The interview time sped by with the two of them engaged in an energetic discussion of the marine life in the adjacent ocean and which species were edible. As soon as the buzzer sounded again, a second man as deadly as the first took the chair across from her. And here’s the second enforcer, come to mark the Alpha’s territory. Flo asked this one about the hunting in the Preserve and he patiently answered her questions, getting quite enthusiastic over hunting herds of wild boarlike creatures with crude spears and how good the meat tasted.
Her fourth interview session was with a Badari soldier she had no trouble pegging as a senior man, probably loyal to Daegan and highly trusted. He asked her questions about the Sectors and her life there and she had to tell a lot of plausible-sounding lies, even as she remembered the Badari could scent deception. By the time they were done, the Badari was obviously confused and he walked away from her without a parting comment. And he’ll tell Daegan I was full of bullshit and the poor Alpha will no doubt be even more intrigued. She felt pretty good about her day’s work as she rejoined the other women and the group adjourned to their barracks to compare notes on the interviews.
Lacey conducted the debrief, with help from Renate, and the men were evaluated, with a short list generated of the ones who weren’t recommended.
“How come no one else but you got to talk to that first man?” Renate asked Flo.
She parried and acted innocent, opening her eyes wide. “Really? I didn’t notice—the time passed by so fast.”
“He gave his token to someone else after sitting with you and waited outside till the session was done,” Renate said. “Are you paired off already and forgot to tell us?”
Her tone was vaguely hostile and Flo caught some sideways glances so she decided to stake her claim. “Well, yeah, kind of. We sat next to each other yesterday, remember? And I ran into him when I went for my morning run. He’s a runner too so we bonded a little. Nice guy. No offense to any of these others, the three I talked to after him were polite enough, but I like this one.” She shrugged. It was easy to sound convincing when she actually was attracted to him. “I don’t think Dr. Nyddfalorr will care if I skip the rest of the interviews.”
Lacey frowned now. “We need your input. Even if you regard yourself as having found a man you’re okay with, your choice leaves fifty nine others the rest of us have to sort out.”
Daegan’s not going to like me talking to any other men, not after he sent his three top soldiers to keep me safe when he’d had his allotted conversation.
“I thought we were going to wait until the end of the process to make choices.” The woman who spoke was definitely hostile. “I’d like the chance to interview this guy if he’s so worthy.”
“Well that’s not happening.” Flo got to her feet, ready for a fight, although she didn’t expect any of these women to actually challenge her. With a touch of shock she realized she had no desire for any of the other women to talk to Daegan. I might be in trouble here—he’s really getting to me. “I saw him first, so to speak. And we women are the deciders in this crazy experiment the Khagrish set up. I’ve decided.”
“I thought you were more of a team player.” Renate sounded disappointed in Flo and literally turned her back on her.
I am, but I’m on Aydarr’s team and you’ll thank me later. Flo sauntered to the kitchen to grab a nutrient drink. Apparently the cupboards had been replenished by the lab techs while the prisoners were busy doing the meet and greet. She wandered outside, taking sips from the container and headed toward the beach. She didn’t think it’d be too much of a problem with the other women that she’d already removed herself from the interview process. Renate wanted to be completely in charge. It probably soothed her anxiety to perceive herself as being in control of something at least while in the Khagrish prison.
“A nice prison, better than the actual labs, but just as dangerous.” Muttering under her breath, she tossed the drink in a trash receptacle, amused by the Khagrish attention to details of this type while completely missing aspects of the bigger picture. Once she reached the beach, she stood watching the waves for a while and then became aware of a group of Badari in the distance, going in and out of the ocean, with good humored shouts and horseplay, so she wandered in that direction, curious what was going on.
About fifteen men were fishing, swimming out past the waves and spearing the fish in a school feeding off smaller fish attracted to a sunken reef and bringing their catch to shore. There was much laughter and good natured trash talking going on as some of the men came in empty handed while others brought sizable fish wriggling at the end of their crude weapons. She saw one or two bringing fish they’d caught in their talons, which was how the Badari she knew usually fished in the lake up north.
The group quieted and faced her, not exactly welcoming but certainly not threatening either. She didn’t recognize any of them, which was too bad, since she wouldn’t have minded another chat with Daegan, but on the other hand, the three unpleasant Badari from the day before weren’t there either. “Looks like it’s a good day for fishing,” she said, indicating the tide pool full of harvested fish awaiting their fate. “Got a spare spear?”
“You want to swim out there and try your luck?” The soldier who asked the question was incredulous.
I’ve done it before, but I’m not explaining myself to you today. Flo suppressed the irritation she always experienced, rubbing her nerves raw when someone doubted her skills. “Sure, why not? I like a fish fry as much as the next woman.”
A man on the edge of the group raised his spear and threw it, not with any deadly intent, and Flo caught it easily, flipping it in one quick motion. It dawned on her she had a problem, since she was wearing the prison jumpsuit, which wasn’t conducive to swimming. The men were wearing loincloths. She wasn’t about to strip to her skivvies in front of all these unknown Badari either. “Damn, I’m not dressed for the occasion. Guess I’ll have to pass on the invitation.” She drove the spear into the sand. “Another time.”
