Chapter 17

LAS VEGAS/PHOENIX INTERSTATE TRAIN TUNNEL

Anuk opened her eyes slowly, unmoving as she allowed her senses to come fully awake. Her head turned slowly and her cerulean blue eyes came to rest on Danny. He was squatting by the small doorway into the abandoned toll booth they had taken refuge in after her ill advised stunt. He was in almost the exact same position as when he had ushered her off to sleep, looking down the dark tunnel for any danger that might be coming their way.

Anuk had given no thought to the fact that there might be less than friendly individuals within the parts of the tunnel they had not yet traversed; she only thought to ... Anuk's eyes grew a little wider. She only thought to attempt to impress Daniel with her skills.

The sudden realization of this fact stunned Anuk. Something had made her want to impress Daniel, to show him that she was not a whiny spoiled brat as he had once called her. She looked at his broad, powerful back as these thoughts raced through her mind. His caramel colored skin almost glowed in the wash of soft white light from the lantern that had been in the pack. His head twitched every few moments as if to search for scents wafting through the stale air of the tunnel. His only derogatory comment had been the initial sentence he had spoken after she fired her weapon. He had not mentioned it after moving to the old toll booth, and he did not mention it while she was practically naked before him as he treated the wound on her side. Anuk had held the fatigue top across her breasts while his large hands had applied a soothing ointment across the width of the wound on her side. She hadn't realized until that moment how warm his hands were, and they scorched her skin wherever they touched, sending wonderful jolts of pleasure through her, even though they moved very businesslike across her skin.

Anuk had never expected to be able to feel any semblance of pleasure ever again in her life, not after her months of enduring the endless rapes and beatings. She had spent many a night wondering if Matarn would even find her desirable after her ordeal. Daniel's touch answered that question; and it also brought forth another, more powerful question. How could the hands of a man who reminded her so much of her tormentors cause her skin to sizzle in desire, the desire that she wanted his hands to do so much more.

The answer was easy enough to discover as she gazed at his back. Daniel was the first man to ever show her the kindness that she had received in his care. With that single exception when he had allowed the desire and want for her to filter through his eyes enough that she took notice of it, he had been the ever protective man. Even when his hands were touching her skin in more intimate places and with considerably less clothing that Matarn had ever seen her in, he had done nothing more than to treat her wounds with the gentlest of actions. She marveled that a man his size could move so deftly, and with complete and utter control of his actions. There were no wasted motions, each movement measured and almost predatory in nature. He always seemed to be sniffing the air, ever alert to their surroundings. And his eyes, his eyes danced in her mind, so endless in depth she could lose herself forever within them. This was no ordinary man, and while he had told her what he was, there was far more to his persona than he was telling her, or ... allowing her to see.

It hit her then, with the force of a wall falling on top of her. She wanted this man. She known him only three days and she wanted this man to possess her and swallow her into his arms.

Anuk shifted her feet slightly, the soft scrapping noise barely audible and yet his head turned quickly and his dark eyes found her.

"You're awake ... that's good. We should get moving." His voice carried to her.

Anuk got to her feet and wrapping the blanket around her to ward off the chill, she moved slowly up to where he squatted and knelt down next to him. "Daniel..." She said softly.

"Ummm," He spoke turning to look at her, bathing her with those delicious dark eyes. Anuk shuddered as she gazed into them and she knew it was not from the chill.

"I'm sorry ... I'm sorry I did that earlier today." She said softly. "It was foolish."

Danny waved one hand in a dismissive motion, "Water under the bridge as they say." He replied. "How do you feel?"

Anuk smiled. "Better than I have in a few days." She replied. "I think the ointment you spread over my wound is working."

Dan nodded. "It should ... that antibiotic ointment will kill just about any bacteria known to exist. Combined with the pills ... the infection should be gone from your system within a day or so."

"What will we do now?" Anuk asked.

Dan motioned down the main tunnel in the direction they had yet to travel. "Roughly seven miles further down the tunnel splits. One part goes to Prescott Arizona, and then it was suppose to extend to Phoenix, the other tunnel goes to Flagstaff. The Prescott tunnel ends shortly after the city limits and the portions that were supposed to continue to Phoenix were never finished."

