Thanks once again to Kiwi for the slave driving, encouragement, ego boosting and of course the betaring.
Chapter Thirty-Two
"Buzz look what's just come through from Danny."
Buzz looked up from the list he'd been scanning and walked over to John's screen. "What the fuck, I've never seen that classification before?"
"I haven't either," John breathed in awe, "but I know what it is. Congress doesn't even get to see inside files with that classification. Danny wants us to email him when we've downloaded them and erase their trail at this end and he'll do the same at his end."
"What the fuck are they?"
"He didn't say but he's leaving Langley as soon as he's finished, and he should be here by tonight. The last two files are just for you and Major Anderson to view until he's had a chance to talk to you."
"Looks like standard military records," John frowned as the screen filled with the standard military service photo of a young shorthaired grunt he recognised as Sir. As he scrolled quickly past the first record he registered the lieutenants strip in the corner.
"Must be their military records," he commented redundantly.
Buzz never one to worry about rank when it came to wet behind the ears Lieutenants absently moved the mouse pad and mouse over to his side.
"Ring Major Anderson and tell him the Intel we were waiting for is here now," he ordered. John also quick to recognise a situation were his rank meant nothing, complied without question.
'Sir,' Howl said aloud as he scrolled back to the start of the file and Alec's face appeared in the right hand corner of the first record. Howl started to read. John, his phone call finished, read along with him as they searched through what looked to be the military records of a hell of a lot of very young soldiers.
"Those them?" Anderson asked as John quickly vacated his seat for him.
"Yeah." This is 494 or Alec as they call him now. The file starts with him as the highest ranking and contains seven thousand records Sir, from the lowest ranked to the youngest at the end. This one."
"He's ten years old," Anderson said in bewilderment, as he looked at a full military file complete with the face of a young boy in the corner. He read through his training history. "Buzz this ten year old has a more comprehensive training history than my lieutenants.
Buzz grunted and scrolled back to Alec's record at the beginning. "Wait until you read the rest sir."
"I've never seen a training record like this," Anderson frowned. "There isn't a course or a test the military has that this kid hasn't done and scored in the top percentile. It's not physically or intellectually possible," Anderson said sceptically frowning at Alec's record.
Raising his eyebrow Buzz pointed to the IQ assessment score, and then he pointed to the record of perfect scores. Anderson didn't even register it. His attention was totally focused on the one test score. "It's not possible to score 100% in that test," Anderson snorted in disgust. 'The highest recorded score to date is 75% and he was considered a strategic genius. Where the hell did Tremaine get this crap?" Ten-year-old boys better trained than his lieutenants, what shit.
"Tremaine didn't get them Sir we haven't had his Intel yet. This stuff came straight from Danny," John said, as Buzz closed out of the file to show Anderson the classification.
Anderson stared at the screen uncomprehendingly. John stood respectfully behind him saying nothing while Anderson assimilated what that classification meant. Its not every day a father gets to look at his son's career go down the tubes.
You stupid little prick, Anderson thought as he stared sightlessly at the screen. What the hell were you thinking? Why the fuck didn't you just leave it to Tremaine and me?
"Danny said to tell you he'll be here by 1700 hrs tonight Sir." He fucking better have legit travel orders.
"There's no service record here," Anderson bit out finally. "What the fuck sort of personal file doesn't have his active history?"
"There are two other files Sir. We're supposed to keep them to ourselves until we've had a chance to discuss them with Danny."
What the fuck could be more sensitive than this? Anderson thought his eyes riveted on the classification now back on the screen in front of him.
Buzz waited until the room had cleared before he opened the next file. Again Alec's face was the first on the screen. It was the same set-up as the previous file with highest to lowest ranking appearing first but this time it was their service records.
As they opened the file they found themselves looking at the same classification. Anderson felt that prickle of unease that as a soldier he never discounted. "Scroll to the last one Howl. Lets have a look at what they do with six-year-old soldiers with more training than our elite core."
Silently they read through the sparse service record, consisting solely of training exercises until they got to one of the later entries, detailing the date and circumstances of his first kill. Buzz scrolled back to the blank emotionless face of the ten year old and Anderson's eyes flicked from the kids picture to the barcode below and across to the large red Transgenic that appeared in the same place on every record.
"What the fuck were these assholes doing?"
Silently Buzz bought up Alec's service record.
"It's three times as fucking long as mine and I'm fifty and considered to have had a very active service career. First full field campaign Uraganda when he was fifteen. How the fuck can this be right? That was a bloody no holds fucking disaster like Tranzistran. It was another rescue, special ops units carried out the only troops that made it out off there. They were all seasoned veterans, how the fuck would he have survived that, and who the fuck would have sent him in?"
"His whole unit where there Sir, and they not only survived but they were the special ops soldiers that brought the others out." Buzz said pointing to the notes attached to that entry.
Three hours later Anderson leaned back in his chair. "We're going to need help with this. Just referencing Alec's active assignments and cross-referencing them with the records of soldiers from other units has taken us this long. The scary thing Buzz, is we've only really looked at the service history of a few of these soldiers so what we've just read is probably only the tip of the iceberg."
"At least half of these campaigns have been rescue missions against impossible odds, Buzz. The scope and extent of the actions these soldiers have been on is amazing. However the other campaigns have been straight out acts of terrorism by American soldiers on foreign soil."
