Deafening silence descends again. I half-expect Iris to warn us that our visual input is frozen again, but it's Raj who ends up breaking it.
"WHAT?!"
"So it's you," Estela murmurs.
"Did not see that coming!" Craig declares.
"I kinda did," Zahra mutters.
Grace looks at Aleister with utter devastation. "You...you've been lying to us?"
"Grace...I'm sorry. I...I never meant to hurt you..."
He reaches for her, but she pulls sharply away, stumbling a little in her haste. Jake steadies her with a hand on her shoulder and scowls at Aleister.
"So, wait. You're the boss man's son, and you think that's supposed to make us trust you?" He scoffs. "What's the deal? Did he plant you here to spy on us? Is he listening in right now?"
"No! For god's sake, I'm not a spy!"
"I dunno," Sean says. "I think he sounds sincere..."
"That's what spies do!" Jake retorts. "That's literally their basic job!"
"...I believe him..."
Everyone looks at me as if my ears have turned into ferrets.
"...You do?" Aleister ventures timidly.
"Really?" Jake asks incredulously.
"I mean...it does explain a lot. ...I admit this alert makes it sound as if no one at Rourke International knew he was coming. And I'd kind of expect a trained spy to be more...you know..."
"Suave?" Michelle offers. "Cool?"
"Badass?" Zahra suggests.
"Capable?" Estela mutters.
"Not, like, a huge dork?" Craig snickers.
"Enough, already!" Aleister snaps. "I take your meaning!"
"But...if you're not a spy...what are you doing here?" Grace asks. "Why did you lie your way onto the trip?"
Aleister sighs heavily and turns away, gazing out over the island. He is quiet for a long time. Finally, he draws in a deep breath.
"My whole life, all I ever wanted was his approval. His respect. For him to look at me with pride. To embrace me as his heir. He was always gone, on one business trip or another...always occupied with his resort or his research projects. My tenth birthday, he was in Kyoto, unveiling his new fusion-powered bullet train. My high school graduation, he was in Moscow, negotiating a trans-European trade agreement. And still, I thought I could impress him. If I just achieved enough...if I followed in his footsteps...he'd finally recognize me for what I am worth."
"Aleister..." Grace says softly.
"He promised me that we'd spend time together this summer," he continues, ignoring Grace. "That he'd show me the intricacies of his business. That he'd consider...consider...bringing me in. He canceled, of course. As he is wont to do. But that wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part was when I discovered that ten students from my very college would be randomly selected to take a trip to his prized island...while he was there."
"...Rourke was here?"
Aleister nods. "I sent him a furious letter. And lo and behold, I got an email inviting me to come along after all. Perhaps he meant to make amends. ...But I wasn't going to make amends. I planned to confront my father. To tell him how I truly felt. To sever myself from this blasted family, once and for all. I planned all that...but then we hit that storm. And now I realize how foolish I was. My father is gone. Dead, for all I know. And I'm stranded here, where I'll probably die too, and he'll never know my true feelings."
I regard Aleister's back for a moment, digesting his words. ...They don't sit well.
"...Aleister, that's pathetic!" I snap.
"Alodia!" Quinn cries, shocked.
"No," Aleister sighs. "Alodia is right. I have been pathetic. All this time, crawling in my father's wake, yearning for tiny scraps of his approval like a dog begging at his master's side..."
"...This is getting weird," Raj mutters.
"I don't need him," Aleister growls. "I don't need his approval. I don't need his love!"
An uneasy glance passes between the rest of us.
"Aleister," Quinn says at last. "I understand why you got yourself onto the trip. But why did you lie to us after we landed? Why not tell us the truth?"
He shrugs. "I didn't trust you. I thought if you knew who I was, you'd want to blame me. Or use my connections. Then, when the situation became clear, it was too late. I'd already lied. And I thought that if you found out the truth, you'd assume I was involved."
"Gee, I wonder why," Jake mutters.
"I wanted to tell you," Aleister says softly. "I did. But...I..."
