Alien Capture (Latrothain Warrior Series Book 1) Read online

  “I want you to introduce different stimuli to him and see how he reacts. I expect a full report on my desk by the end of the day.” He spared the alien one more glance. He had pulled himself up on the table, and his muscles bunched and flexed with every movement. There wasn’t an inch of saggy skin or a wrinkle anywhere on him. John’s mouth tightened as he turned back to face forward. “And get him some clothing.”

  He walked to the exit and swiped his ID badge on the red panel beside the door. It turned blue and emitted a soft beep, and he pulled the heavy door open and left the lab.

  This alien would be the crowning achievement on his career and he would finally achieve everything he’d worked so hard to build his entire life. The alien dropping out of the sky was an event that he couldn’t have dreamed up if he tried, but he was going to take full advantage of it now that it had landed at his feet.

  He walked down the corridor toward his office and stop just out of sight of Miranda. When speaking to her, he was careful to keep a professional distance, and refer to her by her proper title of Citizen Reynaud. Perhaps he should do that in his mind, considering his slip in his agitation with her this morning. He’d seen the shock on her face when he’d said it, but he’d wanted to erase the embarrassment that churned inside him with his loss of control with her. He would have to make certain that he was professional with her at all times going forward.

  His eyes tracked over her, and the harsh office lighting did nothing to detract from her allure. A lock of red hair had escaped the confines of the bun on her head and rested against the porcelain smoothness of her cheek. He longed to approach her and tuck the lock behind her ear. He curled his fingers into his palm. If his calling her by her given name had shocked her, then his caressing her cheek would have her fainting.

  He shifted his eyes, and they came to rest on the fullness of her breasts. She had the body of a goddess and didn’t spare him more than the most professional of glances. Why would she? What woman her age would be interested in a man on the edge of fifty, who had to put time in the gym every day just to maintain a body that was a shade below average. His interest was one-sided, and it hadn’t taken long for him to figure it out.

  He couldn’t stand here looking at her all day, and he stepped forward. He made sure she heard him walking down the corridor, and she looked up at him as he walked to his office door. As usual there was nothing but professionalism on her face. Just once he wanted her to look at him like a man, not as the sexless creature who was her boss. He squeezed his lips together for a moment as he forced his face to relax into an expression just as professional as hers.

  “I don’t want to be disturbed until my next appointment, Citizen Reynaud.” That was better. There was nothing in his voice or the words he spoke that would hint what was going on in his thought.

  “Very good sir.” She turned back to her work and the soft, femininity of her voice flowed over him, and he tightened his hand on the knob of his office door. He turned it and walked into the office, closing the door behind him with a soft snick. There was a lot of work to get done, and the alien was an opportunity that couldn’t be squandered.

  His bosses in the military would be very interested in a creature that could change his skin to blend in. If he hadn’t seen what the creature’s skin looked like when he was in the room by himself, John would have sworn that he was a human. If they could isolate what it was about him that could make that happen, then it could have untold military applications.

  He sat down at his desk and unlocked his computer screen. As soon as his screen came on, the document he’d obsessed over for months came into view. It was the government’s official application for marriage, and the name in the spot for the female mocked him. Miranda Reynaud. Was he going to make the government coerce her into being his wife?

  Rationally she was a good fit for him. She was a slightly higher class then him, and could bring him up to the next social level. His intelligence and ambition had pulled him out of the lower class he’d been born too, but he was at the ceiling that his own talents would take him. He needed to marry into a higher class to erase the remaining barriers.

  He’d approached the problem like any he encountered in the lab. He’d researched the women in the class he wanted to belong to and had picked the one that made the most sense. That candidate was Miranda.

  When he’d come up with his logical problem to his thwarted ambitions, he hadn’t counted on the spark of desire that Miranda stirred in him. He’d had her moved here so he could observe her like any other test subject.

  He hadn’t remained neutral in his observations, and his judgement had been clouded by the attraction she’d brought out in him. A small illogical spark had struck him, a tiny thought that if she spent time with him in the workplace that she would grow to feel the same. A month testing that hypothesis had shown him the fallacy of such thinking.

  He closed the document and forced it from his thoughts. He brought up the program he used to document his research so he could log his initial observation about the alien. The alien, along with Miranda, would be his ticket to success, and he needed to focus on that. It didn’t matter what Miranda thought of him or felt for him. She would become his wife and he would have everything he aspired to.

  Chapter Three

  Neil parked his ass on her desk for the second time today, and Miranda sighed as she looked up from her work. Dr. Avery had chased him away once already, he was skating on this ice for loafing here a second time. Dr. Avery wouldn’t like seeing him here, since he didn’t seem to have much respect for Neil. Of course, from what she’d seen of their interactions, the feeling looked to be entirely mutual.

  Perhaps he was here to see Dr. Avery, which was doubtful since he was lounging on the edge of her desk. She’d have to turn him away in any case.

