Autonomy: Book 2 in the Invasion Day series (9 page)

“He went to ask for work, and they offered him credits in return for some of his organs,” the woman finally replied, and she sobbed a little more. “He gave up a kidney, part of his liver, his spleen, appendix, and even a testicle. Eventually, he was incapable of giving any more, and he never came back. I know they killed him, they had to!” she cried, and looked absolutely ashen at the thought of having lost her child.

“Did he say anything the final day you saw him?” Kyra asked, urging her along, but she maintained her apathy toward the woman and her pain.

“He said he’d offered everything he had left and that it would be enough to keep us with a roof over our heads. He never returned, but I later received confirmation that my housing credits had been paid up until I die. He did it willingly so that I could live, but this is no life.”

“No, it isn’t. Thank you,” Kyra replied, and gave the woman a squeeze before handing her a basket of various foodstuffs in thanks for sharing her story.

“How does it make you feel, all of this pain and suffering around you?” Tuka asked later when she joined him by the small fire they’d made to keep warm by in their temporary desert home.

“No better than I felt before, and I hate it. How can we still be no closer to figuring it out?” she asked, and let him wrap a protective arm around her shoulders, but didn’t lean into his embrace. Kyra warmed her hands by the flames, and looked down at the scars on her arms. After forcing herself not to think about the man who’d both given and taken from her the night she’d gotten those scars, she was suddenly bombarded with images of him pulling her into his arms and peering down into her eyes. A smile curled at her lips when she thought of him, but she didn’t let Tuka see. The rare smile wasn’t for him, nor did she want to explain it to him. Kyra realized she missed Kronus, not the real version, but the one she used to fantasize about, and she hated that she’d lost the dream she’d once held so dear.

“Let me help make it better,” Tuka said, and he grabbed her chin before turning her face to meet his. He leaned in for a kiss, but she pulled away, just like she had every other time he’d tried.

“It’s not going to happen. How many times do I have to fend you off?” she replied, but smiled at his advance. He’d tried it on with her so many times now it was becoming a joke, but one they both seemed to be able to laugh about, and he shrugged.

“About another hundred, give or take,” he said, and then turned his attention back to the fire. Together they sat watching the flames crackle and the wood burn in silence, and Kyra was glad. She didn’t feel much like chatting.

Kyra fell into a deep sleep not long later, safe in her tent with some of the other women, but soon her dreams were haunted with the faces of those she hadn’t seen in weeks. Even Tanner came to her, pleading for her to come home safely, and when the early dawn light woke her, it was a relief. In her dreams, she couldn’t fight the fretful guilt brought upon her by so many faces that loved and cared for her—the faces of those she’d failed by not getting any further in her quest.

She needed to work harder, and push herself more. There was nothing else for it. Kyra knew she had to go deeper into her cover, even if she had to lose more of her real self in the process.

***

A few weeks’ later, Tuka woke Kyra early. He threw a set of desert combats at her and a headscarf, informing her how she was to put them on and then meet him outside their camp ten minutes later. She did as he’d asked, and then headed over to rendezvous with her strange host, where she discovered Tuka leaning against a dune buggy with a cocky grin.

“Fancy a ride?” he asked, and Kyra knew it wasn’t really a request, so hopped in. She wrapped the scarf over her face to make sure the dust didn’t choke her, secured her belt, and then gave Tuka a thumbs up.

“Let’s go!” she bellowed over the roar as he revved the engine to life, and they were off in a heartbeat. Kyra had to admit, the ride across the sand dunes was an exhilarating one, and she shrieked delightedly as he tore his way across the vast, empty desert with seemingly no real destination in mind.

