Tom woke stiff and cramped, yet well rested. His arm was locked beneath his pillow under his head and the covers had been kicked to the bottom of the bed. He lay on his side facing Ellie's back with his free arm wrapped around her and up the center of her chest. His hand cupped her cheek. His legs curled around the back of hers and in a few moments that was going to get pretty tight. At his back, he could feel Brooke's breasts pressing into him. Her legs were tangled in his, pinning them in place. Her hand traced the muscular lines in his abdomen.Brooke's hands dropped down and fingered the soft hair below his belly button. The soft pulling of hair tickled, causing his abs to tighten and he grew hard. Hopefully, Ellie was still sleeping and didn't notice. He lengthened out his legs to get more space between him and Ellie, but he was still pressing against her butt and down her thigh. Brooke's legs moved with his.She raised her smooth leg up between his and at the same time slipped
"Enough with this silliness. Looks like we've lost a day. We slept for eighteen hours. If we are going to keep up, we need to leave here as soon as the sun is over that horizon. The next safe house is an old hospital." Ellie tapped a spot on the table map. "It's only half a day so we should get moving soon.""Wait, we're leaving? Where are we going?" Brooke asked."Ellie says there's a Sanctuary in the Northwest. She laid out a path for us to take by jumping from one safe house to the other until we get there," Tom said."And how long is that supposed to take?" Brooke asked."Ninety-eight days," Ellie answered."That's more than three months!""That is three point one six months.""Oh shut up. You mean that we will be traveling from safe house to safe house for months. Do you know how dangerous that is? How much radiation we're going to get?" Brooke stood up and held the back of her chair."As long as we stick with our gear we should be fine. I can cleanse us of radiation once
This time, Tom woke up on his back. Without opening his eyes he could feel Ellie draped on his right side and Brooke on his left. He felt Brooke walk her fingers up his abs and to his chest. She drew circles around his nipple until it hardened which wasn't the only thing that was hard. He took his left arm, which lay under her pillow, and slid it down around her, then quickly flattened her to his side and stilled her hand with his. She tried to pull it away, but he held her body firmly against him.She sighed in defeat. After a moment, she slid her smooth leg up the inside of his. Her knee was just above his and kept rising. Tom took his now free leg, hooked Ellie's leg, and with his right arm rolled Ellie up on top of him. His hardness was now pressing against her thigh. Ellie grumbled a little but didn't wake.Brooke's hand was now pinned by his hand and by Ellie's weight. He looked down at her with one eye. She was frowning. She caught him looking and it turned to a mischievous sm
After a grueling day of walking in the afternoon sun, Tom was ready for a shower. Luckily, most of the walk had been silent and he didn't have to listen to complaining or rambling off of endless facts. The sun had gone down and the moon lit the way. He was starting to get nervous. If they could really be tracked by their heat signatures at night, he wanted to get back underground fast.They stood before what Ellie had said used to be a hospital, but now looked like a crumbling mass of concrete."Are you sure this is where it's at?" Tom asked Ellie."Should be. Just like the others, we need to look for something deep in the ground," she said."My feet are killing me. Can we just go?" Brooke pleaded.Tom set out towards the building. As he came closer, he was able to discern a cleared hole in the rubble that might be a good entry point. He ducked down and used his touch powered flashlight to illuminate their path. He followed it around crumbled bits of concrete and pieces of metal f
"Just do it," a woman's voice said."You should be doing this. I don't know what to do," another woman's voice said."Take your shirt off and touch here."Someone grabbed his crotch in a nice way. Two hands cupped his face and kissed him gingerly then pulled back.Tom opened his eyes, but auras clouded his vision. They started to dissipate and he saw her. Her brown hair mussed and her dark eyes asking him. She's always done that. She was too shy to outright ask for intimacy. And now she was here kissing him and touching him, asking without asking. She had finally changed her mind."Alex," he mumbled, "You came back to me."His right arm came up around her and pushed her forward into him. He kissed her deeply. Her naked flesh beneath his fingertips felt soft as he pressed her down. Her hand worked at him until he was firm and pushing down the leg of his pants.He pulled at his left arm, but it was stuck. He leaned Alex back on his lap and trailed kisses down to her neck. He slipp
Motorized vehicles echoed through the large dark building. Tom's eyes opened. He saw faint rays of sunlight illuminating trails of dust through the cracks in the concrete building. His back was tight and stiff from leaning up against the wall. Ellie stirred in his lap and Brooke lifted her head."I thought you were going to wake me!" Brooke whispered."I fell asleep," he whispered back."Good M," Ellie started. Tom covered her mouth as the vehicle noises grew louder. Their echo through the building turned into a roar."What do we do?" Brooke asked."Wait them out. Gather your things, but stay low. If they stop, we'll make a run for it."Brooke nodded. All three of them gathered their belongings as the motors rumbled up and down the streets near them.The motors stopped. A faint conversation drifted through the room, but it was too far away to make out. Tom pointed towards the light coming from the back of the building and they followed him.They reached the sunlight. Tom chose
