Resistance (Earth Evolution Series Book 2) (4 page)

“I’ll give it back to her.” He waited for Quinn to walk away before he glanced down at the book. It was leather-bound and worn. The top cover had lettering that read “Diary.” Was this Rachel’s personal journal? He knew he should take it to her immediately, but he wanted to find out more about her. He tucked the book inside his jacket to read later. He’d give it back once he was done with it.

Chapter 5

Later that evening

Rachel watched as Lily put Thomas into his small makeshift bed. “Is he asleep already?” She smiled when she saw he was holding onto his spaceship and figurines. Lily gently pulled them free and set them down on a table.

“Yeah, he’s out like a light. You don’t have to whisper either. Thomas has always been a heavy sleeper.” Lily turned to dim the lantern hanging from a hook on the wall. She took off her worn tennis shoes and settled down on her bench seating bed.

Rachel sat down on the bench that Maggie had used for years as her bed. It was not very comfortable at all, but she wasn’t about to complain. She had questions.

“You’ve been with Maggie since the beginning, when the nukes first hit, right?”

Lily nodded her head. “Yeah, Thomas was just a baby then. I was so scared and desperate to survive. I met Maggie and Walter and they took us in.”

“Walter — he was the older man that helped Maggie get down to the subway tunnels in time, right? She told me a little about him. I wished I could have met him.”

Lily wiped a tear from her eyes. “It was devastating to lose him. It was like losing my own dad all over again.”

“Were your parents killed by the nukes?”

“No, they had died in a car crash a few years prior to the nukes going off. I just wish they had lived long enough to meet Thomas.”

“I’m sure they are watching over you both.”

Rachel looked around at the small, enclosed subway car. It was cramped but tidy. She just didn’t see living there for years and years. “You know that you and Thomas are welcome to come and stay at the dome. There wouldn’t be any problem finding you a living space.”

“I appreciate that. Maggie offered for us to come stay on the command ship. I’m just not ready to make a permanent move yet. If and when that time comes, I think I would prefer to be on the command ship, to be closer to Maggie and the baby. She’s been like my little sister.”

Rachel lay down and pulled the thin blanket over her. “I understand. Lily, I want to thank you for being such a good friend to Maggie all these years.”

Lily waved off her gratitude. “She and Walter saved me and Thomas. I owed them everything. But I would do anything for Maggie because I love her.”

Rachel turned over on her back, wondering how long it would take for her to get settled down enough to fall asleep. She thought about the friends she had back at the dome. She had only a handful that she trusted. All the rest only befriended her because of her dad’s position. No one thought of her like Lily did of Maggie. The whole tribe loved Maggie.

“Rachel, can I ask you something that might be kind of...personal?” Lily asked, looking over at her.

“Sure, go ahead.”

“It’s none of my business but I’ve noticed some tension between you and Lieutenant Estro. I was wondering — is there something going on between the two of you?”

Rachel paused as she tried to think of how to answer that. Her feelings toward Kyle were confusing and went back and forth from liking him to wanting to kick his ass. She didn’t have anyone to talk to about it because all her friends in the dome were halfway in love with him. Her sister was married to Kyle’s brother and she was biased about him. Her mother would probably tell her father whatever she said. This was the perfect opportunity. She turned onto her side and leaned up on her elbow.

“Sometimes he drives me insane, to the point where I want to hurt him. Other times he flirts, makes me laugh, and is charming.”

“The flirting, charming and laughing doesn’t sound so bad,” Lily commented.

“It wouldn’t be if he wasn’t doing that with
every
girl he comes across.”

“Oh, he’s a player then?”

“That’s how he comes across to me. He never takes anything seriously. I would ignore it except that he also seems to think he has the right to boss me around.”

“How is he bossing you around? I didn’t think you had spent that much time around him.”

“Oh, I’ve had my fill of him for sure. Like today, when he saw that I had come along to help with the supplies, he told me I needed to go back to the dome because it was too dangerous.”

“He is in charge of the security for now. That’s a big responsibility and it sounds like he is worried about your safety.”

