Starcrossed: Perigee - A paranormal romance trilogy (19 page)

The man fished about in his pocket and produced a packet of cigarettes and a lighter, which he tossed on the table. He scanned the space in front of him, and sat back, sighing irritably.

"Get me an ashtray will you Clare." The woman stood up and left the room.

He sat back and eyed me thoughtfully, as though he were taking my measure. I tried to read his thoughts.

"Before this interview goes any further, I should inform you that any personnel with access to this facility have had extensive training in blocking and shielding. Your mind tricks are useless here."

I bit my lip nervously and shuffled back in my chair. I wondered how he knew I could do it, and then remembered - the Tweedles had realized I'd tried to contact Aric telepathically when they were leading me out of the internet cafe. If he could block and shield, then perhaps he could read too. I'd have to be careful about what thoughts they had access to.

"What am I being charged with?"

"Nothing." He continued to look at me unblinkingly.

"So why am I here? You can't do this. I want a lawyer."

A slight, humorless smile curved his lips, and he tapped his cigarette packet methodically on the table.

"I don't think you realize the situation you're in, Lucy."

I swallowed hard. "Then tell me."

The door opened and the woman reappeared, placing an ashtray to the side of the man. There was silence while he busied himself with lighting his cigarette. The woman pulled herself closer to the table, and arranged her hands again in front of her.

"So," said the man, inhaling deeply on his cigarette and blowing the smoke sideways. The woman's eyes watered slightly, but she said nothing.

He opened the folder, and began to read its contents.

"Lucy Maree Doyle. Born June 9... Merrick District Hospital. Father, John Angus Doyle, deceased... Mother, Maree Elizabeth Doyle, nee Cordingley. No siblings... Residing with your uncle Thomas James Cordingley... Above average student, no criminal record..."

He closed the folder and studied me thoughtfully.

"You forgot my favorite color," I said brazenly. The woman's mouth twitched slightly.

"Blue," he said correctly. I swallowed hard.

Tapping the cigarette on the ashtray, he took another drag. "Seventeen years old - very young to be in this much trouble."

The light overhead flickered, and I stared at a small scratch in the table. "What do you mean? Why am I in trouble?"

He ignored my question. "Who is the man who drove you from Craigsville?"

"I... er... I don't know him. He was just someone I hitched a ride with."

"In your friend Jennifer Ryan's car?"

I closed my mouth. I'd have to think quicker than this. There was no way I was going to give away Aric's identity.

"Why do you want to know all this anyway?"

"National security."

I sat back in my chair. "You think a seventeen year old girl from the country is a risk to national security?"

He grunted and stabbed out his cigarette on the ashtray, immediately lighting another. The room was rapidly filling with cigarette smoke.

"Let's be frank with one another, shall we? It will save a lot of time. We know the Innaki are after you. We want to know why."

I wiped my mouth nervously. "I don't know why."

The woman finally moved. She unclasped her hand and leaned towards me.

"Lucy, I think we've gotten off to a bad start here. Let me introduce myself - my name is Clare, and my friend here is... Mr... Smith."

Sure he is, I thought glumly.

"We know you're frightened of the Innaki. We want to help you, but to do that, we need to know what it is they want you for."

They were doing the good cop/bad cop routine. I shrugged my shoulders. "I really don't know."

'Smith' snorted impatiently, but said nothing.

"How long have they been taking you?" Clare continued.

"Since I was seven."

"Your mother was committed because she had used a knife to try and remove an implant - is that correct?"

I looked down at the table uncomfortably, and nodded.

"Then I presume she has been taken too? These things usually run in families."

I remained silent.

"Do you remember what they do to you when they take you?"

I took a deep breath, and immediately coughed on the smoke in the air. "Yes."

"Go on..."

"They do... procedures on me. I don't know what they're for." I was telling the truth.

She sat back and looked at Smith.

"We will get some tests done on her," he said.

I sat up to protest, but Clare waved her hand. "Don't worry - they won't hurt - just standard medical tests... a blood test, an MRI... that kind of thing."

