SharedObjectives (8 page)

“You are so beautiful.” As he blew a soft stream of air
across her damp nipple, he took her other breast in his hand and began kneading
it in his palm. She could no longer stand her passive pose so she brought her
hands down and buried her fingers in his hair.

“And you are a very talented lover.” She dropped her hands
to his shoulders so she could run her fingertips over his smooth muscles. She
wanted to touch him everywhere.

“It looks as if you’re already feeling better.”

She moaned as he ran his tongue over her nipple again. She
did feel better. So much so that she’d actually forgotten she’d been achy a few
minutes ago. He didn’t wait for an intelligible response from her, though. He’d
already moved on. His stubble tickled as he left a series of kisses across her
skin.

“And you taste incredible.” His tongue swept over her navel.
The soft caress and the vibrations of his words against her made her giggle.
“Is that funny?”

She couldn’t help but giggle again, especially when he
rubbed one of his bristled cheeks against her abdomen. “It tickles.”

He kissed her just below her bellybutton, this time with
more pressure. And it didn’t tickle. Sexual tension coiled inside her. She knew
his destination. And knowing made the craving almost painful. “Please.” The
word broke around her rapid breathing. “This is torture.”

He smiled but then dropped down between her thighs. “Let me
see if I can do something to fix that.” His tongue swept across her clit in a
seductive stroke.

“Oh god.” Her nails dug into his scalp.

She barely had time to catch her breath before his tongue
caressed her clit for a second time. Her whole body tensed under the onslaught.
She wanted him now. And his soft moan as he pushed his tongue into her channel
only made her want him more desperately.

“Please. I need you.”

He looked up and smiled. “And you’ll have me. Just not this
second.” He kissed her thigh and the light pressure made her break out in goose
bumps. “Relax. Enjoy yourself. I know I am.” He smiled and winked at her.

He slid a finger into her sex and started to pump it in and
out of her in a slow rhythm as he ran his tongue over her clit. The friction was
heavenly but she still needed more. When he slid the second finger into her,
she wondered if he’d somehow read her mind. “God, yes.”

She rocked against his fingers, searching for her release.
Her movements probably appeared frantic at this point but she didn’t care. The
world seemed to slow down around her as her muscles became painfully tight. And
then, just when she began to worry that he planned on keeping her on the edge
indefinitely he added a third finger and pleasure washed through her. She screamed
his name as her body convulsed. He continued licking her and fucking her with
his fingers until the waves of release gentled and her body became overly
sensitive.

He pulled his fingers out of her and then grabbed one of the
condoms out of the drawer. She studied his every move intently as he tore it
open and slid the barrier over his cock. He was so hard. Just staring at him
made her body start to warm with new desire. He looked up and caught her
watching him. Immediately her face warmed with a blush.

“God, Lisa. You’ve got to stop looking at me like that or
I’m not going to last.”

She batted her eyelashes at him and put on her best
expression of innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

An irritated growl was the only answer she got from him. He
sprawled out on top of her and then positioned himself at her entrance. She
lost track of everything else as her sex stretched to accommodate him as he
slid into her, burying his hard cock in her so deep she could feel his balls
brush against her skin. “Damn. You feel absolutely amazing.”

She did indeed feel amazing. Probably not in the way he
meant, however. With him deep inside her, she tingled all the way down to her
toes. Now she just needed him to start moving. “I know a way to make it feel
even better.” She rocked her hips, hoping he got the idea.

He laughed as he started to rock his hips back. When he’d
almost pulled all the way out of her, he slid back in. This time with more
force. “Is that what you were talking about?”

“Mmm…” She rocked her hips again. “More.”

“I’d hate to disappoint the lady.” His thrusts became
rhythmic and Lisa let her thighs fall slightly farther apart in order to
accommodate him. With each brush of his body against hers, her hunger grew
until she could no longer think about anything other than him. He filled her
body, his scent clung to the air she breathed and he dominated her thoughts.
Nothing existed outside them and this moment. Until, finally, the warm wave of
climax swept through her, making her lightheaded. Her body shook and her
thoughts froze in that moment but she didn’t care. She’d found the contentment
she’d sought.

Her body hadn’t even relaxed from its release when Ben
thrust into her again and called out her name. His fingers gripped her hips
hard enough that they’d probably leave bruises. Not that that bothered her. In
truth, she found the idea kind of exciting.

