Kevin smiled a little too smoothly at Agnar and opened the case on the desk. It glittered with jewels of all types and sizes. “It’s interesting that you would rather have jewels than money,” Kevin said. “They will be hard to sell without raising suspicion. Are you sure you don’t want the money instead? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“Thank you, but no,” Agnar replied. “These will do fine.” Where he was going, their paper money was useless. He closed the case and took it, setting the cryonic blueprints on the desk in its place.
Kevin looked at him contemplatively. “We could use a man like you in our organization. You might like it. We control the country, you know.”
Agnar furrowed his brow. “Isn’t your country a democracy?”
Kevin laughed. “We let the people and the government think that, but nothing happens unless we first approve it. We control everyone, whether they realize it or not. And you can be a part of it. We don’t often invite new members; you should be flattered.”
Agnar didn’t feel flattered, he felt disgusted. These people were so backward. He had no problem with the few having power over the many, his problem was with them doing it surreptitiously. If you’re going to take power, be up front about it and take it. If you have to rule in secret, then there must be something wrong with your rule. His government ruled in the open. He didn’t disagree with his own government’s rule, he just didn’t want it to be over him. And that was why he chose to be an outlaw. He suddenly felt a great desire to leave and be done with this.
“No, thank you. I must be going now.” Agnar backed up to the door. Kevin shrugged and gestured dismissively. Agnar opened the door and left, not bothering to close it behind him. He hurried out of the large building. The lack of windows made him nervous. Agnar preferred not to enter places with few escape routes. He felt safer once he was out on the open street. He hailed a passing cab and had it take him miles out of town to a rest stop in the woods. He paid the driver and watched until the cab drove out of sight. Then he turned and walked into the forest.
After hiking several miles Agnar arrived at a small clearing. A large pile of brush dominated the center of it. Agnar cleared the brush away, revealing a small spaceship. He entered the ship and took off, flying up at a steep angle. He sighed in relief as the planet grew smaller behind him. Those Earthlings were crazy, and he was happy to leave them behind. He headed to the far side of the moon, where he had left his starship. Parked next to his ship was a Stelairian Cruiser.
Agnar grinned wickedly, flattered that Megg seemed unable to stay away from him. Entering a docking bay, he set the spaceship down and disembarked. Jawol, his pilot, was there waiting for him.
“So, did you get the goods?” Jawol asked.
“Of course,” Agnar replied. “Those Earthlings never even suspected I wasn’t one of them.” He shook the case of jewels at Jawol and grinned. “I see we have company,” Agnar continued.
Jawol laughed. “What did you do to the woman? She insisted on waiting for you.” Jawol clapped Agnar on the back as Agnar joined in the laughter.
“I honestly don’t know. But you should be grateful to her. She’s the one who provided the youth elixir that increased our life spans.”
“She sounds like a good friend to keep, then.”
“Yes. Let’s get to the bridge. She’ll have seen me arrive, and I don’t want to keep her waiting.”
The two men hurried to the bridge. Once there, Agnar connected with Megg’s ship. Her lovely features filled the screen. “Megg, how nice to see you. I had thought you were too busy to make time for someone as insignificant as me.”
Megg smiled seductively. “Things have changed, Agnar.” She held up an ornate bottle by the neck, swinging it back and forth in front of her. “For one, my assistant has betrayed me.”
Agnar eyed the bottle greedily before turning his charm back on Megg. “I’m glad to see you came out on top. The universe would seem empty without you.”
“I think so, too.” Megg lowered her lashes at Agnar. “I’m in the mood to celebrate. Is your business with my experimental species concluded?”
Agnar glanced at the case he had set on a console before calling Megg. “It is,” he replied, looking back into her dark eyes. “Is yours?”
Megg shrugged. “Not entirely, but it can wait. I would enjoy a short vacation on Bellos,” she hinted.
