Page 1 of Double Cut

Chapter1

Evangeline focused her incredulous gaze on the short, supercilious man who rested his clean-shaven double chin on his steepled, stubby fingers. His gaze burned like a zealot’s. Gathering her thoughts, she answered his latest intrusive and quite likely illegal question in this fourth and weirdest round of interviewing for employment at the Federal Agency for Foreign Relations: “Um, no, I’m not a virgin. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, your blood test came back with positive results, most favorable,” he replied, ignoring her question with a quick smile. That smile vanished after a split second, and his zealot’s gaze burned brighter. “You’ve had all the standard vaccinations, so that’s good. I foresee no problems with compatibility.” He glanced at the papers in front of him. “It says here you have no immediate family members living and are unmarried and without children. Is that correct? You have a pet, Ms. Donal. Is that correct? This posting does require relocation.”

“That’s correct.” She frowned, wondering how a childhood spent in foster care pertained to a job in horticulture.Positive results for what?“Is there any reason I can’t bring my cat with me?”

He shook his head, jotting something down on the notepad in front of him. “No, not at all.” He flashed that insincere smile at her again. “We just like to make sure everything is taken care of.”

Mr. Argosie turned a sheet of paper around and pushed it toward her. He set a pen on it. “This is our standard contract for employment.” He tapped a pudgy finger on the paper. “It basically says that you will be in possession of confidential information and agree not to divulge it, that you understand the job requires relocation and agree to that, and that you’re available for immediate employment.”

She leaned forward, picked up the pen, and signed it.

“Very good, Ms. Donal, welcome aboard!” Mr. Argosie smiled his approval, countersigned the contract, and tucked it into a folder. He glanced at his watch. “Now, where are those orders?”

“Orders, Mr. Argosie?” Evangeline frowned. “I’m not military.”

“No,” he agreed in a mild tone as he pressed a button on his desk, “but I am, so I’ve got to make sure all our I’s are dotted and our T’s are crossed. Everything looks to be in good order. I assume you’re available to begin right away?”

If he’s military, then shouldn’t I be calling him by his rank, like captain or sergeant or something?Evangeline nodded slowly, wondering if she ought to heed the warning bells pealing inside her head and run like hell. She thought of the abysmal state of her finances and talked herself into staying put. She needed this job or Poppet was going to go hungry.

“How often is relocation required for this position? Is it a one-time thing, or is it like the military with relocation every few years?” she asked, wondering if she ought to try to find a new home for her cat. The thought distressed her.

“We generally avoid multiple transfers at the Federal Agency for Foreign Relations, Ms. Donal,” Mr. Argosie replied as two uniformed soldiers entered the office, one on either side of the chair in which she sat. He looked up and said to them, “Ms. Evangeline Donal has agreed to begin immediately. Please escort her to Transportation.”

“Now?” she yelped in surprise. “But—”

“No, Ms. Donal, we cannot permit second thoughts,” he said as the two soldiers each took hold of an upper arm. He shook his pudgy finger at her. “Your agreement to begin right away has been recorded.”

The soldiers pulled her arms, forcing her to rise. “But … but my cat!”

“We’ll ensure your pet is transferred, too,” he assured her. “Welcome to the Federal Agency for Foreign Relations, Ms. Donal.”

“But we haven’t discussed—” she said as the two soldiers began frog marching her toward the door through which they had entered the office.

“Everything will be taken care of,” the fat little man said with a small smile redolent of satisfaction as he pushed himself to his feet. His chair creaked at the relief of its heavy burden. “Ambassador Faye Conquillen is expecting your arrival momentarily. You are being stationed on Ahn’hudin. Uribern has reached its annual quota.”

“Ahn’hudin?” she repeated, her voice shrill as she struggled against the soldiers’ firm grip. They held onto her easily, ignoring the way the smooth soles of her sensible navy blue pumps skidded and slid against the hard, shiny tile. “Where’s that?”

“Approximately two hundred and thirty-six light years from Earth.”

“What?” she shrieked.

Mr. Argosie fell into step behind Evangeline and the soldiers. “Have her personal belongings been collected?”

“Yes, sir,” the soldier holding onto her left arm replied. “The cat is waiting in a carrier in Transport.”

“Ah, good.”

“You can’t do this!” Evangeline shrieked as she thrashed.

“The federal government can do anything it wants,” he rebutted. “Now, you’ll receive a generous compensation package until you’re permanently situated, at which time your new mate will assume full responsibility for your welfare.”

“Mate?” she shrieked, then she shouted, “Help!”

Of course, no one came to the rescue in the empty corridor.

They passed through a door that slid open with a soft hiss of air. It closed behind them, the large steel plates touching and latching with a low, resoundingclank.Evangeline gaped at the contraption filling the room and demanded, “What isthat?”

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