"Do you know what we've got here Buzz?" Anderson asked sitting back from the consul.
"Yes Sir. A violation of every human and constitutional right these kids have." Buzz snorted humourlessly.
"As well as that. We've got treason and duplicity the like of which I've never seen. Some very dirty very high up people within both the Services and the Government are responsible for these soldiers being headquartered and managed. They may be Transgenic but they're also American born or American made and however you choose to see it they have been engaged in aggressive acts on foreign soils that have not been sanctioned by Congress or the American people. That's treason.
"So what you're saying is they're in even more shit than we first thought?"
"Yeah, probably Buzz. I don't know," Anderson said tiredly.
"If only a few more of the soldiers they've rescued on the shit details their command sent them on, are as grateful as you and Danny obviously are, then they are going to have a hell of a lot of friends, once we make it known that those special ops units on all of these extractions were Transgenics.
"They might also find themselves with quite a lot of powerful friends with the relatives as well. General Quinn's son Damian was one of the ones extracted during that Uraganda fiasco, and there will be other relatives who may be in a position to help them. Who knows?"
"But at the moment it doesn't look good. I've been analysing the surveillance footage from the cams of the birds I sent out on recon, and from what I can see they have soldiers scattered in a defensive pattern around central Seattle in what looks to be a twenty-mile radius. We can't see their numbers now but on the strength of what we've read here, I'm guessing that all we'll be recording is what this 494 wants us to record."
"Alec," Buzz corrected.
"Based on these records there were originally seven thousand of these people. How many have managed to survive and have gathered here, we can only speculate. But lets assume based on the cams footage that he has a thousand active soldiers. That's probably a generous estimate, because most of them probably scattered across the country when their facility burned. Even with the optimistic estimate of a thousand soldiers they can't realistically maintain that long a line of defence. It's just not logistically possible. At this base alone we have seven thousand active personnel and out number them 6:1 without factoring in what Washington will send against them once they know what's happening."
Sighing Buzz looked at him. "Sir, these are not ordinary soldiers and I think it's a mistake to assume they are. You've seen those records. They were sent as children to rescue seasoned soldiers out of impossible situations. Well they're no longer children and I don't want to be firing on them Sir, not just because I consider them my friends, but also because I don't particularly want to die."
"Two units, that's sixty two soldiers got two hundred of us back over enemy infested territory that we'd already lost sixteen hundred soldiers to. If Alec has a twenty-mile defensive grid around Seattle then he knows he can defend it, Sir or he wouldn't be there."
"On that weeklong trek he lost no soldiers and neither did we. He should have, but we didn't because they just don't let you quit and they don't quit on you. They don't even let you die, Sir," he added, remembering Tanya's voice in his ear as she hectored him not to give up. "He would never have his soldiers exposed if he couldn't protect them, and if it wasn't for a purpose he thought he could achieve."
"Times are desperate for them Buzz. They're being hunted and exterminated. Their women and children killed. Desperate men take desperate chances."
Buzz sighed. "That test Sir, the Advanced Strategy and Paradigms for Defence," he read from the screen. "This one that you said it was impossible to score 100% in. Do you doubt his score in that after reading the rest of these records?"
Anderson remembered how proud he'd been when he'd been offered the opportunity to take that examination. An opportunity only offered to the elite of military officers and how proud he'd been of his 49% score.
"No, I don't doubt his score," he said finally. So where does that leave us in your opinion then, Buzz?"
"I don't know where it leaves you Sir, but I know where it leaves me and the one hundred and eighty still surviving soldiers who came out of Tanzanstran with those Units. They've all been contacted by now and most are already on their way here. With or without travel orders. Those that aren't coming are staying at their posts because we think they'll be more use to us there, than they will here. They've already started to arrive and at the moment we're billeting them with other survivors across the base, but we're prepared to locate this operation off base if you would prefer it, Sir."
"What operation Buzz?" Anderson asked feeling that prickle of foreboding again.
"Operation Life for Life, Sir, they gave us back our lives and we're going to make sure, to the best of our ability, that they keep theirs."
"Does that include treason Buzz?"
"Treason to me is just a word, Sir. I was trained to protect my comrades on the battlefield. I've never been ordered against them before and if it happens here, then I won't be firing on them, Sir. To me that would not only be treason but against every moral ideal I was taught to hold dear. These transgenics are American military, born and trained and it would be treason in my mind to help those who have already used them to commit acts of abomination against humanity, and are now trying to exterminate them in order to cover their own tracks.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anderson looked around the crowded room and its mix of ranks, race and age. It had been along while since he'd mixed with such a disparate group of soldiers. For the most part his soldiering was now confined to high-level meetings with either his own rank or senior ranks. He'd missed this grass roots soldiering.
His eyes went pensively to the two enlarged images taken from the military records of Tanya and Ana and now pinned to the operations board, along with their service records and whatever other data already accumulated on the search that had begun for them today. Despite the austere photo's they still looked more like pin up girls than the well-trained seasoned soldiers their records showed them to be.
His glance lingered on the medals of honour pinning the pictures to the wall, more of them running in lines across the bottom of the board. There had to be over a hundred and fifty military decorations Anderson thought dispassionately, just a small sample of the honours won by these men while on that campaign.