Agnar nearly laughed out loud, but managed to check his reaction before Megg saw it. The woman’s life span was so long that ‘short’ was a relative term. The last time she visited him for a short time, he lost fifty years. He supposed that was why she gave him the youth elixir. It was the only way for an individual of a shorter-lived species to keep up with her. He wondered why she didn’t stick with Stelairian men. Then life span wouldn’t be an issue. Still, who was he to reject a longer life span? He would have been dead centuries ago if he hadn’t met Megg. “I’d love to spend time with you there. Same hotel?”
Megg nodded. “Race you there?” she asked mischievously.
Agnar grinned toothily. An intergalactic race with a Stelairian Cruiser would give him a chance to test the limits of the new distortion drive he had recently installed. He had stolen it from a Bitowan Cruiser, to the chagrin of its captain, who hadn’t noticed it was missing until he tried to engage it outside of the Vontyr Galaxy to chase Agnar’s ship. The loss of such an important item must have gotten the fellow in big trouble with his emperor. Agnar wondered if the Bitowans were tired of him making fools of them yet.
“You’re on,” he said to Megg.
She giggled and signed off, and only then did Agnar realize that she had lifted off while they were speaking, and had a good head start. “Jawol, go!” he said.
Jawol shook his head and laughed. “We aren’t going to beat her, even with our new distortion drive. She doesn’t need to sleep; we do, and that’s a nine month trip you’re talking about.”
“I know that. I just want to give her the feel of a race until we get to intergalactic space. I think one of the things she likes about me is the bad boy image, and I don’t want to disappoint her. Especially with that bottle of youth elixir on the line,” he added greedily.
“I’ll give her a good race, then.” Jawol increased his speed, catching up to Megg at Mars, and soon both ships were speeding out of the solar system.
CHAPTER 4
Karina slowly awakened as the drug wore off. Her blurry vision cleared and a white ceiling came into focus. She found herself lying on an uncomfortable metal table. For a moment she thought she had been abducted again and felt a surge of intense fear. She heard voices speaking in hushed tones to her left, and turned her head toward the sounds. A group of men in white coats stood nearby. Their backs were to her, but since they spoke English her fear diminished. She tried to sit up, but couldn’t. Numerous leather straps secured her to the table. She strained against them, wiggling around in an attempt to stretch the leather and slip out. One of the men noticed her efforts and came over to the table, leaning over her and examining her face. She froze and stared up at him.
“She’s awake,” he announced.
“Good. Get Mr. White,” another answered. He seemed to be the one in charge.
The first man left while the others began to examine Karina. One man checked her blood pressure while another drew a vial of blood.
“Get that processed immediately,” the man in charge ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
As Karina continued to push against her bonds, a face appeared over hers.
“Good afternoon, Ms. McKay. I’m Kevin White, leader of the Lazarus League. I’d shake your hand, but you seem to be indisposed.” He chuckled at his own wit.
Karina wasn’t amused. “Why am I here?” she asked.
Kevin ran his hand gently through Karina’s short hair and smiled. His touch sickened Karina. “You’ve been a very naughty girl,” he replied, continuing to stroke her head. “You’ve killed one of my men.”
“Fred,” Karina said with venom.
“Yes. He wasn’t my favorite lackey, but he had his uses. And now I’ll have to find someone else to take his place. Do you know how difficult it is to find someone who is both completely loyal and completely malleable?” Kevin tightened his grip on Karina’s hair, holding a tuft of it in his fist.
Karina winced in pain but said nothing. Kevin released his grip and resumed stroking her hair. “You’re here to make up for his loss,” Kevin said, answering her earlier question. “You will take over his duties.”
“I will not.”
“My dear, you don’t have a choice. I don’t need your permission or your cooperation for what I require of you.” Kevin turned to the man in charge, dismissing Karina as he would dismiss a dog. “Take care of her until we’re ready.”
“Of course, Mr. White.”
Kevin left and Karina felt a needle pierce her shoulder. She drifted back into unconsciousness.
This time she awoke on a comfortable bed. She was alone in a large bay with a high ceiling. She sat up and looked around. The parallel shadows of thick steel bars stretched across the floor as sunlight streamed through tall windows. She went to one and looked out, resting her head between two of the bars. The city lay spread out below her. She moved to the next wall and looked out those windows. The city lay at her feet. It was the same on the other two sides. She laughed despairingly at her ridiculous predicament. The men had imprisoned her in the tallest building in the city. Here she stood, locked away in a tower by an evil king, with no prince to rescue her.