"Not to interrupt the therapy session," Estela cuts in, "but does anyone else see that?"
She points over the railing towards the sprawling jungle. Reaching out from the canopy of trees like grasping fingers are six columns of smoke.
"...The Watchers," Craig murmurs.
"They're not hiding anymore," Jake says grimly. "They're gearing up."
"Getting ready for war," Estela agrees.
"My guess is they'll strike at first light."
The wind that blows over us is cool, even chilly. Suddenly, it doesn't seem to matter who Aleister's father is. The truth is, I would almost welcome Rourke's presence right now. The presence of someone who knows this island's secrets...
"...I'm...gonna go back downstairs," Raj mutters.
"Me too," Michelle says, following him.
"Yeah," Jake murmurs. "No point in staying up here."
Murphy huddles between my feet, whining. One by one, everyone drifts down the stairs, back into the hotel. Finally, I follow with Murphy, leaving Aleister alone on the rooftop, gazing into the night.
I wander back to my room and immediately stash the I.R.I.S. Alert and my own dossier with the others. Every muscle in my body quivers with anxiety and anticipation. I have to do something to keep myself from going crazy.
I strip down and rinse my clothes out in the sink, rubbing them with a little shampoo. I note that the climbing outfit Quinn gave me is in remarkably good shape. The hiking boots may have been lost when the speed boat flipped over, but miraculously, the knife is still in its sheath. The climbing gloves also survived.
I examine my own body in the mirror and wince. I'm an absolute mess. Scratches and dark, angry bruises stand out starkly on my pale skin, and my hair is a briny, matted rat's nest. The soles of my feet are swollen, and more sore than I realized before now. I turn on the shower. After all, I did promise Jake I'd clean the wounds on my ribs.
A good scrub with a loufa full of fragrant soap and a chance to wash the seawater out of my hair do wonders to calm me down. I wrap myself in a towel and take my time applying lotion and combing through my hair. I carefully apply a fresh bandage to my ribs, and put my clothes back on. Then, on impulse, I grab my makeup bag. I don't put on much, just enough to mask my exhaustion and put a little color back in my face, but the result makes me smile. For the first time in three days, I feel attractive.
I also feel hungry. I get dressed and wander down to the restaurant into the kitchen to fix myself a sandwich. Raj and Zahra are already there, laying out an array of bottles collected from the bar. They look up briefly as I pull out sandwich fixings from the refrigerator, then return to their conversation.
"It's gotta be strong, right?" Zahra says. "We can agree on that?"
"Oh, yeah. Definitely a couple shots of hard liquor in there. I'm thinking rum, because tropical island?"
"Naw naw, you drink rum when you're kicking back on the beach. If you're facing certain death, you gotta go with whiskey."
"True, but that doesn't pair as well with blue curacao, and we gotta have blue curacao. Because, you know, the Watchers have blue skin."
"I was gonna ask about that. So, are they like, just the dudes from Avatar?"
"Nah, those were like, blue cat people. These are like, blue-and-green plant people. Which reminds me, should we put something herby in it? Like some mint maybe?"
I wander over, a turkey sandwich in my hands.
"What are you two up to?"
"Trying to make the perfect drink for the night," Raj explains. "Something that says, 'fun and friendship in the face of likely death.'"
I laugh. "That sounds awesome!"
"You think so?"
"Yeah. I mean, we've barricaded the doors, made some weapons, done everything we can to protect ourselves. I've just taken a long shower, put on some makeup, and made myself my favorite sandwich. Why shouldn't we all have a drink? For old time's sake if nothing else."
"Exactly!" Zahra agrees.
"This may be a weird thing to say, but I really do admire your optimism. You guys somehow manage to find an upside in some pretty dark situations."
Zahra shrugs. "Hey, he's the optimist. I just like drinking."
"When you guys figure your drink out, I'd love to try it."
"We'll let you know."
