ExtremeCircumstances Read online

  Gates licked and nipped at Julian’s nipples and then kissed the flat plane of his abdomen as the calloused fingertips of his free hand slid over Julian’s ribs. The attention was as decadent as it was thorough. And by the time Gates knelt in front of him, every inch of Julian’s body had been touched, kissed and caressed in some manner. Julian had loved sucking Gates off. But this was so much better. Even more so because he knew the best was yet to come.

  As if reading his mind, Gates pulled Julian’s pants and boxers down beneath his hips and then took a moment to look at Julian’s dick. As if sensing the attention, Julian’s erection became harder under the appreciative stare.

  He had just begun to worry he was going to come before Gates could even take him into his mouth when Gates leaned over and ran his tongue over the tip of his cock. Pleasure rippled through him. He wanted to push himself into Gates’ mouth and down the man’s throat. But as Gates swirled his tongue around Julian’s head a few more times, Julian decided he enjoyed the slow, torturous attention Gates was giving his body too much to stop him.

  Gates dipped his head and took all of Julian’s cock into his mouth as he cupped Julian’s balls in his palm. Everything felt so good. And when Gates started to suck on his dick, Julian had to bury his fingers in Gates’ hair just to steady himself.

  Julian’s climax gathered in the pit of his stomach and made his balls tighten against him. And just as an intense current of pleasure sparked down his spine, he came into the warmth of Gates’ mouth. The muscles in Gates’ throat tightened around him as Gates milked as much of the semen as he could out of Julian’s cock and then he swallowed. And for the first time in four days, Julian felt at peace. The strain and frustration that’d eaten at him since he saw Gates in the waterfall were gone. It was amazing.

  He took a deep breath and then looked down at Gates as reality came racing back. Oh god. He’d just sucked his boss off. And his boss had returned the favor. What did he say? He couldn’t thank the man, could he? It seemed like a shallow move. “That was fantastic.” It was the truth and it seemed more flattering than simple gratitude at getting off. It would have to work. Julian held out his hand and helped Gates get back onto his feet.

  Gates’ mouth twisted into a small smile. “Glad I could help.”

  They walked back to the campsite together only to discover everyone except Diller, who was taking first watch, had already turned in for the night. Apparently they hadn’t been missed. Diller waved to them and then went back to staring into the jungle. Gates and Julian went their separate ways as soon as they got into the camp. Once in his tent Julian smeared the spider repellant over his body then wrapped himself in the netting. For the first time in a week he was feeling optimistic as he drifted to sleep.

  All sixteen men had made it through another day alive.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning Gates woke feeling light and stress-free for the first time in a week—maybe longer. This mission had finally taken a turn for the better. They hadn’t had any more run-ins with bizarre animal hybrids and the spiders were manageable. And they only had about two or three days left before they reached the goal. Things were definitely looking up.

  Of course his sunny disposition could have something to do with the amazing blowjob Julian had given him the night before. His cock started to harden at the thought. He probably shouldn’t have kissed Julian. And he definitely shouldn’t have taken it further. But when Gates saw that look in Julian’s eye—when he figured out what Julian’s problem was—he couldn’t stop himself. He’d been living under the impression that the attraction was only one way for days now. That was part of the reason he’d sent Julian off on the scouting mission. He’d hoped a little space would help him clear his head. Unfortunately being away from Julian only made him obsess about the man more.

  He sighed as he pulled the netting off himself and then sat up. They slept fully dressed to discourage bugs from taking up residence in their clothing or boots, so the brisk morning air that hit him didn’t bother him. It was still quiet outside and no sun shone through the thin material of his tent. Morning was on its way but hadn’t quite broken. He liked this time of day. And he liked being the first one up and about. It gave him time to collect his thoughts before the organized chaos of military life descended upon them all.

