Olento Research Series Boxed Set: A Paranormal Science Fiction Thriller

by Sarah Noffke

  “What are you doing in here?” a man called at her back. He had a German accent and heavy irritation in his voice.

  Adelaide paused. She’d have to use mind control on the scientist to get out of this. When Adelaide turned around, she found a man with a large belly and white beard framed in the doorway.

  “I’m looking for the restroom,” she said, putting influence into the words, making him believe them. Mind control involved getting into a person’s head, but about like how one experiences the outdoors with the window down. It was a very superficial experience.

  “No, you’re not,” the man said, to her horror. This man, who she knew was Alexander Drake, hadn’t believed her. She identified him based on her father’s notes, but now something even more disturbing was overwhelming her mind.

  My mind control doesn’t work on him! That was impossible. Drake was a Middling. However, he wasn’t just any Middling and had the intellect to help Aiden build a device that opened portals. And he had stolen the Dream Traveler conversion protocol. It was entirely possible that he’d done it to himself. Fuck! Adelaide needed another way to get out of this.

  “Okay, you caught me. I was looking for a quiet place to take a nap. I was up all night drinking at the bar,” Adelaide said, making her way in Drake’s direction.

  “You don’t sound like a Parantaa Research employee,” Drake said, scrutinizing her behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

  “No, I’m much better than the buffoons here. I’m Abigail Post,” she said, extending a hand to him.

  He eyed the hand and then shook his head. “I’m sick,” Drake said, rejecting the handshake.

  Adelaide shrugged at the angry German and tossed her long hair over her shoulder. Then she grabbed a clump of strands in her fingertips. She watched as his eyes trailed down to the ground, like watching something fall. “Hi, Sick. Nice to meet you,” she said.

  “How did you get access into this room? It’s off limits to staff of your level,” Drake said, blocking the exit.

  Adelaide began twirling her hair around her finger in a rhythmic fashion, the same way she did with the ballpoint pen. Drake’s eyes darted to the movement, it drawing his attention at once. That’s the way it was with hypnosis. It was irresistible.

  “The door was open,” she said, inserting the message into his brain. Making him have to believe it.

  Drake automatically nodded as Adelaide dropped her hands. “Now I better get back to work. If you’ll excuse me,” she said, pointing at the hall.

  He cleared his throat, shaking his head at the same time, like trying to dispel something. “Yes, you better get back to it,” he said, his eyes on the ground now.

  Adelaide slipped around him and sped down the hallway, in the direction of her office.

  Drake’s head was suddenly fuzzy, like he’d just awoken. But that wasn’t the case. He’d been awake for sixteen hours. Maybe that was the problem.

  Strange that this girl, supposedly Abigail, had found this room unlocked. Drake stared at the badge reader. That was what she said though and he knew it to be the truth. Without a doubt. She was definitely snooping, which meant that her name probably wasn’t Abigail, but rather Adelaide. And she held an uncanny resemblance to Ren Lewis, whom Drake had only met the once. Kneeling down, Drake retrieved the long red hair he’d seen fall to the white linoleum floor. It had been easier than he suspected to obtain a DNA sample, and now he’d be able to distinguish if she was a Dream Traveler, as Mika suspected.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “A wolf eats sheep but now and then, ten thousands are devoured by men.”

  - Benjamin Franklin

  Breathless, Rox slid to the right, taking some of the sheet with her as she did.

  Also panting, Zephyr curled his arm behind his head, stretching as he did.

  With only the ambient light from the desk, she could still make out the straightness of his nose and curves of his mouth. Zephyr wasn’t just a handsome man. He was beautifully unique with his gray eyes framed with long black eyelashes. And the silver sprinkled into his hair and beard made him appear sophisticatedly sexy. But she’d never tell him any of this.

  He reached out his hand, sliding his palm over her bare stomach as a sigh of relief fell from his mouth. That seemed like an invitation to come back so she rolled forward until she laid her head on his chest. Things with Zephyr were ridiculously easy and simultaneously difficult. They each knew what the other wanted and it seemed easy to give it to one another. It was difficult because of the facade they put up with each other and then also with others. It was the feeling of falling. Of hating that she felt an expanse all around her, instead of confined to a small box.

  “You fulfill my quiet desires, but if you ever tell anyone that then I’ll totally murder you in your sleep,” she said.

  “So one night I fall asleep and then you strangle me, is that right?” he said, with an amused tone.

  “Something like that. Nothing gross. I don’t want to get my sheets dirty,” she said, feeling his fingers slide into her hair.

  “Makes sense. And no worries. I’ll pretend to hate you in front of others. I will go so far as to point out all your numerous shortcomings so that everyone is aware of the faults about you that I’ve spied but decided to overlook,” he said.

  She patted his arm, affection in the movement. “That’s all I want out of this. The facade that we hate each other and then the sex behind closed doors,” she said.

  “Yeah, that’s strangely all I’ve been looking for. A secret love affair with a girl I can’t stand most of the time who also strangely I can’t resist,” Zephyr said.

  “We all want that, which is both good and awful for us,” she said, having another moment of insight.