His eye fell on his son. Danny had done a fucking stupid thing in liberating those files. Anderson knew as had Danny when he'd redirected them, that while it would be possible to hide where he'd sent the files, it would be impossible to disguise the fact that he'd accessed them. Danny's military career that he loved was most definitely over. Sacrificed to protect people he thought he owed a debt to. Anderson didn't like what he'd done but he couldn't help but be proud of him.
He couldn't help but admire this whole effort really. The energy and focus in this room was a tribute to both their training and the ideals they'd been trained to protect. Nor could he wait to meet this Alec, or the other soldiers who'd inspired the kind of admiration and loyalty that would bring all these men from disparate units together from all parts of the country in an effort to help them.
They'd all worked through the night analysing and cross matching the service records, and the medical records found in the third file, with the supplementary data that Tremaine had provided, trying to build a full history of the military lives of the transgenic soldiers. What they'd unearthed was just as Anderson had suspected. American soldiers used as pawns in acts of global terrorism and without congressional approval.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Alec's plan was simple. The first units onto the base neutralized the skeleton defence crew that a facility not on alert and safe within its own borders had rostered for duty at 0300 in the morning. They knew the Base's routine, they'd been here many times over the last six months to pilfer small bits of equipment and supplies that would have be written off as black market heists. Today they were here to strip the base of everything they needed. Biggs had even come with what Tav had mockingly called his shopping list.
"Tanner to alpha one, Tyler, Drago and Dale's units in place. All targets secure, over."
"Roger that Tanner, our targets also secure. See you at headquarters, over."
"Roger that alpha one, over."
As his unit made their way stealthily across the sleeping base toward Headquarters Alec was reminded of one of the most basic military precepts, always expect the unexpected. Howl's brass had been caught napping tonight with their Base sleeping and virtually unprotected. Blending into the shadows they waited the five minutes it took Tanner's unit to get there.
Signing that the trouble he'd encountered was sorted, Tanner nodded to Alec and they stepped from the shadows and blurred to the main doors.
"Major Anderson," the excited voice broke over the speaker in the corner. "This is Comms we've got something on camera, coming in the main doors. I'm feeding it through to you now, Sir."
Anderson's eyes swung to the lone security screen in the corner of the room, and not for the first time he cursed the cheap bastards in Washington who wouldn't give him the money for the personnel and equipment he needed to secure his base properly.
"What the fuck." On his feet his gun in his hand he watched helmeted armoured soldiers stream through his main doors and into his headquarters.
"We've locked down the comms room and we're sending out a distress call sir."
"And so it begins."
Anderson recognized Buzz's voice as he instinctively tried to flick a hand off his wrist, before he realized it was Danny who was trying to disarm him.
"Give it up Dad or they'll kill you."
Anderson could already hear the ominous pounding of their feet as they ran down his corridor, and the noise of doors hitting the walls as they'd kicked them open.
"All guns on the table and face the wall," Danny snapped out harshly, disarming Anderson, slamming him against the wall and restricting him from moving with his own body, just as the door to their room was kicked in and the first black clad soldiers circled into the room their guns ranging over the backs of the ordinary soldiers with their hands now spread against the walls they were facing.
"This is Alpha one, I need back up north west corridor fifth door, over. One hundred viables. Status currently surrendered. Move it, over." he bit out harshly.
"Don't move any of you or your fucking dead. Nobody has to be a hero here. You with the Lieutenant stripes. What the fuck are you doing? Get the hell back from him. Now." Alec ground out. "Keep your hands clear and in the air," he ordered as Danny moved back from Anderson. "Turn around and face me. You to granddad. Do it, now."
Hands on his head Anderson followed his son's lead and turned slowly around. He could tell by the silence and the exchange of glances with the soldier beside him that whoever was giving the orders had obviously recognised Danny. There goes my 'secure' Comms room Anderson thought disgustedly, hearing an explosion. Cheap Washington bastards.
"Keep your hands on your heads and turn around and face me now," Alec ordered the soldiers still facing the wall as his reinforcements began pouring into the room, guns at the ready.
Alec's eyes ranged slowly over them. "What the fuck?" He recognised all their faces. Delta Op. the guys they'd trucked out of Tranzanstran. But that been a special operation comprised of ordinary soldiers from all different units. What were the odds of them even being together again, let alone all meeting up here like this?
His gun still trained on them Alec pulled his helmet off, as did the rest of his and Tanner's units.
Anderson thought you could have cut the air with a knife as both sides stared at each other. He could hear the men behind him start to snap into salutes and watched with interest as the transgenics saluted in return. Even the mocking indolent, Tanner, didn't seem unwilling this time. Obviously the respect between these two groups was mutual.
Alec appraised the men in front of him, they'd only served together for a couple of weeks but it had been under intense conditions and as people in extreme circumstances do they had come to know each other pretty well. This collection of men were some of the best ordinary soldiers he'd ever served with.
"Why are these here, Anderson?" Tav demanded. Narrow eyed and suspicious he jerked his head at the pictures of Tanya and Ana pinned on the notice board.
Anderson thought he was talking to him until Danny answered from beside him. "Tanner told Buzz they're missing so we've started to look for them."
When Max had told him that Buzz was going to look for Tanya and Ana, Alec had been surprised and hadn't really known what to make of it. "Why would you do that Danny?"
"Because they both helped save our lives. You all saved our lives and we owe you a debt for that."
