Page 1 of Zinnia and the Zombie (Alien Abduction #26)

CHAPTER ONE

“ I ’m not sure about this.”

“Are you trying to back out on me, Romat?”

“No, but what if the captain finds out?”

“How’s he going to find out? You know that lazy bastard is never going to come all the way down to the cargo hold.”

Captain? Cargo hold?

Zinnia frowned as the conversation drifted through her foggy brain, trying to make sense of the words.

There was something wrong with the voices as well—an odd, growling undercurrent that didn’t make any sense.

Other things were wrong as well. Instead of the usual comforting scent of flowers and plants, there was a faint metallic tinge to the air, and the surface beneath her was hard and cold.

She struggled to open her eyes, but when she finally managed, it took a long moment before everything finally snapped into focus.

What the hell?

She was lying on the floor of what looked like a shipping container. A variety of boxes were stacked all the way to the ceiling against the back wall, with a motley assortment of objects piled in front of them—several rolled carpets, a large golden statue, and a vase almost as big as she was.

“She’s waking up.”

The voice came from behind her, shocking her out of her dazed examination of her surroundings. She tried to turn in its direction but her body was heavy and unresponsive and she only managed to move her head. Even that took far more effort than it should have.

Two men were standing at the entrance of the container.

Except, they weren’t exactly men. The more she looked at them, the more their differences became apparent.

The shape of their faces was wrong—the brow too low, the nose too wide.

And the dark hair she could see peeking out from beneath their gray coveralls looked more like fur than hair.

“Who… who are you?” Her voice came out weak and shaky.

“I am your master,” one of them said, his lascivious stare making her stomach churn.

The other one elbowed him. “Shut up, Romat. If anyone is her master, I am.”

“Master?” she whispered.

“I own you.”

“ We own you,” Romat interrupted, scowling.

“Own me?” She tried to sit up and this time she managed it. Her arms and legs were still shaky, but her mind was starting to clear.

“Yes.” Romat nodded, looking smug. “And you’re going to make us a lot of credits.”

“Shut up, Romat, “ the first male repeated.

“You can’t own me. It’s not legal to own another person.”

He shrugged. “Do you see a Royal Fleet officer around here anywhere?”

Royal Fleet?

Romat laughed. “You’re not on Earth anymore, female.”

“Not on Earth? That’s not possible.” But despite her protest, the sick feeling in her stomach increased.

“It may not be possible for your primitive species,” the first male sneered. “But I assure you, it is entirely possible for us.”

“But why? Why did you take me?”

“Because someone wants to purchase you—a very wealthy someone—in a private transaction.”

“Purchase me? Why me?”

He shrugged. “Not you specifically, but someone like you. A soft little human female. Apparently, it’s becoming quite the fashion.”

“You can’t do this. I have a home, a life?—”

“Not anymore,” he said with a casual certainty that was only too convincing.

“Now, let me explain the rules,” he continued, putting his hand on the heavy black baton hanging from his belt.

“You will remain here, quietly, like a good little female. If you don’t, you will be punished.

If you’re lucky, we’ll be the ones punishing you.

If you’re not… it will be the rest of the crew.

And then you’ll be thrown in with the other slaves. ”

Her throat went dry. She might not know anything about space, or alien pirates, but she understood the implication well enough.

“Your future master is willing to pay a lot for you which means he’ll probably treat you well enough.

If you’re simply one of the slaves, you’ll be put up for auction, and your prospects will be significantly worse.

” He pointed to the wall next to her. “Food. Water. Hygiene. Now, be a good little human and keep quiet. I promise you, otherwise, you’ll regret it.

” He jerked his head at Romat. “Let’s go. ”

“Can’t I have a taste first, Sarmor? She smells so sweet.”

Sarmor cuffed Romat’s head with a casual brutality that made him stagger. “No. My client wants an undamaged specimen.”

“But—”

“I said no.”

Romat scowled but stepped back.

“Wait!” she cried, trying to stand. Before she could manage it, the heavy metal doors clanked shut, leaving her alone in the darkness.

Panic swept over her, but as her eyes started to adjust, she realized she wasn’t in total darkness. The huge golden statue she’d noticed earlier put off a faint glow, enough for her to make out her surroundings.

