Forever Tonight Read online

  He and two others from the resistance had been caught trying to patch into a broadcast of the nation largest television network to broadcast the plight of the Redclass to an apathetic Terran nation. But, their efforts had failed.

  The others with Brian had been killed on the spot, but he’d had escaped back into the Redclass section with round up military units hot on his trail.

  “You’ve got to help me.” He’d told Ann after she discovered him on the grounds of the community building. He’d been hiding under the cover of dense bushes directly across from the empty parking lot of the building she worked in. He was trying hard to blend into a cramped landscape of the sharp thorny bushes. Brian’s hazel eyes had been determined yet, pleading as he’d gazed at her.

  “I can’t help you.”

  He’d grasped her hand as she tried to turn away and she gazed down at him. She hadn’t been able to look away from the mute appeal in them. They’d been round with tension, but still lit with hope.

  “If you don’t help me, it’s all over for me and thousands of others.”

  He’d sunk back behind the bushes then as a military policeman ran up to her. Her heart had almost stopped with fright and began to beat triple time as the frowning policeman had drawn near.

  “Miss, why haven’t you left this area?”

  Ann had gazed at the ground as she tried to think of a suitable excuse. “Please forgive me, sir. I was just searching for my car keys.”

  The guard grunted and gave a slight laugh, “Well, get going. I have more important things to do than wait with a Redclasser to find her car keys. The traitor, Brian Williams, is hiding somewhere on these grounds. We intend to find him.”

  Ann walked toward her car, unlocked the rusty door and glanced back to find the young man still there under the cover of the bushes gazing at her as the guard drifted away. She had slowly sat down behind the wheel of her rambler and started its old engine. Pulling out of the parking space and with a decision made she’d pulled up alongside the building and quickly opened the door. A flood of relief covered the young man’s face as he shot into the car beside her and ducked down.

  “Thank you.”

  Ann drove with shaky hands out of the parking lot, urging him to hide under the thick covering of a blanket she’d bought the night before. They slowly drifted past shouting guard units and onto the open road.

  When they were well out of the danger zone, Brian slowly sat up in the seat. Tension was pouring from him in waves and he expelled a harsh breath. “I know this is going to be hard for you. I need your help again. I’m Brian Williams and I need a place to hide until this blows over.”

  “You’re Brian Williams? But, you’re so young.”

  He chuckled as he said, “I’m much older than I look. But, thanks for the compliment and for what you did back there. I know the risk you took.”

  Brian had gazed at her in open frank admiration then. He was tall and made her feel small in comparison. In his dark deep-set eyes were a million untold tales of the life he’d lived.

  Fading sunlight reflected off his chestnut coloured hair. If not for the strangeness of their situation, Ann would have easily admitted to herself that he was wildly handsome if not a little pale. “I can’t hide you,” she’d said to him quietly, “what if they find you with me? I’ve worked hard to get the little that I have. I can’t take the risk.”

  He’d watched her quietly and then gazed out the window of the rambler for a long endless time watching the people of Redclass slowly drift by, “I understand, Miss. What’s your name?”

  “Ann Kipley.”

  He smiled at her then and gazed at her face if he were trying to read her thoughts by her expression, “Ann, do you have any family?”

  Ann’s eyes took on a far away look as she thought of her father’s death months earlier. “No, my father died a few months ago.”

  “I had a family once. I had three children and a wife whom I loved a great deal. They were taken away from me by these creatures that are trying to hold us all enslaved. I swore on their graves I’d see justice done one day.”

  Ann pulled the rambler over to a side alley. The engine had been shaking loudly, yet the silence between them had seemed fathomless. “Mr. Williams I’d be putting my life on the line if I help you.”

  He’d twisted in the tiny space to face her. Reaching out Brian grasped her smaller hand in his and the expression on his face was grave. “Please, I don’t have any place to turn. Things for the next few days will be hot here. It won’t be safe for me to make it back to resistance headquarters. The round up units will be looking for me. It would only be for a few days.”

