by Anne Kane
Good Lord. No wonder the were-creatures all spent most of their time in animal form! These people were certifiably insane. A shiver of fear skittered up her spine. She needed to start planning her own escape, ASAP. No telling how long it was going to take Wolfe to find her.
Dream Walking. For once, she truly wished she were more talented at it. If she were stronger, she could go to her sister for help. Then again, that would leave her body at the mercy of these people until she returned. Did she dare?
“Get into the robe. They’ll need to run some baseline tests, blood pressure, heart, pulse and so on. Those clothes simply won’t do.” The guard prodded her impatiently. “Hurry up. You’re going to be late, and Dr. Kvordic likes punctuality.”
Reluctantly, Nikki skimmed off her top and pants but kept her underwear and bra on. Under the assessing gaze of Mrs. Simmons, she donned the fluffy white robe. It was definitely high quality, warm and fluffy but the lack of clothes made her feel vulnerable and she wondered if that was deliberate on the part of her captors.
“There. That’s not so bad, is it?” The guard actually gave her an approving pat on the back. As if she were a pet dog who’d just mastered a basic command. Nikki gritted her teeth, keeping her eyes averted from the damn security monitors.
The guard led her through a maze of ecosystems. “Most of these are unoccupied as yet.”
These maniacs were actually planning to kidnap enough people to populate this place? Surely, they realized that was insane. Someone, either human or on the Supernatural Council would notice that many disappearances and start to put two and two together.
They came to a bank of elevators, and the guard pushed the up button. “Most of the testing is on the upper floors. The labs and work areas are located there.” The elevator arrived and the doors opened with a disgustingly cheerful ping.
“On we go.” The woman held her arm as they entered. Probably to make sure she didn’t shove her out and close the door. Either she was good at her job, or one of the captives had already tried that tactic.
Nikki studied the control panel with interest. There were seven floors listed, two of them below the one with her living quarters. If the testing and research facilities were above her, what lay buried in the bowels of the complex?
The elevator rose swiftly and silently to level six. The doors opened to reveal a setup that reminded Nikki of a hospital. A long corridor painted in mint green stretched in either direction, with a workstation directly ahead of them.
“Good morning, Nikki.” A woman dressed in a sparkling white lab coat came out from behind the counter, smiling as if she expected Nikki to be glad to see her.
“She’s still adjusting.” The guard got back in the elevator. “She’s not as belligerent as the last one though. She may make a better test subject.”
Wouldn’t count on that. Nikki kept her expression blank. Just smart enough to know when to play along.
“I’m sure you’ll acclimatize quickly.” The nurse picked up a clipboard off the counter and gave her a sympathetic look. “It must be a bit of a shock, finding out we know all about your kind, but we’re not here to hurt you. We just want to understand your species. First thing, we’re going to run a bunch of tests to see what’s normal for you, health-wise.”
She led the way down the corridor to the left, and Nikki trailed behind, trying to memorize the layout. It looked simple. The bank of elevators and the desk were at the junction of two corridors. She couldn’t see in the doors they passed, but most of them were labeled for convenience. Lab #2. Blood tests. Stress testing. X-ray. Biopsy. It really did sound like a hospital.
The nurse opened a door marked Main Testing Lab, and turned to give her a disgustingly bright smile. “Here we are. Dr. Landers is going to do your preliminary tests, and then you’re scheduled to meet with Dr. Kvordic at ten thirty.”
Nikki didn’t bother to reply. You didn’t expect your dog to wag its tail when you took it to the vet, now did you?
Dr. Landers took the clipboard from the nurse, and addressed Nikki without bothering to look at her. “You’re late. We’ll need to hurry some of the tests. Remove the robe, and get up on the table.”
Nikki blinked. Okay, now they had a problem. She wasn’t fond of stripping in front of total strangers.
The door clicked closed behind Nurse Cheerful, and Dr. Landers glanced up at her impatiently. “Strip and get up on the examining table.”
Nikki raised her brow. One skinny doctor she could handle. She crossed her arms on her chest. “What if I don’t want to?”
The doctor sighed and put the clipboard down. “Fine. I can see you haven’t been disciplined yet.” She raised her eyes to the monitor in the corner. “I need security in here. Nikki is being difficult.”
“Roger that. Stan will be right there.”
Nikki felt her heart sink. “Who’s Stan?” The self-satisfied smile on the doctor’s face didn’t bode well.
“Stan specializes in instilling obedience in you creatures. Usually one session with him is enough to convince you to cooperate.”
The door opened and a hulking giant of a man stepped through. The grin on his face was anything but reassuring. “You called for me, Dr. Landers?”
Nikki took a deep breath and shrugged out of the robe, glad she’d kept the dubious barrier of the undergarments. The smirk on Stan’s face made her want to show him one of her karate moves, but she had a feeling it would just bounce off his huge body. The one thing her sensei had drilled into her was common sense. Don’t take on an opponent who vastly outmuscles you, and if in doubt, run.
Running wasn’t currently an option, so playing meek little selkie seemed like the most reasonable course of action. She hopped up onto the cold steel table.
