Olento Research Series Boxed Set: A Paranormal Science Fiction Thriller

by Sarah Noffke

  “What’s that book?” he said, breaking the staring contest they’d unknowingly entered into.

  She slapped it shut immediately. “Nothing,” she said, pulling it to her chest.

  Again, another half-smile on his face. “So something of great importance, then?”

  “No, it’s nothing. Just a dumb book,” she said.

  “A dumb book you take everywhere you go. Is it a diary?” he said.

  “God no!” she said, repulsed by the idea. “More like a field journal.”

  “Yours?” he said, not seeming to want to shut up, as she wished he would.

  “No, it’s not,” Adelaide said, and wasn’t sure why she’d told him this. She should have told him to fuck off or used mind control to get him to leave or stand on his head.

  “Do you want to see what my psychic power is?” he said.

  Oh, that’s right, his power would have surfaced, she thought. Maybe it had lain dormant due to his condition and being starved. “When did you get it?” she asked.

  “Right before you all rescued me and I passed out. Since I’ve been here it’s gotten stronger. It’s really amazing. I want to show you,” he said, and there was a pureness in his voice, like he was keenly interested in sharing something of importance with her. This didn’t make sense to the girl who never trusted anyone, well, almost no one.

  Connor extended his hand. “Can I hold your book? I promise not to open it.”

  She eyed his hand and then him. Adelaide didn’t know why his gift would involve holding an object. Maybe it was levitation or telekinesis. Either of those would seem like a cool skill to a guy who is used to being a lame Middling, she thought. However, most people’s skills didn’t impress Adelaide. Zephyr controlling wind wasn’t even that impressive. Great, he could give her a bad hair day. The thing was, because she controlled people with her mind and read thoughts, most others’ skills paled in all ways to hers. But for some reason she extended her hand and placed her most prized possession in his palm.

  Connor closed his eyes, his large hands on the leather-bound book. When he opened them, there was almost a green glow to his eyes. “This was your father’s book,” he stated.

  “How do you know that?” she said, standing at once, feeling herself tremble inside.

  He stood too, his hands still wrapped around the book. “He’s the main author of the codex.”

  She lurched forward, yanking the book from him. “So your skill is psychometry. Whatever,” she said. Aiden, the head scientist, also had this skill. It allowed him to hold any object and know who it belonged to and where it came from. He felt the energy of the person, and sometimes the history of the object.

  “Ren Lewis, he’s your father…” Connor said, his eyes low now, his mind seeming to wrap around this idea.

  Adelaide tried to remember what the codex said about her father. He’d written most of it. His biography would have been in there and Connor seemed to have memorized the bloody book.

  “He was the head of the strategic department,” he said, his gaze distant, and then he looked at her, a spark in his eyes. “The chapters he wrote... They stood out from the other ones, the ones Aiden and Trey wrote. Ren’s came alive with knowledge and power. Your father is an incredibly impressive man, and that’s his book,” he said, pointing, his eyes seeming to know so much more than he was saying.

  “Was,” she said, her voice sharp.

  “What?” he said, blinking.

  “My father was the most impressive man to ever live. And now he’s fucking dead,” she said.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Connor said, and he did look sorry, like the death was a personal one, like he understood the weight of the world losing Ren Lewis.

  “Don’t be. People live and people die. It’s not a big tragedy. And he’s probably not even dead, knowing him,” she said, her eyes on the book in her hands.

  “What? Like he faked his death?” he asked.

  “No, like he’s in a parallel universe or a dreamscape or some other bullshit,” she said, her words suddenly tight and full of her vehemence.

  “I like to read too. I guess you could call that my hobby, sort of,” Connor said, his voice low, making Adelaide calmer.

  “You know from touching the book that my father read a lot?” she said.

  He shook his head, a coy smile tucked at the corner of his mouth. “I know from touching the book that you’re an avid reader. The book belongs to you now. My gift told me a bit about both its owners.”

  She struggled to swallow, not even wanting to fathom what he now knew about her. “Here, follow me,” she said.

  “Where to?” Connor said, another curious look on his face.

