Olento Research Series Boxed Set: A Paranormal Science Fiction Thriller

by Sarah Noffke

  Through a tattered breath she whispered, “I’m here.” She wasn’t capable of saying anything else.

  “Fucking awesome,” Connor said, seeming to hum the words.

  “I knew you could do it,” Zephyr said in her ear piece.

  “Fuck off, alpha asshole,” she said hurrying to the main station. According to Kris, she had roughly two minutes to loop the system and turn off the infrared before the guard returned. That almost seemed like too much time. A minute later, she closed her eyes. “It’s done. Don’t fuck this up, mutts,” she said, fizzling out of the air, teleporting away.

  The door to the SUV opened and then shut. Only the quiet footsteps indicated a person had exited. The driver’s seat then opened and Zephyr’s hand extended. He couldn’t believe that weeks ago he was fighting an invisible man and now he was about to become one. He waited until Kris laid her hand on his and then stepped out of the SUV, shutting the door as he did. The pair stood on the curb, invisible to the naked eye. Olento Research stood a block down. Zephyr was surprised by how unassuming the building looked, although he wasn’t sure why. It made sense for the facility to blend in to its surroundings. It was just an unmarked warehouse that stood on a street with matching buildings. Never in a gazillion years would they have found this location without Kris’s and Connor’s help. But now they were here and about to stroll straight into the facility.

  They waited for an impatient minute by the side entrance to the building, ensuring all was clear. There were three entrances, according to the blueprints that Kris had sketched for them. And although Zephyr knew no one could see them, it still seemed strange to stand in plain sight. He pressed the security badge between his fingers. Adelaide had delivered two to the SUV. Thanks to Kris’s snooping, they knew where to find extras lying around.

  Zephyr scanned the badge over the sensor, hearing the lock click inside the door. With his sweaty hand pressed into Kris’s he pulled the door back, tucking his head around the corner to spy the next space. According to Kris, usually there would be a guard here. However, most of the guards were off trying to capture crazy werewolves making public displays of their powers. The hallway was empty, but it probably wouldn’t stay that way for long. That’s why Zephyr tugged Kris through, allowing the door to shut behind them gently.

  “Lead the way to the imprisoned werewolves,” Zephyr said, seeing the map in his head, but wanting the person more familiar with the space to take the first position.

  At the end of the corridor a door opened and three scientists in white lab coats exited, chatting quietly as they did. Zephyr felt Kris halt, pressing his hand to the white wall. He took the hint and cemented his body to the wall. The group was walking shoulder and shoulder, which didn’t give much space for them to clear without knocking into Zephyr and Kris. If they were caught here then the chances of them rescuing the others was unlikely. They’d have to flee. No one was going to get hurt on his team and that only worked if they avoided being caught early on.

  “He treats us like animals,” Zephyr heard one of the scientists say.

  “But the money is worth it,” another said with a chuckle.

  The other two scientists paused, letting the one who had joked walk forward two paces before realizing he’d been left behind. He turned and stared at their appalled faces.

  “I injected a spider monkey this morning with that resistance serum. Nothing is worth animal abuse,” the scientist said in a hush.

  “You’re right,” the man said, lowering his head.

  “What happened to the monkey?” the other scientist asked.

  “Nothing yet,” the scientist said, shrugging.

  “Let’s hope for the best,” the scientist said in the front position. Then he turned and strode on, the pair walking shoulder and shoulder behind him. It wasn’t a lot of space, but there was just enough for them to pass without bumping into Zephyr and Kris. They exited through the door they’d come through and only then did the invisible pair turn and continue to the cells where the three werewolves were being held.

  “I can’t believe I agreed to this plan,” Connor said.

  “Actually, Earrings, I can’t believe you did either,” Kaleb said, with a grin. “You ready? We’ve got to go.”

  “You sure you can carry me?”

  “Hey, I’ve been lifting weights,” Kaleb said, a mock look of offense on his face.

  “Fine,” Connor said, immediately shifting from man to werewolf and finally into his wolf form. From the shade of the SUV, on the curb of the street, he was hidden from view. Still, it wouldn’t matter because no one was going to see them.

