Holmes (9 page)

Adam’s strides chewed up the distance to the med bus, Emerson hovering nearby, putting pressure on Liberty’s wound.

Liberty had to make it. She had to.

Chapter Nine

Liberty woke, disoriented.

Where the hell was she?

She was in a bed, some machine bleeping beside her with a steady, annoying chirp. Her hands clenched on the plain, white blanket, trying to work out what had happened.

Her hand brushed something silky. She looked down and saw a dark head resting on the blanket by her hip.

Adam
. He was sitting on a small stool, his head on the bed, one hand on her leg. The tiny bit she could see of his face showed he was fast asleep.

Her chest tightened and she gently stroked his hair.

She’d met some great people at Blue Mountain Base. Courageous survivors, fun girlfriends, sexy, funny guys. She’d made friends and she’d enjoyed healthy, unattached sex with some of the single men. She’d found little glimmers of humor and normality in the dark realities of their new world.

But she had no one to wait by her sickbed. She swallowed the thick lump in her throat. No one who would truly care if she lived or died.

She stroked the brown silk of Adam’s hair again.

He stirred and lifted his head. He blinked, his hair falling over his forehead, a crease from the blanket on his cheek. For a second, he looked younger, perhaps what he’d looked like before he’d taken on the responsibility for so many lives.

He ran a hand over his face and her general appeared, the lines of strain bracketing his mouth, that little groove between his eyebrows she was coming to know so well.

“You’re okay.” He patted her legs, moving up her body.

“I am.” She grabbed his hand. She actually felt the best she’d felt in ages. She suspected the doc had given her nanomeds. The tiny machines raced through the bloodstream, fixing anything they could find. She was filled with energy. “I feel really good.”

He let out a shaky breath. “Good.” He turned his hand, his fingers tangling with hers.

Then she spotted the stark white bandage on his arm. “And the doc looked at this?” She stroked the bandage. “Where that thing was?”

“It’s nothing,” he said.

She shifted into a sitting position. Adam looked out for everyone else, but brushed off any concern for himself. He didn’t appear to realize how important he was to the convoy.

“It’s not
nothing
. It was a trap, and it was designed for you, Adam.”

His face hardened. “We’re analyzing the alien beetle device and the…doppelganger creature that delivered it.”

Her fingers clenched on his. “It’s a bad sign, though, that they’ve researched your past. They know you make the decisions, that you lead us. They’re getting smarter. They know if they take you out, they strike at the heart of us.”

Adam made a noise. “Hardly. Others would take my place.”

“You singlehandedly created Blue Mountain Base. You curbed the utter chaos of those early days, set up everything we needed. You have good squad leaders, Adam, people who can fight and are smart. But they aren’t you.”

“Let’s talk about you.” He leaned closer, his face inches from hers. “You do not jump between me and a threat, understand?”

She lifted her chin. “I do as I please.”

His hand moved fast, his fingers gripping her chin. “You’ll stay safe, dammit.”

“I had a man try to control me once—”

Adam cursed and released her. “That’s not what I’m doing and you know it.”

She nodded. It was an unfair comparison. Adam Holmes was about as far as you could get from the bastard she’d married. “What was that thing they tried to put on you?”

Adam huffed out a breath. “Noah and his team are dissecting it with some help from Laura.”

If anyone could work it out, it was Noah Kim, the sexy chief geek of the tech team. If he could concentrate working beside Captain Laura Bladon, that was. They had a serious case of the hots for each other, and since they’d hooked up, they could barely keep their hands off each other. Another couple who’d found love in this post-apocalyptic hell.

“They think it’s some kind of mind-control device,” Adam added.

Liberty gasped. “They could have controlled you?”

“Yes.” His face was grim. “And had me send the convoy right to them.”

The possibilities of that scenario were frightening.

“But it’s not going to happen.” He grabbed her hand again, his gaze on their linked fingers. “We made it to the coal mine, so we’re safe for now. And tomorrow, we’ll be at the Enclave.”

A sick feeling filled Liberty. “She…that alien thing said the Enclave was gone.”

