“I don’t like this, Beck,” Joe muttered.
“Neither do I, Mr. Starnes,” Tarus agreed. “I think we should double our patrols, Commander.”
“I’ll let the general know. He won’t be pleased about potential UATs with his sister in residence.”
“UATs?” Beck repeated.
“Unidentified alien presence.”
“Right...” he drawled, not really happy about it either. His concern for Adria mounted.
“The science team should arrive on-planet at 0900,” the captain advised.
“We will keep you informed of their findings, Kincaid,” Rothke added.
“I’d appreciate that, Commander. We’ve got thousands of colonists arriving in a few weeks, and we don’t need an unidentified alien threat as their welcoming committee.”
“I understand your concern,” the commander murmured, adding, “Rothke out,” before the screen went blank.
Chapter Seven
The next day was Sunday, and the clinic was closed. Her one day off each week usually started with sleeping in and being lazy after breakfast then chores, which consisted of cleaning the apartment and doing her laundry. She missed the conveniences of her home on Primaria. It was fully automated, and she didn’t have to take care of the floors, the bathrooms—with everything completely self-cleaning—and the laundry was washed, folded, and put away without having to think about it.
Today, she welcomed the distraction of doing all these tasks manually, especially since her eyes had popped open at 6:00 a.m., and she couldn’t go back to sleep for worrying about Beck and his trouble.
Adria arrived at work Monday morning tired and subdued. Yesterday was the first day in a week she hadn’t seen Beck, and she missed him more than she thought she would. Not only his company, but his touch, the way he tucked her hair behind her ear, how his fingers brushed her cheek, his warm lips pressed again hers, and she especially missed not getting to finish what they’d started late Saturday night.
When she entered the clinic, there were men crowded in the lobby. Too busy chattering about what they’d found in forest north of town, they didn’t notice her softly uttered “excuse mes.”
“First, there was the weird clearing in the middle of nowhere,” a man was saying, “now this.”
“I heard they were found within one hundred yards of each other. And, it’s damn creepy. There were no signs of a struggle, no bruises or visible wounds of any kind, but they looked as shriveled as dried prunes, like they’d been sucked dry.” This second man spoke in a conspiratorial tone, and she had to wonder if he related facts or rumors.
“It’s like something out of a horror film,” another man stated.
“Yeah,” the second man agreed. “A vampire-meets-alien flick.”
Although not understanding half of what they said, Adria still got the gist of it—something was seriously wrong. She spoke up louder. “Excuse me, please. I work here and need to get by.”
The men parted enough for her to reach the door leading to the clinical area.
In the hallway, outside one of the exam rooms, she saw Beck, several warriors from the security detail, Ellar, the senior physic she reported to who was assigned to the Intrepid, and a pale-faced man wearing a work shirt with Jeffers Mining stamped on his upper right chest. All wore equally grim expressions.
She rushed toward them. “What’s going on?”
“You don’t need to see this, Adria,” Beck stated.
“Although unpleasant, such events are part of her training,” Ellar disagreed. Turning to her, he advised, “We have three victims, all human, all deceased.”
“Maker help us,” she gasped. “What happened?”
“That’s why they have been brought to us,” the senior physic replied. “To ascertain the cause of death.”
She’d done postmortem examinations before. It wasn’t the highpoint of her job—ever—though it was part of it.
She nodded to her superior. “I heard the men talking. They said they were found in the woods?”
“That is correct.” Ellar extended his arm toward the open door behind them. “Let’s see what else we learn, shall we?”
Her steps slowed out of necessity when she entered the room. Usually, there was one table, but, today, two portable stretchers had been brought in. Atop each was a large, black zippered bag.
Ellar approached the nearest one while she moved to the other side of the table and braced herself for what was inside. Still, when he opened it and revealed the dead man’s face, she wasn’t prepared for the shock.
Her knees went weak, and, with a sharply indrawn breath, she grabbed hold of the table for support.
“Step out if this is too much for you, Adria.” Beck’s sharp command came from behind her at the same time his hands circled her upper arm in support.
“No. It’s not that. I mean it is gruesome, death always is. My surprise is because I know him.”
“There are less than five hundred persons living on the colony,” Ellar stated. “It’s not a surprise you would have met most of them. We inoculated the residents against a viral strain only a few weeks ago.”
“No. It wasn’t here. I ran into him—quite literally—while out walking the other night. He was out of breath and acting strangely. I mean, I don’t know what he was usually like, but he seemed...off.”
“Can you be more specific?” Beck asked.
“Not really. I told him I heard someone shout and offered my help if he was injured; he denied it. Other than his pointing out I wasn’t human, our encounter was brief, and he moved on.”
“This is Harvey Emerson. He worked construction for me. He was kind of a loner. Off isn’t a description that surprises me.”
“His body appears to have been desiccated,” Ellar observed, his gaze systematically scanning as he donned a pair of exam gloves.
“In English, please, Doc,” Beck insisted.