When they came upon a deep valley, he pulled the buggy to a stop at the rim. Signs warning of contamination and radiation were dotted all along the entryways to the ravine, and Kyra watched Tuka thoughtfully. Was he going to continue on, regardless of the risks? She had to wonder, but hoped he wasn’t planning on doing anything foolish. She’d been taught her entire life never to venture into the arid lands in the southern hemisphere. They’d been taught that the areas had been blasted and polluted beyond repair during Invasion Day and then again many times since when the armies had tested weapons in the inhospitable areas. There was no way she fancied a walk around any the ruins of old that might lie beyond, and Kyra certainly hoped Tuka didn’t think she’d find their discovery romantic or inspiring.

“Do you know what this place is?” he asked her, and Kyra couldn’t ignore the sadness in his tone, or deny that it had her intrigued. She shook her head no, and he peered out at the valley, deep in thought.

“Is it one of the mass graves you found?” she tried, but Tuka told her no.

“Not of the innocent, they’re killed in labs like rats and then dumped once they’re no longer of any use. This place is one of their hunting ranges. They bring convicts and rebels here, set them free, and then hunt them down for the fun of it. Those damn aliens think nothing of killing our kind for sport.” Kyra took a look down into the crater-like ravine, and quickly realized that Tuka wasn’t lying. She could see for herself how there weren’t any roads that accessed the bottom. It was clear that the only way inside was to either drive over the edge and into the ravine with no hope of getting back out, or to transport down using a craft. It made sense that it could be a Thrak-made course full of tunnels and mazes in which the prey could hide and the predators could hunt, and Kyra shuddered.

“Have you seen them?” she had to ask. A glutton for punishment, she needed to know more. Tuka nodded, and then rubbed his bald head forlornly.

“Yeah. One of our guys was captured and brought here. We followed them via his chip’s signal, remember how I told you we had a way of hacking the microchips?” Kyra nodded. “Well, this was before they found a way to catch us hacking them. My guy was running up and down in just this one area, and we thought at first it could be a glitch, but then we reached the summit here and caught the show for ourselves.”

“Caught the show? As in, they’d made an event out of it?” Tuka gave her a slight nod, and Kyra was gob-smacked. She’d heard of their hunting for sport, but hadn’t ever figured that the Thrakorian’s might actually have set up events with an audience for their gruesome hunting arena.

“Rows and rows of ships were here to watch as they brought out teams of five or six humans at a time and gave them a five-minute head start. They weren’t given any form of weapon or guidance, only told to make a run for it. The Thraks loved it when some either tried to hide or escape up the banks here,” he told her, pointing down to the steep edges of the ravine that Kyra knew would be impossible to scale. “They teased and tormented them, ignoring their pleas for mercy, before…”

Kyra didn’t want to hear any more. She kept her expression solemn, but her heart bled for the victims sacrificed for the Thrakorians’ entertainment. Deep down, she knew she ought to be angry at the likes of Kronus and Thrayke whether they’d been involved in it or not, however she pushed all of her real emotion away and focused instead of maintaining her cover. Here and now, she wasn’t Kyra Millan. She was Kiki Paynter, and rather than keep a cool head like she’d been taught to during her army training, she let herself tremble as though disturbed by the terrible events that’d reportedly happened on the land stretching out before her.

Kyra knew that any other ordinary civilian human would find what Tuka had just told her so frightening they might cry or break down if they were weak enough, but she’d painted Kiki as a timid yet determined young woman, so let her eyes well up but not tear. Their stories were tragic, just like all the others, but she stood taller and simply looked across into Tuka’s piercing blue eyes with steely resolve.

“I’ll add this tragedy to the accounts already taken, Tuka. I’ll make sure these victims aren’t forgotten.” He let out the breath he’d been holding and turned to her with adoration in his gaze.

“I knew I’d made the right choice with you, Kiki. You see this world through such wise eyes, and I know you’ve seen more than you let on. I’d like to hope that one day you’ll open up and let me in, because I know you’ve undoubtedly got an amazing story to tell.”

“When the time comes and I’m ready to open up, you’ll be the first one I come to. I promise,” she lied, and yet Tuka didn’t seem to notice her insincerity at all. In fact, he seemed even more besotted with Kiki Paynter than ever.

