Martin stood next to the ventilation shaft entrance disguised to look like a water fountain. The pool around the smashed fountain was filled with rancid water, the stench nearly unbearable. Julie had slid the large fountain aside by computer command from the control room, had already unlocked the hatch. Now, Danny and Trina were on the floor of the tunnel below helping as Ben and Martin lowered down the injured Elves as quickly as possible. Once all four of them were down, the other Elves simply began to jump into the hatch and drop the thirty feet to the tunnel below.
"Shit Skipper hurry up!" Julies voice sounded calm but Martin could detect the urgency. "They've cleared the building you were in and are spreading out to search. Two of them are heading right for you! Twenty meters and closing from the west!"
Martin looked at Tony and Tarifa watched as he used silent hand signals to communicate. Her small hand clutched the pistol, her keen eyes looking into the darkness for the approaching Assassins. She turned back to look at Martin but he was gone, as was the other of his unit. Her eyes met the lone female elf on the other side of the entrance, her weapon clutched in her hands. She shrugged in shock and exhaustion. Tarifa looked back out into the darkness when she heard the muted grunts, and her eyes caught the shapes of two others approaching. She brought up the K12 ready to fire, but her eyes widened when Martin and Tony appeared dragging the corpses of two assassins with them.
Her eyes were wide as she gazed from the dead bodies back to Martin.
"We cant leave them to announce where we disappeared to can we?" He spoke, seeing her questioning look. Danny, theres dead meat coming down! Tarifa watched him effortlessly haul the dead assassin into the air and drop the body into the hatch. Tony did the same with similar ease, and then he snatched the remaining female Elves arm, gathered her close to his body and leaped into the hatchway.
"You like rides?"Martin asked pulling Tarifa to her feet.
"Rides what what do you mean?"
Martin gathered her into his embrace before she realized what was happening, and he stepped off into the darkness of the hatch.
Danny watched as first Martin landed on the tunnel floor and then the female with the long black hair. "Close it up Jules.: He spoke into his mic.
Martin looked at Tarifa, who had pushed away from him during their controlled fall, and landed with the grace and agility of a cat two feet from him. Martin watched her waver for a second, and he reached out to catch her as her eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out. His hand came away from the side of her head coated with her blood, her head wound from earlier obviously worse than she had expected. That she had made it this far without collapsing was incredible.
Martin turned to Danny who read his thoughts and pointed to the three Hummers coming down the tunnel at them.
"Our rides here Skipper". He said.
Martin lifted Tarifa's body into his arms as if she weighed nothing, and he got into the front of the Hummer, holding her close to him as the others got loaded.
The infirmary was not that large due to the hospital that was located on the air base not too far away. It was more a trauma center that could stabilize patients before moving them. There were six beds in the center, and five of them were now occupied. Anja had been able to set up what equipment she had brought, as well as clean up the infirmary to make it at least presentable. She had found plastic encased sheets for the beds, and after cleaning up as much as the dust as she could, she now had patients in the beds.
Martin stood with her by the door to the infirmary, the others watching from outside the glass window.
"...they're going to survive." Anja told him." All of them. Their wounds are healing rapidly, almost as if they have an accelerated healing system like you and the other genomes. Even the female with the torn up side will heal."
Martin waved his hand by his ear looking at Tarifa on the bed And what about the ears? He asked.
Anja smiled." They are very real. "
"You want to explain that to me". Martin said.
"I can explain it with two words." Anja told him, "Genetic Engineering.:
Martin looked at her wide eyed. "You mean they were made?" He spoke.
Anja nodded." I ran some quick tests on the blood I drew from them. The results indicate that all of them are second or third generation and the high levels of red blood cells indicate they were born normally, but they all stem from genetic engineering."
"So you're saying that someone made them after the world fell apart?"Martin asked. "Who the hell would make Elves?"
"In many ways they are similar to you and the rest of the Team, albeit not on as large a scale." Anja spoke. "Enhanced musculature structure, enhanced senses and reflexes. Look at them Martin, they're all beautiful, even the men. I think they were designed for a purpose. "She said looking at him.
"They were made as slaves?" Martin asked knowing what she was hinting at.
Anja shrugged". Anything is possible, but based on the scars I've seen on a few of them, and the transmissions we were picking up, I wouldn't be surprised."She said. "We really don't know anything about what is happening now, and so far from what we've seen it doesn't look very nice."
"Yeah I'll agree with you on that one, but who would make them to be slaves? That seems very cruel. He said shaking his head. I had Tony bring the bodies of the two uglies we dropped down the tunnel. And the other Elves that weren't injured are in the galley eating all of our rations. They love the things. Think you can take a look at them too?"
