Careless

by Kelly Goode

  The animal howled in confusion and retreated. It seemed horrified that it had hurt her, but before Lydia could process what had happened, the man grabbed the knife in his uninjured hand and tried to stab her in the stomach. The animal pounced and there was no mistaking the snap of bones when it bit down on his neck. Blood spurted like a fountain, as claws shredded through clothes, skin, and muscle.

  Lydia slid to the floor. It felt as if a thousand hot needles were pressing into her arm at once. She blinked slowly several times, each one growing longer, and when she finally managed to open her eyes again, the animal stood less than a few centimetres away. Its bloodied breath warmed her face and it seemed to be staring at her with concern.

  ‘We need to get you out of here.’

  Lydia looked around for the source of the deep male voice that she clearly heard, but could not place. Maybe someone had called for an ambulance and a paramedic was nearby. She certainly needed medical attention. Her arm was swollen from where the animal had mistakenly bitten her.

  ‘You need to snap out of it, Lydia.’

  Someone said her name; wait, not someone. The animal had spoken, which was impossible.

  ‘Impossible,’ she said, her speech slurring slightly. ‘Dogs don’t talk.’

  ‘You said earlier that you knew I wasn’t a dog,’ it replied, twisting its body and effortlessly morphing into a man.

  Lydia shook her head and tried to clear the haze swirling in front of her eyes. She was hallucinating. Either that or she was dead and this was the angel sent to retrieve her spirit.

  ‘Are you an angel?’ she whispered. The man certainly looked the part, with short, silvery hair and unsettling grey eyes.

  ‘I’ll be anything you want me to be after we take care of that bite.’

  He slid his arms underneath her and cradled her to his chest. When he stood up, she laid her head against his smooth, bare skin and surrendered to the darkness of sleep.

  12

  Lydia woke to the sound of a scream - her scream. She sat bolt upright in bed, sweating heavily. There were drops of moisture on her upper lip, which tickled her nostrils and made her want to sneeze. Her scalp felt tender and when she pushed her hand though her hair, she winced when a few strands came away in her fingers. She glanced at the empty space beside her with relief, as it meant Don had already gone to work. The less she saw of him, the better.

  Lydia flopped against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Only it became apparent after a few seconds that it wasn’t her ceiling. Sunlight crept beneath unfamiliar bedroom curtains as she scanned the room, which was painted beige instead of blue.

  Where the hell was she?

  The events of last night were a jumble of images that she couldn’t access due to the fuzziness inside her head. She didn’t remember removing her clothes or getting into this strange bed, but as her eyes drifted to the wound on her arm, the sudden recollection of her attacker being torn to pieces made her gag.

  Lydia covered her mouth and bolted for the bathroom. At the last moment, she remembered it wasn’t her bedroom, which meant the bathroom wasn’t where she thought it would be. She flung open door after door, and just about made it to the toilet before her stomach erupted and bile spewed from her mouth. She coughed and retched until she was empty, and then pressed her forehead against the cold, tiled floor to ease the throb behind her eyes.

  Lydia allowed herself a few minutes before she got to her feet. She would have preferred to shower, but as she didn’t know how long she had before someone returned, she made do with brushing her teeth with her finger and washing her hands and face. She still needed to find her clothes and a phone, preferably in that order. She examined her arm, which had been disinfected and neatly stitched despite the damage from the animal’s teeth. Maybe she was in a private hospital. She vaguely remembered a man’s voice and the scent of cedar. There was also the dreamy feeling of weightlessness, so maybe a paramedic had carried her to the ambulance.

  Lydia searched the bathroom and found some clothes neatly folded on top of a vanity unit. They weren’t hers, but as she was desperate to leave, she didn’t hesitate to put them on. She ignored the part of her brain that told her she should be freaking out that someone had left her underwear in the correct size along with blue jeans and a red sweater that fitted perfectly. The designer labels were ones that she recognised from her daughter’s wardrobe, but would never contemplate purchasing for herself.

