by Kelly Goode
‘Where is Erik now?’ Blake asked.
‘I don’t know.’
‘And Jared and Brandon?’
‘Dead.’
‘Fuck, I’m sorry to hear that too.’
‘I’ll avenge them.’
There were a few seconds of silence before Blake spoke again.
‘How does the doctor factor into all this?’ he asked.
‘She doesn’t,’ Viktor admitted.
‘Then let her go.’
‘She’s not my prisoner, and hasn’t been since I realised she didn’t know anything about what the ISCU really hunted.’
‘Shit,’ Blake said, and Viktor imagined the other man smiling. ‘You’ve fallen for her.’
‘Don’t be stupid. Jaktten don’t fall in love. That’s a human emotion. We’re stronger than that.’
‘I thought that way too, and now look at me.’
‘Have you told Carson?’
‘That I love her, yes. That I’m a jaktten, no. How much does the doc know?’
Viktor looked through the window to where Helen sat patiently on the sofa. Her eyes met his and he quickly looked away.
‘She doesn’t know about you, Blake. Your secret is safe for now.’
‘Thank you.’
‘But she knows what I am. She saw me transform and kill a desquamater. I don’t understand human women.’
‘I don’t think anyone understands human women,’ Blake replied and then deftly moved the subject forward. ‘Where is the microchip?’
‘Helen told your chief that she has it, but she doesn’t. I think she was testing to see what his reaction would be. We left it behind after the attack. I’ll go back for it.’
‘I’ll meet you there.’
‘I’m glad you said that, as I suspect I’ll need reinforcements if Erik is planning on following through on his threat to kill me.’
‘I need to see what’s on that chip before ISCU does,’ Blake said.
‘Because you think your data might be on there.’
‘Yes. I can’t let Carson find out like that.’
‘You should tell her the truth, sooner rather than later.’
‘I can’t find the right moment.’
Viktor considered this, as his attention once again drifted towards Helen. He wasn’t sure which of them needed to take the advice more – him or Blake – as they were both in deep with these women.
‘That’s because there will never be the right moment,’ Viktor eventually said, ‘but you said you love her, so tell her the truth. Tell her before it is too late and you lose her for good.’
34
Carson only stopped pacing once Blake returned with Tom’s phone. It had taken all her willpower not to follow him outside and demand to be part of the conversation. He was keeping something from her, something bigger than the fact he’d used her key code to sneak into HQ, and she didn’t like it.
‘What did she have to say for herself?’
Carson turned to face Tom when he spoke. His skin was pale and the dark smudges under his eyes made him look older than his years. He looked tired. Tired and frustrated
After discovering Doctor Peters’ bag so close to Carson’s property, he’d stayed up all night coordinating his team and conducting his own search of the forest. The cleaners had found two sources of jaktten blood at the crime scene, which meant an alien other than the one Tom shot had been in the forest.
‘I convinced the doc to trade the microchip for our protection,’ Blake said, interrupting Carson’s thoughts about the jaktten that had pinned her down. She’d felt a crazy connection to that creature; as if they’d met before and she hoped it survived its injury.
‘Is she scared?’ Tom asked.
Blake rubbed his eyes. He looked just as tired as Carson felt, and the urge to throw her arms around him and bury her head into his neck had her rocking on the balls of her feet.
‘I don’t think scared is the right word, sir.’
‘You’re right; I can’t imagine Doctor Peters being scared. She’s more like a wasp stuck in a jar, planning to launch an attack once she’s rescued.’
Blake nodded and then winced. He kept massaging his chest when he thought no one was watching, but Carson was watching – closely.
‘I didn’t mean to shout at her like that,’ Tom said gruffly, as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. ‘I just need that data to satisfy our superiors that we’re at least inching closer to figuring out the aliens’ next move.’
‘The doc’s been through a tremendous amount of stress. She just wants reassurances that we’re going to bring her into the loop once she gets back here and not throw her into a cell,’ Blake replied.
‘What did the aliens want with her?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Why haven’t they tortured her, as they did with Doctor Malone?’
Blake’s green eyes connected briefly with Carson’s.
‘Torture is more the desquamaters’ style, sir,’ he replied. ‘The doc told me she’s with a jaktten and she’s safe for now.’
Tom’s shoulders sagged. ‘Why am I hearing that damn word more and more lately? No one has come into contact with these bastards for years and yet in the last week alone, Carson captured one, Doctor Peters was kidnapped by one, I shot one, and you killed another.’
Blake’s jaw clenched. ‘They were all singular incidents, sir. The jaktten do not pose the same level of threat as the desquamaters. They are peaceful creatures.’
‘You seem to know an awful lot about their habits, Blake. Any particular reason for that?’
Carson tensed automatically. Would Blake confess to meeting with the jaktten council and knowing the one called Viktor?
‘No reason, sir - except for a personal moral code that tells me not to kill aliens that aren’t a threat.’
‘All aliens are threats, especially that one sniffing around Carson’s place last night.’
‘What happened?’
