The Arrival (8 page)

At the wretched sound of Dimas’ voice,
chill bumps spread across the nape of my neck.

Crap, what was he doing there?

Did he know I had the tracking device? I
thought about running but ditched the stupid idea. I had no choice but to face
him. With a deep breath, I turned around.

“Yes, I’m headed to the deck after my
appointment.” I kept my voice steady and calm, trying to mask the nervousness
zapping through my blood. Instantly, I met his stare and cursed myself.

“You need to leave soon. I do not want
you to miss your flight.” His gaze held mine, piercing my brain as he reached
deep into the recesses of my mind. I sensed his presence, as he searched my
deepest thoughts, and I was powerless to stop him.

He wanted to know the truth.

What I was hiding from him. What I was
doing. My surroundings fogged, shrouded by ominous clouds, as he probed my most
intimate secrets, inventorying my memory to extract what he could.

It took all of my energy to break from
his hypnotic trance. I wouldn’t give him what he wanted to know. My thoughts
belonged to me. Not to him. He had no right to invade my mind. I’d be damned if
I’d let him use his alien magic on me.

Screw you. I’m not telling you a damn
thing.

He smirked.

“Don’t worry.”  I refrained from
thinking of anything else, fearful that he might intercede my thoughts and use
them against me. Mustering courage, I said, “I wouldn’t miss this opportunity
for anything.”

“Then allow me to do the honors,” Dimas
said, easing my backpack from my grip.

What? Was he going to search me? My
pulse quickened, and I managed to speak regardless of the tightness in my
throat. “Sure.” I closed my mouth after I realized that I had just agreed to
allow him to touch me. What the hell was wrong with me? He’d find the tracker.
There was no way I could hide it.

“Yes, sir,” Karpos said, returning to
the command station.

My legs tensed as I extended my arms,
assuming the search position.

“Relax,” Dimas spoke softly into my ear.
“I am not going to hurt you.”

Every muscle weakened, turning me into
bowl of Jell-O. It would take all of my inner strength to keep me upright for
his interrogation. “You promise?”

He didn’t speak but chuckled deep in his
throat. His laughter made me cringe, but it was his touch that had me flinching
when he rested his palms on my back. In a slow, gentle movement, he glided his
hands along my curves, kneading my muscles with a surprisingly tender touch. I
hated that it felt so good, because I wasn’t supposed to enjoy it.

He moved his hands in front of me,
drawing me closer to his body. For a moment, I wanted to flee, but something
kept me frozen in place. In a fast movement, he swept his fingers above my
breasts, over my shoulders, and then down my arms. He rested his palms on my
stomach, and the sheer warmth of his skin seeped through my thin scrubs,
searing my frigid flesh to a sizzling one hundred and ten degrees.

His fingers spread across my abdomen and
along my sides, stopping at my waist. My heart beat wildly, and I had trouble
determining if it was from the fear of being caught with the tracker or from
the body search. He lingered inches from my pocket, where I secretly hid the
device.

“Turn around,” he ordered, as he pivoted
my body between his stout arms.

“Yes, sir.” I rotated like a ballerina
in a jewelry box, twirling at her master’s command. Our eyes met once again,
igniting a spark that I knew spelled trouble. Anticipation mixed with fear,
reducing my mind to a poisonous cocktail. And then I recognized it. That same
mind-numbing sensation I experienced when I visited in his quarters. I wanted
to stop it, but it was too late. I had already tasted our strange but exciting
connection, and now I wanted more.

Because he made me feel alive.

The proximity of his body to mine was
overwhelming, and my heart raced as I longed for him to finish. With his gaze
fixed on mine, his hands glided over my scrubs, tracing the outline of my
curves. I nearly collapsed when his fingers worked their way up my inner calves
to my thighs, and I recoiled when he paused briefly on the tracker in my
pocket. I braced myself, preparing for the worst, but relaxed when a smile
played at the edge of his lips. Instead of demanding that I remove the device,
he simply did nothing.

“You can lower your arms,” Dimas said,
handing me my backpack.

