“Brooke, please.”
“Please?” Elliot let out a disgusted snort. “I never thought I would witness the great Blorvo Zemanni begging another sentient for anything.”
“Blorvo?” Brooke said.
“It’s an ancestral name.” Zemanni inched closer, hoping to keep this newcomer distracted for long enough to get close and— And what? Protect Brooke?
Trapped in this form, there was nothing he could do. Not against another Scorpiian.
“Wait a minute. How does he know your full name and I don’t?”
Don’t think about it. Don’t figure it out.
Her eyes widened and she turned toward “Elliot” and smiled.
“You’re another Scorpiian,” she said. “Like Zemanni.”
Vapor pits.
She wasn’t done digging her hole. “Why do you look like Elliot, though? I mean, that form will get you nowhere.”
The Scorpiian looked to Zemanni. “She knows about us? You told her about us?”
“I can explain,” Zemanni said.
“Please do. Right after I dispatch this Earthling.”
Brooke finally realized the danger she was in. She quickly backed away from the Scorpiian, but it pulled out a stasis disc and activated it, freezing her in place.
“Are you done with her?” it said.
Zemanni had to think quickly. He couldn’t let the newcomer know how far gone he was, or he would lose any kind of influence over the situation.
How had another Scorpiian arrived so quickly to take over Zemanni’s contracts on Earth? His ship had only been destroyed a few days ago. It didn’t send a distress signal. He wasn’t checking in with anyone. This Scorpiian must have already been in the area. It must have been waiting for Zemanni to…
His stomach clenched painfully as missing pieces fell into place. Zemanni had been distracted after assimilating Eric’s DNA. He’d been off his game. And he’d blamed that for the Sadirians being able to find him. For the Lyrians destroying his ship.
But maybe he hadn’t been as far off as he thought. Maybe someone had been sabotaging him. It was just the kind of thing another Scorpiian would do to try to make their name—and steal his bounties on Earth.
A young Scorpiian. Ruled by greed. Zemanni could work with this. He only hoped Brooke would forgive him if they made it out alive.
“Now that you’re here, I don’t need her anymore,” Zemanni said. “But you can’t kill her.”
Brooke’s eyes filled with tears. He could see the tendons along her neck pulling in strain as she tried to free herself from the stasis field. Ever a fighter.
“Do you want to do it yourself?” it said. “There’s no bounty on her, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Killing her is inefficient.” Zemanni forced his voice to be cold and even. “If she goes missing, the authorities will look for her. I assume they’ll already soon be looking for Elliot?”
The Scorpiian shrugged. “From what I gathered in my limited time with him, I doubt anyone will be upset enough by his absence to even report it.”
Brooke would be. Even knowing that Elliot had been a danger to her.
Zemanni had someone’s death in mind—but not another Earthling’s.
“Identify yourself,” Zemanni said.
“Kagnan.”
“Your presence on Earth violates my rights as sole operator on this planet. Explain.”
Kagnan shrugged. “I picked up a faint energy reading from your ship, as if its cloaking generator was slightly out of phase. It inspired my curiosity.”
Zemanni just bet it did. He also would bet that Kagnan was behind the misalignment in his system in the first place. There was an external vent that could grant access to the peripheral systems of the cloak given the right circumstances.
“I discovered a few remains of your ship,” Kagnan said. “Don’t worry, I took care of them for you.”
“I take it they’re now sitting in your own vessel’s hold?”
Kagnan smiled. “I did need something to provide proof that Earth is open for assignment.”
“Not quite yet,” Zemanni said.
“You can’t fault me for believing you were dead. I also found a significant amount of quicksilver in the area.”
“It takes more than that to kill me.”
“Most impressive.”
Trying to use false flattery on him? Kagnan was such an amateur.
Zemanni kept his tone cold. “I had secured a base of operations with this Earthling and was working toward making contact with one of the groups of sentients on the planet who have a means of communicating with Scorpii-2.”
It was what most Scorpiians would do in a similar situation. Zemanni had already dismissed the idea. He preferred to stay on Earth. He was enjoying this form too much—and Brooke’s company. If only there was a way he could communicate his plan to her, to let her know that he wasn’t actually planning to betray her. He was trying to keep her safe.
“It’s a good thing I’m here, then,” Kagnan said. “I can send a signal for you.”
For a price, Zemanni was sure. He couldn’t let Kagnan get the upper hand in their negotiations.
“I will send my own signal,” Zemanni said. “Using your equipment—for a fee. And I will also need to use your programming pod.”
“Do you need to upgrade your knowledge of Earth’s customs?”
“Of course not,” Zemanni said. “The Earthling needs a mindwipe.”
Kagnan nodded. “The use of that equipment will be expensive.”
“It will be free.” Before Kagnan could complain, Zemanni said, “And I will not report that you are on Earth when I am still the designated operator.”
He wanted to muddy Kagnan’s feelings—to throw Kagnan off its game. The fine for encroaching on another’s hunting grounds could ruin a Scorpiian who was just starting out. And while Kagnan’s thoughts were on its resources, Zemanni could begin to bait his trap.
“There is another matter,” Zemanni said.
Kagnan glared at him. “Which is?”