Rachel snorted. “Nowhere is truly safe. Not in the dome, in the subway tunnels, or on the command ship. We have to make sure we take precautions no matter where we are. I know people who have been attacked inside the domes and that is supposed to be one of the safest places to be.”

“Attacked how? I haven’t heard anything about that.”

“Well, it’s being kept quiet for now. But I know the two girls who were caught by a small gang of men and they attempted to…”

“Rape them?” Lily sat up.

“They didn’t get that far. But yeah, that’s what they planned. So things like that can happen anywhere. Just like it did to Maggie here.”

“She told you about it?”

Rachel shook her head. “No, I borrowed Maggie’s diary the last time I was here and read some of it. But I gave it back to her because I felt horrible for taking it. She told me to keep it. Oh, shit!” Rachel jumped up from the bed and started opening her makeshift nightstand.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t remember seeing the diary when I unpacked my stuff. I think I dropped it either on the van or somewhere near the subway entrance.”

“We’ll ask Kyle to send someone to look for it. It’s okay.”

“I feel so bad. What if someone else gets it and reads it? It’s Maggie’s personal thoughts and feelings, all the things that she experienced.”

“If someone is rude enough to read someone else’s diary, then they need to be prepared to handle the repercussions. No offense.”

Rachel nodded to indicate that she understood.

Lily smiled at her reassuringly. “We’ll find it, Rachel. Don’t worry.”

Rachel sat back down on the bed, feeling horrible. “I guess there’s nothing else I can do tonight.”

“Get some sleep. The tribe tends to rise early in the mornings.”

“How early?”

Lily cracked a smile at her. “Insanely early.”

“Great, just great.”

*****

Kyle lay back on the cot he had set up inside his two-room tent. He had his penlight on and the diary that Quinn had found earlier in his hand. He knew immediately after opening the diary that it didn’t belong to Rachel, but to her sister Maggie. He should have closed it, but he couldn’t help himself. He was finding out things about Rachel through her sister’s eyes.

The beginning of the diary was dated one year prior to the nuclear disaster. Maggie had come home from running track and found Rachel going through her clothes.

Dear Diary, I lost it today. I found Rach going through my clothes and pulling out stuff she wanted to wear. We’re not even the same size! Come on. She’s like this tiny little cheerleader and I’m much bigger with muscles. I yelled at her and she yelled back that she was trying to take out my ugly stuff so that I would stop embarrassing her at school. I told her that she was the one that was embarrassing. I told her that she was nothing but a spoiled little brat. She broke out into tears and ran to Mom. Yep, she was in the wrong going through my things but I’m the one that got grounded and had to apologize. Mom and Dad said that since I’m older, I should know better than to say hurtful things to her. I swear I wish I had a brother instead sometimes.

Kyle smiled to himself. He was the baby of his family like Rachel was of hers and they both irritated their older siblings. He was finding that they had more in common than he originally thought. He read more passages of similar interactions. Maggie told about her crush on a boy that was popular but that he liked cheerleaders like her sister.

He skimmed much of it, only pausing here and there when he saw Rachel’s name. At one point, Maggie stated that she had to keep her diary with her in her book bag because Rachel was always trying to get her hands on it. Kyle laughed because obviously Rachel had still managed to get her hands on the diary after all these years.

Then he came across the section marked in bold: DESOLATION DAY. This was where Maggie detailed her account of everything that happened the day of the nuclear disaster and the days, months, and years since.

Each and every day Maggie expressed how much she longed for her family. As time went by she mentioned her sister and how much she wished she could have her back no matter what. As Maggie said several times,
“I wouldn’t care if she got into all my stuff anymore, she could have it all. I just want my sister here with me so that I would have a family.”

Then she and Walter had met up with Lily and her son Thomas and they grew to become a small little family. Kyle was grateful that these people had been so welcoming to Maggie. Maggie had become like Kyle’s own sister in his heart. He would do just about anything for her.

Kyle knew he needed to get some sleep but he couldn’t put the diary down. It was like a window into Maggie’s soul. He learned so much about the tribe and about how the politics in the subway tunnels worked. What surprised him the most was that he could see similarities between Maggie and Rachel. They weren’t that different. Rachel was more sheltered and soft. Maggie had lost her childhood and toughened to become a survivor, a warrior.