"Which way do we go?" Anuk asked.

"We head for Flagstaff." Dan replied.

Anuk looked at him. "Flagstaff is a major slaver's hub." She spoke, worry in her voice. "They would discover us?"

Dan shook his head with a grin. "We shut that man down weeks ago." He answered. "We freed all the slaves, many of whom joined Eden, and then we moved to Cedar City and did the same thing."

Anuk looked at him with wide eyes. "You are saying you have destroyed the two largest slave settlements east of Las Vegas?" She asked.

Dan nodded, "Yep!"

"We have tried for years to end the threat of those two settlements." Anuk spoke. "How have you managed to do it in only a few months?"

"I have learned over the course of my life never to question Marty and his tactics." Dan spoke. "He has gotten us out of more firefights and battles without a scratch than I care to recall. He's saved all of our lives on more than one occasion. His mind is like a computer, always running different scenarios, always figuring."

"Is he like you ... physically I mean?" Anuk asked.

"He's shorter by a couple inches, but more ripped. More defined. Sometimes I think he's got muscles in his ears." Dan spoke with a small chuckle. A laugh that Anuk found she adored and it made her chuckle as well. "That isn't what is unique about him though." Dan said.

"What do you mean?"

"His ... his aura is power. He exudes strength and dominance." Dan said his voice carrying a tone of awe in it that Anuk detected. "That's why he is the Alpha of our pack."

"I don't understand ... your pack?" Anuk asked looking at him.

Dan nodded returning her gaze intently. He did not know if he should pursue this as far as he wanted. Anuk had been held and raped by men of his skin color for months, forced to endure beatings and torture at their hand. Racism had dwindled to practically nothing in the mid 21st century. Danny did not consider himself black, even though he was. He didn't consider himself white either. He was a pack member and that was all he ever cared about. Pablo was Hispanic, Cody was a red neck from Montana, and Kenny was a slick Italian from New York. There wasn't any color within their pack, but he had experienced it. He had no more patience for ignorant black people than he did for whites. Dan wasn't sure if Anuk would ever be able to trust another man, especially him. Should he tell her some of the most intimate details of the life of the pack, details that no outsider had ever learned? He wanted her, the need almost overwhelming, yet he had controlled it up until this point. Her cinnamon scent filled his nostrils and after only a brief moment he chose his direction for good or ill. "We consider ourselves a pack." He explained to her, "A unit and a family. We are all any of us has had since we were very small. You know what a wolf pack is right?"

"Of course, we see them sometimes in the spring high up in the mountains." Anuk answered.

"Well each pack has an Alpha male and at least one, usually two or three and sometimes four or five Alpha females, depending on the size of the pack. The leaders if you will. They are the strongest and most intelligent of the pack." Dan spoke. "Marty is the Alpha ... the strongest and smartest of our pack."

"He is ... he is stronger than you?" Anuk asked surprised.

Dan nodded. "Oh yeah ... remember, I told you he is descended from a Spartan King. There are a few of us who are bigger than him physically sure, probably stronger if that was the only measure of strength, but it isn't and you are smart enough to know that. Regardless, none of us will ever challenge him. We couldn't beat him even if we wanted to challenge him. He's stronger and faster than all of us, in more ways than I could begin to explain." Anuk's eyes showed her amazement. She had seen Daniel in action and his speed and strength was far superior to any elf she had ever seen, and here he was telling her that this Marty was even more powerful. "No..." Dan continued. "He has done more than just keep us together and help us to survive all these years, he has been our anchor, our source of power, the driving force behind all that we do. It's like he knows what each of us needs, and he has always ... always without fail been there for us, no matter what. That is why we will never challenge him. We love him too much. He's like our brother ... all of us are like brothers and sisters in a way really. It's how we think."

Anuk sensed there was much he was not telling her, but she did not push him. She loved hearing his voice swim around her; it was so warm and inviting. "And ... and he is this Alpha."

Dan nodded, "Yep!"

"Is ... is there an ... an Alpha female?" Anuk asked.

Dan looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "Nosy aren't you?" He spoke.

"I ... I find it fascinating Daniel that is all." She replied.

Dan chuckled. "There wasn't ... until..." Dan looked at her, "Until yesterday."