I wander out into the restaurant, munching on my sandwich. The energy out here is tense, dread palpable. The shutters from the tsunami defense system block out the floor-to-ceiling windows, and any view of the island. Lila is in the corner, examining the shutters while Iris looks on. Craig and Michelle sit at one of the tables. I walk over to them and take a seat.
"Hey, Alodia," Michelle says. "Careful, your sandwich is leaking."
"Oh, thanks." I lick up a wayward glob of tomato flesh from the bottom of the sandwich, squishing the seeds between my front teeth. Michelle makes a face.
"...Eww."
"Hey, Michelle," Craig says, "You're smart, right?"
"Compared to you, Craig, who isn't?"
"I just mean, whaddya think our odds are? Against the Watchers, I mean? I bed I could take two, maybe three of them hand-to-hand...but if they've got swords? Or like, they're riding dinosaurs?"
"...Why would they be riding dinosaurs?"
"I dunno. Just seems like the kind of thing they'd do."
"Look, Craig, I have absolutely no idea what our odds are. I don't think anyone does. ...I just know that I sure as hell don't want to die here."
"I mean, none of us want to die," Craig says.
"I know, but...it would be just so unfair. I had a whole life planned out, and I'm not going to get to live any of it. I was going to graduate with honors, do a medical residency in New York, become a world-renowned neurosurgeon...get married to...I mean...in..." She trails off, swallowing hard, her eyes shimmering. "It doesn't matter. It's stupid. It just can't all end here. Not like this."
"Michelle..." Her broken expression is making my heart squeeze. I can't help putting a hand on her shoulder. "Just look at what we've survived so far. Sabertooth tigers, giant crabs, boiling magma...we outsmarted the observatory..."
"Also remember that time I saved everyone from falling off a cliff?" Craig adds. "Cuz I totally did that."
"That's right. We've faced death a dozen times since we got here. And every time, we beat it. I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what the Watchers are going to try, or what we're going to do. I'm not going to give some Sean-esque speech about challenges making us stronger or promise that we're going to get through this. But I have to say that I believe we will. With all my heart. Because I believe in us. If this island has proven anything, it's that this is a strong, capable group, and that we can get through this."
"Not gonna lie, Alodia," Craig says with a smirk, "that was a corny-ass speech."
"It was corny, cliché, and totally ungrounded in reality," Michelle agrees. But then a smile softens her face. "But...it was also kind of nice."
"Well...I try."
I finish my sandwich and stand up again. I don't feel up to staying in one place very long. Licking mayonnaise from my fingers, I wander over to Lila and Iris.
"These shutters are made of an experimental chromium-tungsten alloy," Iris is saying.
"Fantastic! Needless to say, no one is getting in."
"Or out," Iris agrees. "For the next twelve hours."
"You mean...if someone does get in...we're trapped?"
"I can answer that question, but my Positive Social Interaction module suggests that it might be better not to."
Lila frowns, but only for a moment. Then her usual broad smile returns. "Well, I do like a good challenge!"
"Indeed. 'Appreciates adversity' and 'responds well to pressure' are listed as dominant traits on your employee profile."
Lila stops and turns to Iris slowly.
"Iris...what else does it say about me?"
"Oh, plenty. 'Excellent outdoor skills'...'Upbeat and encouraging attitude'...'Could use some sensitivity training'...There is more, but it is Gamma classified. And my current build is only cleared for Epsilon and lower."
"...Good."
"Hey...Lila?"
She turns to me. "Oh! Hello, Alodia. You startled me."
"Sorry. I was just wondering...Did you know that Aleister was Rourke's son?"
She blinks. "Well, yes, of course. But Mr. Rourke has always asked that we protect his family's privacy, and I felt it was my duty not to expose Aleister."
"Okay, I get normally, but like...even in this situation? Maybe our survival is more important than company policy?"
"A Rourke employee is always on the job!" she says cheerfully.
"It is true," Iris confirms. "That is item 7 in the company handbook."
"Iris, did you know Aleister was Rourke's son?"
