by Piper Stone
“What do they want?”
“My guess is either information about the inhabitants of this place or perhaps their location. I’m going to guess that all the scientists fled before the Zatans took over.”
“How would we know?”
“As I said before, we’re going to have to figure that out.” Xander’s voice was full of apprehension.
I licked the rim before taking a sip, surprised how amazing the taste really was. “Okay. I don’t know what you think I know. I told you that I was in my apartment when the aliens came.”
“I think you were chosen for a reason.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I think that you were brought here to this planet because they have a specific reason to use you. Maybe because you’re a scientist.”
I laughed, rolling my eyes. “Use me? I told you who I was and what my life entailed. I hadn’t even graduated yet.”
Xander sat back, studying me intently. Another wave of heat shot through every muscle and vein. I hated the fact I was so drawn to him.
“Hmmm... It’s my belief that you’re more than just a student. What were you working on?”
“I don’t know what to say or what you’re insinuating. I was doing whatever they told me in school.” I wasn’t going to tell him any details, but what he said made sense. Why was I some missing link?
He fiddled with his glass before taking a huge gulp. “Right. What I know is that you were on this planet less than a week before you were selected to join the game. I’ve been on this wretched planet long enough to know that’s unheard of. They like to break down the girls before they’re allowed to enter the arena. You still had fight left in you, but here you are. Somehow the Zatans knew I’d select you specifically because of your spunk. They played me just as the humans did on Earth.”
“And you knew you’d be selected?” I tossed in his face.
“I had a feeling. One of the guards warned me.” He twirled his glass on the dense wooden surface, the scraping sound giving me the jitters.
“You mean the asshole who escorted us out?”
“Exactly. I wouldn’t trust him, but he has proven to be helpful at times. He’s also the one who said I needed to take care of you because you were special. Now, as you can imagine, that strikes me as being very odd.”
I could see doubt in his eyes, even a flash of resentment. “I don’t know why I would mean anything to anyone. I’m nobody. I could be just a number.” I swallowed hard, fighting the bile forming in my throat.
“Your parents perhaps?”
“They’re dead,” I huffed, taking another swig.
“A connection to someone powerful?”
I laughed. The look in his eyes meant he had something specific on his mind. “My only connection is to an aunt who hates me, forced by my father’s will to take care of all my wants and needs. Trust me, she’s not someone the Zatans would give a shit about.”
“You’d be surprised.” Xander tapped his fingers on the table. “Any relation to Thomas Garens, the famous scientist from twenty years ago? From what I read, he was very important to the eradication of diseases on Earth.”
The question caught me totally off guard. “He was my father, but he’s been dead a long time.”
“Then we’re going to have to search the entire facility in order to find out why they wanted you here so badly.” He polished off his drink, slamming the glass on the table then standing. “And you’re sticking close to me. Do not venture off. I’m not a hundred percent certain this location is entirely safe.”
“All right. Whatever you say.” I studied his muscular back as he walked toward the door, one foot tapping on the floor. I wasn’t certain why the warrior made me nervous, but he had more answers to the riddles buried inside his head than he felt he could trust me with.
Then again, I certainly couldn’t place my trust in him either. How could we given what we’d been through?
Could my father’s work have anything to do with this?
He stormed down the corridor, the second one branching off into two more. We passed by actual sleeping quarters that while in disarray, hadn’t been ransacked. He’d been right. Whoever had tossed the place had been searching for something in particular. He turned a corner and an oversized metal door was located at the end of the hallway. As we moved closer, I could see a typical security feature located on the side of the door.
It was either a handprint or retinal scan, only the unit had been literally blown off the wall, the pieces shattered.
He moved quickly inside, flipping on one of the lights.
I was shocked by the size of the laboratory, the facility much larger than the training room at my university. “Jesus.” While much of the area had been destroyed, I had the feeling that Xander had spent time cleaning as well as attempting to figure out what the inhabitants were studying.
“There are also additional rooms,” he said, pointing to the rear. “But that’s where the fire occurred. Hear me. You’re not going to try and get in there. It’s far too dangerous. Do you understand?”
I studied the twisted mass of metal and charred remains, wondering why burning that particular area had been necessary. “Yes. Fine. I understand.”
He huffed and moved further into the room. “I want you to look around and see if you can find any information about who was here and why.”
I nodded, still taken aback.
“You sure you’re up for this?” he asked pointedly.
I hated the fact that he was extraordinarily handsome, the purple hue of his skin shimmering in the dim lighting, his muscles perfectly carved. My body ached from lurid thoughts that had no business being in my mind. “Trust me. I’m just dandy.”
He chuckled in a dark and sensuous manner before moving to the far side of the room.
I took several minutes searching through the rubble. Some of the micro-scans remained behind, the very ones that I’d used countless times in various classes. There were at least twenty stations set up, maybe more and from the basic tagging I noticed in several of the drawers; the scientists had been studying different molecules and enzymes.