Anuk's eyes grew more interested, "Yesterday? What do you mean?"

"Marty found a mate." Dan said with a grin, "Which is incredible to say the least. She must be very special, that former Queen of yours."

"Queen Dysea?" Anuk gasped in disbelief.

Dan nodded slowly. "She joined our pack yesterday."

"What do you mean former Queen?" Anuk spoke. "She has been our Queen for half a century. She is beautiful and wise."

"That's another story." Dan told her. "I should let your father fill you in on that, or Dysea herself." Dan saw her shiver slightly even under the blanket. "Are you cold?"

"It is just a chill." Anuk replied. "I am an elf ... unnatural medicines introduced into our systems ... while they work quite well ... drop our body temperatures lower than normal for a short time. It is why the shot you gave me to purge the drugs from my system took such a toll on me physically. I was not fully recovered from the last beating I received."

Dan opened his arms without thinking. "Come closer to me." He said to her. Anuk looked at him with sudden fear in her eyes and Dan saw this. "My body temperature runs about four degrees higher that the normal human and elf. We put off a lot of body heat. It will chase away the chill."

Anuk saw in his eyes that he had no ulterior motives for his offering, and she chastised herself for thinking such a thing when she desired him so. He saw it was his duty to protect her and keep her safe, and if that included keeping her warm, it was something he would do. She scooted between his legs and pressed up against his hard chest and abdomen, leaning into him. She felt the effects almost immediately, even through the blanket. His body was like a heated rock, waves of soothing warmth flowing from him, and Anuk found herself relishing in the warmth.

"Why do we head to Flagstaff?" She asked, unconsciously leaning her head against his chest. "Wouldn't Prescott be closer?"

"There is still an engineering team in Flagstaff. They are reopening the tunnel at that end and once they get inside they'll move to us in vehicles. There is plenty of room in this tunnel for wheeled traffic." Dan replied.

"How ... how do you know all this?" Anuk asked. "You said that we were too deep underground for this implant of yours to work."

"I know it the same way I know that every lousy sonofabitch that laid his hands on you is now dead." Dan spoke softly, his words carrying a tone of savage pleasure.

Anuk tilted her head to look at him. "What do you mean? How do you know that?" she asked, feeling sleepy once more with the heat from his body filling her. The depth of her exhaustion was obviously more than she had first realized and sleep was rushing upon her quickly.

Dan didn't look at her as he gazed down the tunnel, his arms draping over Anuk with a possessive tone to them. He felt her hands grip one of his arms and pull it close to her. Dan smiled, reveling in her cinnamon scent as it saturated the very air around him because of her closeness.

"I know that because my brother made me a promise." Dan spoke softly, his words barely above a whisper. "And my brother always keeps his promises."

SALINA

Tarifa stood next to Aihola on the floor of the cave waiting for the Raptor that would bring them to Eden. Her mother stood with the Holy One, Thimina and Treblar only a few steps away while she and Aihola conversed in whispers in the ancient Drow tongue.

"Tesso uns'aa vel'bol dos ph' talintha Nya Istel?" Tarifa asked her. (Tell me what you are thinking)

Aihola met Tarifa's eyes, "Usstan xuat zhaun, Usstan daewl ulu z'reninth ilta, ka whol naubol else, t'yin whol dosst sreen'aur ussta ssinssrigg. Ol zhah dubo though talinthin nind sat lu' xunus naubol whol ji verve." (I don't know. I wish to believe her, if for nothing else, then for your safety my love. It is hard though considering they sat and did nothing for so long.)

Tarifa smiled lovingly at her. "Nindel zhah ilro'e vel'bol Martin said 'zil al. Henotep ulu l' letter." (That is exactly what Martin said as well, almost to the letter.)

"Truly?" Aihola asked.

Tarifa squeezed her hands, "Dos ph' mzild saph ukta taga dos zhaun Nya Istel." (You are more like him than you know Nya Istel.)

Aihola looked at her, amber eyes wide at what she was about to ask. It came out before she could stop it. "Do Dos daewl ulu raise dalharen xuil uns'aa?" She asked her. (Do you wish to raise children with me?)