  A heavy sigh fell out of Zephyr’s mouth. “Which explains my obsession perfectly with nachos. How can they taste so good and make me feel so bad?” he asked.

  “It’s the meat. It’s toxic. You shouldn’t eat it. Most Dream Travelers are vegetarians because it promotes better sleep habits,” Rox said.

  “You realize you just told a werewolf to be a vegetarian?” he said.

  “Well, you don’t have to follow the pack. Why don’t you try being a lone wolf in that way?” she said, sliding up so she was looking at him.

  “And what, try eating celery?” Zephyr said, arching a thick eyebrow at her.

  “It wouldn’t kill you.”

  “Have you eaten celery?” he said, condescension heavy in his tone.

  “Sure, but it’s more of a thing you put in stuff. Like split pea soup,” Rox said.

  “If you don’t shut up right now I’m throwing you out of this bed,” he said.

  “Why, because I said split pea soup?” she said, teasing him.

  A smile quirked up the edges of his mouth. “Because you say the dumbest things. Me eating split pea soup is like a lion gnawing on a stalk of broccoli.”

  “I can see that happening though, especially if the broccoli was covered in a hollandaise sauce,” she said, combing her hand across his chest.

  “You are seriously out of touch with this world,” he said, smiling up at her.

  “And?” she said expectantly.

  “And what?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe this is a good segue into how you feel about me. I mean, besides that I’m awesome in bed,” Rox said and instantly regretted going there with the conversation. She blamed the girl in her for needing to bring feelings into this, but more and more that had been the nagging case for her when with Zephyr.

  “Again your rationalizing skills have failed you. There’s never a good time to talk about feelings,” he said.

  Rox didn’t respond and she hoped her disappointment filled the silence. She wasn’t sure why she was pushing the topic when she wanted things to remain light between them. But more often she was finding herself attached to Zephyr. Maybe it was just because she couldn’t have him. Not really.

  “I like you. You know that. I can’t stand you and
you irritate the hell out of me. But you’re also one of the rare people who get me,” he said all in a rush.

  “And I’m the only one who can best you in a fight and put up with you when a werewolf,” she said, laying her head down and smiling into his chest. It wasn’t “I love you,” but it was enough. He liked her. Love made things compulsory. Like was so optional. People were usually obligated to love their family, but they picked friends they liked.

  Rox turned over so her back was to Zephyr, then reached around and patted his leg.

  “And yeah, you’re okay too. I guess,” she added a moment later.

  In his arms Rox drifted off in a sleep so deep she wasn’t even allowed a moment to dream travel. And later she’d awake to realize that for the first time since she was a child she fell asleep easily, without the gripping fear that accompanied bedtime.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Luxury is the wolf at the door and its fangs are the vanities and conceits germinated by success.”

  - Tennessee Williams

  After only six rounds of injections the subject Drake had recruited was already shifting. Each morning he awoke with shorter legs and a wider body. His nose had flattened and his forehead had enlarged.

  “What should we call him?” Drake said, his fingers perched on the rim of the one-way mirror. Inside the white room the subject, who had been found sleeping on a park bench, his own vomit covering the pavement under it, sat hunched staring at the tray of food.

  “Luolamies,” Mika said, straightening his gray tie.

  “I’m guessing that’s the Finnish word for ‘caveman,’” Drake said.

  Of course it was. That’s how Mika named most of the projects. He didn’t grant Drake a response but instead said, “How’s his temperament?”

  Drake referenced his notes before saying, “He picked up his bed this morning and threw it at the window. However, now he seems a bit more submissive.”

  Luolamies poked the drumstick lying on the plate. Mika slid his chin to the right, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. “He’s incredibly strong to accomplish such a thing. It appears that Project Neandertalin might prove to be a success. How long do you think he’ll continue to grow?”

  “I suspect he’ll put on another fifty pounds over the next couple of days,” Drake said, watching the caveman dip his finger into the mashed potatoes and then grunt at it.

  “Well, you might not have screwed up this experiment. If he proves capable of capturing a werewolf then you could have earned yourself a day off,” Mika said.

  Luolamies wasn’t a predictable beast, but he was strong and resistant to force and also expendable. He could probably be successful at apprehending one or two of the werewolves with intimidation. It was their superpowers, like Connor’s fire, that were helping them to get away each time.

  “Actually, I have more good news. I ran the DNA tests on Abigail’s sample, but I should correct myself. On Adelaide’s sample,” Drake said. He loved to talk like that, indirectly. It drove Mika crazy.

  “She tested positive as a Dream Traveler?” Mika said, turning to regard Drake directly.

  “In fact she did,” Drake said, still watching Luolamies.

  “So the little witch faked the orientation exam that would have discovered her as a Dream Traveler,” Mika said.

  “Yes,” Drake said, his small eyes lighting up with delight. “What are you going to do to her? I found her snooping in the storage area where you-know-what is.”

  Mika looked at Luolamies with a cold stare, not really seeing him. “I’m going to have her captured. I’m guessing the Lucidites will want her back, but she’ll come at a hefty price.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “He that makes himself a sheep shall be eaten by a wolf.”