  “Dr. Avery doesn’t want to be disturbed.” Her words did nothing to remove Neil from her desk. He smiled at her, and stayed where he was. He leaned closer and dropped his voice to a low rumble.

  “That’s good, since I don’t want to see the old man. I need your help with a little experiment.”

  “What could I possibly do to help you? I don’t have clearance to be in any of the labs.” Miranda turned back to her computer, and clamped down on the curiosity tickling at the edge of her brain. There were so many secrets in this place, and it would be safest for her to keep her nose out of them.

  “Don’t worry about clearances. We have a test subject that Dr. Avery wants exposed to different stimuli, and you are the perfect candidate for this experiment.” He didn’t appear to be making a joke at her expense, although she didn’t appreciate his implication that she was somehow stimulating to a test subject. She stared at him for several moments, hoping that it would prod him into letting her in on the joke, but his expression remains sincere. Could he actually be proposing that she legitimately participate in the workings of the lab?

  Her eyes darted to Dr. Avery’s door. It would be interesting to do something different, since usually she could do her job with her eyes closed and half asleep.

  “If you’re worried about the old man, don’t be. He’ll be locked up in his office all afternoon, and won’t miss you.” Neil flashed her a smile that she was certain he thought was reassuring.

  Dr. Avery had said he didn’t want to be disturbed until his next appointment, which would be in an hour. As long as what Neil was proposing didn’t take longer then that, then there was a chance that she might get away for a little bit.

  “His next appointment is an hour, will it take longer then that?”

  “Nope, you’ll be back here before then.”

  He made it sound so simple. Just up and leave her desk, do whatever it was that he wanted, and be back before Dr. Avery was any wiser. She bit her lip as her eyes rested on Dr. Avery’s door. What if he needed to go to the washroom, or he needed her for something? He wouldn’t like not finding her where she was supposed to be.

  “I could get in a lot of tro
uble for going to the observation lab.” Her stomach churned and she couldn’t force herself to push away from her desk. She may be bored sitting in this chair all day, but it was a lot safer then what Neil was proposing. Collette was always telling her she needed more excitement in her life, but this was not the way to go about it.

  “You know you want to.” Neil’s tone was cajoling as he pushed the lock of hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear. She moved her head away from him, not sure she wanted him to be so familiar. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

  She was curious alright, that wasn’t the issue. Dr. Avery’s door stayed firmly shut in front of her, and she took a deep breath.

  “Are you sure this will be alright?” As much as she hated this job, she didn’t want to be fired. Giving into her curiosity wasn’t worth unemployment.

  “He was very explicit in his instructions. He will see the value you provide to our experiment far outweighs silly security clearances.” Neil grinned and winked at her as he shifted into a standing position. At least winning had gotten his ass off her desk.

  “You have to make sure that I’m not away from my desk for longer then an hour.” She pushed her chair back but couldn’t make herself stand up.

  “Miranda, stop worrying. You will be in and out of the observation lab in less time then it’s taking you to get up from that chair.”

  “What exactly do you need me to do?” She pushed out of her chair and walked around her desk to join Neil on the other side.

  “Just be yourself.” He turned and walked down the corridor to the observation lab.

  She followed him, moving as quickly as her high heeled shoes would allow. The highly polished floor was slick, and she lagged behind him as she concentrated on each step she took. He looked back at her, and his eyes darted to Dr. Avery’s office. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but he didn’t look as confident as he had when he’d talked her into this. Perhaps this little job wasn’t as straight forward as he claimed. If she was smart, she’d turn around now and go back to her desk.

  They came to the observation lab, and Neil pressed his badge against the access panel. It turned from red to blue and let out a soft beep. She turned to look behind her, but the hall remained quiet and empty. No one would be stopping her from going in, and one small butterfly of excitement danced in her stomach.

  There was a reason she didn’t have an access card for this lab or any of the other labs in the building. She’d always wondered what they did behind these doors, and now she was going to find out.

  Neil opened the door and held it for her. A moment passed with her feet welded to the spot she stood on. Her life could change forever if she stepped over the threshold. Don’t be silly. What could possibly be in there that will change your life?

  If she was caught going in here she would be breaching security with very real consequences, and that punishment would certainly change her life.

  “Go on. It will be okay Miranda. You have a crucial part to play in this experiment, and I’ll take the heat from it.” Neil planted his hand on the middle of her back and propelled her forward.

  She stumbled into the lab and it didn’t look like it justified the high security that came along with it. Her shoulders drooped as she looked around a room that looked the same as any other one in this building. So far this didn’t appear to be worth getting fired over.

  The computers and desks in here looked the same as the ones she had access to see. The same harsh lighting was overhead, and when combine with the stainless steel of the furniture the room had a cold and clinical feel that sent a shiver through her. The only thing different about this room was the big bank of windows that dominated the back wall. They didn’t look out on the outside world, but on another room contained within this lab.

  She stepped forward. What was on the other side of the windows?

  Dr. Carson came forward, and blocked her view of the window.

  “Neil, what the hell do you think you’re doing. Do you want to get us all fired? She doesn’t have clearance to be here.”

