Chapter Two
The man in the security uniform returned, handing two small white pills and a paper cup to the doctor. While they looked like they could be aspirin, Arabella really had no way of knowing for sure. She had never seen the medicine of man, so she had to trust that the staff in the military research facility weren’t trying to kill her before they conducted whatever studies they felt were needed on her kind.
Dr. Stevens waited until the door was completely closed behind the guard’s retreating form before turning to face Arabella again. “I’m going to untie you now so that you can take your aspirin, but you need to know that security is fierce in this facility and your chances of escape are slim to none, so any plans you might be plotting to do so are futile. But, if you behave yourself, I might not have to tie you up again.”
While Arabella was grateful to hear that she was going to be untied, she had absolutely no intention of listening to the doctor’s warning about not being able to escape. Isn’t that something said by any captors to lower morale and make the captives lose hope?
She let out a small breath of relief when she was told the ropes would be removed. Arabella wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting in that position but she knew her legs, still so new to her, had grown stiff. Her creamy white skin felt parched, which could only mean she had been out of the water for more than an hour. But instead of voicing her thoughts or commenting on how her body was feeling, she simply nodded her head and moved so that the good doctor could reach her ropes. Once untied, she rotated her wrists to get the blood flowing back into her extremities and moved her arms around a little, trying to work some of the ache out before accepting the paper cup and white pills.
“Thanks, these should take the edge off,” Arabella said as she accepted the offerings.
Dr. Stevens nodded and gave her captive a reassuring smile, “I really hope it does. Though I’m still not entirely sure how it will. According to all of my research it won’t help you much at all. I wish I could say that while conducting that research I was able to come up with a man-made medication that would ease all of your pain but so far I have found nothing.”
Arabella kept her eye on the doctor who had gone back to pacing the small room again as she smelled the contents of the cup. It smelled like fresh water to her, which was something she wasn’t really used to, so she popped the pills in her mouth and hoped she wouldn’t live to regret that choice. Taking a small sip of the water, she supposed she should be grateful that they hadn’t dosed the liquid. As she swallowed the small pills, she suppressed a shudder because she only had the doctor’s word that what she was putting in her system was aspirin.
Granted, most man-made medicines wouldn’t do much to her, good or bad, but she had just been told by the doctor that they were experimenting in their lab with her kind to make new medications and that thought sent fear rippling down her spine like the waves in a lagoon.
What is Site G doing? What are they hoping to accomplish? And why, in the Goddess’s name, had they captured me? Arabella couldn’t help but ponder as she watched the woman before her pace back and forth in the small room.
There were so many more powerful men and women in her family that it made no sense to her to be in this situation. Unless they were planning on using her as ransom material for those powerful family members, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Arabella couldn’t help but wonder who else Site G had in their facility and what the military doctors were doing to them.
Before she could ask any of those questions, or even suggest a more powerful family member or two to take her place, Dr. Stevens started speaking again, “I don’t know how you do that. You look so human! I was expecting more a fin or gills, I don’t know, something that would show you are part fish, but there is nothing visible. However, we ran a panel of blood work on you when you first arrived, and I know for a fact that you’re not human. Of course, we’ll be running more tests to see if we can find out how you’re able to look so much like us, but for now I feel the need to tell you that you’re the first of your kind to have the pleasure of staying with us. The studies we’ll be conducting on you will answer a lot of our questions about your species.”
Well that answers one of my unasked questions, at least, but that might only mean that I’m the first of my kind to be at this facility, Arabella thought as she considered what the doctor was saying.
She watched the doctor still pacing back and forth in the small space, trying to decide if she could be swayed into letting her go. Who knows how many other military facilities there are out there in the world. And while I’m sure this doctor truly believes that conducting studies and experiments on me will answer all of their questions, I believe that it will only lead them to asking more questions.
“I’m very flattered that you’ve chosen me to be your test subject, but I’m going to have to pass on your offer. There are just some things you humans will never really understand, no matter how many tests or studies you perform on my, or any other, species. Your kind is just not ready for that intel.” Arabella stood, using the wall to hold herself up because the feeling in her legs and feet hadn’t returned yet.
Dr. Stevens had anticipated this and turned to look at the paranormal being in front of her. “I was really hoping that you would be more reasonable but I can see that’s not going to be the case. You see, this is not a request. You are going to stay with us and you will be experimented on. How comfortable that stay is, all depends on you. If you decide to dig your heels in and continue to be unreasonable, I can make sure that your comfort will be the last thing on all of our minds. So, you have a decision to make; are you going to insist on continuing in this fashion, or are you going to allow us to do what we must do to understand your kind? I would prefer not to do things the hard way, but if that is how you want it to be.”
The doctor made her way to the door, turning and looking pointedly at the ropes still lying at her captive’s feet. “Do you really want to be tied up again? And remain that way in this tiny room for God only knows how long? Your only taste of freedom will be when the security officers and military personnel come to fetch you and take you to the lab. Perhaps I should leave you to think on that for a while.”