Whether they were standard medical tests or not, I was heartily sick of being a medical specimen.

"How long are you going to keep me here?"

Smith eyed me coolly. "Until you cooperate and tell us what it is about you that's so special."

I shook my head and tears sprang to my eyes, but I refused to let them spill. "I'm nothing special."

"How much do you know about the Innaki?"

"I know they're evil, and shouldn't be taking innocent people without their consent."

He nodded slowly. His cigarette ash threatened to drop from the butt.

"Oh, they're that all right. For thousands of years they've been taking people. Some are returned, some never come back." He paused, awaiting my reaction, but I said nothing.

"Have you heard of 'wyk'?"

I looked at him, startled. So they knew of that.

His eyes narrowed. "Evidently you have."

"They are rather busy little creatures. Totally dishonest, manipulative, lacking in compassion. They're collecting this... wyk, this energy. Stockpiling it. We have our suspicions as to what they're planning to do with it. They have a sideline in selling human blood, which they exchange for wyk."

My head jerked up and I looked at him, horrified.

"Most of the missing people you hear about - they spend the rest of their miserable lives tied up and connected to machines which harvest their blood for these... transactions."

My heart was hammering in my chest, and I felt like I was going to be sick. Had Aric known about this when he'd helped the Innaki? Surely not...

"So, when a large number of our citizens are abducted against their will, and are forced to become... living blood banks, we consider it a matter of National Security. Perhaps now you understand why we need to find out why they have such an interest in you."

"They aren't interested in me any more than the next person."

"I disagree. They spent an exceptionally long time looking for you. Usually their visits are necessarily fleeting. They have been back to your uncle's farm a number of times, presumably to look for you."

I rubbed my temple with my trembling hand. Was my family safe?

"Their behavior in regards to you is contrary to all that's gone on before. So what is so special about you?"

For a moment I wondered whether I should tell them about my extra reserves of wyk, but intuition stopped me.

"I told you, I don't know." I repeated.

"You weren't confused when I talked about blocking and mind tricks." I said nothing.

"Who was that man you were with?" he barked suddenly, and I jumped in my chair.

"No one!"

He let out an exasperated sigh and turned to Clare. "Arrange for the tests. We'll see what they tell us. Eventually, she'll have to talk - I'm sure she doesn't want to be kept here forever." He stubbed out his cigarette, and stalked out of the room.

* * * * *

With the advances in technology these days, you would think they'd design a better hospital gown than this, I thought.

I pulled the strings together at the back, and tied a clumsy bow. Twisting around to peer at my reflection in the mirror, I frowned and pulled the gown across my exposed backside. These things were ridiculous.

I exited the changing cubicle grumpily, holding the fabric together at my back. Clare was across the room talking to a man wearing a white coat. A stethoscope was draped around his neck. They turned to me, and Clare gestured for me to come closer.

"Lucy, this is Dr Chenski. He'll be doing your tests." He smiled and offered his hand. I ignored it and continued to hold the fabric, and my modesty, together.

My rudeness didn't seem to bother him. "Well, Lucy, it's very nice to meet you."

I looked blankly at him. Did he really think I'd be as happy to meet him and return the sentiment?

There was an uncomfortable silence - the doctor's gaze moving nervously from me to Clare. She clasped her folder to her chest and straightened her shoulders.

"Well, Lucy, I hope you'll be cooperative." She turned to Dr Chenski and gestured to a surveillance camera hanging from the ceiling. "We'll be nearby if you need us." The information was meant as much for me as it was for him.

The heels of her shoes clicked sharply as she exited the room.

The doctor looked at me silently for a moment, then smiled kindly. "Well, I suppose we should get things started, but first, I think you might need another one of these." He went to a cupboard and withdrew a bundle of fabric. Shaking it out, he revealed another hospital gown. "Put it on over the one you're wearing, only tie it at the front. I call these things 'dignity strippers'" he said with a slight smile.

