The lights blinked on again just as the alarm screamed through my small cell. I squeezed my eyes shut but there was nothing I could do to drown out the noise that bore deep into my head. Sleep. If only I could sleep.
I didn’t rightly know then how long I had been in that prison. (Turned out five days). However long it was, I had not been allowed to get more than a few hours of sleep total, and typically I would get close to ten minutes before the noise and lights came again. I felt miserable, helpless, sick and dirty. And, truth be told, I was thinking about giving in. I couldn’t come up with any reason not to.
I knew our policy about being captured. We had to escape because Tlas sure wouldn’t help us. But the only way I could escape now, especially when I was weaponless, was to “convince” someone. One problem--no one had been around with enough authority to release me until I had gone well more than twenty-four hours without sleep. Even my mind has limits--and it’s useless after about twenty-four hours without any sleep. The only way I saw, then, to get out was to answer the questions they demanded as best as I could and hope they really would let me go like they said. And hope that Rob got away with Kari by now. Far, far away. Because he didn’t, all this was for nothing. And if he did, then my answers meant nothing.
The door squealed open but I didn’t turn. There wasn’t a point to it. Vaguely, like I felt it through water, I felt something similar to passion coming from this man. (I can always feel emotions, no matter how tired I am. It just is more or less acute.) I was not scared that he would harm me then but enough that I knew things could change quickly. On the other hand, it didn’t quite feel like he wanted to make me nothing, but that he wanted to raise me up. That made no sense! I needed sleep. And I needed to get out quickly for my own safety apparently.
He nudged me none too gently with his foot. I pushed myself up slowly and blinked dazedly against the light. The world spun. When it settled, I discovered a new man there. High enough that he--too--could get me free if I had any ability to control him. And behind him, two guards that I recognized.
If only I could sleep! I’d be out so quickly!
“Now, dearie, we have a surprise for you that came all the way from Spalding. You have heard of Spalding, no?” His voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. And overly sick. It made my stomach churn. Worse, I knew what Splading was. Researching facility for hire. On the planet run by gangs, it typically created whatever drug the gang would request with no controls. Some of the most terrifying drugs came from that place.
“This, here,” he held up a syringe, “is a truth drug. In about two hours, you sing like a bird. Or you’ll be dead. That does happen on occasion, but only typically to older people. Something to do with the extreme pain. So, soon, we’ll know everything that you do.” He smiled mirthlessly. “Or you can just talk now and guarantee your life.”
I met his brown eyes. If I talked, I gave up. That meant I lost my job, Rob, success--everything. It also would mean that I could have fallen for their bluff. They didn’t talk like it was a bluff--the drug seemed pretty straight forward and easy enough--but I could not risk it.
“I don’t think so,” I croaked through parched lips.
“Suit yourself.” Roughly, he pulled up my shirt sleeve and gave me the single shot. It burned horridly. But only one shot. One shot, and, you know, maybe I’ll actually get a chance to sleep. I liked the thought of that.
He rose. ‘See you in an hour, dearie.”
Already, I felt the drug running through my body. Sleep stretch out before me like a welcomed blanket. Or maybe it was just relief that this would all be over and out of my control. I laid down slowly and closed my eyes. Instantly, I was asleep. Completely asleep.
I woke inside a small, cramped box. Immediatly, panic rose up inside of me and I had to squelch it down. If I panicked, I told them I was awake. Instead, I just laid there and focused outside of the box. I’d gotten a lot better at doing this the more I practice, though I only discovered that I could a few months before this mission. (Now, it comes naturally to me.) The world materialized slowly and only in shadows. I was in a van. The box was tied down. Almost like a coffin, but I couldn’t imagine that they would let my dead corpse off that easily. I couldn’t tell where we were going or why. There was only one driver. I could handle one driver if it came down to it.
I pulled back to myself as soon as I knew what it was like out there. No reason to waste strength. Instead, I counted the bumps we hit to keep me awake and waited.