Chapter Eight

Over time, Tuka got pushier with his advances, and Kyra knew she was at a ‘do or die’ point in her relationship with the rebel mastermind. Their tight-knit group didn’t go along to the few gatherings following her inclusion in their ranks, and she often wondered if it was perhaps that he was afraid her fake husband might gatecrash the event and take her away from him.

After having spent months together, she’d filled another huge pile of notebooks with stories, and it was then that Tuka finally got the call from above saying they were expected to attend the next meeting of initiates in Istanbul, Turkey. Kyra went along with him, and was filled with wonder at how modern and crowded the ancient city was. Once a renowned tourist resort, it was now a bustling metropolis of skyscrapers and other buildings dedicated to the business sector. At first, she thought they couldn’t possibly be in the right place for a gathering, but she soon saw for herself the civilian homes dotted along the coastline just outside of the city and knew the residents were the target audience for their rousing recruitment drive. One such house was to be their residence for the few days they’d be in Turkey, and Tuka took great pleasure in showing her around.

“We’re sharing this time, my dear,” he said, indicating to the few bedrooms and overly crowded house. He’d come with his full team, and she’d thought it odd that he’d decided to bring them all along—until now.

“I’ll warn you, I snore,” she replied playfully, and then threw her bag inside onto the huge bed.

Tuka had hold of her in an instant, and he grabbed Kyra’s chin in his powerful hands. He pressed his forehead against hers, and stared into her eyes menacingly. There were no games to be played or harmless banter that could deter him now, and she knew their period as mere companions was over. It was clearly time to pay her debts.

“No more games, no more teasing. You’re mine now, and it’s time you showed me how grateful you are for my hospitality,” he warned, sneering at her before planting a harsh kiss against her lips. Kyra stood as tall as she could, and kissed Tuka back just as hard. She wasn’t about to let him intimidate her. There was no emotion in her kiss, or even a hint of desire, but she was willing to carry on pretending for as long as it took to find a way in with the rebel leaders they’d be meeting with later that evening. She wasn’t about to back down now that she was so close, and decided if she did have to give herself to him, it’d be on her terms.

“Don’t treat me like just another one of your silly girls, because we both know I’m as big of a shark as you are, and just as ferocious,” she replied, and planted another kiss on his lips, softer this time. “If I tell you no, that means no. I’m here on my own accord, and I won’t be pressured into anything—by you or anyone else.” That got his attention, and thankfully Tuka took it as a challenge rather than a refusal.

“You’re massively different from all those other girls, Kiki. That’s why I’ve allowed these games to continue between us for so long. I find myself hypnotized by you. Fascinated. I want you so badly I can’t think straight—”

“You’ll have me when you stop playing games, and when you’re ready to show me how much you appreciate my company. Not the other way around. When I get what I want, you’ll get what you want,” she added with a smoldering stare into his deep blue eyes.

Kyra then sauntered away without so much as a backwards glance, and was surprised when he didn’t come after her. She knew she’d gotten away with it this time, but also that his patience wouldn’t last long, and so made sure she stayed nestled amongst the men and women already settling down to dinner below them for the rest of the afternoon.

Tuka eventually came down, took his seat beside her, and gave Kyra a wink.

“After the meeting tonight I’ll show you just how much I appreciate you, Kiki,” he said, and she grinned back at him. She didn’t know if he meant it, but he seemed ready to give her the upper hand at last, and she enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction it gave her.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Good, and in that case you won’t mind staying behind,” he said, and her smile quickly turned into a scowl. “It has come to my attention that your husband’s in town, so I think it’ll be best for you two to stay separated. I wouldn’t want you getting confused about your feelings.”

