Evanescent Read online

  “If he wakes up and finds me gone, he’ll be furious.”

  “He won’t wake up for quite a while.” He cupped her chin, caressing her cheek. The anger stilled rolled off him in waves. “I’m so sorry that you had to endure this.”

  “Just a few more days. Keep focusing on that?” She quickly dressed, then kissed him and hurried to her room.

  Chapter Eight

  Rachel directed the ship she had been waiting on for two long weeks into the docking bay and glanced at the clock. The vessel wasn’t due to depart until midnight, and it was only early afternoon. She had a long day ahead of her. Not like that was anything new.

  Every day and evening for the past week, she had endured Kyle and his sexual fantasies. Sometimes late into the night during her workdays, and all day and evening when she was scheduled off. At least he didn’t ask her to sleep in his quarters, and he kept his promise to not go all way. His talk of marriage continued. The man was delusional, but she finally just let him blabber on about it. It was a fantasy that would never be realized.

  Rachel saw Ethan every evening in Kyle’s quarters, sometimes twice if he brought her lunch. She managed to keep him apprised of the Brevonian ship and together they had formulated a final plan for escape. They would make their getaway tonight before the ship departed.

  She was going to slip her spare phaser into the pocket of Ethan’s overalls when he delivered the food Kyle usually ordered around ten at night. She’d pretend to be a little tipsy and trip and fall against him. In her mind, she’d played it all out, over and over again.

  The docking bays were not heavily guarded that late in the evening. One guard would be stationed at the entrance to each bay that had incoming or outgoing ships. That night, there would be no arrivals and only one ship departing. The one to Brevona. Their ship. Their freedom.

  Rachel had gleaned quite a bit of information from drunk Kyle about Brevona and his dealings with the planet. He hadn’t mentioned the gold, but she knew they brought vegetables, fruit, and meat to the prison. She’d already found it strange that their food was brought in from Earth when there was such a shortage of provisions there. Coming from Brevona explained the quality and quantity of the fare the staff was served.

  During her investigation, she discovered the gold was transported in oil barrels to bypass Brevona’s security without detection. Kyle was a blabbering idiot when he was drunk out of his mind, though he never let slip that it was gold in the barrels. He called the contents goods. So even when his brain disengaged from his mouth, his lips were sealed about his illegal dealings.

  She and Ethan were going to hide in two of the barrels. Ethan knew where they were kept and would make sure there were two left empty.

  It would take four days for the cargo ship to reach Brevona. Rachel had been hoarding crackers, cheese, and slices of smoked meat, enough to feed them for a few days. She’d also confiscated some empty bottles from Kyle’s quarters that she’d found under his kitchen sink. That night, she’d fill them with water.

  There was no doubt that Kyle would order a search after he discovered they had escaped. He would be like a dog with a bone. The search would not only be for them but for any guards and inmates they had to kill to make their escape feasible. Since the Brevonian ship was the only one leaving that night, Kyle would assume that all of them were on it. He would contact the pilot, and they’d do a search of the ship. She was on pins and needles. Would everything go according to plan?

  Rachel was so immersed in her thoughts, she didn’t realize when Kyle showed up at her office door. It was the usual routine, a couple of drinks in his quarters, dinner, then off to the gym. She needed to make him good and pissed. The angrier he got, the more likely he would drink himself into a stupor, so she wore the hated white G-string suit.

  As soon as she got on the treadmill, he was beside her. “I thought I asked you never to wear that one again.”

  “Sorry. I forgot. The other ones are dirty.” She smiled sweetly.

  There were a lot of men in the gym. Word had gradually gotten around about her workouts, and more and more staff began to show up, much to Kyle’s chagrin. He’d threatened more than once to close the gym down for a few hours, so they’d have privacy.

  “You can’t do that,” she’d told him. “If it’s reported, you’re in trouble.”