Each subway area had a small group of people in tribes with a tribe leader and a second in command. There was no real election held for the leaders; whoever had the power and the means could lead. But on few occasions tribe leaders could be deposed if the entire tribe supported that.

There were certain laws established among the tribes and if someone did something horrible, they could be kicked out of the tribe. It was virtually a death sentence because it was the tribe members who took care of each other and hunted for food for one another. Without the tribe, those kicked out would be completely on their own. Other tribes tended to not want to take on troublemakers.

The man who had hurt Maggie when she was still young had been banished from the tribe. He had followers, though, who left with him and because they were able to find one of the highly sought-after food storage areas in the subway system, many other tribes allowed them to stay with them for a while for that reason.

Kyle had put the diary down after reading Maggie’s description of what had happened to her and how she lost her baby. It made him realize just how scared Maggie was about losing her and Liam’s child. Maggie’s words haunted him.
“Every life is precious and could be taken away in a heartbeat. Loved ones should be protected and cherished always.”
For someone so young, she had so much wisdom.

Kyle couldn’t read anymore that night. He was overwhelmed with emotions. He wanted to contact his brother Liam and make sure that Maggie and the baby were okay. He also wanted to go by the subway car that Rachel was sleeping in and keep watch over her for a while. Just in case. It was too late to risk waking up Liam and Maggie, so he got back up and headed out of his tent so that he could at least keep one person safe that night.

Chapter 6

“Come on, that’s absolutely ridiculous,” Rachel complained to Kyle when he insisted that she have a security guard with her at all times. They had been there for three days and nothing dangerous had happened. He was totally overreacting.

“That’s how it’s going to be. I’m in charge of the security detail.”

“You may be in charge of security but you’re not in charge of me.”

“You promised your mother and father that you would adhere to what the security entails, which means you have to follow my orders when it comes to…”

“Follow your orders? I think not!”

“Rachel, Kyle — let’s all settle down and not let our tempers get the better of us.” Rachel’s mom stepped in between them. She waited until both of them stopped staring each other down and turned their eyes to her.

“Okay, let’s see if we can’t come to some kind of compromise.”

Kyle stood up straighter. “I will not compromise the safety of the people I have been given command over.”

“You do not command me, Lieutenant.” Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, which drew Kyle’s eyes toward her. She didn’t have huge breasts, but they were firm and perky, and at the moment, her nipples were tight and pointy. It was almost as if their arguing aroused her. That was...unwelcome. Not to mention awkward, since her mother was standing right next to her.

Melissa sighed. “How about this ― we promise to have someone with us at all times, whether it’s a security guard or each other?”

Rachel tried not to laugh as she watched a slight tick develop in Kyle’s cheek. He was trying hard not to argue with her mother. It was the funniest thing she had seen in a while.

“Fine, as long as someone is with you at all times, I will relent on the security guard. But Thomas does not count — no one under four feet counts — got it?” He narrowed his eyes at Rachel.

She just gave him a wide smile. “I understand and will comply with your safety suggestions.” She turned and walked back toward Lily’s subway car. She didn’t hear what was being said as she left.

“That girl is driving me crazy.” Kyle growled out as he ran his hand through his hair. It was getting long again and he would have to cut it to make sure he met warrior regulations.

“She’s young and not used to having to be careful all the time. It’s her father and I’s fault. We sheltered her too much. We thought we had lost Maggie and we kind of allowed Rachel free rein. She’s a good girl — she just hasn’t had the experiences that others have had. Sometimes I feel like I failed her just like I failed Maggie.” Melissa sat down on a crate. She looked sad.

“Both your girls have turned out just fine. Maggie is strong, brave, and beautiful. Rachel is beautiful and stubborn, but she knows what she wants and stands by it. I admire that, even though she is frustrating beyond belief. Parents can only do so much. According to my father, my brothers and I did whatever we wanted no matter how much he tried to direct us.  So, he said that he was just kind of there when something we did messed up or blew up, literally.”

