Chapter Thirty-Five
Six Weeks Later
Max stood side on to the mirror so she could better see her reflection. Smiling in satisfaction she rubbed her hand gently across the curve of her stomach. He's so much bigger now. Looking downwards she tried to look over the bump of her belly. I can't see my feet either she though in pleased satisfaction. Only two months to go.
"What are you doing?" Alec asked his arms going around her from behind.
She leaned back into him and smiled at their reflection in the mirror. His interlaced fingers cradled her abdomen and his shoulders jutted out around her as he bent to nuzzle her neck. My belly will soon be bigger than his hands span, she thought with satisfaction.
"I was just looking at how big I am now," she said smiling happily.
He turned them sideways and stared into the mirror watching his hand slowly shaping the now obvious curve that was his son.
"Will your stomach get much bigger?" he asked in fascination.
"Yeah, of course it will. I'm only seven months and most of his growing is still happening." She angled her head so she could see him. "Yeah, soon I'll be to fat for sex," she deadpanned, her grave gaze meeting his startled eyes.
"All the books say that sex is okay right up to the very end," he explained earnestly. In fact they recommend…" he broke off mid sentence when she started to giggle.
"Cute Max."
"Now if that were really the case," he teased kissing her ear. " Then I'd have no choice but to postpone today's baby shopping and take you back to bed while I still can.
"Hmm…" she sighed. "I won't say no to going back to bed but I want to get the babies things as well. " Turning around she unwrapped the towel he had around his waist. "Let's do both?" she whispered dropping it to the floor as she stepped into the cradle of his hips and slid her hands up his back.
"Yeah, sounds like a plan," he murmured against her lips.
Kissing her his hands on her waist he walked her slowly backwards towards the bed. Her guiding hand never left his neck as she held his mouth on hers while she scrambled backwards onto the bed pulling him down with her.
He settled on his elbow beside her his hand cupping the side of her face and his thumb stroking her cheek. His warm mouth claiming hers in that slow, deliberate, thorough way he'd perfected that made her feel like all her bones had turned to jelly. Her eyes felt so heavy she couldn't have opened them if she wanted to. All she really needed was the feel of his lips, his warm breath mixed with hers, his body solid and warm along the length of hers. She whimpered low in her throat when his hand cupped the ripe fullness of her breast.
He loved her plump and round and lush with all these extra curves. Everything was so much softer and more plentiful. When he pulled her even closer she wriggled against him. She loved the hard tautness and lean plains of his body pressed against hers, hard to soft. She sighed when she felt his teeth gentle on her skin as he sucked her neck. He knew just how and where to touch her to turn her into a quivering needy mass of desire.
He nibbled and sucked his way down her neck and across the crest of her breast until she felt the first exquisite touch of his tongue on her nipple. She arched up sighing in voluptuous pleasure when she felt the moist wet heat as he sucked as much of her nipple and breast into his mouth as he could.
Pulling back he lapped his tongue across her nipple. "You taste different," he murmured delicately touching his tongue to the hard aroused peak.
His mouth voraciously devouring her breast felt so good. Max's hand went to the side of his face to hold him in place and she moaned low in her throat. "Don't stop?" she panted.
When he moved closer his cock jumped as it brushed her belly and the scent of him filled her senses. He made that sexy primal noise deep in his throat when she wrapped her leg around his calf pulling him closer, trapping his cock between their bodies as she withered against him.
His breathing was laboured and rough and she could feel the tension of his desire in the tautness of the muscle under the smooth skin of his back.
"Slow down Max," he whispered his voice rough as he tried to still the frantic movement of her hips.
Kissing rough sucking kisses up her neck his mouth claimed hers again stealing her breath as his hands moved over her shaping her breasts, the curve of her stomach and stroking her sensitised skin leaving a trail of magic as they moved across her body.
He broke their kiss and gulping greedily for air she pushed him onto his back. Her hand on his cheek she leaned over him kissing him with urgent, impatient desire. She nibbled and sucked her way to his ear. Closing her mouth over it she ran a delicate, tickling tongue around the inner workings. The thick sounds of his enjoyment were pushing her past control.
"I love you," he whispered when she released the earlobe she'd been sucking. She gazed into the green, gold depths of his eyes. His face was tight and taut with his desire and his mouth wore the swollen imprint of her kiss. He belongs to me. Mine. Pulling his head down she touched her tongue to his lower lip.
"Me to," she murmured, using her tongue to softly trace the full curve of his lips.
His mouth descended to her breast again and she caught her breath as his hands moulded, teased, stroked and tormented her, wherever he touched he left her aching for more. She couldn't touch him enough and the fact that his heart was thumping and his breathing was ragged and he pulsed with a need as strong as hers made it all the more heady. The feel of his taut muscle and warm skin beneath her fingers, the angles and plains of his hard body where it touched hers was pushing her to an almost unbearable crescendo of need… and then she felt his first insistent probe at the entrance to her body. His hand slid beneath her hips lifting her to him and she felt the head of his cock slip inside her.
Alec felt her surge up to meet his urgent quest for entry and closed his eyes in hedonistic pleasure as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him deeply into her. When she slid her hands over his shoulders and pulled him down to her she was already moving frantically under him.
"Don't stop Alec. Don't stop," she murmured throatily her lips on his ear. His deep grunt of assent filled her ears as he plunged and continued to plunge relentlessly into her. Each thrust sent him deeper into her. The repeated slide of his heated flesh on hers each time he withdrew an exquisite torment.
"Faster," she panted.
When he increased the pace she clung on and met him thrust for thrust as he drove repeatedly into her. She didn't want it to end and yet she could feel the desperate tension building inside her as he continued to power relentlessly into her, his breath warm and heavy on her neck and his sound deep and raw in her ear pushing her onwards until she was clinging to him and gasping his name as wave after wave of sensation engulfed her. She felt his hot sweet surge and heard his grunt of pleasure as his shuddering release followed hers.
He chest was still heaving when he rolled onto his stomach and pulled her partially under him his hand instinctively gravitating to the round swell of her belly. Her breathing was still ragged and her heart was beating fast against her ribcage. Burying her face in his damp neck she savoured the sweet smell of his skin with its heady overlay of testosterone. She didn't want to move. Couldn't move even if I wanted to.
Alec's arms closed around her and she sighed languidly as she snuggled closer. His big body surrounded her and she could tell by how relaxed he was that he was feeling the same mellow contentment that she was.
It was times like this when she was feeling really close to him, that she would sometimes get that nagging, disquieting fear that something was going to happen and her beautiful life with him would be snatched away from her. She had the feeling less frequently now and it wasn't as scary as if had been before, but she still had it. It always served as a reminder to never take the happiness and contentment she'd found with him for granted. To never take him for granted.
