by Maggie Mundy
Liliath ran her fingernail from one side of his throat to the other in a slitting action. It stung but didn’t break the skin. “You have three Earth days to sort out this mess you’ve created or you’ll never see Homeworld and fulfil your little plan.”
Cameron took a deep breath and it hurt like hell. His throat muscles still seemed to be under Liliath’s control. She stood waiting for an answer.
“I’ve people waiting in America.”
“Midworlders?” Liliath asked.
“A human has discovered us and wants to live forever. He’s doing pretty well as a megalomaniac on Earth and doesn’t like the idea death catching up with him.”
“I will not share my rule,” Liliath stated.
“We’re just using him. He’ll keep Soren locked up until we get there.”
“What’s in it for this human to participate?”
“He thinks he’ll get some DNA from Soren. Of course we won’t allow it. When we return to Earth, we’ll go to San Francisco and Sayell’s men will help get rid of this Ridge once and for all.”
Liliath moved over to Sayell, and Cameron breathed a sigh of relief.
“Couldn’t your men take Soren on their own? Why involve someone else?”
Sayell stiffened. “This man is a multi-billionaire and has the ear of governments. When you take over in Soren’s body on Earth, his connections could be helpful. When he dies, you get him to leave you all his companies. You’ll be set up to literally run the world.”
Liliath smiled. If you could call it a smile. “I’ll be generous. You have a week to bring Soren to me.”
The room started to vibrate again as if they were having an earthquake.
“What is going on here?” Cameron asked.
Liliath appeared bored and didn’t answer, but the Demonic came forward.
“It would appear the constant use of this world has caused instability. It is bombarded from a worm hole to Earth and Homeworld. The Elevated are looking for another planet to use for this purpose.”
Cameron didn’t like the sound of this. “What happens to all the Guardians on Earth if you can’t find one?”
“They’ll leave and return home,” the Demonic said.
“And the Midworlders?” Charles asked.
“They can stay on Earth or return home to die as before.” The Demonic’s face remained passive as he spoke.
“Do the Angelics know about this as well?” Cameron asked.
Liliath interrupted. “Not yet. It’s only just been discovered by the Demonic Elevated, but everyone will soon know. Now return. I expect to see you here soon.”
Liliath and the Demonic disappeared and Cameron could move again. He closed his eyes to make the link to the conduit. Within moments, the three of them were all back on Earth in the sky above his car. He didn’t care about Earth, but he was running out of time after all these years to get home and take out his revenge. Sayell and Charles could do what the hell they wanted. Once he handed Soren over, he would head straight to Homeworld.
Chapter 17
Lab Rat
Soren fell backward, hoping his life would be over soon. The darkness would tear his mind apart again and it took all his control not to attack Anne or anyone else who would come near. The world appeared covered with a curtain of blood before his eyes and he didn’t want it to be for real. To be his beloved’s blood.
He could see Ridge and Edric flying toward the bridge. These two Angelics would save her if anyone could. Hopefully the bridge would batter his body beyond repair and Anne would be free and the bond broken.
This wasn’t living when Anne would constantly wonder when he would become violent again. One day he would wake up from this darkness and find her dead beside him. He would be the cause, but have no recollection. He couldn’t live like this anymore.
Soren hit one of the struts on the bridge. The pain spread out from his back to every corner of his being. He hit another strut and his leg became ripped and shredded. The cool waters of the harbor would take him soon, but Soren never hit the water below. Ridge caught him. Damn his brother. Soren struggled to break free, but the pain drained him as his arms flailed. A thump to the side of the head came from his future father-in-law and all went dark.
~ ~ ~
Soren’s head ached as if his brain had been put through a blender. A blender called Edric. He opened his eyes and the pain increased. As expected, he was back at Edric’s house and Anne sat beside the bed. She looked angry. He didn’t know who he dreaded more Ridge, Edric, or Anne?
“Don’t you ever do that again, or you won’t need to try and kill yourself because I’ll do the job for you,” Anne said and then pursed her lips.
He tried to smile at her but his face hurt. He imagined he wasn’t much to look at right now. Evie and Genia walked in and the two of them gave him looks as disapproving as Anne’s.
Genia stood next to the bed and held her hands above his chest and head. The pain eased a bit.
“Thank you.” Soren wondered what toll all of this soothing would be taking on the healer. She took his hand in hers and he believed bad news was on the way.
“I’ve done what I could, Soren, but your body is deteriorating. It’s like a human rejecting a transplant organ they’ve been given. Each part of your Midworlder self is trying to destroy the other.”
Deep inside, Soren knew it was true. “I got the impression from Cameron that Liliath needed to get me stable so she could come over. I assume by making me neither Angelic or Demonic it wouldn’t reject her Elevated body.”
Evie folded her arms across her chest and scowled. “I would love to see that woman, alien whatever crumble into a pile of dust. She sees us all as expendable.”
Genia nodded. “All the Elevated do, my dear. Soren, why did you try to kill yourself?”