  “I’ll show you the Lucidite library. It’s the most amazing place you’ve ever seen,” she said, her voice full of the smile that wasn’t on her face.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  “Employees found taking extra breaks or long lunch hours will be terminated. The work here is top priority.”

  - Olento Research Employee Manual

  Zephyr discovered himself whistling like he was casually taking a walk up to the Magners’ house. He spun the leash in his hands, around and around. Rox had been crazy to plan such a cover, but he admitted that it gave him the reason he needed to approach the house. Once at the front door, his x-ray vision would tell him who was inside, most likely, depending on the size of the mansion before him.

  The cobbled path that led to the double doors was streaked with light streaming through the neighboring oak tree overhead. Zephyr paused ten feet from the front door, his instinct piquing for a reason not clear to him. Three things then happened all at once. A car’s engine in the distance grew louder as it neared on the quiet street. Eyes, like those of a canine, shone in the dark of a yard across the street. And Zephyr heard the crack of a twig next to the oak tree. He froze, his hair standing up on his arms. His pupils narrowed. His breath grew hot with adrenaline.

  Morgan stepped forward, the blasted twig crunching under his foot as he did. Zephyr’s gray eyes snapped on him at lightning speed. Well, they shot to where he stood, but the werewolf couldn’t see him.

  Morgan couldn’t believe his luck. If he showed up to Olento Research with the prized Zephyr Flournoy, then Mika would reward him greatly. He’d read the files for all the subjects in Project Canis Lupus and knew Zephyr was a prized asset. Actually it was he and Kris who had abducted all of the men in the project, sneaking up on them while invisible and then knocking them out. It was a cinch.

  Careful not to rustle his shirt or make any other minute sound that would trigger the guy’s senses, Morgan reached for the tranquilizer gun fastened to his hip. He’d have to be fast. Maybe step to the side as he unclipped the gun and withdrew it from the holster. Hopefully Zephyr would spring to the place where Morgan had been just as he fired a dart.

  But before Morgan could put any of this into motion, Zephyr stepped to the side, hiding behind an arbor that covered the walkway and was drenched in roses. Morgan followed his gaze, which was hinged on the road. The car that had taken Mr. Magner away from the house this morning now slowed as it approached the driveway. Zephyr stood only watching, a blue leash in his hands. Maybe Morgan should wait until the two men interacted and then take Zephyr out as he retreated from the house. He probably wouldn’t find Kaleb that day, as he most likely hoped. Morgan’s back ached from standing guard at the house since sunrise. There had been no sign of Kaleb all day.

  The Volvo sank back an inch when the emergency brake cranked into place, the driveway on a slight incline. Mr. Magner shuffled with his keys and briefcase, stealing Morgan’s attention. When he turned his gaze back on the arbor where Zephyr had been, the guy was gone. Morgan’s heart beat with sudden dread. He couldn’t fathom the possibility that he had one of the werewolves in his sights and had lost him. Making more noise than he would have cared for, he turned around in a complete circle trying to determine where Zephyr was now. He couldn’t be far. Not yet. It had only b
een a few seconds ago that he was hidden behind the arbor.

  Morgan’s worried eyes swept to the man now absentmindedly carrying his briefcase in one hand, glancing at a newspaper in the other. He was only four feet from Morgan, his face drawn probably from a long day of sitting behind a desk.

  “Uhhh…” someone said, causing Mr. Magner to halt. His face broke into an expression of confusion and then relief. He turned, and instantly he wore a smile.

  “Kaleb?” he said, staring at the young man standing on the sidewalk behind the parked car. He wore a black hoodie and an expression that spoke of his terror.

  Rox bolted from the SUV and then paused, standing just beside it. She’d watched and been impressed by the speed and grace Zephyr displayed as he darted through the yard and came around to stand on the other side of the oak tree. Kaleb had already been approaching, but hadn’t seen Zephyr there since his attention was centered on his father. From Rox’s position it had been exhilarating to watch the different parties, Zephyr, Mr. Magner, and Kaleb, and realize they were unaware of each other. Well, she was certain she knew the moment when Zephyr had spotted Kaleb, right before the car pulled up. It was something in his expression that told her he’d found what he’d been looking for.