  Gazing at him then made her remember the looks of sadness that her parents carried until they died. She saw in his dirt smudged face the countless numbers of humanity who walked the streets of Redclass every day and the poverty of its children. “All right, but you must leave when I say.”

  He’d thrown back his head then and gave a hearty relieved laugh, “Ann, you are a life saver!” His face grew serious again as he studied her for a long endless time, something soft and mysterious passed between them.

  “I will never do anything to hurt you, Ann.”

  She’d driven on then and the brief hours Brian has asked for turned into months. Ann felt her mind shift back through the months she’d spend with him to the day he’d asked her to become his wife.

  Chapter Two

  “I miss the mountains, Brian.” She’d whispered to Brian one night as she stared out into the dark night sky at the stark city skyline outside her third story apartment. She turned, gazing at him as she hastily brushed away small diamond bright tears.

  The living room of her small apartment was dark as she’d returned to gazing morosely back out into the night at the soft golden yellow light of the street lamp below her. She’d felt faint, weak and weary like a world that had become undone.

  Brian had walked to her then on bare feet across the tan threadbare carpet that covered the living room. She felt his warm steadying presence behind her before a solid steady hand softly grasped her trembling shoulder.

  “Tell me what I can do to help, sweetheart.” He had said gently as he wrapped his arms around her and laid his chin on top of her head.

  Brian quietly pulled her closer to him as she began to talk of the people, the places and the sights she desperately missed. He’d listened without responding with a wealth of understanding written in his eyes.

  People of all sizes, colours and shapes wearing heavy boots and coats to ward off the evening chill walked along the ice covered street outside, but inside the space she and Brian occupied had glowed bright and warm.

  She remembered his eyes as she told him, “When I was a child my parents would go for long trips into the mountains, they’d hike and fish. We’d have cook outs and my father would tell me make believe stories of brownies and elves who aided lost travellers and danced under moonlit spring skies.”

  Brian’s calming presence behind her had been a balm to her heavy heart. She thought then of how he smiled as she’d said, “I use to pretend to be a pirate queen. A bent wooden pine stick had been my sword. I’d run though our camp yelling to whoever would listen ‘blackguard’s beware of the wrath of pirate Ann!’

  Her voice had taken on a wishful tone then, “The sky was always bright with stars. I’d make a wish on every single shooting one, everything seemed possible. I don’t know what’s happened to the world, Brian.”

  Brian’s breathing grew deeper as he said, “What did you wish for?” He placed one long graceful finger under her pointed elven chin and raised her eyes to meet his.

  She’d laughed softly as she placed a kiss on his slightly parted lips, laying her right ear on his chest listening to the steady thump of his heart under her ear.

  “I wished for someone warm, strong and sexy to come into my life. I guess I was wishing for you, Brian.”

  She smiled up as him then with eyes that shinned with the deepest
love. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes as he’d replied, “Sweetheart, I wished for you as well.”

  He swept her up into arms that felt like living steel on her flesh and carried her toward the rumpled unmade bed where he’d proceeded to show her just how much he’d wished for her.

  In his arms, Ann melted like warm soft butter. Brian’s lips drifted over hers. His kisses were smooth, gentle and soft growing more intense with each passing second.

  There in the silence of her warm apartment, they shared their love. It wasn’t the hurried frenzied passion of new lovers or one night stands. What Ann and Brian shared that night changed her life and she had never been more grateful. Loving him was a feast. His pale hands drifted over her cocoa brown skin, sinuous and simple.

  Yet, simultaneously driving her mad with intense desire, his breath was a heated rush against her ear as he whispered, “I love you, Ann.” Their lips, mouths merged and collide as they shed their clothing. Brian’s smile had been saucy as he tenderly nipped at her nipple which plucked in response. It was love they shared that night and the many nights that had followed.