“Smart girl.” The smirk on Dr. Landers’s face galled. These people really needed to stop talking to her as if she were an unruly puppy. “Stan will just stay to remind you to behave.” She favored the man with a flirtatious smile that made Nikki wonder what their after-hours relationship was.
“I see Mrs. Simmons didn’t have you remove your undergarments. Do so now please, then lie down, arms above your head and feet in the stirrups.” The doctor opened one of the many drawers along the far wall and extracted a pair of surgical gloves.
Nikki glanced at Stan, who returned her gaze with a deadpan expression. She suppressed a sigh. They thought of her as an animal. Why would they consider her privacy? Good thing they couldn’t read her thoughts as easily as Wolfe or she’d find out exactly what they meant by disciplinary action.
She tried not to wonder how far away he was, or whether he would actually be able to find her. There was so much she didn’t know about their bonding. For the first time in her life, she wished she’d paid more attention to Trina’s gushing over her and Jack.
“We’re waiting, Nikki. Please get in position for the exam.” The doctor’s voice betrayed her impatience.
With a defiant toss of her head, Nikki stripped off her bra and panties and lay down as directed, trying to ignore the brute’s gaze as it lingered on her exposed genitals. Maybe she could make friends with one of the werewolves and sic him on Stan. The thought helped her to ignore him as Dr. Landers conducted the most thorough physical examination she’d ever had to endure.
“Excellent. You’re in fine condition. We’ll just take a few blood samples and send you on your way. I’m going to schedule a stress test and some physical challenges for you tomorrow. Find out just how fit you are before we begin our research. Stan, could you bring me three of those blood vials from the desk, please?”
Fastening a tourniquet around Nikki’s upper left arm, she peeled the protective covering from a syringe and felt for a vein. “Good veins.” She inserted the syringe and attached the first vial. “You’ve behaved very well this morning, so I’ll make a notation to reward you at dinner this evening. We would never compromise the nutritional quality of your meals, but you’ll find that cooperation makes them a whole lot more pala
table.” She inserted the second vial, and then the third, labeling each and placing it in a tray when it was full. “You missed your shower this morning, and Dr. Kvordic is very fastidious so you’ll need to take one before you put your robe back on. You need to keep him satisfied, you know.”
If Nikki didn’t know better, she just might think that was sympathy in the doctor’s eyes.
“The lack of clothing takes a bit of getting used to, but you mustn’t compromise your hygiene for the sake of modesty. The sight of a naked female that resembles a human is hardly novel around here. Our training and testing can be quite rigorous, and you need to keep your strength up. The shower stall is in the corner.” She nodded toward it.
Nikki swung her legs over the edge of the table and slipped to her feet. Ignoring Stan’s leering eyes, she stalked to the shower, opening the clear glass door and adjusting the temperature before she stepped in. She took her time, soaping every part of her body and trying to scrub off the invasive feel of Dr. Landers’s hands on her.
She suddenly had a greater understanding of the term “justifiable homicide”.
* * * * *
“Well, well. How’s my newest little acquisition settling in?”
Dr. Kvordic looked nothing like Nikki’s preconceived notion of him. Five foot ten at most, he looked like a mild-mannered grandfather, complete with the balding head and wispy white hair curling down around his ears. His pale-blue eyes shone with intelligence and compassion. If they’d met under different circumstances, she’d have sworn he was as sane as anyone. So much for her ability to judge character.
He peered at her through a thick set of glasses, a warm smile on his face. “I know Dr. Landers’s exams can be a bit unsettling but we need to know that you are physically able to participate in the program we have planned for you. Wouldn’t want you to get hurt. I hope you understand that.”
Nikki held her tongue. She hadn’t had a lot of encounters with insane psychos but her experience working with fraudsters in the forensic accounting field had taught her that the best way to get information was often to simply let the guilty party talk. Every criminal she’d ever met loved to brag about their prowess.
Dr. Kvordic paused, as though expecting her to say something. It occurred to her she had no idea what his given name was. Everyone seemed to refer to him as Dr. Kvordic.
When she didn’t reply, he gave her a fatherly smile. “You must have known that you’d be caught sooner or later. It’s obvious that your kind can’t stay hidden forever, especially with all the modern equipment available to us scientists. When I realized the extent of supernatural infiltration into human society I tried to warn people.” He shook his head sadly. “They wouldn’t listen. Called me insane, or worse, but I’ll show them. I built this compound to house every known type of nonhuman biped, and I’ve hired an outstanding staff of researchers and scientists. They’ll study and profile each of you, and eventually, when the time is right, I’ll open the facility to the scientific world and show them that I was right all along. I’m allowing you and the other residents of my specialized habitats the opportunity to participate in a world-shattering scientific advance.”
It was all she could do to keep her face blank. He’d kidnapped her, performed invasive medical tests on her without her permission, constantly referred to her as less than human, and he thought she should be grateful? What on earth did he expect her to do? Fall to her knees and lick his hand like a dog that’s been beaten into submission?
He sighed, looking disappointed. “I can see you’re not quite ready to come on board. I did a thorough background check on you before I sent in the acquisition team. Given your background in finance, I thought you might be more inclined to see the logic behind my project than some of your less-educated peers. Perhaps once you’ve been here for a time.”