She looked around for a door. There were two regular doors and an elevator. She tried the first door, finding a bathroom. The second door revealed a closet. She went to the elevator and pushed the button on the wall next to it. A screen with a keypad above it lit up. “Please input password,” scrolled across the screen. She slammed her hand against the keypad in frustration and turned away. She wandered around the room, looking for another way out. The windows were out of the question; even without bars, the room was too high to exit through them safely. She knocked on the walls and inspected the floor. There must be a stairwell somewhere. What would happen if the power went out or the elevator broke? There must be another way out. She continued knocking, but no hollow sound greeted her. The walls and floor were solid.
“Damn it!” Karina swore. Unable to leave, she looked around the open bay. One section was dedicated to the bedroom and had the bed where she had awoken, a nightstand with a lamp, and a dresser. She went over and opened the top drawer. It held socks and underwear in her size. She opened the other drawers and found shirts, shorts, and sweatpants, also in her size. A hamper sat next to the dresser for dirty laundry. A feeling of dread crept over her. How long did they plan on keeping her here?
She continued around the bay to the next section. A comfortable couch sat in front of a large screen TV. Several tall bookcases held hundreds of DVDs. The feeling of dread increased, and became almost unbearable as she investigated the next section, a kitchen area. The cupboards were full of food and a well-stocked fridge stood near a brand-new stove. Karina moved numbly to the couch and sat. She stared at the blank screen on the TV. Apparently she was staying awhile.
*
*
*
One day, almost a year into her stay, Karina lounged on the couch watching The Fifth Element for the twentieth time. It was just as entertaining as it was the first time, possibly even more so since her familiarity with it allowed her to notice more of the cleverly written and acted nuances. She had lost track of the number of days, and even weeks since her captivity began, since there were no clocks or calendars in her fancy prison. She kept track of time by her period count, and she had eleven since she was taken by the Lazarus League. She was left alone most of the time, except when they sent in armed men to collect her laundry and restock her food. She would watch them watch her warily as they went about their business.
As the credits rolled, the elevator doors opened and the usual armed men entered the room. Another man in a white coat followed behind them. Karina sat up with interest. This was something new. The thugs pointed their weapons at her.
“Don’t move,” one of them ordered.
Karina raised an eyebrow at the unnecessary threat. She had no intention of moving. There was no point to it. The man in the white coat approached her.
“Roll up your sleeve, please,” he asked politely. He held a syringe with a long needle in one hand.
Karina slapped her hand over her arm as if that would stop him from drugging her. “What’s that?” she questioned defiantly.
“Just something to relax you.” Karina glared at the man, and he sighed. “I promise, it’s not an illegal drug, and it won’t hurt you.” Karina continued to stare at him silently. He sighed again, irritated. “I recommend that you allow me to give it to you, otherwise, I’ll have to force it on you.” He nodded toward the armed men, who put away their weapons. One of them grinned at her and cracked his knuckles; the other leered, raking his eyes up and down her body.
Karina looked back to the man with the syringe. Since they had kept her unharmed as a prisoner for almost a year, it seemed unlikely that they would kill her now. And the alternative of having it forced on her was unappealing. She pushed up her T-shirt sleeve and exposed her upper arm. The man wiped her arm with an alcohol pad and inserted the needle deep into the muscle before pushing the plunger down. Karina winced in pain but said nothing. She sat back on the couch and rubbed her sore shoulder. The man stood back and waited.
Soon Karina began to feel a little fuzzy. Her body felt heavy, and suddenly she just wanted to sleep. She lowered her head onto one of the couch cushions. Then she heard a voice speaking from very far away.
“She’s ready.” The man in the white coat pulled her to her feet and led her to the elevator. He input the code and the doors opened. Then he helped her into the waiting elevator. The two armed men boarded, and one of them took Karina’s other arm, helping the man in the white coat support her weight. The elevator dropped slowly, but in her drugged state, Karina was sensitive to its movement. She felt like a leaf floating down from a tree. She had to close her eyes against the sudden dizziness.