“Oh, okay.” I stammered, still shocked
that he ignored the tracker.  He had me totally confused. Did he want me to
have it? Maybe he didn’t feel it. No, he did. I know he did. Or did he want me out
of there so bad that he was willing to overlook what I had taken? Thoughts ran
rampant, making me a hot mess, once again.

“Karpos, she is clear,” Dimas stated, as
he raised a finger. “We are ready to leave.”

“Yes, sir. I will override the system,
and you may pass.” His brow furrowed, and one by one his fingers typed
something into the computer.

It took a few seconds for me to register
the significance of Dimas’ actions. I was getting out of the Tech Lab with the
tracker tucked safely in my pocket.

The digital display above the scanner
illuminated a bright green. “After you,” Dimas said, gesturing with his hand.

“Thanks.” I gave him a quick smile and
stepped forward, knowing I had just won the opening battle in my war with the
Eslites.

But why was Dimas helping me?

θ

As we exited the Tech Lab, I wondered
whether or not I should thank Dimas. I opted for the obvious and refrained from
mentioning anything about the search. After all, why the hell would I thank him
for frisking me? The only thing I had to be grateful for was the fact that I
possessed a piece of equipment that I hoped would work once I arrived home.

I started to walk off but stopped when
he placed his hand on my arm. “Miranda, may I escort you to the Med Center?”

What? If he was with me, how would I get
the serum? The tracker was pointless without the nano-killing concoction. For a
second, I hesitated, unsure what to say.

“I understand that you and Kate have
been bombarded by the girls on the floor. If I go with you, it may provide a
smoother walk.”

I shrugged. “I guess.” But in reality I
screamed,
no
. The last thing I wanted was to be seen with him or to be
anywhere near to him. I took a few silent breaths, steadying my pounding heart
that threatened to leap out of my chest. My mind raced with more thoughts. Did
he know what the girls told us? Was he aware of the letters and the jewelry
they made for us? With my thumb, I twisted the star ring, hiding it under my
fingers.

I shifted my backpack, causing him to
release my arm. Did he think I was going to let him hold my hand?
Ewww.
We walked, side by side, to the elevators, ignoring the stares from the girls
we passed. News about Kate and me leaving had infiltrated Nidus, making us the
most popular girls. I wondered what rumors would spread when word got out that
I was seen strolling the halls with him? Then again, maybe that was part of his
plan. Eliminate the hope of Kate and me freeing anyone from Nidus. Remind
everyone that he was in charge and not me.

We took the elevator to the Med Center
on the fifth floor, claiming more stares as we made our way down the main
hallway to my so-called appointment.

“Please, after you.” Dimas stepped to
the side, acting particularly strange, which made me more worried. Then again,
I had never spent much time with him, so I had no idea how he would behave
around me. I hushed the nagging voice in my head and focused on the plan.

“Thank you.” 

Entering the Med Center, I was shocked
to discover the room filled with about twenty girls, half of them from our
floor. Some doubled over, moaning, and groaning in pain, while others balled
into a fetal position, as they waited to be seen. Eslite nurses rushed around
the room, attending to each of them. I wanted to help but didn’t know how.

I searched the room for Gaby but didn’t
see her anywhere. The attendant at the front talked on the phone, so I waited,
hoping Dr. Ridus or Gaby would find me.

“Hi, Miranda,” Dr. Ridus said, appearing
from the hallway. He looked exhausted and frazzled but managed to maintain his
composure despite the chaos.

I gave him a slight nod. “Hello, Dr.
Ridus.”

He quickly acknowledged the six-foot
structure standing to the side of me. “Hello, Dimas.”

“Why does she need an examination before
she departs?” Narrowing his stare, Dimas stepped forward, and I half expected
deadly lasers to come beaming out of him.

The doctor eased me behind him. I had
never seen him stand up to Dimas. In the past, he bowed and answered every
beckoning call.  “I need to give her an injection, and show her how to give
herself the weekly required shots while she is gone. It will not take long.”

“Make sure she knows how to do it and
exactly how much to administer to herself,” Dimas ordered. “I don’t want
anything bad happening to her.”