She though about how bleak and unhappy her life had been before they'd hooked up together. It was incredible to think that only eight months ago there had been no 'Max and Alec,' and no baby. In fact there had been nothing much in her life but her discontent and her unhappiness and that deep sense of belonging nowhere that had been her constant awareness. That had all changed now she was surrounded by her own kind she and she belonged to Alec, and soon she'd have their baby as well.
She ignored his groan of displeasure as she moved back from and settled herself on her side her head propped on her hand. Laughing softly she resisted his attempt to pull her back and lay there slowly, thoroughly inspecting his face. His eyes were closed and she knew that he probably just wanted to go to sleep. Really hard out sex like they'd just had always made him sleepy. Nothing was ever totally perfect.
He opened his eyes when he felt her hand stroking his cheek. Brown eyes smiled into green. He's so beautiful. Slowly, thoughtfully she inspected his face feature by feature. It wasn't that he had anything different from other guys, it was just the way it all came together so perfectly on his face. Nor was it just the sum total of his features that made him special either. It was more than that it was also who he was, a combination of his personality and that whole charismatic thing he had going for him.
He turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm his eyes holding hers. She was so beautiful. It wasn't just the way she looked either. She had so many other special things about her. He was so lucky that she was his. A female like Max could have had any male she wanted, transgenic or ordinary and yet she'd chosen him. Not only was she his but soon she would give him a child.
Sometimes he'd remember the loneliness of his life before he hooked up with her. Sure he'd always had Tav and his unit but that was different, there had still been a gap. Unconsciously he'd tried to fill it with meaningless short encounters with his own kind and then a parade of faceless ordinary women once he'd escaped from Manticore. It wasn't until he'd decided that he wanted to mate with Max he'd realized just how lacking and unsatisfactory that area of his life was.
"Do we have to go shopping today?" he murmured plaintively.
His drowsy reluctance made her lip quirk in rueful understanding; he was never very keen on shopping. She on the other hand couldn't wait to buy the amazing array of things she'd discovered a baby required. In fact over the last couple of weeks she seemed to have developed a compelling almost instinctive need to gather all the stuff around her that he would need. She wanted to get it all with Alec because it felt right to do it together, and also because he had a way of turning things like that into fun. She'd been so looking forward to it ever since he'd agreed to go with her today.
He only had one day off a week and he'd much rather spend it here in bed with her than shopping for baby paraphernalia. It wasn't as if he knew anything about that shit anyway. She'd be much better off to go with one of the other women.
"We don't have to go today if you don't want to," her eyes continued to smile into his.
"Good. Then lets stay here and try out some of those positions I've read about in the pregnancy books. So we'll be practised up for when your stomach gets to big for us to do it the boring traditional way?" he murmured enticingly.
"Don't scoff at the traditional. I like it that way," she laughed.
"I like it any way," he leered back.
"When will we do the baby shopping then?"
He was about to tell her she should do it during the week with one of the women who knew about it, when the look in her eye stopped him.
"When would you like to do it?" he asked her cautiously. This was important to her. He didn't know why but he could tell by the hint of wary anxiety in her eyes.
"We could do it tomorrow?" she ventured hopefully. "It's just that I sort of feel that I need to do it soon," she added in a rush. I think it might be an instinct"…she trailed off starting to feel a bit stupid under his intense regard.
Fuck he was an idiot. It probably was an instinct for her. Surrounding herself with the things she needed to look after the baby was in all probability the equivalent of their feline ancestor's finding a safe comfortable cave to give birth in. For all he knew human females probably had the same instinct.
"If we spent all day in bed we'd only start to go stir crazy by the afternoon anyway, so lets do it after lunch today," he suggested kissing her shoulder. What the hell how long could it take anyway?
"Are you sure you want to?" she queried doubtfully. They spent every Saturday in bed and he'd never showed the smallest sign of going stir crazy before. In fact to he appeared to love it. She wanted to go shopping with him but only if he wanted to. Otherwise it would be better if she went on her own.
"Yeah, of course I want to. I've still got a lot more toys to buy for him, anyway."
Max rolled her eyes. "What more toys for the big boys you mean. Like the model cars, and the planes it takes you days to build, and the train set it took you and Tav all night to put together, " she laughed.
"A boy can never have to many toys Max. Anyway, the train set was really for Tav. He's wanted one since he was a kid and first saw them in a catalogue he'd stolen off one of the guards. We would have felt like dicks buying if for ourselves. Buying it to share with the baby is much better," he explained in all seriousness.
"Whatever Alec." Sometimes he's so juvenile he's funny. Suppressing her laughter Max settled contentedly against his side. "It's mostly clothes and the equipment you need to look after him properly that I want to buy today, but we can get more toys if you want," she added good-naturedly. "Mary has told me the best shops to go to and the right sizes to ask for in clothes. I'm buying knitting wool and needles and she's going to show me how to make some of his things as well. She's given me a list of what to get."
Alec smiled into the top of her head as she chattered eagerly on. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad way to spend his afternoon off. He'd certainly rather have spent it in bed with Max, but if he couldn't then this wouldn't be to bad. He and Tav had really enjoyed it every time they'd shopping for babytoys and after all how long would it take to get a few small clothes, anyway? Not long. He'd probably have her back in bed in a couple of hours.
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Two Days Later
Anderson sat back from the maps he'd been poring over while Alec and the other transgenics filed into the room. With no real surprise he noted that today it was both the male and female alpha councils they were meeting with. He glanced at General Quinn who was sitting beside him. Obviously everybody was of the opinion that the information gathered over the last six weeks was certainly important enough to warrant a full turnout.
The fact that both the councils were here today meant that they considered this to be more than just a military matter. Having Max, Kat and the rest of the women sitting in on the meeting could only be advantageous. The female council set a lot of store by the alliance between TC and the ordinary military. The male council Anderson knew had a more cynical, hardheaded view of the relationship. He felt General Quinn shift as Alec and Steve flanked by Tanner and Tav sat down opposite them.
"Good to see you fighting fit again soldier." Anderson said nodding at Tav. Amazing recuperative powers. It had astounded him that despite the severity of his injuries Tav had still been back on his feet again within a couple of weeks with nothing more to show for his ordeal than a new haircut.
"Yeah, thanks I was fit for active as of last week," Tav answered. Unconsciously he ran his hand across the shaved portion of his hated undercut before settling back in his seat his face as expressionless as the other trangenics now ranged around the table.
"I'll get straight to the point," General Quinn said without preamble once everyone was seated. "As we all now know there's a military facility hidden somewhere in the hills that General Wattie's military police have been capturing and returning transgenics too."
"Now I know you're itching to find that facility and get your people back, and make no mistake so are we," he assured the expressionless faces seated around the table. "However we need to take our time and consider all the implications before we rush in." Sitting back in his seat his expression cool and authoritative he waited expectantly for Alec as the junior officer to put his case to justify why he wanted to strike now.