  - Italian Proverb

  Since Hunter had been stalking Daisy religiously for months now, he knew her schedule. She was one of his main targets. The one he needed to really make pay. There was only one other who would suffer more than Daisy. Hers would be a savage death. Her suffering would be long.

  Hunter knew that once a month Daisy went out with the girls and always had a car service pick her up because she liked to get drunk. She was pure trash, just like all women. Men had stresses and responsibilities and reasons to drown themselves in liquor, but women had none of that.

  Just as his hands started to shake with the familiar adrenaline, he pulled the SUV to the curb. It was similar to the one he’d stolen and trashed a few days ago. Usually Daisy was the first girl picked up, and then the car swung by the houses of the other girls. Tonight there would be a change in plans.

  Hunter honked the horn three times, which was the signal the car service used.

  A girl in a short black skirt and sleeveless top ducked her head out the door, looking confused. She slid back inside for a moment and then exited, her purse over her shoulder.

  Hunter pulled his cap down over his eyes, hoping the dark disguised him well. He rolled down the window as Daisy approached, a puzzled look on her slutty face. “I hadn’t received a message that the car was here yet. And the service said—”

  “That car broke down. They sent a backup,” Hunter said, feeling his pores widen and his mouth start to ache. “Get in!” he barked at the girl.

  “Oh, okay,” Daisy said, clambering for the door handle. “I guess we need to remain on schedule.”

  Before Daisy was even all the way seated in the middle of the row, Hunter punched the gas, launching the SUV forward. The claws pressed through his fingers, extending until in place. He jerked the steering wheel toward the curb, veering up on it, making the SUV jump.

  “Hey, are you all right?” Daisy said, fumbling for the seatbelt.

  “Shut up,” Hunter said. The wolf was taking over now, its white-hot anger masking his vision.

  “Excuse me!” Daisy said. “Pull over. I won’t be talked to that way.”

  “I said, shut up,” Hunter said again as the sharp hairs slipped through his skin, piercing the jacket he wore. He pressed down on the gas pedal, sending the car barreling down the residential road, cranking the steering wheel hard when his road came up earlier than expected.

  “Look, please just pull over. I don’t want trouble,” Daisy said, real fear making the words sound desperate.

  “It’s too late for that,” Hunter said, slamming on the brake hard when the dead end of the road arrived. He threw the SUV into park and spun around in time to catch the girl dialing on her cell phone.

  A scream that hurt his ears and also thrilled his insides shot out of the girl’s mouth. He reached for the cell phone, his movements a blur. Once it was in his hands he crushed the device, making the screen go black.

  “What are you?” she said, leaping for the door handle only to find that it had been broken off.

  “I’m the one you thought you could take down. You tried to ruin me and now I’m going to destroy you,” Hunter said, angling around the seat, making his way to the back. Close-quarter conflict was the most fun. The wolf could smell her. Vanilla and lilac. But under that was the smell of meat, ready to be devoured.

  “No, please, no,” she said, jerking on the broken mechanics of the door handle, then reverting to slamming her fist on the window. “Someone help me!” she screamed, tears already streaming down her face.

  “No one is going to help you. Just like no one helped me. All because of you, you little bitch,” Hunter said, crawling over the console, inches from the vibrating flesh. He could already taste her but vengeance was all he really wanted.

  She halted, snot running down her nose into her mouth. Daisy’s red eyes blinked, her eyelashes sopping with tears. “Hunter? Is that you?” she said, studying his face, or that which she could see under the hair.

  “Yes, I’m free now. More importantly, I’m stronger than ever and ready to punish you for what you did to me. You had me arrested,” he said, holding up his clawed hand and poking it into her cheek before dragging it to her chin, leaving a red mar
k as he did. She froze, her eyes low and pulsating with fear.

  “I’m so, so, so sorry,” she said. “Please don’t hurt me.”

  A gruff laugh, absent of joy, rang from his throat. “I’m going to hurt you worse than the others,” he said. “I’m going to make you pay.” It was the wolf talking, but it knew what to say. The wolf wanted to take up the fight for Hunter. They were a team.

  “Please,” the girl said, closing her eyes, pressing them tight as more tears spilled forth.

  Hunter pressed back against the back of the front seat, taking in the girl squatted by the window. Maybe he should open the door and let her run. The chase would make this more fun. He went to reach for the door, thinking he could use his claws to get it open. Just then, Daisy reached down, grabbing into her purse. He didn’t catch what she snatched until the spray hit him straight in the face. A chemical burn screamed in his eyes, nose, and mouth, sending him back pushing the pepper spray away, rubbing his face with his fur-covered hands.

  In front of him he heard the girl scrambling. He growled as he forced his eyes to open, even with the burn. Daisy was halfway over the passenger seat, headed for the front. Hunter knew the best way to fix his own injury, to quiet the scorching pain, was with blood. Once his face was nestled deep into the flesh then the pepper spray wouldn’t hurt so much. He ran his nose across her legs, which were flailing in the air as she tried to pull herself all the way over the head rest. The sound of the door handle clicked just as Hunter sank his large canines into her calf, tearing it from the bone. The blood splattered across the back window as Hunter shook the meat in his mouth, enjoying the taste he’d longed for. Retribution.