"A debt huh." His expression sceptical Alec's eyes swept over them all again before he went and stood beside Tav and Tanner as they read the Intel that had already been pinned on the wall.
"It can't hurt Alec, maybe they can come up with something we haven't." Tav offered.
Alec snorted doubtfully and swung back around. "You. Major Anderson isn't it? I understand you wanted to meet with me. Well here I am. What did you want?" he asked smirking.
"Then I just wanted to meet you. Now I want to know what the hell you're doing on my base?"
"Shopping, Major that's all. Once we've got what we want then we'll be on our way."
"Where did you get their military records from?" Tanner demanded pulling his brooding eyes off the pictures. His glance falling on the computers. He was already on his way over to them before he'd finished talking.
Looking over Tav and Tanner's shoulders as they started to scroll through the files, Alec whistled in surprise his eyes flicking to Danny when he saw the classification.
"Where did these files come from?" he asked, narrow eyed as he realized he was looking at their full military records complete with service and medical.. Fuck if this information got out their enemies would be able to stir even more shit for them. If that's even possible he thought sardonically? Just the raw data was damning enough to whip up public opinion against them to fever pitch how much worse would it be if someone starting cross referencing their military movements with historical military actions.
"Send it all to TC now," Alec ordered. "Then destroy it. Can we track it to it's source and destroy it there too?"
"Give us a few minutes to have a look around," Tav answered.
"What's going on Danny?" His hard eyed gaze swept over Anderson and lighted on Danny.
"I stole the files and sent them down here. We needed Intel on you to help us figure out how we can help you."
"That shit won't help anyone but our enemies."
"Maybe, but its all we got. We haven't really had a chance to analysis it yet, but from what we've seen so far we just might be able to use it to help you." Danny said. "We owe you, and according to those records so do a lot of others and we want a chance to repay that debt."
"I've sent the files to Dix and erased the trail from here. The trail back to where they came from is cold. I can't track it back," Tav said.
"I forwarded them from Langley and killed the trail myself so they're untraceable," Danny said.
"Can they be traced to you?"
"Yeah, I didn't have the security clearance to kill the trail to me."
Frowning his mind working furiously Alec ran through the data. They'd got this Intel because they felt they owed them a debt and wanted to help. Could he trust them? His eyes swept their faces again, lingering on the pictures of Tanya and Ana and back to Danny before they flicked to Anderson.
"What's his deal? Does he just want to 'help' us too?" Alec snorted.
"I'm his father," Anderson supplied his eyes steady on Alec's.
Surprised Alec's gaze swung back to a shrugging Danny.
Anderson could see his dilemma. He respected Danny and the rest of the men here and to some extent he probably trusted them. Men that had fought together as closely and under the extreme conditions these men had usually formed a bond. But he also considered himself now on the opposite sides of a war he was fighting for the survival of his people. Who could he really trust?
"John get on the phone and get someone from supplies up here with some requisition orders for the supplies these soldiers need?" Anderson ordered making one of the quick decisive decisions he was renowned for. All eyes in the room swung to him.
"I don't think you quite understand what's going on here Major. All your barracks and personnel are locked down and I have control of your base. We aren't on the same side and I don't need requisition forms I'm just gonna take what I want."
"If you do that then I'll have to report your activity to my superiors and then this base plus the considerable might of the American Armed Forces will be ordered against you. Before Danny and the rest of these men have had a chance to find a way to help you. You'll fill out the req forms in the proper manner just like the rest of my soldiers," he ordered without preamble.
"Before you do that John, you'd better get me General Quinn. Comm's would have sent an automatic distress call to him and I'll have smooth that over." His eyes locked with Alec's Anderson waited for a sign of agreement.
Alec's confused conflicted eyes moved from Anderson to Danny to Howl before flicking to Tav who nodded and Tanner who shrugged his agreement.
Nodding his agreement Alec waited as the calls were placed and listened while Anderson apologised and explained that the distress call had just been a drill that comms had gone live with in error.
"How long ago did you download these records Danny?" Alec asked into the silence when Anderson had finished and while Biggs and the supply sergeant went through Bigg's list.
"About twelve hours ago."
"Give me the access codes to the computer you used and we'll get someone to erase the trail back to you." One good turn deserves another.
"I can't do that Alec I work for Langley that would be treason."
"Give them to him Danny," Anderson said wearily. "Treason is now academic." And trust is a two way street Anderson thought gratefully. If they could save Danny's career for him well and good.
"I'll give you all the housekeeping supplies you need and these, and these, and these and half of the rest," Anderson said as he flicked through signing the requisition forms Biggs had handed to him, but if I give you anymore Birds or the rest of this stuff, then my base will be non viable and quickly come to the attention of my superiors, making the whole point of this exercise redundant."
Alec flicked through the forms. Frowning his assessing eyes back on Anderson he jerked his head to Biggs and they made their way over to where Tanner and Tav were still busy at the computers.
"We've sent their entire data base to Dix and covered our tracks so they'll be none the wiser, and Dix is working on erasing that trace from Washington so nothing can be traced back to Danny." Tav said.
"Here's what he proposes to give us. What do you think?" Alec asked as they looked through the requisition forms.
"I can make do with the munitions, but its not ideal," Tanner commented.
"Yeah, I can make do as well," Biggs said comparing his list. "Is it worth forgoing the equipment for some pie in the sky unspecified help they may or may not be able to give us?" he asked shrugging.
