Page 36 of Heart’s Prisoner

His eyes never left hers as he said, "It is an honor to be chosen and I will serve my queen well."

Lana went to say more when Xerus held up his hand to stop her.

"No more questions." He tapped on the window. "Only words."

***

"I've spoken with General Hartin about Asset X's evaluation," Cole said to Lana as she worked at her desk in the central lab, filing another report for the evening. She nodded her head but didn't look up at him. She could only guess he had agreed to the orders to have Xerus killed if this so-called evaluation failed. So much for the preservation of the species.

Cole shifted beside her. "And you should know that for Xerus to pass he will have to perform a test of our choosing."

Lana took a deep breath and held it. "What sort of test?"

"That will be determined on the day of."

In other words, she wasn't going to be told about it. Lana exhaled. "Fine."

"It will be simple enough," Cole said. "If Asset X is cooperative it should be a fairly easy test. If not..."

"I know." Lana frowned.

At the corner of her eye, she saw Cole place his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry it had to come down to this, Lana. But ever since the destruction of the bot...Asset X may be too much of a threat to be helped."

And that was utter bullshit if he knew everything that she knew. But it didn't matter. They would only see him for what they believed he was. A cold-blooded monster.

Lana turned her gaze up to him to speak her mind but instead fell silent, her eyes widening. "You're bleeding," she said.

Blood dripped onto Cole's uniform, spilling from his nose. Cole drew his hand from his pocket and wiped the blood away with his sleeve.

"Damn nose bleeds." He chuckled. Something was up with his eyes too, Lana noticed. They were bloodshot.

Lana turned in her chair. "Maybe you should visit the medical bay."

Cole waved his hand. "It'll be fine. Nothing to worry about. We will talk tomorrow." He moved away and Lana watched him as he left the lab. When he was out of sight, Lana brought up her email on her computer and began a message to Nicole. When she finished the message and sent it, she logged off her computer and went over to a large walk-in refrigerator tucked to one side of the lab. Since the Scibot was gone it was up to Lana now to prepare Xerus' food. The food was already prepared; it just needed to be heated. Lana took out his specialty cut meats, making sure there were no bones, then cut up a mango into slices and disposed of the seed. She placed the meat in a special oven and waited.

"So you are in love with that thing?"

Taken back, Lana twisted around and saw Officer Galger leaning forward on a table, watching her.

"Excuse me?" Lana said.

Galger shrugged, giving her a wide grin. "You smile when you go through that door," he pointed at unit three with his thumb, "and are smiling when you come out. Like a little girl returning from a candy store. It's cute."

When Lana didn't say anything Galger laughed, pushing himself from the table. "Aye, a joke, eh? That's all." He got closer and Lana stiffened.

"Just weird to see a lady like yourself so excited to be working with something so nasty, ya know?" Lana took a step back as Galger got close enough she could smell his alcohol-laced breath. He leaned against the table with Xerus' food and stared at her, his eyes dropping to her chest and then back to her face. "What's it take, eh? Do I just need to sprout some horns?"

Lana clenched her jaw and fixed her eyes with his. "No, you just have to be intelligent."

Galger's brows raised and his smile widened. "Ouch, and she shows her fangs. It's ok though I like 'em feisty."

The oven beeped and Lana took out the meat, setting it on the tray with the mango, making sure to avoid Galger's gaze.

"I'm just playing with ya, sweetheart, no hard feelings, eh?" Galger moved behind her and Lana gasped and nearly dropped the tray as he gripped her shoulders, pulling her to him so she felt his chest against her back. "Ya just need to relax."

"Please take your hands off me," Lana said, gripping the tray.

Galger let his hands fall from her shoulders to her arms, then he dropped them and shifted away from her. When Lana turned around she had to squeeze passed him with the tray.

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