by Fiona Roarke
Breaking and entering into the hospital was an unplanned yet very necessary task. And it wasn’t like she hadn’t done it before. But the last time, Sheriff Merrow had helped her. He’d even brought along a vampire friend to drink the evidence. The vampire—she hadn’t caught his name and didn’t dare ask—said alien blood was very tasty and had exaggeratedly stared at her neck as he commented she had lovely veins.
With a brand new baby in his household, Sheriff Merrow had enough on his plate. Victoria didn’t want to disturb him to ask about the vampire’s availability tonight. Plus, she didn’t really want a vampire staring at her veins without a chaperone. It was perhaps foolish, but blood-sucking bothered her more than she was willing to admit. Much like the rumored giant cockroach.
Five minutes of drive time translated to fifteen minutes of walk time, but it was fully dark by the time she arrived at the hospital. She crossed the street to get near the loading dock of the hospital and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw a small black cat approaching.
Relax. It’s a kitten not a giant cockroach.
Victoria took a few deep breaths and calmed down, calling out, “Hello, little black cat.”
“Hello, big human,” said a tiny little voice from the direction of the feline.
Did that cat just speak? No. I am hearing things.
But Victoria could have sworn the little beastie started chanting as he trotted past. She heard very clearly, “Feed the cat. Feed the cat. Feed the cat.” Strange. But Nocturne Falls was an odd place. Even so, she liked it here. And the place was supernatural. Why not a talking cat? Maybe all the animals talked and she just hadn’t noticed.
She settled into her hiding place, glancing at her watch. From previous reconnaissance late at night, she knew the back dock would be unlocked for the next half hour. There was a supply truck being unloaded, but the workers were about finished.
As she waited for a clear path inside, her recent conversation with Cam filtered into her brain.
“How is the pilot doing?” Cam asked first thing.
“He has severe pain in his head.”
“Still?”
“Yes. I’m not sure why.”
“I figured after the long coma he’d be back to normal.”
“Me, too, but I can see it in his eyes. He suffers.”
“Well, bring him right back here pronto and the doctors in Alienn will fix him up good as new.”
“I want to, but there is another problem,” she said, hating to bring it up, knowing she had to.
“I know I may regret asking this, but what problem?” Cam’s voice was tense.
“When Holden woke up from the coma, his regular doctor was out of town, so a new doctor was assigned to cover his case.”
“So?”
“So this new doctor didn’t see any tests in his chart from when he was admitted and ordered some.”
“Space potatoes!” Cam said and then added a few more very creative swear words in the background before coming back on the line.
Victoria started talking before Cam finished his creative tirade. “They said they were sorry and assured me the tests would be destroyed.”
“Of course they did, but we need to be certain.”
“I know. Perhaps Sheriff Merrow could get in and check to ensure the blood samples and CT images are truly gone.”
Cam shot that down quickly. She knew he would, but didn’t want to drag Holden along with her or make him suffer with the pain in his head, so she asked the question, and got the expected answer.
“No. You need to take care of this, Victoria. I appreciate that the Nocturne Falls sheriff has been cooperative these past few weeks, but that hard evidence needs to be under our control pronto, not hopefully taken care of eventually.”
“Okay, I’ll take care of it tonight.”
“They really tested his blood and did another CT scan of his head again?” Cam repeated the information as if he wished he could snap his fingers and make it go away. She did, too.
“Yes, unfortunately.”
“And you haven’t already destroyed the new tests along with the results?” He was kidding. Sort of.
“No, not yet.”
“Where are the supposedly destroyed tests and the leftover blood vials right now?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you’re going to make a plan and get back there as soon as possible to ensure that truth or retrieve them, right?”
“Of course.”
Cam pushed out a long breath as if centering himself. “There is something else you need to know.”
“Okay. What?”
“We’ve sent someone to Nocturne Falls on a separate assignment. He’ll be there soon, if he’s not in town already. He’s been tasked with recovering a stowaway on board.” Stowaway? Wow! “Bubba Thorne’s a Royal Magistrate Guard. We gave him your contact information. He may or may not get in touch with you.”
“I understand.”
Cam rattled off the details for Bubba’s communication device. “Check with him before you leave town so he knows you’re gone and unavailable for any backup.”
“Right.”
“Or do you need him for backup in order to make sure the blood samples and CT scans from the human hospital are disposed of?”
“I don’t think so.” Victoria hated to leave Holden alone in the motel, but she was responsible for ensuring the renegade tests were truly gone. Even so, she wasn’t going to call a prestigious RMG guy to come and babysit while she went and retrieved something that should never have been taken in the first place.
“I’ll leave this task in your capable hands, then. Don’t leave any trace.”
“I won’t.”
“And keep on truckin’, Victoria.”
“I will. Bye.”
The delivery truck she’d been watching pulled away from the back dock, stopping her rapt reverie. She stood from her crouched position and moved toward the now-empty back entrance.
Victoria slipped inside without anyone seeing her. Although a hospital never really slept, there were definitely times when the halls were relatively empty. She avoided the few staff members she came across on her way to the laboratory where they’d retrieved the first test samples and results.