"What do you think Tanner?"
Tanners glance ranged over Howl and Danny and the men standing behind them. "My gut says we trust them," he said finally his eyes back on the pictures of Tanya and Ana.
"Yeah, I feel the same," Tav said. But I want us working alongside them. I want to see what they're doing every step of the way."
"Yeah," Alec agreed.
"Biggs?"
"Yeah, why not. I can make do," he said glancing from Danny and the men behind him to his list again.
"All right we take what he's offered and we accept their help. We've got nothing to loose. We can always hit the base again for what we still need. We'll be in the same strategic position as before as long as we can trust them not to notify this raid any further up the chain."
"Yeah, we accept what you're offering us" Alec said nodding abruptly at Anderson.
"And we also accept that you guys want to help us and we'll work with you to give you what information you think you need to do that. Howl and you that is Danny," he clarified dismissing Anderson. Unable to suppress the emotion he couldn't help feeling his eyes moved slowly over the rest of them catching individual eyes as they nodded in acceptance.
Anderson had watched him confer with his men with interest. There were two units here, Tanner's and his own just like in Tanzistran, but how many other units did he have across the base and how many more waited outside in the shadows outside the base. I would have brought every soldier I had in case something went wrong. Once I've figured out how to debrief my men about a raid that never happened. I should have a bit of an idea of his numbers Anderson thought humourlessly.
"This is Dix, Max has been shot Alec. I say again Max has been shot, over"
Something's up. Pulled out of his thoughts Anderson's eyes following an ashen-faced Alec and one of his men as they sprinted for the door.
"Did you just say Max has been shot Dix?" Signing to Tanner to finish up and with Tav on his heels Alec ran for the door.
"She's okay it was just a shoulder wound, over."
"What the fuck do you mean it's just a shoulder wound? She's pregnant how then hell can she be okay?
"The babies all right, over."
"How the fucking hell can he be? His mother's just been shot." Alec shouted in panic into his comms unit.
"Calm down Alec, the baby is being monitored and they're both fine." Dix repeated.
"What the hell is happening? Are they under attack? Why aren't they on channel?" Get me channel to her now," he demanded.
"I can't Alec, she's on a machine so they can monitor the baby. Radio and telephone units interfere with the machines."
"Kat what the hell is going on, over" he demanded irately.
"Alec Sit-rep clear. Max has a minor gunshot wound. Kat is in with Max, no comms in there, they interfere with the babies monitor, over."
"Jane, tell Max I'm coming straight back and I'll be there in fifteen minutes, over."
"The airfield Tav," he snapped as they commandeered Anderson's jeep. "A chopper will be quicker."
By the time he'd made it down from the helipad on the roof it had been twenty minutes and Max had counted every minute.
He didn't even notice Cass trying to make herself invisible in the corner. He was too intent on Max his gaze sweeping from the heavy bandage on her shoulder to her stomach before it flicked to the ultra sound screen. Immediately locating the little figure pulsing with life at the bottom of the screen his relief was immediate and overwhelming, quickly followed by a savage rage as his gaze went back to the dressing marring her shoulder.
"Hey Maxi." He gently stroked the side of her face his other hand going to hers on the top of her stomach just below her breasts, the only place available because of the gadgetry attached to her stomach.
"The baby's been distressed. Cass says his heartbeat is much too fast and I can just feel something is wrong." Her eyes huge with worry went in agitated panic back to the screen. His followed hers to the little pulsating outline. He did seem to be moving faster than last time he thought in alarm.
As soon as he'd arrived both their heart rates had dropped back significantly. That the baby's had adjusted lower almost instantaneously was surprising, the baby's rate normally followed the mothers at a slower rate. Cass had hoped that once he got here he'd be able to calm her down. Her rate had dropped but Max still had a way to go before both their stress levels dropped enough to avoid the baby getting into real distress.
"Alec." Cass ignored the coldness in his eyes as they flicked momentarily to her before back to the foetal monitor again. "Max is very stressed and worried and the baby has sensed this and that is what's causing its distress. The way to calm the baby down is to calm Max down."
His eyes flicked back to the screen. Max's shoulder injury hadn't hurt the baby so he wasn't injured, but it would make sense that he would be able to sense Max's distress, just like he himself could.
"You weren't hurt anywhere else but your shoulder were you Maxi? You didn't get hit or anything did you?" he clarified his hand back on the side of her face as he turned her fixated gaze away from the screen.
Cass watched the screen in fascination as the baby's heart rate pegged back again. Amazing its almost as if it's responding to his voice.
"No just my shoulder." She moved away from his hand her eyes quickly back on the screen.
"This is the baby's heartbeat," Cass explained pointing to the small screen with the moving red dot. "This is the range it was in when I did the first ultra sound." Her hand moved backwards along the continuum. "This is where it is now. To get it back in this range," she pointed backwards. "You're going to have to make a conscious effort to relax Max. I know that your injury must be painful but the baby needs to get the sense that all is well with you again. From what I've seen transgenic babies seem to be even more acutely tuned to the mother's moods than human babies."
"What would you know about transgenic babies anyway?" Alec snapped coldly.
"All babies are the same in the womb, the mother is the source of everything, and if she's distressed then they're distressed. I've only had four transgenic patients but its something that was apparent very quickly. When I'd first start to treat them they were always very worried and stressed and their heart rates would be up and so would their babies, but once they'd been to see me a few times they became less stressed and the babies heart rate came down accordingly."