  She looked at her reflection in the mirror one last time. Her eyes looked a little frantic and her skin was paler than usual, but considering she’d nearly died last night, outwardly she seemed presentable. Because of that fact, she decided not to report the incident to the police. She couldn’t explain the failed mugging and attempted rape without admitting her assailant was dead and she doubted anyone would believe that an animal had spoken to her.

  Only she knew it wasn’t an animal. She’d been rescued by an alien. A jaktten no less. He’d stripped her clothes, cleaned her wound, and put her to bed. It was his scent on the bedsheets and she needed to get the hell out of his bathroom before he returned. She couldn’t find her bag or phone, so assumed they’d been left in the street.

  Lydia tiptoed down the stairs and at the bottom she found a large reception area containing a baby piano. The front door was directly in front of her and she wasted no time running towards it. As her hand closed over the handle, she noticed a piece of paper taped to the door.

  If you decide not to wait for me to return,

  I’ll find you.

  J

  Lydia snatched the paper and crumpled it into a ball. She opened the door and nearly crashed into the figure that was standing on the other side.

  ‘Holy shit,’ she cursed. ‘Are you J?’

  The man that greeted her shook his head. ‘No, I’m Anderson. I was told to take you wherever you needed to go.’

  ‘Have you been waiting long?’

  ‘Most of the morning, ma’am, but Mr Parish said I wasn’t to disturb you. Just to wait here and give you a ride when you came out.’

  ‘And do you always do what Mr Parish tells you to do?’

  Anderson inclined his head, as he studied her. Although his face was lined and sun-weathered, there was something in his eyes that hinted at youthful mischief. She got the feeling that he was appraising her and she stood up straighter, grateful that the sweater covered the wound on her arm.

  ‘Yes, ma’am - I do. Although he has never asked me to drive one of his lady-friends home before, so you must be special. Where do you want to go?’

  Anderson gestured to the gleaming black car that was parked on the driveway.

  ‘I’m not one of his lady-friends and I’m not special,’ Lydia snapped, wishing she could remember more of what the mysterious “J Parish” looked like other than his grey eyes and muscled chest.

  ‘I’m sorry if I offended you, ma’am. Won’t happen again.’

  ‘I’m not offended, and I know it won’t happen again, because you’ll never see me again.’

  He opened the passenger door and allowed her to slide into the seat before he spoke.

  ‘Of course, ma’am,’ he replied, but the tone of his voice told her that he thought the exact opposite.

  13

  ‘You’re late.’

  Lydia opened her mouth to apologise to Adam, but quickly closed it again. She was his superior, which meant she didn’t have to justify her comings and goings to him.

  ‘How is the jaktten?’ she asked instead, hoping her assistant hadn’t been trying to call her last night to tell her the alien had deteriorated.

  Lydia had asked Anderson to drive her to Romford, but not directly to HQ. She didn’t want him reporting back to the elusive “J” where she lived or worked, but that also meant without her handbag and phone, she hadn’t checked her emails or call history.

  Adam rubbed his eyes, which were bloodshot, and yawned so loudly that his jaw cracked. She remembered she’d promised to be in early
to take over his shift and guilt replaced her usual disdain towards him.

  ‘The jaktten is called Hetti,’ he replied groggily. ‘She regained consciousness for a little while this morning and took on a human form. She was asking after you. She has some questions. As do I, but they’ll have to wait as I’m seeing stars and need to sleep. Are you ok to take over now?’

  Lydia nodded and automatically stroked the wound beneath the arm of her sweater. She had some questions for her new patient too. If anyone could tell her more about the dangers of being bitten by a jaktten, it would be one of their own.

  ‘I’m going to crash for a few hours in the medical bay. Will you call me when Hetti wakes up again?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  He headed for the door, but she called him back again.

  ‘Wait, Adam.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I’m sorry I was late.’

