by Kelly Goode
‘That was a fluke. You won’t be so lucky next time.’
Blake stepped towards Carson and Helen towards Viktor, both of them seemingly wanting to diffuse their respective partners.
‘Carson, put the gun away,’ Blake said firmly. ‘That’s an order.’
Carson gritted her teeth and her arms shook, as if every instinct in her body was telling her to rebel.
‘He’s not a danger to you,’ Helen said. ‘Or me.’
‘He kidnapped you,’ she replied. ‘He’s an alien.’
‘I know, but he wants to make up for that. He wants to help.’
Carson reluctantly lowered her weapon and Helen inhaled unsteadily.
‘Thank you,’ she said, her voice coming out more as a whisper.
‘Don’t thank me when he goes rogue and tries to kill us all.’
Carson holstered her gun and leaned against the wall. When she folded her arms over her chest, Helen stared at the mishmash of scars. Whilst some were still bright purple, others had faded to white. She couldn’t blame this woman for tarnishing all aliens as enemies when they’d left such devastating marks on her body.
‘I thought you were coming alone,’ Viktor said to Blake, who shrugged his wide shoulders and nodded at Helen.
‘I thought you were too.’
37
‘Earth women are stubborn,’ Viktor replied, staring firstly at Helen and then at Carson. Although she had holstered her weapon, he’d seen the ISCU agent in action, causing serious damage with only her bare hands. Her short, dark hair stuck out like spikes and she reminded him of the prickly cactus plant that his colony healers liked to use in their medicines.
‘How do you two know each other?’ Carson asked, as she pushed away from the wall and placed her hands on her hips.
Viktor indicated for Blake to answer in case he said something that ruined the other man’s cover story. He automatically found himself gravitating closer to Helen who didn’t seem to mind when he slipped his hand into hers.
‘Carson, this is Viktor,’ Blake said. ‘He’s the Prince of the Jaktten. Or at least that was his title on his home planet. He’s been my contact at the jaktten council for a little while now. He wants to help the Invasive Species Control Unit.’
‘I doubt that,’ she spat.
‘It’s true,’ Viktor replied. ‘I would’ve explained that the first time we met, but you shot me.’
‘You deserved it.’
‘I don’t kill kids.’
Carson raised her eyebrows. ‘The desquamater I caught you with did.’
‘And I was trying to find out what he knew before you got involved.’
‘The aliens are targeting children. That’s what we know.’
‘Not just human children, but jaktten kids too. We haven’t had many births in our colony since arriving on Earth and we can’t afford to lose any more of our young to our enemy. Something I also would’ve told you if you hadn’t been so trigger happy.’
Carson stalked towards Viktor and he found himself automatically moving in front of Helen to protect her. Carson didn’t stop until she was toe-to-toe with him and even though she had to lean back in order to meet his glare, her eyes conveyed the anger simmering beneath the surface. She was a dangerous woman and a formidable opponent, and she was pushing all the right buttons to evoke an aggressive response from him.
‘Those same aliens gave me these scars,’ she said, raising her arms and displaying the old and new lacerations on her skin. ‘For all I knew, you were going to add a few of your own. Being trigger happy is what keeps me alive.’
She jabbed her finger against his chest and Viktor felt his jaktten stir at the provocation. He lifted his hand to tell her to back away and Blake interpreted the move as hostile.
‘Don’t fucking touch her,’ he growled.
‘Are you challenging me?’
Blake shook his head, but his body told a different story. His biceps were bunched and his hands were clenched into fists.
‘But if that’s what it comes to, I will. I’ll do anything to protect Carson.’
The part of Viktor’s brain that told him he was alpha and deserved subservience, welcomed the fight and it was only Helen’s hand against the small of his back that stopped him from attacking.
‘Cut it out,’ she said, as she stepped between Carson and Viktor. ‘You’re acting like children and we don’t have time to argue amongst ourselves like this.’