Would the Angelic Midworlders still want him here once they knew the truth? “Ever since Liliath messed with my body, I get dark moments when I want to kill anyone around me. I could feel it happening again. My mind ran wild when I took Anne. I thought you were all going to take her from me. The darkness eased when I got to the bridge. I knew Anne would always be worrying when this would happen again, so I wanted to end it all and the bond would be broken.”
Anne grabbed his hand. “The moment after you jumped I wanted to follow you. I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it. My father held me back or nothing would have stopped me.”
Evie smiled at him. “Nicole and I had the same experience. The bonding means one can’t live without the other. It’s going to be hard for you. No matter how dark it gets, you have to control the urge to do anything or you’ll be sending Anne to her death also.”
“So what happened with Cameron?” Anne asked. “When Edric brought me back I couldn’t see any sign of them.”
Evie grinned wickedly. “His side lost so Cameron and his group ran off with their tails between their legs. He wants you two bad, so I reckon he’ll be back.”
Genia stood. “I’ve done everything I can to halt the progression of your aliment, Soren. I’ve told Ridge and Edric I think we should take you to see Nicole in California. Nicole and I have helped people before when we combine our skills.”
Soren squeezed Anne’s hand. “I’ll do whatever Anne wants.”
“I think we should go. We don’t know how quickly you’ll deteriorate or when another attack comes, and hopefully Cameron won’t follow us.”
Evie gave them the thumbs up. “Edric is booking the tickets as we speak. I can’t wait to see Nicole again. I think you’ll like her, Anne. She will understand what you’re going through. She’s an Australian too,” Evie said.
Edric walked in. “I’ve flights booked for the morning. I hope you both have passports.”
“We do. Cameron made sure I did when
I lived at the Enclave. He never explained why. When I left, I thought it might come in handy if I needed to get out of the country,” Soren said.
“I have someone on guard outside the door. If Anne calls out, they’ll come in. I don’t want a repeat performance of earlier,” Edric said as he crossed his arms over his broad chest and glared at Soren.
“Now I think we should leave these two to rest.” Genia shooed Edric and Evie out of the room.
Anne turned out the light and lay down on the bed next to Soren. He watched her as she slept, and sighed. All he wanted was to keep her safe. For now, he needed to trust the others could help before it was too late for both of them.
Sleep eventually came from exhaustion. When Soren woke, light streamed in through the window. A knock came to the door and Ridge walked in.
“You should grab your bags as we leave soon. Some of my people should be waitin’ for us in San Francisco. Then we’ll go out to the ranch. Sara left last night and will be waitin’ for us. Oh, and by the way, pull a stunt like that again and I’ll whoop your ass.”
Soren went to stand and his legs gave out. Ridge caught him before he hit the floor and sat him back on the bed.
“I think we need to get you to Nicole as fast as we can. I haven’t found my little brother just to lose him. Trust me; Nicole would kill me if I did.”
Soren managed a weak smile as Anne and Ridge helped him up. “I don’t want to be the cause of an argument between you and your wife. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Soren put his arms around Anne’s and Ridge’s shoulders and walked to the other room where people were waiting. His whole body ached and he felt like a dead man walking. From the expressions on people’s faces he must have looked like one too.
Soren thought he would try to cheer them up. “Come on people. Smile, we’re all going on a trip. My brother here tells me he has good whiskey and cigars waiting at the other end.”
Everyone laughed, but Anne thumped him playfully on the chest.
“No cigars. You can hardly breathe as it is.”
Edric had paid for them all to go first class. When they arrived at the airport, Ridge went and found a wheelchair. Anne never left his side. Her frown and the creased lines on her forehead showed her worry. In truth, he knew he couldn’t hold out much longer. His body grew weaker by the hour as it attacked itself. For the first time in his life he sensed death looming over his shoulder.
At least there was no sign of Cameron and his men at the airport. Ridge said San Francisco was Sayell’s domain and they might have a fight on their hands when they got there. One thing Soren knew for certain was that he wouldn’t be able to help. Their group was comprised of Edric and Suzie, who seemed to be an item now, Ridge, Heath, Evie, Genia, Tiny, and his beloved Anne.
Soren slept most of the flight but still felt as weak as a newborn baby when they arrived. Whatever Nicole and Genia were going to do to fix him, it needed to be quick. He reckoned they were too late already if truth be known.
His companions left the plane and Soren waited with Anne and Ridge while the flight attendants went to find a wheelchair. When the three of them got through customs, the others were waiting and there were some new faces as well.
A man the size of a mountain, and another one who looked like a young punk with purple and black hair.
Ridge did the introductions.
“Sara, my second-in-command, you know. This is Jake, one of my men, and Peter, Nicole’s brother. Let’s get goin’ before any of Sayell’s mob turn up. Do you have any news?” Ridge asked Sara as she drove out of the airport.
Two SUVs were taking them to Ridge’s ranch. Soren watched as Anne stared out the window, taking in the surroundings.
“I always wanted to go to America. Who would have thought a couple of weeks ago I’d be here now?”
Soren wanted to share her enthusiasm but struggled to stay awake. The cars headed out of the city to the ranch which sounded more like a fortress.