  His blue eyes met hers, and despite his tiredness, she saw genuine concern on his face.

  ‘Did something happen after you left last night?’

  Lydia’s shoulders snapped back and her chin lifted. ‘Why? What did you hear?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘So why ask?’

  Adam shrugged his shoulders. ‘No reason. I just wondered if you went for a few drinks or had a late night.’

  ‘I’m not hungover, Adam.’

  He rubbed his stubbly chin and continued to study her. ‘I know you find it hard to believe, but I was worried about you, Lydia. You’re never late and when you didn’t answer your phone, I assumed the worse.’

  ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘You don’t look fine. You are pale; paler than usual. You have dark circles under your eyes and scratches on your palms. If you’re in trouble, I can help. We’re a team, remember.’

  Part of her wanted to tell him what had happened, but she didn’t know where to start and showing any weakness in front of him would undermine the authority she’d worked so hard to achieve.

  ‘I told you I’m fine,’ she finally said. ‘After I left here last night, I got a taxi straight home. I only overslept because I had a migraine. It won’t happen again.’

  Adam nodded. ‘I’m glad to hear you took a taxi. I heard on the radio this morning that the police set up a cordon around your usual bus stop.’

  He paused as if gauging her reaction, and she willed her face not to give away how much her heartrate had increased at the mention of trouble near the bus stop.

  ‘Did they say what happened?’ she asked as casually as possible.

  ‘The reporter said something about a body.’

  ‘A man’s body?’

  ‘They didn’t confirm.’

  ‘That’s…awful. Did they say what killed him?’

  ‘No,’ he said, as he walked towards the exit and then stopped. ‘Wait a minute, did you ask what killed him?’

  ‘I meant who,’ she replied quickly.

  ‘Why would you automatically think it was murder? Could be a self-induced overdose or a homeless guy that froze to death. Someone could’ve had a heart attack, but your first instinct was murder. Why?’

  She tried to laugh off her blunder with a wave of her hand.

  ‘I guess working here makes you assume the worse,’ she said.

  Adam didn’t appear convinced by her answer, but thankfully seemed too tired to pursue the subject.

  ‘Call me when Hetti wakes,’ he repeated through his yawn.

  Lydia nodded and waited until the door closed behind him before she released a long, slow breath. The police had found her attacker’s body. They would process the crime scene and find her trace evidence all over the place, not to mention her abandoned handbag. She needed to lock in an alibi, as she didn’t think they’d believe her story about killer dogs. It seemed she needed “J” after all. He was her alibi whether she liked it or not.

  14

  ‘Your young lady asked me to drop her near Romford Station.’

  Jonah smiled and met his driver’s eyes in the rear view mirror. Anderson was one of the first humans he’d encountered after crashing to Earth. Even though that was over fifty years ago, he never once brought up the fact they’d aged at rapidly different speeds. Anderson should’ve retired years ago, but he’d begged Jonah to keep him employed and he didn’t have the heart to refuse the man who’d clothed and fed him all those years ago.

  ‘She doesn’t live in Romford,’ Jonah replied, returning his attention to the blurring Essex countryside, as Anderson negotiated the narrow country lanes at a speed that belied his age. ‘And she’s not my young lady.’

  He bit back the word yet.

  ‘That much is obvious. I asked her several times for her address, but she kept muttering about you not finding her.’

  ‘Doesn’t matter; I already know where she lives.’

  Anderson laughed and slowed the car so he could ease onto the driveway of Jonah’s property.

  ‘You must’ve made quite the impression on her last night if she wants to avoid a repeat.’

  ‘It wasn’t like that.’

  Jonah stared out of the window, as they came to a stop in front of his house. It was a grand property with several acres of land, but it didn’t feel like home. Even with several expensive cars in the garage and every gadget a man could want inside, something was still missing. Something money couldn’t buy. Something he didn’t even realise he’d wanted until a few days ago.