Melissa blinked a few times. “I don’t think I will ask about the blowing up bit.”

He cracked a smile. “Probably best you don’t know. Why did Rachel come here?”

“She wants to help. She doesn’t feel like she has a purpose and she needs that. Is it really so unsafe here?”

“Did your husband tell you about the small hate group and their activities?”

“Yes, a little bit.”

“I haven’t encountered them myself, but yesterday there was a skirmish up top near the entrance to the subway station.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Melissa felt concerned.

He shook his head. “No one was injured. But the second load of supplies was almost completely demolished. We’ll have to replace that shipment.”

“I don’t understand why they would keep food and supplies from coming down here to our own people who are in desperate need of it.” Melissa frowned as she tried to process what Kyle was telling her.

“I don’t either. But from the worlds that I’ve visited, scared and ignorant people do not often do things that make sense.”

Melissa nodded. “That’s true enough. I understand now why you are so concerned about our safety. I’ll have a talk with Rachel.”

“Let me. I need to apologize for losing my temper. I don’t know why she seems to know exactly what to do or say to make me angry.”

Melissa laughed. “She pushes your buttons, huh? It was like that for me and David when we were first met. He couldn’t understand why I refused to date him at first.”

Kyle looked shocked. “I thought that the two of you were a love match.”

“Oh we were, and still are. It’s just that he asked out one of my friends first . They had one date together but nothing else developed. But I was hurt that he had asked her first. I had always liked him from the moment I saw him. He was the best-looking guy in school but he knew it and was way too cocky. He thought every girl in school should fall at his feet and when I didn’t do that, he was knocked off his pedestal. But eventually he convinced me to give him one chance. I did and we have not been parted for very long since that first date.”

“I am not sure I followed everything that you just said.”

She stood up and smiled at him. “The point is that you and my daughter are attracted to each and you don’t know how to deal with that attraction. So you are annoying each other instead and causing more confusion than necessary.”

“That can’t be right. Rachel doesn’t even like me.”

Melissa snorted and then stopped herself before she started laughing. She did not want to offend the young warrior. “Hence the confusion. Word of advice for you ― be sure of your feelings for Rachel before you act on them. Rachel hasn’t had a lot of experience with men and I can tell you that she has never reacted to anyone else like she does you. But her father and I won’t allow you to play with her heart, so make sure you want a relationship with her before anything else happens.”

Kyle had a hard time believing what Mrs. James was saying. He and Rachel fought like a cat and a dog, and there was nothing more going on. Was there?

“Let me walk you back and I’ll go apologize to Rachel.”

“Good luck with that,” Melissa chuckled.

*****

“So you see, that’s why we’re taking extra precautions,” Kyle’s cousin Quinn explained.

“This happened just yesterday?” Rachel hugged herself, feeling uneasy. She wasn’t worried about herself but she didn’t want her mother to get hurt. Having gone through years of thinking her sister was dead, she was very protective of her parents. The thought of something happening to either of them made her anxious and worried.

“Are we safe here?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” Quinn put a comforting arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

“Lieutenant, don’t you have somewhere else you should be?” Kyle growled from behind them.

Rachel was startled. She hadn’t heard him approach at all. “Stop sneaking up on people!” She glared angrily at Kyle before she turned to Quinn and reached up to place a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thanks, Quinn, for talking to me like a normal rational person.”

Quinn’s cheeks turned pink. “No problem. See you later, Rach.” He puffed out his chest as he walked past a glaring Kyle.

Rachel wasn’t in the mood to get in another argument with Kyle, so she tried to walk past him. He reached out and grabbed her arm gently but firmly.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Look, Quinn explained what happened yesterday. I get it now so I’ll be more careful. I’m sorry for making such a big deal about it. You’re just doing your job.”

“I’m sorry as well. It’s not just about me doing my job. I care about what happens to you.”

She knew her mouth was hanging open but she was just so shocked that he would admit that to her..

“What are you saying?” She asked with a whisper. She looked up at him and immediately recognized the expression on his face. Desire. Kyle Estro desired her, Rachel James.

