He was a talented and inventive lover. He made love to her like he wanted to fit everything into the few days they had together. Like he had just this one chance to show her everything she meant to him.
It wasn’t that far from the truth and the thought of it—of never being with him again—was unbearable. So she tried not to think about it and focused on the here and now and the amazing things he made her feel.
They christened every platform along their path as they made their way slowly toward Canada and the possibility of another human colony waiting for them there. The trip became less about their goal and more about their relationship, but Gina didn’t mind in the least. It had been years since she’d concentrated on herself and this enforced intimacy was special.
She was free to indulge her senses for this short period, knowing that at the end of their journey, duty awaited them both. She lost track of time as they traveled but she figured that was a good thing. The lack of day or night in the tunnels gave her a false sense of timelessness—an illusion that they could be together forever—as long as they remained in the tunnels.
But every journey must eventually come to an end.
As the pod rounded a long, sweeping curve, Gina slowed the vehicle. It looked like something blocked the way in the distance, and she didn’t want to take a chance. The big pod took time to decelerate.
The slowing motion awakened Jim. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he joined her in the front of the cabin.
“Problem?”
“Possibly.” She pointed into the distance where they could just make out something blocking the rails.
“We packed some shovels in case of rubble. Could be that’s all it is. If we’re lucky.”
“But the rails are still powered up. How do we clear the tracks if they’re electrified?”
“There should be a kill switch every once in awhile along the tunnel wall. Don’t you remember Wally mentioning it? Look.” He pointed out the window at a small box on the tunnel wall as they glided past slowly. “There’s one. I’ll hop out once we come to a stop and jog back here.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She didn’t want to admit she’d been distracted during some of Wally’s briefing. Her head had been filled with questions about the journey ahead and the man she’d be sharing it with.
They cruised to a stop and as promised, Jim jumped out and headed for the emergency kill switch. A few minutes later, the pod dropped slowly to the ground, no longer hovering on the electromagnetic field generated by the electrified track.
Gina jumped down from the hatch, a shovel in one hand and a broom in the other. Jim met her, stealing a kiss as he reached for the shovel.
“It looks safe, but keep your eyes peeled.” His words came telepathically into her mind. She was glad of the warning since all her experience and training seemed to fly right out the window whenever Jim distracted her with one of those devastating kisses. “I’ll shovel the debris out of the way while you stand watch, then we’ll switch and you can sweep off the rails while I stand guard.”
“Do you think we’re getting close?”
“I’d bet we were almost there, but it’s hard to judge distances down here. According to the schematics, we should be on the last set of tracks leading to the facility. Frankly I’m amazed we haven’t run into obstructions before this. With all the upheaval of the cataclysm, these tunnels have remained mostly intact.”
“Well, they were built by the military. Chances are, the old Army Corps of Engineers had a hand in the design. Those guys built things to last.”
“Good point.” Jim shoveled the larger rocks away from the tracks. “I think someone put these here deliberately.”
“What makes you say that?”
“See the way these rocks lay? They form almost a straight line across the tracks. That’s not natural. Someone put these here to stop any vehicles that came this way. This could be an ambush.”
Gina let her telekinetic senses stretch out in the way she perfected over many years of study. She could sense movement—even the tiniest twitch of an opponent’s muscles. This skill was her early warning system, her personal radar, and it had made her an invaluable part of many missions for the Zxerah.
“No movement yet besides you and me,” she reported to Jim.
He stopped shoveling for a moment to look at her. “So Larry was right. You really can use your gifts to detect movement.”
“It’s the only really good skill I have.” She shrugged her shoulders. She’d never been comfortable with having such a paltry ability compared with the rest of her family. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart. We all deserve to keep a secret or two.”
She didn’t like the sound of that but was prevented from commenting by movement in the tunnel ahead.
“Heads up. My spidey-senses are tingling.”
He was instantly alert, she could tell by the tension in his shoulders, but he kept working as if unaware of the approaching danger. Gina shifted her weight subtly into a ready stance. The broom in her hands became a weapon, a bo staff that could be used to fend off an attack.
“What can you tell me?”
“They’re approaching cautiously, and there’s more than one. Two. Men, I think, judging by the displacement of air.”
“Jeez, baby, you can sense air displacement? That’s some sharp skill you have.”
For just a moment, Gina basked in his praise. Her father and brothers had always been complementary and kind about her gifts, but back then she hadn’t been this skilled. She’d always felt second best in the psychic department because the rest of her family was incredibly talented in demonstrable ways. Her meager skills had been weak compared to theirs and mostly untrained. To have Jim’s admiration meant more than she could say.
“They’re getting closer, and they’re good at stealth. There are definitely two of them. Men. Big men. About your size, I’d say. And…” she reached for the information floating in the air currents, “…they’re armed. Long sticks. Could be rifles, could be brooms. I can’t tell you more than the size and shape.”
“That’s more than enough. We’ll let them dictate how this encounter starts out, but if they mean us harm, you and I will finish it.”
She liked the way he included her in his plans. Jim never underestimated her. He had never asked her to take a back seat while he did all the work. She liked having his respect as an equal partner. Hell, she just plain liked him. Perhaps even loved him.
She was in big trouble when the notion of loving him didn’t even faze her. She understood it then, in that moment, with possible enemies stalking them. She was in love with Jim.
A tall man stepped out into the middle of the track a few yards from their position. He held a rifle at the ready.
Jim stopped shoveling and turned to face the newcomer, keeping his hands in sight, leaning on the shovel handle casually.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” the man wanted to know.
“I’m Jim. This is Gina. We just came up in the pod from the Colorado facility to see if anybody lived here. I assume I’m talking to someone who lives in the old NORAD site?”
The man shifted his weight, and Gina read caution in his every move. His companion remained hidden in the shadows near the tunnel wall.