Parallel Seduction (26 page)

The craft's captain stepped down the gangway first, giving Jared a brisk nod, and then a slightly overweight, burly human followed, with Chris Harper right behind him. Jake blinked at Chris, shocked to see him so young, none of the lines or even the lightly premature gray in his otherwise blond hair.

Jared stepped forward, saluting the colonel, and the officer returned Jared's salute. It was amusing to watch the colonel's face as Jared greeted him as one military man to another. Jared's gesture clearly achieved the desired impact: immediate respect. Jared extended a strong hand to Chris, who took it readily with a "Nice to meet you, Commander."

Pleasantries were exchanged, and then his commander offered, "Why don't you look around just a moment. I'll give you a quick tour, then we'll get down to business."

"Get a load of this operation," Chris said to Colonel Peters under his breath, but not so low that Jake didn't catch it.

Chris directed his next statement to Jared. "Very impressive, sir."

Jared gave a slight bow. "We have worked hard to stay abreast of current trends in our own technology. What you see is state-of-the-art for our people … and for those we're fighting."

"The Antousians?" the colonel prompted.

"Yes, Colonel. They're your adversaries, not us—as you obviously found out at Warren."

"We are all very grateful for your help that day," the colonel agreed.

Both Chris and the colonel gazed across the massive hangar deck, up to the high ceiling, back along the length of at least forty aircraft—and that was just what they could immediately see inside the one hangar. "This is a full-on flight deck," Chris observed. "Only inside … not out. But inside where?"

"Think of this as akin to an aircraft carrier," Jake volunteered. "All those same capabilities, but contained away from a traditional runway."

"Where is this contained, then?" Chris persisted, turning his gray eyes—ones exactly like Hope's—right on Jake.

Jake's king shook his head, shutting Chris down. "We didn't agree to reveal location, and you know under what terms you're here."

The colonel's eyes were wide, fixed on the nearest craft. "Take a look at that plane. God, she's beautiful." Wonder filled the older man's voice.

"Would you say she holds her own beside any of your USAF planes?" Jared asked, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

The colonel gave an appreciative whistle. "These craft aren't like anything I've ever seen, Commander. And I've been flying for over twenty-five years."

"Our technology is different, of course," Bennett commented with a brisk nod.

The colonel whistled again, low and meaningful. "Now that I see what we've been flying against, I don't feel so terrible that you've whupped us so many times."

Bennett's features tightened. "We aren't your enemy—we were defending you all along."

The colonel bristled in turn. "It would have helped, sir, if you'd come forward sooner. If you'd told us the true nature of the conflict. You might have saved yourself—all of us—a lot of lost time."

Jared bowed his head. "You never gave us that opportunity, Colonel. You were too busy trying to shoot us down."

The colonel took a step forward toward the nearest craft, but Bennett caught him by the arm. "Let's save the tour until after our meeting," he said, turning to face Chris. "I'm most interested in your sister's safety right now—and that of my lieutenant, Scott Dillon. Come this way." Jared gestured across the hangar with a sidelong look at Jake. "I have a meeting room already set up, and my advisers are waiting."

J
ake sat back at the
meeting table and listened as Jared gave the colonel and Chris the lowdown. Not the full picture, such as the fatal virus that had caused the war back home. But, rather, Jared conveyed details about Veckus Densalt, and how their enemy led the Earth conquest on behalf of their greatest enemy—Raedus. How that alien had stolen Jared's kingship and throne, and even now lived in the D'Aravnian palace that had been in Jared's own family for more than a thousand years. The two outsiders listened, wide-eyed, and didn't interrupt with questions. Chris scribbled notes on his pad, and Jake was surprised at that fact, but Jared didn't make a move to stop him.

Maybe his commander really
had
decided to join forces with the feds. Later, when it was just the two of them, he planned to praise him for that plan.

"So what caused this virus, then, if it wasn't released by your people, as these Antousians claim?" Chris asked, his gray eyes narrowing.

Jared hesitated, staring at his hands. "They were having genetic issues," he answered opaquely. "They decided to use genetic therapy, but it's almost impossible to fix one thing without causing other problems."

"What sort of genetic issues?" Chris persisted, and Jared closed his eyes.

Jake knew exactly what was happening in his best friend's mind. It was the same question that was on all the rest of theirs: how much to tell, what to reveal—and what to keep secret.

After a moment, Jared opened his eyes again. "We will share that knowledge in good time, Agent Harper."

Way to go, Jared,
he wanted to cheer.
Smart move for now.

The true cause behind the virus—the reason the Antousians had sought genetic therapy in the first place—was much more than the humans needed to know at this point in time. That kind of knowledge could be terribly dangerous in the wrong hands.

Jake was thinking about that fact when, unexpectedly, Chris turned to look him right in the eye. "You were the one on the snowmobile," he announced suddenly. "You're our unsub."

