Xiao Yan"s mind raced, his synapses fired desperately until he slammed into a potential solution. The answer rattled him and he quickly calmed his scattered thoughts to tackle the enormous complication ahead of him. As he reached a conclusion, his throat clamped and his grip on Heine"s hand tightened.
"Believe in yourself and follow through with what you decide."
Xiao closed his eyes as Heine"s calm frosty voice rang cleanly through him. The strength behind his words settled the storm raging in his mind and he issued a quick request to Ervel...asking to inject Winn with the x-virus accelerator.
Ervel"s fists tightened instinctively at the risky proposal. He had doubts over such an extreme course of action but immediately understood Xiao"s approach after reviewing the data he sent to him.
They formulated an accelerator tailored to Winn"s physiology and immediately injected him. His vitals began to fluctuate wildly and everyone watched anxiously.
After waiting nearly six excruciating hours, Winn"s vitals settled back to normal. As though Winn could sense everyone"s worry, he slowly opened his eyes and reached to rub the back of his head.
An impatient and relieved Mark tore open the chamber and gathered Winn into a fierce bear hug.
"Oh, good. Good. Thank G.o.d! I thought that you were going to die! "
Winn reached out and easily pushed the large man away from him. "What? You woke up before me? So have we all successfully adapted the x-2?"
Through the gla.s.s Winn looked over at Xiao, who smiled at him and nodded.
The vitality pulsing through Winn was extreme. He lowered his head and attempted to move his fingers. His body seemed to thrum with new life. His mind felt as though it could track the movement of his blood and heat rippled all the way down to his fingertips, igniting every cell in his body. His lungs expanded easily and pulled in welcome air. He felt like himself and yet completely different at the same time.
Winn energetically pushed open the capsule and the sliding door slammed against the home slot, leaving a deep depression in the material. Winn looked at the damage with a stunned expression.
"I... with no effort..."
"Winn. We will have to learn to control our strength again." Liv"s voice sounded. He looked over to see her casually leaning against the wall.
"Not just our strength...there was a moment where...I thought..." Winn ma.s.saged his forehead with an incredulous gaze. "Laying in that chamber I felt like I was...impulsive...How? We have walked through death so many times yet it feels like I have crossed into another plane."
Liv stepped forward and Winn took a deep breath before his fist b.u.mped against hers.
"Yes! We have crossed again! We are reborn."
Winn looked ahead and immediately saw Lauren sitting near the doorway. His hands were inside the pockets of his white lab coat. As soon as he found himself at the end of Winn"s line of sight, he quickly jerked his gaze away.
"Hey rookie? Were you worried about me?"
"You are nothing but a devil!" Lauren whipped his head back and screamed at Winn. Winn clearly saw lines of blood threading through Lauren"s eyes.
He walked toward him and just as he was about to press his hand to Lauren"s head, he shrank away from the contact.
"Hey! Don"t play around! What if you accidently break my head?! My brain is worth more than the likes of you!"
Winn"s hand halted and the tips of his fingers twirled up strands of Lauren"s hair. He leaned close and with a loud smack of his lips he whispered. "Rest a.s.sured, I will protect your little head!"
Xiao pressed his fingers into the corners of his eyes and frowned. His body slackened in relief. He leaned his head back tiredly and Heine"s palm rose to support the nape of his neck.
"You are exhausted. You need a break."
Xiao grabbed Heine"s wrist and opened his eyes. His gaze collided solidly with Heine"s, a palpable intensity emanated from his eyes.
"I don"t need a break. I need answers. Of the entire special task force, other than you and Jane, Winn is the only one with such a high replication rate. If it wasn"t for the fact that Casey injected you with the accelerator, then the x-2 I injected you with may not have been able to replace the x-virus in time before your body gave out. I"m even starting to suspect that Casey injected you with a very carefully calculated dose. You...what...look at me!"
Heine"s gaze grew heavy. As Gordon entered the room he glanced up and said, "This is something that General Gordon and General Ervel should explain to you."
Xiao immediately straightened; both of the military heads were standing in front of him. Xiao"s eyes grew forceful and Gordon rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably.
"I need to explain some things to you about Casey." Ervel spoke directly to Xiao Yan. His eyes flashed with a trace of pain. "You know about Renault. Ten years before Heine and Shen Bing invaded his brain, he joined the Surge. During a study on zombie ingestion, there was an attack in a residential area by Renault. He was planning to facilitate the infiltration of the Surge. During this incident I lost both my wife and son. When Casey first entered the Academy, I discovered that he closely resembled my son Alex. Out of curiosity I had his DNA tested. It was a match."
