Abducted Read online

  Whatever or whoever it was, I knew I had to listen. I looked around again for a way to get my little Pure One warm and my eyes fell on the steaming hulk of the dead chudd’x.

  I knew what I had to do.

  Part Three: Uninhibited (you figure it out)

  Chapter Seventeen

  Zoe

  “Are you all right, Lady Zoe?” a familiar voice asked. It sounded like a butler only I don’t have a butler. I have a run-down, one-bedroom apartment in Ybor city, the historic and somewhat seedy part of Tampa, and half the time I worry about being able to make rent on that. So there’s no way I can afford a butler. Yet, one was talking in my ear right now, as though he knew me.

  I pried open my eyelids which seemed to be glued shut somehow, and saw a lantern with a light like an eye hovering over me. It was attached to a long, snaky silver neck which was, in turn, attached to the ceiling.

  For a minute I completely freaked out…and then I remembered everything.

  “Al,” I said weakly, trying to sit up and failing. My chest was really sore for some reason. “What’s going on? How did I get back on board the ship?”

  “I carried you here. But not before you almost died on me.”

  The new voice came from the doorway. I looked over and saw Sarden leaning against the doorframe, frowning at me. His arms and chest were smeared with some kind of black goo and streaks of the same stuff stained his shirt and trousers.

  “Died on you? What are you talking about?” I demanded, my voice coming out weaker than I wanted it to. “Died from what?”

  “Hypothermia. The water in the reservoir was extremely cold—I don’t think you would have survived in it for much longer.”

  “Well, you’re the one who told me to jump in,” I pointed out, tartly.

  “It was either that or wind up in the belly of the chudd’x, guarding the water supply. Which, as it turns out, you did anyway.”

  “What?” I wanted to sit up but when I tried, my body disagreed. So I just laid there and glared at him. “What do you mean by that?”

  He shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling with the motion.

  “Your heart had already stopped once and it was the only way to warm you up. I had already sliced it open so I put you inside its body cavity to bring your body temperature back up to normal.”

  “What?” This time I did manage to sit up even though my body protested. Looking down at myself, I realized I was covered in black goo. Not just my arms and hands, either—I was completely coated in the stuff. When I reached up to touch my cheek, I found it was even on my face—no wonder my eyelids had felt glued shut!

  Also, I smelled horrendous.

  “You heard me—I had to get you warmed up. This was the only way. You can say what you want about chudd’xs but at least they’re hot-blooded. That’s what’s all over you—its blood. All over me too.” He motioned at himself.

  “Oh God, Sarden,” I moaned, looking down at the gooey black stuff that coated every inch of my skin. “Is there any scifi trope you’re not going to hit? First you pull out a lightsaber—”

  “A what?” He frowned. “I used a blast laser to slice open the chudd’x. And a damn good thing I did too, or it would have eaten us both.”

  “And then you put me in its awful guts to warm me up,” I continued, ignoring him. “I mean, what’s next? Are you going to tell me you’re my father and cut off my hand?”

  “What?” He shook his head. “Zoe, are you sure you’re feeling all right? Maybe I should have left you inside the chudd’x a little longer to let your brain thaw—you’re not making any sense.”

  “I’m making perfect sense,” I said grimly. “My point is, this sucks and I want a shower. A hot one. Now.”

  He sighed. “You know the mister isn’t going to get this off. It’s the Cleansing Pool or nothing.”

  I almost said, “nothing then” but I was coated—literally coated—from head to foot in alien monster guts. The blankets Al had laid over the silver beanbag bed would probably have to be burned, along with my clothes. “Fine,” I mumbled at last. “But…can you at least lower the uh, water level this time so it’s not over my head?”

  “I am afraid the liquid level of the PPC is pre-set and we are quite unable to change it, even to suit your less than average stature, lady Zoe,” Al answered for him, sounding politely regretful.

  “Great.” I looked down at my nasty, gooey hands. “But I still can’t swim.”

  “I’ll go with you, of course.” Sarden’s voice got softer. “You know I won’t let you get hurt.”

  I felt my stomach do a little flip but I wasn’t going to melt that easily.

  “Yeah, right,” I muttered. “Where were you when Count Doloroso was trying to drag me away?”

  “Count Doloroso?” He took a few steps towards me—he was limping a little for some reason. “Is he the one who lured you out of the shop with those damn nib-nibs?”

  “How did you know that?” I asked. “And where are they, anyway?”

  “They are quite well and safe, lady Zoe, I assure you,” Al said. “I bathed them in warming liquid and gave them a proper home.”

  “A proper home? Where, in someone’s stomach?” I looked at Sarden. “I can’t believe that you guys eat them! Poor little monkeys!”

  “I don’t eat them,” he protested. “And what are monkeys?”

  “Cute little furry Earth animals,” I said. “And if you never ate one, why did you tell me they scratched the inside of your mouth?”

  “I may have tried one once,” he muttered. “But I spit it out and let it run away—they’re disgusting.”

  “Says the man who eats snake sandwiches,” I said, but I felt relieved. I didn’t want to think that Sarden was the kind of guy who would eat a living creature. Not a cute one, anyway.

  “What did Doloroso say to you?” he asked.

  “Mostly that I was special and a ‘unique specimen’. Of course, this was in between nearly pulling my hair out by the roots and calling me a ‘bitch.’” I shivered when I remembered what a close call I’d had.

  “He tried to pull your hair out?” Sarden growled, looking angry.

  I shrugged. “Basically he was just trying to grab hold of me anyway he could so he could drag me back to his ship. You know, you’d better be nice to my nib-nibs—they saved my life. If they hadn’t bitten his hand, he never would have let me go. I’d be…be on his ship right now.” My throat was suddenly tight with the thought.

  “Did he say anything else?” Sarden asked in a low, dangerous voice.

  “It’s all kind of a blur.” I shook my head. “He shouted something about The Last Day, whatever that means. And he said…said that…” I had to swallow hard before I could continue. “He said he wanted to put me back into the sensitivity tank and…and finish the test.”

  I shuddered again—I couldn’t help it. The memory of being dragged into the yellow slime by the long, shiny black tentacles was still fresh in my mind. I would be there right now if I hadn’t somehow unlocked the locked door and gotten inside the water storage building. How had I done that?

  Sarden’s face was dark. “I should have known he would want you—the way he was looking at you, it was pretty fucking obvious. Zoe…” He took my hand. “I’m so damn sorry—I should never have left you alone in the first place.”

  “I…I called for you.” My throat was still tight and I couldn’t seem to summon up even an ounce of snark or sarcasm to lighten up the situation. “I called and called but you…you didn’t come.”

  “I’m so sorry—I was wearing ear shields to protect my hearing while the mechanic and his fucking assistant showed me the properties of the new panels.” His golden eyes glowed with fury. “In fact, it turns out the assistant was in on your kidnapping—or almost kidnapping.”

  “The little Oompa-Loompa looking guy?” I couldn’t believe it. “He seemed so nice and so concerned that I wasn’t being treated right.