We stopped within an hour inside a private park for some reason. I took that time to make sure I was completely free from any bonds and could attack as soon as the lid was removed. For some reason, I wasn’t bound. When we stopped, I focused again on the driver. He came around to the trunk and opened it. Then he pulled the box out. It rattled me as it hit the ground. Only, then, finally, he took of the lid.
I punched him straight towards the face. He jumped back.
“Marie!”
I pushed myself up and stared at the man. Now without his disguise of a mustache and decorations, I knew instantly it was Rob. He still wore the shirt from the uniform, but I recognized the voice now. And the eyes. His beautiful, brown eyes.
He gave me a cocky grin. “You didn’t sleep long.”
“I thought--“
“No time for questions.” He threw a bag of clothes at me. “Change. They just found out I didn’t come from Spalding, so we got about an hour to get off this planet.” Already, he had begun to pull off his shirt.
I turned my back to him and changed as quickly as I could out of the horrid prison uniform. One thing that was really great about having Rob as a partner--he never looked while I changed. I didn’t ever ask him not. He just did so out of respect. After working together for a year, I didn’t even keep my mind on him as a precaution.
“I’m good.” But the mere fact of changing seemed to have drained much of my energy. I hoped I didn’t have to go far.
He tossed me an energy bar. “Can you walk a half mile?”
I shrugged. “Do I have a choice?”
“I could carry you.” He grinned crookedly.
To prove him wrong, I began walking. We sure as fires were not at the carrying phase. (I’m not even sure we’re there yet, even now. At least, most of the time.)
However, even though we soon came to streets instead of a park, I still ended up needing his help. Between the physical torture and the lack of sleep (and food), I was just too weak for much of anything. By the time we reached the small spaceport, Rob supported most of my weight, even though we looked like casual lovers. There, he handed over our transport papers to the flight attendant. She ran them through but shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir, but it appears these have expired.”
I could feel Rob tense. Well, of course they probably expired. Those were probably the ones we were suppose to use to get off this planet before I was captured. For any kind of travel, including off planet travel, we needed travel papers. That was just how the gangs set things up. Worse, those papers tended to expire pretty frequently as well.
I smiled at the woman. “You know, we have a lot of problems with the computer reading our papers. Would you mind running them through again? Just to double check?”
She shrugged. She seemed like a good sort of woman who wanted to help the customers, so this wasn’t that hard of a request. When the denial came up again, I used all of my remaining strength to convince her that the computer said they were, in fact, valid. I doubted it was enough and, worse, it left me with dark spots over my eyes. There would be no chance to run after I did this either.
But, she just paused, then smiled. “I see what you mean. Sorry about that. Have a nice flight.” She buzzed the door open and let us in.
Rob took me immediately to the left, supporting the majority of my weight still, as I could barely walk. We walked through the private flight entrance and down the stairs to the tarmac. Once there, he scooped me up without asking. (I was too tired to protest at that point.) Carrying me allowed us to get across the field probably three times faster than if I walked, so I guess it made sense.
We approached a small, private ship. In our team, Rob was the pilot. (So long as we had no major issues.) He had the ship automatically open and pushed me inside. I practically collapsed onto the floor with a shudder. The pain was finally getting to me as well. I didn’t want to move from that place. The door closed behind me.
“Do you need anything right now?” Rob asked gently.
I shook my head. Just rest. Besides, we need to get away.
Rob squeezed my hand, then went to the pilot’s chair. I watched him from the floor as he prepared for takeoff but I must have blacked out, for the next thing I knew, we were in orbit and I was on the single bunk.
Rob leaned close to me as soon as he saw my eyes open. “Hey.”
I smiled faintly. I still felt sore and worn, but not completely exhausted. “Hey back.’
“Hungry?”
I nodded.
Rob handed me another high-energy bar, which I promptly scarfed down like a starving person I was.
“We should deal with your wounds,” he said. “Before any become infected.”
“You got me out of prison,” I whispered.
He nodded and stood.
“I thought we were on our with prison.”
