Page 7 of Capture of Capricorn (The Thirteenth Zodiac #3)

Zora woke in the punishment cell, a by-now-familiar eight-by-eight cement box where Crius always sent her when she misbehaved.

Along with the confined area, she could expect slop for her next meal, and a sore body, as the thin mattress did nothing to cushion.

No television. No window. Nothing to distract. Usually.

The one difference this time? She wasn’t alone.

“About time you woke, Sleeping Beauty,” the man from the hospital bed drawled.

The comment startled her into rolling over and popping to her feet, where she blurted out, “What are you doing here?” Zora noticed he didn’t wear any restraints. Hopefully, that indicated he wasn’t a danger. Then again, if he tried anything, good-looking or not, she’d slug him.

“I assume our good friend Adam is hoping we’ll become fast friends given our shared dilemma. He’s probably listening to see if we spill any secrets.” He glanced at the camera inset in the ceiling.

“Adam?” She didn’t recognize the name.

“The guy in charge. Wears a suit. Salt-and-pepper hair. Looks like a dick.”

“Oh, you mean Crius,” she exclaimed, recognizing the description. “He’ll be disappointed since I don’t have any secrets, or pockets,” she lamented as her tummy growled. She missed the snacks she usually kept stashed in her cargo pants.

He stared at her. “You know most people would be complaining about their captivity, not their clothing.”

“I can bitch about whatever I like. After all, I’ve been here longer than you.”

“We weren’t properly introduced at our last brief meeting. I’m Capricorn.” He held out his hand, and she pursed her lips before gripping it and giving it a firm shake.

“Zora.” She didn’t bother with a last name since he hadn’t, but she did question, “What kind of hippy-dippy parents name their kid after a Zodiac sign?”

“They didn’t. I used to be called Chester.”

She snorted. “Damn, never thought I’d say Capricorn is probably the better choice.”

“Right?” His grin took an already good-looking face and turned it into something that sent tingles throughout her body. Apparently, her libido decided to wake at the most inopportune moment.

“As I recall, before the whole getting-tasered thing, you claimed to have handed yourself over to Crius because some chick told you to.”

“I did.”

“Bet you’re feeling pretty dumb now,” she blurted out. Figured the hottest guy she’d spoken to in ages would have a few screws loose. That, or this Sage broad must be smokin’ hot.

“Sage wouldn’t have told me to do it if she didn’t think I’d succeed. Apparently, my capture was necessary for me to beat Cetus.” He glanced at the ceiling. “Hear that, Adam. I’m going to dismantle your operation, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“It’s like you have a death wish,” she muttered.

“Says the woman who intentionally pissed off Mr. I’m-so-important and got zapped into la-la land.”

Her lips twisted. “Mama always did say I was stubborn and mouthy. But back to this chick who convinced you she sees the future. How much does she charge an hour? Because damn, I never knew people could be so easily suckered. I could make a fortune convincing idiots to do dumb shit.”

“Sage tells us what she sees for free and is usually right about her predictions. Which means my new friend Adam better watch himself.” Once more he shot a feral grin at the camera.

“Pissing him off will only make your punishment worse,” Zora said with a shake of her head.

“Bah. I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”

“Hope so, because I see you’ve got some new jewelry.” She indicated the bands around his wrists. A pair to her one.

“I noticed. Any idea what kind of range they have?”

She shrugged. “Don’t know because I’ve only ever gone from this cell to the lab. Or, when I’m not being punished, my room to the lab.”

“This isn’t where you usually stay?” He glanced around.

“Nope. When I’m a good girl,” said sarcastically, “I get a real bed, television and food I recognize. I should probably add I’ve spent more time in this cell than the other room. Apparently, I have a bad attitude.” She rolled her eyes, and he laughed.

“Your frankness is refreshing. I hate people who pretend and bullshit.”

Speaking of being forthright… “I’m curious. If Crius knows you’re here to take him down, then why the hell would he keep you?”

“As opposed to killing me? Because I’m special,” said with a wink.

“Did your mommy tell you that?”

He snorted. “Not exactly. Let’s just leave it at I’m not like other men.”

“Said every megalomaniac before going on a manifesto-inspired murder spree.”

“If it makes you feel better, you’re not on that list.”

She blinked. “Hold on. Are you planning to kill people?”

“Only those that deserve it and get in my way. Please don’t tell me you’re a bleeding heart who thinks everyone deserves a second chance.”

“Fuck no,” she huffed. “I think the laws should punish little shits harder. This catch-and-release stuff they’ve been doing is annoying as hell. Do the crime, do the time.”

He clutched his chest. “A lady after my own heart. Now that you’ve grilled me, your turn. You found the relic at a garage sale.”

“I did. Biggest regret ever. At the time, I thought the sphere might provide me with some good scrap metal for a project.” At his puzzled look, she added, “During the week, I work as a metallurgist, but I also dabble in my spare time as a metalsmith.” Given he still had a constipated expression, she explained.

“Metalsmiths basically make art with metal.”

“Ahh. Very cool. So you found the artifact, but I’m struggling to understand how you ended up on Cetus’ radar.”

