by Brenda Trim
“Yeah, no such luck there. You’re a lost cause in the loco department,” Rayna teased.
“Ha-ha, you should know, chica. Did that bomb give you brain damage? That is so not like you to get all assertive with anyone, much less a monster.”
Rayna chuckled. “Anything is possible, I guess. I can’t explain it. I was scared out of my freakin’ mind but somehow I knew that Zaid wouldn’t hurt me. I don’t think he was feeding off me on purpose. By the way, you need to give that vampire from the restaurant a chance.”
“The vamp that was hitting on you? Eh, I don’t know,” her friend responded, scrunching her nose.
“Well, I do. The male lost a leg and nearly bled out. I promised Jax you would call.”
“Why the hell would you do that?” Charlotte asked as her eyes slid closed.
“Because I had to distract him. I needed to stop the bleeding, so I tied my belt around what was left of his thigh. I know it had to hurt like a mother, so, do him a solid and give approval for him to call,” Rayna encouraged.
“Did you tell him I like chocolate?” she asked, smiling.
“Yes, and old movies. He might be laid up for a bit recovering,” Rayna admitted, “but don’t worry, I’m sure he can still rock your world.”
“He did have some sexy moves and was a cocky little fucker. The cocky ones are usually…”
Rayna put her finger up, cutting off Charlotte’s response.
Tapping her palm, Rayna accepted her boss’s call, and in the next moment, her hologram appeared in the middle of the restaurant. She could see it was still a wreck. “Hey, Jonas. How are you doing?” she asked, wondering about the losses they’d suffered.
“I’ve been better. Almost feels like the days of P-Extinction. We lost three of our staff- Nick, Carrie, and Kyle- and I need you to come in ASAP. We are responsible for cleaning up this place so we can get new tables and chairs in here. They want us reopened by Friday night,” Jonas related.
Rayna hated hearing the names of those that didn’t survive. None of them had ever been terribly friendly towards her, but she certainly didn’t wish such tragedy on anyone. She was mildly relieved that her boss wasn’t screaming that she was somehow to blame for the incident.
“What? How is that even possible? We have no windows,” she pointed out, not wanting to leave her house. Now that she’d seen Charlotte and knew she was okay, her body was shutting down. She hadn’t slept a wink as she’d paced her room all night.
“Just get your ass down here,” Jonas ordered before he hung up and her three-dimensional form disappeared from the room.
Turning to Charlotte, she sighed. “I have to go to work,” she stated as she reached over and grabbed her shoes.
“I’m going to go sleep in your bed. I don’t think I can make it back to my place,” Charlotte said around a yawn.
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Oh, and, don’t forget, approve Jax so he can call you,” she called out as Charlotte headed to the bedroom.
The day was going to suck. Her body ached, her eyes felt like sandpaper and she had lead for arms. But, she’d signed an agreement and the Complex owned her ass for the next fifteen months.
That was a big piece of glass, Rayna thought as she watched four robots meticulously insert the pane into the shiny new frame. The old ones lay in a discarded pile, dingy and blackened. How quickly things could change in less than twenty-four hours, she thought, as she observed the commotion.
She ducked through the hole that had housed the glass door. Her eyes went immediately to the dark red stain on the floor near the back of the restaurant. There were countless stains, but that one was left by Jax.
“Hey. Did you get any sleep last night?” Shell asked as she walked up to Rayna.
“Not a wink. You?”
“Nope. Every time I closed my eyes I heard the blast and felt like my body was being thrown into the wall all over again. I eventually gave up and baked a cake,” the female said with a shrug.
“At least someone took care of the bodies. That couldn’t have been pleasant,” she acknowledged, wondering if the robots performed those tasks, as well.
“It was Jonas. He’s been here all night and didn’t want any of us to have to come in and deal with that,” Shell said, and the words shocked Rayna.
“Wow, I guess I owe him an apology. I thought he was just being a jerk when he called earlier. Didn’t even ask how I was doing or if I’d been injured,” Rayna admitted as she picked up a broken seat of a chair.
“That’s because you didn’t check into triage. Jonas went there first and got the list of those that were injured. He didn’t call them in. If you didn’t file a report, he assumed you were fine,” Shell relayed as she picked up debris and tossed it to a larger pile of trash.
“My head is killing me, but the world stopped spinning a couple of hours ago so I think I’m good. Where are we taking this stuff, anyway?” she asked as she waved the wooden slab. Part of it snapped from her movement and fell to the floor.
“The dumpster out front…” Shell started but trailed off when Jonas came into the restaurant.
“Good, you’re here, Rayna. We need to remove the trash from in front of the windows so the bots can install the new ones and then clear the shrapnel from the walls before we move everything out. They will begin painting in the next couple hours,” he ordered with a wave of some pliers.
Rayna tossed the seat back to the pile and went to the front to get to work. It was gut-wrenching to pick up the debris in this area. The bloodstains were as prolific as the glass, metal and wood.
“Dammit, this sucks. Intra ought to make the males that did this come in here and clean up,” Rayna suggested.