Alec remembered Tav telling him he'd been with Rain as guard when she came for her scan. "Are you trying to tell me you knew they were transgenics, and you still treated them without turning them in the sector police or demanding payment of some sort" he snorted in disbelief.
"As soon as I put them and their babies on the monitors I knew there physiology was different but I didn't really know why until a few months ago until all the publicity about transgenics. And I was paid for it."
Derisively Alec's lip curled as his hard eyes met hers.
"The hospital pays me," she added her eyes back on her work. She could feel his eyes on her.
Alec's eyes swung back to Max moving between her and the screen. He could literally feel her tension under the hand he held on her stomach, and if he could feel it then the baby certainly could.
"The baby also seems to be responding to you Alec." Cass said. "Its heart rate dropped back when you arrived and has again each time you've spoken, it seems to be able to sense you and that is calming it down."
"He, not it," Alec snapped.
Max and Alec both watched in fascination when the monitor again registered the baby's reaction to his voice.
"This little one wants to calm down and he's seeking reassurance. There's no real need for me to be here now Max," Cass said. "The only thing that will calm the baby down is for you to relax and Alec is better able to help you do that than me. I'll pop back in an hour and I expect the babies heartbeat to be back down here," she said pointing to the monitor.
"What if something goes wrong?" Max asked in agitated panic.
"Nothing is going to go wrong. That baby is as strong as an ox and so are you, and all it needs is to feel safe and secure again and that will only happen once you calm down and stop worrying about him." Reassuringly she squeezed Max's hand, but if anything were to go wrong then, I'm here." she smiling at Max.
"My brother's outside the door send him in on your way out."
Yes Sir. Well he still hadn't said please, but at least he didn't sound so hostile.
"Maxi. Max," Alec repeated, when she didn't react and continued to stare at the screen. "Look at me Max." he nuzzled the side of her face until she finally turned toward him.
"Everything is gonna be okay. This will never happen again I promise. Tomorrow we're all going back to TC."
"No we're not, Alec" she sighed. "We can't yet. It's still to soon for Steve and Reuben to travel. Dex reckons at least another four days here before we can take them back."
"Alec is everything okay?" Tav interrupted his gaze sweeping from Alec and onto Max. "Is he alright?" he asked coming further into the room staring at the screen.
"He's fine just a bit stressed because Max is."
"Why does everyone keep assuming he's a boy? See, you've even got me doing it," she laughed rolling her eyes in exasperation as Alec smirked at her.
"You can see he's a boy in the picture Alec's got and look at that," Tav said pointing to the umbilical cord. "He's obviously been blessed with the family endowment," he beamed with approval.
Max snorted indelicately.
"Just get me another bed will you Tav? Alec laughed. "This one's too small for the both of us. You'll also have to monitor comms for the next couple of hours for me."
"I can't wait until we can get back to our nice comfortable bed in TC." Alec said grimacing as he tried to get comfortable on the bed he'd pushed alongside hers.
One hand stroking her hair he nestled into her side his other hand back on her stomach. Already she felt less tense. Carefully he navigated around the equipment attached to her stomach and curved his hand around the slight swell of her lower abdomen where he instinctively knew the baby lay. As they watched the baby's heart rate start to move slowly backwards on the monitor, his smile of relieved happiness equalled hers.
"It's amazing that his instincts are already so keenly attuned to us that he knows when I'm upset and he can even recognise your voice," Max marvelled.
"Yeah," Alec agreed in awe. "Can you feel him moving inside you?"
"Yeah, sometimes I think so, just tiny little flutters. Cass said three months would be too early to feel a human baby moving but she thinks transgenic babies seem to be bigger babies overall and that what I am feeling is definitely movement. Soon you'll be able to feel it too," she smiled her eyes roaming his face as he stared in engrossed fascination at the screen.
"Alec," she gasped, "I forgot in all the commotion I lost track of the channel to you. Did everything go all right at the Base?"
"Yeah. It went brilliantly I left Tanner to finish up. No casualties. I'll tell you about it later," he said hastily, his alarmed eye on the heart rate monitor starting to move upwards again. Frowning he looked her over. "Just relax Maxi," he soothed brushing her lips with his.
If the baby could sense her anxiety as easily as this then it was even more important to keep things calm and serene around her. Something he'd proved a dismal failure at so far he thought unhappily, feeling abysmally inadequate as he remembered the disruptions during her heat and thinking about the bandage on her shoulder.
"Dix told me on my way back that it was a black market drug hit."
"Yeah they already had the weapons stashed in the hospital, that's how they weren't picked up by the checkpoints. Cass says it's a regular thing that happens on average every couple of months and they usually just give them what they want. But they'd already killed one of the nurses and they would have killed Cass when she tried to help her. I wasn't going to let them get away with that."
"No," Alec agreed his arms tightening around her he grimly suppressed his feeling of rage that she could have died trying to protect people that considered her less than human and who wouldn't have lifted a finger to help her if the situations had been reversed.
"I'm sorry Maxi," he mumbled, the words sticking in his throat as he thought about what could have happened today.
"Why are you sorry Alec?"
When he didn't answer she turned her face into his still buried against her neck "Its not your fault," she whispered.
