Brianna (3 page)

“Doctor, look at the end of the tail.”

Gustovson grabbed the tail and stared at the end. “What?

Well, well, who would have thought?” Returning to what he
considered his professional voice, he turned the microphone
back on. “Tail, approximately 3 to 3.5 feet long with a two inch
diameter, extending to a thick, blunt tip. Since the anus is
underneath the base of the tail, as expected, the small opening
at the end of the tail could be for seminal fluid. Conjecture? The
creature doesn’t have a tail, rather a very supple penis. With as
flexible as the penis seems to be, it is entirely possible for the
alien to impregnate itself. However, the hermaphroditic theory
will remain questionable until a complete dissection is
performed.”

He turned to Brianna. “Miss O’Shea, a dissecting kit.”

“Uhhhhhhhhhh.”

Brianna spun back around and stared at the alien. Its eyes
blinked a few times, then remained open. “Doctor, it’s alive!”

Gustovson spat a curse then rounded on Brianna. “Miss
O’Shea, we are on the brink of one of the most amazing
discoveries of the century. Perhaps we are even helping to
save our world. Who knows what these aliens have planned.

Now is not the time to be squeamish.”

“Squeamish! This is an intelligent life form.”

Eyes narrowed, Gustovson turned to face her. “Miss
O’Shea, this is my laboratory. I can do damn well whatever I
please. The only reason you have this job is because your
father is an old colleague. Now, do as I say or get out.”

Brianna was jolted back to consciousness by a sharp pain in her thigh. Moaning, she opened her eyes.

Three
people
looked down at her, two with unconcealed lust in their eyes and one with pity.

“How long before the drug takes effect?” Bakom asked.

“Only a few minutes,” Odam answered. “I gave her a full dose.”

Brianna couldn’t understand a word they said.

Her right shoulder was on fire, and she could feel blood seeping sluggishly from her wound.

Then a new fire surged through her bloodstream. Pain and heat enveloped her. Moaning, she arched her back. Her groin and nipples were on fire! She jerked against the bonds wrapped around her wrists. She had to touch herself!

The wound in her shoulder opened. More blood began to flow.

Sobbing, Brianna tried to close her legs against the fiery pressure in her loins.

Then someone grabbed her wounded shoulder. She fainted from the pain.

*

Halting before the door to Hold 3, Char palmed the door switch. Nothing happened. “That bastard’s crazy if he thinks he can realign the door codes.”

Lorilana grasped his arm. “Mind your temper, Char. You don’t want to ruin your family’s plans.”

He scowled, but nodded curtly. Taking an orange card from his belt, he slipped it into the door panel and punched in the override. The door slid open and they entered the Hold where they were greeted with the exact scene he had imagined. Both of Bakom’s assistants were naked, as was the humanoid on the table.

When Eliana stepped behind the table and Char got a good look at Bakom’s specimen, he felt as if someone planted a fist in his stomach.

A woman—a beautifully exotic woman.

Fiery red hair tumbled over the side of the table in an auburn waterfall. Pale skin, which any woman in his family would envy, glowed under harsh laboratory lights. Full breasts with rosy nipples rose and fell with harsh breathing. A narrow waist tapered to flared hips where a splash of equally fiery pubic hair curled at the juncture of her thighs. Long legs stretched to the end of the table.

Familiar, heavy pressure exploded in Char’s groin. However, the blood pooled under her shoulder and dripping to the floor immediately checked his ardor.

Striding to the table, Char grasped Bakom’s upper arm and jerked him around. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Hate blazing from his eyes, Bakom snarled, “Release me, Alalakan. As an unidentified species from an unknown planet, this being falls under the jurisdiction of the Academy.”

Lorilana stepped to Char’s side. “She’s too human in form to be subjected to the primary tests, and as a voting member of the Academy board, I’ll testify to that.”

Bakom glared at Lori. “That still puts it under Academy jurisdiction, Doctor Sendenton.”

“That may be,” Char growled, eyes narrowed, “but she’s wounded and bleeding. She goes to Medical now.”

