in her and both called out her name. Being able to bring two of
the most desirable men in the galaxy to such a powerful climax did heady things
to a woman.

They pulled out of her carefully and cleaned up before
snuggling securely around her. Before tonight she’d always enjoyed being with
the men but now, as she fell to sleep, she was filled with a sense of belonging
with them.

* * * * *

The next day, as she opened one of the stasis chambers, she
smiled at the lingering aches and pains caused by the activities of the night
before. Not that she minded. Something had changed that night. Them being
together that way had made their relationship feel more permanent, and she
liked that. But she refused to get carried away with the idea until after
they’d had a chance to talk about it. Until that had happened, she needed to
focus on her work. And her work at this moment was to save this woman in this
chamber.

She’d chosen this one, the one identified simply by the
number five inscribed in black lacquer on the gray metal, to try first because
her modifications didn’t seem as drastic as the others. Still, as soon as the
seal broke, the monitors on the chamber started to blare in alarm. Time slowed
as Lisa’s training kicked in. The life form’s chest rose and fell and her
oxygen levels were holding steady so she was getting air. Her pulse, however,
was strong one moment and then thready the next. She needed to stabilize the
woman. “Panels.”

“Charging.”

The woman’s body convulsed and a thick, white foam started
to leak out of her mouth. Lisa turned the woman’s head to the side so she
wouldn’t choke on the fluid before focusing on the assistant. “Now.”

The panels were placed on the woman’s chest and everybody
took a step back as an arc of electricity jolted through her body. Her pulse
regulated for a couple of seconds but then she started to crash. “Again.”

The woman’s body arched as the jolt passed through her this
time and her eyes opened suddenly. They were milky-white but they swept over
the room as if she could see everything going on.

“The war begins at Antihway’s doorstep.”

The hairs on Lisa’s arms stood at the woman’s words and the
frantic motion around Lisa stilled. It felt as if time had stopped. “What?”

But the woman only coughed as the foam started to fill her
mouth and throat once more. “Suction.” Lisa’s pulse beat fiercely in her ears
and beads of sweat started to form on her forehead as she worked on the woman.
The poor thing had spent her life in a chamber. Lisa refused to let her choke
to death with her first real breath.

When Lisa had finally cleared her airways, the woman looked
up at her once more. This time her eyes were focused and so dark they appeared
to be all pupil. She smiled sadly as Lisa removed the tube she’d used to get
rid of the foam that had threatened to choke her. “Thank you. But my place is
not here.” And with that, the alarm for both brain function and pulse started
to blare loudly into the quiet of the room.

Lisa stared at her for a moment before her mind could
process what had just happened. The woman had somehow either killed herself or
had simply allowed herself to die. In all her years of working in medicine,
she’d never seen anything like it. It was as if she’d just let go.

She tried for several moments to bring her back but she
didn’t hold any false hope. The woman had no brain waves. People didn’t come
back from that. Still, when she finally called the death, her hands were shaking
and her stomach was knotted with guilt.

Nobody but herself would ever blame her for the woman’s
death. It had been apparent to everyone there that she had decided to die.
Still, Lisa had to hold some of the blame. It had been her decision to wake one
of them up.

“What did she say?” one of assistants asked as Lisa turned
away from the chamber.

“Thank you. But my place is not here.” Lisa’s voice shook as
she spoke.

“No, the other thing.”

Lisa had been so focused on the woman’s death she almost
forgot about the other more cryptic message. Thankfully one of the other
assistants answered for her. “The war begins at Antihway’s doorstep.”

He growled in apparent frustration at the answer. “And where
the fuck is Antihway? I’ve never heard of it and I’ve been from one side of the
galaxy to the other.”

She sighed and shook her head. “That’s because Antihway
isn’t a where, it’s a who.” The name belonged to someone in her field who was
feared more than respected.

