Chapter Thirteen
Elle woke in the darkness, disoriented. Had she fallen asleep at the computer again?
Then she felt the big, hard body surrounding her and heard quiet breathing by her ear.
Marcus. She relaxed into him. He was so warm.
God, the last two days had been horrible. The way he’d backed away from her and shut her out. It had dented her heart a little. She turned onto her side and she could just make out his face in the dim light.
Even in sleep he didn’t look relaxed or softer. He was hard and tough and his scar made it so he’d always look a little scary.
But not to her. Never to her. The way he’d taken care of her this evening…she shivered. It had her wanting more. Much, much more.
He was her anchor. Her sanctuary. A center in the storm.
Center.
The word triggered something in her head.
She blinked. God, that was it!
She slid out of the bed. She needed a tablet and the raptor map symbols. Damn, all her stuff was in the lab. And she was naked. She nabbed one of Marcus’ T-shirts off the floor and yanked it on.
It was huge on her, hanging almost to her knees, and it smelled like him. She paused for a moment, lifting the fabric to her nose and breathing him in. Then she spotted his tablet lying on the table.
She nabbed it. She felt a tiny twinge of guilt as she did it, but it took her about two minutes to break his password. She’d picked up some useful tips from Noah.
She curled up in the armchair, then paused. There was a picture of her on the background. A candid shot of her smiling, one she’d never noticed him taking. She pulled in a breath. “Oh, Marcus.”
Shaking herself, she linked to her directory on the network and pulled up the raptor map. This had to be it! She tapped out notes, muttering to herself as she erased some things and added others.
“Elle.”
Marcus’ deep voice made her look up.
He stood a meter away, watching her, and all thoughts of the map evaporated in a puff of visceral lust. He was naked. Every heavily-muscled inch of him on display.
“What are you doing?” He came closer and cupped her shoulder, massaging the joint.
She blinked. “Doing?”
“Yes, you’re sitting here in the dark muttering to yourself when you should be sleeping. From now on, if you have a nightmare or can’t sleep, you wake me. I’ll make sure you can get to sleep.”
She felt heat rush into her cheeks, picturing exactly what he’d do to help her. “I didn’t have a nightmare.” Marcus’ arms seemed enough to ward off the dark dreams. “I think I’ve worked out the raptor map!”
“Come back to bed. You need more rest.”
She glanced down at the tablet. “I think…wait, that’s the final bit.” She grinned as she tapped the screen. She was right! Now it made sense why she couldn’t narrow down the location past a general area. “A modulating encryption.”
“What?”
“They’re using a hidden modulating encryption. It changes, mixes everything on the map around. The hub’s somewhere in the old airport, Marcus. You have to be close to it, within a certain radius, for it to give the final part of the encryption and show the exact location. But now we know where to go to find it.”
He smiled. “See, you just needed some sleep and rest to work it out.”
Elle felt heat in her cheeks. “I just needed you.”
He knelt and moved between her legs. “Do you need me to say I’m sorry again?”
She shook her head. “I know Zeke’s death was a terrible blow…”
“Yeah. But it didn’t give me the right to hurt you.” Marcus fingered the hem of her…his shirt. His fingers brushed her skin, making her tremble.
“We’re okay,” she murmured. “Just don’t do it again.”
He tugged the shirt up an inch. “You look good in this.”
“Marcus.” She grabbed his hand. “We can find the comms hub.”
He nodded. “I never doubted you’d work it out.”
His simple, honest confidence in her made her glow. Then she realized the full implications of the modulating encryption. Her stomach cramped. Oh, God, Marcus was not going to be happy.
She fiddled with the tablet. Best just to get it out there and get past the fallout as soon as possible.
“Marcus, I’m the only one who can read the final encryption. I need to get close to the hub.” She swallowed and lifted her gaze. “I need to be on the mission to destroy the comms hub.”
He froze. “No.”
She pressed a hand atop his, where it rested on her thigh. “I have to. There’s no other way.”
He shot to his feet, oblivious to the fact he was naked. “I told you, no more missions for you. And after this last fuck-up…”
She stood and walked to him. She pressed her hand to his back and the muscles tensed so tight they felt like they’d snap. “That just makes finding this hub and destroying it more important. Now we have to do it for Zeke.”