“You have a backup store of quicksilver, correct?”
“Of course.”
“I wish to purchase it.”
As expected, Kagnan’s face lit up. Quicksilver was the most precious resource among their kind. Zemanni could replace his ship for the same cost as replacing his quicksilver. And Kagnan knew it.
“These circumstances are highly unusual,” Kagnan said.
Again, his behavior aligned completely with Zemanni’s expectations. If this persisted, Zemanni would have no difficulty keeping Brooke safe.
“I understand that,” Zemanni said. “Which is why I will pay you half again as much as its worth.”
Kagnan’s smile deepened. It thought it had Zemanni at a disadvantage. But then, no one knew how many resources Zemanni had been able to secure over his long lifespan. And no other Scorpiian could conceive of him being so willing to part with them.
“We can negotiate on our way to your ship,” Zemanni said. “Right now, we need to address the issue of the Earthling.”
“I thought you didn’t want to kill her.”
“I don’t.”
“Then what could we possibly do about her now?”
“We’ll need transportation to your ship. Rendering her unconscious and carrying her to her car will appear suspicious to anyone who might see us. She needs to come with us of her own will.”
Kagnan snorted. “Good luck with that. From what I’ve seen so far, these sentients are highly unreasonable.”
Zemanni would have gone with “passionate”. He didn’t argue the case. Instead, he turned to Brooke, hiding any sign of sympathy or regret from his features—even though they weighed heavily on his heart.
If he shifted his body so that Kagnan couldn’t see his face, Zemanni wouldn’t be able to keep track of Kagnan’s movements. And Kagnan was still very much a threat to them. When this was all over—when they were safe—Zemanni would explain. He only hoped Bro
oke would understand.
“Brooke.”
Her eyes were the only thing she could move in the stasis field. The skin around them crinkled as she tried to glare at him, no doubt. The tears he had seen before were gone.
“You’ve heard all that has passed between us,” Zemanni said. “Do as I say, and you will have a chance to return to your life as it was. You won’t remember me or any of this. But understand that Kagnan will not hesitate to kill you with very little provocation. Do not scream. Do not run.”
Zemanni nodded to Kagnan, who turned off the stasis field. Immediately, Brooke lashed out, her fist flying toward Zemanni.
He considered letting it connect. It would no doubt help her feel better. But it would weaken him in Kagnan’s perception, and Zemanni couldn’t have that. He caught her wrist, twisting it around and pulling her up against his chest.
She writhed against him, and he had to clamp down on his body’s reaction to her. Her scent, her heat. If Kagnan had any idea of how much Zemanni cared for her, they would both be in much greater danger.
“Brooke,” he said. “Stop struggling.”
After a few more thrashes, she went still. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with fire, and spat in his face.
“You bastard.” Her voice was low and raw.
“I’ve never said otherwise.” Zemanni kept his hold on her, waiting to see how Kagnan would react.
“These things are disgusting,” it said. “I can’t wait to wipe her and be rid of her.”
“The sooner you both are out of my life and brain, the better.” She shoved away from Zemanni, and he let her go.
He kept his face impassive as his heart seemed to crumple in on itself within his chest.
Chapter Thirteen
“Quicksilver first.”
If Brooke heard Zemanni harp about the fucking quicksilver much more, she’d throw herself in the “programming pod” that Kagnan was so eager to get her into. She’d been listening to the two of them argue for the last half-hour as she drove them out of town to the sparsely forested field where Kagnan had hidden his ship.
She should be excited. Curious. Frightened, for God’s sake. She was sitting in an alien vessel, arms and legs crossed as she glared at the two men in front of her.
Kagnan wanted to erase Brooke’s brain first, then send a signal to the other Scorpiians, then give Zemanni some quicksilver. Zemanni wanted to do it in reverse order. And, of course, Kagnan wanted to be paid before anything else happened.
“Not until you have transferred the resources we agreed upon,” Kagnan said. Again. “We should get rid of the Earthling first.”
“Oh my God,” Brooke said. “Just transfer half of what you agreed on, then get your quicksilver, then transfer the rest and send your stupid signal.”
Both men turned and stared at her.
“What?” she said.
Z’s lips quirked up a bit. “That’s actually a good idea.”
“Strange.” Kagnan cocked his head to the side as he looked at Brooke. “Surprising that it came from her.”
Brooke covered her face with her hands. “I can’t wait to forget this conversation.”
Except, she could. As much as she’d said the opposite earlier, she wasn’t eager to forget Zemanni. What the hell was wrong with her?
There was even a tiny part of her brain that kept telling her that this was all a trick he was playing on Kagnan. That Z was trying to get them both out of this alive and with their memories intact.
He’d saved her life already, right? He could have just let Kagnan kill her. Like Kagnan had killed Elliot.
She was glad her face was covered. Of everything she’d experienced since Z came into her life, that was the part she had the most trouble believing was real.
Sure, Elliot was an asshole with delusions of stalkerhood. But Brooke could have handled him. Maybe even—
She stopped her utterly useless train of thought. Elliot was past her ability to help him now.
Always a rescuer.
“Without quicksilver, I can’t make the transfer,” Z said.