Dixie grunted under the strain of the heavy weight but
refused to allow the sound to reflect the true amount of pain he currently
endured. Lisa watched him. And her wary gaze told him she didn’t like him
lifting weights. If he gave her any reason, she’d restrict his activities again.
He couldn’t guarantee he’d come through that with his sanity intact a second
time.

“You shouldn’t overdo it.” If one didn’t know her, the tone
she used probably sounded nothing but professional. But he did. And, as well as
he knew her, he could hear the underlying worry. It was the one reason he’d
consented to her observing him. She worried about him. He’d never experienced
being worried over and he kind of liked it. As long as she didn’t take it too
far.

“I won’t. I promise.” He pushed the weight up again and held
it for a second before bringing it down in a controlled descent. Yes, it hurt.
And he was already sweating like a pig in a sauna. But it was a good pain and a
good sweat. Both told him that his body had really begun healing. He wouldn’t
do anything to cause a setback.

“I heard you plan on reporting back to full duty by the end
of the week.” Her words sounded more like an accusation than a statement.
Still, he refused to fight with her.

“Yep.” Again he forced his arms to lift the weight and then
allow it to slowly return to his chest.

She huffed at his simple answer. Damn if she wasn’t a
stubborn little thing. Not that he had any shortage in the perseverance
department. Just that he was here lifting weights in front of her was a
testament to his own stubborn streak.

“Do you really think that’s wise?”

“My doctor cleared me.”

This time she snorted. He would’ve laughed at the
undignified sound if paying attention to the weights currently held over his
head wasn’t taking his entire attention. “If you can call that hack a doctor.”

“Which I do. He has all the credentials and experience
needed. As a matter of fact, I do recall you praising him on his abilities up
until the day I became his patient.”

“You could’ve just been my patient.”

He refused to be fooled by the sultry tone in her voice
though. Being her patient would’ve been a nightmare for them both. “And I’d
never be cleared to go back to work.”

She said something under her breath but he couldn’t quite
make it out. Which probably was for the best. He rested the weight on the stand
so he could sit up and look at her. “I’m a soldier. It’s my job to go rushing
into danger. Sometimes I get hurt and that sucks. I know it does. But that I
understand how difficult it must be for you doesn’t make it any less true. I am
a soldier.”

She looked up at the ceiling so he put a hand under her chin
to guide her attention back to him. “I need you to hear me when I say this. I
am a soldier.”

Her delicate lips twisted into a sneer and she growled
softly but then let out a sigh. “I hear you.”

“It’s one of the reasons you find me so irresistible.”

“Irritating is more like it.”

“Come on, sweetheart. We can fight about a lot of things,
but not this. I can’t change who I am.”

She grumbled but then shrugged. “Fine.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m not overly crazy about
the work you’re doing with those experiments of yours.”

Her chin shot up and she glared at him. “They’re people, not
experiments. And they’re not mine.”

She’d grown very close to her experiments over the last
week. He’d noted how, as she became more involved in finding the cure, she’d
become overly protective of them as well. He didn’t like her being so invested
in the lives of creatures that’d most likely been created to kill. “Are you
sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He noted how tightly she gripped her hand into a fist. Yep.
She’d lost all professional detachment, just as he’d feared. “I don’t think
it’s such a great idea for you to be spending so much time alone with them.
What if one of them wakes up when there’s no guard?”

“They can’t just wake up. They’re in stasis. And, even if
they did, their muscles are so atrophied they wouldn’t pose a threat to me.”

“Don’t underestimate them.”

She tossed a towel at him, which he used to wipe the sweat
off his face. “I won’t, I promise. If it’d make you happier, I’ll even request
a guard when I’m working with them.” Her pause told him that she was plotting
something he probably wouldn’t like. “Hey! I know.” He was pretty certain that
this was the grand reveal. “Since you’ve got your heart set on returning to
duty and you’re concerned about my safety, you could always ask to be put on my
security detail. Problems solved.”