"I do not currently have his personal file. But my scan of his D.N.A. did suggest it."
"Uh...how often do you scan our D.N.A.?"
"Don't answer that!" Lila hisses.
"Is there anything else you're not telling us? Anything else you know about this place?"
"I am telling you everything I have been cleared to tell you in my capacity as a tour guide for Rourke International!" Lila says haughtily.
"...Right..."
At that moment, Grace wanders into the restaurant. She doesn't acknowledge any of us. She wanders to a table in the corner and sits down by herself. She sighs and rests her chin in her hands, staring into space. I walk over and take a seat beside her.
"Hey."
"Oh...hey..."
"...You want a drink or anything? Raj and Zahra are making a signiture cocktail..."
"No, thank you. I don't feel like anything."
She runs her finger along the edge of the table, then up over the surface, letting the natural oil on her fingertip leave a streak.
"...Is this about Aleister?"
She blushes. "No. I mean...a little...okay, yes." She sighs. "Like, I get why everyone's mad at him. He shouldn't have lied. That was wrong, I agree. But...I also understand why he did it. I understand why he felt he had no choice. And he must feel so bad..."
"...Is that all?" When she doesn't respond right away, I press a little further. "...Because I know we're friends, but if I messed up and got everyone mad at me, I don't think you'd be this distressed."
Grace looks at me and sighs again. "Look, I'm not the most...socially skilled person in the world. And maybe I'm just misreading the signs. But for awhile there, it felt like...like he was opening up to me. Like he was dropping that acerbic, bitter shell and showing me his real self."
"...You like him."
"...I do. And now I might never have a chance to tell him so."
"Why not? He's hardly left the resort."
She looks startled. "You...you think I should tell him? Now?"
"We're stranded on a mysterious island full of terrifying creatures, and there's an army of blue-skinned warriors gearing up to attack us. If there was ever a time to tell a guy you like how you feel, it's now."
A smile plays around her mouth. "Yeah. Okay. Yeah, you're right." She closes her eyes, taking in several deep breaths. "Grace Tamara Hall...you got this. ...Do...you think you could come with me? For moral support?"
"Absolutely. Let's go find Aleister."
As nobody seems to have seen Aleister leave the rooftop, we start there. We find him there, huddled against the railing, clutching a bleeding hand, shards of broken glass scattered around him. Grace gasps.
"Aleister! You're hurt!" She hurries over to kneel beside him. He looks up in surprise.
"Grace? What are you-"
"What happened?"
"I...accidentally smashed a glass. Cut my hand. Quite unfortunate."
"Let me see..." She takes his hand gently, pulling it towards her, but he snatches it back.
"It's fine!" he snaps. "Just leave me be! I can handle it!"
"You're bleeding badly, Aleister. We need to wrap this up." She firmly takes hold of his hand and looks around for something to wrap it.
I pluck a large, thick leaf from an unusual plant potted nearby. "Here. Use this for now."
Grace accepts the leaf and wraps it around the cut. It's large enough for the flat leaf and stem both to wrap around his hand several times. Aleister winces.
"...Better?"
"Mmm. Perhaps a little," he admits. "Now leave me be."
"Wait...I...I wanted to..."
"I said go, Grace! Please, I beg of you!"
"Hey! Asshole!" I snap impatiently. "Shut up and listen to her!"
Aleister blinks at me, stunned into silence. I glare at him for a moment, daring him to protest, but he keeps his mouth shut. I nod at Grace to go ahead.
"I...I just...I wanted to tell you how I feel. How I really feel." She swallows and takes a deep breath before rushing on. "I know you're not the most friendly person. I know that it's hard for you to open up, to connect to people, to make friends."
"I never needed them," he mutters.
"Come one, Aleister. You know that's not true. You've clearly had a hard life. And you've built up these walls to protect yourself, to keep yourself from getting close to others, to keep them from hurting you. ...Hurting you the way your father did."
"And what makes you so certain you know me so well?"