“Dried and withered,” the physic explained as he picked up one of Harvey’s stiff, gray arms. After examining it, he reached across his chest and picked up the other. He moved to his feet next, unzipped the bag fully, and pulled off his boots. After looking between each of his toes, he muttered as if to himself, “Nothing on his hands or feet.” He explained in a louder tone, “Since the distal areas are the most likely to be affected, I thought to check them first. We’ll have to remove the rest of his clothing for a complete examination.” He tossed a pair of gloves to Beck. “Help me turn him over.”
“I can do it,” Adria protested.
“My request wasn’t a commentary on your professional ability, Adria. This man weighs over two hundred pounds.” Ellar nodded at Beck. “I’d prefer Mr. Kincaid do it because he’s stronger and less apt to disturb any evidence that might give us an indication of how this occurred.”
Once he was facedown, she joined the physic in his search.
“Are we looking for something specific, sir?”
“Anything out of the ordinary.” A split second later, after brushing aside the victim’s collar-length hair aside, he declared, “And here it is. Puncture marks on the neck. He looks shriveled because he was drained of blood.”
“What the hell?” the pale man exclaimed from his place by the door. He’d been quietly observing until now. “Drained, like by a vampire?”
Ellar’s head came up, his expression puzzled. “I’m not familiar with the term.”
Adria was, although vaguely. She’d heard the man in the lobby use the same strange word.
“It’s a creature who sucks blood,” Beck explained. “From Earth lore.”
“I’ve heard of such beings. Not in our part of the known Universe, at least,” the older man stated, matter-of-factly. He’d been a healer for at least three decades, and Adria had yet to see him fazed by anything. “This is likely a snakebite or that of a large insect.”
“There are many species of parasites and venomous creatures here,” she put in. “When our warriors came to hunt, they carried
antitoxins as a precaution. To drain a full-sized man, whatever it was would have to be enormous.”
The sound of heaving was followed by boots thudding down the hall.
When Adria looked up, the pale man in the door way was gone.
“Frank tends to be a bit squeamish,” Beck told them.
“That’s rather odd for a frontier man,” the physic observed drily.
“He deals in rocks and ore and cramped spaces, not blood and guts,” he rejoined.
“Mm...” was Ellar’s reply before he continued with his recommendations on how to proceed. “We’ll have to analyze blood and tissue to know if we’re dealing with a known Ventorcopian species. First, let’s examine the others for similar marks.”
When he unzipped the next bag, it was Beck who reacted.
“Damn, that’s Betsy Barker, the lead geologist.”
“The one who accused Lana of detonating the mine?” Adria asked, studying the deceased female. Her previously garish red hair was pale as though the color had been stripped from it, and her once-smooth skin was wrinkled like a woman twice her age and as gray as ash. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t have recognized her.”
“It’s her,” he acknowledged grimly. “I met with her often enough to recognize her features, no matter how distorted in death. The mole on her jaw is quite distinctive.”
The last bag revealed a man unknown to Beck. “I’ve seen him around, although I don’t know his name. He might have worked for Harlan.”
They found similar puncture marks on the other two. Betsy’s were located on her throat over her right carotid artery, and the unidentified man had twin punctures on his left chest.
“We’ll want to examine cell samples from around each wound as well, Adria,” Ellar advised.
“Yes, sir.” While she scooted around the deceased to get to the supply cabinet in the crowded room, Beck moved to the door.
“Ellar, a moment of your time, please.”
Adria frowned after them, curious about what Beck had to discuss with the physic that couldn’t be said around her. She wasn’t invited to join their discussion, however, and had a task to do—a grisly, morbid task.
ONCE ELLAR JOINED HIM in the hallway, Beck closed the door.
“My gut says this is more than spiders or snakes,” he told the physic.
His salt-and-pepper eyebrows arched. “You suspect foul play?”
“Yes.”
“The bite marks would suggest otherwise, Mr. Kincaid.”
“Perhaps, but there’s something odd here. Those three had no reason to be together, and even less reason to be north of the city in a wild, uncleared area. The woman was a geologist assigned to the uladite mining project. Harvey was a plumber who worked for me here in town. He was phase 1 only. The other man was a miner, who, believe me, didn’t move in the same circles Betsy did.”
“Hm, that is rather peculiar,” the physic said thoughtfully, his expression grim. “On top of the mine explosion, which doesn’t appear to be accidental, and the recent cave-ins, this is all very concerning.”
“Yes, and we found yet another unexplained mystery not far from where these three were discovered.”
The older man glanced at the exam room. “It seems it isn’t safe for Adria to be here alone any longer.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Beck replied. “I’ll speak to Tarus and ask him to increase her security. She needs round-the-clock protection not just to and from work.”
“What she needs is to go home. I’ll call the general immediately.”
“I don’t entirely disagree with that move, but Adria has been busy at the clinic. Isn’t she needed here?”
“I will fill in for her until a replacement can be sent.”
Beck’s unease deepened. Although she’d be safe, he’d miss being with her—a purely selfish reason to keep her here—except, this close to finishing her training, she wouldn’t appreciate having her educational goals sidetracked. He voiced only this last concern. “She won’t be pleased.”