Shell snickered at the remark as she worked alongside Rayna. With a broom, Shell brushed the smaller fragments into a pile while Rayna picked up the larger pieces and tossed them in the middle of the room.
“I think that’s a fine idea. We should call Intra and suggest bringing them down here as punishment,” Shell said in agreement.
Rayna’s heart raced at the mention of law enforcement and her thoughts immediately went to Zaid. The Buruburu was a conundrum that confused and scared her. She had enough fear in her life and didn’t need anymore.
Something in her gut told her that she’d see the male again and a small part of her was excited about the prospect. Yep, she’d finally lost her mind. She might as well join Charlotte and start a club for the cray-cray.
6
“Looks like someone waited too long to come in for treatment,” the acerbic secretary, Stacy, commented as soon as Zaid entered the door.
The plump female had a scrunched face and wore her hair in a tight bun. Her uniform was two sizes too small and her hefty bosom was busting the seams on her top. She was stuffing her face with a chocolate-chip cookie and as Zaid glanced to the half-eaten package, he gave her shirt until the end of the day before it gave way.
A Human female came out from the back and dropped her purse as she threw up her hands when she saw him. It was a typical reaction from Humans, especially when his demonic side took charge, like now.
Unexpected fear like hers usually juiced him, but this time it didn’t touch the hunger humming beneath the surface. Without saying goodbye to the receptionist, the woman was out the door like her feet were on fire.
Zaid hated the way others reacted to him. Always had. He may get energy from it and feel revitalized, but it had never sat well with him. It was ironic since some demented God had created him to feed off fear. For Zaid, he’d never willingly given into his nature because it didn’t feel right to him. He was an outcast with his kind, but he didn’t care.
“Like I said, you waited too long,” Stacy snorted as she crammed the remainder of the dessert into her mouth.
“Everyone’s a critic,” he replied as he signed his name to the screen. The clear glass responded to his energy even though he wasn’t of the flesh. He couldn’t deny how i
mpressed he was by the technology. “In case you haven’t seen, it’s chaotic out there,” he added.
Stacy’s face fell and her shoulders slumped, yet, she sat forward as if prepared to impart a secret. “That was the scariest day of my life. I heard we were the intended target. Why would they want to destroy a medical clinic? We heal the sick and injured, for God’s sake.”
Zaid had wondered the same thing. Nothing logical came to mind. The attack on Ol Grazad was understandable. He was a president. This target made no tactical sense.
Braden’s theory was they were trying to take out a significant portion of the Complex’s medical system so their next attack would have a greater impact. Zaid had to agree and had cautioned Braden that they weren’t done and had something bigger planned. The problem was, the prisoners weren’t talking.
“That’s the million-dollar question. But, don’t worry. Intra has the individuals in custody and isn’t planning to release them,” Zaid assured her.
Braden had the vigilante taken to the North Intra office for imprisonment. The question now became how they got information out of the men. Zaid had offered his services of scaring the shit out of them until they talked. He saw it as a win-win situation. He would get fed and AS would get their info but Braden hadn’t liked the idea.
“I see you didn’t suffer much damage,” Zaid observed. In fact, from the inside, he couldn’t tell anything had happened. The white walls and tile floor were as pristine as ever. When he had called to make his appointment, he expected to have to wait awhile. He could see there was no need. Only the outside of the building bore the scars from the explosion.
Stacy sat up straight behind her desk, a smug smile plastered across her face. “No, we didn’t. They weren’t very bright criminals. One look at the lack of windows out front and you would know the chances of being successful were minimal.”
“You’re right about that. It’s a good thing the Intra agent was out front,” he relayed.
“Very lucky. I suggested that this become a permanent station for one of them. We can’t afford to lose even one of our physicians,” she indicated. “Shall I schedule your next appointment before you go back?” she asked, changing the subject.
Every visit, the doctor told him to make an appointment before leaving. He couldn’t take the pain every other day, which was how often they wanted him to come in, so he never scheduled in advance. So far, he’d gotten away with scaling back the visits, which was a blessing. The only reason he was skating by having only two sessions per week was because the doctor hadn’t filed a report against him. Once that happened, Zaid knew he’d be forced to come in every other day.
“Your suggestion is a remarkable idea. I hope Braden follows through. The last thing the Complex needs is a shortage of medical personnel,” he shared in his attempt to beguile her and avoid her pestering about the appointment.
He tried for the lackadaisical pose he’d seen Scott use countless times as he flirted with fellow Intra agents. Given the scowl on the female’s face, he doubted he pulled it off.
The alluring Druid had been right. He needed to feed, but it had been so much worse since his encounter with her. It was rare that he came up against sarcasm and wit as quick as hers. Hell, it was rare he experienced humor of any kind. The fact that she had him laughing was sex wrapped in a sinful package, and her added fear juiced him like a wet dream.
He’d followed her home and sat outside her apartment for hours wanting to see her again, wishing he’d learned her name. The moment he left was when the problems started.
He hadn’t made it ten feet before he was going through withdrawal and was stalking the first being he came across. He’d caught himself right before sinking his phantom claws into the male’s flesh, allowing his inner demon free rein. After that, he’d immediately called for an appointment.