  As soon as he stepped out of the tent he stretched and then nodded to Jones, who sat on watch. Third watch always sucked. Gates warmed up some rations and coffee over the fire and then handed them to the guard. “Anything interesting happen last night?”

  Jones shook his head as he grabbed the food and then shoved a forkful of it into his mouth. “Everything was quiet, sir. A couple of spiders meandering about.” He took another bite and swallowed. “But they seemed to just be checking things out. They made for pretty good target practice.” He touched the weapon at his hip as he answered.

  “Good.”

  “They give me the creeps. It’s as if they’re keeping tabs on us. Just waiting for us to screw up.” Jones shuddered as he looked around the jungle.

  “They’re spiders, Jones. Not ninjas.” Gates smiled to hide his own wariness. The arachnids gave him the creeps as well. He’d been watching them and over the last couple of days they seemed to be coming in groups to scout out the camp. They were almost organized in their movements. Which he knew was ridiculous. But he couldn’t shake the feeling. “Just make sure everyone checks for bites when they wake up and reapplies the oil. It’s going to be a long day. I don’t want to have to stop every five minutes because someone just remembered they hadn’t put on a new coat of spider poison.”

  “Yes sir.” Jones blew on his coffee and then took a sip of it. “I’m all for getting this done as quickly as possible.”

  Gates turned to see several of the other men had stumbled out of their tents and were starting to warm up rations and wander off into the jungle to take care of their basic hygiene needs just as his own bladder told him it was time for him to take care of a couple of his own.

  He’d only just made it out of the camp and unzipped his pants when he heard twigs snapping behind him. His hand immediately went to his weapon but a quick glance over his shoulder told him it was Julian following him through the foliage. “What is it, Jules?” Damn, his dick seemed to recognize the name. As soon as Gates said it he started to harden.

  “I didn’t have a chance to hand over the readers last night.”

  The mention of last night brought back memories and only made him harder. “That’s okay. You can give them to me when I get back to camp.”

  “That’s not all.” Julian stood close enough to him that Gates could feel his breath on his neck. Gates was certain Julian hadn’t meant it to be seductive but it still sent a shiver down Gates’ spine. “I read the files on one of them last night.”

  He didn’t know what to say to that. The information on those readers was most likely classified. But they hadn’t been marked nor had Gates’ superiors given him any orders on what to do if they were found. “I take it they made for an interesting read?”

  “You have no idea.”

  “I’m sure. But this isn’t exactly the time or the place. Why don’t you go back to camp and we’ll discuss it when I get back.”

  Julian snorted. “Trust me, you do not want to talk about this with a lot of ears in close proximity. Just pee already. Unless my presence is too distracting.”

  Gates didn’t have to turn around to imagine the shit-eating grin on Julian’s face. “You wish.” At the challenge he pulled his dick out of his cargo pants. He took a breath and closed his eyes as he willed his muscles to relax. He was so relieved when he started peeing that he nearly smiled. “So what is it you don’t want the others to know?” He shook his cock and then slipped it back in his pants and zipped up before turning to face Julian.

  “Ever hear of Dr. Antihway?” Julian turned on the reader he held in his hand and pulled up a file before handing it to Gates.

  He took the reade
r but his attention stayed focused on Julian. “No. Should I have?”

  “He’s a military geneticist who went insane. Rumors say he was working on hybrid-genetic studies. He’s currently on the top of the military’s most wanted list.”

  “And that affects us how?”

  “This planet was once his government-funded laboratory.” Julian gestured at the reader with his head. “It’s all there.”

  Nervous tension caused his shoulders to tighten. There was nothing to do but read the file. And as far as military files went, it was pretty short. Still, Gates knew he’d feel the weight of the words until his death. “So the reptile men and the spiders?”

  “Are part of the planet’s security system. Specially created to kill modified soldiers.”

  Julian had been right to show him the report in private. It gave him a moment or two to collect his thoughts. But he couldn’t keep this information from his men. “I have to tell the men. They have the right to know what’s out there.”

