Science Fiction Romance: Biomechanical Hearts (Space Sci-Fi Love Triangle) (New Adult Paranormal Fantasy)

by Olivia Myers

  She nearly asked the driver to turn around and take her home when she thought, What the hell am I going back to? She just couldn’t bring herself to go back to that empty mansion filled with nothing but horror. She took one more look at the house in front of her. There were flowers planted in the front yard, and several potted flowers on the front porch, the same kinds of tulips and wildflowers that Gabby had adorned her own home with. It was all she needed to see.

  She hurried out of the cab and paid the driver, who sped off to his next fare. She stepped resolutely up to the door and knocked before she could talk herself out of it.

  Nothing was happening. She rang the doorbell. A man inside yelled, “Be right there!”

  Footsteps thudded toward the door. Gabby inhaled deeply, steeling herself for what was to happen next.

  The door opened.

  Seeing the man in front of her, she gasped, “Logan!”

  THE END

  Taming the Jaguar

  Felicity Parker knew her life was fading. She hadn’t even noticed the bullet wound until the wet, sticky blood ran through her shirt. The surrounding chaos of screaming men, women, and children were muffled in her ears. Felicity suspected she was now partially deaf due to an explosion that had blasted through the area earlier due to a sabotaged furnace. It had spewed vine-covered rocks, bricks and armed men across the jungle in a blazing inferno. The majestic temple that had previously stood was now a pile of rubble. She hoped it had trapped the human monsters that had caused so much pain to countless innocents.

  In the melee, Felicity had been caught in the crossfire. A bullet, meant for the orange beast now ravaging the standing ring members, had shot through her abdomen. The lack of blood was now making her feel lightheaded and weak. Her slender arms were straining to support the half-conscious body of her classmate, Carol Ferguson. If she let go, Carol would sink into a mud pit. Felicity struggled to regain her grip on Carol and didn’t see the person limping towards her. Turning only a moment before the bloodied man prepared to swing down his machete, she heard the roar of a jaguar.

  ***

  “Welcome, welcome!” their hostess greeted. She stood at the front of a large villa. “I am Maria Gutierrez. This is my husband, Pedro. Please make yourselves at home!”

  Felicity and her classmate, Carol, would be housed by this couple during their summer abroad program here in Brazil. Felicity smiled up at Maria Gutierrez, trying to be polite despite the humid air clinging to her skin, her empty stomach, and her fatigue.

  Felicity hid her jet lag better than Carol did. It wasn’t the only difference between them. Felicity had blond curls, Carol straight brown hair. Carol was obviously hung over, and Felicity had her eyes wide open, eager to take in their surroundings.

  Carol scowled at the woman’s loud voice. Felicity tried to pay attention to the house rules as they toured the expansive villa. However, she found herself constantly distracted by the interesting relics on display.

  “I see you are ready to learn the history of ancient Brazilian cultures.” Senhor Gutierrez noticed her interest in their antiquities and smiled approvingly. “Professor Johnson sure picked some good ones for his class study.”

  “We’re thrilled,” muttered Carol.

  Either ignoring or not hearing her, Senhor Gutierrez continued, “My wife and I love collecting artifacts. I feel we can learn so much from them. The indigenous people lived such simple lives. I feel blessed every time I get a new work of art!”

  Felicity nodded while Carol rolled her eyes. Their hosts led them throughout the many rooms for another few hours, explaining every piece of artwork or sculpture that they passed. Though it was all very interesting, even Felicity was starting to lose her focus.

  Finally left in their room, Carol collapsed on the nearest lounge. “Thank God it’s over,” she said, her voice muffled in the leather. “I thought those people would never shut up.”

  While taken aback by Carol’s rudeness, Felicity remained civil. “Aren’t you the least bit excited about Brazil’s culture? There were literally dozens of tribes that lived here!”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to understand. I’m not a history geek like you,” Carol replied with another eye roll.

  Annoyed, Felicity asked, “Then why bother to come if you’re not even interested?”

  “Hello! It was a free trip to Brazil,” Carol responded, looking at Felicity like she was stupid. “Cheap booze, wild parties, and hot guys - ring any bells?”