“You can if you give me your code.”
Brooke dropped her hands to her lap. “Ugh, this is the most boring alien abduction ever. How about a simultaneous exchange? You know, like you both meet partway across a bridge?”
When they both stared at her again, she let out another grunt of frustration. “Get out the quicksilver and let him have it the moment he gives you the code you need. Haven’t you done anything like this before?”
“This sort of situation doesn’t really come up,” Z said.
She glared at him for having the nerve to address her directly. She was also weirdly relieved that he was still talking to her, especially since Kagnan only talked about her.
Wasn’t there something about surviving by making the kidnappers see you as a person? Except they weren’t the same kind of people, and she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted them to see her as a fellow Scorpiian.
Kagnan turned to the wall of his ship and pressed his hand on its surface. His skin rippled, then glowed with a bright silver light. His flesh seemed to melt, flowing into the control.
No wonder Z was so eager to get his quicksilver back. It looked like the Scorpiians’ technology revolved around their shapeshifting abilities.
A panel opened in the wall, revealing a clear cylindrical container filled with liquid that looked like mercury.
“Huh,” Brooke said.
Z glanced over at her. “What?”
She shrugged. “It’s just like in the movies.”
Kagnan ignored her. He set the container on the floor, then held out his hand to Z.
“The code?” Kagnan said.
Z reached down for the container. As he did, he held his hand above Kagnan’s. A single drop of shining silver liquid dropped from Z’s hand onto Kagnan’s.
“Gross,” Brooke said. “Was that like your DNA or something?” She remembered reading about genetic codes back in high school.
Z glared at her as he backed away from Kagnan. She wasn’t sure who she should focus on.
Z opened the cylinder and shoved his hand inside. The silver fluid crawled up his arm, wrapping around it as it flowed into his skin. He shivered, and not in a good way. She knew when something felt good to him, and this didn’t. Somehow, the thought was encouraging.
When the container was empty, he let it fall to the floor of the ship. The lines of silver that she had traced repeatedly the night before started to glow so bright, she could see them clearly through his clothing.
Meanwhile, Kagnan was still standing with his arm embedded in his ship. His eyes widened suddenly.
“There’s so much here,” he said.
“Yeah, I’ve been busy.” Z walked to the other side of the room and placed a hand over one of the weird access ports. His fingers, wrist, and part of his arm glowed silver, becoming near liquid as they flowed into the ship’s control.
The tiny bit of hope she’d been feeling vanished. She had sort of wanted it to not work. She’d wanted Z to stay…Z. Now he was an alien, and—
Kagnan suddenly stood straighter. His body twitched as if a current was running through it. His skin blackened, like paper being consumed by a flame. He made a tiny grunting noise, and then fell to the ground, his arm still stuck in the wall. Wisps of smoke came out of the top of his head.
“What the hell?” Brooke was on her feet, hands up, ready to defend herself. Against what, she wasn’t sure.
“Calm down,” Z said.
“I will not calm down. Did you just kill that guy?”
He glared at her. “Yes.”
“What? How?”
“I distracted him by offering him what he wanted. He was so focused on my resources, that he didn’t notice the failsafe he had activated by using an incomplete genetic sample.”
“But you said you gave him the code he needed.”
“It was incomplete. Most Scorpiians aren’t capable of giving a pa
rtial genetic sample, and so it’s used as our primary means of identification. He wouldn’t have guessed that what I gave him would activate security countermeasures.”
Brooke looked at the charred body hanging from the wall.
“Scorpiians take their resources very seriously.” Z retracted his arm from the wall. It coalesced into a human-looking hand. “Kagnan also didn’t realize how quickly I could reassimilate quicksilver. This amateur had no idea who it was dealing with. Its ship is now mine.”
Z approached her—cautiously, as if he thought she might run. If she thought she could escape the ship, she might. Except… She wasn’t done here. Not with this. Not with him.
“You lied to him,” she said. “You told me you never lie.”
He was right in front of her, wall of solid-seeming chest. It was an illusion, she knew.
“I told you that I had never lied to you.”
“Well, gosh. Doesn’t that just make me special.”
She was starting to build up hope, and that was making her feel stupid. This guy was a killer. There was a body of a person he’d just killed in the room with them.
And he was an alien. Absolutely alien, now that he’d gotten some quicksilver back into his system. He was a shapeshifter, and she had no idea what that really meant or what the limits to his abilities might be.
“You are special, Brooke. To me.” He lifted her face to his, one hand under her chin.
As he leaned down to her, she said, “I’m not kissing you in the same room as a dead body.”
“Right.” He stood straight again. “I suppose that’s fair.”
“I’m so confused right now. I don’t know what’s going on or what will happen next.”
“What’s going on is that there was a threat to you. I have neutralized it.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“As to what’s next, that depends on you.” He stepped to the side, blocking her view of Kagnan’s blackened form. “Aside from this ruse that saved both of our lives, I truly haven’t lied to you. I told you back at your apartment that you would have a choice. You can go back to your life, either with or without your memories of me intact.”
“What if I don’t like those choices?”
Duration of Stay (The Department of Homeworld Security Book 6) Page 7