‘The chief shot it,’ Carson answered. ‘I don’t know where it went after that.’
Blake’s massaged his chest again. ‘They’re not our enemy.’
‘Save it,’ Tom barked. ‘Believe me, I know what these jaktten are capable of and I want Helen and that damn microchip returned safely. Do I make myself clear?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Blake and Carson answered at the same time and Tom stared at her for a few seconds, before he indicated he wanted her to follow him outside.
‘Carson, a word,’ he said. ‘Alone.’
She followed him out of the boardroom and into the corridor, fully expecting a lecture and she wasn’t disappointed.
‘I don’t like you working alone with Blake,’ Tom said, tugging on the ends of his moustache.
‘Come on, he’s my partner. You never had a problem before.’
‘That’s when I didn’t know the two of you were sleeping together.’
‘It’s not like I’m going to jump his bones the second you leave.’
‘You don’t need to be so crude.’
‘And you don’t need to be so protective. We’re still the same agents. You need to trust us. Blake is damn good at his job and so am I. You already told me there would be trouble if we let our relationship affect our performance. Neither of us wants that.’
‘I guess you’re right. I’m just tired. Tired of fighting aliens. Of taking two steps forward and three steps back when it comes to thwarting their plans. There are too many people relying on me to defeat the desquamaters. Sometimes I feel as if I’m drowning.’
Carson touched him lightly on the arm. ‘You shot a jaktten last night, Tom. Maybe you should focus on making sure you’re ok before you worry about anyone else.’
‘You’re the only one I care about here.’
She hugged him briefly. ‘Without you, this team is nothing. We need you to lead us and guide us. We can’t let the aliens divide us.’
Tom looked over Carson’s shoulder and she turn
ed her head to see Blake standing in the doorway watching them.
‘I think they already have,’ he said. ‘Now go get me that data.’
35
Helen pretended not to watch Viktor as he paced the terrace, but every time he looked at her, she was caught looking right at him. His body language told her he was at ease speaking to Blake, which didn’t make sense if he was an alien hunter. The two men should be enemies, but she didn’t get that impression. Even when Blake had said that he’d kill Viktor if he hurt her, she sensed he was speaking in jest and she wished she could read lips.
Viktor finished his call and placed his phone in his pocket. He looked at Helen and she realised she’d been caught staring again and her heart did a silly flitter. She smiled at him, but he did not return it. Instead, he walked towards the railings and stood facing away from her.
Part of her desperately wanted to follow him, but she reminded herself it wasn’t her job to fix every problem or every man she met. He probably just wanted some time alone to think about how they were going to safely retrieve the microchip. Either that or this was his way of demonstrating that she’d outstayed her welcome.
Helen took a deep breath, and then stood up and left the safety of the couch. She stepped out onto the terrace and the sun momentarily dazed her. The River Thames glistened, as did the glass in all of the surrounding tall buildings. London Docklands was bright and blinding, and she lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the glare. Viktor was beautiful and blinding in his own way. He kept blinding her from the truth that he was an alien and there was no future for them.
‘Viktor, I need to go.’
When she stepped closer to the railings, he made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a sigh.
‘I need to go,’ she repeated. ‘In fact, staying here isn’t helping either of us. You want revenge for what happened to your friends and I…’
‘Want the chip,’ he finished, as he finally turned to face her.
Helen nodded. ‘It’s the only bargaining tool I have left with Chief Melman. You said you’d help me get it back.’
‘I changed my mind.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s too dangerous.’
‘Bullshit.’
Viktor shook his head. ‘I’ll retrieve the microchip, but I’ll do it alone.’
‘How can I be sure you’ll hand it over?’
‘My word is my bond. Do you doubt my word?’
‘I’ve only known you a few days, Viktor. You speak of honour and loyalty, but I suspect that only really applies to your colony. If the choice came down to keeping your word to me or them, we both know who you would choose. I’m coming with you.’
Viktor held her stare. His blue eyes revealed nothing of how he might be feeling. His face was a blank mask, devoid of emotion. Eventually he took a step closer to her and she willed herself not to react, but it was hard not to sag against him.
‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘My loyalty is to my people.’
She nodded her head slowly. ‘I guess it’s true what they say. With great power really does come great responsibilities.’
Viktor cocked his head to one side. ‘Wise words, whose are they?’
‘Uncle Ben’s.’
‘You should be proud of your uncle.’
‘He’s not my uncle.’
‘Whose uncle is he then?’
His confusion was endearing, even a little frustrating, but that was because she kept judging him as a man when he clearly wasn’t. He was the prince of an alien- species. He took his responsibilities seriously.
‘He was Peter Parker’s uncle,’ she said.
‘How well do you know this Peter Parker? Is he your boyfriend? When I took you, I never thought to ask if you were involved with someone. From the way you kissed me, I just assumed…’
He trailed off and his cheeks flushed. She wished she fallen for someone with less baggage, which in Viktor’s case, was an entire colony of aliens with real baggage.
‘Have you ever heard of Peter Parker?’ she asked. ‘Or Spiderman?’