  Indignantly shaking her head, Felicity took her bags and walked to her room, thankful at least the bedroom was a single. They might be the only two students staying in this villa, but at least they had separate rooms. Felicity sighed, leaning against the closed door. She’d known the minute she’d seen Carol walk out of Professor Johnson’s office that something like this would happen. He was a good teacher with a lot of well done studies for his young age. However, he had a penchant for attractive young women and seemed to favor a different student each semester. Although Felicity found such ideas repulsive, especially from someone whose work she admired, she supposed that every person had a weakness. Still, she was not happy that Professor Johnson had chosen her of all people to be Carol’s roommate.

  The day went by quickly as they spent time unpacking and catching up on some much needed sleep. Carol decided to sleep through dinner, waving away Felicity when she tried to wake her. Felicity didn’t mind though, as least she didn’t have to witness Carol’s rudeness toward their hosts.

  As Felicity passed the maze-like rooms of the villa, she spotted a particularly eye-catching relic: a white dagger, made of stone, with an intricately carved hilt. Making sure no one was watching, Felicity cautiously picked it up for a closer look. The paint was somewhat worn away, but it was clear that the carving was a jaguar. The cat was in a lunging position, its claws and large fangs bared ferociously. The eyes were the most striking feature: two pea-sized flawless emeralds.

  “I see you’ve found one of my most prized treasures!” exclaimed Senhor Gutierrez.

  Nearly dropping the dagger from surprise, Felicity placed it in his outstretched hand. Running his fingers across the jagged blade, he continued, “You know there was a tribe of indigenous people that lived in the Amazon rainforest. They called themselves the jebá-beca – the jaguar people.”

  “Oh Pedro, haven’t you lectured that poor girl enough?” his wife said, shaking her head. “Excuse my husband, Felicity. He believes he was meant to be an anthropologist instead of a bed-and-breakfast owner.”

  “Come on, you know it’s not often I get to share my expansive knowledge, Maria,” he responded.

  “You know some fascinating things, Senhor Gutierrez,” Felicity said.

  “Please, call me Pedro,” he said.

  “And you may call me Maria. Now, Pedro, if you must talk about your magnificent collection, at least do it at the table. You know how Lupita gets when we let her food grow cold.”

  Felicity watched their exchange with a smile. They clearly loved each other and enjoyed teasing every now and then. She wished she had someone in her life like that.

  After positioning the knife on its pillow, Pedro said, “Yeah, she’s right. Besides today is feijoada night! You’re going to love it!”

  Well, she did love it. Felicity was absolutely starving from the meal-less, eleven-hour flight from Bloomington to Barcelos - as well as the five-hour trip from the airport to Manaus. Despite the urge to stuff her gullet, she tried to savor each bite of delicious food.

  “Like I was telling Felicity here earlier, Maria,” Pedro said, “there used to be a large tribe of Barasana people that lived in the Amazon Basin just east of here. They believed their spiritual ancestors were jaguars.”

  “What happened to them?” Felicity asked, wiping her mouth.

  “The same tragic thing that happened when any of the indigenous peoples come into contact with Europeans. They were wiped out,” Pedro said solemnly. “Either by wars, being sold into slavery, or d
iseases they had never encountered.”

  “Now, now,” Maria said in a warning tone. “This is not good dinner talk.”

  “Bah,” he replied. “She’s a fourth year anthropology student. I’m sure she’s heard more about this than I have!” Pouring himself another glass of caipirinha, Pedro continued. “Anyway, some of their ancestral members are still around. They live in a small village outside of the city. I would love to take you there!”

  “Really?” Felicity said. This was the perfect thing to use for her final class report.

  Swatting his arm, Maria said, “Pedro, no one is allowed in the jungle right now remember? There have been sightings of the Selvagens Verdes in that part of the jungle for weeks!”

  “Oh… right,” he said sheepishly.

  “‘Green Savages’? Who are they?” Felicity asked.