"Don't you get it, Aleister? I know because I'm exactly the same. My mother only cares about one thing: that I'm number one in everything, no matter the cost. All my life, I've had to deal with her pressure bearing down on my shoulders. I got straight A's. I got prestigious awards. I interned at her company and excelled at all my tasks. And yet..."
"...It was never enough," he finishes for her.
"Exactly."
"Grace, I...I had no idea we had so much in common..."
"Neither did I. And yet, in a weird way, I feel like maybe I kind of did. From the minute we got off that plane, I felt drawn to you. And as totally insane as this past week has been, the highlight has been the time we've spent together. You're smart and interesting and you have a real kindness in you, buried so deep...like diamonds at the heart of a thousand feet of stone."
"Grace...you...you understand me..."
"Of course, you dummy," she says, smiling shyly. She steps up close to him and stretches up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. Aleister's pale cheeks turn red. Blushing herself, Grace looks away. "I like you."
"And I like—heavens!" He cuts himself off, holding up his injured hand and unwrapping the leaf. Underneath the makeshift bandage, the cut has disappeared. I gasp.
"...Holy...!"
"Remarkable!" Grace exclaims.
"Truly!" Aleister agrees.
"The plant leaf! Perhaps it's a hyper-evolved form of aloe..."
"It could be, but that doesn't explain the rapid speed of recovery. It's somehow reconstructed the cell tissue itself."
"Amazing! Do you think that maybe it's in relation to the serum genrated by the...Alodia? Where are you going?"
I've plucked a few more leaves from the plant, and I'm heading towards the elevator.
"I think you two have got it from here. In the meantime, we've got a few more wounded who could use these plants. Myself included."
In the bathroom in my suite, I strip off my shirt and peel back the bandage on my ribs. Carefully, I press one of the leaves to my wounds and reapply the bandage. The skin under the leaf tingles pleasantly. Then, I gasp as the area starts to grow warm, but it never crosses into burning. Any lingering pain recedes rapidly. I can actually feel edges of the wounds knitting together. Within three minutes, I peel back the bandage to find perfect pink skin underneath. I toss away the bandage, pull my shirt back on and rush to find Craig.
He's still with Michelle in the kitchen. When I demonstrate the plants abilities on the knife wound on Craig's arm, they both rush to the rooftop to find more. ...It's only after they're on their way that I remember that Aleister and Grace might still be up there. Oh, well. If they want privacy, they can get a room. They certainly have their pick of rooms here.
I wander back out to the lobby where several of my friends are loitering. Jake lounges by the bar. Estela runs combat drills by the door. Sean sits on a couch in front of a coffee table spread with hotel blueprints. Quinn sprawls in an armchair, dozing off.
Diego rounds a corner and wanders up to me, a bag of potato chips in hand.
"Hey, Allie. What's up?"
"I played matchmaker for Grace and Aleister and ended up finding some magic healing plants on the roof." I lift my shirt to show him my ribs.
"Woah! Plants did that?"
"Plants did that. And it looks like there are plenty of them. Michelle and Craig went to gather more."
"Clearly playing matchmaker means good karma. I'm just glad you're better. One less thing for me to stress over."
"...How're you holding up, Diego?"
"Oh, you know, ups and downs. Peaks and valleys. Found some chips in the kitchen, gonna get murdered by a bunch of Lord of the Rings rejects...the usual."
"Least you got chips, though."
"Salt and vinegar, baby. The best. Hey!" He yelps indignantly as I dig into the bag and come up with a handful.
"I call best friend privileges." I cram the chips into my mouth.
"Brat." He pauses a moment, looking out over the others in the lobby. "Sooooooooo, Allie...you gonna...you know..."
I transfer a mouthful of salt-and-vinegar mush to one cheek. "Am I gonna what?"
"Do I seriously have to spell it out? Make a move!"
I choke on the remaining chip crumbs in my mouth. "Wh-what?"