"Because the Surge took a sample from Alex!" Xiao Yan didn"t expect things to take such a turn.
"When Casey would use the terminal, I invaded his brain and learned about it. I didn"t think that Casey would come up to me and directly ask me, "Are you my father?""
"What was your answer?"
"I simply told him "I still have time to be your father."" Ervel raised his lips in a complicated smile, his expression twisted with hints of bitterness.
"So Casey wasn"t just an undercover agent."
"Casey didn"t work for the Surge. Nor did he have strong ties to the Shire. His motivation was more to gain his father"s approval." Gordon spoke aloud Xiao"s suspicions.
"And Jane Wallace?" Xiao wanted to know about the relationship between Casey and Jane.
"Jane Wallace. That guy has always been unpredictable. I have tried to control him but in the end he just uses every resource I give him to achieve his own goals." Gordon sighed, self-deprecation chasing his breath. "You can"t even imagine...When he was promoted to Lt. Colonel, he walked into my office and told me that the Surge had sent him. I thought his plan was to kill me but instead he joined the Shire....with one condition."
Xiao closed his eyes. Although he never fully understood Jane, he knew one thing very well. "He wants to be free. Once the Surge is destroyed, and Valentin no longer exists in this world, the Shire will not be able to control him."
"Yes. Well he has given me the bait I need. Valentin is a rather peculiar guy. He has many bases and is always changing locations. It is impossible to determine where he is. Not to mention that Jane and Casey both have a very dangerous suffix in their x-virus. The x virus in Jane is reaching its peak. Once that occurs, then Valentin will move his brain into Jane Wallace. This is the bait we need to catch Valentin. I needed him to leave the Shire to contact Valentin, but I didn"t expect Jane plan to include the zombie attack. The raid on the city shifted the attention of our forces away and he took you from the Shire. This allowed him to get close to Valentin without raising suspicion."
"Hm." Xiao closed his eyes. Everything that he thought he knew was once again flipped and scrambled. "Heine, when did you find this all out?"
"When your brain shut down I went to kill Jane Wallace. To stop me, Major General Gordon told me the truth."
"General I won"t comment on who Casey is, but working with Jane Wallace...it is the same as walking with the devil."
"Well it takes a devil to deal with a devil, now doesn"t it?" Gordon smile twisted slightly and the color of his eyes deepened.
That night Xiao Yan returned to his room and sat on the edge of his bed. He couldn"t lie down. He realized that he was beyond tired. After these past few days he knew should rest and let his brain relax but after finding out about Casey and Jane, he simply couldn"t sleep. He kept replaying the events after he was taken from the Shire. As he looked at everything from a different angle, he discovered that it all shifted to a more unpredictable conclusion.
He heard someone enter his room and sit quietly next to him. Instinctively he leaned against him and Heine"s strong presence diffused through his skin, bathing his nervous system in his distinctive soothing warmth. Xiao"s lips swelled and he smiled beguilingly at Hiene.
"I shouldn"t waste my brain on things that have no answer."
"Hn."
"I should complete the x-2 adaptation formula as soon as possible. I have your data as well as Mark, Liv and Winn"s but that is not enough. Perhaps I will collect a blood sample from Maya."
"Hn."
Xiao slowly fell back into Heine"s open arms. He looked up at Heine with soft eyes. "I suddenly remembered something...I like to kiss you."
"You don"t need to think about what is the truth." Heine leaned in and his palm covered Xiao"s ear.
"Then kiss me, help me fall asleep."
Heine pushed Xiao"s dark hair away from his forehead and his lips gently settle onto his. His movements were soft, without any force to them. Xiao wrapped his arms around Heine"s shoulders and his fingers tangled through his hair. He raised his chin and kissed Heine back as he turned over and straddled him. He continues to kiss him as if he were repeating a sacred ritual, then he fell asleep on top of Heine"s body. His head was nestled on Heine"s chest, listening to the deep breaths and steady heartbeat beneath his ear. Xiao"s hand unconsciously grabbed onto Heine"s arm as he reached his palm up and stroked Xiao"s head. His fingers brushed along his ear to trace his neck and slip under his shirt. Xiao let out a soft moan and held his hand close to his chest. Heine"s lips brushed against Xiao"s forehead.
Wrapped in such a warm feeling, Xiao slept for the entire day.
