“We’ll make camp here, regroup, and then continue on to the landing zone.”
“But what about your ship in the sky?”
With one hand, Stryker uncinched the rope and stowed it away. He then fished out a wet medkit and an LED beacon.
“We have hours yet, and at this point, it really doesn’t matter. If the ship is there, we’ll be able to leave regardless if my ship remains in orbit and if it’s not, we come up with a new plan.”
Norah released his hand and wrung out the long waves of her hair, watching the droplets fall from her split ends.I really hope the ship is still here. I hope the rest of the team is still alive.
“New plan being we make it work here, hole up, learn to live on this alien world,” she thought back to her samples. “Until someone comes along and finds us. That could be–”
“–days, weeks, months. It’s doable.”
Norah brushed her hair through with her fingers only to have them get caught on twigs and grit. “Yes. Doable.”
The patter of rain and the veil of waterfalls around them served as a refuge from the horror of the last few hours. The thunder and wind dulled out the random barrage of the alien life, but the shriekers down below could still be heard.
Norah settled in and took off her shoes. Stryker pulled out his rifle and peered through his scope, checking their perimeter.
She had just started to wring the water out of her socks when he stood up, towering over her. “We can make this work. I’m going to scout around a little.” Another screech sounded, making both of them flinch. “And secure the area.”
“The shriekers…”
“What about them?”
Norah thought back to the fingers rising from the water, surrounding her frame, reaching for her. “Don’t go near them,” she whispered.
Stryker nodded. “Make use of the medkit, there is additional synthesized medication you can take, rations are in my pack, so are several weapons if you need them.” He prepared to jump. Her heart raced. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Wait,” she stammered, reaching out for him. “You don’t mind if I–” Norah licked her lips. “If I clean up?” She couldn’t wait to take off her constantly wet clothes and feel her own skin again. She just couldn’t do it if the Cyborg was adverse to it.
He looked at her, hard and heavy, his eyes unwavering and chilled over with frost. A moment later they warmed up and the nighttime blue charged with a streak of indigo. He raised his brows. She wished she could see the rest of his face to read his expression.
Stryker adjusted the rifle at his side. “I don’t mind. You’ll find cloth in the bag and an additional can of soap. They may be soaked.”
She smiled at his warning. The rain picked up. Neither of them moved.
Norah’s back straightened under his heated gaze, one that seemed to intensify toward burning. Something in her belly fluttered, her heart raced for an entirely different reason now, and the humidity that enveloped them all at once became suffocating.
The Cyborg dropped his gaze just before she asked him to stay. Her mouth dried up. He jumped down.
She lifted her shirt over her head and began to take inventory of her wounds.
I think you do mind, Stryker.
Chapter Eight:
***
Stryker swung down from the branch and clawed his way to the smaller ones below. The metal bones in his fingers grew out from their tips, allowing them to dig into the wood.
There were life forms all around them, dozens, hundreds, thousands, and when he focused and switched on his radar, he could locate them, but he still couldn’t sense the ship, nor any vehicles between them and their destination.
Norah was clouding his mind and his hardware. He knew that they should remain together and her reasoning was sound, but he couldn’t bring himself to stay by her side.
Stryker could still feel her body pressed up against his back and her shallow breath at his nape.
The pressure of her breasts between his shoulder blades, all the while knowing that a few strips of cloth were the only barrier between them.