The idea had merit. Unfortunately Commander Wallace wouldn’t
agree. With Dixie’s training and experience, he would see it as an inefficient
use of manpower. “Would if I could. Not up to me, though.”

“Wallace won’t let you.” She rolled her eyes at him but
didn’t appear to be overly surprised. “Figured as much. Well then, I guess
we’re at an impasse. I’m just going to have to trust you to know what you’re
doing and you’re going to have to return the favor.”

“Guess so. I’m holding you to requesting a guard, though.”

“Fine.” She stood gracefully and started to walk away only
to turn back to him after a couple of steps. “Oh, I’m going to attempt another
wakeup today.”

His heart stopped at her announcement. Nothing bad had
happened with the first one. Well, nothing other than her slipping into a funk
for days. But that didn’t guarantee that nothing would happen this time. “Don’t
do it without a full guard detail.”

One of her eyebrows shot up as she braced her hands on her
hips. “I said I’d have a guard. Where’s that trust we just talked about?”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“Fine.” As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point.
She’d promised to have a guard so he’d just have to trust her. “Good luck.”

“And good luck to you. Dr. Antihway isn’t going to be easy
to find.”

And yet find him they must. The scientist might be
mad—dangerously so—but he was their best chance at gathering the evidence they
needed. Thankfully they’d located one of the doctor’s assistants and had
brought him in. Dixie was sure the man would talk to him. Given the right
motivation. “I’ll see you tonight.”

She winked at him before saying, “You better believe it,
soldier.” As she walked away she added a saucy sway to her hips. His cock
started to harden just from the sight and he had to touch her.

He jumped up and made it to her within a couple of steps.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of here without a kiss goodbye.” She gasped in
surprise but then melded her body to his. Taking that as permission, he lowered
his mouth to hers and took her in a kiss that couldn’t be disguised as anything
other than the act of possession that it was. When they finally broke apart
they were both breathing hard and his cock throbbed painfully with desire. If
they were alone in their quarters, nothing in the universe would’ve stopped him
from stripping her down and taking her against the wall. But they weren’t. He
was going to have to wait until the evening to fulfill that fantasy. Which was
going to make getting through the rest of the day difficult at best.

She rubbed her body against his one last time before
nuzzling his neck and saying, “I do love the way you say goodbye.”

He moaned at the contact before forcing himself to take a
step back. “Personally, I think you say it better.”

She smiled but didn’t say anything else as she turned away
from him and then walked through the door. After she’d left, he took a few
minutes to bring his hormones back into check and then finished his workout. It
might be painful but it was necessary. It also helped him burn off some of the
stress and tension that ate at him. Just because he had to accept that she had
a job to do didn’t make it any less frightening for him. He hated to admit it
but if he had his way, he’d lock her in their quarters and post a guard at
their door whenever he or Ben couldn’t be there. Not that she’d go for that. He
nearly laughed as he imagined her reaction.

He showered and changed and made it to the interrogation
room almost exactly an hour later. And, as soon as he stepped through the door,
his attention focused on the beady-eyed man sitting at the table. Even if his
hands weren’t cuffed in front of him, everything from his well-developed gut to
his pasty complexion screamed laboratory geek, especially when contrasted with
the modified soldiers who surrounded him. “Dr. Isle, thank you so much for
agreeing to meet with us.” Dixie sank into a chair on the opposite side of the
table and smiled in what he hoped would appear to be a civilized manner.

Dr. Isle, however, didn’t seem to appreciate his token
gesture of civility. The man sneered at him and then leaned back in his chair.
“As if I had a choice. Your men showed up at my lab at two in the morning in
full armor and carrying enough explosives to level the place.”

“We wanted to make sure you understood the magnitude of the
situation.” Dixie placed a digital readout of Dr. Antihway on the table and
turned it so Isle would have ready access to it. “We’re looking for this man
and we heard you knew where to find him.”

Dr. Isle leaned forward to look at the image but then turned
it back to face Dixie as he pushed it away from him. “You heard wrong.”