Marcus’ hands squeezed into fists. “Dammit!”
She slid around in front of him and curled her hands over his fists. “I’ll be with you. And Hell Squad will be watching our backs. We can do this, Marcus. In and out.”
He dropped his head until his forehead hit hers. “You don’t get hurt. Not one hair on your head.”
She swallowed. “Okay.”
“Not one hair, Elle. I mean it. Or you will get that spanking.”
She felt her shoulders relax. He was going to let her go. She lightened her tone. “Promises, promises.”
He gripped the neck of her T-shirt. “I want this back now.” With a flick of his wrist, he tore the shirt down the middle.
Elle gasped. “You have to stop doing that.”
When he picked her up and dropped her on the bed, all she could do was hold on and enjoy the ride.
***
Marcus stood at the edge of the trees, hands shoved in his pockets. He stared down at the simple marker set on the ground under a large gum tree.
“He liked sitting out here. Watching the stars.” Gabe’s murmured comment was toneless, his gaze turned up to the night sky.
Marcus had spent the day planning the hub mission and then this time with the team. He wanted to believe Gabe was doing okay, but the man had lost his twin, his best friend. He was going to need a hell of a lot of time for that open wound to scab over.
“He was good man.” Sorry I let you down, Zeke. I promise to watch over Gabe for you. “And a hell of a soldier.”
The rest of Hell Squad and Elle stood behind them. Grief pulsed off them all.
“And the best brother I could have asked for,” Gabe added quietly.
Elle sniffled and Marcus moved back toward her. She stepped forward, squeezed his hand and moved up beside Gabe. “We’re all here for you, Gabriel. Whatever you need, you just have to ask.”
Gabe, always the loner, brushed his knuckles across her cheek.
“Zeke had a hell of a smile,” Claudia said. “It was no wonder the ladies loved him.”
“And he had a mean right hook.” Shaw slung an arm over Claudia’s shoulders. And for once, she let him.
Cruz stepped closer. “I envied his focus, the way he threw himself into every battle without blinking. He always told me we were fighting for those who weren’t as strong as us and that was a worthy cause.” Cruz smiled. “Zeke told me he liked being a hero.”
“And a hero he was,” Elle murmured.
“To Zeke,” Marcus said.
They stood there for a while, lost in their memories, just the wind rustling the leaves in the trees.
“Now, it’s time to go and make those bastards pay for taking Zeke from us,” Marcus said. “We don’t go in half-cocked, looking for revenge.” He caught Gabe’s gaze. “We go in and follow the plan. Destroying the hub will hurt them way more than killing a few alien soldiers.”
He looked at each one of them, assessing. He needed to know they had their heads screwed on right.
“Ready to go to hell?”
“Hell, yeah,” they all yelled. “The devil needs an ass-kicking!”
“All right. Let’s get suited up and to the quadcopter.”
Marcus kept himself focused on the mission as they prepared and boarded the Hawk. His usual battle readiness descended as they took off, his heart beating in a steady rhythm.
It wasn’t until the quadcopter’s skids touched dirt, that thoughts about taking Elle into hell…again…hit him. Stay focused on the mission, Steele.
He leaped out and shouted directions to his team. He watched Cruz help Elle down. Marcus had found her some armor that fit her smaller frame better. He knew she also had her thermo pistol and a mini-gladius knife he’d slipped into her boot.
Marcus touched the strap of the black, carbon fiber backpack he wore. Nestled inside, about the size of a soccer ball, was the bomb they’d use to destroy the hub.
The quadcopter lifted off and swung west above the trees and disappeared into the night. They were on their own now. They wouldn’t even have any comms support except for Elle. To limit the risk of the raptors picking up the signal, there’d be no comms back to base.
Elle fiddled with the mini-comp screen attached to her wrist. “So, why are we here? So far from the airport?”
“We have to drive in,” Marcus said.
“Too many raptor aerial patrols over that part of the city.” Cruz looked east, to where the once-busy international airport lay. “They know we’re trying to decode their map. They’ll be ready for us and it’s gonna be hot. That’s why we’re going in under the cover of dark.”