  She watched as Zephyr’s hands clenched and then released. He only stared at Kaleb, his presence still hidden behind the tree. Kaleb’s father stepped forward as his son edged backwards, hesitation evident in his movements. He wanted to come home and yet he didn’t. The guy probably missed his family and also felt foreign to them now, Rox mused. Mr. Magner extended a hand to his son and only then did Kaleb stop retreating and take a step forward. And then each had their arms wrapped around one another, gripping the other with a quiet need. It was a real homecoming, one full of loss and tender pain. Zephyr only watched, obviously not wanting to interrupt the reunion. There would be time to bring Kaleb in, once he’d had this moment with his father. Then Kaleb stepped back, his head shaking. Rox pictured he was making an explanation for his absence, but all she could see was the stress on the older man’s face. And all she could hear were their muffled voices.

  Kaleb took another step backward, waving his hands at his father. The older man’s face blossomed with red, anger written all over it. Kaleb turned toward the tree where Zephyr stood frozen, hidden on the other side. However, Kaleb’s confused face was on something adjacent to the tree. He squinted and then doubled over like he’d been assaulted. Again an unseen force struck Kaleb, making his head spin to the side. He turned to regard the empty space, both he and his father dumbstruck. And just then something unseen rammed into his mid-section, pushing him into the vehicle. Rox sprinted in the direction of the strange fight just as Zephyr shot out of his hiding place.

  “What’s going on?” the older man yelled just as Morgan fumbled with the tranquilizer gun. Kaleb had been about to run, to flee after seeing his father. Morgan knew he had to stop him and the tranquilizer gun would be too slow. That had been the reason for the assault, which was much too easy. The invisible force always had the advantage. Now the young guy lay against the side of the Volvo, his chest heaving with giant breaths and his eyes searching the emptiness in front of him, confusion blanketing his expression.

  But then his idiot father stalked over and stood facing his son, but also blocking Morgan’s sight of Kaleb. He couldn’t risk wasting a tranquilizer on the man. Morgan needed to get him out of the way and tranquilize Kaleb. That’s why he relied on his combat training and grabbed the man’s head with both his hands and yanked it to the side. A sharp quick movement, punctuated by a loud crack. The man slid from Morgan’s hands to reveal his prey standing before him. Kaleb’s eyes darted around and then to his father’s lifeless body, as he pushed himself back into the car, as if for protection. The nightmare he was experiencing was clearly etched on his face.

  Morgan didn’t know where Zephyr was, but he wasn’t going home empty-handed. He pulled the tranquilizer gun from his holster and held it up, pointing the barrel at Kaleb’s chest. That was the best place for a straight and effective shot. He couldn’t miss from only four feet away.

  Zephyr knew at once that they were dealing with someone invisible. He’d watched the whole thing, at first amazed by the unseen attacks and then disgusted by his invisible enemy. This was Olento Research’s doing. And he’d stop it. He couldn’t let whoever this was take Kaleb, especially after murdering his father in front of him. Pushing hard off the ground, he stopped just where he estimated the attacker was. His senses heightened suddenly and he could smell the person, knew their scent distinctively from Kaleb’s, from Rox’s. The sound of the person breathing grew loud in his head. The racing of their heart was an actual sound he registered. Then Zephyr shot his gaze down and the sight before him made his stomach tighten. Black and silver hairs poked through the pores of his skin; claws now hung from his fingertips. He was changing and it was the best and worst possible thing to happen in that moment.

  Zephyr charged as he only did when in werewolf form, with a power that sought to tear him in two. He plummeted into an unseen person, knocking him back and back and then pushing him to the ground. The man made a series of grunting noises, but then his unseen fist came around and knocked Zephyr in the face, exactly in the place where the butt of the gun had split his chin open when he escaped Olento Research. That assault felt personal. And then the guy was gone, not under him. Zephyr shot to a standing position to find Rox next to Kaleb, who had changed too. Fangs sat between the guy’s top and bottom lips. His brown eyes glowed in the fading afternoon sun.