His muscles shook as he slid into her again. “That was…” He
lowered himself to his elbows to kiss her gently. She couldn’t have said it
better herself. And, unable to come up with words of her own, she tightened her
arms around his shoulders so she could kiss him deeper. Their breathing might
be harsh and choppy and a light sheen of sweat covered both of them, but this
was one of the most beautiful moments of her life. She wanted to cling to it as
tightly as she clung to him.

The sound of the door opening behind them startled them
both, but she continued kissing Ben for just a moment longer. The only person
keyed to open that door was Dixie. And, if he wanted to watch, she didn’t have
a problem with that.

“Good. You guys made up.” Dixie’s deep voice rolled over
her, giving her chills.

Ben broke the kiss and smiled at Lisa. “We did.”

“I’m glad. That way, when I tell you we have a situation,
you won’t be upset with me for interrupting things.”

Ben pulled out of her and then rolled over so he was lying
on his side. “What happened?”

“The military just left.”

“They left? All of them?” The top sheet that covered her
slid to her waist as she sat up, but being exposed didn’t bother Lisa. A new
depth of acceptance swept through her as she regarded both of her lovers.

“There aren’t any left on the monitors and the only heat
signatures our scouts are picking up are the ones in the stasis chambers.”

“But why would they leave?” Ben asked. “And why would they
abandon the stasis chambers?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out. I need you up and
dressed, ASAP.”

“Of course,” Lisa said as she got out of the bed.

“Not you, Lisa,” he corrected. “The situation has too many unknowns
to involve civilians.”

She began getting dressed anyway. “I’m the only one with
half a chance at figuring out what’s inside those chambers.”

“We can send for you once we ensure the area is clear.”
Dixie positioned himself between her and the door as if that was somehow going
to stop her. She had logic on her side. She refused to allow his brawn to trump
that.

“You need to know why they evacuated the base and why they
left the chambers behind. Ben might be able to find the answers to the first
problem, but I’m the only one who’ll be able to answer the second one and you
know it. You need me.”

“It’s not safe.” He crossed his arms over his chest in
protest.

Now fully dressed, she walked over to him and then kissed
him on the cheek. “You’ll keep me safe.”

She saw his smile of pride despite his best attempt at
wiping all trace of it off his face. “We will come get you as soon as we secure
the area.”

“Knowing my luck, that’ll be just as I sit down to play with
Nate. I’m assuming you left him in the care of one of the babysitters. So why
disrupt his day and then pull me away during our family time when I can just go
take a peek now?” She walked around him and then leaned back against the door.
The move forced him to turn in order to keep an eye on her. “There are no heat
signatures. It’s safe. Besides, if they’re up to something—and I think we can
safely assume they are—we need to know sooner rather than later.”

Ben had disposed of the condom and was now completely
dressed and had joined them by the door. He could’ve easily picked a side but
he kept his silence. Which probably worked in her favor. Ben seemed to be the
more cautious of the two men.

Dixie let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his temple. “You’ll
stay behind me at all times?”

“Wait—”

Lisa interrupted Ben’s impending argument. “At all times.”

“And you’ll follow my orders without question?”

“Hang on, guys—”

She couldn’t let Ben ruin her chance, though, so she
interrupted him again. “I promise.”

“Okay.” Dixie’s reluctance was obvious but he’d conceded. That
was all that mattered to Lisa.

“I don’t get a vote in this?” The anger in Ben’s voice made
Lisa feel a little guilty. Not enough that she’d yield to him, but enough that
she squirmed under his blatant stare.

Thankfully Dixie addressed the issue so she didn’t have to.
“I don’t think I even got a vote on that one.” He looked over his shoulder at
Ben as he spoke. “How long do you think we can keep her locked up here before
she sneaks out on her own? To be honest, I’m surprised she hasn’t tried it
already.”

The heat of a blush burned her cheeks as she remembered how
many times she’d plotted a late-night excursion to take a peek into one of
those chambers. The only thing that kept her from actually attempting it was
the knowledge she’d be caught and dragged back to the bunker before she could
actually make it to the lab. She might be curious but she wasn’t stupid.

Ben cursed under his breath. “He’s right, isn’t he?”

“I’ve thought about it.” Lying would be a waste of time. The
men read her expressions too easily for her to succeed. “But I haven’t actually
done it.”

“How many days were you giving us before you attempted it?”
Dixie pressed.

