Page 4 of The Commander

CHAPTER 2 - CARA

Dawn crept up, arriving before Cara noticed it. She opened her eyes and sat up, her mouth dry and tasting of smoke. The fire dwindled to a bed of glowing embers. Brenda still slept, her face buried in the folds of Cara’s coat, oblivious to the growing chill.

“About time you woke up. Sun’s already thinking about showing its face. You best be about your business.” Mighty Joe awoke, his rheumy eyes fixed on Cara, a mixture of suspicion and expectation in their depths.

Cara ignored him, her gaze sweeping over Brenda, who huddled on the ground atop a bed of packing materials in Cara’s extra coat. She had stayed outside, sleeping next to the fire rather than seeking shelter with the others.

Shaking Brenda’s shoulder, Cara said, “Hey, I need to go. I need to see if there’s anything in my traps.”

Brenda stirred, her eyes fluttering open with a dazed expression. “It’s still dark. I’m cold. Hungry.”

“We’re all hungry. You young people should help with that,” Mighty Joe griped.

“The baby,” Brenda started to protest.

“You could have brought something back when you were in there.” Mighty Joe pointed in the direction of Dalewood.

They heard a noise, the sound of wood breaking. It wasn’t entirely out of place, but everyone in the camp turned andlooked in the same direction as if they knew something bad lurked there.

Over six feet tall, dressed in black pants and a black vest with a utility belt, one of the muzzle headed aliens lifted a branch out of its way so it could stare at them.

“Fuck, you did it now,” Mighty Joe grumbled, stumbling back toward the rest of his sleeping group.

The alien lifted its head, its nose moving as it sniffed the air, bared its teeth, and then opened its mouth so a pink dog tongue flopped out, as if trying to lick something up. In all her years traveling with her dad, Cara had never been so close to one of them. Her heart stilled in her chest.

Brenda whimpered.

It seemed to count them, sorting them out. Cara felt its gaze land on her, shift to Brenda, and then return to her. It licked the air again, focused on Cara’s eyes. An ear twitched, then it snorted.

Brenda let out a scream before she covered her mouth.

The creature dropped the branch and disappeared.

“Now you done it. Oh, no. Now you have done it, girl,” Mighty Joe muttered.

“They knew you were here.” Cara watched the branch shake in its wake, forcing calmness through the chill in her veins. That was really odd. She reached up and smoothed down the hairs on the back of her neck.

“Borrowed time!” The old man yelled back at her.

“You are going to die here, one way or another, if you don’t do something. I’m going to find us food, and we are going to get out of here. This damn place is toxic.”

“You’re not going to find anything, baby girl.” A smooth, amber toned voice emerged from the trees. Andy was not a big guy, but he had a big guy voice, and it was a nice voice. Too bad it didn’t match the rest of him.

“Andy.” Brenda sat up.

“Good morning, Red. How’d you sleep?” Andy’s gaze raked over her, lingering on the curve of her hips and the swell of her chest beneath her worn jacket. His calculating interest made Cara’s skin crawl. She tugged the jacket tighter, wishing she could blind the bastard.

Had Brenda noticed the action? The woman never seemed to see. She’d clung to Andy since they met, as if the things he had done to her in her bunk to make her moan turned him into something special.

Cara didn’t see it. Didn’t care. How could two orgasms in a row from a nasty pile of steaming crap like Andy be worth an exchange of her dignity?

“Andy, I’m so hungry. You can’t make me stay here. You know I can do my part. You didn’t tell me how it would be.” Brenda climbed to her feet, rubbing her mouth.

“I’m not in charge of things. That’s Danov. You know that, right, honey?” Andy said.

Cara couldn’t tell who he was selling that line to. “Honey? You knew what the pig planned. That’s why you brought us here.”

“Andy, how could you do this to me? You know how I feel about you. What has happened to you? You have to leave those other dirty bitches in that town. I’m the mother of your baby.” Brenda’s voice rose as she rushed Andy and threw her arms around him.

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