“Zaid,” a nurse called out, interrupting his obsession.
“Hey, Desi. How are you today?” he asked as he followed the Human nurse to the treatment room.
“I’m shaken like everyone else, but good. My husband didn’t want me to come in today, but with your colleagues here, he didn’t push the issue. You ready for this today?”
“I’d like to say yes, but you know I’d be lying. These treatments hurts like a bitch. There’s no way to be ready for something like that.”
“The other Buruburu in the Complex don’t seem to react to the treatments like you do. They seem especially painful for you. Doctor Shaw can’t figure out why that is. He’s experimented with the power levels and tested the watts you give off and hasn’t noticed any anomalies. I know that’s not comforting, but he is working on it. How are the urges? Manageable?” she asked as she went to the various screens and began punching buttons to set up the session.
The treatment room was different from the white walls and floors of the waiting room. The floor was concrete with a black circle in the middle and the walls were painted a light blue with a large screen monitor that played movies. A steel cage rose from the circle to the ceiling and completed a circuit that conducted the electricity used to block his urge to feed. The frequency was tuned to replicate what a person gives off when they were afraid.
“I’ve always assumed I was special, but turns out I’m just cursed,” he replied with a smirk. At least his demonic side had retreated. Probably hauling ass from what was to come. “The urges have become worse over the past couple days. With the explosion and…” he trailed off, having no desire to explain his reaction to the druid.
It wasn’t something he understood and he didn’t want to cause concern. He didn’t wish to harm the female. In fact, just the opposite. For the first time, he found himself praying to the Gods for a corporeal body so he could finally experience a sexual encounter.
Maybe he was horny, as Scott would say. Looking over to Desi, he had to disagree. Setting aside that Desi was married, he looked at her in a different light. She was an attractive female and had a great body. Her breasts were larger than the Druid’s. She wasn’t terrified and treated him decently. Sadly, he didn’t fantasize about stripping Desi bare so he could lick every inch of her skin before he sank into her tight sheath. That privilege belonged to the Druid. What the fuck was wrong with him?
“This explosion has caused your kind to be thrown off kilter. A session should help. Step into the circle, please,” she instructed from her position behind the monitors.
Zaid floated to where the nurse indicated and a second later the cage rose, clanging against the ceiling. The hum and crackle of electricity filled the air telling Zaid what was coming. Zaid shoved thoughts of the Druid from his mind and gritted his teeth.
Before he could blink, he jerked and cried out when the first jolt hit him. A white-hot poker was shoved through his chest while countless brands struck everywhere else. The pain was typically horrific, but this felt like he was being skinned alive and his muscles set on fire. He wasn’t of the physical, but the treatments made him feel flesh and bone.
Out of control, he thrashed against the metal bars.
Sparks flew, adding shocks to an unbearable situation. He swore steam was rising from his form. The air fogged in the cage and he raced to the ceiling trying to escape the next blast that hit him. Incredibly powerful, it slammed him to the floor. This had never happened to him before.
He absently heard Desi calling for the doctor. The torture continued and a part of him wondered if this was what souls suffered in the Underworld. He glanced down and expected to see a bloody mess, but nothing was different. He was the same blue color and was translucent, as was typical during treatment.
His mind retreated and pulled up the image of the Druid as a way to escape the pain. He closed his eyes and saw her clearly. Her long silver hair was billowing around her shoulders and her light green eyes held stars. When her lush lips curved into a smile, he miraculously stopped hitting the sides of the cage.
Cracking his eyes open, he saw the doctor pushing buttons and discussing readings with
the nurse. The excruciating pain continued, but he had no problem ignoring it while images of the sexy female played through his mind. He vowed as soon as the treatment ended, he would hunt down the Druid and determine why she had such a hold on him.
7
“Thank the Gods that’s the last of it,” Rayna commented as she tossed the rubble into the trash bin. “I didn’t think we’d ever finish.”
Shell wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “Tell me about it. This place was a mess. To think we suffered the least amount of damage is shocking. Not one table or chair survived the blast.”
Rayna glanced through the new windows in complete agreement. They’d been carrying crap to the dumpster out front for hours. There had been so many pieces of wood, she swore she’d be digging splinters out of her hands for years to come.
“No, but you can barely tell the bomb did any damage now,” Rayna relayed as she gestured to the sparkling glass windows. The inside still needed some work, but she was confident they could reopen by the weekend.
“I would never have guessed this much work could get done so fast. How soon do you think that salon will take to reopen? By the way, I’m claiming worker’s comp for this backache,” Shell said with a groan. “Damn, I need a massage.”
Rayna laughed and nodded her head as her back screamed its agreement. “I heard that. I wish it were open now.”
“What I really need is a hot date and a mind-blowing orgasm,” Shell countered.
“Hell yeah. Maybe the robots are available,” Rayna teased as she looked over at the metal androids painting the walls.
“Ha. You let me know how that works out. I’ll stick to my kind where sex is concerned. I’ve heard some Metas are extremely well-endowed and I’m not sure I could handle it,” she stated as she looked to Rayna with an inquiring expression.