Her stomach pinched painfully. How could he know she’d given
them an unspoken ultimatum? “The vitals on the chamber readouts were starting
to decline. I had real reason to worry about the lives housed in them. I’m a
doctor. I can’t just sit by and do nothing.”

“What?” Ben’s voice held challenge and fear in it.

“How many days?”

“Two.” She looked to the side so she wouldn’t have to see
Ben’s glare any longer. Still, she could feel it. “I’m not going to apologize.
They need help.”

Dixie leaned forward to trap her between him and the metal
door. “I’m a soldier, not a doctor. I couldn’t care less about their vitals.
Yours, however, are important to me.” The whispered words held a protectiveness
that made the hairs on her arms stand on end. “You ever take off without me or
Ben there to watch your back and I promise you that I will track you down, drag
you back and tie you down. Am I clear?”

She shivered with renewed desire at the mental image. Damn,
she was in trouble here. “Crystal.”

“Good.” Dixie opened the door behind her, making her stumble
backward into the hallway. “Then let’s go satisfy this curiosity of yours
before it drives us all to do things we regret.”

Dixie cursed himself and Lisa as they put on body armor and
then grabbed several guns from the weapon locker. He didn’t want her near
danger. And anything she had to be wrapped in armor and packing heat to deal
with could be defined as danger in his book.

“Do you know how to fire that thing?” He nodded at the gun
he’d just handed her.

“In theory, yes. Have I ever done it? No.”

That didn’t help him feel any better. “When this is done,
Ben and I are taking turns with you at a firing range.”

She giggled. “Is that a euphemism?”

If the situation weren’t dire and if her safety weren’t on
the line, he might have laughed at the joke. As it was, he found himself
smiling. “Oh, sweetheart, I like the way you think. It’s not going to get you
out of weapons training, but I bet we can work out a way to manage both.”

Ben snorted as he did a check of his armor. “That’s what she
said.”

“You two are quite the comedians today, aren’t you?” If he’d
known Ben had a sense of humor, he would’ve gotten the man laid years ago.

Ben looked down as a blush reddened his cheeks. “Sorry,
sir.”

“Don’t be. It’s a nice change.” The easy camaraderie helped
to put him at ease and made him think of family—only better. His family didn’t
laugh. And they certainly didn’t make jokes that were heavy in sexual innuendo.
They had a reputation to maintain, after all. He frowned at the sudden memory
before pushing it to the back of his mind. He had other things to deal with
right now. “Make sure you’re on your game once we leave this bunker, though.”
Dixie nodded as the rest of their group joined them. They were taking twelve of
his best scouts with them to check out the base. Just because there were no
heat signatures on the scanners didn’t mean there weren’t people out there. It
might be expensive, but there was a way to hide body warmth. If anyone had the
money to invest in that kind of tech, it was the government.

He waited for the others to get ready and then led them to
the ladder leading out. “Your primary mission is to protect the scientist. Am I
clear?”

“Yes sir.” Their answer echoed off the walls around them.

“Anything happens to me, you’re to get her back here
immediately and in one piece.” He nodded to Ben. “Mincer is my
second-in-command. This goes sideways and he’s in charge.” He so rarely used
Ben’s last name that it felt foreign to his tongue.

“Yes sir.”

“We’re going to approach the base from the south. Candlon
and Johannas, you’re going to break off and do a sweep of the living quarters
in the first quadrant. Kindsey and Mitchell, you’re on the second quadrant.
Donner and Skorzy, you’re on the third. And Leeam and Abner, you’re on the
fourth. The rest of you are going to stay with Mincer, the scientist and
myself. We’re going to the lab.” He gave them a second to voice any objections
they might have. When they remained silent, he continued, “We’ll be on radio
silence unless there’s an attack. Once you’ve cleared your quadrant, you’ll
meet us in the lab to report. As soon as everyone has reported and we’ve
ascertained the situation in the lab, we’ll head back to the bunker. Are there
any questions?”

“Once the quadrants are secure, will we still be on
silence?” Abner asked.

“Yes. Even if they aren’t in the base, they still might be
close enough to pick up chatter.”

“Yes sir.”

“Anything else?” When no one asked any other questions, he
put his hand on the ladder. “Then let’s get this done.”

Their ascent to the surface was one of precision and ease.
Even Lisa managed to make the trip without any unnecessary noise. He’d be
impressed if he weren’t busy wishing she’d stayed behind in the safety of the
bunker.