“We’re suppose to be.” He filled a small bucket with water. His voice didn’t hold anger at me for messing up; if anything, it felt almost... protective.
“So who told you...?”
Rob shook his head and looked at me. The brown dye in his hair was already coming out, showing little tuffs of blond. “If you must know, I never told them. I knew they would tell me to leave you and that would mean I was disobeying a direct order. Better just to risk it later. You know--as for forgiveness.”
I stared at him. “So--you just rescued me--just because?”
He shrugged.
I looked down. Never--well, in recent times at least--had anyone gone so out of their way for me. Had risked their life for me in fact. My mind drifted back to what I felt when he first came my cell--affection. I realized that now. As well as desire. Like--like--
“You like me!” I looked up at him sharply.
Rob blinked. “Am--I that obvious?”
The fact that he did not deny it--as well as the strong feelings of embarrassment--confirmed it.
I pushed myself up even more.” For how long?”
He shrugged. “It’s not like you’ve given me any positive signs that you feel the same about me.”
Well--no. Why would I? I’ve had too many experiences with people taking my heart and then leaving. Even leaving unintentionally on their part had still left me worn and tired. And scared of trusting anyone.
“So, it didn’t seem worth mentioning and making our life and partnership more complicated.” He shrugged.
Then it hit me. He liked me--and not just because I was shy, quiet, insecure and seemed like easy pickings. Like most of the guys in high school who showed interest in me. He liked me--for me. No one had done that for several years now. It had always been being liked for what I could give them. Or could do. Or--anything but being me.
I shuddered slightly. “It’s not like--Rob--that--well.” I twisted my hair absently. “I just don’t know what would happen. If we did--that.” He stared at me with those deep brown eyes so I continued. “I’m--not really that much of a physical person. And I--don’t trust people easily.” More like at all.
“I know.”
I blinked, surprised. I thought kept that fact rather hidden.
He shrugged. “It took you a couple months before you would allow me to assist you, even when I was assigned the assist. Normally, you insisted on being the assist or knowing everything I did.” He smiled faintly. “How does that make it different though? You trust me now--at least when it comes to your life.”
“I--“ I exhaled slowly. I had never told anyone the conclusion I had come to in high school because it sounded so silly. And made no sense at all. “If we had a--relationship--like that, before I could do anything much physically, I would need some kind of promise that you won’t leave me. Ever. Well, basically forever. Yeah. I don’t know what you could give me. I’ve seen so many people who will say one thing and go back on their words a couple years later so it can’t be just your word. But I--I need all or nothing here.”
Rob nodded slowly. “But you didn’t say I’m crazy for thinking about you--like that. A good sign, if I do say so myself.”
I paused. Here was the man that just risked his life for me. Here was someone who I spent most of my time with. Here was someone who I had actually learned to trust. At least, as far as missions went. So, yes, I could see us becoming more. He was probably the first man that I had ever considered like that. (And I’m pretty sure he’ll be the last, no matter what happens here.)
“No. You’re not,” I said softly.
“Then I will make it my goal to find a way to prove it to you, Marie, someday, when we are ready.”
“Would the agency even go for it?” I and never actually heard of two partners allowed to have a relationship.
“Of course. It happens often enough. Typically without the proper forms filled out. If you know what to look for.” He winked.
I nodded. I didn’t think I wanted a different partner. Rob was good. He was always good.
“Now, let’s get you cleaned up a little before we dock with Minister Goring’s ship. I’m sure Kari will be happy to see you.”
See, that’s why I can’t give up on Rob. That’s why I can’t just tell Major A’dan what I did. (Although I want to. It kinda was part of our plan.) Rob never gave up on me. He came back for me when he wasn’t suppose to! I mean--seriously! And he did find a way to convince me that he meant it when he said he loved me. No matter what the major says, or how much he tries to show why I should tell, the person I am protecting is Rob, and he deserves my protection. He deserves the freedom that I can give him by remaining silent for a week. Just one, simple, little week. And then we’ll be together again.
I hope.