  Ann felt her thoughts drift deeper into the past to the day he’d asked her to become his wife.

  The day Brian had asked her to be his wife had been magical. It had been on a quiet Tuesday afternoon and Ann left the community building were she worked walking outside she discovered a disguised Brian sitting on a brick red bench waiting for her.

  “There you are.” He smiled.

  She tilted her head to the side and gave him a puzzled look glancing around with slight alarm as the milling crowds drifting passed.

  “Brian, what are you doing here?”

  His eyes shinned with good humour and love. Almost as if he couldn’t help himself, he’d reached out and gently cupped her chilled cheek in his palm. “I’ve been missing you, “he said softly, “Come with me now, I have someplace I’d like to show you.”

  Ann followed him toward her waiting rambler and climbed inside. Pulling his warm brown jacket tighter around him, he climbed into the driver’s seat.

  “What are you up too?” She said with wary humour.

  He just shook his head and smiled. They drove thru the streets toward a group of abandoned buildings on the edge of Redclass, continued past a group of street singers wearing torn ripped clothes, passed open air markets where the food never came cheap until they reached an area of empty unused buildings facing the east toward the snow-covered peaks of Mount Rainier.

  Jumping out of the rambler, Brian ran around to her car door. With a sweeping motion he opened the slightly rusty creaking door and grasped her hand in his.

  “Hi, Ann” a voice came from the shadows of a darkened building directly in front of them. She gave a slight jump at the sound and tightened her hand around Brian’s in fear.

  “Sweetheart, relax. Jeff, will you come out of there.” Brian’s voice was placid as Ann gave a sigh of relief as the sight of Brian’s best friend, Jeff Wilcox slowly emerging from the darkened space of the building to regard them from the top step of the building.

  “Everything is ready to go, buddy. Tom and Leann just left, I wanted to wait here until you got there.” Ann gazed at the two friends in confusion, “What in the world is going on?”

  Jeff smiled at her fondly then descending the steps while whistling a jolly tune, “Brian is a man in love, Ann and all you need is love.”

  Brian carefully wrapped Ann’s fingers around his as they walked up the stairs and entered the building. All of her protests and questions ceased as the first thing Ann noticed was the building’s fresh pinewood smell. There were signs of a cleaning throughout the area and in the distance coming from somewhere from above their bent heads came the sound of gently flowing water reminding Ann of the echo of a clear running brook.

  Brian looked at her then, “I remembered the story you told me of how you missed the mountains and the camping trips you’d once had.”

  They’d walked up to the second floor landing and stood outside the solid sienna door of apartment seven. Ann gave Brian a puzzled look as she gazed around at what appeared to be clinging vines covering the outside of the door. There was tall rubber tree plant by the door.

  “Brian, what’s all this?”

  His eyes seemed to shine with an unnamed emotion, his voice sounded loud in the soft silence space, “Ann, I know things are hard for us now. Things all around use are chaotic and uncertain. Yet, I want you to know just how much I love you. I love you for that you are and what we can be together. I want you to kick off your shoes and close your eyes.”

  Her heart raced in her chest as she complied with his request. The soft click of the apartment door opening greeted Ann’s ears, followed by the strong scent of pine and ylang yang. Brian carefully grasped her hand leading her inside the quiet apartment.

  Soft plush warmth caressed her bare feet.

  “I knew how much you missed those times when you were a child and I wanted to make up for it somehow,” Brian murmured quietly, “So, Sweetheart welcome to your own private woods. Open your eyes.”

  The sight that greeted her senses had taken her breath away. Everywhere she looked she saw living hues of green and brown.

  In the old decaying building, Brian had brought a childhood memory back to life. Tears of joy and wonder slipped from her eyes as she saw her childhood playground had been returned to her.

  On the walls of the room were painted trees and dark wood grasses. Covering the roof above her head was a dark painted night sky with a million pinprick stars. Green curtains lay open in front of a large window with a view of Mount Rainer in the distance, in front of the picturesque glass stood a full sized tent large enough for two.