  There were at least thirty men, if not more, in the gym that evening. Rachel sighed as Kyle grew more livid. But that was okay, that’s what she wanted.

  She began her vigorous training on the treadmill until she was soaked, and perspiration dripped from her forehead, then she started lifting weights. That, especially, drew attention from the men as her legs were spread while doing arm lifts. She knew they could see everything and didn’t give a damn. Let them have happy dreams tonight...

  She had no idea what would happen in the showers. There sure as hell weren’t enough for that many people. She used as many of the machines as she could, keeping an eye on the clock. She needed enough time in his quarters to get him in a drunken stupor. Each time she glanced at him, he looked angrier.

  Good. It’s working.

  Finally, she headed for the showers with Kyle hot on her heels. The men filed in, all fighting about a stall. Until Kyle raised his voice.

  “Shut the fuck up! There are twenty showers. Ten on each side. Take turns.”

  She turned on the shower but waited to take off her suit. She’d seen from the corner of her eyes that the remaining men were crowding the door to look inside. She peeled the G-string off and did a pirouette. It was amusing really. A bunch of grown men, all waiting for a peek of her. Hey, maybe I can open a business doing this... Start charging. She giggled as she bent, twisted, turned, and finally lifted her arms and pirouetted again. She turned the knob, picked up her little outfit and walked out to the lockers. Then she put on her suit.

  Kyle had followed her. He dressed, then grabbed her by the arm and marched her to his quarters, shoving her inside.

  “That was one hell of a fucking display you put on!” he shouted when the door slid shut. Rachel was sure all of New Alcatraz heard him.

  Used to his ways now, she quickly handed him a flask of hard liquor. Not wine. When he was this angry, he wanted the hard stuff.

  “Take your fucking suit off.”

  She obeyed. It would be the last time he ever saw her naked. It would be the last time he ever laid eyes on her.

  It took a while and another bottle of whiskey before his anger calmed to a steady simmer. “I’m... I... hungry. Need... eat.” His words were slurred.

  “I’ll call for food. Burgers?” She didn’t wait for his answer and sent a message to the kitchen.

  It was as if Ethan had been waiting and had the burgers ready. He was there within minutes, followed by Blom. When he was in the process of placing the plates on the table, she swayed toward him, giggling, then pretended to trip and fell against him. Quick as a flash she grabbed the gun from under the tabletop where she’d hidden it and put it into his pocket.

  Kyle babbled something, then came toward her. His hands groped for her breasts. In seconds, Ethan yanked the phaser out of his pocket and fired it, turning Kyle into a pile of dust.

  Before Blom had a chance to react, Ethan disintegrated him, too.

  “Damn, Ethan! Now they’ll really be after us.”

  “No one will find out until tomorrow morning, and it’s a day off for most, everyone will presume they’re sleeping late. The bastards deserved it. Not because they were thieves, but for the way you’ve been treated.” He reached up and caressed her cheek. A simple caress that felt so much different than Kyle’s touch. “Go put your suit on.”

  She nodded, then grabbed her clothing, dressed quickly and strapped on her gun belt. “How many in the kitchen?”

  “Four inmates and two guards.”

  Rachel studied him a moment. “That yellow suit of yours needs to go. You stand out like a sore thumb.” She gl
anced at the clock. “We’ve got some time. Go take a quick shower and change into some of Kyle’s clothing. They should fit you.”

  “Are you upset I shot him?”

  “Kyle? Hell, no. He was a dirty pig.” She shuddered in revulsion. “I can’t wait to wash his touch off my body and try to erase the memory of this whole episode of my life out of my mind.”

  “I’m sorry, Rachel.” He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “I’d better go shower and change.”

  While he was in the shower, Rachel gathered the supplies she’d been saving from their hiding place inside the kitchen cupboards. Kyle never looked inside them anyway. He rarely used the small kitchen except to get booze or water out of the cooler.

