Billionaire Romance: MAXIMILIAN (An Alpha Bad Boy Contemporary Mystery Romance) (Mysterious Billionaires Book 3, Anthologies & Collections) (63 page)

“Oh. My. God. You do realize how long this is going to take, right?”

“I don’t know what to say other than ‘better get cracking, then’. This riddle isn’t going to solve itself, ma’am.”

“I know, but this can take – “

“All is clear on my end, sir,” Private Williams interrupted as she leapt from the darkness behind them. “The
big
expert can begin from there if she wants.”

“The expert will do just that, but not because you suggested it,” Deborah replied.
It’s going to be a long month, at the very least.

“Whatever.” Williams was just about to turn and lead them to the location when the corporal signaled for her to remain where she was.

“You will wait for everyone to gather here. I will escort the expert myself. After you’ve all confirmed that there is no problem, you will come and meet with us. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

The corporal tilted his head toward the darkness, and Deborah followed. He pulled out a neon torch, turning it on and shedding significant light on their situation. Surrounding them was a rather deep cave. It was old. That much was apparent even to an untrained eye. That fact came as a muffled shock: if the ruins she had been shown were actually real archeological discoveries rather than fakes and located here, then mankind would have to reevaluate what they knew about the history of America.

“Alright, I take anything bad I might have said back. This is
effin
’ incredible!” she exclaimed, visibly elated.

“Wait ‘til you what lies in store,” the corporal answered. “There is a reason we’re taking this much effort to explore this place, after all.”

Of course there is.
She stared at his back as he walked away, his comment having reminded her of how little the soldiers trusted or respected her. And vice versa.

“Of course there is,” she commented. “You just won’t tell me.”

The corporal did not answer.

Deeper

“I refuse to believe my eyes.” Deborah stared at the humongous structure. It was a pyramid, formed in a style that combined the aesthetics and functions of cultures that officially never had any contact with each other. Seeing something like that on a picture was one thing, but witnessing the glory in person was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

How long was I descending anyway? I can’t recall.
She pondered for a while, the structure’s size having reminded her just how deep underground they were.

Her knowledge of the world challenged, Deborah had to close her eyes. Thoughts raced through her head, colliding with each other in an attempt to form a coherent answer to the puzzle. Predictably, nothing came to her.

“So, Doc, what are we looking at?” The corporal asked, the tone of his voice betraying just how obvious Deborah’s surprise was.

“I… I have no earthly idea. This place…” She approached a wall slowly, running her hands across the smooth surface. “This place, this
thing
, it defies everything we know about world history.” She turned toward him, intent clear in her eyes. “We’re going to be here for a good while, corporal.”

“We came prepared for that, ma’am.”

“Good… great, actually. I might need some help, you know? If I have to take notes and compare them myself, this investigation might not even get resolved in our lifetimes.”

“We’ll see what we can do, ma’am. Our courier will be due in very little time. We will be able to notify HQ about what we need then. In the meantime, we will—“ He stopped talking and grabbed at his holster with his right hand. His eyes twitched as they tried to penetrate the darkness many times over. In less than a second they fixed onto something, but by then it was too late.

Something hit him in the forehead, affixing itself to his skin as if it was laced with a powerful adhesive. A moment later, the metal thing glowed an intense white, forcing Deborah to avert her eyes. By the time the brilliant display was over the corporal had fallen down to his knees and the device disconnected from his forehead on its own. He hit the ground face-first, raising a significant amount of dust.

“
Help!
” Deborah screamed out, her voice echoing through the subterranean ruins.
Come on, that must have alerted someone!
Someone approached her, step by step, from the very direction the device had appeared.
Please tell me I’m not alone here.
The figure was now visible, the neon light that the corporal had held illuminating some of his features from the floor.
I don’t want to die!

“No need to be alarmed, pretty lady,” the stranger said, his voice possessed of an unusual synthetic quality, an obvious effect of the mask he wore. He was very tall and distinctly well muscled, a quality that was further accentuated by the tight black bodysuit he wore. The garment left nothing to the imagination, revealing every muscle as if the stranger’s body had been covered with black paint and subsequently oiled up. The covering over his face was plain, disregarding the voice box over his mouth and something that resembled a pair of shades over the eyes. “I assure you that I come in peace, although your companions made my claim less than convincing.”

What? Is he one of the invaders? A robot? It doesn’t match any description I’ve read.

Deborah had no idea what to say in this situation, so she did what she always did—she said the first thing that came to her mind. “What… what the hell is going on here?”

“I have taken out your soldiers,” the bodysuit-wearing hunk replied as he grabbed his mask with his right hand. In a single motion he removed it, revealing a handsome
human
face beneath. He possessed strong features with a powerful jaw and prominent cheekbones. His hair was bright brown and slightly messy due to the compression of the headgear.

Not half bad,
Deborah concluded. She was just about to comment on the intruder’s appearance when he opened his eyes, propelling her into a state of disbelief and awe. An intense blue light overcame the white one that was still being given off by the torch. It originated from his eyes: they were devoid of whites, and glowed an intense shade of blue.

“You… you’re not human, are you?” she asked immediately, the shock doing little to slow her verbal reaction.