You could hear a pin drop Anderson though in amusement as they waited, and waited in silence for Alec to respond. He already knew that Quinny had made a mistake. Anderson had come to understand how thinks worked well enough to know that transgenics assigned rank and respect on a different basis than the military. Therefore it was pointless to try and get them to justify and defend their intentions based on your place in a hierarchical system they had frankly come to hold in contempt. They also just didn't give a fuck about anybody else's view of what was best for them. And who could blame them for that given their experiences.
Anderson spoke before the silence became uncomfortable. "We now know that General Wattie was connected to Manticore and that he's still involved in rounding up and detaining transgenics. However as of yet we have no proof. All we know is that the MP's that grabbed Tav were under his command. Now that we have a name to work with we can track Wattie's activities but if we raid that Facility to early we risk alerting him and giving him time to cover his tracks. General Quinn wants to wait and give us more time to see what we can flush out of the woodwork now we have a name to work with. That's all."
In truth Anderson unlike General Quinn thought it didn't much matter whether they busted the Installation now or later. If they waited, then yes they might manage to gather a bit more information. However if they went now then the Facility itself could very well supply them with the ammunition they needed to flush Wattie out. As he'd told Quinny before they'd got here, given the choice, like Alec he preferred to strike now. The longer they waited the more transgenics would die.
The MP's had never delivered the prisoners to the Facility itself. Instead, they'd always been met at a rendezvous point two hundred miles to the South when in fact the facility was only a hundred miles South of Seattle. Whoever had been meeting them had travelled South to the rendezvous point and then doubled back towards Seattle with their captive transgenics, and the MP's had been known the wiser.
Because of this confusion they had for the past six weeks been searching a grid that was two hundred miles away from the actual target zone. That had frustrated their search until intelligence collected by Danny and Howl had traced a huge amount of military supplies seemingly disappearing each month into an area that had no military installations. They had narrowed this Bermuda triangle of supplies down to an area less than one hundred miles south of here and that is where The Facility had to be.
Alec's steady eyes held General Quinn's. "I've only waited this long because we couldn't find it. While we've floundered around, our own kind have been dying inside that Installation. Now we have the search grid pinned down I won't wait any longer. We gear up tonight and go early tomorrow morning."
Anderson's knew from Alec's implacable tone that there would be no dissuading him. His eyes followed General Quinn's around the room as he tried to gauge if everybody else was of the same opinion. The calm, closed faces of the other transgenics told him that while both Councils may have shown up here today they'd obviously come already unanimously agreed as to what they intended to do.
I wish my war councils could be so impassively supportive Quinn thought humourlessly, thinking about the dissension, back stabbing and disloyalty of military politics as he knew them. His eyes moved back to Alec's. A cool customer and not about to change his mind. He'll go whether I want him to or not. The question is does he go with my support and supervision.
Quinn's gaze moved past Alec to Tanner. It was Tanner who'd carried his half dead two hundred and forty pound son Damien through the jungles of Kurdistan. And for what reward? To be punished for disobeying orders and to have his unit thrown in the hole for a month because they not only finished Damien's failed mission but instead of just getting themselves clear as per their orders they'd also poked, prodded and carried Damien's fifty surviving men across three hundred miles of enemy infested jungle to safety.
When Danny and Howl had cross-referenced their, medical and general records with their service histories they'd discovered that most of the rescues that the transgenics had been involved in, had either been their own opportunistic initiatives, or a direct contravention of their orders to treat fellow soldiers like expendable collateral and just extract themselves. Despite all these people had endured at the hands of far lesser men than themselves they'd somehow managed to not only survive but also come out of it with their humanity intact. It was ironic that they were supposedly the animals.
For campaigns that the ordinary soldiers they had rescued had been decorated for, the real heroes had returned home to abuse and punishment. General Quinn's eyes moved slowly around the room. If Howl and Danny hadn't stumbled on this by chance they'd still not be any the wiser. These guys were as reticent about their past history as they were about asking for or expecting help in the present.
General Quinn gaze moved slowly around the room. They already had his respect and admiration. It was a forgone conclusion that they also had his support. He'd see that bastard Wattie in fucking leg irons in one of his own military prisons for his mockery of everything the army stood for and his betrayal of these soldiers while they were supposedly under the protection of his command. Maybe Anderson was right and hitting that facility now will flush the bastard out.
Alec watched the expressions come and go on General Quinn's face with resignation. It hadn't been his intention to piss him off. A shame really, because like the rest of them he'd gotten used to the extra safety and feeling of legitimacy being under his wing and on the military payroll and had given them. Anderson, the ornery old cuss, had even started to grow on him.
"If you go then Anderson goes as your CO." Quinn said finally into the silence.
Already thinking the meeting was at an end Alec was half out of his chair. Surprised he sat down again, his gaze flicking from General Quinn to Anderson. "He can come as an observer, but it would be bullshit to pretend he'd be anything else."
Anderson stared back at him in exasperation. Stubborn little bastard gives no quarter. There didn't seem a lot of point in arguing that his greater experience would be valuable to them. Because despite the fact they were all younger than his own son, and that he and Quinny were considered two of the longest serving, most experienced officers in the army, Alec probably had more combat experience than both of them put together. Still I am older and more experienced in other ways and that always counts for something when the chips are down.
When Quinny's exasperated, pissed off eyes met his, Anderson shrugged his philosophical acceptance. At least if he was with them, if this raid did go sideways then he'd be there to accurately report their part in it. Being there was essential.
"What's your plan?" General Quinn asked unable to keep the curtness from his voice. No matter how much he admired him, sometimes it was an uphill battle to do the right thing by this arrogant little prick.
Alec's eyes went to each of his males for their nod of ascent before he met Max's gaze. This wasn't just a military decision, rescuing their people was a transgenic issue and both female and male councils had to be in agreement. He watched as the last of her females nodded in agreement. Not that the female alpha councils approval was ever in doubt. It was no secret how highly they prized the alliance with Quinn and Anderson.
When Max nodded her consent Alec started to outline their plan. They had six birds so they'd take six units, search the grid and when they found the facility hit it hard and fast by air. The Installation would have extensive ground security to keep the inmates in and that would also serve efficiently to keep invaders out. They would be less prepared and less able to defend against an air assault. Air strike was the quickest, cleanest and fastest way to get inside, with the least risk of casualties to themselves and the best way of ensuring as little time as possible for the Facility to implement any self-destruct mechanisms.
Contemplatively Quinn looked at the planned search grid on the map now spread on the table. "So you think ninety men will be enough, do you? If it's a big Facility there could be several hundred men there?"
"Without the threat of harm to people I cared about, with two units I could have taken Manticore down in less than half and hour." Alec said bitterly. "Six transgenic units will be ample."