“I won’t. Timmy knows I left him behind, and that I did it for you. He wants to join our cause, just like before. You should invite him back here after the gathering,” she tried, but it was no use. Tuka clearly wasn’t budging. She wanted to curse, but forced herself to remain stoic.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” he answered, and then took Kyra’s hand and led her from the table. She knew she had no choice but to follow, and when Tuka locked her in the bedroom, she didn’t scream or shout out in defiance. Instead, she began plotting how she might evade his attention when he returned, because even contemplating being with him was suddenly turning her stomach. She knew the time had come to drop her façade and head back to reality, but she didn’t know how—or if—she could. She’d enjoyed switching Kyra off and being Kiki for a while, but not any longer. Kiki had a dangerous ally intent on making her more than just a friend; whereas Kyra had two men she wanted in her life but were out of reach both physically and emotionally. She felt more lost than ever and wasn’t entirely sure which persona had the better end of the deal.

Kyra heard the group leave for the gathering a short while later, and knew better than to try the door. There’d undoubtedly be guards posted on the other side of it, and they would absolutely report any suspicious behavior from her back to their leader. They had no allegiance to her, and she knew it. Silence descended, as did the dim twilight and cool night air, and she tried to relax, but it was no use. Everything inside was suddenly screaming for her to run, and Kyra decided to read through some of her notebooks in a bid to take her mind off the night she guessed would be ahead of her when Tuka finally returned.

There were so many stories in the books that she’d started to forget them all. They seemed to be blurring together in one awful anthology of the pain and misery that’d been forced on her race by the beings they’d been trained to serve. Each story was either about an abduction, loss of an organ, or worse—a child. Her heart had broken every time a man or woman had talked to her about their loss, and reading them back made tears well in her eyes.

She heard a small thud from outside the doorway, and checked her watch. It wasn’t time for Tuka to be back already, and she sat absolutely still while desperately trying to listen in on a conversation, or even better, a disagreement that could potentially be going on outside that might give her the distraction she needed to make her escape. Anything would do, and Kyra would then slip away into the darkness and never look back.

There was nothing but the sound of the crickets outside and the hum of the city in the distance, though. She figured perhaps she’d been mistaken, or that she’d been so hopeful for a chance of escape that any noise had left her eager for her shot at freedom. Kyra was about get back to her reading when the door to her room was kicked in from the other side. It burst open with such force she had to shield her eyes from the splintered shards of wood that cascaded down around her.

When she looked back up, she couldn’t believe her eyes, and shot to her feet. There, dressed all in black, and covered in black camouflage makeup, stood Thrayke. The whites of his eyes were the only part of his body that pierced the darkness and bore into hers, and Kyra’s knees went weak beneath her. She swayed, and at first was grateful when he caught her, but then started fighting his hold, trying to pull away.

“Kyra, please. You need to come with me now!” he implored her, and she shook her head. She was suddenly confused. Her name was Kiki and she was a rebel, not someone who went off into the night with Thrakorian soldiers. Tuka’s face appeared in her minds eye, but instead of being filled with loyalty towards him and his cause, she felt afraid. Kyra knew that if she stayed she would have to give herself to him, and that deep down, she wasn’t able to go through with it.

Thrayke sensed her confusion, and shrugged. “I don’t have time to convince you. I’m sorry,” he informed her, and then threw her over his shoulder. She felt like she were two people living in one body, the rebel and the soldier, and both wanted two very different things. She kicked and fought, but all the while she was also so grateful that he’d come for her she wanted to kiss him. Thrayke cursed and muttered something about her being a pain in the ass, but she didn’t care.

They were downstairs and out into the street in a second, where he threw her into the back of a truck and they sped away. Something inside of her then went feral, and she lunged at Thrayke. The driver swerved as he attempted to avoid her flailing limbs, but it was Thrayke who was being pummeled with punches and kicks, and he eventually had to hold Kyra down by force. He pinned her to the seat, flipped her over onto her stomach, and then captured her wrists behind the small of her back. Kyra couldn’t move, and cursed loudly before having no other choice than to calm down and remain still in his unyielding grip.

