ExtremeCircumstances Read online

  Julian watched in disbelief as his father stepped into the room. His once-proud posture was now hunched as if he’d lived ten years in the past few days. “Whatever you need, you’ve earned it from me. You earned it the moment you took your first breath. I was just too big a fool to see it before.”

  It was such a huge shift in personality that Julian didn’t know if he believed it. But as his father walked over to his bed and looked down at him Julian saw the guilt in his eyes, and years of anger and frustration melted away. He needed help. Gates needed help. If his father was the only one willing to give it to them he’d take it. “They want us to lie.”

  At that simple sentence the floodgates opened and he told his father everything. When he was finished with the story, his dad nodded and then looked to Gates. “I know someone who’ll help. Get some sleep, men. Tomorrow is going to be full of difficult decisions for you both.”

  Julian watched his father leave in silence. He wanted to start fresh with his dad but could he really move past the years of anger? There was so much history between them. Could they really start over?

  Gates allowed him a few minutes of thought before asking, “Do you think he’ll come through?”

  “Failure isn’t an option with him. He says he’ll do something, he’ll do it.” That was one thing he could respect about the man. He might have high expectations but he held himself to them as well as everyone else. His dad wasn’t a hypocrite like so many in positions of power.

  “And you’re going to let him?” Gates ran a hand over Julian’s head in a comforting stroke.

  He’d asked himself that very question. But when he heard it spoken, he realized how pointless it was. “I’ve never been able to stop him from something once he sets his mind to it.” He sighed heavily at the truth.

  “Then what’s wrong?” Gates cupped Julian’s cheek and the comforting sensation helped to settle Julian’s nerves a little.

  “What if no one cares? What if we tell the truth and it’s brushed under the rug?”

  Gates nodded slowly. “Scoot over.”

  When he’d made as much room on the bed as possible, Gates lay down next to him and pulled him into a loose embrace. “I care. Your dad cares. And together we’ll make the universe care.” He kissed Julian on the temple lightly. “We’ll keep talking to anyone who’ll listen until they do.”

  The reassurance was just what he needed to hear to drift off into a light sleep. He didn’t feel anywhere near rested when he woke up the next morning though. His muscles were tight with nervous energy and his heart beat fast enough that he was both lightheaded and sick to his stomach.

  “You ready for today?” The languid warmth of sleep held in Gates’ voice made Julian want to snuggle back into to his chest and spend the day in his arms. But that wasn’t meant to be.

  “Yes.” Of course it was a lie. He couldn’t tell Gates the truth. He doubted he’d ever really be ready for what he was about to do.

  Gates must have sensed something, however, because he lifted Julian’s chin up until his mouth was just a breath away from Gates’. “We’ll make it through this just fine. I promise.” The kiss was soft but it held the warmth of his promise and that was enough.

  They got out of bed and had time to shower and dress before an escort showed up. He and Gates followed the young soldier down the long corridors in silence. There really wasn’t anything left to say. Except, of course, declaring the reason his heart raced whenever Gates was near. And he wasn’t sure he was ready to do that. Not just yet at least.

  “Thank you.” The words slipped out of Julian just as they stopped in front of a closed door.

  “You don’t owe me any gratitude.” Gates looked away from him before pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is all my fault. If I’d done my job—”

  He couldn’t let Gates finish that sentence. “You did your job.” He placed his hand on Gates’ shoulder. “And you did everything you could to protect us.”

  “It wasn’t enough.”

  There probably wasn’t any point in arguing with him. He’d lost a team. Julian couldn’t change that. But he could put it into perspective. “We were set up to fail, Gates. But we’re still here. This mission isn’t over. Not yet. It ends on our terms.”

  Gates took a deep breath and then nodded. “I don’t know what’s waiting for us on the other side of the door, but I’m glad I’m walking through it with you.” Gates paused as the escort scanned his ID badge. “I know this isn’t the time or place but—” Gates froze and his face paled as if he’d just been hit.

  Julian didn’t need to hear the words to know what Gates was about to say. The truth echoed in his own heart every time he looked at Gates. And he might not have been ready to say it a second ago but he was now. Seeing Gates scared silent by the truth made him accept his own fears. “I love you too.”

  Gates took a slow breath before he smiled and nodded. “Let’s end this.”

  They opened the door and he took a second to steady himself before crossing the threshold. Julian scanned the people sitting around the large conference table but when he didn’t find his father he was filled with disappointment. Which surprised him. He’d been angry, hurt and had outright hated his father over the years but he’d never been disappointed by him.

  “Please, come join us.” A man in full dress uniform gestured to two open seats across from him. “I’m Colonel Speck and I’ll be officiating the debriefing.”

  Julian instantly recognized the voice of the man who’d come to visit him the day before but he refused to react to the information. If Colonel Speck wanted to play cloak-and-dagger Julian would let him think he’d won for the moment. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

  He and Gates took their seats and two glasses of water were placed in front of them.