She looked through the day’s blood samples stored in a refrigerated cabinet, and found not one, but two vials of Holden’s blood. To their credit, the two vials were in the tray marked for disposal. But she had only expected one vial not two. Spuds. Looking over her shoulder to ensure she was still alone, Victoria saw no one.
She promptly searched all of the samples in the refrigerator to ensure there weren’t any more secret vials of his alien blood tucked away in the cabinet. After a very thorough search, she didn’t find more than the two. Good. She tucked the vials into her pants pocket and headed down to the second floor and the radiology department. Once inside the front office area, Victoria bent over the computer, logged in and accessed the digital file using the user name and password Sheriff Merrow had procured the last time.
It worked perfectly.
Victoria was able to access the five CT images in the panel they’d taken from different angles of his head. Sure, they were thorough, but they weren’t supposed to be taking any at all, let alone five. Good thing she looked for more than just one.
The sound of an automatic door whooshing open nearby halted her completely. She stood frozen, waiting to be discovered. Nothing. She waited another minute or two and listened for anyone or anything moving closer to her. She heard nothing and went back to work.
Stealth work always made her hear things that weren’t really there.
She brought up the private e-mail of the doctor in Alienn and forwarded a copy of the most recent CT scans along with a copy of the test report they’d done on his blood, which pointed out some irregularities.
Victoria pulled out the special flash drive Cam had included in their standard tactical gear. Since nothing was every truly deleted in any c
omputer system these days, the flash drive contained a targeted Alpha virus that would censor out any alien details from Holden’s hospital records, just like she’d done the last time.
She checked her watch. The doctor in Alienn probably wouldn’t see the e-mail she’d sent until tomorrow, but at least he’d be prepared when she finally got Holden back to Arkansas and into his care.
Victoria carefully deleted the sent e-mail from the system, using another special virus to ensure no one knew she’d been the one sending e-mails. While she was connected, she brought Holden’s hospital admittance file up onto the screen and censored that as well. Holden was simply a regular guy with normal test results. All his bloodwork was changed, his files were altered, his admittance form a work of fictional art. The CT scans and all of the notes the nurses had recorded regarding his vital statistics and general health—before, during and after the coma—now reflected only human attributes. Awesome.
The hospital staff would remember Holden Gregg, but wouldn’t have any documentation to support that he was anything other than some human tourist. Whew. She mentally patted herself on the back for a job well done and a huge invisible weight lifted off her shoulders.
“Hey! Step away from the computer terminal. What do you think you’re doing there?” asked a stern voice behind her. Victoria glanced over her shoulder and saw a security guard she hadn’t expected or even heard until he was standing in the room with her.
Super spuds!
<^> <^> <^>
Bubba arrived in the delightful town of Nocturne Falls late in the afternoon. He found a room at a place called the Pinehurst Inn. Luckily, he wouldn’t need to stay too long. It was a rather plain place, the complete opposite of the town. He strolled through Nocturne Falls using his mind-reading abilities to listen in on various conversations, able to hear both humans and the folks who were called supernatural.
His first stop was a candy store called Delaney’s Delactables. The scent alone drove him inside. He’d had chocolate in Alienn, but this place was fancy. Draeken Phoenix mentioned it on the trip back to Earth from gulag XkR-9, the worst prison planet in three galaxies. Draeken warned him not to divulge the fact the proprietress was a vampire out loud, as that had gotten him in a lot of trouble during his own visit after the crash.
Bubba wanted the opposite of trouble.
He looked around the chocolate store with relish, eager to try everything. He’d have to budget, though. He only had enough Earth cash for two weeks. Even at double the rate and daily expenses, Bubba was fairly certain an allowance for chocolate treats hadn’t been included. Even so, having chocolate in place of one meal each and every day probably wouldn’t kill him.
Diesel and Cam Grey had given him the contact information for Victoria Greene, the security specialist waiting for the pilot to recover.
He’d certainly done that duty before, sitting idly by while compatriots healed from battle wounds in the luckily few warfare incidents Alpha-Prime had endured. Not an easy assignment for anyone, but especially not for soldiers and guards who were used to more action.
Bubba would check in with her later, after he ate his fill of chocolate treats. He wandered around the store, listening to various patrons’ thoughts, pretending—if only to himself—that he was working to find clues as he greedily filled his shopping basket with treats for the coming week.
He caught a surprising thought from the woman behind the display case where all the fancy, by the pound candy resided, and it made him stop and stare at her longer than he should have.
Draeken had warned him, but he didn’t believe it until he heard it in his own mind. Vampire. She was a vampire. How extraordinary. The folklore must be wrong. He understood vampires couldn’t come out in the daylight. Or perhaps she was a very powerful vampire and the regular rules didn’t apply to her.
“May I help you?” she asked, polite enough not to call him on his rude stare.
“Oh. Yes.” He looked away from her face to search the display case, vowing to buy extra treats—such a sacrifice—to make up for his behavior. “What are these?” He pointed to the first thing he saw.