Anja nodded." I'll finish up here and take a look. they'll be waking up soon at the rate their bodies are healing, what do we tell them?" She looked at him.
"I have no idea." Martin replied.
"Have you contacted the Admiral?"
Martin shook his head. "He's going to be pissed, that much I know. Thats why I want to have as much information as we can get before I talk to him."
"I'll do what I can." She told him. Martin nodded and looked at her intently. Anja returned his gaze evenly. :What?"
"I'm not so dense as to not remember what you smell like Anja. I can smell you all over both Danny and Julie. And your scent is all over them." He said softly, watching her face.
"Martin I...its very hard to explain. I...."
"Anja, "He spoke as he stepped up close to her, his musky mint smell very prominent in the enclosed space and it surprised Anja that she would be able to detect it so easily. "They they are like family to me Anja. Please I just don't want to see them hurt."
Anja met his eyes with and nodded. "Martin I did not mean to hurt you. I was frightened by what you were."
Martin looked at her and smiled." You don't know the half of it. "He told her." Just be sure this is what you want."
"What what do you want?" Anja asked him.
Martin met her stunning jade green eyes". I want you and them to be happy. "He replied softly.
"What about you?" Anja asked.
"What I want is irrelevant". He told her.
Anja nodded slowly." I am sure Martin.:She said softly; regret filling her at what Martin did not say.
"Good". Martin said. "Then I wont mention it again. Get those reports to me as soon as you can."
Anja nodded as she watched Martin walk out and she turned to walk over to Tarifa's bedside. The stunning young female elf stirred and her eyes fluttered for a moment, but remained closed. Anja moved back to the counter and began running another test and didn't see Kevin come into the infirmary.
Kevin stood in the doorway, his eyes wide as he gazed upon the sleeping forms of the elves on the medical beds. He came fully into the room and Anja saw him then and turned.
"Kevin what are you doing in here?" She asked getting to her feet.
"I didn't believe it when I saw the others. "Kevin spoke. "But its really true. They are elves."
"Kevin you need to leave. "Anja told him as he came closer to Tarifa's form, his eyes hungry at the way the sheet clung to her body.
"I heard you talking to Hunter." He said. "So someone made them to be slaves uhu?"
"You were spying on me?" Anja asked angrily.
Kevin looked from Tarifa to the other female elf and shook his head." They.... they all have the perfect model body, did you notice that?"
Anja rolled her eyes. "No Kevin, they were injured; it wasn't the first thing that came to mind. You really need to leave now."
Kevin looked at her, "Why Anja? Why are you so eager to get rid of me?"
"You shouldn't be in here. These people are injured and...."
"Elves"Kevin spoke.
Anja stopped. "What?"
"They arent people, they are Elves." Kevin told her, turning to look at Tarifa's sleeping form again. Anja knew what she saw in those eyes and she didn't like it one bit. She stepped forward and got between him and the bed.
"You will leave now." She told him more forcefully.
"Or you'll do what?" Kevin asked with a smirk.
Anja's hand closed around the butt of the K12 in her thigh holster, and her eyes took on a decidedly evil glare to them; a glare that Kevin had never seen before. "If you do not leave right now Kevin, I will physically toss you out of my clinic onto your pathetic ass!"
Kevin gazed at her in surprise. "Where is this coming from?" He asked. "Were engaged Anja, you cant treat me like this."
Anja smiled at him. "No we are no longer engaged Kevin. And you and your father will no longer get to fuck me whenever you want. We are done; finished; kaput!" Anja dug into her pocket for the ring she had worn up until a few hours ago. She flipped it at him, watching as he caught it awkwardly.
"It's that black genome bitch and her boyfriend isn't it" Kevin spoke." I've seen you talking to them! You were getting real close to them."
Anja smiled. "You have no idea how close I've gotten to them. "She told him.
Kevin's eyes grew wide. "...you've.... you've fucked them?" He asked incredulously. "You actually let them touch you?"
Anja smiled sweetly." Not only touch me". She said." They fucked me senseless! Something you are incapable of doing. And I cant wait to have Danny's big black cock stuffing my pussy again; all the while Im happily slurping away at Julies tight cunt!"
"Thats thats disgusting!" Kevin hissed.
"Maybe to you but you don't matter anymore." Anja told him. "Now Ill give you five seconds to turn your sorry ass around and get out of here."
"Or what…? "Kevin barked.".... you'll have your new boyfriend come in and beat me up?"
Kevin's eyes grew wide when he was suddenly looking down the barrel of Anja's K12 only an inch from his tip of his nose.
"He wont have to." Anja spoke coolly. "There wont be anything left of you to beat up after I blow your fucking brains all over the wall behind you."