  A reddish wolf, just under a hundred pounds, stared up at Kaleb. “You ready to take a ride, puppy?” Kaleb joked.

  The wolf growled up at Kaleb, nipping at his outstretched hands. “Hey, be nice or I’m calling animal control,” Kaleb said, taking the risk and picking up the wolf, throwing him over his shoulder. Connor wasn’t light, but it was about like carrying a sack of potatoes. And it was the only way they’d figured out that they could get him into Olento Research undetected. Leaving him behind wasn’t an option. This was a mission that needed all of the weres, Zephyr had stated.

  “Okay, you won’t remember a thing, mutt,” Kaleb said, not waiting for Connor’s reaction before pausing time. He’d been practicing this during strategic agent training and although his skill did diminish, it was also like a muscle. With more practice he had more endurance. Kaleb had roughly two minutes before time resumed. He was confident he could pause time at least twice more, which would give them enough time to get to the room where Rox was believed to be held. Hopefully he could drag Connor’s weight the entire time or he’d be leaving the red wolf in a mop closet.

  Zephyr pulled back the door that Kris had indicated. He hesitated in the doorway, checking that the room was clear. He heard the sound of three heartbeats in the space, which was the perfect number. Yanking Kris forward was the indication to her that the room was clear. The cells lining the walls filled Zephyr with an old dread. Images flickered through his mind. He hadn’t been here before, but this lab, with its cages, was exactly like the one he’d been held in for all those months. It was in a space like this that they changed him. He eyed the exam table in the middle where procedures were done on men while on display for the other prisoners to watch. It was a mind game that Mika had perfected.

  Drake exited his office to see a curious sight. The door to the Project Canis Lupus lab was propped open. Then it shut, but there didn’t seem to be anyone there. He hurried for the door, his body to the far side of the hallway so he wasn’t as visible through the window in the door. He peered into the small opening in the door to spy who had the door open. The lab was empty, save for the prisoners in their cages. He swiveled around and headed straight for Mika’s office. This was perfect. Things couldn’t be arranging themselves any more perfectly. However, since he’d become clairvoyant after converting himself to a Dream Traveler, he wasn’t surprised. Although not used to the skill, he saw certain futures. They weren’t always clear or accurate, but this morning he’d seen a shadow of a vision that was connected to this moment. Now he just needed to put everything else into motion.

  Zephyr released Kris’s hand. He couldn’t gain the trust of men if they couldn’t see him. He materialized at once and ran up to a cage that was surrounded by plexiglass. On the other side a man stood from his cot.

  “Malcolm, I’m here to get you out,” Zephyr said, hearing Kris sort through the keys at his back. Aiden had created a set of universal keys, a technology that only the Lucidites had truly mastered.

  Zephyr darted to the other cage not covered in plexiglass where a smaller man stood, his brown eyes drilling into Zephyr. “Derek, we’ve come for you. You’re safe,” he said.

  “The person who isn’t safe is you,” a voice said from the other side of the room. It wasn’t a familiar voice, but it seemed like it should be, like a voice Zephyr had heard in his dreams for months now.


  Straightening, Zephyr turned to face the man. He stood in the doorway they’d just come through, his silver suit catching the light overhead. His eyes sharp and directly on Zephyr, the only person in view in the room.

  “Mika,” Zephyr said with a hush. They’d never met, but he knew who the man was before him. He knew what he was capable of. This was his maker and Zephyr would be his undoing.

  “You came home, Alpha,” Mika said, his voice filled with sadistic delight.

  “I came to rescue my pack members and take you down,” Zephyr said. It was too soon for Mika to have found them. He only hoped that Kaleb and Connor had Rox rescued by now. The labs where they kept the werewolves was deeper into Olento Research.

  “If you wanted your werewolves then all you had to do was ask. I have Drake releasing the locks electronically as we speak,” Mika said to Zephyr and then cast his attention to the cells where Malcolm and Derek stood at attention, their eyes glowing bright. “Don’t kill him, but please wound him deeply. I’ll return to take care of him.” Mika then stepped back, pulling the door closed.