Quinn met his eyes with a humorous quirk of his lip. As annoying and as obstructive as Alec could be no one could fault him for his arrogant confidence.
"All right then tomorrow morning it is," Quinn agreed finally sitting back in his chair after they'd finished tweaking the last minute details.
"By the way I'd like to take those MP's you're holding back with us. The sooner I get them hidden away under lock and key the better."
"Oh yeah, them." Leaning forward Alec looked along the table. "Grey?" he asked his eye brow raised enquiringly."
"Yeah Alec?"
"I believe their ongoing security after debriefing was your responsibility? Make sure they're ready to travel when the General leaves?"
"Oh sorry General, but they tried to escape this morning and my men had to shoot them."
"What all of them," Quinn asked incredulously?
"Yeah. Sorry about that, Sir." Grey shrugged contritely. "Be assured the soldiers responsible for the laxness resulting in their attempted escape have been appropriately dealt with," he assured sincerely.
Yeah, I'm sure you laid out the fatted calf for them Quinn though in frustration. "Right," he said through gritted teeth. They could have been fucking useful once we got Wattie on the run.
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"Alpha one, target must be close. I've got vehicles going down the mountain on the north side. Refrigerated supply truck maybe. A covered troop carrier riding low, and a jeep with four bodies bringing up the rear. Do you want me to take them out, over?"
"Tyler how's it looking on the East side, over,"
"Clear Alec over,"
"Dale what's happening at your end, over?"
"West is clear, over."
Alec's mind ran quickly through his options. No tactical advantage to taking out a supply truck, and the troop transport was headed away from the action. Therefore no reason to alert the Facility they were here before all his units were in place Alec decided at the same time Major Anderson spoke from the seat behind him.
"Take it out," Anderson advised. Mission priority is to keep news of this operation under wraps. We don't want word getting back to Wattie until we have control of the facility and we know for sure exactly what's inside."
"Let it go Tanner," Alec ordered.
"Yeah, already have Alec," Tanner pre-empted him.
Suppressing his exasperation Anderson settled back in his chair. At least he handles himself well. Having a higher ranked officer second-guessing you in the field is undermining. A less experienced Officer would not only have hesitated but would now be explaining and justifying himself. Alec had just ignored him.
Alpha one be advised, I've found it. Six buildings, a fifteen-metre high perimeter fence. Twenty- two manned towers. She's a big one Alec, over."
"Roger that Tanner send me your position over?"
When Tanners position flashed on the bird's consul Alec quickly plotted their fastest course and sent the co-ordinates to the other birds.
"Roger that Tanner, eta five minutes, over,"
"Yeah Alec. We'll fly over and have a good look while we're waiting for you,"
"This is alpha one, all units head for Tanner, over"
Kane one eta 5 minutes, over."
Drago one eta 7 minutes, over. "
"Zab one eta two minutes, over."
"Tyler one, eta approximately one minute, over,"
Dale one, behind Tyler, over,"
"They will have spotted Tanner's bird by now and they'll know we're here. You should have taken that truck out to be on the safe side."
"Yeah they'll know we're here, but we carry US Army markings and they're a US Army Facility. It will take them a while to figure out we're not friendly. I'm not alerting them before all my units are in place."
"Alpha one to base give me feed from Tanner's cams now, over."At the same time as the screen came alive with the relayed footage from his bird's cams. Tanner's urgent voice broke in Alec's ear.
"Alpha one, we've got bodies going up the wire at speed. Transgenic bodies. Looks like we've crashed a jailbreak, Alec, over." "They're all women and they're taking heavy fire from within the facility. Fuck what… Ana... I have a visual of Ana…""I have that same visual, over" Alec interrupted.
The heavy rat-tat of Tanner's bird's big guns could now be heard in the background noise from their earpieces. They could hear his voice booming through their earpieces as he made his designation and rank known through the bird's loud speakers and ordered all transgenics in the compound to go for cover. The woman never faltered and just kept coming at the wire.
"I've had to start the party without you Alec, over."
"Roger that Tanner, our eta two minutes over."
"Dale one behind you now Tanner, over."
"Roger that Dale, just keep hitting the towers. When they're dead rope your unit down outside the perimeter, over "
"Roger that Tanner,"
"Tyler where are you, over?"
"Your port nine o'clock, I have a visual on you now over,"
"Your guys are inside with mine, over,"
"Roger that Tanner over."
"They got bogeys in the air. I say again they got birds up, over." Tyler's urgent voice imposed itself over the other radio traffic.
"You've got one up your ass Tanner. Your port twelve o'clock. Pull starboard, pull starboard. I got your back."
As Tyler's voice crackled through his earpiece Alec's bird crested the top of the hill giving him a clear view of the besieged Facility and the battle in progress. Tyler's guns were already spitting fire at the enemy Black Hawk behind Tanner's bird. As Tanner's chopper banked hard right to get out of the line of fire the enemy bird exploded in a ball of flame.
"The fuckers are better prepared than we thought they'd be," Anderson commented redundantly as Alec aimed their birds guns at the tower now shooting at them with an anti aircraft gun.
Take the towers to the north Drago. Zab you get the West, over."
Roger that alpha one."
Copy that Alec, over."
Kane one, we're hit. We're hit. Your port nine Tav, still airborne bogey on my ass over,"
Tav banked hard left spinning as quickly as a Black Hawk could spin and inserted his machine between Kane's wounded bird and the enemy chopper bearing down on them. "Yes," he whooped when Alec aimed their big guns and it exploded spectacularly.
You okay to get your ass clear Kane, over."
Copy that alpha one, limping but still airborne, over."
"Is it Ana?" Tav asked urgently, unable to take his eyes of the instruments as he fought to control the bird he was spinning at speed to face the women on the wire." Never a good air traveller Anderson hands were white knuckled as they gripped the arms of his seat. Fucking hotdog pilots.
"Yeah," Alec said watching in dread. "She's on the top of the wire now. Too exposed."
When Ana clasped her arm obviously hit, Alec sat helplessly forward in his seat, willing her off the wire and out of the line of fire. "Get the fuck down Ana," he whispered tensely his eyes riveted on the screen.
One eye on the screen and one on the instruments Tav saw the female on the top of the wire beside Ana, launch herself clear of what was probably electric wire, throw her body over the fence, roll and somersault through the air to land on her feet on the other side of the wire. Nice fucking move. He saw Ana yell something over her shoulder at her and sign for the women still running at the wire to take cover. This time they fell back
At the same time as the female who'd landed on the ground carefully widened her stance repositioning her feet Tav realized the ground was mined. Simultaneously out of the corner of his eye he caught the sign for 'bomb' that she was now making at the helicopter hovering in front of her. The bird was already dangling a rope the males on it sliding at speed toward the ground.