Marcus looked and saw red lights in the sky, zipping back and forth. His jaw tightened. Yeah, the bastards knew they were coming.
Dammit, he wished that Elle wasn’t with them.
But then he looked at her and saw the set look on her face. There was that quiet determination. If she was feeling nervous, he couldn’t see it.
“All right, Hell Squad, let’s get this show on the road.” As Marcus turned, he saw Gabe. The man stood a little apart, cradling his carbine. His face was set, too, with a dangerous, ruthless edge that would either keep him alive or get him killed.
Marcus sure as hell wasn’t losing anyone else from his team.
Holmes had wanted to put Gabe on leave but Marcus had fought it. He knew Gabe needed this. He moved up beside the man.
“Jackson, I need to know you have your head screwed on straight.”
Gabe’s face remained impassive. “Don’t have a death wish, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Partly. You’re a part of this squad and we take care of our own.”
Gabe nodded. “I’ll do my job, Marcus.”
“For Zeke.”
Something painful flashed across Gabe’s face, then was gone. “For Zeke.”
Marcus moved back toward Elle and saw her looking around the few ramshackle sheds scattered around the site.
“Are we walking?” she asked.
“Nope.”
They were at what had once been a secret military testing facility. He strode over to the largest shed. He shifted a panel of corrugated iron and uncovered a shiny keypad. He typed in the code and a large, camouflaged door slid open.
Elle studied it, wide-eyed. “What is this place?”
“We’ll talk once we’re inside.” Marcus waved them in.
No one relaxed their guard. They moved down the wide, concrete-lined tunnel that descended to a lower level.
Slim lights on the wall clicked on automatically. After they’d traveled down several dozen meters, the tunnel opened up into a small underground parking garage.
Five armored personnel carriers were parked against the wall. All of them were black and looked like large SUVs on steroids, each with an autocannon mounted on top.
“APCs,” Elle said. “I’ve never seen any like this.”
“Z6-Hunters.” Marcus patted the armor-plated hood of the nearest vehicle. “These were only in the experimental stage when the invasion happened. This installation was a testing facility. These babies had to go into service a little ahead of schedule. They have experimental armor and weaponry and top-of-the-line illusion systems. We’ll take the first two. Cruz? You, Gabe and Claudia in one. Shaw and Elle, you’re with me.” The other three moved off and Marcus nodded to the autocannon.
Shaw shot him a wide grin. “Thought you’d never ask.”
“Try not to shoot anything. We want to keep a low profile.”
Elle tugged at the door handle and opened the passenger door.
Marcus closed it. “In the back.”
Her face turned mutinous. “Enough with the orders. You can order them around—” she jerked a thumb at the team “—but not me.”
Marcus was speechless. He heard one of the others snicker.
She straightened. “Now. How about you try explaining why you want me to sit in the back.”
He blinked. “It’s safer. The windscreen is reinforced, but a raptor mortar could still get through. I want you in the back.”
“See? Was that so hard?” She climbed into the backseat.
As he shut the door, he fought back a smile. She might look sweet, but there was a sharp little edge to Elle. And he liked it.
In the driver’s seat, Marcus started the engine. The heads-up display flared to life, glowing blue-green. He touched a screen on the dash and it filled with a feed to Cruz’s Hunter.
“No headlights,” Marcus said to Cruz. “Only use night vision and ensure the illusion system is activated.”
Elle leaned forward through the small gap to the backseat. “We should keep off the old highways.” She was looking at the comp screen on her wrist. “I’ve worked out the safest route to the airport using smaller roads. I’ll shoot it through to the APC computers.”
Marcus nodded. That was his girl. “Got that, Cruz?”
“Got it.” Cruz’s voice came through clearly, like he was seated beside them. “Map’s coming up now.”
Marcus looked back. “Shaw? You set?” He could just make out the sniper’s lower body where he sat in the elevated cannon seat.
“Hell, yeah. Ready to kick some alien butt!”
“Roll out.” Marcus put the Hunter in gear and headed up the ramp.