Three sets of eyes stared at her and she squared back her shoulders, as if daring them to say she was wrong. Viktor felt a swell of pride at her bravery. Misplaced bravery considering her size, because if they wanted to rip each other to pieces, there wasn’t much she could do to stop them, but the fact she’d spoken up, confirmed just how fearless she was.
‘I may not be an alien hunter,’ she continued. ‘Or a damn alien for that matter, but you will listen to me. Doctor Malone was desperate enough to hide data inside his head. That tells me the stakes are high. Agree?’
Helen’s small body shook with exertion and Viktor put his arms around her waist to steady her.
‘I agree. Consider me suitably reprimanded,’ he said.
‘We hear you, doc,’ Blake added, his posture relaxing slightly when Carson nodded her agreement and backed away from Viktor. ‘Let’s find that microchip and see what Doctor Malone died to protect.’
38
Helen leaned against Viktor’s chest and savoured the sense of security he provided. For all her bravado earlier, she was scared of what Carson would do to him given the chance. Carson was an alien hunter, it was in her nature to hate them, but Helen had completely fallen for this particular alien in the space of a few days. She was a woman of science and even though her head told her it was impossible to develop those feelings so quickly, her heart held an entirely contradictory view.
‘The last time I had my coat, I was tied to a chair,’ Helen whispered to Viktor and his eyes darkened as he stared down at her.
‘I remember,’ he said gruffly.
Helen remembered too. The fear, the anger, and the unexplainable attraction to the man who’d kidnapped her. She also couldn’t forget the way his tongue had glided over her chaffed skin and caused her body to tingle. The chair was gone, shattered to pieces, and so it seemed was her coat.
‘Did the desquamaters attack you in here?’ Carson asked, scanning the room with cool detachment.
‘Yes,’ Helen replied, as she fought back the urge to gag as she recalled the blood splatter and chunks of flesh that had littered the floor. ‘It was horrific. The way that thing exploded from inside the human.’
She inhaled deeply, but the air never seemed to fill her lungs.
‘You’re safe,’ Viktor said, as he rubbed her back.
‘I know,’ she replied. ‘I just feel a little dizzy all of a sudden.’
He guided her towards the unlit fireplace and pushed against her shoulders, until she took a seat in the chair beside it.
‘Put your head between your legs. You’re having a panic attack.’
‘I’m a doctor, I don’t have panic attacks.’
Black spots danced in front of her eyes, so clearly she did, but she didn’t want to appear weak in front of Carson or Blake. She continued to inhale and exhale until the sensation to vomit eased enough for her to get to her feet again.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ she said.
‘It’s totally understandable, doc,’ Blake replied, giving her an encouraging smile, which she returned. ‘We’ve had years to get used to the horrors of the desquamaters, whilst you’ve had days.’
‘So where is the microchip?’ Carson asked, obviously eager to retrieve it and leave.
‘It was in my pocket,’ Helen replied. ‘In my coat.’
‘Could one of your people have taken it when they cleaned this place?’ Blake asked, but Viktor shook his head.
‘They would have scented it belonged to a human and left it for me to deal with,’ he replied, scanning the room. ‘It’s
here somewhere.’
Viktor lifted his head and sniffed several times, almost like a dog might. Blake did something similar, which Helen found strange considering his sense of smell wouldn’t be as good as Viktor’s.
‘I can’t pick up a definite scent with Helen in the room,’ Blake said, and the two men shared an uneasy glance before Viktor’s blue eyes connected with hers.
‘Would you mind waiting outside?’ he asked. ‘I’ll find your coat and give you the chip. I promise.’
‘Ok.’
Carson stepped forward. ‘No, not ok. She shouldn’t be left alone.’
‘She won’t be alone. You’ll be with her.’
‘I’m staying here.’
Blake took Carson’s arm. ‘He’s right. Your scent is similar to Helen’s. It’s better if you wait outside too.’
Carson’s cheeks reddened. ‘This is bullshit. You’re not a fucking bloodhound, Blake. I want to stay.’
‘And as your superior, I’m telling you to leave.’
She held his stare for a few seconds, before shaking her head and pulling away from him.