  “Bad men,” a large woman answered, suddenly appearing in the room. “They take pretty girls into the jungle and sell them like cattle.” Looking into Felicity’s eyes with burning intensity, she continued, “Like my sister, Juliana. And no one ever sees them again.”

  “It’s only been a few weeks, Lupita,” Maria said. “The police could still find her.”

  Lupita shook her head sadly and grabbed the emptied plates. “The polícia are incompetent. They cannot stop these monstros.” Lupita walked back towards the kitchen. “Take care of yourself, Felicidade. And do not wander too far off into the jungle.”

  “I’ll go check on her,” Maria said with concern, leaving Pedro and Felicity alone.

  “I’m so sorry about her sister,” Felicity finally said, breaking the awkward silence.

  Pedro sighed. “This place used to be so peaceful before those brutes moved in and started kidnapping people left and right. But I think there is still one place you can check out that may have a Barasana member or two.”

  “Really? Where?”

  “A communications facility between linguistic conservationists and indigenous peoples: Cesta De Linguas. It’s bit towards the outskirts of the city, but there’s plenty of security. I’d love to come along! I’m quite the celebrity there!”

  “More like the pest,” Maria muttered as she helped the grave-faced Lupita carry the rest of the dishes. “You should get some rest, Felicity. Don’t you all have a long trip tomorrow?”

  After thanking them for the meal, Felicity headed back to her room. Determined to get some notes down, she sat her desk and opened a book. Underestimating the amount of rest her body still required, it wasn’t long before she slumped over into a fitful sleep.

  ***

  She awoke to sound of something breaking. Groggy, Felicity clumsily grabbed the nearest solid object and ran out the bedroom door. Instead of an intruder, she only found her scantily clad roommate.

  “Shit,” Carol mumbled as she looked at a pile of shattered pottery.

  “What’s going on?” Felicity garbled. “I thought I heard someone break in.”

  “Where you planning to take them on with that?” Carol sneered, pointing to the wooden coat hanger she was raising like a baton. Sweeping the clay pieces under a straw mat, she continued, “If you must know I’m going to O Javali - the best club in town.”

  “What time is it?” Felicity asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “Only a quarter to eleven. It probably just opened.” Slinging her handbag over her bare shoulder, she began to walk out.

  “Wait. I’m coming with you.”

  “Ha! I knew deep down you were a party girl!” Carol cried.

  “No… But I’m not going to let you go by yourself! You could get kidnapped!”

  Carol rolled her eyes. “Oh, my hero. Whatever. Hurry up then. The cab I called is probably close.” Looking up and down at Felicity, she quickly went through a duffel bag and threw clothes at her. “Here, wear these so you don’t embarrass me.”

  “I am not wearing this!” Felicity exclaimed in disgust. The clothes would barely cover anything.

  “Then I guess you’re not coming,” replied Carol with her arms crossed.

  Grudgingly, Felicity put them on quickly and went to catch up with Carol. The cool night air made her feel even more self-conscious about the skin she was exposing. I can’t believe I’m doing this. What if the professor finds out about this? We’re not supposed to do anything that wasn’t on the waiver.

  “Geez, will you relax and try to have some fun?” Carol asked impatiently. “Maybe you would’ve felt better if I’d let you bring the coat hanger for protection.”

  The darkness hid the dirty look that Felicity shot her from across the cab.

  ***

  What had seemed a peaceful city in daylight had turned into a collection of menacing, decrepit buildings after dark. Felicity spent the entire ride clutching the mace within her purse while Carol flirted incessantly with the cab driver. She only stopped to squeal in excitement at the bright, flashy club.

  Once outside the cab, she grabbed Felicity’s hand and dragged her toward the club’s front entrance.

  “Sorry ladies, go to the back of the line,” the burly club bouncer said flatly.

  “But surely you can make an exception this time,” Carol purred while accentuating her cleavage.

  “Nope. Now get to the back,” he repeated.

  “Now, Bruno don’t be too hasty,” a smooth voice said behind him. Stepping out, a well-dressed man looked Carol up and down. “How often do you come across such a beautiful woman? Of course she doesn’t have to wait with the common people.”

  “Whatever you say, Davi,” Bruno replied, removing the velvet rope blocking the entrance.

