Chapter 3 Holly
HOLLY
Ishot upright, heart pounding, sweat drenching my face. For a moment, I thought it was all a crazy dream. Hearing Dr. Snyder’s voice. Lured by an email from a professor I admired. Paralyzed. Helpless.
Then I realized I’d woke up—into a nightmare.
I was in a small, unfamiliar room. Scratch that, cell.
Three walls were steely gray and bare except for the narrow bed and a panel on the right-hand wall.
It looked sort of like a microwave without a handle and a small control panel.
The fourth wall opposite the bed was an opaque milky color but I could see vague shadows on the other side moving around.
Now that I was sitting up, the lights inside the cell slowly brightened, letting me note more details.
My clothes had been replaced with loose, flowy pants and tunic.
The white fabric was soft against my skin, but it didn’t feel like cotton.
Thicker, more substantial, but extremely light. No bra or underwear.
The thought that someone had touched me while I was unaware, stripped off all of my clothes, and then dressed me again… Ick.
My heart pounded so hard I felt dizzy. Shivering, I drew my knees up to my chest and hugged myself, bracing my forehead against my legs. Breathe. Slow. In and out. Think. What do I remember?
It’d been Snyder. So DSC had me.
Terror shrilled through my mind. Draco Sirius Command was run by a powerful alien syndicate with such advanced technology it might as well be magic. I felt like a Neanderthal cave woman sitting at a computer and wondering what the hell to do.
My father’s annoying voice filled my head. “I told you something like this would happen. You should’ve listened to me.”
I flipped him the mental bird, the same way I’d been ignoring his tedious opinions since I was old enough to have my own.
I’d grown up with all the privileges his money and reputation could provide, and for that I truly was grateful.
But I’d never bought into his rich-man, misogynist ideals.
If I’d listened to him, I’d be bored to tears at some fundraiser gala with a fake smile and a beautiful gown, on some other rich man’s arm.
A beautiful yet useless object he’d trade in for a newer, younger, more beautiful model in a few years.
No thank you.
At least thinking about my daddy issues distracted my mind from the current danger long enough to calm my heartbeat.
I had friends. Powerful friends. I didn’t fully understand the science behind Natalie’s abilities, but she was more than just human.
Plus, she’d shared that technology with me.
Rizan promised they wouldn’t leave me behind.
But where am I? Is this even a place the squad can reach?
Even more importantly, why am I here?
Because if Snyder planned to use me as bait to get Natalie and her baby…
Then I’d figure out a way to end myself before that could happen. No way would I be responsible for them getting trapped. Even if I died here.
A low chime made my head jerk up. The microwave panel popped open, revealing a white rectangular interior with a silver cup of steaming liquid.
“Good morning, Holly,” a female voice said overhead in a warm, friendly tone that still sounded robotic. “Your coffee is ready.”
I scanned the ceiling of the cell, but I didn’t see a speaker. Nothing but smooth gray walls. “Like I’d trust anything offered by kidnappers.”
“My directive is to provide for your comfort and wellbeing,” she replied in the same pleasant, friendly tone. The small door closed with a quiet snap. “Please let me know when you’re ready for refreshment.”
“Go fuck yourself,” I growled. “I’ll take my refreshment once I’m home.”
“I’m unable to accommodate your request at this time. However, I’ve notified the team of your wishes.”
“What team? Where am I? Why am I here?”
“The best and brightest scientists of Draco Sirius Command are assembled to assist you, Holly. My directive doesn’t include our location, but rest assured I will note any questions you have for the team.”
A bunch of words without telling me anything that I didn’t already know.
The opaque wall flashed with pearly light and turned transparent.
Smiling, the man I knew as Dr. James Snyder inclined his head. “We meet again, Miss Price.”
My stomach quivered with dread. I kept myself very still, my knees pressed to my chest. He sounded the same. He even wore the ridiculous Indiana Jones hat we’d privately giggled about. The same wide, Hollywood white smile he used to dazzle investors and grad students alike.
He tipped his head, flicking the brim of his hat like I’d seen him do a million times back home, and his image shifted. His human features melted into flat, shining silver. “I hear you’ve got some questions for the team.”
Be smart, I warned myself. Be strategic. If I’m rude and piss him off, I may not get answers.
Though it felt like rubbing myself with a steel cheese grater to play dumb. “What’s going on? Why am I here? Where am I?”
Even though he didn’t look like Dr. Snyder any longer, he still used the human’s voice. Was that really what he sounded like—or also an illusion? “Come now, Miss Price. You know exactly why you’re here. Don’t you remember Rizan’s reports about abductions of young, healthy women exactly your age?”
My stomach rolled, though a teeny tiny kernel of hope wavered like a spark in a hurricane gale. If they’d been trying to give a squad a mate as we surmised, then it was very likely I’d meet one sooner than later.
However, I so very much did not want to end up on their menu.
“How did you find us so quickly?”
Laughing, he shook his head. “How could we not take note of mass reports of blue lights in the sky around Lake Atitlán last night? If Miss Whit truly wanted to keep her location secret, she should have figured out a way to suppress the telltale signs of a BGR’s jump.”
I kept my face smooth, though internally, that little kernel of hope doubled in size. He didn’t know everything. The blue lights last night hadn’t been a jump because we were already there. “Maybe you should tell Axxol yourself. I’m sure he’d love to receive your personal criticism.”
He laughed again, shifting back to his human shape. A subtle reminder of his power. “He’s welcome to eat as many human shells as he wishes. That will never stop DSC.”
“You’re not really here, are you,” I said slowly.
“I am everywhere and nowhere.” He tipped his hat to me again. “You impress me, Miss Price. Your intellect is exactly what this program needs to succeed.”
“I refuse to be part of your grand plans. Besides, I’m sure as soon as I disappeared, the squad moved Natalie to safety. You won’t find her so easily again.” I hope. Geez. Get your act together, Axxol!
“Don’t sell yourself short, dear girl. If I’d wanted to capture Miss Whit, I would have done so. No, I have exactly the right female for this program.”
“What program is that?”
He grinned widely. “Our breeding program.”