Arabella leaned back against the wall as a wave of dizziness hit her. “I don’t need time to think about that decision. I honestly don’t want to be here in the first place, and I would like to go home in one piece, so I suppose I can cooperate. However, I want to go on record as stating that I’m not happy about any of this.”
The doctor grabbed a lever that the mermaid hadn’t noticed earlier. “Duly noted. Now, do you have any questions for me before I leave? I need to check on some of our other guests, especially the one who tried to leave us earlier tonight.”
Arabella looked at the doctor like she had grown a second head, “Of course I have questions! I have a shit load of questions for you, Doc. Who in their right mind wouldn’t have questions after waking up the way I did in this small room?”
Dr. Stevens suppressed a smile and waved her right hand. “Then, by all means, ask away.”
Arabella took in the slight woman as she moved away from the wall to stand in the middle of the room. “What exactly are you expecting to learn from me?”
The doctor’s smile widened as if her star pupil had just asked the most important question first. “Why, everything there is to learn, of course. For starters, how you’re able to look like us when you so obviously aren’t. Not to mention, how it is you’re able to breathe on land when you live so far under the ocean? You don’t think you’re the only supernatural being in this place, do you?”
Arabella smirked. “Now that you mention it, I was a bit curious what all manner of creatures you have in this place, but that was the least of my worries at the time, truth be told. My main concern will always be keeping myself safe and sound, but since we seem to be talking about the supernaturals you have here, just how many are there?”
The doctor moved away fro
m the door and stood in front of Arabella. “I’m not at liberty to disclose that information. At least, not yet. But, I can tell you that you’re the first of your species we’ve been able to catch. Our facility has been watching the oceans for any sign of your kind, trying to add to our varied collection of paranormal beings, for years. We have only caught glimpses of fins, maybe a mermaid sunning on a rock here or there, but have never been able to get close enough to even see what you truly look like. You guys are fast once you hit the water! When our field officers saw you leaving the water on Arcadia Beach, we knew we weren’t going to get another opportunity like this to capture you. So, thank you for making it so easy to capture you.”
Arabella reached for the chair still sitting in the middle of the room as the walls started to shift around her. “That wasn’t aspirin you gave me, was it?”
Dr. Stevens chuckled. “Of course it wasn’t. I’m very sufficient in my line of work. That is why I run this facility. And, since I take my job very seriously, I tend to be pretty eager when it comes to studying the new specimens that come into these halls. Look on the bright side though, you won’t feel a thing.”
Arabella’s vision continued to swim as the doctor made her way back to the door. “You rest now. We’ll talk more after you take your nap.”
Arabella fought to keep her eyes open and rise above the effects of the drug flowing through her veins. Apparently the doctors in the facility had found a drug that would knock her on her ass, but for how long was the question of the day. She could feel the legs she wasn’t used to getting weaker, as if they were having a hard time holding up her body weight. Her body became heavy and she heard the doctor chuckle again as her body lost the fight. Her legs finally gave out and she fell in a heap on the floor, her eyes closing of their own accord.
This isn’t going to turn out well at all, was Arabella’s last thought as she lost the fight against the drug running rampant in her system.
Chapter Three
Flashes of light met Arabella’s blurry gaze as she opened her eyes. She was beginning to get tired of waking up and feeling helpless. She closed her eyes against the onslaught of fluorescent flashes and assessed her situation. She tried to raise her right hand to cover her eyes and discovered she was once again tied down. The only difference from the first time Arabella woke up unable to use her hands, was the fact that she was lying flat on what felt like a bed and it was moving. Fast. She could hear a squeak coming from one of the wheels on the moving bed as it made its way to whatever destination the person pushing it was headed to. Arabella tried to speak, to ask where she was being taken, but her mouth didn’t want to work. She took a deep breath and concentrated on asking the question that was burning in her mind. Still the words didn’t make it past her lips and her frustration was beginning to reach an unbearable level.
The bed stopped moving as she struggled with her annoyance and she heard a voice above her head. “The patient is ready, Dr. Stevens. Would you like me to wheel her in?”
The patient? Are they going to start experimenting on me already? Arabella thought in equal parts shock and panic.
She had hoped for more time before they started poking and prodding her so that she could work out an escape plan, but it looked like she wasn’t going to get that kind of luxury.
“How many times do I have to tell you, they aren’t patients to me, Phillip. They are our guests, who just happen to be helping us with our research of the paranormal. Now, take our newest guest and make her as comfortable as possible. Just because we are using them for our studies doesn’t mean we have to hurt them,” Dr. Stevens said as the bed began to move again.
Arabella tried to speak again, to ask the good doctor just what they had planned for her, but nothing came out. It was as if her body was on vacation and her brain was just getting the memo. Nothing seemed to want to work right. The words were screaming in her head but wouldn’t pass her lips.