Adam shook his head. “I contacted them. We had a bad connection, the aliens are trying to jam all the frequencies in the area, but the Enclave is fine. They’re okay.”

Liberty let out a breath. “Well, then.” She leaned forward. “I’d better get to work on your secret plan to bolster morale.”

“No.” His stern “general” voice came back. “You need to rest.”

She snorted. “I had a dose of nanomeds. I feel better than before that alien bitch slashed me up, and I’m buzzing with energy.” She touched his face, smoothing out that line between his brows. “Besides, those people out there need it.” She touched her thumb to his lips, saw something dark and raw flare in his eyes. “We need it.”

He looked torn. She realized it must be a common situation for him—trapped between decisions.

“Fine. But if you feel lightheaded, or in any way unwell, you’ll sit down.”

“Deal.” Because she couldn’t stop herself, she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

His hands jerked up and grabbed her shoulders. With a groan, he deepened the kiss, drinking at her lips.

He pulled back and Liberty felt like her lips were swollen. He was panting a little. “Liberty, you can’t keep teasing me like this.”

“Why not?”

His fingers flexed on her skin. “I only have so much control.”

She moved, turning and swinging her feet over the edge of the bed. “Good.” She let her gaze drift over his face. “Because I don’t want your control. Now go. I need to get ready for this gathering you have planned.”

He raked a hand through his hair, but watched her with an eagle eye as she stood. “See you in an hour.”

***

Adam finished washing up in the small sink in his truck. He’d been to see the boy they’d rescued from the cage—Elijah. The kid was so scared and lost. Luckily one of Emerson’s nurses had taken the boy under her wing. Adam splashed more water on his face, trickles running down his shirtless chest. God, he felt like his bones ached.

A part of him, one he kept deeply buried, understood what Mrs. Marinos had felt today. That part of him felt exactly as she had. That this world was only for the young, the fittest, the ones who could fight and survive.

He stared at himself in the tiny mirror above the sink.

He imagined he could see the restless, angry souls of the humans he’d been forced to kill today in the reflection. He pressed his hands to the sink, his head dropping. The people who’d died at Blue Mountain Base and during the convoy trip. All those people…dead.

There was a quick knock before the door of his truck opened and Liberty appeared.

Seeing her instantly jolted him out of his morose thoughts. The way her gaze drifted over his chest, something warming in her eyes, chased the last of those thoughts away. Desire was a fire in his blood, leaving him feeling very much alive.

“We’re ready,” she said huskily.

Reluctantly, Adam pulled on his white shirt and did up the buttons. But his gaze never left the woman in front of him.

She’d changed as well. She wore dark jeans that slicked over her generous curves, and a clingy, red top that made a hungry man’s gaze want to land in only one spot.

Jesus, get a grip, Adam
. “How can you look so good in the middle of an alien invasion?”

She fluffed her hair. “Practice.”

“You make it seem effortless.”

“It isn’t. But it’s important.” She shifted a little. “I was a sales rep for a large consumer goods company…before the invasion. We sold everything—makeup, shampoo, toothpaste. I learned very well to stop listening to what people told me they wanted, and to read the other signs they gave off for what they
really
wanted.”

“That’s why you’re so good at reading people.”

She shrugged. “Maybe. Anyway, looking and feeling nice gives me a tiny little bit of normalcy in the chaos. I want to give that to other people as well. I used to always do my hair and dress up…before…when I was trapped in my marriage. It helped me feel like a real person, like I wasn’t invisible. It helped me fake some confidence when I had none.” She smiled. “Fake it until you make it. It’s not a bad motto.”

Adam tucked his shirt in, his gaze never leaving her, and stepped out of the truck. “You made it.”

She huffed out a breath. “Some days I wonder.” Her smile reappeared. “But right now, yeah, I feel like I made it.” She grabbed his hand. “Come on. Everything’s ready.”

“You work fast.”

Her smile was pure sex. “Honey, I could say something here but I don’t want to make you blush. And you do blush, General Holmes. It’s kind of cute.”

“I do not.”

“Not your face, but your neck gets flushed, the tendons straining…it’s sexy.”

Adam felt heat in his neck.
Dammit
.

