Page 53 of Possessed By the Leonid King

There were dark circles under her eyes. Her cheeks were thin. That hair was still the crowning glory of her beauty.

She was alive. She wasn’t stick-thin or obviously ill.

Layla touched the screen with longing fingertips and yelped when it switched to show Wendy’s profile.

Her smile was gone. There was nothing left of the laughing brunette Layla had always tried to protect.

Guilt seared her. “Don’t worry. I’m going to get you and the boys back, Wendy.”

The contract price wasn’t disclosed on her page, but the identification number across the bottom of the photo informed Layla where she could inquire about bidding on the contract and speaking to Wendy Mulligan.

Her fingers hesitated, torn between finding the boys and opening up a call channel that second.

Impulse was winning, but then she steadied herself. Think more like a mom. You have to make sure all the cubs, or kids, are safe.

Dax and Elio’s pictures appeared one after the other. Dax had grown a mustache. Elio was tall and squinty. Neither of them were smiling. Both of them were pale.

Whether it was true or not, the labs resembled a prison camp in Layla’s mind, where the inhabitants were tortured with medicines and their side effects, fed bland food, kept away from others, and given a minimal amount of sunshine.

All three of them had the same contact number at the bottom of their photos.

Layla opened the channel with trembling fingers, fully expecting to get no response or an A.I. menu that would frustrate the hell out of her.

In moments, an A.I. human female appeared on the screen. She looked identical to a living human being, but the faint blue glow at the edges of her eyes and skin revealed her artificial nature.

“Hello. This is the Metro Labs Contract Registry, one of Sapien-Three’s largest employers with branches in over 900 locations and growing! We’re always looking for young, healthy individuals who want to help the medical community grow by offering us their contract for an extended registration! We offer terms of one, two, three, five, and seven years, based on age and medical history. Successful applicants are often offered re-signing bonuses to extend their term for an additional year! Are you interested in offering your contract for approval?”

“No.” Layla shook the frost out of her voice. If she sounded too eager or too angry, maybe that would screw things up.

“Are you inquiring about a previous contract registration start date?”

“No.”

“Are you inquiring about a contract already registered to Metro Labs?”

“Yes!”

“Please state the contract number.”

Layla winced. She was going to have to do this three times. But it would be worth it. She recited Wendy’s number.

“The number you’ve provided is a match for one of our employees. This contract is currently unavailable but will be coming up for bidding in—” there was a pause and the lights flashed in the woman’s eyes, “thirty days. Do you wish to make an offer on this contract?”

“Yes!”

“Your terms must be presented to the individual. Please wait while I see if Mulligan, Wendy, is available. Please confirm that this is the individual you wish to speak to regarding a contract bid?”

Throat tight, Layla whispered, “Yes.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t detect a response.”

“Yes!”

The screen abruptly went black. Layla’s heart froze. “What? Wait! What did I do?”

The black screen made a series of clicks. Then, a weak voice asked, “Dax? You’re back?”

Layla’s eyes overflowed the second Wendy’s voice hit her ear. “Wendy. It’s not Dax. It’s Layla.”

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