Jake pulled back in his chair, caught off guard. "What makes you say that?"

"You match the description completely—the bright green eyes, the large, bulky build."

Jake glanced at Jared, who gave a nod of approval, then replied, "Yes, I was with your sister on the snowmobile prior to our encounter with the Antousians."

Chris rose up slightly in his chair. "Why in hell did you have Hope out there like that?"

Jake met his former brother-in-law's caustic stare, and never so much as blinked. "There was a good reason. Trust me on that."

Chris shook his head, his face flushing. He was always a man with a quick temper, and Jake couldn't expect this moment to be any exception. "Did you realize she has diabetes? Huh?"

"Agent Harper, let's stow this," the colonel intervened. "We've got bigger fish to fry right now."

Jared turned to the overhead projector, ready to begin flashing slides—images of what they'd known about various Antousian hideouts—when suddenly Thea burst into the room.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Jared asked her, releasing the handheld projector control.

She was winded, but managed to catch her breath. "I have a line on them," she announced. "Just got incredibly accurate intel."

"From whom?" Jared and Jake asked, practically in unison.

Thea cut her gaze sideways at the two outsiders in their midst, then gestured toward the hallway with her head. Jared turned and, with a polite bow to both men, said simply, "Please, sirs, give us a moment."

Jake followed Thea and Jared into the hallway, wondering what knowledge Thea had possibly managed to lay hold of.

Once the door was closed, she whispered, "It's one of our spies, sir. Managed to get a message through to me. She gave me the exact coordinates of their location."

"
W
hich
spy, Thea?" Jared
searched her face. "I have no knowledge of any spies among the Antousian ranks."

Thea smiled up at him, looking proud of herself. "Sir, you've always taught me to keep our intel completely compartmentalized on these matters. As your chief intelligence officer, the exact location—and how many spies I have working for me—I've always chosen to keep to myself."

Jared wasn't sure he liked that fact, even as he knew it was the smartest, safest strategy on Thea's part. "Go on," he said at last.

"It's an abandoned warehouse in Montana, an old feed and flour plant, sir. They're alive, and so far they're safe, but the contact says that may not hold for long."

Jared's mind whirled. Could this spy truly be trusted? If not, they'd be walking into a trap.

It was Jake Tierny who piped up next. "How do you know your contact is reliable?" he questioned, glancing back at the closed door.

Thea turned to him, annoyance flashing in her light blue eyes. "Because the previous leads this contact has given me have been completely borne out. That's why."

Jared gave a brisk nod. "So we form a team and go in, but does that include"—he tapped the closed meeting room door—"those men?"

Thea gave him a tentative look of approval. "We joined our forces very well at Warren, don't you think?"

Jared had to admit it was true; still, even having made this step of bringing the feds into their camp was a major leap of trust. If this retrieval job went wrong, the stakes were off the map—he could lose his best friend, and Hope Harper, no less.

"I need to think," he announced, and walked away down the hall.

H
ope was surprised when
, awakened by one of the soldiers, she was told to get up. "Where are you taking me?" she asked as they tugged her unsteadily to her feet.

"Veckus has a plan. Come." They dragged her along, and she dug her heels into the floor and slid most of the way along the hall, until finally she realized resistance wouldn't help.

"Here she is, Commander," someone announced, shoving her forward into the semidarkness. "All healed up and ready to play."

Glancing about them, Hope could see faint light from overhead, as if maybe the morning was dawning.

Scott called out from beside her, "Don't let them intimidate you." His voice was hoarse and choked, telling her that he'd been placed back in those cruel metal cuffs once again.

"So what's your big plan, Veckus?" She stepped forward into the darkness, praying she wouldn't trip.

"Ah, so you've heard that I have something very fine orchestrated for the two of you."

She waved her arms. "Stop wasting time and tell us what it is."

Veckus walked toward the direction of Scott's voice, and she heard her lover's chain rattle, then the sound of him stumbling to his feet. With a quick order, Veckus commanded that Scott's restraints be removed.

"Scott Dillon, now you will show her your true nature. I think divide and conquer is the order of this particular day. Once she knows, I doubt she'll work so hard to set you free."

"I don't understand," Hope said, but something hard and desperate lodged right in her throat.

"He wants me to Change." Scott turned toward Veckus, who never stopped circling them.

Hope shook her head, unclear. "Change how?"

She heard the sound of his cuffs falling away as they clattered to the ground. For some reason, Veckus wanted Scott to be free. He continued with his vitriolic tirade, aiming it right at Scott.

"She needs to see what you are, Lieutenant, what you truly can be. Once she knows the truth, you'll be a monster in her eyes; these humans have never even seen what you and I truly are. So, yes, Change! Go on, I insist that she see you. If not, this medicine"—he took the freezer bag and dangled it close to the fire that was crackling in a tin drum before them—"will go up in flames."

