Chapter 4

We approach the installation with caution. Tess perches herself along a high tree branch, steadying her rifle. I'm viewing with binoculars as three short pops sound from behind me and three targets go down. Her speed and accuracy were astounding to watch. I help her climb down as she switches to short range pistols and follows me to the front. Tess makes quick work of the security on the door and I enter swiftly. My eyes adjust faster than the federation goons as I whip around the room with my duel blades, slicing into flesh and bone. Blood sprays along the walls as pops sound from my back, letting me know Tess was busy getting to work. Minutes pass but they feel like seconds to me. I'm enjoying my work and I'm irritated when everyone is dead. I was just starting to enjoy myself. I look over at Tess who is staring at the blood along the walls. There's a strange look in her eyes. I'm not sure what I see but play off what I'm thinking to just her eyes adjusting from sunlight to the darker room.

Walking over to her, I see her eyes move from the wall to my blades. Again, she is staring at the blood dripping off. I move the blades behind me and her eyes reach mine. Her pupils are dilated. Her pulse is quick. She shakes her head and it's gone. I brush it aside and motion to move to the next room. Again the plan plays out perfectly. I zip around the room making short work of the federation scientists while Tess takes out the security with the guns. I stop in front of a door, my hand on the handle, hesitant. This is the first room with the civilians. Tess walks up behind me. I close my eyes as I open the door. Screams echo in the room as I open to see children being protected by one adult. My heart starts beating again.

I don't understand what the adult is yelling out, but Tess elbows her way past me and starts mumbling something. The adult talks back, nodding their head. My jaw drops.

"You speak their language?" I ask in complete shock.

"Of course! It's not that difficult when you sit down and study it…" She said it with such confidence that it felt like she was talking about learning the alphabet. Whatever she said, the adult ushered the kids out of the room and left the building. "She told me that there is a village not far from here that's safe. I will make sure to let the others know."

"That was a she?" You had already started to move to the next floor of the building. Unlike others, this one went underground.

"Yeah… couldn't you tell?" I see her rolling her eyes as she pushes past me. Thank goodness she can.

We move to the elevator next, I clear it for her as she sets up behind me and off to the corner. When the doors open, Tess has taken a knee besides me, firing at the armed security towards the corners. I rush in straight and start my work with the scientists. Some start to put up a fight as my heart races with glee. I love the challenge and welcome it. The blades slice through with efficiency leaving only one scientist left. I grab this one by the neck and lift him into the air. The insect like Gromflomite struggles within my grasp, his shortened tentacles wiggling in front as he gasps for air. Tess is at my side, a hand on my arm as I look into her eyes. Concern is present as she looks from me to the insect. I squeeze tighter while I stare at her, my pulse increasing. The ordeal was arousing for me. I detained his life in my hands, squeezing it away, while I held the breathtaking green gaze of the woman in front of me. She holds the gaze and steps closer to me. I cock my head, not really seeing Tess in front of me, but a woman. Her hand slides along my arm to close in around my fingers. She squeezes tighter, ending his life quicker then I desired. It didn't matter though. I was already hard with pleasure that she shared this moment with me.

"Dean. We have to get moving." Her voice was breathless. I focus on her lips and how she moistens them quickly. My gaze lowers to see her chest rise and fall, her breathing mirroring mine. Dropping the carcass, I move in against her body, one hand wrapping around to her ass, pressing it against me tightly. She can feel my need now. The gaze holds. I'm breathing hard. I want to fuck her. Now. "Dean…" Her voice cuts through. I blink a couple of times and release my hand. I walk away and grunt as I move to the next room. I need to kill again. I need to move.

I kick open the door and start the slaughter before Tess has the chance to cover me. I hear her cursing behind me, but I don't care. My need is strong. Blood sprays my face and all I can see is the intangible need before me. The slaughter is more arousing then any woman I have been with. By the time Tess enters the room, everyone is in bloody ruins along the floor. I see her scan the room for another potential target, covering my back like she promised. Then I see her relax, her shoulders dropping as her eyes look at the blood alone the walls and pooling on the floor. The light green substance held her attention again, like before. Then I see it. The eyes glaze over and the pupils dilate. Her breath speeds up as I see a hand cover her chest. Shit. I see it. I see my reflection in my worst moment. I walk over to her now, concerned and no longer hard with need. All I see is Tess, caught in her moment, waiting for the realization to sink in and that look of absolute horror to set in.

"I need to get out of this room." Her voice was small and distant. I know she is somewhere else. I grab her arm and pull her into a side room, clear of blood. She closes her eyes for a minute and starts to shake. I grab a hold of her tightly and press her against me. Convulsions wrack against my body as her breathing catches in her throat, then slows. Her legs give way and she sinks to the floor. Sobbing echoes in the small room. I hold her tightly, knowing full well what just happened to her. I start to hate myself for bringing her into my world. I berate myself, screaming that I should have recognized the signs and never allowed her to enter this hell. But I didn't. That part I hated wanted this to happen. It wanted someone else to be with, to experience this living hell with me; it desired a playmate.

"I'm so sorry Tess. I saw the signs. I should have kicked you out right then. I didn't and that will forever be on me. This is my doing… I will never forgive myself… never…" The tears start to fall. This hell was mine. I soaked in it alone. But now, with her here, joining me, I needed to find a way out for both of us. There was no question now. I wasn't too close to the abyss, I jumped in.