Kyle pulled her closer to him. He towered over her smaller frame. She could feel the heat radiating from his body even through their clothes. Her nipples tightened and she licked her lips. How was it that he could make her body react to him while barely touching her?

“What I am saying is, I want you...to not flirt with Quinn anymore.”

For the second time that night he shocked her. “What?”

“Quinn is young and impressionable. He doesn’t realize that you flirting with him isn’t serious.”

She stepped back from him and he dropped his grip on her, letting her go. “Quinn is only one year younger than you. And I wasn’t flirting with him.”

“You kissed him. He had his arm wrapped around you.”

“That was me thanking him for taking the time to comfort me when I was upset.”

“If you need comfort, come to me, not Quinn.”

She snorted. “I won’t be needing comforting if I have to depend on you to provide it. That’s not going to happen, buddy.”

“Damn it, Rachel, come back here! I’m not done talking.”

“Well, I’m done talking to you.” She walked away with angry strides. Kyle watched her until she disappeared inside the subway car.

Fuck!
He was supposed to fix things with her, not make them worse. But when he came up on Quinn with his arm around Rachel, he was filled with a jealous rage. It took everything in him to keep from striking out at his cousin.

This was new for him. He never felt jealousy over a woman before. He and Quinn were often flirting with the same women. He had never felt possessive over any of the others, but with Rachel he was very possessive. He wanted her for himself.

An image of Rachel naked underneath him made his cock full and painfully tight against his pants. This was not good. Rachel was old enough to date but her father would be a major problem. He needed to keep his emotions in check. He also needed to have a little talk with his cousin.

*****

Kyle found his cousin standing guard at the outskirts of the tunnel. “Hey.”

Quinn straightened up his shoulders and saluted him. “Sir, nothing to report.”

Kyle sighed. “Come on, Quinn, no one’s around.”

Quinn didn’t say anything, just stood there staring off toward Kyle’s left shoulder. It made Kyle feel like a real ass. Quinn was as close to Kyle as his own brothers were and they were closer in age.

“I’m sorry. I saw your arms around Rachel and I didn’t handle it very well,” Kyle apologized.

“No, you didn’t. I was just comforting her. That’s all.”

“I know. I believe you. But for a moment there, I couldn’t think rationally. All my instincts were fired up.”

“Yeah, I got that impression. You’ve got it bad for her, don’t you?”

Kyle sighed. “She drives me crazy. I swear she disagrees with everything I say on purpose just to make my blood pressure go up.”

Quinn chuckled and relaxed his stance. “I can see that. She’s smart and beautiful, and that’s a deadly combination. Not to mention sexy as hell.”

“Don’t talk about how sexy she is, ever,” Kyle growled at his cousin.

Quinn held up his hands. “Easy! I might flirt harmlessly but I would never try to go after someone that you have fallen for.”

“I haven’t fallen for her.”

“Sure, go ahead and deny it. It’s written all over your face every time you see her. You really need to learn to cover up your expressions better, cousin.”

“Just keep your hands to yourself.”

“I have no control over her hands though,” Quinn joked. Kyle hit him in the back of his head. “Ouch!”

“Don’t push my buttons, Quinn. Keep your distance from Rachel.”

“Come on, just claim her already then you wouldn’t be all pissy all the time.”

“Pissy? I think you are spending way too much time with the humans.”

“Naw. Although the women are hot. I like their smaller size and fragile bodies. Makes me want to carry one off to a deserted area and bond.”

“You need to have leave soon. You are starting to lose it. Don’t you think we’re too young to settle down already?”

“You’re an idiot, Kyle. There’s a beautiful woman who can’t stop watching you and you keep putting off your feelings. I would give anything to find one person I can just be myself with. Someone who would look forward to having me come home to her every night or at least after every mission.”

“Just keep your distance.” Kyle walked off. Maybe Quinn was right. It would be nice to have someone to come home to, to welcome him home and into her bed. Images of a naked Rachel waiting for him in bed had him readjusting his cock again.
Damn.
She was messing him up badly.