“You’ll never make it out of here with me as your captive. Tuka has his soldiers posted everywhere,” she mumbled, while her ex-lover pressed her cheek into the dark leather.

“We’ve taken out the team watching over you, so he won’t know you’ve gone until it’s already too late. You were one of the last jobs on the to-do list. And don’t worry, we aren’t trying to get you out of the city yet, just away from that scumbag and into a holding cell where you can calm down. You might not realize it now, but I’m the best damn thing that ever happened to you, Kyra,” he informed her matter-of-factly.

She went limp, and he seemed to sense that her fight had gone—for now at least—and let his hold loosen a little. Kyra turned her face to look at him, and immediately started sobbing into the seat. Thrayke released his hold, grabbed her, and pulled her up into his arms, shushing her and stroking her hair with the same delicate strength she’d once known so very well.

“Why did you save me? How?” questions were coming out of her thick and fast, and while he knew exactly why she had to know, for some reason he refused to answer her. “I don’t know who I am anymore, or what life I’m living. I just…don’t know…”

“Your name’s Kyra Millan. You were born and raised in Los Angeles,” Thrayke started telling her a life story of someone she knew long ago, and while she didn’t want to listen, she couldn’t help but hear his words as they reverberated through her. “You’re a General in the Human Royal Armed Forces, and one of the Intelligence Division’s Gentry officers. You’re a geek and you love relics from the old world. You adore anything that connects you to a past you also wish you could forget, because you’re a weirdo who likes to punish herself rather than others.”

“The things your people have done…I’m ashamed to know you—to want you,” she groaned against him, sensing her rage returning, but Thrayke only held her tighter. He didn’t respond or explain their reasons why, nor did he ask her why she was saying such things.

In a moment of clarity, Kyra guessed that he was simply there to support and help her transition out of her undercover persona and back to herself. He’d undoubtedly return to forcing her back at arms length again in no time at all, so she savored the feeling of having his arms wrapped around her, thinking that it might just be the last time.

“Your name’s Kyra Millan,” Thrayke began again, and he repeated the words over and over as they sped away. She felt lost and confused, like a child in Thrayke’s embrace, and suddenly smaller than ever before.

Her head felt fuzzy, and before long she zoned out, and a vision of another huge Thrakorian came to the forefront of her mind. He also said a few lines to her over and over, but they were different to Thrayke’s.

I’m sorry, Kyra. I’m so sorry.

She didn’t realize that they’d stopped, or when she was out in the cool night air again in Thrayke’s arms. As though drunk and clinging to a lucid dream, all she could focus on was her vision. He was the ghost that’d haunted her regardless of the mission, and a hallucination that felt so real it terrified her. He was holding his hand out, pleading with her to take it, but instead of going to him, she cowered away, back into the arms of her rescuer.

The sad apparition of King Kronus turned away, seemingly ashamed of her response, and she shuddered, but held on tighter to Thrayke. She felt as if he was the only thing keeping her grounded, and Kyra let him carry her inside. Only then did it dawn on her that what she’d seen was no vision at all, but very real, and how she’d hurt him by cowering away.

“Kronus?” she whispered, and the disheartened man’s face reappeared. He looked down at her with hope in his gaze, but his shoulders sagged with the many burdens he was clearly carrying on them. He looked different, slimmer and more sullen, and he had a thick dark beard that now dominated his once so chiseled features. There was no light in his eyes, but the kindness still resonating within them gave him away, and she watched him while being carried by the now silent Besieger. They went into a dim and dismal building somewhere she assumed must be in the business sector of the city, and inside were a team of Thrakorian soldiers all standing to attention in wait for their leader’s next command. “Kronus?” she asked again when they came to a stop, and heard the gasp some of his men took at her informal use of his name.

“Yes, Kyra?” he answered, but she said nothing more. She’d simply had to check that he was really there, and not a dream like she’d first thought.