"Obviously, swallow the chips first! But come on, Allie. I've seen the way you've been acting. Flirting, teasing, staring out with those ba-dump ba-dump heart eyes. Seriously, what are you waiting for? Go get that steamy R-rated action!"
"I...I mean...now?"
"This might be our last night on earth, Allie. What better time?"
"Sure you're not just trying to cash in on my matchmaker good karma?"
"I'm not sure I'm really playing matchmaker unless I'm also encouraging him, but a little good karma can't hurt."
"...Heh...you sure it's a him this time?"
"Alodia Rose Chandler, when are you going to learn that nothing gets past me?" He smiles knowingly, looking over at the bar, where Jake nurses a glass of whiskey. "...I know you too well, Allie."
"...What do you think of him?"
"I think he's hot and crazy about you. I think you're crazy about him, too. You're a good match and he has the potential to be really good for you. I know my money was on Quinn or Sean at first, but they don't fit you like he does."
I consider his words. The truth of them is undeniable. Diego does know me better than anyone in the world knows me. As beautiful as Quinn is, as much as I liked kissing her, I feel I could be content simply holding her in my arms, having her in my life, making her laugh and generally basking in her presence. Sean is a sweet guy, and he could certainly get my blood up without much effort, but I think if we tried to be a couple, we'd drive each other crazy.
I am a little surprised I didn't recognize my feelings for Jake long before. Perhaps it all seemed too simple, easy as it was to become comfortable with him. But I have to confess, he makes me want to flirt and tease and entice and seduce. He makes me want to protect him, to stand at his side or his back and fight with him and have him fight with me. I can't predict how we might turn out down the road, but he makes me want to try.
"...You really think he and I could work?"
"I absolutely believe you could. But no one will know anything for sure unless something happens. So go over there and make something happen."
I look at my best friend for a moment, then pull him into a crushing embrace. "...I love you, Diego. You know that, right?"
"I know. I love you back, Allie."
I pull back and take a deep breath. "...How do I look?"
He reaches up to smooth my hair with his clean hand. "In that outfit? Like a blonde Lara Croft. Sexy as hell. Here, though." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box of breath mints. "Take one of these first. Salt and vinegar are delicious on chips, but not on your lover's lips."
I laugh, taking the mint. I chew it down, letting the chilly flavor permeate my mouth. Then I move towards the bar, pausing to give Diego a subtle thumbs-up. He returns it, then slips back to the kitchen.
I sidle up to Jake and tap him on the shoulder. He turns towards me with a lopsided grin.
"Help ya with something, Princess?"
"Got some good news."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"No need to clean those sabertooth scratches anymore. We found some magic plants on the roof. Check it out." I show him the healed skin.
"Holy shit!" He brings up a hand to cup my ribcage, running his fingers along the spot where the wounds used to be. "Not even a trace of a scar. I think this may be the best thing this godforsaken island has done for me."
If I had any doubts left about Jake before this moment, his words and the way my skin tingles under his touch have banished them from my mind. I take his face in my hands and press my lips to his. He hesitates for just a moment before kissing me back. I pull back just a bit.
"...You wanna come up to my room?" I whisper.
"...Yeah," he whispers back. "...Yeah, I do."
We're both silent as we take the elevator up to the penthouse floor. Jake twines his fingers in mine, and I squeeze his hand. I don't let go as I dig my room key out of my pocket and fit it in the lock. A nervous, electric energy passes between us, quivering in the air. A sense of anticipation, exciting and a little scary at once. I lead him over to the window, hands still entwined. We look out over the jungle, at the columns of smoke rising from the treetops, into the beautiful night sky. The lights in the room cast our reflections onto the windows. I meet his eyes in the glass.
"...Hey, you," I say softly, a smile spreading over my lips.
He smiles back. "...Hey."
We turn towards each other. Then, as if responding to a starter's gun, we come together in a passionate, frenzied kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck, feeling my back slam into the window. He presses his hips against mine, his mouth working down my neck, biting, nuzzling, kissing. My breath starts to come faster, my heart pounding agaisnt my ribs.
