The Regime (Book 2 of Kendra's Journey)

Felix was deep in thought while he slowly paced the porch.  He stopped for a moment to admire the brilliant orangish-red sun as it casually set behind the tree line. Being outside to greet the sun when it rose in the morning and to say good-night when it set in the evening was a habit that he developed as a young boy.  It gave him some semblance of peace to witness such a miraculous occurrence.To his disappointment, the contentment that he normally felt during this time eluded him.  His mind was filled with confusion and frustration.  He’d intently listened to Ari’s tale of woes about all that occurred while journeying from Center Land to his home and was sorry for what she’d endured during it.  A trip that should have taken her no more than two days on foot – less on horseback  - had lasted the better part of a week.  She’d been so preoccupied with fleeing for her life -as well as traumatized by the sight and

The well-developed, lean muscles of Rex’s tall frame flexed with tension as he paced in front of the boulder that was the agreed upon meeting place for him and Kendra.  He anxiously scanned the trees for a sign of her approaching.  The sun’s rays were barely able to push their way through the thick green canopy that  blanketed the tree tops during its highest point of the day.  Now that it was almost set, visibility was practically nil.  Where could she be? He’d been back for well over an hour.  He’d had a devil of a time finding it once he’d ventured out and wondered if she was experiencing the same problem. Adamant that he wouldn’t return home without her and certain that she’d wait for him as well and concerned with the time of day and poor lighting, he resigned himself to the fact that he’d more than likely be spending the night right where he stood.Deciding to be proactive, he began gathering

The world slowly came into view as Rex struggled to get his sky blue eyes to work for him.  He raised his hand to inspect the lump on his broad forehead and tried to remember how he got it while, at the same time, working on determining just where he was. It took him some time to realize that it wasn’t his vision failing him that caused visibility to be so poor.  It was the fact that he was in a space that was so dimly lit that it could almost be considered dark.  Feeling his pulse quickening, he worked at controlling his breathing to avoid panic.  All of his life, he’d suffered from mild claustrophobia.  Waking up in a strange and unknown environment while unable to see his surroundings made him feel trapped and closed in. He couldn’t let it overtake him.  He needed his wits about him more than ever.Going back over the chain of events leading to his waking up in this unsettling place, he slowly remembered the tall

The constraints around his ankles made it difficult for Rex to walk. He was forced to take small, clumsy steps as the excessively tall and surprisingly strong alien males half-pushed, half-dragged him from his cell.  He stumbled his way down a long, narrow corridor to a set of double doors.  After pushing their way through the doors, his alien tormentors shoved him into a room that was large enough to support a double bed, two metal chairs, and three rolling medical trays. They pushed him with such force that he fell to his knees.  He had to fight back the urge to strike out at the laughter that came from his evil captors.They unceremoniously yanked him to his feet by his cuffed wrists and secured them to a chain that hung from the ceiling so that his arms were raised above his head.  He was surprised when a male pulled on a few zippers along the shoulders of his kaki colored jumpsuit and the entire suit puddled around his ankles.Completely naked

Felix marveled over how quickly the slender, shapely legs of Ari’s petite body were able to cover ground as his longer, lean muscled ones struggled to catch him up with her.  If she’d remembered his club foot, she wasn’t giving him allowance for it as she moved along at a pace that was as close to a jog as one could get and still be walking.“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she hissed over her shoulder as she leapt over  a log-like branch that had fallen off a half-dead tree. “What’s bothering you?” he managed with labored breath. “Geez, can you slow down just a bit?”“If you can’t keep up, then go back,” she snipped.  “I didn’t ask you to come along to begin with.”His ankle was beginning to pain him from the unfamiliar demands that he was putting on it, but he held firm. “I’m not going back.”She abruptly stopped