When he finally woke up he found himself still on top of Heine. Rubbing his tired eyes, Xiao propped himself up to find that Heine was staring at him intently. Xiao felt embarra.s.sed and rolled onto his other arm, slightly shifting away from Heine.
"Hey. The truth is that you really enjoy having me by your side. Does it make you feel safe?" Xiao turned his head toward Heine and grinned.
He didn"t expect Heine"s response to be a hard bite on his nose. The young major frowned in protest. "Hey. If you bite off parts of me they can"t regenerate."
Heine loosened the tension of his teeth and his tongue lapped over Xiao"s nose.
"You are really c.o.c.ky now, you know."
"Of course." Xiao licked his lips suggestively and looked at Heine with deep intention and a clear gaze. "Since I awoke from my coma, the most memorable thing has been the pain you inflicted on me. You broke my shoulder, almost tore off my arm and then you threatened to remove my fingers one by one. General Xia said that these events are "a.s.sociation points". It is difficult to forget such a deeply rooted impression."
"That is because you weren"t paying attention to what you were told. At the bar, if I had not given you such a lesson then Sharon would have surely left an unforgettable "a.s.sociation point" in your life."
Hearing Sharon"s name, Xiao can"t help but close his eyes and sigh.
"But it was you who pushed me into the liaison officer"s office that time."
"Would you have preferred someone else?"
"Hm. Maybe someone gentler...and s.e.xier..."
"Lily."
The word was curt and cold, Xiao can feel the frost bite through Heine"s tone but he does not feel the least bit scared. He sits on top of Heine and looks down at him.
"Colonel you are enough in bed...It feels good and sometimes you are gentle. I am just asking you to improve in that area."
Heine palms move up Xiao"s body. His pants are difficult to get off and Xiao cannot move his hands out of Heine"s grip. Heine"s cold eyes suddenly burst into flames.
"Do you want to give it a try?"
Heine suddenly rolled over and threw Xiao beneath him. His movements were too rapid and just as Xiao"s head hit the pillow his pants were already stripped from his body.
"Hey - Heine Burton!"
This is gentle?! Now he is in some hot water!
Heine lowered his head, his kiss was heavy and forceful on Xiao"s mouth. The immense pressure almost stole away his breath. As Heine pushed inside Xiao, his body struggled to accommodate his size. He ground his hips against him and Xiao subconsciously tightened his legs. Heine"s strength was not to be underestimated and as Heine"s teeth caught his tongue, his hands gripped his knees. He wrenched them apart as he rocked his body forward, forcing Xiao to meet every thrust. Each collision was powerfully heated and his hardness swept electricity throughout Xiao"s body.
After a long while, Xiao desperately twisted his waist against Heine, trying to get him to increase the force and pace of his thrusts. No longer does he feel pain, and the constant steady thrusts were maddeningly frustrating.
When Heine resisted, Xiao had a feeling this was only the beginning of Heine"s torture. Each thrust was steady and measured, he didn"t increase his strength at all.
Heine lifted his mouth from Xiao"s and whispered, "Do you want it?"
Xiao ferociously glared at Heine. "Are you treating me like a woman?"
"Yes. Though, even if I am not gentle, you will not be hurt."
Suddenly Heine began to move vigorously within him and every nerve broke open like a hurricane. Xiao"s body was completely shaken by Heine"s pounding thrusts and his body tightened and twisted. Even though Heine"s impatient movements were immensely pleasurable, Xiao was drowning in sensation and could only desperately cling. Heine took advantage of the shifting vertical angle from Xiao"s hold and moved deeper within him. The position pushed Heine impossibly further inside him and his thrusts became even more crazy and frantic.
As Xiao felt Heine invade so thoroughly, he worried that he would be stabbed through. Every time he attempted to shift away, Heine unscrupulously pressed him down, forcing his hips to meet his thrust.
The wet sound of their bodies colliding echoed and rattled inside Xiao"s head, but his body was reaching such depths of pleasure that madness invaded and filled his exhausted mind. Eventually he gave everything over to Heine Burton.
Suddenly Heine gripped his waist and his powerful thrusts took him to his climax. Xiao"s chin lifted as his head fell back, he felt as if something had broken free.
The two collapsed on each other heavily and Heine held him tight. His chaotic breaths slowly evened and Xiao"s reason made a slow return.
As he turned his head, Xiao caught the time on the electronic clock and suddenly yelled out.
"Ah! It has been so many days! I have to go back to the lab. Lauren is going to be p.i.s.sed!"