Scott lunged at the bag. "Stop that! All right, I'll do it … I will do it, but don't destroy her medicine."

Veckus gave him a hissing smile of approval. "Of course, it's not lost on me that she is a blind woman, so this will be about what she can
hear
and what she can
feel.
Every ridge and hard plate along your skin."

Scott pressed his eyes shut. Behind him, he heard Hope suck in a slight breath. "A monster, that's all you will ever be," Veckus continued. "You've always thought yourself so superior to the rest of us. Don't you remember what runs in your veins?"

"Yes." It was barely more than a tacit agreement, but Veckus heard it, and his face lit up.

"Ah! This is good indeed!" He clapped, throwing his head back with a jocular laugh, but then his face took on a grim, cruel expression. "So go ahead."

Scott could hardly breathe; it was as if a tight vise had clamped about his chest, as if all the air around them had vanished and he was left gasping at nothing. With a quick glance over his shoulder at Hope, he whispered, "Don't be afraid. I would never hurt you—never. This isn't really me."

"Of course it's you!" Veckus roared, striding toward them both. "Let me explain it to her. Three possible forms, that's what our species possess, and if Dillon's parents hadn't taken hosts, the one you're going to see is the way he would have walked our planet every day. If not in that Antousian form then he would be in the formless state, which I suspect you're already aware of. And obviously, you have
sampled
his humanized form—but I'm sure he never told you that it's not how all of our people look. He's a hybrid, part human and part … what he will reveal to you now. He will show you our true nature. We are beautiful, magnificent creatures, but in the eyes of humans we will certainly be perceived as horrid!"

Scott panted, feeling his palms sweat, but Hope's soft, encouraging voice said only, "He can never be anything other than beautiful to me. You aren't going to win this one, Veckus."

On her words and with a prayer to All, Scott allowed his core energy to build, and also allowed his Change and transformation to overtake him. His body stretched and molded, pulled and split in two, the Change causing him to scream in overwhelming pain as he fell to his knees. He roared his agony, throwing his head back, unable to stop.  Painfully aware that he sounded like a beast. He worked his jaws, trying to speak, but the slightly distended facial bones were utterly unfamiliar now. He hadn't walked in this form, not once since he was fifteen and morbid curiosity had overtaken him.

He jerked his head first one way, then another, and found Hope staring at him. How much could she see? His overwhelming height, perhaps. He was six feet, eight inches when in this form. A terrifyingly large figure to her fine, compact one, no doubt.

"Don't be afraid," Scott told her in his garbled, hissing voice. He cleared his throat, clutching at it. "Don't, Hope."

"I always knew you were an alien, remember," she reminded him gently. "It's no surprise to me that you are."

He hung his head, the strange shape of his back giving his neck and shoulders a slightly hunched-over feeling. With a roar, he bellowed at Veckus, expressing all the shame and horror he felt at being forced to expose himself to the woman he loved—the very human one—more than any other being in the universe.

"Good. Now go to her." Veckus clapped with glee.

Scott stalked in her direction, his hulking body almost impossible to control; despite his desire to approach her gently, he took giant loping steps that thundered off the concrete. He stopped in front of her, then swung his face sideways and stared at Veckus out of his large eyes. A monster's eyes, ones that would terrify her, if only she could see.

Veckus called the shots. "Kneel."

With a light, roaring snarl, Scott dropped to the ground and hung his head in soul-rending shame. "Hope. I am … sorry." He cursed his garbled, alien voice.

She didn't hesitate, but reached forward and felt him, cupping his perverse face within her hands. Not once did he see rejection or fear in her expression, only curiosity. She worked her hands about the terrain of his body just as she'd done that time in her bed. When she reached his nose—which was long, straight, and covered with plated ridges—she laughed. "This one doesn't have a bump."

"No … bump," he agreed, swallowing his palpable shame.

She continued with her exploration until she reached the top of his head—which was covered with the same hard, ridged plates she felt along his nose. She ran her hands over his bald head, then found the sides of his face, and he closed his eyes, flinching.

"Oh!" she cried as she felt his large, completely shut eyes. "These are really.…"

"Don't even … say … it," he hissed.

"Huge! Man, I need these—do they work well? Can you see everything that I can't?"

He began to laugh, a laughter that bubbled up from deep within his chest in the strange hissing and garbled sound that formed his speech, and this infuriated Veckus.

"Feel his chest!" the warlord insisted. "And next his back! Even, by gods, feel his cock."

Scott flinched, shaking his head from side to side. "Hideous," he choked out. "All wrong."

Hope cupped his face, running her fingertips along his jaw, and whispered, "Never. I've seen our future, remember? I've seen you in my dreams many times."