"The blood. Oh fuck Dean… I just… I just…" Her voice was fragile, waiting to break. Happens to the best of us.

"Yeah. I know. Happened to me too. That's why I should have recognized the signs in you. The dilated eyes, the heavy breathing…"

"This… this happened to you too?" She looks at me then. Not a look of horror but a look of understanding. Like she was afraid I was going to view her as a monster now. Funny, I thought she was going to view me that way.

"Yeah. I was alone when it happened. Never told the others. I tried to hint around to see if it's normal. It's not. We're fucked in the head somehow. For me, I think it's the utter and complete control that gets me off. I hated myself at first. Then I gave up." My voice was calm, understanding. She needed to know I was not going to let this go for her.

"I hate seeing blood. It… it reminds me… of… of…" She gulps but continues. "I killed a guy when I was eight. He was naked and going to rape me, I think. I ran away and stabbed him. The blood was everywhere. I slipped. It was… the first time… I… touched… I… gods…" She started to cry again, covering her face from me. I lifted her chin to look me in the eyes.

"You had been denied touch your whole life. Never knew what it felt like. Then you protect yourself. You slipped and touched the body right?" She nods. "That was your first touch?" She nods again, tears starting to form. "You liked it. You hated yourself, but you liked it."

"Yes."

"There is no one to blame. Being at the age you were… what happened with you… They don't call it the age of exploration for nothing. I became sexually aware when I was seven. Had my first release at nine to an older woman. After that, it was decided that I should go into training. So sex became a lesson for me, not a release. Fuck, it was so hard getting my wife pregnant." I sigh in frustration. I hated that something so macabre got me aroused. And I saw it in her too now. Association sucks.

"Thanks Dean. I'm ashamed of myself." She looks away suddenly. I know I have to do something to lighten the mood.

"Fuck girl, I found that sexy as hell. Never had a girl do that against my body without touching her… Feel free to do that again. Maybe I'll join in…" I wink and press a quick kiss against her lips. She blushes and strikes me against the chest, backing off and reaching for her pistol.

"Thanks for being the asshole." She pops the canister out of the weapon and curses. "Fuck, I'm out of ammo. Damn it! How do I protect you now?"

"No ammo on me sweetness. Only knives." I look at her hesitantly. I'm not sure how she is going to react. Then I see it. Those beautiful eyes dilating again at the sight of the blade. It's a bad idea. I shouldn't do this. I can't give this to her. But I do. Fuck, I hand her the blade and watch the breath catch in her throat. She caresses the handle, lays one finger along the blade from base to tip. Shit, shit, shit.

"Thank you…" Her voice was husky. Fuck… It wanted this to happen… that thing within me… And then she is gone, motioning for me to follow.

The next room and the room after that was the same. Me focusing on the death around me, catching glimpses of her from the corner of my eye. My need builds within as I start to focus on non-fatal wounds so I can hear the sounds of death echo around me. Tess catches my eye as she watches the wake of bodies still holding on to life. She walks up slowly to each one, staring in my eyes as she thrusts her blade through their throats, ending each life. With each life ended, my need grows stronger. I imagine ripping off her clothes, pushing her against the wall and shoving myself with that tight little ass until she screams my name. I shake my head and look away in disgust. To think that I would even have that desire amidst all this death… It is moments like this, that I began to hate myself so long ago.

As if reading my mind, Tess walks over to me as I step backwards. I don't trust those eyes. They are glazed over, not her. There is no light, no laughter… I hit the wall behind me. She presses herself along my body; her hand goes into my hair as the other presses from my waist to my groin. My eyes close as I shudder from the touch. When I open them, the hand from my groin raises and pulls at my wrist. I'm still holding on to the blade as she brings it across her face, her tongue flicks out to taste the green blood. Her eyelids flutter as my heart pounds. I grab the back of her hair, yanking her to my mouth, forcing my tongue within. I taste the blood as well, licking it along the inside of her mouth. I growl, a low growl that resonates within her as I hear a soft whine. Her tongue explores my mouth as I continue to press her against me, hard enough to bruise. I slam the blade against the wall behind me hard enough to lodge it in. My hand grips her ass and moves to squeeze her thigh, pulling it up to my hip. She is grinding against me while I continue to explore her mouth. The metallic taste consumes the darkness within.

I break the kiss to see her eyes heavy with desire. This look I know too well. The same desire echoes in me as well; this part is new. My pants are becoming too tight for me, and all I can think of doing is tearing them off and shoving myself within her. My gaze travels behind her, to the gore around the room, to the adjoining room where our next extraction point was. My heart beat slows as I pull away from her mouth. I gently release her leg and grab a hold of her face.

"We have a duty to finish. If… and I mean IF, we finish and this is still something you want to do… I won't deny you. But we have to move… now." I wait until the realization of what was going on sinks in. Her eyes return to their clarity as she blinks then blushes. Quickly she backs away from me, looking at the scene around her and starting to shake. I move up along her body fast, pulling her into a kiss that breaks her thought process. At the end, she looks at me and nods her head. "We may be monsters, but we will get out of this together."

"Let's get those survivors…"