His team made their way through the forest slowly. He’d
picked a route that would provide them with the most coverage but that added
time to the trip. Which was okay with him. He’d give up a little bit of time
for the added safety. When they finally reached the base, he felt exposed. He
couldn’t do much to prevent it. The buildings provided for some amount of
coverage but not nearly as much as the forest had.

The teams broke off one by one as they passed from quadrant
to quadrant. They didn’t need any gestures or reminders from him. His men were
the best. They knew what to do and so did he. His weapon drawn and ready to
fire, he led Ben, Lisa and the remaining men to the lab. The door opened with a
soft whoosh. He motioned two of the men to stand guard at the entrance and then
directed the rest of them into the building. As soon as they’d walked into the
lab and the door closed behind them, an eerie silence engulfed them. Dixie had
gotten used to the hustle of the bunker. There, people were practically
tripping over one another. The lab, however, was more than empty. It felt
abandoned.

He only had to motion at the branching corridor as they
passed it for the two remaining men to break off from the group to search it.
For better or worse, they were on their own in this. He opened the door to the
room that housed the stasis chambers and then held up a hand to Lisa and Ben.
He wanted to clear the area before he allowed them to enter it.

The lights were dimmed so they cast deep shadows around the
room. Not being able to see into the corners and the recesses made him jittery.
And the beeping and ventilation noises of the chambers didn’t help alleviate
that feeling.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to think as a
soldier. He didn’t have time for nerves right now and neither did the men
counting on him. He didn’t turn the lights on as he did a clockwise sweep of
the room. He searched every nook and cranny for possible combatants. And he
made sure to do a thorough search of every closet and checked under any piece
of furniture with a gap large enough to house a body before he decided it was
clear.

He flipped on the lights and then directed Lisa and Ben to
join him. He wouldn’t risk talking until the others returned from their
searches, but he felt more confident by the moment. Lisa wasted no time in
crossing to the stasis chambers and Ben went immediately to the computers.
Dixie went to stand next to Lisa’s side but as she took notes on her digital
reader, he quickly realized he was in over his head. The notes she took looked
as if they were in a completely different language where even the base
characters were unfamiliar. When Ben waved to get his attention, Dixie happily
went to go check on him instead.

Ben had a report on the screen and was pointing to one line
in particular. Dixie was so stunned that the military hadn’t cleaned the
machine before they left that it took a moment for the text of the document to
sink in. Apparently Dixie had given authorization for whatever currently
resided in those chambers. Or, at least, that’s what the records showed. He
skimmed the rest of the report in confusion but when he got to the bottom,
realization settled in the pit of his stomach like a lead weight. The military
had set him up for whatever scandal they’d created. That’s why they’d left the
document on the computer. What good would a setup be if no one ever saw it?

The door to the lab slid open and Dixie found himself
pointing his weapon at his own men on instinct. After they nodded in
recognition, they lowered their guns. The rest of the building had been
cleared. Now he just needed to wait for the remaining eight men to return
before he could question Lisa and find out what the fuck he’d fallen into.

It only took about fifteen minutes for the last set of men
to return. When the last pair announced their quadrant clear, Dixie turned to
Lisa. “What the hell is in those chambers?” He kept his voice to a whisper. Even
though the base had been cleared, he didn’t feel like pressing his luck right
now.

Her face was pale and her body tense as she looked up at
him. “I don’t know,” she whispered back.

“What do you mean? Are they super-soldiers or not?”

“They’re enhanced but they’re not super-soldiers. Or, at
least, they aren’t like any of the super-soldiers we’ve seen before.”

“What do you mean?” He felt sick as she worried her bottom
lip between her teeth.

“Super-soldiers are humans who have been modified. As you
know,” she added quickly. “But these beings appear to have been created.”

“Are they human?”

Her brow wrinkled with apparent concern. “That would depend
on how you defined
human
.”

His world tilted ever so slightly as her words echoed off
the walls of the room. If whatever those chambers housed inspired that level of
philosophical debate, he was screwed. “Shit. Ben, clean the computers. Do a
full sweep. Then we’re moving the experiments back to the bunker until we get
this figured out. I want this whole room wiped of any evidence. I’m not taking
the fall for whatever is in those chambers.”