They made their way out from between some trucks, and Adam took in their latest hidey hole.

It wasn’t pretty. It was a dark cave, some central area of the old mine, with wide tunnels leading off it. They’d driven the convoy vehicles down a ramp to get in here, but he knew they weren’t too far below the surface.

There was some old, dilapidated mining equipment off in one corner. And the walls were ugly. They were a textured gray color, and the tech team had informed him that there was some sort of high-tech shotcrete that had been sprayed on the walls here. It was one of the reasons this area had been chosen for them to shelter in. The special concrete covering added stability, and kept any dangerous gases from the residual coal from building up. Thankfully, this mine had been played out not long before the invasion, so there wasn’t much coal left in here.

Everyone had been warned not to wander off. The mine contained many large, open caverns, full of potential dangers.

As a result, they were all crammed into this space, with their vehicles parked along the perimeter. Everyone sat near their vehicles, looking tired and dejected. It struck at his heart.

He dragged in a deep breath. God, he hoped what he had planned helped.

He noticed a few festive banners strung up and he saw some of the people who worked in the kitchen truck fussing over food on a large, fold-out table. He’d wanted things to look pretty, but in reality, in this dark hole in the ground, the party decorations just looked sad.

“Ready?” Liberty asked.

“I need Marcus before we can start.”

“He’s coming,” she confirmed. “I don’t know what you have planned, but I’ve never seen big, bad Marcus Steele so nervous. Not before a mission, not when facing down an alien, never…but he looks nervous tonight.”

Heavy steps sounded and the man under discussion appeared.

Liberty was right. Marcus looked uncomfortable. His hair was damp, and while he wore his usual well-worn jeans, he’d swapped out his normal T-shirt for a crisp, collared shirt in a fine blue check.

“You’re dressed up.” Liberty straightened Marcus’ collar.

“Yeah.” Marcus looked around. “Thought you said you’d doll the place up before I…did this. Make it a celebration.”

“Liberty’s done what she can.” Adam wished he could offer everyone more. “We don’t have much—”

“Now, wait a second,” Liberty interrupted. She raised a hand and nodded to someone off near the food table.

Lights flicked on.

Thousands of tiny, white fairy lights covered the roof and walls. All around him, people gasped, oohing and ahhing. Off to one side was an area illuminated by round, white paper lanterns, each glowing with a warm golden light. Now he could see a group of people gathered, led by Cruz Ramos, who was holding his guitar. The man nodded, and the small band started up, the lovely strains of something vaguely Latin filling the space.

The cave was transformed.

It had gone from harsh and ugly, to beautiful.

All because of one woman. As he watched the survivors all looking around, some smiling, others laughing, something in his chest eased.

Chapter Ten

Liberty enjoyed the smiles of the survivors, the wonder on their faces. But she liked the shock on Adam and Marcus’ faces more.

Adam grabbed her shoulders and pulled her around to look at him. “You are a miracle worker.”

Damn, she liked hearing that. “We strung up some lights.”

“No, it’s more than that.”

Elle Milton appeared and snuggled into Marcus’ side. “Wow. This looks amazing. Like we’re in a fairy grotto.” She bumped her hip against Marcus. “When you told me we were having a party and to dress up, I wasn’t expecting this.”

Elle was wearing a skirt, something Liberty rarely saw the woman do. She was usually in worn fatigues, ready to support her squad at the sound of the evac siren. But now, she wore a pretty blue skirt and simple top. It had to be a far cry from what the former socialite was used to.

Yet, as she leaned into the big man beside her, the woman looked happy. Loved.

Liberty’s chest got tight. Elle had found it, that elusive thing, and she’d found it in the worst of possible circumstances. Liberty knew she wasn’t built for love, but it didn’t stop her from being envious of people who found it.

“Party hasn’t started yet.” Marcus’ voice was the grittiest Liberty had ever heard. The soldier took in a deep breath, then tugged Elle out into the center of the room, where the lanterns cordoned off the makeshift dance floor.

Uncertain what was going on, Liberty watched, conscious that Adam was still and focused beside her.

Marcus cleared his throat. People turned to look and Elle looked bemused. “I have something to say—”