  Two clicks. The gates to the cages opened an inch. Zephyr was aware that Kris was in the labs, but he didn’t know where. It was best for her if she stayed invisible. Monkeys in cages screamed on the opposite side of the lab, but Zephyr stayed focused on the men before him. The prison doors slammed opened at once and Zephyr stood staring at Malcolm and Derek, who both stood in the doorways, impassive expressions etched into their faces. Zephyr didn’t know these men, but they were a part of his pack. And yet, there was something extremely wrong with them.

  “Men, I’ve come to free you. Whatever he has—” Zephyr flew into the air, violently slamming down on the exam table. He didn’t know what had lifted him up, but it sounded like a similar experience as to what Rox had explained when Mika telekinetically picked her up. He swiveled his head in the direction of the men who had now strode out of their cells. Derek raised his hand, pointing at something over Zephyr. He turned, daring to look at the bright operation light switched on. Zephyr, having looked straight at it, flinched from the light. The werewolf didn’t like light and these men seemed to know that.

  “No!” Zephyr yelled, his retinas burning. “I’m here to help you.” His pleas didn’t seem like enough. He’d been knocked off his feet too early and didn’t feel like he was in the best position to exert his control. “Stop!” he yelled just as his hands were pushed to the side of the exam table. Then the restraints closed around his wrist, pinning him into place. How were they doing this? Both controlling him physically and the electronics around him. Zephyr swiveled his head around. Kris? Where was Kris? She would help him, if she could.

  Then he noticed silver objects fly into the air. Daring to look in that direction, Zephyr sunk into himself. “Nooooo!” he yelled just as scalpels, needles, and lab tools all flew in the direction of his body. Each instrument found its target, sinking deep into his flesh. He convulsed upward and a large knife sunk far into his shoulder.

  He was aware of the pain, but what was worse was the betrayal. Before him stood two members from his pack.

  “How could you do this when I was trying to help?” he said, his voice vibrating with his emotion, with his power as the alpha, which was waning with every moment. Through blurry vision, he stared at the men, who for a second seemed lost. They looked to each other and then back to him. But they didn’t help Zephyr, who lay helpless with objects protruding from his body. The two men fled the room, their last look at Zephyr full of fear. But they’d done what Mika had asked. They’d wounded Zephyr and now he lay chained to the table, helpless.

  Kris struggled with the keys to the cell across from the others for the entire time the men tortured Zephyr. Her only consolation was she knew they wouldn’t kill him. She released her invisibility as they fled the room.

  “What are you doing? Can you release me?” Zephyr said, his voice sounding weak. He’d been stabbed in multiple places. His wounds were severe.

  “I’m releasing Cole,” she said, finding the right key and sliding it into the manual lock.

  “Are you insane? Did you see what they’ve done to me? They aren’t with the pack. They work for Mika,” Zephyr.

  “No, he didn’t let Cole out, which means…” Kris pulled back the door to the werewolf’s cell to find a man with big brown eyes staring at her. “Who do you work for? Are you loyal to Olento Research?” she said to him.

  He took a step forward, pressing her back. “No, not at all. And that’s why he didn’t release me. The brainwashing hasn’t taken effect yet,” Cole said and rushed over to Zephyr. “You’re hurt. I’m so sorry.”

  Cole sincerely appeared sorry. He pressed his hand to the wound where the knife was in Zephyr’s shoulder, gripping the handle. “I’m a nurse and I have a few ways I can help you,” he said. “Take a breath.”

  Zephyr did and then let out a scream as Cole pulled the knife straight into the air, releasing it from Zephyr’s body. A moment later his muffled groans disappeared. And Kris was amazed when Cole pulled his hands away from the laceration to show only unblemished skin.

  “What kind of nurse are you?” she said, darting for the command station, which was how she’d release Zephyr from the restraints.

  “The kind that heals. It’s a skill I received after escaping the labs,” Cole said, pulling another instrument from Zephyr’s body. This time the alpha didn’t make a noise but just bit down, his eyes pressed shut. And a moment later the wound was gone again. They didn’t have long though. Soon Mika would return.