“You have no right!”

Char crossed his arms over his chest. “I have every right. As captain, I have complete command over everyone on this ship.

Would you care to read the Confederation rule book?”

“Get out!” Bakom snarled. “I’m entitled to the privacy of my own quarters.”

“These are not your private quarters. It’s a cargo hold, and no humanoid will be transported to Drakan in the cargo hold of my ship,” Char stated flatly. Shoving Bakom aside, he unfastened the woman’s wrists. Lorilana had already freed her ankles. Ignoring the waves of fury rolling from the smaller man, he gathered the woman into his arms and turned away.

As his two enemies disappeared out the door with his specimen, Bakom turned his smoldering gaze on his assistants.

Both Odam and Eliana had wisely placed the table between themselves and the angry captain.

“Come, both of you,” Bakom growled as he tugged at his belt. “I’m in need of comfort.”

The woman’s thick auburn hair cascaded over Char as he carried her towards Medical. Held in thrall by the sexual stimulant, she struggled in his arms, but the blood loss she’d sustained weakened her enough so that he was able to carry her easily.

“She’s weakening,” Lorilana muttered in a worried tone. “I don’t know what we’ll do about replacing the lost blood. Simple fluids may not be enough.”

Char said nothing. The agonized expression on the woman’s face didn’t hide its exotic beauty. Her face was rounder than those of his people, her lips fuller. Stunning green eyes fluttered open and stared unseeing into his. Thick, dark lashes rimmed those eyes while the well-shaped auburn brows above them contrasted sharply with her wan complexion. Even with blood seeping from her shoulder, she stirred him as no woman had in a long time. His glance drifted down to her taut nipples.

I want her.

Lorilana palmed open the door to Medical, calling in crisp tones for her assistants and various pieces of equipment. “First, mithrin antidote. I wish I knew how much he gave her,” she stated. “I wish I knew what her metabolism was like. We’ve got to get this shoulder cleaned out. Jaylin, get that hair out of the wound.”

Char’s voice was sharp. “Don’t cut it!”

He refused to acknowledge the inquisitive look in Lorilana’s eyes and concentrated on the woman. Lights flashed as the medibunk registered an occupant when he laid her down then stepped back out of the way. He ignored the blood smeared on his uniform.

Lorilana placed her stethoscope on the woman’s chest.

“Heart rate, slow—too slow, I think. Breathing is awfully shallow.

I think we can count on the integrity of the medibunk for basic information. It seems to fit within human parameters. The respiration and heart rate seem to be accurate, so everything else is probably correct also.”

Char remained where he was. “Will she live?”

Lori placed her hand on the woman’s forehead. “I don’t know. If there hadn’t been so much blood loss, I’d say she had a good chance, but…”

“Doctor Sendenton, I think you should look at this.”

“Not now, Jaylin.”

“You really have to look at this,” the young woman insisted.

Lori tsked and strode to the computer. “What is it?”

“I put a sample of the blood from Miklan’s hands in the computer and, well, see for yourself.”

After looking at the screen, Lorilana glanced up at Jaylin then reread the data. “Impossible.”

Char stepped forward. “What?”

Ignoring him, Lorilana removed a small slide from the computer terminal. Returning to her patient, she gently smeared blood onto the slide. Placing it back in the computer, she entered a command.

“Amazing. Exactly like Medirian blood. I don’t know who she is, but she’s definitely human. Jaylin, how much Medirian blood type O positive do we have in storage?”

Punching up the data, her assistant answered, “Three bags, and we do have two or three Medirians with that blood type on board if that isn’t enough.”

“Set up an IV immediately.” Lorilana turned to Char. “I think we can be fairly certain that she’ll live.”

Char nodded once and turned toward the door. “Very well, I’ll be in Command.”

*

Miklan regained consciousness slowly. Struggling, he sat up.

Lorilana placed restraining hands on his shoulders. “Lie back down, Miklan. There’s some sort of chemical in your bloodstream that we can’t identify. We have to keep you under observation until we analyze it.”

