by K. D. Jones
Nigel nodded. “Very well. I wanted to let you know that that your ratings have almost doubled. The whole dating thing has really helped your image. I know it’s a real relationship now, but I wanted to tell both of you that there will be no more planned press and photo events scheduled. You both are free.”
For a moment Maxim wondered if Alona would change her mind about being with him. They hadn’t really talked much about their dating as a real couple. He would just have to convince her to keep him in her life by taking her back to bed and keeping her there until she agreed. She had whispered that she loved him, after all, so there had to be real feelings on her part.
He looked towards the entrance of the restaurant and felt his heart stop. Something was wrong. He felt himself moving in slow motion. For a moment he thought something might be wrong with his circuits. But then he noticed that the whole world around him seemed to have slowed down, too. He watched Rachel and Trig walk towards him. The expressions on their faces were serious. That couldn’t be good.
“What’s happened?” He asked not getting up. He wasn’t sure his legs would hold his weight at that moment.
“I’m sorry, Maxim. Alona has been taken.”
Chapter 14
“How? When?” Maxim couldn’t form complete sentences. He was fighting to keep his circuits from shutting down from the extreme stress. He followed them out of the restaurant and into a private meeting room.
“She was in a shop but someone grabbed her and dragged her through the back storeroom. Her guard was right outside the store waiting for her to get the others. The others came out without her and that’s when they realized Alona was missing.”
“What about the tracker you have for all the fighters?” Maxim asked.
“We activated the tracker. We are just waiting for the locator to place her whereabouts.”
“Why wasn’t the tracker already activated before now?” Maxim was frustrated with the waiting.
Nigel spoke up. “A lot of the fighters felt like the trackers were an invasion of their privacy. They didn’t want their every move recorded. So in order to get them to agree to have the trackers implanted, we had to offer to not turn them on unless something like this happened. Alona was one of the fighters that did not want her tracker activated.”
“How long before we know something?”
“About ten more minutes, the tracker needs more time to pinpoint her exact location. As long as there is not interference, it will be able to point us in the correct direction,” Trig explained.
“We have our contacts with the IDJ scouring the shop she was taken from and questioning the shop employee that was knocked unconscious.”
“What can we from the GCFA do to help?” Nigel asked.
“Let’s try to keep this out of the news if we can. No one talks to the press. The kidnapper will contact us and then we’ll see what needs to happen next,” Rachel told him.
Maxim straightened up. “Why would the kidnapper contact us?”
Rachel fidgeted. “If the person that took Alona was the guy from the dance club, he was interested in you, Maxim. She felt that he was there to watch you, not her. Taking her might be his way to get to you.”
“He can have me, if he just lets Alona go,” Maxim growled.
“That might be what happens,” Trig commented. “This kidnapper might offer a trade.”
“I don’t know about that,” Rachel disagreed. “If he killed that woman in the alley, he’s already fixated on Alona. He might not let her go willingly.”
Everyone was silent as they thought about the possibilities. Maxim wanted to get his hands on the man that had taken Alona. He would rip him apart limb by limb.
Trig answered his cell phone and spoke to someone. When he hung up, he turned to face everyone in the room. “We have the security video camera feed. The IDJ agreed to route it to our security line.” Everyone followed Trig and Rachel to security office.
When they got there, they found the entire GCFA halfsie team waiting for them. Rage, Talon, Taurus, Hammer, Zen, Torch, Zara, Maya, Isis, Gana, and Roxy all stood together. Zen stepped forward and addressed Maxim.
“We heard what happened to Alona. We wanted to see if there was anything that we could do.”
“We’re going to watch the video feed from the store. We don’t know anything else right now.” Maxim was shocked to see them all show up like this. “I know Alona would appreciate you all coming out for her like this.”
“We came for you too, Maxim. You’re part of our family,” Maya told him. Her mate Taurus wrapped his arms around her. “I feel horrible that she was taken right there, a few feet from us, and we didn’t see anything.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Taurus told his mate, kissing her head.
“Taurus is right. It wasn’t anyone’s fault,” Maxim agreed. “Whoever this kidnapper is, he knows what he’s doing and how to go undetected. He’s dangerous as well, so it’s a good thing none of you saw him and tried to interfere. Alona would not have wanted any of you to get hurt. Neither would I.” He was surprised to find he actually meant it. He cared about these people, his friends, his family. He never thought he would have a family; it had never been that important to him before. But now, everything was different. Alona had changed him and how he saw the world.
Rachel sighed. “Look, guys, all of us won’t fit in the security room. How about Rage and one other remain while the others go back to your suites. We’ll keep you all updated.”
“I’ll remain,” Taurus offered.
There were grumbles from the others, but they all left. Maxim followed Rachel into the security office. Trig was already on the computer, trying to pull up something on the monitors.
“I’ve got the feed,” he said.
Everyone moved closer to watch. Trig fast-forwarded through the early morning crowd, then slowed it to normal pace when Alona, Maya, Roxy, and Gana entered the shop. The camera was angled at the back facing front to capture most of the store, the cash register, and the front door. To the left was the hallway leading to the back storeroom.