“The strawberry cream bonbons?” she asked, referring to the row of perfect treats and right next to a little sign that said, “Strawberry Cream Bonbon.”
“Are they good?” he asked, like an idiot.
“Want to try one?”
“Sure.” She picked up some little tongs, grabbed a treat, stuck it in a little round of paper and handed it to him.
He popped it into his mouth. The rush of flavor made his eyes want to roll back in his head with delight. “Very good,” he said after several seconds of joy.
“I’m so glad. How many would you like?”
“Lots.”
She laughed. “A pound?”
“How many is that?”
“Ten to twelve pieces.”
“Oh, I need more than that.”
“Two pounds?”
“Three,” he said with authority. “And I can always come back if I run out.”
“Yes, indeed.” She glanced down into the case. “If I don’t have quite that many of the strawberry, would you like to try some different flavors?”
Bubba hunched down and noticed several flavors he wanted to try. “That’s a good idea.” He was about to get a pound of each, but decided that would be way too much. “Mix up the flavors for the three pounds. I trust you, but heavy on the strawberry, okay?”
“Got it.” She got a large box and started filling it up. Bubba looked around and noticed several more folks had come in. He read their minds, too. The earthlings’ minds were the easiest. The supernatural folk, as Cam had termed them, were a bit more difficult, but not strenuous.
A young redheaded woman came into the shop, a ding-a-ling sound from the bell above the door announcing her entry.
Delaney looked up as the newcomer approached. “Hi, Pandora. I have your mother’s special order all ready. Let me finish up here and I’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks, Delany. No rush. I’ll raid your samples for now.” Pandora got a tiny wooden spike out of a dish, lifted the glass dome perched over small pieces of chocolate displayed beneath and stabbed one, popping it into her mouth. “So good,” she exclaimed with her eyes shut momentarily. She lifted the glass lid a second time, going back for more. He watched the apparent ritual with amusement. Lift. Stab. Eat. Lift. Stab. Eat.
Bubba tried to get inside her mind as she nibbled chocolate samples, but couldn’t seem to get through. He mind-nudged her, trying harder to gain entrance to her thoughts, but she didn’t change expression or anything. It was like he wasn’t even making an effort. And he was. She just kept eating samples as if he wasn’t about to break out in a sweat with the useless effort. He cleared his throat and gave up trying. Extraordinary.
What manner of supernatural creature was she that he couldn’t read her mind? She couldn’t be part Alpha, could she? He opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. He couldn’t ask. Her possible alien status or supernatural abilities were off-limits as far as day-to-day conversation went. He knew that.
He’d have to note this oddity in his general report once he found the stowaway and returned to Alienn. The supernaturals were impervious to the Defender, he’d been told. And now some apparently had minds that were impossible to read. Interesting.
Delaney rang up his order, which turned out to be less Earth cash than he’d expected given the huge amount of treats he’d bought.
With his large box of chocolates tucked under one arm, Bubba wandered through town, taking the long way back to his motel room, not actually anxious to get there. He listened to the minds of those on the streets as he meandered, searching for clues as to where his little alien stowaway might be hiding out here on Earth. Was she still in the area? He hoped so.
Bubba had the coordinates of where the gulag-bound ship had crashed, although the wreckage had long since been removed. He’d start there and see where it led him. Tomorrow.
It was some time later when the communication device Cam had given him vibrated on the nightstand next to his bed. He was about to nod off, possibly thanks to a belly full of delicious chocolate, when the sound jolted him to alertness.
Picking the device up, he read the screen.
Need help at NF human hospital. ASAP
Bubba figured NF meant Nocturne Falls and already understood the earthling ASAP term, but where was the human hospital? He hadn’t come across it between the chocolate store and the cheap motel. He might have to ask for directions.
He got up, and messaged back, “On my way,” as he closed the door to his room.
Unfortunately, Victoria Greene was on her own until he could figure out where she was.
Chapter Eight
<^> <^> <^>
Victoria was caught fair and square. She’d sent a distress signal to Bubba Thorne, hoping he was somewhere close. She wasn’t even sure he was in town yet, but he was her best—actually, only—option right now.
The distress signal had a range of ten miles. It worked perfectly in Alienn, but the signal wouldn’t get all the way from Georgia to Arkansas. Only Bubba was near enough to respond.
Not that it would likely make a difference. If he wasn’t already somewhere in the building or, better yet, on this floor about to intervene in the next ten seconds or so, she was in trouble all by her lonesome.
If hospital security sent her to a local jail cell for the night, she wouldn’t be locked up for long. But then Sheriff Merrow would know she went off on her own to ensure the blood tests and CT images were taken care of without his knowledge or approval.
She didn’t want to invite his disappointment or disapproval. Would he understand she just hadn’t wanted to bother him and disrupt his new family dynamic? Would her incarceration harm the recently established negotiation between their two unusual towns?
“Are you going to answer me?” the security guy asked.
“Do I have to?” She didn’t look at his face, but smiled to convey she wasn’t a threat. Well, not a big one anyway.