Instantly Heine gripped his waist and pressed him back toward him. He felt something flow out of his body and worried that Heine would push back into him.
"Are you ready to complete the x-2 formula?"
"Yes. When I am finished, the recruitment for special forces will increase as well as global zombie cleanup. We will be able to build cities...we can finally leave the Shire...look up to a real sky!" Heine"s fingers grazed Xiao"s cheek and his gaze grew somber as he looked intently at Xiao"s face.
"Before all of that can happen you must learn to protect your brain. Not just for research...your mind is a more powerful weapon than even the x-2."
"......What?"
"You should know that the final battle with the Surge will not be one of physical force but of thought. General Xia a.s.sured me he will teach you everything that he knows."
Xiao looked over at Heine surprised. He a.s.sumed Heine must have had a very private conversation with Xia when he was not aware. The torture force is the most mysterious department in the Shire. Its members have an intelligence that is not the least bit inferior to the top researchers at the Academy. The difference is... they are engaged in the darkest and most arduous work within the Shire.
"Learn everything he has to teach you. Even if you don"t think it matters. You can only find the source of the light after you understand the position of the shadow."
Xiao thought for a moment...A proud man like Heine actually asking help from another person... In that moment, Xiao understood how deeply important this was to this Heine.
After he finished in the lab, Xiao left the special mission HQ and headed to the torture force with Heine as his personal escort. This time he was treated quite differently than his last visit. Every soldier that he pa.s.sed lifted their wrist in salute. Xiao realizes that they are saluting not just Heine but him as well.
"Do they feel bad that I lost brain activity after the inquiry?" Xiao whispered.
"It is because of your work on the x-2. You embody the value of the entire Academy of Sciences."
Xiao couldn"t see Heine"s eyes, but his voice reverberated with trust and pride.
General Xia"s door slid open and the liaison officer motioned for them to enter.
This time General Xia didn"t sit at his desk, instead he was on the sofa. He had two cups of freshly brewed coffee in front of him. The strong aroma saturated the air with the refreshing scent of coffee beans.
"I don"t think that we have much time. According to Gordon, the Surge will soon take action. The x-2 and Sharon virus that you developed mean the zombies are a negligible threat. Be it your body or your mind, you are the sole target of the Surge."
"That is why I need you to train me to turn my thoughts into a weapon."
"Do you know what the true meaning of "blocker" is?"
Xia pushed a cup of coffee toward Xiao. His att.i.tude was casual and light, as though the blocker training was merely a trivial concern for him.
"Brain invasion?"
This is the most common response given but Xiao knows that, since Xia asked such a question, this could not be the current answer.
"It relates to the brain, but invasion is not quite accurate." Xia"s fingers wrapped around his cup and Xiao eye"s followed the graceful movements of his hand. "It is the study of intrusive thoughts, but in fact the subject can also incite the object to enter their own thoughts for a.n.a.lysis and attack. You have done it before in your subconscious."
"What?" Xiao Yan"s mind has no such memory at all.
"You don"t remember." He took a sip of coffee." That is because it happened when you were with the Surge. You were drugged and Casey snuck in. You succeeded in killing him using your own subconscious. I have to admit, you show remarkable talent in this area. Although I am sure that Colonel Burton"s Spartan like training has played a significant role. You don"t need to learn in the same way that low level blockers do...mining data and such...What you need is to be proficient in is the thinking aspect of blocking. When your thoughts become a weapon they are far more efficient than any virus. Major, answer this question. Do you think it is easy to sneak into an enemy"s brain and kill them...is it easy to kill another in your own subconscious?"
****Soooooooo Xiao doesn"t really want Heine to be gentle....Also turns out that Heine"s weird pain-a.s.sociation theory was true! So... what does everyone think about the Casey and Jane reveal?****
Also****
Thank you so much toeveryone that left such kind and heartfelt comments regarding my grandmotherpa.s.sing. This has been so so so very difficult and I cannot tell you how much I appreciatedthem all (I couldn"t find any grief support groups in my area so it was quitecathartic). As I was replying, my appkept crashing so I don"t know how many of them posted but please know that Iread them all and I am deeply grateful for the support at such a rough time. I amgrateful to all of the suggestions and advice. A couple of you mentioned that Iset up a paypal link and I thought hard on this. I decided to do so, but I feelthe most comfortable regarding it as a tip jar. So if you feel so inclined, Iwould greatly appreciate it. Here is the link(Though I don"t believe wattpad links...Ithink someone told me to put it on my profile...I"ll figure it out...maybe) : *****