“Likely not. She will comply, however, because the decision to stay or not isn’t up to her.”
Despite the dismal situation, he found this amusing. “You deal with your women much differently than we do.”
“Adria is special. Not only because of who she is, but what she represents as the first female physic Primaria has ever had. That she is female goes without saying. It is every male’s duty to protect our females who are weaker and smaller. Don’t your males do the same for your females?”
“We try, as much as they let us. With some, however, it’s impossible. And there is a point with most human females where, if we lay down the law and they disagree, it’s akin to World War IV.” When the physic shook his head, Beck explained further. “I mean it can be explosive, and a wise man doesn’t expose himself to that much heat.”
“Mmm, rather like your discussion with Adria about her impulsive rescue attempt at the building across the way?”
His lips twisted wryly. “I see the Terra Nova grapevine is far-reaching, clear up to the Intrepid hundreds of miles overhead.”
“I’ve interacted with quite a few of your females in the past year and know they are strong-willed. Primarian females aren’t less so, they just respect male authority in the proper fashion, as Adria will. I’ll simply inform her she is going home for her own safety. I also feel she could use additional training after the incident on the construction site. This way we can accomplish both goals with one action.”
Beck didn’t have to be clairvoyant to know when she learned of this, he’d get the blame. If it kept her out of harm’s way, he’d gladly weather the harsh winds of hurricane Adria. Something else occurred to him.
“She only has a few weeks left in her training. Won’t this keep her from taking her exams on time?”
“Once we determine who or what is to blame for these occurrences, she may return. She’s young—a little detour on the way to her goal will do no harm.”
“Again, she won’t be pleased.”
“Although out of place, your concern about her career goals is admirable, Mr. Kincaid. Unless...” His brows arched again. “Do you have an interest in making a match with her as a mate?”
“We’re just friends,” Beck insisted. When he imagined Adria’s reaction, he heaved a deep breath and added, “After this, maybe no longer.”
“Nonsense. This is my decision, and the general’s, once I inform him. I’ll go do that now.” The physic left him, his rapid stride and hard-soled shoes ringing with finality in the hallway.
When Ellar disappeared into an office and shut the door, Beck turned, immediately encountering a pair of blue-green eyes peering at him through the observation glass of the exam room. They were narrowed, and her suspicion was obvious. Beck doubted Ellar’s assessment of the situation was quite so simple. The little alien might respect the authority of the senior physic and her brother, but she’d be pissed, and he’d be the villain who stood between her and accomplishing what she had worked long and hard for.
AT THE END OF THE LONG, draining, emotional day, Remus was there to see her home. There was no sign of Beck who her guard said had gone out with Tarus and a few other members of the council to the site where the bodies were found, trying to find answers.
Exhausted, Adria flopped onto her couch and leaned her head against the cushions before she uttered, “Spiders happened.” She, better than anyone, would know, having examined the wounds and collected samples of the necrotic tissue around the punctures in their skin, the venom so toxic it had started decay within seconds.
“They’re just making sure,” he told her from the doorway. “More than one member of the council, including Kincaid, thought the three of them made strange bedfellows.”
She cracked an eyelid and peered at him. “That’s an odd phrase.”
“Humans commonly use odd words and expressions. So often, it’s like an unknown language, and I’ve begun to question the status of my translator. Have y
ou noticed?”
“Six thousand and one coming up,” she muttered as her eye drifted shut.
“What was that?”
“The number of...” she started, but was simply too tired to get into it. “It’s nothing,”
“You’re exhausted, Adria. Get something to eat then go straight to bed.”
Once he was gone, she forced herself to her feet, planning to take his advice, except she added a little detour on her way to the kitchen—the bathtub.
Pounding on her door startled her from a sound sleep. She sat up, sending a wall of water splashing onto the floor. Peeking over the edge, she watched as the sudsy puddle soaked the clean towel she had waiting—one of only two in the apartment, she scowled because its partner was in the dirty clothes in the other room.
“Adria, it’s Beck. Open up,” his deep voice called along with another sharp knock.
Shivering from the chill in the air and her bath, which last she recalled had been blissfully hot, she stood, water sluicing from her body as she reached for her robe.
The pounding sounded again.
“Coming,” she called, her movements still sluggish from sleep and from the abrupt awakening. Never before had she fallen asleep in the tub.
Her only choice, the satiny robe did a poor job of soaking up the wetness on her skin. It clung to her in places it shouldn’t. Another demanding knock proclaimed her visitor’s patience was wearing thin.
Skipping slippers, which were on the floor and completely drenched, Adria left the flooded messy bathroom. Once she’d disabled the alarm and flung the door wide, Beck paced in.
“Did you learn anything new?” she asked as he passed.
“I know no more than when I left you earlier. We searched each victim’s apartment and didn’t find anything to tell us why they were all three, either together or around the same time, in the woods outside the city.”
“We might not ever know.”
He grunted in acknowledgement, though clearly not liking that possible outcome.
“It’s a shame. Betsy wasn’t a very nice person, but she was only thirty and had so much life left ahead of her.” Her jagged whisper stopped his pacing.
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