What had that bitch given me? And how is it still flowing through my system? Arabella grew more agitated.
She concentrated on moving her right hand, making it grip the straps holding her down and was pleasantly surprised when she felt the cloth between her thumb and fingers. Arabella concentrated on feeling the belt that strapped her to the bed; the rough texture felt like the seaweed her mother would use for dinner when they had company over. As she moved her arm closer to her body, she noticed a smoother consistency that felt a lot like the kelp she used to play with as a child. Arabella let out a breath of relief as she seemed to be regaining control of her body.
“Ah, it appears our guest is awake. Phillip, would you be so kind as to move her under the light so I can give her an examination?”
Arabella’s eyes flew open as she heard the doctor give directions to this Phillip. Her gaze fell upon a tall man with brown hair and brown eyes wearing blue scrubs stalking toward her. The brilliant blue color of his scrubs were the only thing that made this man stand out in the otherwise white room.
When he reached the bed Arabella was lying on and noticed her eyes were open, he gave her a lecherous grin. “I’d be happy to, Dr. Stevens. Are you going to need my assistance with the examination?”
Dr. Stevens came into view. “Stop staring at her as if she were going to be your fish lunch and move her under the light! Honestly, this is not the way we should be treating our guests. As for the assistance, I believe I will ask someone else. I don’t want you anywhere near this woman.”
Phillip dropped his gaze as if he had been scolded by a stern school teacher, which made Arabella feel a little better about her situation. But only a little.
“I do apologize for my staff. Some are more dimwitted than others,” the good doctor told her guest.
Dr. Stevens turned to her male companion, “That will be all, Phillip. You may leave. Do send Tara in on your way out. I’ll call you should I need any more help, but I believe our guest and I have an understanding, so there shouldn’t be too much trouble. Am I right, dear?”
Arabella lifted her head off the bed and gave a slight nod, watching as Phillip left the room. Wherever she was had an actual door. She squinted her eyes against the sudden onslaught of bright yellow light as a dark-skinned woman walked into the room with several items in her hands that Arabella couldn’t quite make out.
Dr. Stevens cleared her throat. “Thank you for assisting me, Tara. This will be a regular exam, so there is no need for those needles. You can put the scalpels away as well. We certainly won’t be needing those today.”
Tara looked disappointed as she put the items away and turned to the bed that Arabella was still strapped to. “Are you sure, doctor? I thought I would be assisting with more in-depth examinations?”
Arabella wasn’t sure what the assistant meant by in-depth examinations, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to just lie there and let them poke and prod at her. She didn’t have a plan or an inkling on how she was going to prevent the military facility from performing their tests on her yet, but she could feel it deep in her bones that things were going to get much worse if she wasn’t able to escape their clutches soon.
Dr. Stevens moved the large light above the bed so that it wasn’t shining directly into her guest’s eyes and turned to her assistant. “The more in-depth examination will come, Tara. In time. Right now, we need to do a routine exam so that we have a starting point to compare from. There is plenty of time to escalate as we go. Now, hand me the speculum so that we can be sure that our guest is healthy.”
Arabella could feel the tension settling in the back of her neck as she listened to the doctor and her assistant talk about what they were planning on doing with her while she was strapped to the bed. This could be disastrous! They have no idea what they are doing, much less what they are looking at. I don’t take on human form as often as other merfolk so I have no way of knowing what they are going to find while they do their initial examination.
The doctor turned to the woman lying on the bed. “I just realized that I nev
er got your name. I mean, I introduced myself but the Nerium took effect much more quickly than I had anticipated. But, that goes to show you we still don’t know as much about your kind as we would like to.”
Arabella looked at the woman standing above her as if she were speaking a foreign language. She can’t be serious! Why would I give this Goddess forsaken woman any information on myself? Is she insane?
Dr. Stevens placed a cold metal object on Arabella’s chest and looked at her watch for a few minutes.
She looked at her guest with curiosity as she removed the round object. “There are many reasons as to why I have asked for your name. One of those reasons is so I know who I am working on, and since we have started the examination it would be good to have that information for research purposes. I understand you may feel this is asking too much of you, but it really must be done. I prefer to have the names of my guests instead of just assigning them numbers for the purpose of keeping track of them, but if you decide not to cooperate I can do just that. You will lose your sense of self and become just a number in our facility. Then your stay here will be most unpleasant in that instance. So, ask yourself which you would really prefer.”
Arabella watched as the doctor’s assistant set a plastic item that looked much like a duck bill on a rolling table, then return to putting away other items that she had never seen before in all of her explorations under the ocean. What could she have needed those for?
She took a deep breath as she remembered her first conversation with the doctor and decided it would be better in the long run to cooperate. Arabella wasn’t planning on staying in Site G for much longer anyway.
“My name is Arabella and my family is very well known in the paranormal world. So, you might want to keep that in mind while you are performing your examinations on me,” Arabella told her as she continued to watch the assistant.
The Secret of Site G Page 2
