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“Again. I’m not missing out on seeing an alien spaceship.”
He glanced back at her. “We’ve never had anyone beside us and the mechanics onboard. You’ll be our first official guest.”
“You or the other guys have never had female company onboard?” Why had she asked that? Now she sounded all types of desperate.
Kien shook his head. “We visit bedmates where they reside.Halo Oneis plain and simple.”
Her heart dropped at hearing his words. Of course, he had women or “bedmates”. If his dating life that she’d witnessed on Earth was any indication, Kien probably had a small harem of them littered across the galaxy.
Not my concern.
Kien pushed through some bushes and stopped. “We’re here.”
She joined him to stand in a clearing with a large lake. It looked like a hidden gem. While there weren’t any fishermen at the moment, she guessed during the mornings, there would be more than one boat floating on the tranquil lake with the men inside casting their reels over the side. But because of the late hour, the sun less than an hour from setting, the lake was still and quiet and they were alone.
“Are you sure this is it?”
Kien studied the device in his hand. “This is it. I have a strong signal coming from the middle of the lake.” He turned to look at her. “How good are you at holding your breath?”
“I was on my junior high school’s synchronized swim team.” She glanced around. “This lake is a nice size but not so big I would have to worry about a current or anything like that. It’s probably about twenty feet deep.”
Kien squatted and pulled the trash bags from his backpack and stuffed their bags inside. He tied them into knots. He kicked off his shoes and stripped to his underwear and she did the same. He put their clothes into another bag and also knotted it.
“You hold the bags and I’ll hold you,” he said.
“But I can swim.”
“I’m sure you can, but I can go faster, even while holding you, and I know where the entry hatch is. We’ll get there in no time at all.”
Nisha bit her lower lip and looked at the lake. Holding his breath for two or three minutes might not be a thing for him, but for her? She would be struggling at the minute mark. It had been a while since she’d had to hold her breath for more than a minute.
Kien watched her. “Humans can hold their breath comfortably for thirty to ninety seconds. I looked it up before we came. If I hold you, I think I can get us to the hatch within a minute. You on your own wouldn’t reach it within ninety seconds.”
“Okay. I trust you.” Nisha took a gulping breath. Kien wouldn’t let her drown. “If I’m struggling, you’ll take me back to the surface?”
He gave her a nod. “I’ve got you.”
* * *
AND HE MEANT THOSEwords. He had her.
Kien cradled and handled Nisha as if she were the most precious cargo in the world, because she was. While she clutched their bags and buried her face in his chest, Kien held her tightly and kicked his way toward the hatch. It was easy to spot his spaceship when he’d reached the ten feet mark.
Although the ship was cloaked, he knew the tell-tail signs of it. While the lake teamed with fish and vegetation, there was a void where the ship was. The murky waters of the lake reflected back at him.
He pushed ahead as Nisha’s nails dug into his arm. She was running out of air. They were so close. He kicked faster and harder to finally reach the hatch. Once there, he pressed his palm against the hidden key. It illuminated when it registered his handprint. He input the secure sequence of keys and the door slid open. Nisha hit his arm in a panic.
Kien pushed inside the water-filled compartment. He slammed his hand on the inside panel and the door shut. He rubbed Nisha’s back, hopefully giving her comfort. After the door shut, the water began to drain. She dropped their bags and clutched him close. He held her tighter.
Just a few more seconds.
As soon as the water drained from the ceiling, he lifted her above his head. Even while his head was still under water, he could hear her gulping breaths of air.
He held her there until the water drained past his head then brought her down to perch on his hip. She still took gulping breaths, and her eyes were full of panic.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded. Her wet hair plastered to her face and neck. Her long eyelashes still had water drops on them.