"It was just one of those things that could have happened to anyone, Alec. Its not your fault," she repeated stroking his hair when he still hadn't moved or said anything.
"Yeah, it is. This shouldn't have happened to you. You should be safe and secure when you're pregnant and not have all the things to worry about that you do. I should have protected the both of you better than this."
"I can look after myself Alec and you've always protected me, you've never let me down, and nothing is going to happen to me or the baby." She ran her fingers through his hair her lips curving in a slow smile remembering how often he'd soothed her fears with the same words.
"You could have been killed today and I wasn't even here. How is that protecting you?"
"You and I have both kept each other alive long past what we would have survived without each other and we'll keep doing that, Alec. I sure as hell am not going to let anything happen to you and you'll never let anything happen to me, and the bits around the edges like today, we just have to trust each other to deal with."
"I know you can look after yourself Max, that's not the point. I don't want you to have to while you're pregnant. I want you safe and happy with nothing to worry about."
He couldn't bear to think what he would do if anything happened to either of them, he couldn't even begin to imagine his life without her, he wouldn't want to be alive if she wasn't with him. He closed his eyes swallowing the lump of dread he suddenly felt in the back of his throat. What if something happened to him and he was no longer around to protect them? Who'd protect and love his son if he wasn't there to do it himself? Who'd be there for Max so she wouldn't be on her own again like she'd been before him? He pulled back to look at her his worried eyes moving between her and the screen.
"His heart rate was back to where Cass said it should be." Max smiled her relief.
"Yeah, I noticed. " His hand on her cheek he turned her face toward him. "Max if anything were to happen to me you'd stay with my unit wouldn't you?" he asked his eyes intent on her.
"Nothing is going to happen to you Alec. Nothing," she said fiercely.
"We've never talked about this before Max but we need to now. I don't intend for anything to happen to me either, and I've told you I'm hellva hard to kill, but I need to know that if something did happen then you and the baby would be safe and cared for with my unit. I just need to know it Max." When her glance slid off his he turned her face back to him again.
"Max."
"I don't want to talk about this Alec. If we make plans for it, then it becomes a possibility. Nothing is going to happen to you," she reiterated fiercely.
"I need to know that Tav and Steve and the rest of them will be there to protect the baby and you if I'm not. Promise me Max," he insisted.
"Hmpf we'd have to look after Tav not the other way around," she huffed in an effort to distract him. "Yeah and that would be happening as well," he agreed, turning her head back until her eyes caught his again."
"Yeah, Alec," she said softly when he wouldn't release her eyes. "I promise. But nothing is going to happen to you?" she entreated her eyes dark with dread.
"Not if I can help it Max, no, but I just need to know you'll both be okay," he explained his eyes back on the screen again.
"Yeah, she agreed her throat thick with emotion as she pulled his head down to her and rubbed her cheek against his. If anything happened to her she knew that Kat and Cece and the rest of his pack would be there to help him raise the baby and it was a comforting feeling. That Alec should want and need the same comfort was understandable.
"I love you Alec and you better stay alive."
"Yeah." We're all going to say alive he vowed silently as his mouth claimed hers.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Time to wake up," Alec said shaking Tav's foot as he made his way past on his way to the bedroom.
"These hospital beds are the pits," Tav moaned, sitting up on the bed they'd set up for him in the lounge of the ordinary doctors small apartment.
"Stop your complaining. Its better than the floor with the rest of the unit," Alec said in exasperation. "How's she feeling?"
"She's said the pain is all gone and she's been asleep for a lot of the day so that's good isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"It's amazing what mothers will put up with to protect their babies isn't it?" Tav said referring to the fact that Max had spent an uncomfortable four days without pain medication for her injury because of her fear of the meds crossing the placenta and affecting the baby.
"Yeah," Alec answered curiously picking up on his contemplative mood.
"Do you ever think about our mother?" Tav asked.
"Yeah, I have done a bit since Max has been pregnant."
"Yeah, me too," Tav agreed frowning thoughtfully as he pulled on his shirt. "What do you want done about that business in sector four tonight?" he asked as he bent down and fastened his boots."
"See what happens when you go back in tonight and make the call based on that."
"Yeah okay," Tav agreed pulling on his jacket. "See you in a few hours then."
"Yeah, and thanks, I appreciate it." Alec said gesturing with his head toward the bedroom where Max slept.
Tav shrugged his shoulders as he opened the door. "She's okay, I didn't mind."
Alec opened the bedroom door smiling in happy anticipation. He'd passed Dex in the hall and he'd passed her as fighting fit, which meant their days of frustrated celibacy were over.
"Is my baby sitter gone then?" she asked from where she sat propped in the middle of the bed the sheet wrapped across her breasts. "And I hope you're not the second shift because that's not what I want from you tonight. She pointed quickly to her shoulder. "See small dressing, no pain, all better. Get your clothes off and come here?" she demanded in one impatient breath.
"Why Maxi tut tut, such haste." Smirking slyly he slowly started to undo the buttons on his shirt. She dropped the sheet to her waist and wiggled enticingly down the bed her arms spread wide and her legs open suggestively under the sheet. "Hurry up Alec," she moaned.
His eyes fixed on her as she wiggled in impatient frustration and he hastily stripped the rest of his clothes off. Pulling back the sheet he ran his hot eyes over her.
