Page 62 of Alien Rescue

Rose again made a show of staying out of Zanr’s reach and tried to look concerned for them. “You should tell him what you know. These Zyrgins become difficult if you bomb the cities they are determined to restore.”

“Fuck off, collaborator.”

The blood drained from his face when Zanr leaned over him. Without signalling his intention, he slapped the man until he fell on the floor.

“You are the collaborator, human.” He sneered the word human. “You are working with a foreign agent to plant bombs that will kill humans.”

Zanr materialized a long dagger with a forked tip in that magical way he had. Rose swallowed. He’d promised her he wouldn’t kill or seriously hurt them. She’d have to trust him.

She turned to Zanr. “I am going to wait outside while you get the information from them.” She made sure to sound a little teary.

“Stay—”

She held up a hand. “I know, I know, I’m only little and someone can steal me. Don’t worry, I will be right outside the door,” she said, too soft for the three men to hear. Zanr nodded and Rose walked to the door. She paused and said without turning, “Promise me you won’t cut off their fingers.” She made sure to make her voice all trembly and afraid again.

He grunted something and she smiled when she smelled the acrid smell of urine. She stepped outside, but turned so she could see what was happening inside. “I cannot promise their fingers will be intact,” he said solemnly. “I will try and take as little as possible.”

The three scientists put their hands behind their backs and one of them moaned. A yellow puddle formed on the floor next to the shoe of the one in the middle. Rose couldn’t blame him. If Zanr came at her like he did with the scientists, she’d pee herself, too.

What did it make her, that she was so desperate for information that could shut down the nanos in her blood, that she’d leave these men alone with a vengeful Zyrgin? This morning, she’d noticed that she had very little feeling at the bottom of her feet. What if she lost a little bit of her body every day? What if they found the code in two weeks and deactivating the probes didn’t heal the damage done so far? She prayed with everything in her that the submarine was a secret lab, that they’d have the codes to deactivate the nanos.

She leaned against the wall outside, vaguely disturbed that she heard no sounds of agony from inside. No one had to tell her that Zanr was getting information out of them and forcing them to be quiet so as not to upset her.

He walked out. “The abandoned submarine is higher up in the river than where we searched before.”

She straightened. “Let’s go.”

He shook his head. “I will send a probe; it is too late for you to be out safely. We will go for them tomorrow after morning sex.”

“Won’t these men warn them?”

“I have incapacitated them and they will be picked up shortly.” He looked down at her. “For gentle questioning.”

Rose planted her head in her hand, but didn’t argue. Honestly, she had zero sympathy for anyone willing to plant bombs that would kill thousands of people in overcrowded cities. “Did they tell you if the bombs were on the submarine?”

“One bomb is on the submarine. They have planned this for a long time. The scientists who stole the equipment from the laboratory in Washington split up. None of them knew where the others went.”

Rose swallowed. She’d thought when they found the submarine they’d find all the scientists and all the bombs. And... “Did they know anything about codes to deactivate the nanos in my blood?”

“No, but they have not examined everything they stole.”

She snorted. “Too busy building a bomb.”

“Yes.”

Back in the tent she accepted a cup of coffee and stared at the cup. Steam rose from the fragrant brew, but she felt no heat against her fingertips. She fixed him with a stern gaze. “You said that if anyone left Portland, that the terrorists would set off the bomb. And that the people planting the bombs would detonate them if any of the major players leave the city.”

“Yes.”

“But you could make my family invisible and get them out.”

He didn’t seem startled or even look guilty that she’d found him out. “Yes, I can.”

“So why didn’t you do it? Why did you tell me there’s no way to save them, if you had the technology at your fingertips?”

He studied his fingertips for a moment before looking up at her. “There was no need.”

She knew exactly why he thought there was no need, but she wanted to hear it from him. “Why was there no need?”

---