“Tell me of my men. Are they well?” As Grady had suspected, the ties of a commander to his men were never lost. Even in exile, Bill’s concern for his people was strong.
“The new Prime asked me to tell you that he misses your counsel. He seemed to think your decision to take the treatment was a good one, but I suspect he wasn’t ready to take command—at least intellectually—when you failed to return. He would have followed your leadership for the rest of his life, happily. He was very devoted to you, as were most of the men I spoke with. That’s a credit to you as a commander. You inspired loyalty and even love among a group of men who had little to give.”
“All that will change if Ronin has his way. I believe he is working on a way to get all of them the same gene-altering therapy that I had. Especially after meeting you, and seeing that you haven’t gone completely mad.” Bill chuckled at his own dry humor. “He’ll be pestering Mara Prime to move up the schedule. Mark my words.”
“I don’t doubt you’re right. Ronin seems like a man of strong convictions and intense will.”
“He is one of the strongest people I know. Among Alvians, he is the most dedicated to his beliefs, the surest of his purpose and the bravest I have met. Since exiling myself among the humans though, I have found much to admire among them. The things they have gone through to survive in the world we made for them would break your heart if you let them.”
“You’ve revised your opinion of humans then?”
“I have. They have a strength and resilience our people have lost. They survived against all odds and continue to thrive both in captivity and on the run. They are resourceful, intelligent and cunning, as I’m sure you know.”
Grady nodded in agreement. “I have often found myself respecting those I have hunted and captured, including the two men there.” He indicated David and Michael with a jerk of his chin. “They were among my most challenging missions. I regret their animosity toward me, but I do understand it. No one in their right mind could actually like—or forgive—the person who stole their freedom. And back when I did it, I didn’t even realize the full impact of my actions. How do you live with the regret, Bill?”
“It’s not easy.” A chilling desolation entered the former assassin’s eyes.
Grady wasn’t proud of the things he’d done to humans in his past as a warrior Prime, but he’d never killed in cold blood. He’d never been used as an assassin. At the time it wouldn’t have mattered, but now that he could feel, he was grateful for the oversight. Grady could only imagine the guilt Bill felt. Killing in self defense or defense of others could be considered acceptable but killing in cold blood was something Grady didn’t know if he could have lived with.
They entered through the second blast door, and Grady both felt and heard the reverberations of both heavy steel doors being closed and locked behind him. If things were going to turn ugly, now would be the time.
But his hosts didn’t turn on him. Instead, they led him through a central area from which he could see multiple buildings of various sizes and indications of human habitation. In fact, he could see more than a few people going about their business around the vast space, walking from building to building, carting things in small hand-powered vehicles from levels below and generally doing things to keep the facility running.
“This is quite an installation.” Grady admired the orderly way the people moved around. He even noted a few infants with their mothers and older children at play behind one of the larger buildings.
“It grows almost daily.” Bill indicated a group of people being taught how to work some of the automated instruments. “We’ve had to institute a schedule of classes so newcomers can learn how everything works down here. We’re nowhere near capacity, but it feels like a crowd. In the beginning it was just me, Michael, David and Jaci living down here. Then the others started to arrive. First, we took in people sent to us by our allies then later people started looking for us themselves as rumors spread.”
Grady would bet anything that the allies Bill had mentioned were the O’Haras. Their ranch wasn’t too far away as the Avarel could fly, and Grady had long suspected they worked covertly to assist what humans they could. He didn’t begrudge them that. It was only natural they would try to help their fellow man. They were good people he had come to respect.
As they crossed the open area, Grady became aware of another group of people. He recognized Jaci 192, who stood facing him. She was talking with two others, a male and a female. Just then the female turned, and he caught sight of the gentle curve of her cheek.
Could it be?
“Oh my God.” Gina’s voice was a whisper of sound. “Grady.”
She took off as Jim watched. She jogged toward a strange Alvian male who stood a few yards distant with Bill, Mike and Dave. She jumped into his arms, joy clear in her expression.
Her response seemed all out of proportion with what anyone could have expected. The alien man’s too. At first he seemed shocked, but he recovered quickly, folding her in his arms, kissing her for all he was worth. There was real emotion showing in every tender caress of his hands over her hair, her shoulders, her back. They were lovers reunited, and no one watching them could be unaffected.
But Jim stood frozen, taken completely by surprise. Jim felt Gina’s response to the alien like a sucker punch to his gut. He’d been blindsided by the hushed joy in her voice, the slight tremble as she recognized her old lover. Jim knew that was what he was. Even in those cold blue alien eyes, he could see the love shining down on her. It was pure, and it was deep.
Jim felt it like a burning saber to his soul.
“Who’d a thunk it?” Jaci used one of those odd colloquialisms she’d been learning from her mates. “They Hum.”
“Who is he?” Jim needed confirmation, though in his heart he already knew.
Jaci turned to him, a smile in her eyes and innocent happiness on her pretty face. “Why that’s Grady Prime. I think he’s finally taken the treatment if the look on his face is anything to go by.”
“You mean the emotion-restoring drug?” Jim didn’t like the sound of this at all—or the look of his woman in the alien’s arms. But then, he had no real claim on Gina. He’d been careful to let her know he wouldn’t leave his people. Not even for her. They were a couple for this trip only and now it seemed their time together had come to an abrupt and premature end.
“I prepared the doses for him and a new test group before I left. In fact, that’s when I accidentally dosed myself. It was the best mistake I ever made.” Her smile turned nostalgic as she looked at her two mates. “Grady found us here later, after I’d made a run for it with Michael and David.”
“He found you?”
She nodded, turning her happy expression on him. “He did, but he let us go when he heard our Hum and saw evidence of our resonance. It’s the oldest of Alvian laws—Resonance Mates may not be separated for any reason. He used that to justify letting us live here in peace. He didn’t report us to the Council. As far as anyone knows, I was his one and only failure at tracking and I thank him every day for allowing the false ruination of his perfect record.”
Jim had some idea what that might have cost the man in pride—especially an Alvian warrior who had emotions. No soldier liked to have a blemish on his record and letting Jaci go would have been a big mark against him. Maybe there was more to the man than just another pretty Alvian face, but Jim was reserving judgment.
“Well, would you look at that.” Michael joined them, standing beside his mate Jaci. David took up a position on her other side, as all three turned to watch Gina and the Alvian warrior, necking like they were teenagers in a carpark. “I reckon they’ve met before.”