  Someone to share it all with.

  He wanted a mate. A true mate: a woman to grow old with. Jonah wiped his hand across his face. He was losing his mind if he thought he deserved a happy ending or if someone like Lydia would ever factor into his future.

  ‘Wow, I never thought I’d see the day,’ Anderson said, as he switched off the engine and rubbed his chin.

  ‘What day?’

  ‘The day you met your match. Be careful. She didn’t strike me as your usual type.’

  ‘I know what I’m doing.’

  That was a lie. Jonah didn’t have a clue what he was doing. He barely knew Lydia. Hadn’t spoken more than a few words to her, and yet when she’d been cornered in that alleyway, his jaktten had sprung from his skin in order to rescue her. It had taken a huge amount of restraint not to kill the scumbag from the start. He’d given her attacker a chance to walk away, injured but alive, but then he’d pulled that knife and fury had pumped through Jonah’s veins as eagerly as his blood. Rage had taken over but he’d bitten Lydia by mistake. It was a careless accident, but a potentially deadly one.

  ‘When will you see her again?’ Anderson asked, cutting through Jonah’s dark thoughts of flesh and blood filling his mouth when he’d torn the man to pieces.

  ‘Tonight.’

  Lydia needed him. Whether she realised it or not, she was in danger and unless she accepted his help, she was going to turn into a monster. That was why he needed to double his efforts to find Tarik.

  Jonah usually had no time for colony politics, but the rumour was that a rogue jaktten was trying to create a hybrid-army and Tarik was the number one suspect. There was a large bounty on his head, but what interested Jonah more than the money was his claim to stabilise the humans when they shifted. He needed to find Tarik, as he couldn’t risk losing Lydia before he’d even had the chance to claim her.

  15

  ‘How are you feeling?’ Lydia asked, as she entered the small theatre that backed onto the laboratory. She was pleased to see the jaktten patient was in her human form, as she wasn’t sure how she would react if faced with a copy of the alien that had bitten her last night.

  ‘Better, thanks to you. I’m Hetti, by the way.’

  Lydia shook the woman’s hand, but only because it was offered to her. She wanted to keep contact with aliens to a minimum until she figured out what to do about the wound on her arm.

  ‘It’s nice to officially meet you, Hetti. I’m Lydia Walters.’

  ‘My saviour.’

  ‘Not really, I was
just doing my job.’

  ‘Have you treated many aliens?’

  ‘Yes, but usually only after they’re dead.’

  Hetti’s eyes widened slightly at that comment and Lydia felt a pang of guilt. She still lay in the makeshift bed that Adam had set up after the transfusion. Her dark hair was matted and her tanned skin was marked with scratches. She was an alien, in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar people, and Lydia was being a bitch like always.

  ‘It was touch and go at one point,’ Lydia said softly. ‘I wasn’t entirely sure whether internally our species were similar, but your circulatory and skeletal systems were surprisingly familiar. You lost a lot of blood, so we had to transfuse, but again we wasn’t sure whether your body would reject the human cells. Does anything feel strange?’

  Hetti laughed at that comment. ‘Everything feels strange at the moment, but in a good way. I feel strong. Healthy.’

  ‘I’d like to learn more about your species,’ Lydia replied. ‘I already took blood and saliva samples, but our equipment was trashed recently, which means the speed with which we can process them has been hindered.’

  ‘You can ask me anything. I owe you a great debt and I have nothing to hide.’

  Lydia opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to mention jaktten bites.

  ‘Do you like humans?’ she asked instead.

  Hetti nodded her head. ‘Although up until a few days ago, I’d never met one. Our colony crashed to Earth several decades ago and our King decided it was safer for us to live in isolation. A few jaktten broke away and forged lives amongst the humans, but on the whole, we kept ourselves to ourselves. Then Helen and Viktor met and it opened my eyes to how our species can integrate. We can live, love, and depend on each other.’