I gasped silently under my breath. The
request wasn’t what I expected. Did he actually care about my wellbeing? Why
would he? Were my eggs that special to him?

The doctor cleared his throat. “Of
course.”

“What’s going on here?”  Dimas scanned
the area. “I saw your request for two additional doctors and five extra nurses
to report immediately to the Med Center.”

“I’ll have a full report to you as soon
as we have all the details.”  The doctor adjusted his glasses. “It may have
been the last dosage of hormones.”

“Are you certain you have enough staff?”
At first, Dimas didn’t appear satisfied with the doctor’s excuse. His brow
relaxed and a concerned expression emerged. “It seems you have a crisis on your
hands.”

“This should be sufficient,” the doctor
replied.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed
Gaby had entered the room. She stood completely still, apparently surprised by
Dimas’ visit. Dr. Ridus motioned for her to come forward.

It took a few seconds for her to
respond. “Yes, Dr. Ridus?”

“Please take Miranda to a room. I will
be in shortly.” Dr. Ridus passed me to Gaby’s care.

“Miranda?” Dimas’ voice reverberated off
the walls.

I peered over my shoulder. “Yes?”

With a stern look he said, “Remember my
warning.”

Damn. He knew we were up to something.

I swallowed the acid inching from my
stomach, forced my shoulders back, and replied, “How could I forget.” Without
hesitation, I followed Gaby down the hall and never glanced back.

I immediately hit the close button for
the door to the exam room and slouched to the floor. “Oh my God! I didn’t think
I’d ever get away from him.”

“What were you doing with Dimas?” Gaby
collapsed onto a stool.

“He showed up as I was about to be
searched by Karpos.”

“Oh, no.”  Gaby gasped. “What happened?
Did you get the tracker?”

I held a finger to my lips, reminding
her to whisper. “Karpos rummaged through my backpack, and then Dimas offered to
personally search me.”

Her eyes widened and her breath
quickened. “Really?”

“Yes,” I inhaled sharply. “He freakin’
frisked me.” I rested my head against my hand, fighting the lustful thoughts
that tempted me to do the unthinkable. What the heck was wrong with me? Why did
I keep obsessing over Dimas and the way he touched me?

I hated him—didn’t I?

He was a liar and a thief, and he cared
nothing about me. So why did he let me get away with the tracker and allow me
to make my appointment without demanding he be present? Maybe he was trying to
help me escape. Maybe he wanted me to get the girls out of Nidus. I thought
about telling Gaby but decided to keep the details to myself for now.

“So, did you get it or not?”

I stood up, reached inside my pocket,
and pulled out the tracker. “Of course I got it.”

The worry on her face vanished instantly.
Amazing what technology could do. “I knew you could do it.” She hopped from the
stool and came to my side.

I placed the shiny device in her hand.
“If you hadn’t called in the doctor’s orders for me not to be scanned, I doubt
I’d be here right now.”

“Apparently it worked.” She gave me a
smug smile. “I can’t believe they didn’t find it.”

“Me either. But tell me, how did you
think of the no scanning scheme?” I asked, taking the device and returning it
to my pocket.

She gave me a shrug. “It was Dr. Ridus’
idea. After I told him the plan, he said you’d never leave the Tech Lab with
the device. He came up with the excuse a few hours ago. Luckily, you were still
there when he talked to Cyrus.”

“Gee, I can’t imagine what would have
happened had he not thought of that. I had no idea if the reflective packaging
would prevent the device from showing up on the screen,” I said, shaking my
head.

“And you don’t have to worry about any
more scans. At least, until you return.” She winked and then opened a tall
metal cabinet.

Things were falling into place, but a
looming question remained. “Did Dr. Ridus have any luck formulating a serum?”

“Yes, he did.”  Gaby turned, clutching
two vials to her chest. “In fact, he worked around the clock to come up with
it.”

She gave me the bottles, and I held them
out and studied the almost transparent fluid. Iridescent specks flowed through
the small glass containers when the light hit it just right. “And this is going
to work?”