"It's mined, the ground is mined. Pull your bird up now Seth," Tav bit out urgently, at the same time the pilot in Dale's hovering bird jerked it higher and started to climb.
Everything happened within the same three seconds and Anderson didn't have time to count how many men were clinging to the rope that was jerking in the air like a piece of string as it trailed out of the chopper. We're going to loose them all. His heart plummeted as the men continued to slide along the rope. The force of each soldier hitting the body of the soldier below him enough to cause him to peel off the rope.
Anderson watched in disbelief as each soldier grabbed for and clung to the one below him until the whole chain was only secured by the soldier at the top, with one hand around the rope and the other on the gun strap of the soldier in front of himDangling its human chain the chopper back peddled trying to clear the minefield. Every man on that rope let go of his own safety line to grab the soldier below him. Six men with absolute faith that the man behind would secure him. Not to mention that one man is now supporting the weight of six. Fuck.
"Phew," Tav whistled. "That was close. Lucky they had Dale's muscle at the top."
His calm, matter of fact voice for some reason amplified the drama of what Anderson had just witnessed rather than down played it.
"Yeah," Alec agreed distractedly. He had one eye on Dale's bird and the other on Ana who was now on the ground outside the perimeter fence, gingerly picking her way across the minefield, followed by four other females treading exactly where she trod.
"What the hell are they doing?" Anderson asked in bewilderment as the last female on the wire launched herself over it and landed on the shoulders of the female still standing with her legs firmly planted on safe ground. These people aren't soldiers they're circus performers.
"The truck they're going after the truck," Alec realized as Ana cleared the mine field, ran across the road and plunged into the woods closely followed by the other women as they trode their way clear.
"Alec," Todd boomed impatiently from the belly of the copter, not bothering with his Comms unit."
"Stay put Todd. We're not roping down here," Alec shouted back watching as the last of Tanner's male's feet hit the ground inside the compound and ran for cover. Dale and his males were now on the ground and jogging along the road towards the Facilities gates.
"Why the hell haven't they gone for cover, as ordered?" Anderson demanded as the gates swung open and despite a hail of gunfire from within the facility women blurred out and plunged into the woods at the same place that Ana had left the road.
"Tanner we're going after that truck, over,"
"Copy that Alec, over."
As the bird turned and peeled away Dale's unit reached the gates. Alec saw Dale grab the shirt of one of the women as she ran past and haul her back.
"What's in the truck Dale, over."
"Babies Alec. Their babies. This is a breeding facility. Their first sold batch is in that fucking truck, over."
Anderson closed his eyes in shock. Jesus if he'd been commanding this exercise. He could have been responsible for ordering a truckload of babies blown to bits.
"No, you wouldn't have Anderson. If you'd really been in command and not just trying to fuck with my head your soldiers instincts would have kicked in and you wouldn't have risked your men or unknown collateral damage for no tactical advantage, " Alec said instinctively knowing what Anderson was thinking.
Alec's eyes never left the window now showing glimpses of the running women below them as they streaked through the woods. Anderson glanced across at him "Yeah," he agreed knowing it was true. At the same time he started to feel better he began to understand why both Howl and Danny had said Alec was the best officer they'd ever served under. The ability to understand what your men were feeling and know when and how to encourage them was a gift too few officers had.
As the bird skimmed over the heads of the running women Toddand Mark who were sitting in the seats directly by the door leaned out of the bird and whooped the Alpha war cry. The two women in the lead looked up and for a brief second Todd was looking into Ana's upturned face as she raised her arm over her head and made the alpha call sign. The bird passed quickly overhead leaving the running women behind.
"It shouldn't be far way now Alec. It's a big truck and the road is narrow so it will have to be moving slowly. It's probably only half way down the mountain. At the speed those women are running if they keep on down the mountain at that angle they should make it out onto the road ahead of it in about twenty minutes. We need to have our males on that road and in front of that truck before they track out of those woods."
"Yeah," Alec agreed knowing that Steve like him didn't want the unarmed women in the line of fire. The truck wouldn't be hard to stop but Tanner had said the troop carrier was riding low which meant a full load of probably twenty soldiers.
"Tanner to Alpha one, perimeters and outer compound secure. Three casualties for us. We've started to scope through the buildings. There are a lot of dead and injured from the facility itself… This place is a horror house Alec. I want… my support unit in the air now, over."
One of the unwritten rules of engagement is that you didn't tie up your active channel with reports of dead or injured as it demoralises and affects the soldiers still fighting. So for Tanner to be on the air already with this, Alec knew that whatever he'd found at that facility had disturbed him. Tanner had seen the same soul-destroying and horrific sights that he had, but Alec had never before heard his voice break like it just had when he'd asked for his support unit.
"Roger that Tanner, I'm on it, over."
That baby doctor that Max is friends with… my medic would also like her if it's possible, over."
Alec glanced at Steve as the rest of the their unit quieted down until it was totally silent inside the bird. All the earlier exuberant, excitement of finding Ana was now gone as they all digested what Tanner had said.
"Roger that Tanner, over."
"Alpha one to Dix. Get all our support units in the air immediately plus all the medics you can send us. Ask Max if she thinks the ordinary female medic will come. Anderson will send birds from his base to uplift them."
Alec's eyes tracked to Anderson, who nodded and reached for the birds radio handset.
Give Anderson channel to his base from the birds radio Dix, over."
"Roger that Alpha one."
"We'll see you soon Alec, over.""Yeah thanks, Max." Alec returned sombrely as they passed over the truck making its slow way down the hill. The last thing he wanted was a pregnant Max having to deal with what he was afraid they were going to find back at that facility, but there was no help for it. If Tanner needed his support unit then he would need his, and Max.
"Just find the nearest level piece of road and set her down Tav."
"Stay here with Jack and watch the bird until the target is secure Anderson," Alec said, slinging his M16 over his shoulder as he followed Steve, Howl and Danny to the bird's open door. The only noise now was the drone of the engines and the thwack, thwacking of the churning rotor blades as Tav prepared to set it down on the flat stretch of road ahead of them. He looked round in exasperation to find a fully kitted out Anderson standing behind him.
"As you are so quick to tell me boy I may not be your commanding officer, however while you and your men are on my payroll, where you go. I go."
Alec snorted impatiently. Turning his back on him, his attention was immediately back on his unit now rapidly exiting the stationary bird.
Anderson followed as the alpha unit jogged up the road until the bird was hidden from view. Alec gestured at Todd and Reuben who ran on ahead, while the rest of the unit started to melt into the tees along both sides of the road. Breathing heavily Anderson followed as they merged into the undergrowth hunkering down beside Danny and Howl.