  She gave a delighted laugh as she continued to survey the room. A small pile of firewood sat in an earthen clay pot to the left of her. Rubber trees of different sizes and colours filled the space with soft living smells of jungle green and jade. Under her feet was a dark green carpet covered with dried autumn orange red leaves reminding her of the forest floor, “Brian, I don’t know what to say.”

  In front of the tent laid a red-checked blanket on which sat a wicker basket, more blankets and odd shaped pillows. Brian walked toward her, cupped her tear streaked face in his and lightly, almost fervently kissed her gently tearing closed eyes.

  “Do you like my gift?

  Ann wrapped her arms around him then in a deep hug. “I love it.”

  He gave her a warm tender smile as they walked hand and hand to the blanket sitting down with happy sighs. “Brian, how…”She began only to be stopped by her lover’s fingertips on her trembling lips.

  “A man in love has his ways.”

  The sky outside the window was silver grey with a hint of a storm in the distance. But, in their private place the world he’d made her burned steady and bright. They drank rich red wine, ate a feast of flavourful cheeses and chilled spicy chicken. Brian moved closer to her, “Ann, I love you. I didn’t think it could happen again, not with the world the way it is. But, I do love you. You’ve brightened my days and given me back something that I thought I’d never feel again. You’ve given me back my heart.”

  Ann felt as if her own was about to burst with emotion as she watched the sky outside open wide spilling out rainbow coloured rain reflecting the multicoloured hues of the slowly fading sun above. It fell lightly on the thin old glass of the windowpane sounding like a soft musical accompaniment to her lover’s voice.

  “I want us to be together, Ann. We’ll take on this world and we’ll win. Say you’ll marry me.”

  Ann’s heart and mind leapt at his words. She threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Brian. When I’ve been afraid, you’ve given me hope. I can’t even begin to give you back the gift you’ve given me. I will love you always. Of course I’ll marry you!”

  He gave her a soft heart stopping smile then making her feel sheltered, protected and loved.

  Ann’s world had spun out of control when Brian
had been shot three days earlier. They were meeting in the centre of Redclass for their drive home on the day he’d been shot.

  She’d felt her heart sink into a vice of terror when she saw uniformed Kien guards approaching Brian from the south side of the square.

  Brian saw them the instant she had. With a sight nod of his head, she knew to follow the plan they’d set up months earlier. She slowly walked back toward her car as she heard shouts, “Brian Williams, you are under arrest for the crime of trying to overthrow the state!”

  Ann climbed behind the wheel of the rambler and gunned its ancient engine. She watched as Brian fled from his pursuers’. There were muted muffled shots in the distance. Driving in frenzy toward the east end of the square, she’d waited on Hope Street for him.

  Gunfire erupted again, moments later Brian rounded the corner clutching his side. He sipped into the rambler beside her and she quickly drove away. Blood gushed like a river from an open hold in his side.

  “Brian, you’re hurt!”

  “Ah, my love” he sighed painfully, “You’ve a way of understating things.” His chuckle was wan. His breath sounded rushed, husky and laboured in the car’s metal confines. There was harsh deadly pallor to his skin that scared her.

  “Brian, I’ve got to get you to the hospital.”

  He reached out and held her hand, “Ann, let’s go home.”

  She shook her head in denial feeling tears swim in her eyes as she gazed at his still pained expression.

  Brian sat on the old sienna cloth of the seat of the rambler gazing at her sadly, “Please. I want to go home. I need to lie in the bed where you first told me you loved me.”

  “But, you…” She trailed off at the serious request in his expression.

  Knowing she could deny him nothing, she headed for home. They drove though the drab stone streets until they reached her building. Sneaking carefully up the backstairs reaching the third story landing leading to her unit, Ann turned the key in the lock with Brian leaning weakly against her.