“Because my dumb ass posted about it online. I couldn’t figure out what the orb was made of, so I asked around on a few forums,” her disgruntled reply.

“No one recognized it, but I got a message offering me some dough in exchange, to which I said no. Next thing I know, I’m woken in the middle of a night, drugged, and ended up here. ”

“Bummer.”

Understatement. “It blows. Especially since I get the impression Crius ain’t ever intending to let me go.”

“Guaranteed he won’t. He’s not the type to tolerate possible loose lips.”

Her lips turned down. “He’s going to kill me.”

“Don’t be so sure of that. When I blow this joint, I’ll take you with me.”

His claim arched her brow. “And how do you plan to do that? This place is locked up tighter than Fort Knox.”

“Actually, Fort Knox isn’t that secure. The factory where they work on new Apple phone prototypes, though… Now that place knows security.”

Strange guy. Still, it was nice having an ally, and someone to talk to that wasn’t Crius. “Do you know where we are? I’ve seen nothing but concrete walls since I got here.”

“Nevada. Area 51.”

“As in the place where they dissect aliens?” she blurted out.

“The one and only.”

“Should have known the government was behind this. Fucking assholes,” Zora grumbled.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that. On paper, it simply appears as if Cetus rented the underground military installation to do their research. No indication the government has a clue what they’re doing.”

“You seem better informed than me. What are they angling to find out? And why is that stupid metal ball so important?”

“From what Adam said, he wants to harness the power it holds and, from there, like every villain with grand ideas, wants to become Earth’s Overlord.”

Laughter bubbled from her, and she didn’t bother stemming it. “That is probably the craziest thing you’ve said thus far.”

“It’s the truth,” his serious reply. “You’ve gotten embroiled in something very complicated and dangerous.”

“No shit.”

“The relic they have you studying is special.”

“Again, no shit. I’m thinking it’s alien in origin because it certainly doesn’t behave like any Earth metals.”

“Not so much alien as astral. There were three originally, but two appear to have, for lack of a better word, transformed.”

“Into what? Are they eggs of some kind?” she asked, remembering the comment in one forum about it being dragon ova.

“I’m not quite sure what they are, or what they’re capable of. I only know that it’s dangerous in the wrong hands. Hence, why I’m here. My mission is to extract the artifact.”

“Seems like a lot of trouble for a ball of metal. You want it, Crius is obsessed with it. He told me I’m stuck here until I figure out how to crack it.”

“I doubt that’s possible. The previous two required starbeaming to unlock them.”

“Star what?” She didn’t recognize the word but chalked it up to more of his crazy talk.

“You really know nothing about what’s going on, do you?”

“I don’t, and it’s really fucking annoying,” she grumbled.

“Ever heard the term Zodiac Warrior?”

“Isn’t that a video game?”

He chuckled. “Nope.”

“Funny you mention the word Zodiac because the guy who used to own the sphere was a huge collector of all things Zodiac. He had all kinds of books on the subject, a telescope, all kinds of star shit. Even some painting of a guy with a tattoo of the libra scales on his back.”

“Did it look something like this?” Capricorn turned around and lifted his scrub top to show a muscled back covered in a massive tattoo, only instead of scales he bore a goat across the entire expanse of flesh.

She whistled. “Damn, that must have hurt.”

“Didn’t feel a thing.”

“Is the giant Zodiac tattoo some kind of cult thing?”

“You might say that. What else did you see at this garage sale?”

“Just a lot of junk, unless you’re into that shit. The fellow was obviously obsessed. The orb was pretty much the only thing for sale that didn’t have a Zodiac symbol carved onto it.”

“I wonder where and how he found it,” Capricorn murmured.

“I am not seeing or understanding why it’s so important. I mean I bought it for a buck.”

“Because the person selling it didn’t understand its value.”

“But you and Crius obviously do, since you both want it.”

“I want it so I can protect the world, but Adam’s plans are more sinister.”

“I fail to see how a metal ball can be dangerous unless it’s some kind of bomb or contains a virus.” She sure hoped not the latter since she’d been handling it with her bare hands.

“I’m thinking it’s more dangerous than that.”

“Only if I lob it at someone’s head,” she quipped.

He laughed. “Have you tried that?”

“No, but not for lack of wanting.”

“How long will we be kept in time out?” he asked.

“Depends. Sometimes a few hours. The longest was two days.”

“Two days?” he grimaced as he glanced around. “I might die of boredom.”

“Or embarrassment. That’s our toilet.” She pointed to a hole in the floor.

“Like fuck,” he swore. “I am not squatting over a hole to drop a deuce.”

“Then you’d better clench tight.”

At her rejoinder, he chuckled again. How novel. Most people didn’t appreciate her brand of humor.

“What do you say we blow this joint, Beauty?”

“Would love to, but not sure how you’re going to manage that. Locked room. No key. We’re stuck unless you can walk through concrete walls.”

His lips quirked. “Not quite, but I do have an idea.”

While she remained fairly sure it would fail, she already had nothing to lose. “Go ahead, pretty boy. Dazzle me.”