“It better work,” Dr. Ridus announced as
he entered the room.

“Hi, Dr. Ridus. Thanks for saving me
back there. I know you’re putting yourself at risk for helping us, and I’m not
sure why you want to help us, but—”

“Miranda, what we are doing is wrong. I
cannot stand by and watch us destroy one race for the sake of ours. We have to
be accountable for what we have done, and humans should not bear the burden of
our errors.”

I didn’t know exactly how to respond.
“Thanks for caring and adhering to your ethics.”

“This goes beyond ethics. It is doing
what is right. And what we have done and continue to do to human girls is not
right. It is reprehensible.”

I found it surprising that an Eslite could
be so passionate about helping us. I honestly didn’t know if I should trust
him. But I had to take that leap of faith since he was the only one willing to
assist us in getting out of Nidus. Unless Dimas had an ulterior motive.  I kept
my attention on the serum, trying to ignore the girl in the room next to us,
crying in pain. No matter how hard I tried to block her out, her whimpers
pierced the wall. I had to save her and the rest of the girls, including
myself.

“I truly appreciate everything you are
doing.” I stressed each word, hoping he believed the truth of my message. “So
what do I do with the vials?”

He sat on a rolling chair and moved next
to me. He skimmed over his shiny balding head a few times with the palm of his
hand. Something in his eyes told me it wasn’t going to be as easy as it seemed.
Then again, the whole plan was crazy.

“Miranda, I am not one-hundred percent
sure this will work.” Hesitating, he sighed. “And if you decide you do not want
to inject it, I understand.”

Why did he think I would back out?
Especially after he went through all the trouble to make it and then create a
diversion so I could sneak a tracking device from the Tech Lab. “Why would I
not want to take it?”

With a sympathetic expression, he gazed at
me. “Because the serum can have side effects.”

“Like what?” I pretended that his
warning didn’t scare me. When in fact, it horrified me. I reminded myself that
I had a mission. I couldn’t focus on the
‘what if’s’
.  Then again, I had
to know what I was up against.

“For one thing, it will thin your blood.
This is a highly concentrated dose.” The gravity of his demeanor alerted me to
the seriousness of the situation and the possible consequences of taking the
medication.

I did a quick mental check. People were
prescribed blood thinners all the time for various reasons. I was confident my
body could handle it. “Okay, that’s not so bad—”

“As long as you do not get cut or
injured,” he cautioned.

“Got it. What else?” I leaned against
the wall. That didn’t seem as dangerous as he made it sound.

 “You must administer it directly into
your vein, so it can enter your bloodstream. Gabby will show you to do it. You
may experience some light-headedness, blurred vision, and nausea.”

“I think I can deal with that.” I nodded,
reassuring him that I was on board with the plan. “Do I inject myself daily?” I
gently shook the vials between my fingers. “How much?”

He paused for a moment and took the
bottles from my grasp. “I do not know, because I did not have time to test it.”

“What?” I reminded myself why I had to
act.

Mays are leaders. We never show
weakness.

Surely he didn’t expect me to be the
guinea pig.

My stomach seized and twisted. “Then how
can I be sure that I won’t have really bad side effects, or if I have taken
enough for it to work?”

“You will not know until you take one
dose.”  He rubbed his chin.  “I recommend you start with one cc.”

“Then what?”

Tears welled in his somber stare, and in
that instant I was truly afraid. Since the nine months I had been at Nidus, I had
never seen an Eslite so emotional. Other than Dimas’ occasional angry outbursts,
the other Eslites kept a cool and collective demeanor.

“You will need to wait twenty-four hours,
and then use the tracking device to see if it can trace you. Hopefully you will
not bleed out.”

“What?” I flinched. “I could bleed out?”

“There is a small possibility. If you
do, you will need to seek medical attention immediately.”  Dr. Ridus compressed
his lips. “Otherwise, you could die.”

“I could die?”  My jaw dropped. Now I
understood why he thought I might not want to go through with it.

“I feel confident it is safe to start
with a low dosage. However, I am not sure if it will be enough to kill all the
nanobots.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index
finger.