Chapter Four

Chapter Four

ReBOrB

Reb glanced at the floor where he laid Cameron. She hadn't moved. He did a quick scan of her body from head to toe before hovering away from the medical complex. She was… depleted. The little Earther female needed nutrient-rich foods, hydration, and lots of rest. He would do a more detailed scan when they stopped.

There were enough dehydrated foods and water tubes stored on the hover to last for several days. He also knew she hadn't eaten since the red aliens kidnapped her from Earth. BrOdByc told him that Casey wasn't sure how much time passed from when they were kidnapped until she regained consciousness. His brother's mate estimated that she had been awake for five days on the Siloth ship before they landed on Viant. She didn't know how long she'd been in stasis. She had no memory of the pods.

But BrOdByc had looked up Earth's location and how long it would take the Siloth ship to cover the distance to this planet using black holes and other tricks in order to save time. The Siloth must have kept both women in stasis for at least two weeks. The pods would meet their nutritional needs with fluids.

The medical center also had Cameron on fluids. He wanted something better for her. She needed actual food. Simple items first. To get her digestive system working again.

Both the woman and the hover would need sunlight. Their transportation was solar-powered, and the female's humanoid body required the vitamin-producing rays as well. Which meant getting away from the populated spaces and escaping the seeking eyes employed by the Andaran, since the man planned to search all the buildings in the city.

Reb's sole purpose in the next few days, maybe weeks, was to keep Cameron safe while he helped her heal. No matter what that required. If possible, the brothers wanted him to find a sparsely populated spot far enough from the city, where the DoMicile could land. But his ship wouldn't come for them until the Captain finished his investigation. It would be too risky for their large spaceship to make more than one trip down to Viant's surface.

Just as it was too risky to communicate electronically with the ship until they were ready. Their communications couldn't be overheard, but someone might notice the electronic trail. Mind to mind, ReBOrB could remain in contact with the Captain and the others on the planet. But both the ship and the brethren who were in space were out of mental reach.

Which meant Cameron couldn't speak to her sister. He dreaded telling her that.

Expertly, he guided the hover over a small open market that was closed down tight because of the late hour. He considered gathering a few items from the market, but that would mean leaving the little Earther in the hover. Reb didn't want her waking alone and afraid. Besides. He wouldn't just take something without payment. He would leave coins and because this market was near the med center, the Andaran's spies would undoubtedly ask questions. Reb didn't want them to track them even this far. Better to be careful.

They needed more distance. Yet, he wanted to find somewhere to hide soon. Reb had been mostly awake since she went into the facility. He needed rest before he passed out.

Maneuvering around what appeared to be a residential area, he discovered an open field. In the distance were mountains. In between the flat fields and the towering peaks, he noticed taller greenery. Trees maybe? Or vines. It would be wonderful to find an orchard. Fruit would be an amazing treasure.

Getting closer to the field, ReBOrB frowned. It was filled with flowers. Each stalk had a deep purple flower head that had six lilac and white striped petals. He recognized them as the same species Brode said were being used to perfume the air in the city. They were also used to make the kack Brode's mate soaked in when he rescued Casey.

The native flower was called the Viant Violeta . It was both an aphrodisiac and caused mild fatigue. He could smell the sweet fragrance. Brode had said that the scent greatly affected the Earth females.

The brothers had some immunity.

Reb worried about what that meant. Some immunity . He was already tired, so didn't want to inhale a fatigue-inducing aroma. And he certainly didn't need something to increase Cameron's appeal.

Leaning down, he flipped the small switch on the left. Immediately the hover started filtering their air. Reb knew he couldn't relax until he was on the other side of these fields.

Cameron

Cammy let the soothing hum of the small aircraft calm her nerves. It was the perfect white noise. The man who rescued her, Reb… something… called the craft a hover. She didn't bother to open her eyes and look around. She could inspect her surroundings at any time.

For now, she listened to Reb breathe. To his occasional musings. She knew he wasn't talking to anyone but himself. She could tell he was worried.

Right now, she didn't care why.

Reb was close to six feet tall. Cammy was only five feet three inches. He had wide, strong shoulders and looked to be in the best of health. She wasn't. He could balance the weight of all that worry—while she concentrated on feeling better.

Her head hurt. There was a low, ambient light in the hover. She could see the glow through her eyelids. Cammy slowly moved her hand. Covering her eyes, she felt a little pain relief. Her stomach… well. It growled, so she supposed her body thought it needed food. Since she had no memory of the last few days… maybe weeks… she bet her only sustenance had been intravenous fluids.

But she was also dizzy and nauseous. She didn't think she could eat anything and keep it down. The thought of vomiting while she had this headache made her want to cry. Food was a distant worry. Unless Reb had something like saltine crackers or maybe a little chicken broth tucked away on this ship, she wouldn't be eating anything.

