Too Close to the Sun (The Sun 1) by Robin T. Popp Read Free Book Online Page A

precise moment when the rebel decided she was easy prey; it was the same moment he smiled at her, revealing multiple rows of sharp, jagged teeth.
    Another rebel slipped his hand beneath the door, intending to come through as well, but just then, the gel bomb exploded. The impact knocked the drill out from under the door and it slammed shut.
    The rebel whose arm had just been crushed cried out in pain, but Angel spared him hardly a thought beyond an acknowledgement that these creatures could be hurt.
    Grabbing the fastener on her harness, she tried to free herself, but couldn't get it to open. With the tether securing her to the wall, she was trapped; a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. The rebel knew it too because he chose that moment to attack.
    The first blow caught her in the side of the head and she fell back. Blinded by the sharp sparks of light brought on by the pain, she lashed out with a front kick that connected with the rebel’s stomach.
    He doubled over, falling back a step and Angel tried again to free herself. Her fingers fumbled unsuccessfully with the buckle and too soon, her unwanted guest straightened, this time holding a knife.
    Angel jumped back as he slashed at her, but the wall stopped her retreat. With the next sweep of his hand, the tip of the blade sliced through her harness and Angel hissed at the sudden sharp sting that told her the tip of the blade had penetrated the shirt to her skin.
    It was a scratch, nothing more. That's what she told herself, at least, so she wouldn't look, wouldn't get distracted in case it was a lot worse than a "scratch."
    She braced for the next attack but instead of attacking, the rebel stood there, staring at her. It was then she became aware of her ripped shirt hanging open and the cool air brushing against her bare breasts.
    As the Rebel’s eyes widened and his smile grew feral, a new fear gripped her. Assault was one thing; rape was another.
    “Michels, report in. Michels!” In the background, Romanof’s voice called to her.
    Before she could even think to call out, the Rebel attacked, this time pinning her against the wall. She struggled against him, but he laughed at her efforts. Dropping his knife, he placed one hand against her throat and grabbed her breast with the other. She winced when he squeezed it painfully.
    “Michels, are you all right?”
    “Open the outer door,” she screamed; bracing her back against the wall, she shoved the rebel back a step. The outer hatch door opened and immediately everything not anchored down was sucked out into open space, past the mutilated remains of what had once been the rebels’ tunnel.
    Fighting the pull, the rebel grabbed for anything he could hang on to, in this case, Angel. As he lost to the drag of outer space, he slid down her body until he clutched her ankle. Angel watched a scrap of her ripped shirt sail across the room and disappear through the open doorway. As the pull of space increased, her feet slid out from under her and she was lifted off the floor.
    She began to slip out of the broken harness and quickly crossed her arms, locking them in front of her, holding on for dear life.
    With the rebel still clutching her ankle, Angel was pulled off balance and dangled from the end of the tether like a streamer in a strong wind. Outside, she saw the last of the tunnel break free of the Icarus , pulling the rebel ship with it to drift away.
    When Angel felt a slight shift in the tether, she risked a look back and saw that the anchor to which the tether was hooked was starting to pull away from the wall. She was on borrowed time. Looking down into the rebel's face, she saw in his eyes the realization that, very soon, they were both going to die. Again he smiled at her because he thought he'd won.
    “Not today.” She gritted her teeth and, bringing her free leg up, slammed it down sharply on the rebel’s face. The sound of breaking cartilage motivated her to kick again. The Rebel’s grip loosened and Angel