  When Ethan came out of the bedroom ten minutes later, he looked a different man. His hair was clean, shiny, and tied back. He wore a pair of Kyle’s tights, boots, and a form-fitting black shirt. “You look great.”

  “Thanks. We’d best get going.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. His touch sent a tingling awareness up her arm that warmed her body from the inside out. She relished in the contact that was so very different from Kyle’s. Soon they would be free to explore these strange feelings Ethan brought out in her. He opened the door and looked up and down the corridor. No one in sight. They hurried to the elevator. Rachel jabbed at the button and waited impatiently for it to get to their floor.

  “Here it is.”

  The doors slid open and revealed two of the sergeants. “What the hell,” one of them said and reached for the alarm button. Ethan reacted fast and turned him into dust, along with the other one before the alarm could be sounded. The man’s training was impeccable. Doctors Schultz and Schmidt would have been proud.

  “It was necessary.” He pulled her inside the elevator before the door slid shut. “Just know that they were both in on Kyle’s scheme.”

  “Mission accomplished. Schultz will be happy about that small caveat. There could be more in on the scheme, though.”

  “There are, but I don’t really care.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out. “I never did like the idea of killing anyone. I hate that we were trained to be assassins.”

  “I agree with you. I prefer the term, soldier. No time for sentimental thoughts now though. It’s us, or them.”

  They exited the elevator, phasers in hand. One lone guard stood outside the passageway leading to the departure bay. With only minutes to spare to board the ship, Ethan disintegrated the guard. They peeked down the empty corridor. The coast was clear, but the ramp to the cargo hold of the vessel was beginning to close.

  “Run like hell!” Ethan yanked her forward pulling her through the passageway at a dead run. Rachel gripped the bundle of supplies, holding it with her cybernetic hand to keep from losing it. Four days in a barrel with no food or water could cost them their lives.

  Ethan jumped, grabbing the side of the closing partitions and scrambled inside. He reached down, hauling Rachel up. She landed hard against him, causing them to tumble down the closing hatch into the cargo hold. In seconds the doors snapped shut, and they were in darkness.

  “I can’t see a thing,” she whispered.

  “You don’t have to whisper. No one is here but us.”

  “How do we find the barrels?”

  “We will find them later. It takes four days to get to Brevona. We don’t need to be in the barrels until the ship docks. Besides, I’m a genius. Look.” He turned on a small flashlight.

  “Oh my God. Where did you get that?”

  “Found it in Kyle’s closet with a few other things we may need.”

  “And just how are we going to figure out when to hide in the barrels?” She cocked her chin at him. Stuck in the hold, they could easily lose track of time.

  “With this.” He handed her a watch and grinned, looking almost boyish with that humorous glint in his eyes. It was like a sucker punch to the gut.

  She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. His arm slipped around her, and she suddenly broke down and cried. “Soldiers... sold... soldiers... don’t... do not cry,” she managed to bring out.

  “Honey, it’s okay. Let it all out. I know what you had to endure at that idiot’s hands. Believe me, you’ve got no idea how badly I wanted to get my hands around his neck and snap it. His death was too easy for him.”

  Honey? She let his words flow around her as if they were syrup. They soothed her spirit, her soul, her damaged heart, her shattered nerves.

  “Ethan,” she said finally gazing up at him. “Where will this lead us?”

  “I’ve no idea except to new horizons, but I’m hopeful. Away from the Institute, away from New Alcatraz.”

  “What if they find us when they unload the barrels?”

  “We’ve come this far. Don’t get paranoid on me now.”

  She relished the way he squeezed her against him. It felt strange, yet weirdly wonderful. Why do I feel so different with Ethan than I did with Kyle? It wasn’t that Kyle wasn’t good looking. He was. His face was almost angelic, too perfect in a way. But Ethan... he is awakening emotions I have only read about. And Ethan would never force himself on me.

  Rachel drifted off to the steady sound of the ship’s engines. When she finally woke up, it was to the sound of her own screams. She thrashed and fought until she realized she was in Ethan’s arms and they were on the ship.