Tears sprung to my eyes at the first sign of genuine kindness I'd come across since I'd left Saul's apartment. "Thank you," I said gratefully.

He started with a general medical check-up - studying my breathing, my heartbeat, my reflexes. "You're as healthy as a horse," he said, throwing his stethoscope back around his shoulders. "A picture of health." He paused, and studied my face for a moment. "I bet you don't feel too good right now, do you?"

I shook my head miserably. He patted my hand. "It will all be okay..." he said, his voice lacking conviction.

He helped me down from the gurney I was sitting on, and pointed to an armchair at the side of the room. "Sit down over there, and we'll draw some blood."

I stretched my arm out and rested it on the arm of the armchair. Dr Chenski sat down on an office stool, and shuffled along so he was sitting to the side of me. His face was level with mine. He busied himself with the preparations for taking the blood.

"Well," he said, lowering his voice. "You're seventeen. Your last year of high school?" I didn't feel like making small talk, but I nodded anyway.

"A big year then. I have a daughter your age. I don't think she realizes this is the 'make or break' year." I said nothing. I wouldn't even be getting to finish my school year.

"So," he went on, strapping a tourniquet around my arm. "Missing a bit of school, this time of year... you're going to have to catch up." His voice petered out as he ran out of things to say. I continued to stare stonily at a white board across the room.

He tapped a vein, pressing around until he found what he was looking for. Swabbing the area with antiseptic, he tried to speak again. "My daughter would probably love to be in your shoes... any excuse to get out of school."

My eyes watered, and I looked away. He stopped. "I'm sorry, that was rather insensitive of me."

I turned back to him, blinking away the tears. "It's okay."

He shuffled his chair around so he was directly in front of me, blocking the line of sight to the security camera. "Read my mind," he whispered, his tone barely audible.

I concentrated hard.

Listen, Lucy,
I jumped when I realized I could hear his thoughts.
I know what they're doing here to you, and I know you're frightened.
The fluorescent light glinted off the silvered hair at his temples.
They've asked me to look after your medical care, so if you ever want to talk to someone who actually... has a heart, you can talk to me okay?

I eyed him suspiciously - was this another part of the interrogation process - introducing a trusted mole?

He continued with the procedure. "You'll just feel a small sting. Look away if you want." I looked back across the room to the white board. I didn't know whether I could trust him, but he seemed a flicker of hope in a hopeless situation. I would bide my time. Maybe I could get some information out of him.

After a few glitches were sorted out, the MRI scan went relatively uneventfully. I thought my abundant supply of wyk might show up on the images and cause a stir, but the doctor studied them, declaring them 'perfectly normal'. Apparently wyk was impossible to photograph or x-ray.

Finishing the final test, I changed back into my clothes. The doctor was on the phone when I emerged from the changing cubicle. He turned to me and held up his hand. Finishing the phone call, he made a great play of stacking some papers.

Remember, if you ever want to talk, I'm here. Complain about a headache or something, and they'll bring you here.

He fell silent as Clare entered the room. "All done," he said.

"Come on," she said to me. "Mr Smith wants to talk to you again."

I followed her out of the medical room. She led me down a corridor, eventually stopping in front of an elevator. I watched the numbers change on the elevator's control panel as the elevator ascended to our level. Evidently, there were at least another ten floors below us, and two above. We entered the elevator, Clare selected the second bottom floor, and we stood together in uncomfortable silence waiting for the elevator to open. It opened to a small anteroom, with a door on the far side flanked by two uniformed, armed soldiers.

She stopped and peered into a contraption on the wall which emitted a beam similar to those in a grocery scanner. The red beam roamed over her eye, there was a small beep, and a green light appeared on the security box. The door slid open revealing a long corridor punctuated by more doors on either side. I was led to the last one on the left. Two soldiers holding weapons guarded the entrance to the room. I wondered why they needed so many armed guards at this level. I sensed an escalation in the seriousness of my predicament. The soldiers moved aside, and Clare ushered me through the door.