She took a deep breath, and then another, trying to force herself to stay calm. The whole thing didn’t feel real. People didn’t get abducted, especially not by aliens. How could she have ended up here, being taken somewhere to be sold?

She tried to think—what was the last thing she remembered?

The botanical gardens . Yes, that was it.

Her florist shop was closed on Sundays, and even though she usually spent part of the day preparing for the week ahead, she’d decided to take advantage of the free morning to visit the botanical gardens.

They had been relatively deserted when she arrived, and she’d wandered around peacefully, admiring the various specimens.

She’d been wandering through the woodland area, looking at the giant hostas that were growing alongside the stream, when she’d realized that everything had gone quiet.

The rustle of leaves, the distant sound of birdsong—all the little noises she had barely noticed until they disappeared.

A chill ran down her spine, and she started walking faster, anxious to get out of the heavy shade beneath the trees. Her feet made only the faintest sound on the heavily mulched path, but then she heard an echo of her own muffled footsteps from behind her.

She’d started to turn and… nothing.

Now she was trapped in a shipping container on an alien spaceship.

A choked laugh threatened to escape, but she bit her lip and forced it back, afraid of what might happen if she gave in to her emotions.

She would have to do what she had done her entire life—face the problem head-on and find a solution.

First things first. Her captors had mentioned food and water and she managed to push herself to her feet to investigate.

The food consisted of a metal box filled with dry wafers.

They didn’t look very appetizing, but she nibbled cautiously at the corner of one.

It was more like eating a piece of cardboard than actual food, bland rather than repulsive, but presumably it had some kind of nutritional value.

“I’m always talking about going on a diet,” she muttered to herself. “Now it looks like I don’t have a choice.” The laugh that managed to escape threatened to turn into a sob, and she choked it back.

The water was in a tall cylinder with a small tap at the bottom and a bowl beneath it.

It reminded her of the automated setup her friend Cassidy had for her cat.

Perhaps the comparison wasn’t too far off—they clearly didn’t think of her as a person.

Next to the food and water was a white rectangular container.

Was that what he’d meant by hygiene? She examined it more closely and finally found a small depression on one side.

When she poked it cautiously with her finger, the top slid back, and she discovered what appeared to be some type of portable toilet.

The thought of using it made her shudder, but it was better than the alternative.

And that was it. They’d made no other provisions for her comfort. But then again, why would they?

She sighed and continued her investigation.

The assortment of boxes in the rear half of the shipping container was held in place by a thick net that extended from wall to wall.

She tugged at it experimentally, but it clearly wasn’t going anywhere.

The boxes in the front part had not been secured, but they were sealed shut.

The large vase-like object was held in place by more of the thick plastic ties. The workmanship was exquisite—hundreds, probably even thousands, of tiny pieces of a translucent, shell- like material had been fastened together so smoothly that the surface felt like one single object.

She caught it with her fingernail as she drew her hand back, and it chimed—not like crystal, but with a long, melodic note that rose and fell like the fragment of a song.

It was an exquisite and clearly valuable piece, as was the golden statue, and she suddenly felt scruffy and out of place.

Why was someone willing to pay for her? She didn’t like the thought of the obvious answer.

It seemed unlikely that some rich alien was so desperate for sex that he’d pay for a woman to be brought to him.

Maybe he intends to probe me , she thought and a hysterical giggle escaped.

This time she couldn’t stop her laughter from turning to tears.

She slid down to the floor of the container, leaning against the statue’s legs as she cried.

The sensation of warmth slowly seeped into Jaxx’s consciousness.

He’d been floating, locked in stasis. For how long? He had no frame of reference, but it felt like an extended period. Had he been damaged that badly?

Damaged. The thought triggered a memory but it hovered just out of reach, too distant for him to grasp.

Energy signatures surrounded him. A ship, a crew, and others who were not crew.

There was fear there—fear and desperation.

But there was another signature. The warmth he had noticed.

A person. A female. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he was convinced he was correct.

But despite her warmth, there was fear in her signature as well, and sorrow.

That sorrow bothered him. He wanted to comfort her, but when he tried to break the stasis, his body didn’t respond.

Part of him recognized that this was wrong, but as that tantalizing warmth moved away, he drifted back into his protective shell.