Aberrant

Chapter 42

Kaplan jerked upright, hauling in air. Adrenaline pounded through him. He went for his pistol, but only found bare skin. He rapidly got his bearings. Dim room. Bed. Naked woman—Jinx. The darkness and sense of suffocation fled from his mind.

He'd been dreaming, the disturbing tenor of the nightmare not unexpected.

He'd report for his med check that wake cycle.

Scrubbing a hand across his face, he settled his respiration and checked the time displayed on his wrist com a few metres away on the dining table. His pulse double-timed it for a few beats. He only had forty-two minutes. The cabin's 'dawn' protocol was about to kick in.

He did a quick physical status check. No debilitating headache, despite only a few hours sleep. That wouldn't stay the case; his med check would be only the start of the day's pain.

Abs knotting, he looked to Jinx. She lay curled in a ball near the wall, half covered by the bed's sheet. Unlike a couple of hours ago, when she'd been partially sprawled across him, taking up a lot of bed for a woman her size. Reclaiming some territory, having her lost under him, her reckless psionics burning up his senses, had been a rare pleasure. 'Rare' as in she'd be fighting him again soon enough, out to dodge an unwanted attachment.

But going by his improved empathic read on her—both what he sensed and the fact his mind still sought a connection—it was too late for that. For both of them.

Kaplan rubbed a hand over his eyes. He was going to have to figure out what to do with her. What to tell her. Of all people, she'd understand his situation: the issues with his tech; his need to go after Cal while he still could. But dragging her further into his world wouldn't do her any favours. Her position was precarious enough—

A whisper of fear.

Pulse quickening, he leaned over Jinx, caught rapid movement under her eyelids. She was breathing raggedly, having her own tense dream.

Unease prickled along his spine. His dream came back to him: suffocation, pain, and darkness; a sense of building rage. Not his usual kind of nightmare: warped memories of missions or anxiety-induced mazes created around his brother. His pulse upped its pace again as he studied the sleeping woman beside him. With anyone else—even another psionic if the relationship was close—there might have been a possibility of shared dreaming. But with Jinx...

She'd been given a cocktail of psi-active drugs.

Gut tightening, he did a surface scan, knowing Jinx would hate it if he succeeded. He got nothing. Not even much of the usual static. He frowned, then remembered his headset was across the room, still on the kitchen bench.

Jinx jerked in her sleep.

Kaplan glanced to the time again. He shook Jinx's shoulder, just as the cabin's illumination rose and the first pips of bird song started. "Jinx, sleep cycle's over. Wake up."

She jolted upright, coming awake with a wheezing inhalation. Her hand flew to her throat as she fought to catch breath. "Fuck."

Kaplan eyed her, his own respiration not strictly calm. "Anything interesting?" She looked liked she'd just stared into hell.

She jerked her gaze to him, then her lips curled into their customary sneer. "Oh, sure. This psycho was trying to eat my brain while I was drugged and tied to a bed. No, wait. That was yesterday."

Kaplan ignored the dig. "You look rough. How you feeling? Any headaches, dizziness?"

She flopped back against her pillow, dragged her hands up over her face, her body a glorious stretch of female flesh. "I'm fine. Waking up feeling crappy is normal for me." She flicked back her hair to blink at him, her eyes slightly bleary. "Oh, jeez. Stop worrying, Kaplan. Shitty dreams and headaches are my thing. Nothing to do with Channing's drugs."

Kaplan stayed focused, though he took a second to appreciate a few of her curves. "What were you dre—?"

The call alert on his wrist com cut him off. After a second's hesitation, he rolled out of bed to grab his tech. The name on screen didn't surprise him. He'd been expecting some kind of follow-up. That it hadn't come sooner was only because he'd stipulated Jinx needed rest, doctor's orders.

He stepped into the bathroom and shrugged into a robe before accepting the call. "R'henuri," he greeted Shau as her face filled his com's screen.

"Where's the aberrant?" Shau demanded. "She's not in the med wards."

Kaplan kept his expression neutral, but tightened his hold on his com. People had gone looking for Jinx. "She's recovering in an undisclosed location on this ship. Given what happened with Admiral Tarak and the fact emotions are running high, I thought that would be wise."

"She's with you." Shau's stare bored out of the screen. If he'd been in her presence, he'd have felt his skull cave in under that look. "In your quarters."

Kaplan didn't confirm or deny anything. It would've been pointless. His grandmother's intuition was legendary. Her ability to predict enemy movements during the war had helped start rumours of clairvoyance. "Your orders were to use my relationship with her to illicit information and cooperation, R'henuri."

The thinning of Shau's mouth told him he'd scored a direct hit—and would pay for it. "My office, Senuri. Fifteen minutes."

"I have an appointment with Dr Esterfield. Shall I postpone?" Even a dressing down from his grandmother would be preferable to what awaited him.

"Your medical?" Something—an actual human emotion?—flickered over Shau's face before her gaze sharpened again. "No. Keep it. And take the aberrant with you. Have her health status assessed. I'll join you shortly." On those ominous words, she killed the connection.

Kaplan looked up to find Jinx leaning in the bathroom's doorway, her oversized singlet doing a poor job of clothing her. A lot of exposed leg. A slipped shoulder strap that bared more than cleavage. Her stare stayed serious as it met his, but her lips curved. "Your psycho granny going to spank you, soldier? Can I watch?"

Kaplan noted the smirk, then took another survey of her bare flesh. She'd pay for that comment. But later. He nodded to the showering facilities. "Get ready. We're due at Medical. Channing needs to check you over."

Jinx's smile fell away. "That's too bad. I've got other plans."

"You'll have to cancel them."

She shoved away from the doorjamb. "Yeah, I don't think so." She hauled off her top, giving him a better wake up jolt than caffeine ever could. The look she tossed over one shoulder as she stepped into the cleansing chamber told him exactly what her "other plans" were.

His day's agenda flashed to mind: med check; dealing with the fallout from it and Cal's abduction. Those hard realities couldn't be avoided. This—a mildly pissed off woman in his shower—would no doubt be the highlight of his day.

He dropped his com onto the vanity and stripped off his robe. He and Jinx were short on time—in every way imaginable. Arguing would be inefficient.