Tarifa was unable to reply because the deafening sounds of the Raptor's engines filled the cave as the dangerous looking craft appeared from below the cave entrance without warning and slowly began to move into the cave. Everyone noticed two things right away, the cockpit of the Raptor was blacked out, only a small red light could be seen behind the windshield, and the ramp was already down.

Walter was the one who recognized what this meant and he stepped in front of Palina as something drifted across his nose. "No one move!" He yelled. "If you wish to live ... do not move from where you stand!"

Tarifa turned wide eyes on him. "Holy One, what is it!" She screamed over the Raptor's engines as Aihola pulled out the automatic from beneath her top.

"Trust me child!" Walter screamed. "Do as I say!"

The Raptor dropped hard to the floor of the cave and the dust partially obscured the seven bodies that rush from the Raptor's rear. They were clad entirely in black as Tarifa had first seen Martin and his team, their weapons thrust out in front of them. They moved with precision and grace, almost running towards where Tarifa and Aihola stood. Tarifa knew in an instant there were no elves in this group.

"High left!" A voice called.

The lead man in the phalanx shifted his HK up to his left and ripped out a three round burst.

"High left!"

"High right!"

"Shift!"

As if guided by some unseen force the phalanx of troops split apart, their HKs spitting death as they went. At first Tarifa did not know what they were shooting at, and then the first body from above slammed into the ground only a few feet from her and Aihola. Tarifa's eyes went wide as she realized they were dressed almost exactly like Martin and his team. She looked up in time to see the first genome reach her and Aihola. His gloved hand reached out and pushed her to the ground.

"Down Tarifa!" Martin's voice barked as his hand shifted to Aihola and he pushed her down as well, covering both of them.

The genome lieutenant lowered his binoculars from where he lay on the small ledge three hundred meters above the action that was happening below. "Do you have a shot on Walter?" He snapped in a harsh whisper.

"Negative! They just pulled him down!" The sniper beside him answered.

"Do you have anything?"

"One of the Ministers!" The sniper answered.

"Take the shot! How did they see us! Shit we are so fucked!"

"You have no idea." The female voice spoke from behind them.

Both the sniper and the lieutenant were rolling before the words finished echoing in their heads. It wouldn't have mattered in the least. Julie and Tari were behind them waiting to pounce, and it was over in a heartbeat. The lieutenant died from having Julie's blade driven through his skull, and the sniper died with Tari's knife severing his head almost completely.

Julie lifted her head and looked far below her.

"Clear!"

"Report!" Martin barked.

"Clear!"

"All clear!"

"Good!"

"Secure!"

"All secure boss!"

"In the rear with the gear," Came the next voice over the COM, and the tension was broken as Martin and the others turned to look at the lone genome who had been securing their rear flank. He actually sounded disappointed to have missed all the action.

"Check the bodies!" Martin ordered, reaching up to pull away his balaclava. He turned back to where Tarifa and Aihola were getting to their feet slowly. Aihola's eyes were especially wide as she stared at him in wonder. "Tarifa?"

"I'm fine." Tarifa replied. "Martin ... who ... who were they?"

Martin gripped Aihola's arm and she nodded, still staring at him in open awe. "I'm ... I'm fine." She said.

Martin looked at her. "Where did you hide the weapon? I told everyone to come here unarmed."

Aihola met his eyes. "I will not lose her Martin Hunter!" She spoke.

Martin grinned and leaned over to kiss Aihola softly on the lips, her amber eyes nearly exploding out of her head in surprise. "Thank you." He spoke. He turned away quickly. "Jules you copy?"

"We're on our way down." Julie answered. "Two targets down, one was a sniper. Marty they were after Walter. And they are ... they are genomes."

Martin was looking at one of the bodies that Kenny had rolled over as Julie was speaking. "Yeah ... I'm seeing that." He replied to her. "Did you strip them?"

"Right down to their skivvies," Julie replied immediately, "They aren't very flattering in the equipment department if you ask me, but then again I'm spoiled."

Martin grinned. "Does that include Tari?" He asked knowing that they were on a private command channel.

Julie grinned where she and Tari were moving down the long path. Martin looked up and saw her turn to look back at the tall fleet footed Drow warrior who had become her constant shadow it seemed.