‘Come on, doc. Let’s go. The testosterone in this room is making me feel sick.’
She strode off, not giving Helen a chance to reply.
‘Make sure she doesn’t break anything,’ Blake said, and Helen wasn’t sure if he was joking or not, so she nodded and ran to catch up with the other woman’s long strides.
Carson only slowed once she was out of the house. Helen followed her through a brick archway and into some sort of flower garden. Carson kicked out at a rose bush, causing a few petals to fall to the floor.
‘I hate it when he pulls rank like that,’ she said. ‘I’m not a child.’
‘Don’t blame the roses,’ Helen replied.
Carson tugged at her short hair. ‘I’m sorry. These last few days have been intense.’
‘Want to talk about it?’
‘Yes, no. Maybe.’
‘Come and sit down.’
Helen gestured for Carson to follow her to a bench beside a small bubbling brook. They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the churning water.
‘Do you find it strange there are no birds or insects here, doc?’
‘I haven’t really thought about it.’
‘It’s like they know this is a dangerous place and so avoid it. It reminds me of Blake’s farmhouse. There was this eerie sense of nothingness when I got there. As if the wildlife knows something we don’t.’
Helen looked up into the sky. Carson was right. There were no birds chirping or insects flying around the roses like there should be.
‘It’s weird, but I’m gradually accepting weird as the new normal,’ Helen said.
Carson smiled wryly. ‘Is having a relationship with your partner weird?’
‘Not if he cares for you, which Blake obviously does.’
‘Too much sometimes.’
‘He was ready to take on Viktor when he thought he was going to hurt you. Surely that’s a good thing.’
‘I can protect myself. I’ve been doing it for years. I don’t need a bodyguard.’
Helen liked how Viktor made her feel safe, but conceded she had a totally different life to Carson.
‘Do you love Blake?’
‘I thought I did, but he’s keeping secrets from me.’
‘Everyone has secrets, Carson.’
She stared back at the house. ‘Not like Blake. There’s so much beneath the surface that he’s not willing to share. I mean, I didn’t even know that he’d been in contact with Viktor. We’re meant to hunt aliens not make friends with them.’
‘Viktor isn’t like those things you kill. His kind isn’t a threat to humans.’
‘Doesn’t make them our friends.’
‘No it doesn’t. Trust is something that takes time to build. It sounds to me as if Blake has been doing that in secret because he knew how you’d react.’
Carson lowered her gaze and stared at the floor. ‘You’re a smart woman.’
‘Thank you.’
‘But for a smart woman, you still need to be reminded that Viktor isn’t human. Whether you think he’s a threat or not, he’s still an alien. He doesn’t belong here.’
‘He’s lived on Earth longer than you or I, Carson. Maybe he has more of a right to be here than you think.’
Carson snorted, telling Helen exactly what she thought of that.
‘Let’s go back inside,’ Helen said. ‘They’ve had long enough alone to find my coat.’
‘Ok, but let me give you something first.’
Carson stood up and rummaged inside her trouser pocket and pulled out a set of keys.
‘We found your car abandoned near my house,’ she explained. ‘Your bag is still being examined for forensic evidence, but I took the liberty of taking these out before I handed it over. I assumed they were your house keys and you’d need them. I bet you can’t wait to get home.’
Helen nodded.
‘I’m looking forward to getting my life back.’ she lied. ‘There’s no place like home.’
39
‘She’s a lively one,’ Viktor said to Blake, as they watched the two women storm out of the house and into the garden.
Blake shrugged his shoulders. ‘She’s a pain in my arse, but I am completely and utterly in love with her. I want to tell her who I am, but I’m scared I’m going to lose her. You saw how hostile she was with you.’
Viktor considered this. ‘So don’t tell her. We both know she’s the “shoot first, ask questions later” type. If you’re scared she won’t accept your true nature, stay quiet.’
‘She’ll figure it out eventually. I’ve had one too many close calls as it is.’
‘Is that why you made up that bullshit about not being able to find the coat?’