They could already hear the low-geared whine of the trucks motor's as they ground down the hill. The troop transport past them first. Followed by the supply truck with Todd and Rueben already on the back running board working to open the doors. The jeep that had been following behind the truck had obviously been dispensed with. Without a shot being fired Anderson thought with approval as he stepped out onto the road behind the truck.
He could no longer see the troop carrier because it was now hidden by the bend in the road. Which meant of course that the soldiers on the troop carrier could no longer see the truck they were protecting. Good grief it's like taking candy from a baby. The sound of automatic weapons fire and the metallic clunk of bullets hitting the side of the truck were now audible up ahead.
Jogging along behind the supply truck as it disappeared around the bend they rounded the corner just in time to see the back doors swing open. When Todd called, "We're inside." Alec mounted the trucks running board beside the driver's door and Steve did the same on the passenger side. The sound of breaking glass was audible above the laboured noise of the trucks motor.
Up ahead the now stationary troop carrier was skewed across the middle of the road with transgenic soldiers boarding it on both sides.
At the same time the driver sailed out of the Supply truck and into the trees two men were also thrown out the back door onto the road. As the truck came to a grinding halt, a grim faced Todd followed them out. The two men had landed in the dirt on their asses and were now using their hands to frantically back peddle away from him. He'd shot them both between the eyes and was already turning back to the truck before Anderson could react.
Anderson couldn't help his feeling of distaste. Those men hadn't presented any weapons in fact they looked to be civilians. He knew these guys didn't take any prisoners if you fired on them. He understood that. Neither did he. However killing unarmed civilians was inexcusable.
The first thing Anderson noticed when he followed Todd into the truck was the smell, then the unnatural quiet. The stink of baby shit was pungent but there was another odour as well. One that he instinctively knew sure as hell didn't belong with babies. He gazed at the wall to wall shelving in horror. There were about fifty babies packed head to toe in a space that would struggle to hold twenty comfortably. Seeing this many quiet and unmoving little babies without their mothers, packed in this careless way was frighteningly unsettling. Anderson could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing to attention.
Alec sprang up into the truck followed by Steve. "It smells like death in here. Jesus are we to late?" he said his voice cracking with emotion as he moved closer and gazed at the still little figures."
Todd had gravitated back to the little black haired tyke he'd seen when he first boarded the truck. Its little arms were raised above its shoulders and its tiny starfish like hands were lying open besides its ears. He knew it was dead. "I think so," he croaked hoarsely and for the first time Anderson realized tears were streaming down his face.
"One of these must have been Ana's…"
Ana, the girl who'd saved Danny's life. One of these babies was hers. Anderson snapped out of his horror filled trance, "No we're not to late. They were selling them. It's not in their interests to kill them. They're just drugged to keep them quiet. Get them up. Hold them," he ordered his father's instincts taking over. He didn't really know what they should be doing but they had to do something.
When nobody moved he quickly went to pick one up. It was cold and stiff. Blanking out his shock he hastily moved to the next one. Limp but warm and alive. Picking it up he shoved it into Todd's arms and picked up another one.
"Get in here," Steve roared suddenly galvanised into action. Awkwardly he picked a baby up and moving quickly to the back of the van handed it carefully to Mark when he appeared in the trucks doorway.
"Get your kit off. They're transgenic babies and they'll need to feel skin," he instructed the rest of their males as they clustered around the open doors. Quickly they started to divest themselves of their equipment.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ana was breathing heavily. They'd been running for a little over half and hour but it felt like a lot longer. She'd been locked up for fourteen months now without any real exercise and her body was feeling the unaccustomed activity.
"We need to head for road now," Julia panted in the clipped English she always used when she was either scared or at a disadvantage.
"We're going to get them back Julia," Ana repeated for what was probably the thousandth time. She'd being saying it like a litany over the last two days while they'd planned this escape. Trying to reassure the women that they did have a fighting chance of retrieving their babies and making a successful run for it. But this was the only time that she'd said it, that she'd actually believed what she was saying.
When she'd heard Tanner's voice over that loudspeaker telling them they were being liberated, she'd started to hope. But it wasn't until she'd heard her own unit's war cry and looked up at that bird, straight into Todd and Mark's grinning faces that she'd really believed they could make it. Tanner's and her own unit would never betray her and if they were here it had to be to help them.
Without breaking her headlong run Julia angled sideways for the road and Ana and the other woman followed. "Yes, Baby will be all right. I know that," she said with absolute faith. Not for the first time Ana marvelled at Julia's ability to believe even in the absence of all hope.
Right from the time she had first shared her limited knowledge of the outside ordinary world with her Julia had started to talk about what she and Baby would do once they were free and living in the outside world like ordinaries did. She had never doubted that they would escape and that she would get to see and experience everything Ana had told her about. Two days ago when they'd first discovered that their babies had been sold and were being shipped out. While Ana had still been wallowing in the depths of hopeless despair, Julia had accepted it with equanimity and calmly started to plan their escape.
When they burst from the bush onto the road Ana knew straight away that the truck hadn't passed yet. Julia sniffed the air confirming what Ana already knew. "No truck yet. We've beaten it."
They waited until some of the other women had cleared the woods and started to run back along the road.
When they came across the abandoned bird parked in the middle of the road Ana knew something wasn't right. Her unit would never leave vital equipment unattended unless something was wrong. With dread in her heart she ran hard up the road. The truck was parked around the corner. She ran past the scattering of dead ordinary soldiers lying beside the road. Running down the side of the truck she could see the males in her unit either sitting or standing on the road their shirts stuffed full of their babies.
The quiet hit her first. No crying and no wriggling and she could smell the familiar scent of death. Frantically she searched for Todd. He'd have found her baby by now. He'd have recognised his own scent. She quickly found him and was kneeling in front of him before he had a chance to rise from where he was hunkered down beside Tav.
Frantically she pulled the blankets off the faces of both the babies he had stuffed inside his shirt already knowing they weren't hers. The scents were all wrong.
"Your's isn't here Ana," Todd explained when she leaned over and quickly pulled the blankets aside on the two still little bundles Tav was holding. Susie's and Baby. Tav had found the baby that carried his scent and if her baby were here, Todd would also have found him.
"We've got Tanner looking for yours back at the compound, " Todd continued on. "We have control of the facility now. It will be all right. We'll find it," he assured her feeling anything but sure as he looked into her frantic eyes. There were already three dead babies in the truck and probably more back at the facility. He could only hope hers wasn't one of them.
"Him, he's a boy" Ana said faintly, looking around her in bewilderment. Her baby was supposed to be here. Where was he?
"What have they done with him," she whispered in anguish.
"Why isn't he here with the rest of them?" Panicked without thinking she turned to run back. Only to be grabbed awkwardly by Todd juggling the two babies as he tried to hold onto her shirt.
"Let me go Todd," she cried, jerking out of his hold.