Cammy didn't spare any wishes for the comfort foods of home, figuring it was pointless.

She was worried. Reb said she'd had a brain bleed and the alien doctors had repaired her injury with surgery. They wanted her to avoid stress, and not get hit or fall for several weeks. Taking a slow, deep breath, she worked on relaxing each muscle.

Cammy was a nurse. She was pretty sure Reb didn't know that about her. Fully aware of the symptoms and prognosis of a brain bleed—she would bet the surgery hadn't taken care of her problem. The treatment might have slowed the flow, but it hadn't stopped it. Taking another deep breath, she let that worry go.

There was no going back. Not to the alien treatment center, as Cam refused to be used as bait for her sister. She had a pretty good idea that the sisters wouldn't be going back to Earth, either. For one thing, she didn't want to. If they could find a place to live where they would be safe, productive, and happy… why not space?

Both Cameron and her sister had marketable skills. Casey was a chef, and she was a nurse. She figured they'd need some additional training in alien foods and diseases… but she believed that was doable.

They certainly had nothing to go back to. Not really. Casey owned a couple of restaurants that she loved. However, Cam knew her sister. Give her a chance and she'll replicate that success on whatever planet they settled. It wasn't the specific restaurants and people she loved—Casey was on a mission to feed people and make them happy—no matter where they lived.

Cam could work at a hospital anywhere. Her reasons for becoming a nurse weren't hard to understand. Her twin got cancer at an early age and Cam found her calling when she helped take care of Casey.

Neither of them had a love life to return to. Casey hadn't dated anyone special in years, and Cam was definitely finished with Dawson. It might have taken her a while to get there… but the love she used to feel for him had not only died… it turned to hate. It thrilled her to be out in space—completely out of his reach.

Just thinking about him made her head throb—so she quit.

Their parents were gone. Mom and dad sat them down a year ago and said they were selling everything they owned. They planned to travel the world and spend time together. Neither Cammy nor Casey had gotten so much as a phone call in the last three months.

It didn't surprise the sisters. It hurt a little. But it had always been Casey and Cameron against the world. They took care of each other. As soon as Reb took her to her sister, the twins would determine what to do next.

They'd been rescued from the red furry aliens. Cam was freed from the hospital and whisked away from a plot to trap Casey. Things were looking up.

The ship's humming slowed, then stopped. She felt the light blue alien hottie move to her side. Cameron might not feel great, but she was excited to open her eyes and take back her life.

ReBOrB

Reb couldn't believe his luck. Once they crossed over the field of flowers, the next section held yama vines. More importantly, he could see the extensive field held nearly ripe yama. The green, knobby fruit was amazingly nutritious and, once harvested, would keep for days. Weeks if he picked both the soft, ripe fruit to eat now, and added some immature fruit to ripen in the weeks to come.

He certainly hoped they weren't on their own for weeks. But it was best to be prepared. There was enough water, protein bars, and dehydrated food to last for several days. His goal was to find a place to hide out that gave him access to more food and water. He needed it to be close enough to his Captain and the other brothers who remained on Viant… so they could quickly join him. Yet he needed to be far enough away that the DoMicile could land without their signal being picked up by the docking station security.

His brothers wanted him to go to the other side of the planet before searching for a place for their ship to pick them up. But Reb had a feeling . One that told him he should stay closer to the Captain.

As he skimmed over hundreds of vine rows, he kept searching for the caretaker's house. Cammy needed clothing. The robe was great in the evening or when it was chilly—but it would be too much on a warm, sunny day. He wanted to find her something better.

The field was extensive. They left the city surrounding Viant's docking station several hours ago. And he'd been flying over the yama vines for close to another hour. He still couldn't see the end. It was dark out here. His only light came from the small moon.

Viant had two moons. The small one ruled the early hours of the night. It gave off just enough light that he wouldn't crash into anything big. But it didn't allow him to see into the distance, nor to make out any detail. The second, larger moon would take its place after midnight. The bigger moon would provide enough light that he could go exploring. He wanted to find a place to park the hover before the second moon took over the sky.

Glancing down at the gauges, he realized there was a second reason he needed to find a place to hide. The hover was solar-powered. He required a place to land where they could spend the day resting—and recharge the power cells at the same time.

Glancing behind at the woman curled up on the floor, he worried about how she was doing. Cameron had fallen asleep almost immediately. He needed time and space to do a thorough scan of her body—and the opportunity to help her heal.

Reb refused to allow doubts to creep in. He knew his limitations. As the Master of Biology—his ability included the study of all living things. Scanning Cameron meant he would know if she remained ill, or if she simply needed more rest. If necessary, he could determine what treatment she needed. He could heal minor issues, but most of the time he required the help of medicine or medical equipment. Especially for anything critical.