The ceiling above him cracked ominously just before a loud
explosion filled the air. Chunks of drywall fell on Dixie’s head and a fine
film of white dust swirled through the air as two men dropped down into the
room, weapons drawn. Immediately one of Dixie’s men jumped in front of Lisa and
pulled her down to the ground. All his other men had weapons drawn—except Ben.
He’d been doing the computer cleanse and had put his gun down just out of
reach. It was a rookie mistake but not one he deserved to die for, especially
just after finding out he’d become a father. Ben would be an amazing dad.

The image of Nate’s face flashed in Dixie’s mind. Without
any further thought, he threw himself at Ben as gunfire echoed through the
room. Two of his men were still outside, guarding the entrance. That left
twelve Coalition members against two military. The odds were definitely in
their favor. But that didn’t mean they weren’t going to take some casualties.
And, as searing pain ripped through his back, he began to wonder if he might be
one of them. “Laser weapons.” The words were barely a whisper. With the burning
sensation enveloping his lungs, he couldn’t manage to speak any louder. But he
was close enough to Ben’s ear to be heard.

“Fuck!” Ben grabbed Dixie’s weapon out of his hand and then
rolled him over on the floor. “They’ve got lasers, men. Armor won’t help.” Ben
kept himself in a crouch as he opened fire on the men.

The seconds passed painfully as he waited for the
confrontation to end. As soon as the last shot had been fired, he heard Ben’s
voice issuing orders but he was too deep in the haze of pain to understand
them.

Another streak of pain burned through him as someone rolled
him over onto his stomach. Tiny hands examined the wound. He might hate putting
Lisa in danger, but having a doctor with them might have been a good call after
all. But Dixie knew they’d have to transport him back to the bunker before she
could work on him. They couldn’t stay here. The risk of another military ambush
was too high.

The world started to dim around him as he was flipped onto
his back. He blinked his eyes to clear them but they were too heavy to open
again. He didn’t really care, though. The pain didn’t seem so bad when his eyes
were closed. A sharp slap across the face woke him to both the lab and the pain
once more.

“You don’t get to give up. Do you hear me, soldier?” Lisa’s
words were strong despite the panic he heard in her voice.

“You giving the orders now?” Damn. Why did it hurt so bad to
breathe?

“Damn straight. We’re going to get you to the bunker and I’m
going to save your life. Am I clear?”

He smiled despite the circumstances. “Crystal.” They hadn’t
been together long, but he was glad he’d found her. Her strength and courage,
not to mention her passion for everything, made him happy that he had the
chance to get to know her. It sucked that their time had been so short, though.

The world went fuzzy around him again. Regardless of her
orders, he just didn’t see any way he would be waking up this time.

Lisa stared down at Dixie’s face as his breathing faltered
for the second time. She didn’t think a slap would bring him out of it this
time. “Get me a ventilator, a table and a surgery kit.” She began stripping his
armor and uniform off him before giving him CPR. She could almost hear his
jokes about her looking for excuses to kiss him echoing in her head but had to
silence them. Thinking about him as her lover made it hard for her to function
as a doctor. As soon as he started breathing again, she leaned back to evaluate
his condition. He needed surgery and they were in a medical facility. This was
going to happen and it was going to happen now. Only, no one seemed to be
moving. “Get me a fucking ventilator, a table and kit or get out of my way so I
can do it myself.”

That seemed to push the men into action. Three of them
disappeared into a nearby room and reappeared a few minutes later. Two of them
were pushing a surgical table while the third carried the kit and the
ventilator. It wasn’t an ideal situation but it was her best chance at saving
Dixie so she’d take it. “Thank you. Help me get him onto the table and get him
hooked up to the ventilator.” She’d stripped him from the waist up but she
couldn’t possibly lift him. It took all three men to do that.

“How many men do you need to assist you?” Ben asked.

“Two. Preference given to any who have medical training of
any type.”

“Candlon and Leeam, you’re with her. The rest of you are
with me. We need to get these experiments to the bunker.”

She glanced up at Ben as she scrubbed her hands. “They have
to be moved in their chambers. That’s the only thing keeping them alive.”

“You heard the lady. Hope you had a good breakfast, men.”

She tuned them out as she focused on the operation she was
about to perform. In the real world she wouldn’t even be allowed to observe the
surgery because of her relationship with the patient. And for good reason. Her
nerves were strained to the point of breaking, her eyes stung with unshed tears
and her hands trembled. But she could do this. Dixie needed her to.