"Its all right Ana," Alec said from behind her. "Tanner is looking for your baby now. He'll have found him long before we get back there. "Here," he said, awkwardly offering her the baby he was holding. "You hold him for me while I organise an evac so we can go back and get your baby."
"I can run back faster," she said shrugging him off.
"No you can't Ana. Back is uphill. It'll take you over an hour. The bird will get us back faster than that." Again he offered her the baby. She looked down at the baby and back to his face. Unprotestingly she took the still little bundle. Her expression blank she turned abruptly and started to walk back to the bird. His arms now baby free Alec watched as Todd and Mark each with two babies still nestled inside their shirts clumsily retrieved their M16's and followed her down the road.
Julia's nose had unerringly located both her baby and her baby's 'genetic contributor.' She knelt in front of Tav to retrieve Baby.
Still in a state of befuddled shock Tav instinctively, without thinking turned the baby carrying his scent away from Julia and presented her with the baby that carried Shane's scent.
"No," she negated, emphatically shaking her head. "This one mine." Her steady gaze locked with his and she reached across him and relieved him of Baby.
The baby in her arms she sat back on her heels. Tav watched her fluid rise to her feet his eye travelling up her mile of long leg to the bullet wound she had on her right thigh to where she now towered above him. When he rose to his feet to his surprise her eyes were level with his. Fuck she's tall.
"Baby feels wrong! What has happened?" she wailed in panic, her large, brown, tragic eyes suddenly liquid as they flashed between Tav and the baby she was now jiggling to try and wakeup.
"She's been drugged to keep her quiet. They all have, but we think they're all right," he rushed on to hurriedly assure her, feeling no such assurance.
"Don't jiggle her," he snapped more sharply then he'd intended. To his own surprise his hand was already on her arm stilling her jiggling motion.
Julia stepped hastily back from his hand.
"Baby likes it," she said defensively.
"Don't do it while she's like this. You might make her sick and if she's drugged she could choke on her own vomit."
Her aghast, panicked expression surprised Tav, but she stopped jiggling the baby. She was now holding her out in front of her like she was a time bomb about to explode.
"Put her upright on your shoulder. Like this. Then if the drugs do make her sick she at least won't choke," Tav patronisingly parroted what Anderson had told them all before the women had arrived.
Julia flinched as she hurriedly shifted Baby upright on to her shoulder, her sore shoulder, but the one farthest away from him. Turning sideways so Baby was even further away she glared balefully at him. He helps Baby but I don't like him.
"Thank you," she said resentfully. "Now go away. I don't need your help."
Tav saw her flinch as she shifted the baby and realized that as well as the bullet in her leg she'd also injured her shoulder. She's the one the other women used as a springboard to avoid the minefield. No wonder he shoulder's injured.
Even though she was injured and could hardly hold the baby she was still clutching her way from him as if he was a threat to it. For some reason when he should have been feeling sympathy for her he felt nothing but irritation and anger. That made him feel guilty and he hated feeling guilty.
She obviously didn't know much about looking after babies. In fact, standing there defensively shielding that baby who carried his scent and glaring defiantly at him she looked like a sulky child herself.
"I am mother. I know what I am doing."
What's the deal with this Pidgin English, shit?
He didn't recognise her scent as being part of any of the pack scents he was familiar with. Her pack must be a very junior unit. Probably from Tanner's area of the compound and that's why he hadn't encountered it before.
"Whose unit are you from," he snapped? Let her own pack sort her out.
"Go to hell," she snapped back mirroring his belligerence.
Tav's eyes narrowed on her. "That baby has my scent on it. Why the fuck is that?" he demanded aggressively.
The harshness in his voice surprised even him, but he wanted some answers. That baby's scent was so close a match to his that he had to have fathered it. If it had been cloned from him the scent would be identical to his. It wasn't. Instead it was a blend of his and this female's scent. Since he certainly hadn't fucked Big Bird here. That left only one possible scenario. Whoever was running that breeding facility had used his stolen genetic material to breed that fucking baby? Although he'd never given his sperm voluntarily, the times he'd been injured the bastards could have taken enough to repopulate Manticore and he'd have been none the wiser.
Struggling to control his escalating anger he pinned her with cold eyes while he waited for her to answer. This slow building rage that he was feeling was foreign to him. He never got angry like this. It was a complete waste of energy. He knew that being angry with her was irrational. It wasn't her fault. She'd had as little choice about what they'd put into her body as he'd had about what they'd extracted from his. He was also aware that open hostility with her wasn't going to solve anything.
Her wide eyes stared at him and she gulped as she searched for a suitable answer.
"You genetic contributor. That's all," she said finally. Again she shifted the baby further away from him as if he was going to hurt it. Moving him from angry to enraged.
He felt an inexplicable, irrational urge to jerk the baby off her and tell her where she could shove genetic contributor. Practically speechless with rage and not really understanding why, he searched his brain for something sensible to say.
"Fuck you," he said finally, glaring venomously at her.
She curled her lip disdainfully and gave him the finger.
"I never fucked you," he retaliated looking her up and down insultingly. I wouldn't fuck her if she were the last female left on earth. "That baby wasn't made in the proper way so you're only a genetic con…"
"Baby is so proper. Baby beautiful," she interrupted aghast. "You just fucking horrible bastard," she hissed at him.
"I didn't say she wasn't proper. I said she wasn't properly made. By me fucking you. The way babies are supposed to be made. Are you stupid or something?" he ground out angrily.
"So that makes you only a 'genetic contributor' as well," he finished glowering belligerently at her.
"No. No. Julia mother. You 'genetic contributor.'" Her lip started to quiver and she gazed frantically around her.Clutching her baby tighter she finally buried her face in its blanket and started calling for Ana like a child would.
Tav stared at her in horrified shock. Fuck could this be any worse. She's a nomalie.
Alec came up behind him. "What the hell have you done Tav,' he demanded impatiently looking from Tav to a now sobbing Julia.
That made Tav all the angrier. "Me. I haven't done anything. She's not right in the head. She can't look after a baby," he bit out in disgust.
Julia's head came up and she stopped crying. "I can so. I am good mother. Baby likes me." Her angry gaze dropped to the baby Tav was still holding, and in his agitation was now unconsciously jiggling.
"Stop giggling Susie's baby. You'll make her sick," she snapped angrily.
Narrow eyed his nostrils flared in frustrated rage Tav stopped jiggling.
Wiping the back of her hand gracelessly across her eyes Julia mustered her dignity. "I am so right in the head. I'm just newly born and still learning, that's all, but I'm as smart as you." She held Alec's gaze before flicking onto Tav. "And much smarter than that mean bastard," she said dismissing Tav with a haughty curl of her lip as she started down the road.
Yep, definitely a dime short of a dollar Alec thought.
"Where the hell are you taking that baby?" Tav demanded in panic after her departing back.