"Come here," she moaned squirming eagerly. When he came quickly down and nestled between her thighs her arms and legs immediately closed around him. Clinging to him with all her limbs she buried her face against his neck and breathed in his musky familiar scent. "It's been four days now, how could you make me wait that long. I've missed you so much," she murmured into his ear.
His breath was warm and moist against her lips as he leaned over her. "It was torture for me too Max but we can always make up for lost time," he smiled suggestively, slanting his mouth down over hers his tongue flicking inside the warm moist haven.
Delicately she touched her tongue to his a soft low moan of contentment rose from deep in her throat as she kissed him and felt the welcome familiar heat bloom, and little fingers of tingling sensation danced down her body wherever it made contact with his.
It had only been four days since he'd been able to hold her like this but it seemed a lot longer. No sex until she'd healed had been torture. Made even harder by the fact that she would keep saying she had no pain and entice him and then when he'd touch her he'd know that it was only wishful thing on her part and she was still hurting. A long sighing gasp when he drew her taut nipple into his mouth made him smile, at least he had the consolation of knowing she'd missed this as much as he had.
Max couldn't keep still, couldn't stop from rubbing against the bold thrust of his arousal she could think of nothing but relieving this ache of need she had for him. "How did I ever used to live without this Alec, without you?" she breathed into his ear. He pulled back to look at her his eyes roaming her upturned face "Don't know Maxi," he smiled leaning back to brush his lips lightly over hers, "I'm just glad you don't have to." Burying his face in the delicate curve where her shoulder met her neck he inhaled her scent tasting her skin and savouring the flavour of her on his tongue he wondered the same.
Her eyes fluttered shut and she tilted her head to the side so she could kiss him more fully, the smooth, warm sensation of his mouth as she kissed him back sending a rush of heat and pleasure through her until all that mattered was Alec, his taste his feel, his scent and the wet exciting heat of his mouth.
He could feel her hands stroking his back as she rubbed her abdomen against his cock. When her hand closed around him his eyes fluttered as he thrust into her hand. She held him cradled between her hand and her stomach as he thrust against her. She loved it when he did that, when he was just too hot and eager to wait until he was inside her.
Her legs were wrapped around his and her fingers were playing with the hair at the nape of his neck while she kissed him. Her hand continued to squeeze along his cock until his need overrode all other awareness except his compulsion to touch, to taste and to bury himself deep inside her. Sliding his hands along the smooth length of her thighs he urged her legs up and around his back as he moved onto his hands over her. Looking down between their bodies as she arched her hips up and guided him into her he surged forward and sheathed himself to the hilt inside her hot moist heat.
Her long sighing moan of pleasure when he sank into her and her hot moist tongue that she stroked along his exposed neck as he balanced above her sent a bolt of lust straight to his groin and he began to thrust wildly into her.
"Faster Alec," she moaned into his ear as he drove into her kissing her mouth her neck her breasts anywhere he could reach as he thrust into her harder and faster, the muscles in his arms bulging with the effort. Her hands went to his shoulders her nails digging into him as her legs her hot satiny walls clenched and released around him.
He knew he couldn't last much longer. Again and again he buried himself deep inside her. He couldn't get deep enough the feeling of her squeezing him made the need for release too powerful to control. He could already feel the tightening in his lower back. His eyes opened and focused on her flushed face now damp with sweat as she matched him thrust for thrust.
She started to twist and buck under him and as her interior walls started to spasm and his eyes closing he felt the bitter sweet ache of her teeth biting his shoulder. Sensation started to spiral through him as he buried his face against her neck the muscles in his back bunching as he bucked wildly into an explosive orgasm waves of mind numbing pleasure rolling through him.
He lay still his weight on his hands but his body still pressed against hers as he savoured her wet heat still pulsing and squeezing him as she held him warm inside her and her hands warm on his back stroked him soothingly. His breathing was still ragged when he raised his head and leaning on his elbows smoothed her hair away from her temple. Her eyes were closed and her lips moist and swollen from his kisses were parted in a smile of blissful satisfaction. He laughed softly and she opened her eyes.
"What?" she pouted, squeezing him again with her inner muscles contentment seeping through her. "Didn't I hear you say something about making up for lost time." Balancing on his hands he looked down between their bodies to where they were still joined. Her eyes followed his and when his hot gaze rose to meet hers again she smiled wickedly.
"I've been asleep all day so unlike you I'm not tired." Pulling his head down she snaked her tongue into his ear. " And I think I might just be due for another of my rewards," she whispered throatily.
"I think you just might be due for another of those," he agreed huskily leaning his ear into her mouth.
Rolling onto his back still inside her he took her with him until she was sitting astride him. Hands in her hair cradling her head he brought her face down to him. "I'm all yours," he whispered against her throat, closing his mouth over the throbbing vibration of her giggle.
TBC
I'm sorry it's taken so long to write this chapter. I know how frustrating it is to wait for chapters and how easy in a story it is to forget what went before. I haven't been idle though, I've actually written a standalone with an ending and three chapters of my new story while you've waited Wicked Games which is also at Agora.
It builds on the HSH universe but because it's not strictly Alec centred its not really appropriate to post at NWP. If you are one of those wanting to know why Alec and the other alphas have an aversion for ordinary medical staff then please read the first chapter of this story. I think it will be the only story I address this in as I couldn't incorporate it into HSH in a manner I was comfortable with. Agora's address is then look for Zac's temple.