Maxim watched as Alona walked to the entrance. She spoke to the guard, then turned to come back inside the shop. She was making her way back towards the cash registers when suddenly her image blurred and she disappeared from the view.
“That was really fast. Can you slow that down, Trig?” Rachel moved closer.
Trig rewound the video feed and played it slowly. Maxim watched as a man appeared and grabbed Alona. He moved really fast, but there was still something familiar about him. He couldn’t see the image clearly, but the man fit the description that Alona had given of the guy from the dance club.
“Face pattern recognition?” Rachel asked Trig.
“Nothing, his face isn’t in our system at all,” Trig responded.
“How is that possible?” Nigel asked.
It was Maxim that answered. “Because he’s a droid halfsie like me. His previous identity has been wiped out. The scientist did that to me too. It took a while to figure out who I had been when I was fully human.”
“Are you sure he’s a droid halfsie? Droid conversion has been outlawed. There were a few chop shops, but those have been closed down.”
“He moves fast, like me, but there are other telltale signs that only another droid would notice. The way he moves, and his eyes, almost dead.” He watched the replay again and spotted something. “Go back, Trig. Slow it down right as he’s turning with Alona in his arms.”
“What are you seeing?” Rachel asked curiously.
“There, he purposely shoved something into the wall. His fist went through something.” Maxim pointed at the frozen screen.
Rachel dialed a number on her cell phone. “Hey, Ross, it’s Rachel. Are your guys still at the shop? Have them investigate a hole in the plaster at the entrance leading to the storeroom. Whatever you find, bring it here. I know it’s part of your investigation, we just need to take a quick look before you take it to headquarters. Tha
nks.” She hung up her phone. “It may take them anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour before they get here. Why don’t you all go to your suites and I’ll contact you when we know something.”
Maxim growled. “I’m not going anywhere until I find out where Alona was taken.”
Rage came over and gripped his shoulder. “There’s nothing else any of us can do right now until the IDJ agents bring in whatever it is the guy left behind. Come on, we’ll go to the gym and work out some energy.”
“You’ll come and get me as soon as the IDJ agents get here?” Maxim asked Rachel.
She nodded. “I swear to you, Maxim, you’ll be the first person I notify. It won’t be too long. Just another . . . fifty-five minutes.”
Maxim hated to leave, but he needed to hit something, and hitting his friends who were trying to help him find Alona was not a good idea. Working off some steam in the gym would hopefully help him calm down. He couldn’t afford to have his circuits overload right now.
“Okay,” he finally agreed with a sigh. He left the security office. Rage followed him.
*****
Neither man said anything to one another as they headed to the gym. Maxim didn’t bother to go to the locker room to change into his workout clothes. He just yanked his shirt over his head and threw it to the floor. He hit the punch bags first. Slam, slam, punch after punch. Rage stood close by, watching but not saying a word, just offering him silent support.
“I want to rip this guy’s head off!” Maxim had never felt such rage inside.
He had always been able to shut off his emotions easily over the years, not thinking that there was a need to feel like a human. But since meeting Alona, his emotions seemed to have all turned back on without him realizing it. She had snuck up on him and before he knew it, he was feeling things he didn’t understand.
The thought of her scared or hurt infuriated him and made him feel helpless. He didn’t like feeling either of those things. Anything could be happening to her at that moment and he couldn’t stop it. Different scenarios played through his mind and he couldn’t seem to shut them off. All he could see was someone scaring her . . . hurting her . . . touching her.
“I . . . will . . . kill . . . him!” Maxim lost control and slammed his fists so hard into the punching bag that the bag came off its thick hook and shot across the room into the wall. He was still feeling out of control.
He went to the treadmill next and set it for the highest pace possible. Just as he hit his top running speed, Rage walked over and started to reduce his speed little by little until he finally came to a complete halt. He was breathing heavily when he got off of the treadmill.
“Why . . . did you . . . stop it?” Maxim leaned forward to place his hands on his knees, taking in gulps of air.
“You’ve been on the treadmill long enough. Rachel just called and told me that the IDJ agents are boarding the GCFA ship right now.”
“What did they find?” Maxim reached for his shirt and put it back on. He didn’t care that he was sweaty. There wasn’t time to shower or change in a time like this. He and Rage headed for the doors.
“I don’t know. Rachel didn’t know either. Guess we’ll find out when we get there.”
Maxim picked up his pace even though he had just been on the treadmill. He had to find Alona. He couldn’t lose the woman that he loved. He just couldn’t.
*****
A few minutes later, they arrived back at the security room. Opening the door, Maxim saw Rachel and Trig talking to two IDJ agents. Rachel was holding something in her hand.
“How long will it take us to get an adapter to play this?” Rachel asked Trig.
Trig shook his head. “I haven’t seen anything that small before. It could take a day or two to find the right adapter.”
Rachel looked frustrated. “We don’t have that kind of time.”
Maxim pressed forward. “What is it? What did you find?”
Rachel opened her hand. “We’re not sure yet what it is.”
He knew immediately what it was. He had seen it before. In the center of her palm was a microchip. One designed by the scientists specifically for droid halfsies like him. Since he had never heard of any of the other droid halfsies surviving, he knew the microchip had been left for him.