He followed the route Elle had mapped out. They passed damaged houses and stores, overgrown parks, apartment buildings. Some were in ruins, others were fully intact, like the owners were going to come home any minute.
But no one was coming home.
They passed the burned-out shell of a school. A tattered banner still tied between two trees proclaimed “Enrolments Now Open.”
“It’s so sad,” Elle said quietly.
Marcus glanced in the rearview mirror and saw her staring out the window.
“So much death. Nothing will ever be the same.”
“Don’t be sad, Ellie-girl,” Shaw called down. “Still plenty of life left in us yet.” The sniper leaned down to look at her and waggled his eyebrows. “I’m sure the boss man’s been showing you that.”
She reached back and smacked Shaw’s leg. “I was being deep and emotional, you idiot.”
“You were moping.”
With a smile on her face, she looked forward and her gaze caught Marcus’ in the mirror. Her smile turned soft, a private one just for him.
Yeah, they were surrounded by lots of death and destruction, but when she looked at him like that, he’d never felt more alive.
They continued on, the roads widening as they approached the airport. Twice, they had to stop while raptor patrols passed overhead. The Hunters’ illusion systems helped hide them, but it didn’t make them invisible.
Soon, the now-overgrown, open space of the runways appeared. And in the distance, the glimmer of moonlight on water. Sydney’s airport had been the country’s busiest, with its major runways jutting out into Botany Bay.
But it was the giant alien spaceship that captured all their attention. It sat, crouched like some enormous scaled beast, ready to pounce. No, that wasn’t quite right. Marcus thought it looked more like it should be slicing through the water with its sinuous body and fin-like wings.
He still remembered seeing it that first night of the invasion, appearing over Sydney and causing widespread panic. It had hovered for over an hour, and reports from all major cities around the world had shared similar stories. Then the smaller ptero ships had been launched and the world as they’d known it had ended.
“We need to find somewhere to hide the Hunters.” Elle’s voice broke into his thoughts. “I think in the suburb adjacent to the Domestic Terminal. There used to be a bunch of hotels and some industrial buildings that serviced the airport.” She tapped at her mini-comp. “Then the best way to the hub zone is through the old train tunnels.” She tapped again. “Okay, I’ve found an old warehouse where we can leave them. From there, it’s a straight shot to the old Mascot station.”
Marcus drove slowly through the debris-strewn remains of the once-vibrant area. Once, there would have been a steady flow of planes arriving and departing every day. Now, he saw broken aircraft strewn against the fence by the side of the road, like ruined carcasses caught in a net.
His usual crystal-clear calm that allowed him to function at peak performance wouldn’t come to him. Instead, Elle’s presence made him feel something he rarely felt on a mission. Fear.
“Where are the raptors?” Claudia asked across the comms.
Marcus stared at the street ahead of him and wondered the same thing. He felt like a small animal being led into a trap.
Soon, they pulled up to the warehouse Elle had found. They parked the Hunters inside the cavernous space and hid them between the forklifts and trucks.
“All right.” Marcus checked his weapon and pressed the button that had his combat helmet sliding into place. “Let’s get to the train station.”
It was a short walk. The team kept alert and Marcus watched for any sign the raptors were watching them. Before long, he saw the single-story station building, with its now cracked blue sign proclaiming “AirportLink.”
Inside, the once-modern station was coated in a layer of grime and dirt, and filled with leaves, trash and other debris. They pushed through the turnstiles and descended the stairs to the darkened platforms below.
The squad flicked on their tactical flashlights attached to their carbines. On the platforms, it almost looked as though the alien apocalypse had never happened. Except that a train sat on the track halfway into the station, and it looked like someone had once sheltered on the opposite platform. Marcus moved his light around. A pile of blankets and a few other scavenged goods lay in a heap on the tiled floor.
“It’s spooky down here,” Elle whispered, the dim glow of her comp screen casting a pale light on her face.
“Which way?” he asked.
She pointed. “That way.”
Into where the train lines ran into the darkened tunnel mouth.
Then she froze. “I saw something.”
Marcus tensed, felt his team sharpen around him. “Where?”
She shook her head, peering at the opposite platform. “Maybe just a shadow.”
Then Marcus saw it too.
Something moving in the darkness.