That scared him. That his skills wouldn't be enough to help her.

Peering out the navigation window, he noticed the rows of yama vines ended soon. He slowed down and rose higher into the sky—searching for a place to conceal the hover. In the distance, he noted moonlight glinting off water. There must be a nearby river or lake. He also saw several large boulders in the middle of a small grove of tall trees. Perfect.

As he turned in that direction, he caught sight of a cottage. Probably the caretaker's living quarters. It was on the opposite side of the yama plants from where he planned to hide the hover for the day. Which meant their hiding spot was ideal.

A few moments later, he put down the small hover right in front of the water. High boulders and tall, bushy trees surrounded the aircraft on three sides. In the light of day, he'd adjust their position to take advantage of the sun, so the power cells could reap the benefits. The hover would remain invisible, so it didn't matter if they were right on the lake's shore. He didn't want someone tripping over their ship, but when they had to be locked inside, it would be nice to have something to look at.

Turning off the engine, he disconnected from the small craft and knelt beside Cameron. Her eyes fluttered and then opened—her startling blue gaze reminded him of an Anokian ice lake. Incredibly thick lashes and brows framed those amazing eyes.

The sprinkling of freckles across her nose caught his attention. Her skin was pale. Her lips... pink and plump. Reb wanted to kiss her. Desperately.

Cameron

Her gaze met his. Reb looked as if he was going to kiss her. Like he wanted to kiss her.

Cammy took a breath. Drawing that spicy—camping in the woods scent—deep inside her.

She wanted him to kiss her.

That thought surprised her so much… she jerked backward and struggled to sit upright. This was all wrong. She'd just run from an abusive relationship—into the hands of human traffickers.

Cam blinked. Well—the red aliens certainly put an entirely different spin on that phrase. Human trafficking. Alien abduction was real. At some point, she would need to deal with the alternate reality her life had become. But today was not the day.

Reb gave her some room—and the almost kiss gleam in his eye—disappeared. Damn if she wasn't disappointed.

But he didn't know anything about her. She didn't know him. And her track record with men was lousy. Cam absolutely refused to trust her judgment right now. She'd been with Dawson for three months before he hit her the first time. The night she left him was their second anniversary.

Then Cammy ran into aliens in the kitchen.

Nope . Her luck right now was horrible.

As Reb helped her stand, she became lost in the comfort of his warm hand and his gentle manner. He'd been so careful with her. That care was like a balm to her soul.

Guiding her to one of two chairs, Reb pointed her toward the window and said, "This will be our home for a few days. We need to recharge the hover in the sunlight. Then I'll do a little foraging and see if I can gather some supplies. You need to heal."

Cam watched Reb's beautiful dark eyes while he spoke to her. She heard the murmur of his words—his alien words—and then something in her brain switched everything to English. She hadn't noticed that before. Lifting her right hand, she scratched behind her ear and felt a bump. And another scar.

Before she connected the dots—Reb did. "It's a translator. We know the Siloth operated on you and Casey about five days before they landed on this planet. They examined both of you and inserted the translators."

Cammy frowned. "Operation? I don't remember anything from the moment I saw the red aliens in the kitchen until you woke me up in the hospital. But Casey…" her voice trailed off when she raised her chin and looked out the window. Gasping, she lost her train of thought and stared. Amazed at the scene in front of her, she reached out and gripped Reb's hand. "It's so beautiful," she gushed.

And it was. She could see a full moon in the dark, star-filled sky. There didn't appear to be any clouds. But the moonlight danced on the surface of the lake in front of them. Closer, there were several large boulders scattered around the left side of the ship. Trees flanked their right-hand side. But the shape of these trees didn't look like anything she'd seen before.

Cam couldn't see clearly in the moonlight. So many things were in shadow. It was dramatically gorgeous, but she couldn't wait to see this panorama in the light of day.

Reb chuckled. "It is beautiful. I think we'll be here for at least a couple of days. Once I've looked around, I can set out a few sensors. Those would warn us if anyone appeared. The hovercraft will remain invisible, so while we are inside, we don't have to worry. If we open the door, we could give away the hover's location. And of course, we're visible whenever we are outside. We'll need to be careful."

She nodded. Cam had no intention of being captured again. She didn't need to go outside unless Reb made sure it was safe.

Reb watched her for a moment. A worried expression on his face. "Your sister woke up when the Siloth medic inserted her translator. She said her body reacted differently to most medications. Sometimes they didn't work, and sometimes they caused more problems than they helped. You are her twin. I'm worried that you might have the same problems. Do we need to consider that anything done at the Viant Medical Center might not have worked for you?"