  “I agree. Especially since there’s more to this story than just spiders and reptile men.” Julian took the reader back and pulled up a couple more files. “It looks as though the team that came before us had a bit of forewarning before they were dropped on the surface.”

  Gates took the device back and stared at the list of hostiles. His attention immediately focused on a carnivorous plant that grew like moss on certain parts of the planet. It’d been designed to draw the nutrients out of any living organism that came in contact with it.

  Julian’s attention seemed drawn to that one too as he said, “Even the plants have been modified to kill us.”

  “Yeah. It looks as though Dr. Antihway knew we’d be coming and leveled the playing field.”

  “Leveled? I’d say the cards were stacked in his favor.” Julian looked around them and his shoulders had suddenly become rigid.

  “Now that we know what we’re walking into, we can prepare.”

  Julian snorted. “And how do we prepare for mummy plants?”

  “Don’t walk barefoot on them. There, problem solved.”

  Julian chuckled at what Gates knew was an oversimplification. “If only that stopped the reptile men.”

  “And the spiders.” A shiver of dread swept through Gates’ body. He didn’t know if he’d be able to see a spider ever again without having flashbacks. He’d probably be seeing a counselor for the rest of his life for that one.

  Despite the macabre conversation and images, Gates did manage to relax again as they walked back to camp. Yes, this mission was fucked-up. And he was more than a little concerned about being left in the dark by his superiors. But having someone to talk to about it helped. He and Jules might not be equals in rank but they didn’t need to be. Not for this.

  Gates would happily shoulder the responsibility for everything that went wrong on this mission. As the commanding officer it was in the job description. But he enjoyed having someone to bounce ideas off. Someone who answered honestly and didn’t just tell Gates what he thought Gates wanted to hear. That was rare after one reached a certain rank. Somewhere along the line his friends had started treating him as their boss.

  As soon as they got back to camp Gates went to clean up and then decided it was time to face his men. He kept the message brief and to the point. He wanted them to know what they were up against but he refused to allow any melodramatic slant. They were the best of the best and they were stronger and tougher than any other group of soldiers. They could handle this.

  His men didn’t seem as certain though. They took turns staring at the readers and talking to one another about what it meant for them and for the mission. Gates could’ve told them the truth. It didn’t mean shit. The mission still needed to be done and they weren’t leaving until it was. It turned out he didn’t have to though. Julian looked up from the reader and snorted.

  “Come on. Are you seriously telling me you’re going to write “Fear of moss” on the mission report when you run back home with your tail between your legs?”

  “This planet is fucked-up.” Jones took a threatening step toward Julian as he spoke.

  But Julian didn’t back down. “Damn straight it is. Didn’t the reptile men and egg-burying spiders clue you in on that?” He looked at the other men. “So really, the only thing that’s changed is the moss. Thankfully we wear boots.”

  Several of the other men snickered at Julian’s comment, signaling the turning of the tide. “We’re five days in.” Gates kept his voice sure and calm as he spoke. “And despite the hostile environment, we’re making good time. Three days and we’ll be at the goal. Three days and we’ll have a real roof over our heads and protection from the dangers of the planet. It would take us almost twice as many days to hike back to the shuttle.” He took a second to look at each of his men. “We knew this was going to be rough. And there are never guarantees in the military. But I’m willing to bet that if we abort this mission we’ll be pulling shit tours for the rest of our enlistment.”

  The men’s heads bobbed in an uncoordinated nod. Gates was happy to see even Jones agreed. “So let’s get ready, eat, break camp and get another day closer to safety.” He turned and walked to his tent. He should eat some food but his stomach was still tight from the confrontation. He’d have to grab something before they headed out but he could easily deal with cold rations right now.

  He emptied out his tent and placed each item in his backpack before starting on the shelter. It came down easily, which wasn’t a surprise, given how often he’d had to take one down over the last four years. He had it folded and stowed with the rest of his stuff in a matter of minutes.