Tom woke to a pleasant sensation of fingers gripping him. He opened his eyes and saw Ellie watching him intently. Heat rushed to his face. Behind Ellie, Brooke murmured something that sounded like a pleasant sigh in her sleep."Easy there," he grumbled and pulled her hand away. "You don't know what you're starting.""Yes, I do," she whispered back.Tom's mind raced as he figured his way out of this. "See, you don't go right for it. You got to build up to it. It makes it more exciting."Ellie's brow furrowed with distrust."Seriously. Here, roll over and practice on Brooke. She's much more fun to play with."Ellie twisted her lips to the side and gave him a hard look, then gave up and turned over. Tom propped his left arm up under his head and laid his hand over hers. He guided her fingertips over Brooke's stomach, then carried her hand lightly so just the tips of her fingertips brushed the skin. They ran a path up over the T-shirt and traced a small circle around one breast until
Brooke closed the distance between them. Her face was just centimeters away now. She reached up and held his chin with her thumb and index finger. "Next time, stay." She stepped out of the tub and left the room, leaving him standing there in wet boxers and a towel.He stood dumbfounded. She wanted it. He shook his head to clear the thoughts away and finished drying. He donned fresh clothing before stepping out of the bathroom. Both women sat at the table eating their oatmeal and chatting."I'm just saying that they could at least have packed another flavor," Brooke said. "Well, there wasn't much to choose from. Just be happy you're not eating it for every meal. We were lucky enough to get several different lunch and dinner options. You'll just have to deal," Ellie said and scooped a bunch of oatmeal into her mouth."I don't know how I'll live on this stuff for six months," Brooke said."I'm just happy that we have a safe place to stay for the night with food. I'm glad you were ab
Jack woke with a splitting headache. The white tile ceiling above him looked like that of a hospital room. He gave an inward sigh. The last time had been three months. He wondered how long it had been this time.His fingers felt tight and his hand cramped. He looked over to see they were taped together with someone else's hand. He blinked the sleep from his eyes. As his vision cleared, he saw Alex lying on the cot next to him. Their tactical suits had been removed but the tech suit remained. Both of them were layered in blankets strapped to wires. He racked his brain and remembered the nova they had set off. The third one in a row must have taken its toll.He sent heat into Alex's hand. Her eyes blinked opened. She pulled at her taped hand and then used her free hand to rub her eyes. She looked around. "What's going on?""Wish I knew," Jack answered.She quirked a smile, then pushed the covers back. "It's kind of hot in here, isn't it?""Is it? I can't really tell." Jack sat up, l
The rumbling throughout the Sanctuary stilled as the battle above drew silent. Tom turned to Jimmy. Jimmy nodded and the team climbed to the Surface.After the light, the tunnel, and the door, they emptied out onto the street. Their men looked tired but had smiles on their faces. The team leaders directed them on searches to find any survivors, whether they were friend or foe."Has anyone seen Alex?" Jimmy shouted.Several people shook their heads.Jimmy turned to his team. "Let's spread out. Knowing them, they'll be up somewhere high."The team diverged. Tom searched on his own, always keeping at least his pistol at the ready. The sun slipped over the horizon casting the buildings in a deep twilight glow. Tom climbed the stairs on several buildings to the top but didn't find anything except dead bodies and empty bullet casings. After five buildings, the night settled in. The tanks disappeared back down into the tunnel. Jimmy recruited more people to help search. Armor-clad bodies
Someone was calling his name. At least he thought. There it was again. Tom blinked. The room was black and hazy."Tom?" Jimmy's face loomed above him."What happened?""A fireman got to you. Are you alright?"Tom wiggled his fingers. He could feel the skin pulling across his arm as he moved. "I'll be okay, just a few blisters." He pushed back to his feet, climbing up over the top of the dead Alphas.Their power suit clad soldiers surrounded the room with guns drawn. Bullets covered the floor along with bodies of the Alphas and a few of his team members. His stomach twisted at the loss of good men.Jimmy put a hand on the shoulder of his power armor. "They died saving us. We need to get moving. We've gotten ten so far. We'll finish a sweep and then start clearing the level below."Tom nodded. "Let's go."Jimmy led the way. His team fell in behind him as they jogged down the streets checking building to building. The battle had tightened in around the Sanctuary. The noise of it s