“I don’t think so. You and Dr. Antihway have been pretty
close over the last couple years. I’m sure you know where to send his birthday
card.”

Dr. Isle chuckled. “You don’t send demons birthday cards.
You run as fast as you can and hope they never come looking for you.”

That was interesting. Not overly surprising, but
interesting. “So you and the good doctor didn’t part ways as friends?”

“Nobody who has ever met the doctor would consider him
‘good’. And those who manage to part ways with him consider themselves blessed
if they do so with their sanity intact. That man is…” He shuddered and the look
of fear that slid into his eyes seemed sincere enough that it caused the hairs
on Dixie’s arm to stand on end. “Fucked up. And the things he makes his
assistants do.” The man shook his head slowly. “They take a toll.”

As much as Dixie believed the man’s apparent unease, he
still needed to know how to find Dr. Antihway. “So you found your conscience
and moral compass right after the doctor made you a very rich man? Is that what
you’re telling me?” He paused to allow the man to defend himself even though
Dixie didn’t expect him to. “That makes for a good story, and an even better
defense when the war tribunals come knocking at the door. But it doesn’t really
solve the problem.”

“I don’t know what you expect me to do. I can’t give you
information I don’t have.”

“I don’t believe you.”

The man squirmed a little in his chair as tiny beads of
sweat broke out from his forehead. “Why would I lie to you?”

“Because you’re a coward? Because you’re afraid that we’ll
find your fingerprints on some of the crazy creations we’ll find? Because you
have a thing for cuffs and this is the stuff of your fantasies?” He shrugged as
if the motivation didn’t matter. “Really, I don’t care why you’re lying. What I
do care about is finding the crazy-ass doctor so we can see if he’s responsible
for creating the next round of super-soldiers.”

Dixie didn’t think it was possible but the man went a shade
paler. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the six stasis chambers that were
conveniently left on our doorstep. All of which contained genetic experiments.
Though I would recommend you not call them that in front of Dr. Colt. She’s
grown attached to them.”

“Experiments?”

“Created and manipulated life forms.”

“There were six of them? And they were created? You’re
sure?” The man knew something about the beings. That was interesting.

“I might not be a geneticist, but I can count to six. Of
course now there are only five. One died when we woke it up.”

“You woke up one of the Subservients?” Dr. Isle clenched his
hands in front of him and his eyes sparkled with what Dixie guessed was
excitement. The man might not hold any love for Dr. Antihway, but he seemed to
appreciate the doctor’s work. “Which one? What happened?”

As if he’d tell the sicko. “She died. Are you not listening
to me?” That was all he’d give the man. Isle, however, still had so much more
to offer him. And he’d make sure the scientist told him everything by the time
they were done. “A Subservient, huh? Is that what you call them? Guess it only
makes sense that you guys would give them a name. Wouldn’t want anyone to
confuse them for human, now would we?”

“They aren’t human. They’re so much more.” Isle’s voice hit
an almost fever-pitched note as he spoke. “When I left there were still kinks
that needed to be worked out but, in theory, the things they could do were
astounding. They’d revolutionize the industry.”

“Which industry would that be, genetics or weapons?”

The man laughed so hard his shoulders shook. “You’d be more
of the expert in that philosophical debate. Which do you consider yourself? Are
you person or a weapon?”

Dixie had to fight against the urge to punch the man. His
arrogance and complete lack of ethics were incomprehensible. And, who knows, maybe
a blow to the head might be enough to straighten the scientist out. At least,
it might if it were hard enough. Dixie couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
All levity left him, though, as the interrogation room door was thrown open.

“What the hell?” Dixie stood and turned to face the threat.
But when he looked up to see one of Lisa’s assistants rushing into the room,
his irritation faded into fear. A thin line of blood stained the man’s skin
from his temple to his cheekbone but the injury was old enough that the blood
had dried and crusted there.