Blake nodded. ‘It’s hanging in the cupboard in the hallway.’
‘I thought so. You just want to look at the data without Carson.’
‘Yes, I do.’
Viktor retrieved Helen’s white coat and brought it back into his study. He laid it over the back of the chair and took a small pill bottle from the front pocket. He opened it and shook the microchip into his hand.
‘Let’s see what the fuss is all about,’ Viktor said.
Blake held up his phone. ‘I can read the content on here.’
‘And take a copy?’
‘Yes.’
‘Go ahead.’
Viktor passed the chip to Blake and then walked to the drinks’ cabinet. He poured himself a shot of tequila.
‘Do you want one?’
Blake shook his head. ‘No, thanks. I’m more of a beer drinker.’
Viktor lifted the tequila to his mouth and then paused. The scent reminded him of licking salt from Helen’s inner thigh during their lick-drink-suck game. He downed the shot and poured another. The usual buzz he got from the tequila never came and he realised he would never be able to enjoy his favourite drink in the same way again.
‘Come take a look at this,’ Blake said, and Viktor left his second shot untouched as he peered down at Blake’s phone screen.
‘What did you find?’ he asked.
‘Video files. Audio files. Pages and pages of documents. I’m going to copy them all and filter out anything incriminating later.’
‘Do you really think Doctor Malone knew you were a jaktten?’
Blake nodded. ‘Yeah, he managed to get a DNA sample of mine. One I didn’t have time to falsify on the system. I found his report locked away in Chief Melman’s office.’
‘So the chief knows too.’
Blake shrugged his shoulders. ‘Maybe. He’s never said anything, but it might explain why he doesn’t like the idea of Carson and me being together. I need you to convince Helen not to give the microchip to Melman until tomorrow. I need time to go through it.’
‘How am I supposed to do that?’
‘You two looked pretty cosy earlier. She looks to you for guidance, so make up s
ome excuse and she’ll listen to you, I know she will.’
Viktor frowned. ‘And what about Carson?’
‘Leave Carson to me.’
‘She’d better not shoot me again,’ he muttered. ‘Hurt like a son of a bitch.’
Blake rubbed his chest. ‘Be grateful she doesn’t have her grenade gun with her.’
Viktor pressed the button on Blake’s phone that enabled a video file to play. A man entered the frame and sat at a desk so he was facing the camera. He was long-limbed with fair hair streaked with grey.
‘Is that Malone?’ Viktor asked.
‘Yes,’ Blake confirmed. ‘That’s also his secret laboratory. The one I found a starving jaktten locked inside.’
‘It’s now been three days since I found Sabrina,’ Malone suddenly started speaking and both men watched the film with growing unease. ‘I know it was wrong to take her from her family, but she’s in danger. She doesn’t trust me yet, but she will. She has started eating the cats that I leave in her cage and I give her fresh water each day. I’m trying to find a way to extract a DNA sample from her, but that’s proving difficult.’
Malone showed a long scrape on his arm to his camera.
‘If I get too close, she attacks. If she bites me, I’ll die, but I can’t give up. I need proof that she is who I think she is, so I’ll keep trying. I’ll keep trying even if it kills me.’
The video file ended and Blake let out a loud sigh.
‘Play another one,’ Viktor ordered. ‘I need to see Sabrina in order to identify her.’
Blake scrolled through the files and selected another one.
‘This is dated a few days before Malone disappeared,’ he said, as the doctor once again appeared on screen, only this time he looked years older rather than weeks. His face was thinner and his hair seemed unwashed. His eyes darted left and right, as sweat beaded at his temples.
‘They’ve found me,’ Malone said to the camera. ‘They know where I live. I don’t have much time, so I’m going to lure them away from Sabrina. They mustn’t find her. I don’t want to abandon my work at ISCU, but the survival of both our species is more important. I’m going to hide the data, the blood samples, and the DNA somewhere they won’t think to look. If the aliens get the formula, we’re all doomed. God, I wish I never started this.’