The elevator stopped at the lobby and the men led Karina out. They took her across the street to the metal building. Once they were through the doors, a guard closed and locked them. They led her through the same door that she had been taken through when the cops had first brought her here. She wanted to struggle, to escape, but somehow she just couldn’t find the energy. They walked her down the spiraling hallway to the room below. The metal table she had been strapped to on her first visit gleamed in the bright lights. She feared they would strap her to it again, but they led her past it to an elaborate construction tucked away in an alcove at the end of the room. It looked like a futuristic coffin, ducting and wiring running all over its sides. Inside, it boasted a plush bed.
The man in the white coat turned to her. “Are you tired? Let me help you lie down.” He and his companions maneuvered her into the contraption and closed the lid. She tried to protest, but she was so very tired and the bed was so very comfortable. She could see the men through the clear top. Their faces became fuzzier and she closed her eyes against an abrupt feeling of nausea. She felt an unexpected chill creep up her spine and tried to open her eyes to see what was causing it. They wouldn’t obey. She tried to lift her hand to her face, but it was as if it were made of lead, and too heavy to move. She felt colder and colder, until she couldn’t feel her body at all anymore. Her sluggish mind slowed, and stopped completely for a moment. Then it restarted, and Karina became aware of her body again.
She was cold. So cold. Her heart beat slowly. Her skin began to warm, and she felt goose bumps on her arms and legs. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened. The lid of the coffin was open and men in white lab coats stood around her, checking her vital signs. One reached into the coffin and stuck a needle into her shoulder. Karina felt a liquid enter her muscle. Her body continued to warm, and she tried to sit up, but a familiar sense of lethargy crept over her. They must have drugged her again. The men helped her climb out of the coffin, taking her to the metal table and sitting her on it so they could continue their tests. One of the men patted Karina on the hand.
“You’ve done well,” he said, grinning with satisfaction. Karina turned her head to look at him, even though it was a chore to do so. That voice was familiar. She stared at the man next to her. It was the same man who had given her the first shot up in the penthouse prison. She squinted at him uncomprehendingly. He laughed. “You’ve just made history. It’s a shame no one will ever know of your accomplishment.”
After Karina had been poked and prodded for what seemed like hours, they led her back to the coffin. They passed several similar coffins, positioned upright at an angle and more futuristic than hers. Odd. They hadn’t been there before. How did they get them here so quickly? Karina furrowed her brows in confusion. Her brain told her that she knew what was going on, but she couldn’t quite grasp it. The answer seemed to remain just out of reach.
They arrived at the alcove in the back of the room where several men were engaged in modifications on her coffin. They stepped aside to allow the men in white coats to put Karina back into it. Karina feebly fought to get away, but they overpowered her. A young man lifted her up and deposited her back into the coffin, closing the lid to prevent her escape. She pounded weakly on the lid, wanting to be let out. She felt the cold again, and shivered uncontrollably. It engulfed her and she lost track of her thoughts.
She struggled to awaken and felt her mind grow more aware. She forced her eyes open and found herself staring into the eyes of the same young man who had put her into the coffin, but he didn’t look young anymore. Wrinkles crinkled his eyes and forehead, and his hair was graying at the temples. He lifted her out, carrying her past several occupied coffins to the metal table near the front of the room. He set her down on it and then walked away. Karina’s right thigh ached, and she felt a familiar drowsiness. She lay in a drugged haze while several men examined her. She turned her head to the side and found herself staring into Kevin White’s open eyes. He was in the first of the new coffins, his face frozen in a look of shock. Probably from the cold, Karina thought, hoping that it had been as uncomfortable for him as it had been for her. The men examining her talked over her as if she wasn’t there.
“We need to determine if her faculties are intact,” one said.
“Yes, it’s obvious that Agnar’s blueprints work in preserving the body, but if they don’t preserve the mind, we’re wasting our time,” another answered.