“Would you like some filets to take to your group?” the ostensible leader of the group asked.
Her mouth watered at the thought of fish fresh from the ocean, grilled over an open fire. “Well, sure, but I haven’t got any knife to clean them.”
“We’ll do that for you,” he said. “Have a seat.”
Flo sat on the rock he indicated and most of the group resumed their fishing while three spent time cleaning an impressive stack of fish for her, using their immense Badari talons as knives, economically scraping off the scales and deboning the meat. As he worked, the closest soldier said, “You don’t seem surprised or uneasy about our natural weapons. Are all the human women so calm?”
“Probably not,” she said. “I’d go slow on revealing them. Did you guys sit in interviews today?”
“It was awkward,” said the third man. “We know you’re here as prisoners, like us, and soon we’ll all be forced to violate the goddess’s commandments not to harm those weaker than ourselves. To save our cubs we’ll have to do what the Khagrish want, without your consent. It’s hard to have a conversation with a woman as if all of that isn’t hanging over the heads of both people. Even if I found one of you attractive and congenial, I wouldn’t be acting as a free man should. And you women couldn’t give true consent.”
She was relieved to hear him mention the Great Mother and her precepts. Before she could comment, another man spoke up.
“And any children born will be more helpless hostages to the Khagrish evil. I hope I’m not chosen for the next phase of this experiment. I hope it fails, frankly, although knowing the enemy, there’ll be repercussions and they’ll try something else worse.”
There was a murmur of agreement among the Badari.
“One day at a time,” Flo said, wishing she could set their minds at rest. “Things change fast on this planet.”
“Do they?” The leader challenged her, his amber eyes glowing. “How can you sound so sure?”
S
he shrugged. “Based on what I’ve seen since I was grabbed off my ship and brought here.”
The soldiers wrapped the fish up in a neat parcel for her, using two broad leaves and a vine.
“You’d better go back now,” she was advised as a Badari handed her the fish. “You don’t want to be out after dark.”
“Do you want me to send someone with you as an escort?” asked the leader.
“No, I’m fine, thanks. It’s an easy walk along the path. I don’t get lost, as a rule, no matter where I am.” Hefting the parcel and hoping the other women would appreciate the gift, Flo waved goodbye and headed for the barracks area. Deep in thought, she didn’t keep proper situational awareness and when two men blocked the trail in front of her, she lost valuable seconds of reaction time. Retreating a step, she said, “Would you mind moving out of the way, please?” She recognized them as two of the belligerent guys from the day before and shifted her stance, ready to fight if necessary.
The first man took note of her move and grinned, showing his fangs. “You think you can take us, human?”
“Or resist us?” asked the other, giving her a leer.
Actually, she could at least give a good account of herself and buy some time. She’d sparred with Mateer, Aydarr’s senior enforcer, and he’d showed her a few tricks to put her Sectors military training to work. There was no way she was going to defeat a seven foot, three hundred pound Badari warrior in combat but Flo could make the encounter not all one sided. Only this wouldn’t be a friendly match and no one was coming to her rescue. It wasn’t in her nature to do anything other than fight, however. “How about you clear the path and we all forget this conversation?”
“How about we cut through the crap you women have persuaded the Khagrish to add into their experiment?” countered the Badari standing closest to her. “The three of us can be their first successful pair—well threesome—bonding, now, tonight.”
He reached for her and she came in low, smacking him in the face with the fish, then hooking her foot behind his ankle and toppling him over, which she could only do because he was off guard and not expecting her to fight. Flo only got a few steps down the path before the other man grabbed her and held her in an unbreakable grip.
“You do have spirit,” he said as she struggled.
“I think you’re done here.” Daegan stood in the path, his two enforcers slightly behind him. “Let the woman go, Emarron.”
“We were just having fun,” the Badari said but he released Flo, shoving her toward the Alpha. She stumbled and Daegan caught her easily, putting her behind him in one smooth motion.
“She didn’t look amused.” Daegan’s eyes were burning gold and the hair on Flo’s arms stood on end with the power he was projecting, imposing his will. “Don’t let me see you near the women again—any of them—or there will be consequences and the Khagrish be damned.”
The one who’d been holding her growled but lowered his eyes and slunk away into the underbrush. The other man stood firm for longer than Flo would have thought possible before he too departed. Maybe he had some alpha-born traits, in which case it was sad he’d grown up under the Khagrish to be a bully. The pack structure was beneficial to the Badari and it was a pity they’d been deprived of the critical additional support mechanism here.
“Are you unhurt?” Daegan wheeled to assess her head to toe.
Flo took the package of fish from the enforcer with murmured thanks and nodded. “Thanks for intervening.”
“One of the men at the beach alerted me you were walking back alone and Emarron and his crony had been in this area. We’ll escort you to the barracks now.”
“Very kind of you.” She started walking, shaking from after action adrenaline. “I won’t say no.” Flo wondered if he realized he’d nearly revealed the Badari were telepathic. Lacking technology in the Preserve there was no other practical way for anyone to have ‘alerted’ him to anything in the short time between her leaving the beach and the confrontation with the two soldiers.