"I'm working very hard on that part Skipper." Julie finally answered. "I'm thinking this may just be the one."

"Well let's figure that out back in secure territory." Martin spoke. "You and Tari move to the house within the city and get Cantel and the other Dragoons not aligned with Telan. Have Kadeem get some people down here to gather and preserve these bodies. We may have just discovered a way to get a few extra days to locate War Master Tareif's sons if the Minister is correct."

"How so?" Julie asked as she held out her hand for Tari to stop as they got to the side tunnel that would take them up into the house.

"Remember Africa?" Martin asked.

"Which part? The part where we got abandoned by our recovery team? Or the part where we had to shoot our way out of the port in Cape Town," Julie asked. "I don't seem to recall liking either one."

Martin chuckled. "Before Cape Town, after the recovery team ditched us." He said.

"Ah ... I remember now. Devious boss. Very devious."

"Nobody ever accused me of being a nice guy." Martin answered. "You got twenty ... we'll meet you at the Raptor."

Martin watched as his team drew everyone over to where he stood. "Martin ... what is going on?" Palina asked. "Who are these men?"

"I don't know who they are ... but I can tell you what they are..."

"Genomes!" Walter gasped as he saw one of their faces. He bent down next to the body. "Martin I recognize this boy. He was part of the Air Force team. I treated him just before the comet came. I thought they were wiped out when Andrews was destroyed." He spoke returning to his feet.

"They were after you Walter." Martin told him, seeing everyone's eyes turn to him.

"Me?" Walter asked.

Martin nodded. "Julie and Tari found a sniper higher up." Martin replied. "They were targeting you. Do you know why?"

"How did you even know they were here?" Thimina asked, still rather shaken by the events and the violence that had just occurred.

Martin looked at her as he spoke, his gaze causing feelings of nausea to grip her stomach. "I can smell another ... genome ... ten miles away in a driving rain and thirty mile an hour winds. These idiots were stupid ... they didn't account for the breeze that washed through the tunnels when you opened the hidden door to come down here. I smelled it at the bottom of this mountain while we were waiting to come up to pick you up."

Dysea chose that time to come out of the back of the Raptor where she had been waiting with Anja. Both of them carried chopped down versions of the HK. Dysea went to Tarifa and shared a brief hug with both her and Aihola in relief. Anja stopped to stand next to Martin.

Martin looked at her. "Think you can do an exam for me?" He asked.

Anja's eyes twinkled at him and she cocked her head slightly upwards in an impish face Martin had never seen her make before. She stepped up close to him so that only he could hear her. "I'll examine you for free anytime you want ... the dead stiff will cost you though."

Martin looked at her in surprise as she brushed past him, deliberately pressing her right hip up against him as she squeezed between him and Kenny. Martin inhaled deeply and her honey scent washed over him in a powerful wave, her aura strong and her desire for him drifting from her pores clear and pure. So strong in fact that it caused Kenny's nose to twitch and he looked at him after she had passed.

"Jesus Skipper." He muttered softly. "She's hotter than a fire stoked branding iron. She wants you bad."

"Cody will you help me with this body." Anja voice spoke as she bent over the dead genome.

Martin shook Anja's scent from his nostrils and tore his eyes from the way her fatigues outlined her absolutely perfect ass and hips. He looked at the others quickly. "I want everyone in the Raptor. Kenny ... you and Pablo hang out here and cover Anja in case any leakers come snooping."

Martin backed towards the ramp of the Raptor as the others moved around him. Dysea stopped and stared at him with her emerald eyes and she squeezed his arm. Dysea had caught the scent of Anja's desire as well and it had immediately set her own blood to burning, for both Martin and Anja. "I told you Nauta Melme." She whispered before kissing his cheek and moving up the ramp.

LAS VEGAS/PHOENIX INTERSTATE TRAIN TUNNEL

Anuk's eyes flew open when she felt the large hand clamp over her mouth. An arm pulled her body close against warm iron hard flesh, the body in front of her gripping her tightly blotting out any light. She brought her hands up to begin beating the person, her wide eyes looking up, searching for Daniel. Anuk froze when she realized it was his hand keeping her silent, his arm around her waist pulling her tight against him. She saw his face was tense and he brought his finger to his lips motioning for her to be silent. Anuk relaxed almost immediately, her hands falling gently to his thick arms as he held her.