I laid out several, recognizing at least a few of the names. They were all relatively unknown diseases, ones that had been either eradicated from the Earth twenty to thirty years before or were so remote that they’d never caused an epidemic.
Why would these scientists be studying any of them now? I moved to the dozens of drawers and cabinets, finding the majority empty. When the last drawer refused to open, I became more curious.
“What is it?” he asked, taking long strides in my direction.
“It’s stuck.”
He rounded the lab station, pulling on the thick metal handle. After bending down, he studied the underside then opened the cabinet door underneath, reaching inside.
“What are you doing?”
“You might have found something.”
There was a distinct click and he whistled, reaching even further inside. When he pulled his arm from the cabinet, in his hand was what appeared to be an old-fashioned journal of some kind. I couldn’t have been more surprised.
The notebook-sized leather piece had yellowing pages. Even amongst the death and destruction, I was excited at the find.
“What the hell is this?” he asked as he handed it to me.
My hands were shaking as I took it from him, placing the book on the counter and flipping through the pages. “One of the scientists wrote down experiments and formulas. This is amazing.” A cold chill trickled down my spine. Wait a minute... I’d blocked out almost every memory of my childhood due to that traumatic experience, but I did remember bits and pieces.
He moved to a standing position. “Experiments. What the hell were they doing in this place?”
“Just wait a minute,” I chastised as I flipped through several more, running my finger over the various calculations. Some of the notations were recent, as little as three weeks before. They also made n
o sense in my mind. “They were studying diseases that basically don’t exist any longer on Earth, the very ones my father eradicated. They were trying... Mutations.” Oh, God. Oh. My. God. My heart raced, a sickening feeling pooling in the pit of my stomach.
“Mutations? Why? If the diseases are gone, then what were they doing, creating a weapon?”
I shuddered from the thought. “That might be. Some of the diseases are horrible. Ebola. Flesh-eating bacteria. Hundreds of thousands of people died from these.” I continued looking, more and more fascinated as well as terrified.
“Maybe that’s what the Zatans were trying to do, develop weapons of mass destruction. What better way to wipe out the human race? Perhaps even other species.”
Fear trickled into my system. “They could easily do it depending on the levels of mutation. Even with another species, if scientists had tissue samples, they could potentially create an entirely different mutated gene deadly to that alien race alone. All of this is just a guess.”
“You studied microbiology, the culture of past diseases?”
“Yes. I had a professor who insisted that we must know our history in order for it not to repeat itself. As far as what they were planning on doing, the formulas aren’t finished from what I can tell.”
“This is what the Zatans were looking for.”
“No doubt. Maybe the scientists knew better than to keep anything on their computers.”
He nodded several times. “That would make sense. Whatever happens, we need to keep the notebook safe.”
“I agree.” I flipped page after page, trying to figure out who had been here. I noticed a few names, but... no, that didn’t make any sense. When I turned to one of the last pages in which something had been written down, I was forced to grip the edge of the counter. I’d recognize the writing anywhere. Flashes trickled into my mind, conversations. Laughter.
“What is it?”
I took a step back, my heart racing. “I can’t believe it. I don’t understand.” No. No. Something was wrong.
“What are you talking about?” When I didn’t answer, he grabbed the book, studying the page, his head finally lifting. “What the fuck is going on here?”
Everything I’d ever known as a child had been a lie. Every aspect of what I’d heard about my family, a lie. I fell to the floor, holding my head in my hands. “It can’t be. He can’t be alive.”
“Are you talking about your father?” he demanded.
I took several gulping breaths before I was able to look him in the eye. “Yes. If what I’m reading is correct, then... he’s alive.”
Chapter Nine
Xander
The information she’d found was disturbing.
The Zatans were cunning, as power hungry as humans. If they were able to design a weapon that would infect mass populations instead of total destruction, they would be able to inhabit the planet without the need to rebuild, taking valuable resources.
I paced the kitchen, a glass in my hand. The Zatans would continue their hunt, yet I couldn’t help but think there was more to find.
I wasn’t going to solve anything at this point. I needed sleep; however, we were getting the hell out of here tomorrow.
I grabbed the bottle, heading down the hallway. The entire place reeked, the stench of blood and chemicals almost too much to bear. I’d done everything I could to bring the systems back online, but the air handler seemed to be working at one third of its normal capacity. Granted, the system was archaic in comparison to any on my planet, but at least some of the basic mechanisms I’d been able to figure out.
I hadn’t wanted to tell Katarina about the four dead bodies I’d found, their charred and gory remains telling of the horrors they’d faced. Were they scientists or soldiers? I would venture a guess they’d been sent along with the brilliant men and women to protect them. Shitty job they’d done. I’d managed to drag their bodies deep into the forest, burying them under snow that would no doubt melt soon enough. The freaking storm had given way to warmer weather and at last check, the temperature had risen another ten degrees.