The enforcers vanished from view, stepping off the path and heading into the densely packed grove of trees, but she was sure the men were close enough to provide backup if she and Daegan were confronted again.
“Congratulations on upending Wint,” the Alpha said. “I wouldn’t have believed it had I not seen the move for myself. Where did you learn to fight like that?”
“I’ve been in tough spots before,” she said, deliberately vague, although his praise was pleasant to hear. “But I wouldn’t have been able to fight them off.”
He laughed then cleared his throat. “No, most likely not,” he said politely.
They’d reached the edge of the cleared area where the barracks were located and he stopped. “We’ll go for that walk tomorrow, Flo of the Sectors. I’m not waiting any longer for answers to all the questions surrounding you.” He leaned closer but rather than being intimidating, the effect was intimate and she breathed deep of his scent, warm spice and enticing musk. “Clearly you’re not like all the other humans and I need to understand what game you’re playing.”
“No game,” she said, wildly tempted by his nearness. It was all she could do not to touch him.
“I don’t believe you.” He tapped his nose with one partially deployed talon. “I can scent lies.”
“I know but you need to believe me—nothing about this is a game.” She stepped away and broke into a run as she headed for the women’s barracks, not sure why, but needing to get away. On the steps leading inside, she turned and checked, pleased to find him watching her, the glow of his eyes like beacons. He raised one hand and then walked away toward the men’s barracks. Flo took a deep breath and stepped inside, preparing to make amends with a fresh fish dinner.
CHAPTER FIVE
She was suspended in colorful nothingness, mostly pink, with vivid flashes of green and purple zinging by like lightning bolts. Flo stared around and saw nothing but more patches of color, including some lazily floating magenta clouds going under her feet and a navy blue snakelike rivulet wriggling rapidly through the rest of the insanity as olive green dots chased after it. There was no sound. What the seven hells—?
Flo?
“Who said that?” She twisted, trying to look behind herself but although she didn’t seem to be paralyzed, neither could she stir from the spot where she was. It was as if she was a drab butterfly, pinned in midair, drowning in an ocean of color. The simile was entirely apt but anxiety-inducing, reminding her too much of being inside the stasis envelope when she’d been captured and held. She had to take a deep breath, giddily wondering if the color was now inside her lungs too, and focus on slowing her heart rate. She reached for a calming image only to have Daegan’s face appear in her mind’s eye. He won’t be rescuing me in here. “Hello?”
“You’re with me,” said a voice she recognized.
Her instant relief made relaxing her muscles easier. “MARL? Where are you?”
“All around you.” Several blobs of different colors floated toward her, bathing her in reflected rings of color as they suddenly dissolved and flowed together.
“Do you know where I am?” she asked, distracted by a bouncing ball of yellow arcing over her head. “Did you get a fix on the island?”
“Yes, I’ve pinpointed your location. Jill’s mate wants to know what you’ve learned.”
He’s probably the only sentient who’d ever refer to Aydarr in those terms. Flo devoutly hoped MARL couldn’t read her private thoughts. “Where are you? Did the pack land on a nearby island?”
“No, plans are still being made and we’re awaiting your input on the Badari. I’m in the sanctuary valley as always.”
“But I thought you had limits on how far you could communicate?”
“Because you have my implant you are a part of me,” MARL said, purple threads weaving in among the already existing colors. “I can communicate with my manifestations anywhere.”
Is this his mind I’m in the middle of? The concept w
as unsettling, especially as she watched colors moving rapidly past her that she had no names for. What would Jill think if she ever peeked inside the mind of the AI she’d made her sidekick? Alien was the correct word for MARL all right. “I want the implant out as soon as we’re done,” she said. Before MARL could reply, she went on. “I’ve met the hidden Alpha here and we’re going to have a long talk tomorrow. I plan to tell him what’s going on. I hope you have more to tell me tonight. So far, he does show subtle control of the Badari, even without a pack structure but there are at least a few men who seem on the brink of rebellion. I’m not sure yet if the rebels would pick the Khagrish over us but those men will be a discipline problem once they’re in the valley.”
“Jill wanted to know how the human women are doing?” His tone and the pale grey-green cloud swirling past indicated to Flo his own disinterest in the topic.
“So far, so good. We proposed a new step in the experiment, buying us more time. Oh, by the way, tell Jill Dr. Sheyall is running this nightmare but from a distance. I saw her on a vidcom today with the head scientist here. She definitely has a bad attitude toward humans now.”
“Fascinating.” MARL sounded slightly more engaged. “Did she recognize you?”
“I never actually met her at the first lab, so no. The name caught my attention. All right, enough chitchat, what’s the plan? What am I telling the Alpha here to get ready for?”
A slight silence ensued, while orange and red washed around her, pushing away all the other colors. Uneasiness roiled her gut. When MARL showed those colors on his shiny exterior ‘skin’, bad news was usually coming. “MARL?”
“There’s a storm targeting your island.”
Flo considered the information. “Okay, so it comes in and then blows over. How is the weather relevant?”
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