  A quick glance around the camp told him the others weren’t far behind. Within the hour the entire area had been cleared and all their supplies had been packed up. The group seemed a little skittish as they started out but he wouldn’t complain about that. They should be on edge. It would keep them alive longer.

  His men stayed quiet and alert throughout the morning’s hike. No one seemed at ease until they reached what Gates deemed a good spot for lunch. It would only be cold rations but it gave the soldiers a chance to relax for a bit. This time, however, they threw tarps on the ground and reapplied the spider poison to their skins before anyone sat down.

  The protein bar scratched his throat as he swallowed it and landed in his stomach like a ball of lead but he ate every last bite of it. He’d already skipped too many meals on this assignment. With their genetically fast metabolism, modified soldiers only had so much room to play with their diet before they started passing out. Showing any weakness would cause more dissent. And he couldn’t afford an outright mutiny right now. His control over the group of soldiers was already tenuous at best. The next crisis might very well sever it.

  He gulped down some water to wash away the lingering taste of the rations and then stood to stretch. “Let’s get this area cleaned up and head out.”

  “Yes sir.” The call rang out as several soldiers answered simultaneously.

  His men followed the order without complaint. And as they hiked deeper into the jungle, the tension seemed to have lightened. They still kept as silent as possible. That was just common sense when walking through a jungle filled with genetically modified creatures. But the men appeared calm and confident again. Their movements were sure and their gazes held focus instead of skittering around the landscape constantly.

  “Sir, movement.” Jones’ whispered words were all the warning he had before he heard the whistle. Without thought his right hand reached up to grab the object but pain raced up his arm at the contact. He looked down at his hand in confusion. Someone had shot an arrow at him. And if he hadn’t been modified it would’ve hit him. Nothing in the folders talked about a life form advanced enough to build weaponry.

  He dropped the arrow as he heard another whistle. Only it came from his left. But he couldn’t simply grab the arrow this time. Jones stood on Gates’ left, between him and the attack. And Jones seemed too transfixed by
the blood dripping from Gates’ hand to do anything but stare at the injury.

  Gates jumped on Jones and tried to push him out of the way. But with the confusion of the ambush and the throbbing pain of Gates’ wound, it was taking everything a second or two longer to process than it should. As they both hit the ground, red ribbons of blood spilled from Jones’ neck onto the jungle ground around them.

  “Everybody down.” Gates’ voice boomed through the stunned silence. It seemed to be just what his men needed to jar them out of their stupor. Immediately the group crouched behind him.

  Homer crept over to Gates and Jones and began to examine Jones. The medic shook his head after a few seconds, though, and then focused his attention on Gates. A bubble of frustration and anger expanded in the pit of his stomach but there wasn’t much he could do to vent it. Homer had to be pragmatic about the situation. He attended to the living and mourned the dead later. It was something they were all familiar with. But it seemed as if they had to push off the dying men’s needs too often with this mission.

  They stayed low as Homer put a layer of antibiotic on Gates’ hand and then bandaged it. But as soon as Homer had wrapped Gates’ injury, Gates started to move back. “Where are you going?” Homer held out a syringe as he asked his question. “We’re not done here.”

  “We can do that later. If we stay here, we’re sitting ducks.” He was surprised that combatants hadn’t filled the jungle around them even as he said the words. It was odd that there’d been the two arrows fired and then nothing else. As he moved back another foot, though, black spots began to dance through his field of vision. He shook his head to clear it but the movement only made him feel ill.

  “We’ll do it now. We can’t risk infection setting in.” Homer advanced the small distance that separated them and gave Gates the injection. As the needle retracted into the empty vial, Homer paused. “Are you feeling okay, sir?”

  Gates needed to scout out the area. Find the men who’d attacked them. But his skin was damp with a light mist of sweat and his hands had a slight tremble to them. “I’ll be fine.”