"Oh, God," I gasp.
I wrestle Jake's jacket from his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. I grab the bottom of his shirt and tug it up insistantly. He breaks away just long enough to rip it off and throw it aside before pushing me against the widow again, kissing down my collarbone.
"God, you're gorgeous," he murmurs.
"Less talking, more kissing," I growl. I run my hands along his naked torso, feeling the taut, firm muscle.
"Wouldn't you like tha—ah!" He gasps as I bite lightly at his shoulder. "Oh, that's it!"
He rips off my knife belt and pulls my tank top off over my head. His hands are all over me, stroking, grasping, caressing. His fingers find my nipples and make circles around them. I push him away from the window, working towards the bed. We stagger along the wall, kissing so rough it almost hurts, his beard prickling against my skin. A chair in our path gets toppled over, and I hear the sound of a vase smashing, but neither of us pause, except to take off another article of clothing and throw it aside. We're both in our underpants when I feel my back slam against the dresser. Jake hoists me up onto it. I wrap my legs around him, pulling him tight against me.
"Oh, God, don't you dare stop," I gasp, my body already slick with sweat. He kisses me hungrily, hands running up my thighs to the waistband of my panties. I run my fingers through his long hair, grasping handfuls as I feel him grinding against me. He brings his hands up to clutch the sides of my face. He pulls back just a little and presses his forehead to mine.
"...I've never wanted anything as badly as I want you," he whispers.
"Then have me."
I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him hard. He pulls me close and lifts me off the dresser, carrying me over to the bed. We shed the last of our clothes and collapse onto the bed together, finally giving into our desires.
For awhile, all that exists for me is pleasure. It's rough, it's wild, it hurts a little, but that's exactly how I like it. I dig my fingertips into his flesh and he tugs my hair and pushes hard and bites just hard enough to let me feel it. I arch my back and push against him, feeling a thrill run through me when I feel him respond. I moan with pleasure, crying his name as I cross my threshold. Moments afterward, I feel him give a telltale shudder.
"...Alodia..." he gasps. "Alodia..."
He rolls carefully off me, onto his back. I scoot over, draping my arm around him and laying my head on his chest. I let one leg twine with his. For a moment, we both just lie gasping for breath. He brings a hand up to stroke my hair.
"Well...the room's trashed," he says when he can speak again.
"Don't give a damn," I reply.
"Me neither."
I pull myself towards his face to kiss him. He kisses back, tenderly now that we're both spent.
"That was something else, Top Gun." I smile down at him, brushing a strand of hair from his cheek.
He smiles back, cupping my cheek. "You're something else, Princess."
I chuckle. "Was that the gruff, no-nonsense Jack McKenzie saying something sentimental? Now I've seen everything."
"What can I say, Princess? You've got that effect on me." He strokes my cheek with the back of his hand. I take his hand in mine and kiss his fingers one at a time. Then I let my fingers twine with his and lay my head on his chest again.
"...Think we're gonna get through this thing? Get off this island and go back home?"
Jake is quiet. For a moment, I feel the hand that was stroking my hair pause. Then, it resumes. He brings the hand that is twined with his up to his mouth and kisses it.
"Make it through this? ...Probably. Get off this island? Hope so." He sighs. "But if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that I'm never going back home."
"...Why not?"
He is quiet again for a very long time. Then he draws in a breath and lets it out slowly.
"...I'm a wanted man, Alodia. The second I set foot on U.S. Soil, they'll put me in handcuffs and send me to prison for life."
I lift my head to look him in the eye, frowing.
"Seriously? What were you, like, a bank robber? A drug dealer?" A thought occurs to me, and I sit up slowly. "Were you...lying about being in the navy?"
He reaches out a hand to wrap it around my waist, silently asking me not to pull away.
"No, Alodia. All that was true. I joined the Naval Academy at eighteen, and I was the best damn pilot they'd ever seen."
