Page 4 of Her Alien Matchmaker
C ooler air hit my face as the door swung open.
How? With the power cut, it should’ve remained locked.
Jetarin whispered something near my ear, but it was in his language.
Is he communicating through his lifecord? My blood pounded faster, the panic a palpable thing tasting like iron my mouth.
The hair on the back of my nape stiffened, and the scent of dry air mixed with a hint of petrichor hit my nose.
I opened my eyes to the bright sun of New Mexico.
Rows of cars sat under the clear sky; the heavy-duty fence surrounding the complex black and stark against the sand.
He took us one hundred floors to the surface in a matter of seconds.
The blade pressed against my throat a bit harder. “Which vehicle is yours?” His voice sounded strained and gruff.
I pointed two rows away to a tan sedan. “There.” I had so many questions, but I had an even bigger focus on surviving.
With the blade still at my neck and his arm firmly around my middle, I began walking to my SUV, knowing our every movement could be seen by the many cameras feeding into central command. Why haven’t the troops arrived yet?
Fifty paces or so, then I stood on the passenger’s side of my car.
“Get in. If you try to escape, I will cut your throat. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” I rummaged around in my lab coat pocket to get the key fob, relieved I hadn’t stuck it in my purse earlier this morning. I touched the handle and the door unlocked.
Jetarin moved his hand from my waist and opened the car. “Get in and slide into the driver’s seat. We need to go somewhere they would not think of right away.”
“Please. Just take my car and go. You’ll have a head start.” The thought of being kidnapped by this alien and leaving my son behind terrified me more than the actual abduction and torture part.
“Even if I were to do that,” he said, removing the scalpel at my throat and pushing on my shoulders to get in the car, “do you think you’d be immune from their wrath?
As far as they are concerned, there will always be suspicion you were complicit in my escape.
They would not be able to fathom I stayed in that horrible place because I wanted to. ”
“Wh-what?” I scrambled into the car, crawling over the center console and twisting my body to slide into the driver’s seat, then pushed the ignition switch. The engine purred to life.
Jetarin crammed himself into the passenger space, bending his neck to keep his head from touching the overhead liner.
His knees practically kissed his naked chest as he tried to cram his enormous body into the small space.
“We need to find a safe space for a short time, then we are leaving.” He pointed to the front entrance, where the concrete and steel posts had risen from the ground, blocking all traffic in or out.
“That will not stop us. Back out, then head straight for the fence, where that service gate is at.”
“But it’ll tear up the car.”
“No, this vehicle can withstand it. Get to sixty miles per hour and it will be enough momentum.”
I backed out and gunned the vehicle, sending the tires into a spin before blasting straight to the metal fence, gaining speed.
“You have a child, correct?”
My jaw dropped. “How do you know?”
He rolled his eyes. “Do you really think XVU is superior to us? I chose this mission, to be your subject of torture, so we can ascertain your plans. Now I know where you are at in the program, it is time to report back to my commanders.”
I gripped the wheel, turning my knuckles pure white. I’d cut on this being, taken his DNA and other genetic material. “You’re saying you could’ve escaped at any time?”
He nodded, switching his attention from me to the fence, which loomed closer and closer.
Several military police vehicles approached from behind and from either side of the parking lot, lights flaring and sirens blaring even through the closed windows of my car.
“You can stay here and face the repercussions when I leave or choose to come with me.”
“I can’t leave Aaron behind.” Not that I would even consider going with him. The thought terrified me. What if he’s right? What if XVU decides his escape is my fault, and they fire me, or worse… What if they put me in prison? I can’t let anything happen to Aaron.
“It is your choice. As I have pointed out before, though, my people are not the villains. It is you and your people. I can promise your child will not be harmed. We have a small community of humans who have chosen to stay with us over the years, who are even helping us prepare for our homeward journey. Your skills would make their team even stronger. Or, you can stay here and take your chances, and if XVU decides you are not at fault, you can go back to torturing innocent Volderens and lie to yourself at night, sacrificing your morals for a paycheck and security.”
An urge to stop the car overwhelmed me, yet I kept my foot on the pedal. Something in his words rang true.
The shame and guilt I’d experienced resurfaced.
Whatever I decide, only one thing is for sure: I need to get to Aaron before anyone else.
Jetarin had had plenty of opportunities to hurt or kill me, and he hadn’t.
If what he said about his mission was true, then he’d chosen to sacrifice himself for his people, and I’d been the one who ordered the experiments.
Twenty feet separated the front end of my car from the gate. A quick judging of the distance, and I was pretty sure the pursuing vehicles would just miss us.
I pressed harder on the gas and squinted my eyes as we tore through the chain-link double gated fence with a godawful screech.