  Kaleb set the red wolf down after entering the room. It was incredibly difficult to open doors with a sack of potatoes in one’s arms, or wolf, as it were. However, this was the spot and as soon as he released time, he’d have the answer he was hoping for. Kaleb made the intention and a moment later, Connor shot up into his man form, a look of repulsion on his face.

  “You totally touched my wolf crotch… a lot,” he said.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” Kaleb said with a laugh, darting for the first set of cages in the long room.

  “I bet he couldn’t help it,” a voice said at Kaleb’s shoulder. He spun around to find Adelaide with her arms casually crossed, a smirk on her freckled face.

  “Dang it,” he said, breathless. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  “Oops,” she said, not seeming to mean it.

  “You were supposed to return to the Institute,” Connor said, his tone reprimanding.

  “Sue me. I decided I wanted to stick around. And since teleporting is easy-peasy for me, well, shove it,” she said, striding forward and wrapping her hands around a set of bars. “She’s here.” Adelaide’s flippant voice was suddenly full of worry as she jerked at the door.

  “I’m on it,” Kaleb said, pulling the universal key from his pocket. “Something must be preventing her from dream traveling, as you suggested.”

  “It could mean there’s a block or that she’s too incapacitated. Which means it’s possible that all of you, except me, have to get out of here manually,” Adelaide said, her voice impatient as Kaleb fumbled with the keys.

  “Sounds like you should go now,” Connor said at her shoulder.

  “Have I mentioned you should shove it?” she said to him.

  When Kaleb opened the door, Adelaide pushed him out of the way, stumbling through the door. Rox appeared to be passed out, which was going to make escaping a whole lot more difficult.

  “They have her drugged,” Adelaide observed.

  “And we have company,” Connor said, turning for the entrance they’d come through. Kaleb heard it too. Guards were approaching and would be through the door soon.

  “Get Rox out of there,” Connor said. “Let her provide cover.”

  Adelaide nodded, seeming to understand at once. Kaleb was just about to object when four guards flew through the door. It probably would have been more but most of Olento Research’s resources had been distracted elsewhere.

  Bef
ore the guards could shoot off a round, Connor raised his hand, blasting the two in the front position with fire. They held up black shields they’d been carrying, but that didn’t take the total force of the fire and so the men fell back to the wall, positioning themselves next to equipment. The other two men had their guns at the ready, firing off tranquilizers in the group’s direction. Connor slid behind the far wall, but Kaleb and Adelaide, who were in the middle of the room, seemed stuck. That’s when Adelaide pulled Kaleb inward. “March,” she said to him, behind Rox’s body. He understood at once and repositioned himself like Adelaide was, using Rox as a shield. The tranquilizers shot at Rox and then bounced off. The passed out girl had no idea she was making the perfect human shield, but she’d no doubt be proud.

  “Halt your fire,” one of the guards said. Confused, Kaleb gave Adelaide a tentative expression.

  “That would be my doing. Mind control, remember?” she whispered. “Now watch and learn, runt.”

  She then stepped out from behind Rox, making Kaleb support her full weight. His muscles were fatigued from carrying Connor and he nearly dropped Rox, until the werewolf himself swooped in to help. “Thanks,” Kaleb breathed in Connor’s direction.

  “Hey, you bloody wankers. Drop your weapons, line up, and file into this cell,” Adelaide said, her attention on the four guards. They hesitated for a moment. A whole few seconds where Kaleb couldn’t breathe. Then the men dropped their guns and strode into the cage where Rox had been held. When they were all in there, Adelaide closed the door, locking the men in the prison cell using their own will.

  “Dang, that was freaking rad,” Kaleb said to Adelaide.

  “Yeah, she’s a marvel,” Connor said, something glinting in his eyes as he stared at the small unassuming girl.

  Mika slammed his hand over the red button that had been sitting under the protective plastic case. “I think we both know you’re fired,” he said to the guard who sat in front of the row of monitors, his head held low with shame.