“It’s a sedative of some kind,” he muttered still struggling against her. “Let me up. We have to help Brianna. Bakom surprised us as we transported in.”

“Lie back down! And that’s an order. If Brianna is the woman who returned with you, she’s safe. We have her right here.”

He relaxed immediately.

Lorilana turned to her assistant. “Inform the captain Miklan is awake.”

“Brianna saved our lives,” Miklan explained from his bunk, “against her superior’s orders. She deserves our thanks and all the help we can give her.”

Lorilana checked his pulse. “We’ve done everything we can, Mik. It’s up to her now.”

Miklan’s eyes opened wide. “What did Bakom do to her?”

Lorilana stared at him. First Char, now Miklan? Who is this woman? “We reached her before he had a chance to do anything. The wound she carried when she came on board caused us the most worry.”

The door slid open and Char entered Medical. Miklan tried to rise, but Char motioned him to remain in his bed. “Report.”

“Cindar was gathering plant specimens and I was recording seismic activity when a group of soldiers stumbled upon us.

From what I could gather, they were practicing nighttime warfare. We put up a struggle, which is how Cindar was hurt. At first they thought we were inhabitants of their planet—until they got a good look at us. When they realized we were alien to them, we were drugged unconscious. The next thing I remember is waking up on an examining table.”

Miklan continued, briefly relating how Brianna had saved them from dissection.

“So, without this woman’s help, you would not have survived?”

Miklan nodded. “Correct. They planned to dissect us.”

Lorilana gasped with outrage. “Dissection! For that alone, she deserves whatever aid we can give her.”

“The Alalakans always pay their debts,” Chardadon stated softly.

Again the door hissed opened. Bakom sauntered in, a contemptuous sneer on his face. “Will the specimen live?”

Char stepped in front of him. “You aren’t needed here.”

“Oh, but I have every right to be here. That’s a new life form.

Until it’s properly categorized, it belongs to the Academy of Science. As First President, I’m taking personal interest in it.”

Lorilana put her hand on Char’s arm, silencing him. “She’s lost a great deal of blood, Bakom. We aren’t even sure she’ll survive. There’s nothing more we can do at this time.”

Gazing at the readouts on the medibunk, Bakom grunted. “I expect to be notified if its condition changes. Remember, I’m personally assuming categorization of this creature. Don’t try to gainsay my decision. The law supports me.” Turning, he left Medical, chuckling in a most satisfactory manner.

Lorilana’s hand remained on Char’s arm. “He’s right. The law supports him.”

“Her experience will be worse than mine,” Miklan muttered.

“My captors didn’t plan to torture me before they killed me.”

“The Alalakan clan owes her a debt which will be paid,”

Char stated firmly. “This is my ship. As long as we’re in free space, my decisions override all else.”

“True,” Lorilana said quietly, “but I can’t keep him from Medical. Nor can I keep manipulating the medibunk. Bakom’s bound to notice her condition is improving and keeping her sedated will interfere with her natural healing process.”

“Move her.”

Lorilana busied herself attending her patient. “As First President, Bakom can gain access to any place on this ship. He outranks everyone on your crew. However, there are two places where he dare not go.”

He raked he fingers through his hair. “Meri’s quarters. If she didn’t have the baby, I’d ask.”

Lorilana’s steady gaze locked on his face. “I wasn’t thinking about Meri’s quarters, Char. I was thinking of yours.”

He stiffened. “Mine?”

“It’s the only other place Bakom dare not go. I know it would make for inconveniences,” she continued trying to gauge Char’s shuttered expression, “but it’s the only place we’ll be able to protect her. We’ll put her in the small room off your community room. My staff and I will see to her care. You won’t even know she’s there.”

Arms now crossed over his chest, Chardadon stared at the Lorilana.
I will have this alien woman. I will wrap all that fiery
hair around my naked body until I explode with ecstasy.
Finally, he spoke. “Very well, but only you’ll attend her. Bakom could intimidate your technicians, and I don’t want an endless stream of people wandering in and out.”