Dan felt her relax in his arms and he took his hand away from her mouth. He lowered his head slowly next to her pointed elf ear, her cinnamon scent washing over him like a blanket. His lips touched her ear and Anuk closed her eyes as a flash of desire swarmed over her.

"We have company." He whispered in her ear so softly she barely heard it. Her cerulean blue eyes became instantly alert and she nodded slowly letting him know she had understood. She felt him pressing something into her hand, his wrist and forearm brushing hard against her firm breasts and she stifled a gasp at his touch. She looked down and saw the silenced K12 pressed into her palm and she closed her fist around it as he pushed an extra clip into her other hand.

Anuk looked up into his dark eyes as saw him staring at her now. His dark eyes had changed ... the whites surrounding his pupils replaced by blackness. His teeth had lengthened in three quarter inch long fangs, and his face was stern. Anuk gazed into those dark eyes with no fear this time for she knew what Daniel was and with acceptance that stunned her, she realized she found him even more attractive.

Dan held up four fingers and pointed to the outside of the toll booth, and then indicated with his motions that they were armed and walking towards them spread out. Anuk nodded again slowly, her fist closing around the grip of the K12. She almost gasped when Daniel slipped away from her with little more than a passing breeze and he was gone into the shadows. She calmed her nerves and moved silently to the opening, inching her eyes around the corner.

There were four of them alright.

Anuk's eyes filled with fear almost instantly and she couldn't tear her eyes away. Whatever walked towards them was neither elf nor human. It was completely hairless, its skin the color of white paste. There mouths had only thin strips for lips, and protruding past those lips were pointed razor sharp teeth. Their heads were void of any hair or markings, glimmering in the dim light of the tunnel. Their eyes were abnormally large and a deep crimson red in color. Their bodies were not muscular, yet thin and lean, the fingers on their hands easily three inches longer than any normal elf or human, and each finger ended in a razor sharp white nail.

Whoever they were, judging by the way they were moving they were not friendly in the least. And if the long spear like staffs they carried were any indication, Anuk didn't doubt they were here hunting her and Daniel. She shifted her position slightly and brought the K12 up slowly, closing her hands around the grip as she had learned to steady her aim. She cupped her firing hand, arm extended straight, into the palm of her support hand with her elbow slightly bent. Anuk centered the K12 on the head of the nearest creature and slid her finger onto the trigger. She would wait for Daniel to make the first move and then she would begin firing.

A flash of movement directly in front of her caused her to blink and turn. Her eyes went wide and she screamed as the face of another of the creatures appeared in front of her. She saw the hand come up and the razor like fingernails descend on her. There was a moment of agonizing white hot pain and warm liquid gushing onto her face and then Anuk fell into blackness.

Danny lowered the body of the pasty white creature with deadly silence. This fifth creature had been moving along behind the other four as a rear guard sentry, which told Danny that these creatures knew what they were about. The pasty white creature looked stronger than it was and Danny had snuck up directly behind it, nearly ripping its head clean off when he broke its neck. As he felt his finger tips leave the body on the ground, his senses in full combat mode, Danny heard Anuk scream.

It was a scream not of anger or fear, but of pure unadulterated terror, and it ripped through his being unlike anything ever had before him.

"Anuk!" Danny screamed, bursting into a run towards the four creatures in front of him.

The pale things whirled to face him, looks of surprise on their ghostly features that one of the humans they were hunting had gotten behind them. It took only an instant for them to realize that their brother behind them was dead, and this raging bear of a human was bearing down on them with speed no human should have. The first creature raised its staff to strike at Danny, and he lunged forward, driving the point at his chest. Danny simply sidestepped the move, grabbed the staff in his hand and ripped into backwards. The creature sailed ass over elbows twenty meters down the tunnel as Danny thrust it back at him while he ripped it from his hands. He stepped into a swing at the second creature, the sharpened tip of the wooded spear driving deeply into the creatures neck, his attempt to block the blow only causing his own staff to ram into his neck and pierce his jaw as the spear Danny hit him with caved in what little skull he had with the powerful blow.