"Alec, she's not right in the head. Do something," he hissed. Shifting the baby he was holding higher up his shoulder he went after her with Alec following in his wake.
"What is your designation and whose unit are you from?" Alec demanded in his sternest most authoritative voice.
"Fuck off." She glared at him
"Okay." Alec's eyebrow rose and he sighed, lamenting the fact that a tactic that always worked so well with males could be so counter productive when applied to females. He thought about the best course of action. Humour her.
"Alright then. Ana's waiting at the bird to go back to the facility," he said deliberately like he was talking to a slow child. "Perhaps you'd like to wait for the rest of us with her?"
She smiled sweetly at him, "That's… where… I ...was ...going," she explained slowly like he was the backward child.
"Right then," Alec agreed affably plastering an insincere smile on his face. Definitely not right in the head.
"I'll send a medic for your leg," he called after her departing back. Shrugging that he'd done his best he ignored Tav's dissatisfied scowl, and turned back to the truck. Only to find the women and babies he'd been unsuccessfully trying to organise were now following Julia in a nice orderly line.
Alec turned as Steve came up behind him. "That's all the women now," he said absently patting the back of the baby he was holding.
Watching him Alec thought that of all of them he was the one who looked the most at ease with a baby perched on his shoulder.
"The three dead babies mother's weren't amongst the women who made it here. They must still be back at the facility. It's good that the support units aren't far away. They can break the news to the mothers. I sure as hell don't want to be doing it." Steve said with feeling.
Fuck no. Neither do I. "Yeah," Alec concurred in heartfelt agreement thinking about what awaited them back at the Facility.
"What do you want to do with the truck?"
"Leave it here. No point in taking that coffin back."
"Yeah, Steve agreed. Did you know Anderson was talking pictures of it?
Alec shrugged his indifference.
"I don't think any of these women are from Manticore Alec." There's just no scent on them that I recognise. If it was just one or two, then okay I could believe that maybe I'd just never encountered their pack scent, but not this many. There are to many of them for that to be possible."
"I was thinking the same thing Steve."
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Alec glanced sideways at Tav's stony face now fixed stoically ahead as he flew the bird back to the facility. Alec wanted to say something to him but he didn't really know what he could say.
A kid made from Tav's sperm. Fuck if I'm finding it hard to believe, what the hell is he thinking.
Tav who in some ways was little more than a kid himself had woken up this morning with nothing to worry about other than his next leave. Only to find that by lunchtime he was the father of a baby who'd been made without his consent from a sample stolen from him. And it looked like that baby had a mother who was at best simple minded, if not fucked in the head.
Fuck, it would have to be every transgen male's nightmare to be the father of a kid that he couldn't protect properly. Maybe, the best Tav could hope for was that because of the nature of the way the baby had been made he wouldn't start to think of it as his.How they hell would he manage given their territorial and possessive natures if his instinct to protect it kicked in? It would be a fucking nightmare.
And what about the baby's mother? There was definitely something odd about her. Alec gazed back over his shoulder into the belly of the bird now packed with the women and their babies. There' something odd about all of these women. Uneasily his glance swept over them again.
The scent of their fear had faded, but it had been strong when they'd first boarded the bird. They'd all been wide-eyed with alarm until Julia sensing Tav's impatient disdain, despite her own obvious unease had squared her shoulders and feigning nonchalance led them all onto the bird.
As of yet Alec hadn't really had a chance to talk to Ana as she'd been too anxious about her missing baby to bother her with questions. However the women's obvious discomfit about boarding the bird had confirmed his conviction that they certainly weren't Manticore trained soldiers. Another puzzling fact was that Julia despite being simple minded seemed to be their alpha.
Moving back into the belly of the bird he sat down opposite Todd who was seated beside a pale, tense Ana. Todd glanced deliberately from Tav and back to Alec shaking his head in sympathy, his thoughts obviously along the same lines as Alec's. Alec raised his eyebrows in silent agreement. What a fucking mess.
"Tanner to alpha one, tell Ana I've found her baby and he's alive. Reagan's is holding him at the moment. He got left behind because the truck was too full, over."
"Roger that Tanner thanks our eta five minutes, over."
Grinning jubilantly Todd bent and relayed the message to Ana.
Alec couldn't help smiling as she hitched the baby she was holding higher on her shoulder and unceremoniously grabbed Todd's earpiece. Nearly dislocating his ear in the process if the extravagated way he was now rubbing it was any indication.
"Are you sure he's mine Tanner? There are other babies there with the alpha pack scent on them."
"Yeah, Ana I'm sure. This little one is pure alpha pack and your smell is all over him."
As far as she knew her baby was the only baby there who was pure alpha pack. Reassured it was indeed her baby and grateful to Tanner for not just blurting that the baby also had Todd's scent she glanced furtively sideways. Quickly jerking her eyes away when she encountered Todd's shocked expression. I've done nothing wrong. It's not my fault. She reassured herself fixing her eyes in front of her again and ignoring him.
Alec's eyes went straight back to Todd now wearing the same horrified expression he was sure was reflected on his own face.
Fuck no. There can't be more of them fathered by us. By the time his stunned eyes had found Steve's the full import of what Ana had just said hit him. There could be one of mine down there. He could tell by the look of horror on Steve's face the same thought had just occurred to him.
Fuck. What were they flying their mates into?
"Alec what…" Max's shaky, bewildered voice reflected his own feelings.
"Its all right Max. Everything will be fine. I'll sort it out once I get there. What's your eta, over?"
He already knew her eta. He was only trying to distract her from thinking about what they'd just heard. If Max got upset then their baby got upset and there was nothing to be gained by worrying until they had the full facts..
"Eta thirty minutes Alec," she said her voice steadier.
Leaning forward his elbows resting on his knees he stared numbly at his clasped hands hoping like hell that in thirty minutes time he wouldn't be trying to find a way to tell her that their precious, eagerly awaited baby, made all the more special by the fact it was something they had created together. Had been preceded by another child, made carelessly and uncaring from a sample stolen from him. Fuck, Would any of them ever be free of Manticore.
His gaze caught and held Steve's who was looking as panicked as he was feeling. Down at that Facility there were more babies fathered from the sperm of alpha pack males. The best they could hope for was that they were the offspring of the unmated males in his pack. The alternative was unthinkable. How the hell given the territorial and possessive instincts of transgenic male and female transgenics would a mated male be able to protect the child of a female who wasn't his mate.
Getting up again he went back and sat in the co pilot's seat next to Tav. Looking into his eyes as he turned toward him he now knew exactly what needed to be said.
"It'll be all right Tav, we'll sort it out. 'Genetic contributors' have rights."
"Yeah?" Tav scoffed bitterly, his eyes fixed back on the window. "Tell that to fucking Manticore."
TBC