That meant thawing.
That meant the damn creatures would likely sniff out the bodies, feasting on their carcasses.
Hissing, I stormed my way through the various corridors, praying to our gods that the locking system I’d finagled with would hold. I made my way into one of the cabins I’d sequestered, eyeing the weapons I’d found near the bodies. I had a feeling the poor assholes had been left behind in some attempt to keep the Zatans from figuring out where the others had gone.
I’d counted over sixty of the same rooms, all stark but functional, the steel bed platform secured into the wall, and a table and two chairs. Building the damn facility had taken planning and a source of materials. So far, I hadn’t seen anything of that nature on this barren shithole, but nothing surprised me.
I was beginning to think more and more that the intent all along had been to find the strongest male of any species to be able to survive the Wild long enough to locate the scientists.
Or maybe just the damn journal.
As well as bring Dr. Garens’ daughter to him.
I put the bottle and glass on the table, snagging the duffle bag and shoving three of the weapons along with ammunition inside. They were definitely military issue, some of the most powerful weapons in the fight against terrorism. They were also antiquated in comparison, but useful.
I doubted the scientist sent here had realized the potential for alien contact. I snagged the laser pistol, shoving it just under my waistband. At least I knew I could hear any attempts to break into the facility.
Katarina had remained quiet after the discovery, her face pensive and her mood ranging from sadness to rage. Dakar had been right after all. She was something special, only for an entirely different reason than I’d originally thought. Whatever her father had been working on with the others had likely taken him out of his comfort zone.
At least the man had the forethought of keeping the formulas secret. Another reason for us getting the hell out of here.
I moved toward the lab, knowing exactly where I’d find her. I stood in the doorway, folding my arms and leaning against the frame just watching her. She’d put on a tank top given the increasing heat, her long red hair piled on top of her head, her face smudged from dirt and grime. She was a natural beauty and one that created far too many desires in my darkened mind.
My cock twitched in appreciation, pinching against my pants. While there was no time for anything but survival, my cravings were intensifying. Seeing her half frozen, rambling incoherent words had also dragged the protective side of me from its dormant position. I’d made a midnight promise to myself after being crazy enough to pump her full of fluids that if she lived, I’d protect her against anything.
I’d remained by her bed for several hours, checking her temperature and what vitals I’d could with the equipment that was left. She’d been far too close to dying. I shook off my ridiculous hunger. I was dead set on finding a way off this fucking planet. By all accounts, others had escaped the facility. Maybe there were others, even one of the ships that had brought them here.
Or maybe they were all dead.
The girl had worked fast in just a few hours, finding several unbroken pieces of small equipment hidden somewhere. While I had no freaking clue what they were used for, she obviously did, her fingers working furiously.
“What have you found?” I asked quietly as I walked in.
She seemed startled, taking several deep breaths. “I need a pen.”
“What?”
“You know, a pen, a writing implement. I’m sure you know what that is. Can you find one for me? Please?” Her words were imploring.
“Okay.” I chuckled as I searched several of the rooms, finally finding what she was asking for. “Will this do?”
Katarina snatched it out of my hand, furiously jotting down notes, her face animated. “My father taught me to handwrite notes when I was a l
ittle girl. He said that one day there would be no more computers and that communication was vital.”
“Your father must be an interesting man. I think you should tell me more about him. He is obviously important in our current situation, just like you are.”
“Look,” she snapped, slapping her hand on the journal. “I don’t know how he could be alive. Okay? He was killed along with my mother in a horrible accident when I was six or seven. Maybe eight. I don’t remember.”
“I think you remember every detail. I saw the shock on your face. What was your father working on?”
“How the hell would I know?”
She was exasperated, perspiration beading along her upper lip. I walked closer, trying to control my tone. She knew a hell of a lot more than she was telling. “When he was alive. What do you remember?”
“He was sweet and funny. He made certain to spend time with me even if he was tired. He taught me about the stars and told me stories about...” Her words trailed off, her eyes becoming glassy.
“You remember something.”
“I was told that he had been working on certain discoveries other than just curing cancer, but I never knew what. So many diseases were wiped out before I was born.”
“There was always the possibility of new strains developing, but you know that, don’t you?”
“You have been reading about Earth, haven’t you?” she asked, a slight smile on her face.
“It is important to learn all about your... missions.”
She wiped her brow and leaned against the counter. “You mean potential enemies, don’t you? Yes, I’d heard the rumors, although I never had an opportunity to see anyone carrying a new disease firsthand. My father liked to talk about his work, but my mother wasn’t very interested. I remember he came home one day very happy. He’d even bought ice cream and cake, something we never had. He said he’d made a fantastic discovery that could make us rich.”
“Interesting. Did he say anything else?”
“He didn’t have a chance to. That was two days before he died.”