  “Get away from him!” Zephyr said, guessing Kaleb was thinking the same thing as he was, that Rox looked good enough to eat. And by the ravenous look Kaleb regarded her with, he didn’t think he was wrong.

  “I can handle him, just—” She was rudely interrupted by the dart that sank into Kaleb’s chest. And then the werewolf again sunk back onto the car behind him, passed out.

  “Get him out of here!” Zephyr said, realizing at once that those two only had one way of escaping. He was going to have to fight an invisible man and to do that he’d have to make him show himself.

  Rox grabbed Kaleb’s arm and a normal person would have recoiled. His skin was now covered in sharp hairs that were abrasive to the touch. Rox didn’t even notice the needle-like hairs as she tugged his arm around one of her shoulders. He was heavy but she was strong. And he wasn’t as heavy as someone not living on the streets. Kaleb had obviously missed many meals. She lugged him to the car just as she heard the distraction Zephyr was making at her back. She felt his presence cutting off the invisible force, creating a wall between them. And then Zephyr sniffed the air and let out a howl that sounded unlike anything she’d ever picture coming from him. It was a call of frustration, one that seemed filled with a wild hunger. If she didn’t have super resistance, right then she’d be desperate to get away from the beast she’d just turned her back on. The one that had given her a crazed look as his gray eyes started to glow in the fading light. Zephyr was gone momentarily, and the werewolf was strangely protecting her.

  Rox didn’t look back once until she had Kaleb in the backseat of the SUV. She couldn’t make out much in the Magners’ front yard anyway; it was a mess of leaves and dirt spiraling through the air. Everything was a blur as she jumped into the driver’s seat and raced away. With two taps of a button she called the Lucidite Institute for backup. They’d be fast. They could pick Kaleb up. And that’s what needed to happen because she had to get back to the Institute immediately.

  With his back to the girl and the smaller werewolf, Zephyr was certain he was blocking them from whoever was in front of him. He was thinking in his head, but he knew the wolf was in charge now. The only thing that made him comfortable with that was that the werewolf wanted the invisible force dead. He sniffed the air and his environment came to shape in ways it never had before. Hunting an invisible figure wasn’t going to be impossible for a beast that could find anything with its nose.
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  The tranquilizer gun clicked. That’s what the invisible man used to shoot the other werewolf with. Zephyr’s eyes darted to the location of the sound as he sidestepped in a blur of movements. Then he held up his hand and threw all of his intention into a single idea. He’d actually been surprised that the wolf’s instinct had directed this action; it was like the wolf in him was designed for battle. Unpracticed with his new skill, Zephyr prayed that it would work. And then the wind, like a cold assault, shot forward and for an instant it gave him a tiny glimpse of the man in front of him. The leaves and dirt he’d picked up with the wind hit the figure, making his presence known, outlining him. But then the wind was gone and gone with it was the opportunity for Zephyr to see his opponent.

  An unseen fist slammed into Zephyr’s jaw, knocking him back several feet. He darted for the yard, where he hoped he could loosen more dirt and debris than in the concrete driveway. He was only two feet into the grassy area when arms wrapped him from behind, pushing him with a giant force until he rammed into the oak tree. At least he was farther into the yard, he thought as he struggled to release his arms which were pinned to his side.

  Suddenly, he dropped to his knee and thrust forward, hitting his own head on the bark, but the grunt echoing behind him told him he’d been successful at knocking his opponent over his back and into the tree also. The arms, which he felt were thick and muscular, dropped and he spun around to eye the ground. Just a few feet in front of him the green grass was mashed down in two places, where feet rested, he supposed.

  Zephyr let out a growl and only then did he remember he was in werewolf form. The fast events and disadvantage of not being able to see his opponent had made him feel too vulnerable. He hunched down at super speed and then leapt forward. His claws were the first thing to make contact with the man’s flesh. He tore at what felt like his chest, but the man had already moved to the side and as Zephyr’s claws slipped into empty air he realized he’d only attacked his shoulder. Bolting to a standing position, he scanned the grass, but then a foot smacked into his head. He slammed to the grass, his face meeting the moist dirt. This guy was too fast and Zephyr, as strong as he was, couldn’t fight that which he couldn’t see.