  “Relax, Jerome. The old man wants him exposed to different stimuli and you have to admit that she’s very stimulating.” Neil took Dr. Carson by the arm and moved him out of her way. His hand came to rest on the small of her back and he escorted her over to the observation windows. They talked about her like she was a decorative piece of furniture, but it didn’t bother her as soon as she saw the “him” they were referring to.

  He sat in the corner, with his knees raised in front of him and his dark hair covered head bent to rest on top of them. She couldn’t see his features, since his head was turned so it faced away from her. She put her hand up on the glass, and the coldness of it seeped into her skin. He looked so lost. Why would they put him in here for study? More importantly, why did they need her?

  “Why is he in there?” She stared at him, trying to see what was different about him, but there was nothing that she could see. He looked like a man, just a man.

  “You don’t need to know that to take part in our experiment. All we need you to do is go into the room and see how he reacts.” Neil grasped her arm and led her away from the window. She tore her eyes away from the man sitting inside, and looked at Neil.

  “All you want me to do is go in there?” She dug in her heels and resisted his efforts to take her to the door. This hadn’t been a good idea after all. There had to be a reason that man was in there being studied. What where they expecting his reaction to her to be? “Is he dangerous?”

  She watched Neil closely. If there was any hint that he was, she would walk out of the room and pretend she hadn’t seen a thing. No amount of curiosity was worth getting hurt over.

  “If he attempts anything, which I doubt he will, all I have to do is press this button.” Neil held up a slim piece of plastic which had only one small red button on its face. “He’ll drop like a stone before he can get anywhere near you. You’ll be completely safe. I wouldn’t ask you to go in there if I thought there was any danger to you. We just want you to go in and interact with him. It will be safe. I promise.”

  Miranda looked from the plastic remote control in Neil’s hand to the man sitting alone in the room on the other side of the windows. He didn’t look dangerous, just lost and alone.

  She smoothed her hands down the sides of her skirt and licked her lips. If she was going to go back to her desk and pretend this never happened she needed to do it now. Once she walked through the door and interacted with that man, there would be no going back. The best thing for her to do was to turn around and leave the room. She could go back to her desk, and pretend that today had been like any other work day. She could put the man from her mind and pretend she’d never been asked to come in here.

  That’s what she should do, but she moved toward the door to the other room, and she knew it wasn’t what she was going to do. She reached out and grasped the door knob, which was solid and cold in her hand. All she had to do was twist it and she would be in the room.

  “Go on, Miranda.” Neil’s voice urged her to move forward, all the while promising safety. “It will be okay.”

  “You’ll have to let me in.” A huge smile spread across his face as he stepped up beside her and pressed his badge to the security panel beside the door. The panel turned blue and let out a soft beep. She turned the knob and the door opened with an ease that seemed at odds with the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She took a deep breath, pulled the door open and walked through it.

  * * *

  The soft beep indicated that they’d unlocked the door to his room, and Synn lifted his head. What did they want now?

  His captors had given him clothes, and that was the nicest thing they had done today. They’d also poked and prodded him, until he’d tired of them all and lashed out. It had gotten him another jolt of electricity for his troubles and now all he wanted was to be left alone. He had to find a way out of here, but couldn’t do it if they insisted on using electri
city to control him.

  The door opened and Synn’s breath caught in his chest. Instead of the usual gang that had come in and out of the room since he’d woken up in here, a woman stepped over the threshold. Her shoes made a soft clicking sound on the floor as she took a few steps inside. There was a hesitation on her face when she looked at him, and she remained where she was, close to the door.

  He unfolded himself from his seated position and stood up. His heart picked up its pace as he stared at her. This could be a trick, and what better bait to use to torment him then a woman. He glanced at the window. What could they possibly have in store for him by sending her in here? He tried to read her intentions in her face, but could see nothing but kindness and compassion in her green eyes.

  “What’s your name? Mine is Miranda.” She stayed in her place by the door, but her voice was like a caress on his soul. He closed his eyes for a moment to let it flow over him. He wanted to tell her his name, but he wasn’t sure if the men on the other side of the glass could hear what was said in here. He didn’t want them to know he understood their language, so he said nothing.

  Perhaps this was the opportunity he was waiting for. Could he use her to escape?

  If he moved fast enough, she could be his ticket out of here. He could grab her and used her as a shield. The pad screwed in his back said he couldn’t, but he needed to consider it. Could he get to her before she turned and opened the door? The men on the other side wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. She might be his only chance to escape.

  She’s a woman. Due to their rarity on his planet, women were revered, and he didn’t know if he could force himself to hurt one. If it came done to it, could he use her as collateral damage to get himself out of there? Could he hurt her if it meant escaping here and finding his friends?

  He took a few tentative steps to the middle of the room. She watched him with wariness, but didn’t make any moves to leave. He stayed where he was, and his eyes drifted up and down her body, from the top of the burnished hair on the top of her head, down to the high-heeled shoes she wore on her feet.