“We’re trying to get an adapter that will allow us to read it.”
“No need, I can run it through the built-in chip adapter behind my ear.” He reached out and took the microchip from Rachel. He hadn’t put a chip in his chip adapter since he was rescued from lab.
“Wait, how do we know that it isn’t something that could harm your circuits?” Rachel tried to stop him from inserting the chip.
“She’s right, we don’t know if this will hurt you,” Rage agreed.
“I don’t care. I have to find out what they want. For Alona.” Maxim inserted the chip. Immediately his vision clouded over and a video feed began playing. He recognized his creator, the mad scientist Dr. Forbes.
“Good afternoon . . . Maxim. The name is fitting. You are the best of my projects. My ultimate creation. I am most proud of how you have turned out. But let me get to the point. We have something you want, you have something I need. I have encoded directions in this chip for you to follow to a secure location. Come alone. In exchange, I will have my other creation, Soren, release the female. If we see anyone from the IDJ with you, your beautiful woman will meet with a tragic end. Of course, to ensure that you follow our directions to the letter, the chip is implanted with a self-destruct mechanism. Only I can remove it safely. You have two hours to get to the location programmed into the chip. I am so looking forward to seeing you again, Maxim.”
Maxim reached for the chip but hesitated. What if there really was a self-destruct mechanism? He couldn’t take the chance, not with Alona’s life hanging in the balance. He had to save her first. He lowered his hand back down.
“What does it show?” Rachel asked.
“I am to meet the kidnapper at a specific location and then he would release Alona.”
Trig stepped forward. “So he was really after you? Why?”
“The lead scientist in charge of the droid conversion program, Dr. Forbes, was never caught. He needs something from me, so he took Alona. He knew I would offer myself in exchange for her.”
“Where do they want to meet?” Rachel asked. “I can have a team of IDJ agents there ASAP.”
Maxim shook his head. “I can’t have the IDJ involved. He said that he would kill her on the spot if he sees one IDJ agent.”
“We can’t let you go by yourself. How do you even know he’ll let Alona go once he has you?” Rachel reasoned.
“He won’t let her go. I know him. He’ll keep her alive to get me there, but he’ll have no other use for her after that. He won’t allow there to be any witnesses.”
“What about the chip? Give it to us and let us see if there are any clues about where this guy might be hiding,” Trig offered.
Maxim shook his head. “I can’t. He says that the chip has a self-destruct mechanism that will be triggered if I try to remove it. I can’t even use my main system to override it.”
“That’s one sick, crazy asshole,” Rachel commented.
“He says he’s the only one that can remove it.” Maxim looked around the room with resolve. His decision was clear.
“Well, shit.” Rage ran a hand through his hair.
Chapter 15
“He’ll be here soon. I know you’ll be glad to see your lover again,” the man said to her. He was balding, with glasses and a white lab coat. He didn’t even look her way as he typed something into his computer.
“You’re a psycho and an asshole!” Alona spat as she rattled the bars of her small cage.
“Watch your mouth, bitch. You will address him as Dr. Forbes and show him proper respect.” A short chubby guy, also in a lab coat, sneered at her as he kicked the side of the cage. “You should feel right at home in this cage, since you make your living in one.�
�� He tried to reach inside for her hair. She had already discovered that he liked to pull her hair to torment her.
“Leave her alone, Beanie Weanie,” said the man that had grabbed her. He stood across the room, hooked up to a charger.
“Shut up, Soren, you have no right to speak to me that way. My name is Dr. Deans to you,” the chubby man responded.
Alona looked over at the one called Soren. She turned away when she found him watching her too. He was always watching her. She had recognized him immediately.
This . . . Soren . . . was the guy from the dance club. He had snuck into the shop and knocked the employee unconscious, then dragged her out.
She had fought him tooth and nail. She kicked at his shin, rammed her elbow into his ribs, and twisted to get loose. But he had held her with an unnatural strength that rivaled a full Cyclops. Despite all her effort, he was able to knock her out using pressure points on her neck.
When she awoke, she found herself inside this small square cage. The lock was not easy to reach and every time she tried to shake the bars loose that prick that Soren called Beanie Weanie would hit her or taser her for fun. She couldn’t wait to get free and show him a thing or three.
“What do you want with Maxim?” She focused on the one that was in charge, Dr. Forbes.
“You’re an Arian halfsie. I once used an Arian in my droid conversion experiments. The male we used did not make it past the first stage of conversion, his bones were too brittle.”
She watched in horror as Dr. Forbes uploaded a video on the large computer screen. It showed different aliens in cages like hers, all screaming in pain. Some of their arms and legs fell off. One disintegrated altogether. She looked away, afraid she was going to throw up.
“That was the problem I found with most of these alien scum. They couldn’t handle the conversion because their alien DNA had a defense mechanism to fight off whatever disease they encountered. That is why no aliens really get sick and live slightly longer than humans. But I lucked out by getting my hands on a nearly dead human male.” He paused and uploaded a video of Maxim when he was first brought into the lab. Alona couldn’t look away.