The three of them sat dressed in black tactical gear layered over Alpha tech suits. Alex's dirty face watched Jack as he tightened down the straps on her suit."We stick together, okay. No running off and playing hero on your own," Jack warned. He looked at Lexi while he said it."I thought you were going to make me stay in the pod," Lexi said."I would but it won't be safe there.""I don't think it will be any safer with us," Alex said in a low tone.Jack turned to Alex. "At least we will be able to keep an eye on her. She tends to always find trouble when I tell her to stay put."Alex's eyes flashed to Lexi. "Don't I know it."Lexi rolled her eyes. "If it weren't for me, you guys wouldn't be together, or maybe you'd even be dead.""Watch your tone young lady," Alex warned.Lexi grinned. "I know you're trying to be all tough, but it's really good to hear you say that." She stepped forward and gave Alex a hug.Alex melted. She laid her head against Lexi's cheek. "You're so ta
Jack reached over and touched Alex's shoulder. "Wake up, love."Alex squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at them with the back of her hands smearing the soot across her face. "How long has it been?" She looked over at Lexi sleeping in a reclined chair.He reached his hand out and wiped at a smudge with his thumb. It only made it worse but she smiled at the touch. "About six hours," he said."You shouldn't have let me sleep so long. You need rest, too.""I got a few hours. Don't worry so much."Alex looked out the pod screen. "I can't help it. I'm finally free of Henry's terror, but now I feel like we're on the verge of losing it all."Jack's mouth drew down in a frown. "It's not going to be pretty. Ellie messaged me before we left her range. Looks like the Alphas are ahead of us by a few hours. When we get there, we will have to fight through them to get to the base."Alex nodded. "Did you see much of it when you visited? It's huge.""No, I only really had one thing on my mind at
Tom sat at the table drumming his fingers. "Does anyone actually know how to work these computers other than Ellie?"The five people working the screen didn't look up.Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest. "Just give them time.""General, the ships are in place.""Good," Janice said, leaning over the tech's workstation. "Anyone have a status on the Alphas?""They're closing in. The ships are taking them out now.""It looks like they are floating topside. Orders?""There's nothing the ships can do up there. Tell them to concentrate on as many darts as they can. Send runners topside and tell them to prepare." Janice turned to Jimmy and Tom. "That's your cue. Do your best."Tom saluted and Jimmy nodded. They turned out into the hall. Their teams waited for them, strapped with weapons and power armor. Tom donned the power armor helmet, gave a nod to Jimmy, and led his team away.As they walked down the halls, they passed locked doors to apartments. Their people, the ones that wer
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him as the gunfire continued to rain down on them. She lifted her chin up. Her eyes connected with his and she smiled.He smiled back. They were going to make it. Somehow, they were going to make it. He tilted his face down and pressed his lips to hers. The liquid electricity filled him. He could feel the energy building in them. He held on to it as he kissed her. She parted her soft lips and he slid his tongue inside. Her tongue moved along his, soft, slow, and passionate. He pressed her against him, gathering the energy they created. He could feel the energy sparkling on his fingertips, asking to be released. He held it back until they vibrated. Finally, he let it go.The white-hot fire burst from them. In his mind, he could feel it like an extra sense. He coated the stadium with it. He could tell it what to touch and what not to. Screams of Alphas pierced the gunshots as the white fire flashed into a nova. He could feel the en
Jack turned to Lexi. "You have to stay here. Got it?""But, Dad-""No. Stay. Promise me that you will stay?""Please let me help."Jack shook his head. "There is nothing you can do, muffin. Please. I don't want to worry about you. I have to get your mother and I need you to be safe. So take the pod and go. I will catch up as soon as I can." Jack flicked at the controls, locking them in place.He held his arms out for a hug. She stepped into it, burying her face in his shoulder. He held her tightly."I love you," he whispered. "You've grown into a fine young lady. I couldn't be more proud of you.""Please don't leave me again," she whispered.His heart sank and he hugged her even tighter. "It will be the last time. When this is all over, I will always be at your side. I promise.""You better."He stroked the back of her head. "Please be safe." He stepped back to look at her."Wait." She pulled the sapphire ring off her finger and stuffed it in his shoulder pocket."What's th
Alex stood locked in a small empty room the size of a utility closet. The walls lay bare except for the light switch. She flicked at the walls, but the screens were disabled and didn't respond.She paced back and forth, rubbing the Vice at her neck. Her bare feet didn't make a sound as they worked the white tile of the floor. She had to figure a way out of here. She needed to find Brooke and Tom. They had to be free. They were only here because of her. This was her problem, her world, not theirs. She flicked her palm open and drew a fireball. Her insides were still hot, but the pull of energy from just one fireball was tremendous. The amount of focus it took to wield it was much harder than it had been when she was pregnant.Alex pressed her ear to the door. Two heartbeats from the other side. She had no weapons other than the fire. She may be able to take out one Alpha, but not two. She sighed, then moved to another wall. There was no sound coming from that side. She tapped on it. S