I think back to the dossier that's still stuck under the mattress we're lying on. Provided the information Rourke International is working from is accurate, it would seem to corroborate what he's telling me now. ...But more than that, what convinces me is the way he looks in my eyes when he speaks. There is no hint of deception. Just...sorrow. Longing. I stay sitting up, but I scoot close to him, folding my legs to the side. I reach out to stroke his hair.
"...What is it, then?"
He takes my other hand, holding it tightly.
"...The academy is where I met Mike."
"Mike?"
"My bunkmate. Growing up, I always made more enemies than friends, but Mike and I hit it off right away. He was funny and smart...kept me from screwing up too bad...always tried to talk me outta fights, but always had my back when he failed..."
"You guys were close."
"Yeah. ...I think you may be the only person on this rock who could understand how close. You might say Mike was my Diego."
"That clarifies absolutely everything," I agree, feeling a swell of affection for my Diego. "...Your best friend. Your brother. He always knows just what you need to hear, even when you don't want to hear it. Always has your back, whether or not you deserve it..."
"...Always gets you out of whatever trouble you've gotten yourself into," he adds, smiling. "Yeah. ...I loved him like a brother. Best day of my life was when we got assigned to the same deployment. When we were up in the sky, flying side-by-side...one of the few times in my life I could say I really felt happy."
I cup his cheek, stroking the edge of his beard with my thumb. "...What happened, Jake?"
He tugs my arm gently. An invitation. A request to lie beside him. I do, curling up against him with my head on his chest. He holds me tightly.
"We were running recon missions off the coast of Kharzistan, aiding a rebellion, when Mike discovered something. Our commander was this real piece of work by the name of Rex Lundgren. Kinda guy who always talked tough, so long as he was picking on someone who couldn't fight back. Turns out he was up to a lot more than bullying. Ol' Commander Lundgren had a nice little business on the side. He was forging paperwork to request weapons we didn't need...and selling them directly to the tyrants we were supposed to be fighting."
"Oh, my god..." I shiver, closing my eyes and curling more tightly around him.
"Mike and I were going to report him. But while we were gathering evidence, Lundgren somehow found out. He sent us on what he claimed was a standard recon mission...but it turned out to be a damn ambush. Kharzistan military shot us out of the sky. I ejected in time. Mike...didn't."
I can't speak for a moment. My throat is tight with tears. I can't help but imagine my own best friend as Mike. I can't help but imagine myself living while Diego died. The thought feels like being vivisected, but I can't fully push it out of my head.
"Please tell me you got revenge," I whisper at last.
"Oh, I wanted to. Believe me. I spent a week out there, crawling through the desert behind enemy lines, hunted by the dictator's forces, and all I could think about was my hands around Lundgren's neck. But when I got back to the base...he was waiting. Along with a pair of M.P.s."
"...Military police."
"He'd doctored the records. Made it look like Mike and I were the traitors. They came to arrest me. I punched Lundgren right in his worthless face, dove out the window, and ran like hell. Been running ever since. Hiding out in Costa Rica."
"God, Jake...I'm so sorry...about Mike...about all of it..."
"Not gonna lie. It still hurts like hell. After that, I figured, well, that's what I deserve for letting someone get that close to me. I wasn't going to make the same mistake again. I wasn't going to let anyone else in." He brings his other arm up to encircle me, and squeezes me. I feel him kiss the top of my head. "...Then I met you."
"...Jake..."
He suddenly pushes me back, sitting straight up in bed.
"Did you see that?"
I sit up beside him. "See what?"
"I thought I saw something move outside. Just by the window..."
"...We're nowhere near the ground floor..."
"Yeah, I know, that's why I'm-"
He's cut off by a sudden explosion. Glass sprays into the room as the widow shatters. We both cry out, and Jake pushes me down onto the bed, shielding me with his body. As the glass settles and I look up, a pair of golden eyes locks with mine, glowing in the darkness. The Watcher leader stands in the room, the rope he swung in on dangling outside the destroyed window. Jake leaps up, pulling me with him.
"Alodia, run!"