Viktor shook his head.
‘I do not know this Spiderman you speak of. Is he from another alien species the ISCU discovered? Jaktten DNA gives us the ability to change into a creature such as your Earth-wolves, but I do not see the appeal of changing into a spider.’
He frowned and Helen had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing.
‘Unless - what size is this spider?’ Viktor asked, and this time she couldn’t hold back the laughter. It rumbled from her stomach, through her chest, and burst from her mouth like a river escaping its banks.
‘I said something funny?’
He’d tried to pose it as a statement but it came across as a question, as he clearly didn’t understand what she found amusing.
‘Yes, no, maybe. Spiderman is a superhero. He’s a character from a comic. There are films, toys, merchandise and so on.’
‘Oh, I see,’ Viktor replied, but she could tell that he didn’t.
‘I’m sorry, I guess a prince doesn’t get much time to go to the cinema or read a comic.’
‘No, he doesn’t.’
‘Which means you missed out on a heap of human history and culture.’
‘I studied Earth’s history and philosophy, just not its films or comics. They seemed trivial.’
‘They may be trivial, but they’re also fun.’
‘I don’t have time for fun.’
‘You seemed to be having fun last night when you painted me.’
Viktor opened his mouth and then shut it again, obviously changing his mind about his response.
‘That was not fun.’
‘What was it?’
‘Torture,’ he said, and Helen’s stomach tightened as desire swept through her body. From the way Viktor was staring at her, she guessed he was recalling the intimate nature of the portrait session and their kiss afterwards. He reached out and curled a strand of her hair around his finger. She licked her dry lips and his gaze darkened.
‘You told me no more kissing,’ he said, as if testing whether she would rescind that order.
‘No more kissing,’ she repeated, even though she was tempted. ‘It’s not fair.’
‘Life is not fair, Helen,’ he replied, releasing her hair with a sigh. ‘For humans or aliens, it seems.’
36
The car journey to Viktor’s Essex residence was just as silent and tense as when they’d been fleeing from it. Helen twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers. Her unease seemed to fill the car and she likened the feeling to when she’d first started performing surgeries. Fear and adrenaline battled for control, until she felt like she would explode.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before they pulled off the main road and stopped in front of a set of iron gates. Viktor keyed a code into a box beside the car and the gate swung open slowly. Helen studied the imposing house as they drove up the sweeping driveway. Huge windows and tall turrets gave it a regal beauty that was at odds with the monsters she knew lurked inside the grounds.
‘Are you ready?’
Viktor’s gravelly voice caused her to startle and she pushed back those gruesome memories of exploding dead bodies and scaly aliens.
‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’
Viktor parked the car and she got out and followed him up the stone steps towards the entrance. He took her hand in his and the warmth from his palm soaked into her bones and helped her relax slightly.
‘My people have already secured the parameter,’ he said. ‘The aliens won’t be able to hurt you again.’
‘If that’s true, why didn’t you want me to come back here with you?’
He slid his finger under her chin and tipped her head back until she was looking up into his bright blue eyes. He scanned her face and her stomach coiled with anticipation.
‘Because sometimes danger comes from within,’ he said.
‘That’s probably one of the truest things you’ve said sin
ce we met.’
Viktor nodded and released her hand. He opened the door and gestured her ahead of him. She took a deep breath before walking inside. She expected to see evidence of the alien attack, but the only indication was the fading scent of bleach that tickled her nose.
Viktor guided her towards the door that she recognised as leading into his study, or her prison, as it had once been. Helen felt her heart thump painfully inside her chest and her feet suddenly felt like blocks of ice inside her shoes. She stumbled over the threshold and Viktor caught her arm.
‘What’s wrong, Helen?’
‘Being back here reminds me-’
‘That I’m the bastard that stole you away,’ he cut in. ‘That I tied you up and hurt you. I’m sorry.’
She shook her head. ‘Don’t be sorry. Being here reminds me that I’m not the same person you kidnapped. So much has changed in such a short space of time.’
‘They say ignorance is bliss. If you could turn back time and forget what happened, would you do it?’
‘No.’
Viktor pulled her into a crushing embrace and she felt tears prickle the corners of her eyes as she pressed her face against the cotton of his shirt. She didn’t want to go back to that old version of her life. The version without him in it.
‘PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM.’
Carson’s booming voice filled the room and Viktor reluctantly broke away from Helen. She lifted her hands above her head and turned to face her alleged saviours. Carson had her gun pointed at Viktor and Blake was standing behind her looking more at ease than he should under the circumstances.
‘I wasn’t talking to you, doc,’ Carson said, with a deliberate eye roll. ‘I’m talking to the alien-scum over there.’
‘Let’s all take a breath and calm down,’ Blake said. ‘Doc, you can put your hands down. This is supposed to be a peaceful meeting.’
Carson didn’t look as if she was capable of making peace. Her eyes were like slits of ice as she stared at Viktor.
‘Stay away from the doctor,’ she said. ‘Or I’ll shoot you…again.’