  “That was one bad dream.” He held her close to him, gently caressing her back.

  “It was. In it, I relived that shit with Kyle, and then I dreamed the barrels we were in rolled down a mountain and crashed into a sea.”

  “Hell, I hope not.” He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t believe in dreams. They’re all part of the subconscious.”

  “I hope so. If we ended up in a barrel at the bottom of the ocean, imagine...”

  Chapter Nine

  They spent their waking hours talking and talking. Rachel found she wanted to learn everything she could about Ethan and share her secrets and desires.

  When the fourth day arrived, and they neared their destination, Ethan took her chin between thumb and forefinger, his brown eyes gazing into hers, and he told her, “Whatever happens, I’ll never leave you.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. Her stomach did a little somersault and those famous butterflies she’d read about crept up to her throat. Tingles ignited a fire of need all over her body. She sighed when his lips pulled away, not wanting the kiss to end. Being in his arms felt so... right.

  Ethan stood and pulled her up. “Let’s get into the barrels. Though we need to take out the stones I put in them.”

  She had no idea when he’d found the two barrels among all the other cargo. Maybe while she was asleep? He twisted the lids off, and she saw the stones hidden within. How Ethan had gotten hold of the stones, she had no idea. And it didn’t matter now. They began emptying the barrels and hid the rocks in a crevice between the wall and the floor.

  “You first,” Ethan said after the barrels were empty.

  Really? This scared her. She climbed into the barrel, but before she could crouch down, he planted a kiss on her lips. “I’m not far away.” She heard the lid close and turn and buried her face between her knees.

  She managed to blank out her mind for a while until she heard voices and footsteps and the rolling of barrels. Here we go. Soon she felt like she was in a blender. Next, her barrel was heaved, tossed, and then she heard the roar of an engine. Not a spaceship. No, it sounded more like a plane, or possibly a truck.

  Again, the rolling sensation. Lord have mercy, was she going to be black and blue after this. She wondered how Ethan was faring and wished she could call out to him. For some reason, her telepathic device had quit working. Could it be interference from Brevona’s atmosphere?

  The noise finally stopped, and she heard the muffled voices of people rolling the barrels off the truck and to wherever they were taking them.r />
  Everything grew quiet again. She stayed hunkered down in her barrel waiting impatiently for some word from Ethan. After a while, the lid of her barrel opened. She had her phaser ready to shoot.

  “Hush, it’s me.” Ethan helped her out of the barrel.

  “Where are we?”

  “On Brevona, but we’re with a pocket of upstarts. If they find us, it’ll be the end.”

  “How do you know they’re upstarts?” She scanned their dark surroundings. They were in an encampment of some sort, but she couldn’t see any movement, just the glow of a campfire a short distance away.

  “They’re talking about overthrowing the royal house, and they’re in league with people from Earth.”

  “What?”

  “I overheard them talking. They mentioned Schultz and Schmidt and WLO. My barrel was close to their campfire. I managed to sneak out after they fell asleep.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  Ethan took her hand and pulled her along. “For now, we’re going to get the hell out of here. If any of them wake and sees us, we’re history.”

  Hand in hand they sneaked out of the camp as quietly as possible. No one stirred. “I think they’ve had enough of whatever they were drinking,” Ethan murmured. “Now run.”

  They ran. And ran. Until they came upon a wooded area that would help conceal them. Rachel clasped her side and sank to the ground. “Ethan, I’m exhausted.”

  He pulled her up and held her. “Sweetie, I’m so sorry, but we need to get away from the bad guys. You understand, don’t you?”

  “Where are we going to find good guys on this planet?” she said while looking up at him.

  “Maybe right here.” A voice from behind startled them both, and she and Ethan drew their weapons at the same time.

  A man stepped forward, surprise registering on his face.

  “Four?” Ethan lowered his weapon.