“What exactly did you expect of me?” Nikki chose her words carefully. Conveying the impression that she condoned what he was doing would be taking it a bit far, but maybe if she pretended to cooperate, she might stand a better chance of planning an escape. She grimaced inwardly. Ethical compromises certainly weren’t one of her normal traits.
An excited smile lit the doctor’s face. “You’re interested? Excellent! Nothing difficult really. I’ll let you encounter some of the other residents. In the course of your training and tests, naturally. Nothing that would make them suspicious. You can talk to them and try to get them to understand that this is for the best.” His expression hardened, and Nikki caught a glimpse of his darker side. “Of course you would tell us if they approached you with a plan that would put any part of my research in jeopardy. Or if any of them were silly enough to try to plan an escape. Any such plan would be futile, and you’d be doing them a favor by foiling such an endeavor before the participants got hurt.”
He wanted her to be a snitch! She wasn’t sure what the doctor in his name stood for but it definitely had nothing to do with understanding human nature. Then again, maybe he was just too sunk in his own personal madness to see that his request was totally out of character for her. Ethics were such a big part of being an accountant, and spying on your friends for your own benefit just wasn’t ethical.
She smiled in what she hoped was a sincere way. “It makes sense. Can I think about it and get back to you?” The opportunity to talk to some of the other residents could prove invaluable. Maybe she could feed him just enough information to be granted extra privileges without endangering anyone. She’d like to talk to one of the werewolves and see what their take on the whole complex was. No prison was inescapable, even Alcatraz’s security had been breached from time to time.
“I knew you’d be more reasonable than the rest of them!” The doctor beamed at her like a toddler who’d just been given a box of candy. “Mrs. Simmons is going to direct your first day of tests, and I’ll let her know that you’re considering my proposition. She can steer you in the direction of the creatures that have been troublesome so that you understand my dilemma. I don’t want to have to hurt any of them. They are all rare and very valuable to my research but if they continue to give me trouble, I’ll have to make an example of one of them. You could help me avoid that, or at least make sure that I don’t discipline an innocent. I’ll have Mrs. Simmons set up another meeting for us in a couple of days. That should give you time to get settled in and see that it really is in your best interest to cooperate.”
“That sounds fair. Can I go now?”
His smile had an edge to it, and the look in his eyes sent a shiver throughout her body. Apparently, he wasn’t quite as easily fooled as she thought.
“Not quite yet. I haven’t had a good look at you. I like to take a good look at each of my specimens. Your acquisition wasn’t cheap, you know, and I like to think I got my money’s worth.” He gestured at a raised round dais to her left. “Take the robe off, and go stand on the platform over there.”
Nikki took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she could restrain herself if he planned to sexually assault her. Dr. Landers’s exam had been bad enough.
She reached for Wolfe’s familiar presence, wishing she could actually communicate with him. He’d tell her something to help her get through this. Or get out of it. She had a feeling he wouldn’t take kindly to having some jerk of a scientist run his hands all over her.
She stood, making sure her reluctance showed in every move of her body. If he really wanted her cooperation, maybe he’d reconsider whatever it was he had planned.
The doctor didn’t say a word, so she tilted her chin up proudly and shrugged the robe off her shoulders. Striding to the dais, she stepped up and turned to face him.
Still silent, he stood and walked over to her with his hands clasped behind his back. He circled her slowly, his eyes as flat and emotionless as a snake. His true nature, no doubt. The jovial grandfatherly façade was just that, a disguise. This was the man who had ordered her abducted and examined like an animal bought at auction.
“Not bad.” He raised a hand
to stroke down her thigh, and she barely managed to avoid cringing. “If I weren’t enlightened, I’d believe you were a human. Place your hands on your head.”
Nikki complied, gritting her teeth at his cold-blooded appraisal. She’d never felt so enraged and yet so helpless in her entire life.
Kvordic walked around her again and Nikki focused her gaze on the far wall, refusing to acknowledge him. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to view her naked body as a sex object. She suspected the whole point of this exercise was to impress upon her the helplessness of her position. Make her feel scared and more amenable to their plans.
She contemplated trying some of her karate moves on him. If she were to strike out at him, would a hidden guard spring to his defense? More than likely. In her experience, corporate bullies tended to use underlings to enforce their wills. How quick would they be to react? Idly, she ran through the self-defense katas in her mind. For now, she’d keep her abilities hidden.
He returned to his seat, apparently satisfied with his appraisal. “You may get down and put on your robe.” He opened up the laptop on his desk and began to type.
Nikki assumed she’d been dismissed. Picking up her robe, she slipped her arms into the sleeves and tied the thick belt as she headed for the door.
“Halt!”
What a peculiar way to address her. She turned and raised an eyebrow inquisitively, one hand already reaching for the door handle.
“You will resume your seat and wait quietly until I give you further instructions. I did not say that you could leave.” His voice held no emotion, which was somehow scarier than if he’d been yelling at her. She tried not to let him see how unnerved she felt as she walked back to the seat in front of his desk and sat down.