  “We’re here, as I’m sure you all know, to discover what went wrong with mission Covert Defenders.” Speck looked around the table as he spoke, his stare locking with each and every person’s gaze until he reached the end of the table. Julian was intrigued to find that the man who sat on the outskirts of the group was blatantly ignored by Speck. Judging by his impeccable suit, Julian was willing to guess he wasn’t military. Which had to make him the government suit Speck had talked about yesterday. “We’ll start with you, Gates. Please give a detailed accounting of everything that happened.”

  Julian tensed next to Gates. This was it. The moment of truth. With Julian’s father a no-show, would Gates still have the nerve to go up against the powerful man sitting across from them?

  Gates squeezed Julian’s thigh just above his knee and then he started to speak. With each word and each sentence, Speck’s face grew redder. And by the time he reached the part of the story about the compound and the stasis chambers, the colonel was sputtering. Still, Gates continued on. He didn’t stop or falter once in his story. Sitting next to him, Julian had never been so proud of anyone in his life.

  As soon as Gates finished his recounting, Speck turned to Julian. “Would you like to refute this account or add any details?”

  “No sir. Commander Gates gave an accurate and complete accounting of what happened, sir.”

  Speck squirmed in his chair but he apparently wasn’t ready to let them off that easily. “Am I correct to assume that neither of you saw any insignia on the shuttlecraft that destroyed the planet?”

  “You are correct. We did not see any insignia, sir,” Gates answered smoothly.

  “Then how can you be certain they weren’t Coalition shuttles?” Speck’s mouth twitched as though he was trying not to smile at the move.

  It was Julian’s turn to answer now. “Because last night a military official came to my room and threatened me. He wanted me to lie about the mission. Tell you that our team never reached the compound. The way I see it, if it were a Coalition cover-up the officer who visited me must be in league with them. He’d have to be a traitor.” Julian kept his attention focused on Speck as he spoke. “He kept his face in the shadows
, but I think I would recognize the voice if I heard it again.”

  Speck paled as several of the other military officers in attendance started to whisper amongst themselves. “I’d be careful throwing words like ‘traitor’ around, son.”

  “I’m not the one who brought the Coalition into this. And don’t call me son.” Anger made his voice tremble. He and his father might have had their differences and, yes, they’d spent most of his youth fighting but his father had always valued integrity and honesty. And Julian could respect him for that if for nothing else.

  “I’m sorry. Did I hit a nerve? Oh, that’s right. You’re Colonel Black’s child.” Speck paused for a moment as if waiting for the other people to start paying attention to him. “I’m surprised he isn’t here today. What kind of father leaves his only son to face a hearing alone?”

  Julian’s back became stiff. “You’d have to ask him to know for sure. But I’m guessing a father who trusts his son to do the right thing. One who doesn’t need to control every move his child makes.” Defending his father felt weird but he couldn’t let Speck use his history with his father against him. Besides, as he said the words he found he secretly hoped they were true.

  “Or maybe one who is tied up in red tape because a military officer made sure that this hearing was above his security clearance.” The man at the end of the table stood as he spoke and then picked up a folder. “Regardless, Colonel Black’s status doesn’t affect this man’s statement.”

  Speck’s mouth dropped as he stared at the government official. “I was merely—”

  “Trying to get him to lose his temper and make his statement seem less credible. I know.” He took a couple of measured steps toward Speck. “But that’s not going to happen. You see, I believe them.”

  “What you believe doesn’t matter, Representative Lee.” Speck turned to face the congressman but he remained seated. “This is a military matter. Not a civilian one.”

  “We both know what was in those chambers.” Lee moved until he was standing next to Speck and then slapped the folder down in front of him. “And that not only concerns me, but it also concerns the legislative committee that I founded and head.”

  Julian had no idea who Representative Lee was. He’d never heard of the man. But the conversation was starting to get interesting.

  “What I’d really like to know is, where are those chambers now?” Lee stared down at Speck.

  “They weren’t recovered.”

  “Like hell they weren’t. If these men were recovered, so were the Subservients. And I want to know where they are.”

  “Even if there were stasis chambers on that planet, and even if there were Subservients in those chambers, they’d be above your security clearance.”

  Lee opened the folder and pulled out a piece of paper. “Not according to the prime minister.” He handed the paper to Speck. “You have one day to turn over the current location of the Subservients or you’ll be facing court-martial. The charges will be treason.”

  Speck’s focus swung to Julian and Gates. “You did this.”

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Colonel.” Lee pulled two more pieces of paper out of his folder and handed them to Speck. “Real men don’t place blame. Besides, these two men are no longer your concern.” He slid the two pieces of paper across the table to them. “In light of their service, the prime minister has given them both an honorable discharge.”

  “But what will we do?” Julian picked up the discharge papers and stared at them in disbelief.

  “You will be working as military attachés for my office. There’s going to be an in-depth investigation into this mess and I’m going to need a couple of people with the expertise and experience to help me get to the bottom of it.”

  Gates broke his silence to say, “But the stabilizing injections.”

  They’d die if they didn’t continue getting the metabolic stabilizer. And the military hadn’t been very generous with it in the past. Once a soldier left the military he was on his own.

  “I know someone who can fix that for you.”

  “Really?” Gates’ eyes squinted warily.