  Smugly, Carol sauntered inside following the handsome man’s lead. Felicity reluctantly went along. Glancing back at the bouncer, she could have sworn he was grinning. The cold look sent chills along her spine and she hurried to catch up.

  Not wanting to be bothered by anyone, Felicity sat alone in a dark corner, only moving to keep an eye on Carol. Despite the language barrier, Carol was thriving. Her body looked at home writhing next to Davi’s, as well as several other men on the dance floor. Felicity could feel her face flush as they started to gyrate. No longer able to watch the shameless displays, she made her way to what she thought was the bathroom. Felicity tried to ask around, but she was either brushed off or not heard above the pounding Funk Carioca music.

  Instead of a bathroom, what she found were several couples in the midst of extreme passion. Blushing madly, Felicity ran back to the main room and tried to find Carol. She was no longer there. Panicking now, she tried to call her only to realize that she had Carol’s purse and cell phone. She ran towards the bar and saw Carol there, talking with Davi. There was a peculiar tattoo on Davi’s neck. It looked like the head of a biting snake. Felicity then saw as his hand, behind Carol’s back, placing a white pill into her cocktail.

  Carol lifted her drink for a sip. There was no way Felicity would reach her in time. “Carol, don’t!” she shouted, but Carol couldn’t hear her over the pounding bass.

  Felicity looked around, desperately seeking a way to stop Carol. Her gaze landed on the fire alarm. This was an emergency, after all. Felicity wrapped her right hand in the thin shrug she was wearing and slammed the glass covering it. It took two tries, but she was finally able to pull it just as Carol’s lips touched the edge of her glass.

  Immediately, the music shut down and an alarm started. People began to scream in panic and rush toward the exit. Davi looked enraged and began to yell at a nearby security guard. Meanwhile several partygoers fell, knocking over a table of flaming shot glasses. The pool of lit alcohol quickly spread up a curtain and set off the water sprinklers.

  Taking advantage of the chaos, Felicity grabbed Carol’s hand and ran out of a back exit. Carol was far too groggy to rebel. Felicity forced herself not to glance back as she led them to the nearest lit area and called for another cab.

  ***

  Carol seemed to have little recollection of the previous night’s events. However, she did have a m
assive headache. She also waved away any accusations that Felicity made about Davi, claiming that she was just jealous.

  “I’m not jealous!” Felicity shouted in exasperation. “He tried to drug you! And I’m pretty sure the bouncer was in on it, too.”

  “Davi Álvarez is a lot of things,” Carol mumbled, while sipping coffee. “Like a hell of a kisser. Or the super hot manager of a club. Or a freaking amazing dancer. But he’s no date rapist.”

  Felicity shook her head. “You don’t understand. I watched him put a pill in your cup.”

  But it was like she hadn’t said anything, because next, Carol squealed, “And he just texted me! He wants to take me to brunch!”

  Throwing her hands up in the air, Carol grabbed her bag and walked away. The class van for their trip was waiting outside. Felicity explained Carol’s sudden “illness” and her inability to make the trip. Professor Johnson didn’t doubt the lame excuse for a second and merely said he hoped she recovered soon. Rolling her tired eyes, Felicity jumped in the car and slept the entire way.

  When they got to their destination, Felicity clambered out of the van with her fellow students.

  “You look like hell,” Ling said as the group walked down the trail. There was a smile on his face, although really, there was no softening the truth. Felicity did look like hell.

  “Thanks,” she replied dryly.

  “What did you do?”

  “Babysat a 22 year old child,” she muttered bitterly. “Who almost got herself kidnapped.”

  “Why do you waste your time on her?” asked Rochelle. “She doesn’t even belong here.”

  “Because Felicity is a decent person,” Emilio answered, receiving a playful shove from Rochelle. “And also a doormat,” he added, earning another hit from Felicity.

  The class continued the five mile jungle hike toward the first ruin site in silence, only interrupted by short interludes from Professor Johnson or the guide. Feet aching, bodies sweaty, and sporting several dozen mosquito bites, they finally arrived.