The car stopped. Soren peered out the front window and could see a tree across the road. There was a truck stopped in front of them. Ridge and Jake went to get out.
“I’ll see if we can help move it. Keep an eye out, Sara, in case it’s a trap.”
Soren shook his head to try to get rid of the dizziness. It didn’t help. He watched Ridge walk up to the truck in front of them. Soren shut his eyes for a minute as the world spun around him. When he opened them again, a canister landed at his feet and smoke surrounded them. His lungs stiffened as the drugs within the smoke entered his body.
Anne coughed. As his world turned to black, he knew he had let her down once again. If he survived this attack, someone would die.
Moving hurt, so Soren decided not to try. He opened his eyes and found himself on the floor of a vehicle but couldn’t remember getting there. It would probably be the truck he saw in front of their car. A strip light along the roof dimly illuminated the inside. He could hardly feel his hands due to the ropes around his wrists. A man sat down opposite with a machine gun pointed his way.
The man wore black clothes with a balaclava covering his head. Where the hell were Ridge and the others? Soren peered at the man and tried to reach out with his thoughts. The guy was human. So humans as well as Demonic Midworlders were after them now. Shit.
Soren reached out with his mind to see if he could connect with Anne. Nothing came back. It was like he hit a brick wall. The thought she might have been hurt made his chest ache. The thought she might be dead, he would not accept. If she was gone, these guys or Liliath could chop him up into little pieces if they wanted. He wouldn’t want to live. Pain washed over him as he passed out again.
He heard gates opening and then they were on the move again. After what seemed like an eternity, the truck stopped. This time the back threw open and light streamed in, making him squint. Balaclava man grabbed him and pulled him upright. Soren’s knees buckled.
“I’m going to need help. This shit can’t even stand. Don’t see why Burtrom thinks this guy could help him,” Balaclava man said.
The two men gripped Soren under the arms and yanked him from the vehicle. The building before him gave the impression of an old Air Force base, with a hangar to one side and a tower on the other. Inside the building the walls were white and pristine. Soren sensed he might be a rat on the way to the lab. The men dragged him down another corridor to a room with an operating table in it. Great. The next thing would be Liliath and the fucking tubes again.
Soren hadn’t seen anybody else other than the two guys carrying him. He was pretty sure there would have more people involved in the kidnapping. The two guys lifted him onto the table and straps were applied to hold him down. They didn’t need to bother, he couldn’t kill a fly. A normal person might be scared at this point, but he had been in this position with Liliath so many times he didn’t think these humans could hurt him more.
Another two men came into the room. One was old and wrinkled and used a stick to walk. The lines on his face gave him a permanent frown. He wondered when the guy last smiled. The other man appeared younger and wore a white coat like a doctor. The two of them stood next to him, peering down their noses. Maybe he wasn’t what they expected? He didn’t give a damn. He wanted to die if Anne was gone.
“Hello. I’m Doctor Taylor. I’m going to run a few tests on you and I’ll be taking a few samples. This is Mr. Burtrom. We’ve been told by a reputable source you’re not of this world and we’re going to find out if that is true.”
Soren thought he knew the old guy. Now he had a name to match the face. What did one of the richest men in the world want with him? If these two thought they could find out something amazing by dissecting him, they were going to be disappointed. Unless they wanted a fucked-up body that couldn’t help anyone.
“I didn’t think he would be this weak? I�
�ve some more visitors coming later today. Let me know how you’re doing with the tests.” Burtrom turned and hobbled away.
The hours went past and the tests were not so painful, or maybe nothing was after you had dealt with Liliath. The thugs removed his clothes. He didn’t fight. To keep breathing and alive was about as much as he could manage right now. Samples were taken from his muscles, skin, blood, and urine. No one talked to him as if he mattered. The doctor just kept probing. He X-rayed him and brought in other machines to analyze his body. Maybe Dr. Taylor could give him some answers when he was done.
Then he left him alone, tied to the table in the empty room. So many times he had wanted to die at the hands of Liliath, but now he wanted to live for Anne. The doors to the room opened and Soren turned his head to see what was planned for him next. Fuck.
Cameron sauntered in the room with Sayell and Charles. Soren wasn’t surprised those pieces of shit would be connected with this place. Burtrom and the doctor were with them. Soren assumed Burtrom didn’t realize the others were aliens as well or he would have them on the chopping block too. Cameron stood next to the operating table.
“You look like shit, Soren. You should’ve stayed with me. It doesn’t seem like your new friends helped you much,” Cameron said.
“Go to hell. Oh yeah, it doesn’t exist, does it? What are you doing now? Selling me off bit by bit to the highest bidder?”
Cameron thumped Soren’s chest so he heard a rib crack.
“No. Liliath still wants you. Burtrom understands connections are what make the world go around. We’re here to take you to see Liliath to get fixed up.”
Burtrom shuffled forward. “You will bring him back, won’t you? Dr. Taylor still wants to do more tests. He says the samples could lead to a drug to help with longevity. I could live longer and sell it to those who could afford it and make more money.”