  “She’s the best damn scientist the government ever hired. She was so good they actually arrested her.” Lee studied both of them for a second. “Are you with me?”

  “You’ll make sure everyone knows what happened to my men? You promise?” Gates reached over to grab Julian’s hand.

  “And I’ll make sure whoever gave the orders is held accountable. I swear it on my life.”

  “We’re with you.” That Gates included Julian in the pronouncement didn’t surprise Julian. From now on whatever they faced, they faced together.

  Lee nodded and then picked up his folder. “Good. Then we should leave. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

  In a stunned stupor, Julian followed Lee out of the room. And thankfully Gates followed him. “You really have the power to court-martial Speck?”

  “I don’t but the prime minister knows people who do. And those people have pledged their support.” They made their way through the base with efficient ease. “Do you have anything you need to get before you leave?”

  He thought about it for a second but then realized he didn’t. “This wasn’t exactly a home to me.”

  Gates nodded in agreement. “I have an apartment off base. All my stuff is there.”

  “Good.” They turned the next corner and Lee ran a keycard through the security scanner. “The prime minister might have some powerful supporters, but that doesn’t mean everybody is on his side. The sooner we get out of here, the better I’ll feel.”

  “Seems like a lot of trouble to protect some chambers.”

  “No. It’s to protect what’s in them.”

  “The Subservients?” The name felt foreign on his tongue. “What exactly are they?”

  “Your replacements. Only a hundred times more dangerous.”

  They walked out into the sun and Julian could breathe again. “A hundred times more dangerous?” It didn’t seem possible.

  “Telepaths, telekinetics and soldiers who are indestructible.”

  “Oh my.” Gates winked at Julian as he smiled seductively.

  “I’m glad you think this is funny.” Lee glared at them both.

  All traces of humor disappeared from Gates’ face. “Look, I appreciate what you did for us back there, but I don’t think you heard a word I said. I led a mission where I watched my men being devoured alive by spiders. I held one of my men as he bled to death in my arms. I sent my men ahead to be gassed to death by their own military. And now, when I’ve finally made it off that hellhole, I find out everything I just endured was because the military found an adequate replacement for me.” Gates shook his head. “You’ve got to admit it’s kind of funny.”

  “It won’t happen. I won’t let them become weapons. I gave my word.”

  Gates nodded. “A man hell-bent on keeping his word. I can respect that, Mr. Lee.”

  Lee smiled. “That’s good to know. We’re going to be working together and against the odds. Respect is a good start. And call me Jasper. All my friends do.”

  Chapter Ten

  Gates stared up at the ceiling. Julian slept soundly next to him. His arm was thrown over the man’s body with his hand resting over his heart. He did this every night. Lay motionless in the bed and felt his lover’s heart beat steadily. Maybe to anyone else it wouldn’t seem like a miracle. But since they hadn’t needed the metabolism-stabilizing shots in the past month it was a miracle to him. He wasn’t overly comfortable with the other developments surrounding the surgery however.

  “Go to sleep.” Julian’s voice was heavy with exhaustion as he barked out the command.

  “I will.” He smiled despite himself. “Eventually.”

  Julian rolled over to face him. “What’s keeping you awake? Do you not want my father to come to supper tomorrow?”

  “Please. After he tipped off Representative Lee about the debriefing? He can move in with us if he likes.�
��

  Julian chuckled and then snuggled closer to him. “Then what is it?”

  “Another entire squadron of enhanced soldiers disappeared this week.” He hated reading the weekly reports that landed on Lee’s desk. They were never good news.

  Julian shuddered next to him. “Do you think they were sent on a suicide mission?”

  “No. I think they were recruited by the Coalition.” He sighed as he remembered his own time on a Coalition base. Lee had never outright admitted it but Gates was pretty sure the doctor who performed his and Julian’s surgeries was a member of the rebel group. “Their willingness to stabilize modified metabolisms is costing the military thousands of soldiers every month.”

  “Is it really their willingness to help or the military’s refusal to that’s costing them soldiers?”

  Julian had a point. If the military just fixed the problem the soldiers wouldn’t have to pick between their health and their allegiances. “Still—”

  “Look, Gates.” Julian ran his hand down Gates’ side in a comforting stroke. “I think it’s beyond amazing that you’re still loyal. It shows you have faith and are committed. Both qualities I adore in a lover. But after what they did to us, I say if modified soldiers want to switch sides, more power to them.”

  “But what happens when all the modified soldiers are fighting against the military that made them?”

  “I’m a soldier, not a philosopher. But I’m guessing the military will wise up and start allowing the procedure before it comes to that. It’s the only option that makes sense.”

  “Just because it makes sense doesn’t mean the military is going to do it.”

  Julian tipped his head back and then kissed Gates softly. “You’re right.”

  “There’s a storm coming. I can feel it.”

  “Then we’d better enjoy the quiet while it lasts.” Julian rolled Gates so his back was flat against the bed. “I can think of a couple of ways to enjoy our time. All of which require you to be wearing less clothes.” He nuzzled his neck before he pulled Gates’ shirt off and then he pushed down the pajama bottoms and briefs Gates wore.