“Not in the least,” he responded in a deep voice, a slight chuckle creeping into his voice. “And you are a hell of a lot of woman. Just the way I
like
.”

This was the tipping point. The stranger’s inhuman eyes touched some forgotten part of Deborah’s being, and the feeling was terrifying. Shock getting the better of her, Deborah turned around screaming. There was no precise thought or plan within her, only an overpowering instinct to survive. Her surroundings blurred and she didn’t know whether the alien gave chase, but she still ran.

It didn’t last very long. Her plump frame jiggled with every move she made, dragging her closer and closer to the ground. She kept propelling herself forward relentlessly with all the force her body could muster, but the pain that spread through her chest insisted that she stop.

“Goddamn it!” she yelled, or at least tried to. What came out of her mouth sounded more like the death throes of a choking animal than any sound a human would produce.

“I don’t see why this is necessary,” the alien commented, creeping from the dark behind her. The cave gleamed blue again, and her knees started wobbling beneath her. “There is absolutely no way for you to escape from me.” His breathing was steady and well paced, as if he had not exerted himself at all—a sharp contrast to Deborah’s own condition.

“What are you—“ She couldn’t finish her sentence, the contractions in her abdomen forcing her to inhale instead. She extended her hand as if to keep the invader at bay while she regained her ability to reason. Unmoved by her silent plea he drew closer and closer, ending his advance only a foot away from her.

“The finest human athletes could not outmaneuver me, pretty woman.” The way his voice made her feel clashed with the overall sensation of hopelessness that had driven Deborah to flee. Everything she knew kept screaming for her to get as far away from this…
thing
as she could. Still, there was something…
everything
about him, now that she thought about it, that grabbed her attention and refused to let go. He finished, “What chance do you think
you
might have?”

So this is how a moth feels toward the flame?

“I don’t suppose you’d let me go if I asked you nicely?” Deborah finally managed to ask, her voice still shaky and infirm. “If I, say, throw my feminine charms at you, would that please you enough to let me go?”

“If you did something like that, my dear, I’m afraid that I would never release my grasp.” The alien seemed amused, but somehow a bit hurried.

Oh, well.
She hadn’t expected it to work, but something had to be attempted.

“Now then, let me help you up so we can get you to the ship.” He extended his hand gently, but the air about him communicated that he was just as capable of dragging her by force if she resisted.

“To the
ship
!? No way, no how, not ever!” As quickly as she was able, Deborah straightened herself up again, taking special care not to touch the alien’s hand in any way.

“I’m afraid you don’t have any real choice in the matter.” Even without whites, it was strangely apparent how his eyes simply ate her up. “In a couple of your minutes we will be back in my ship, and it is up to you whether you will be there by will or force.”

“Is that how you usually woo girls?” She tried to smile but her lips simply wouldn’t move in that manner. “Is that standard procedure where you’re from?”

“I’m afraid not,” the alien replied, the expression of amusement disappearing from his face without a moment’s notice. Slowly, he lowered his hand before he spoke again. “We don’t
woo girls
on my home planet anymore.”

“And why is that so?” Deborah inquired, now genuinely interested.

“Because we don’t have girls back there anymore.”

An unpleasant silence crept up between them. The invader said nothing for a good while, merely staring through her with those bizarre eyes of his.

How do I reply to that?

“As I was saying, you will end up in my ship one way or another. He extended his arm yet again, this time in a much less courteous manner. “What is it going to be, pretty lady?”

“Can we stop at a McDonalds before you take me up into space? Tension always gives me the munchies.” She grabbed his fingers firmly, more on autopilot than from any conscious intent.

“I applaud your eagerness,” he replied, regaining a little of his previous enthusiasm. “But first you and I need to talk.”

“Talk? Did the other aliens also talk to those they took? If so, then I have doubts about the fairness of this
talk
you speak of!”

“I do not know what methods my peers used on your kind, nor do I care.” The tone of his voice slightly wavered when he mentioned his
kind
, prompting Deborah to consider the possible implications. “I am Var’ghan of the Ar’chameet tribe, and I do things my way!”

Deborah couldn’t help but feel somewhat impressed by the boast, even though she had no idea what it meant.

Before another pyramid

              The cave rumbled. The blue of the stranger’s eyes gleamed with yellow diodes. The pyramidal structure before them shifted, opening its front doors and exposing its chrome-colored inner chamber.

              “How the hell did you do that? What in the world is going on here? Why is the inside of an ancient building as high-tech as that?” The questions kept pouring from her mind faster than Deborah was capable of speaking them out.

              “All in due time, my curious little… ahem,
not so little
cutie. Be so kind as to step inside, and all your questions will be answered.”

              Reluctantly, Deborah stepped forward. Then she did so again. She still wanted to run, but the hopelessness of her situation prevented her from attempting that course of action again.

             
The last thing I need is a heart attack…

“Good girl. Just a couple more steps now… that’s it! You are done.”

The cave started rumbling again, shutting the door behind the two of them. She was trapped inside with the invader, whatever slim chance she had of escape now extinguished entirely.

Suddenly, the yellow dots in Var’ghan’s eyes lit up again, adding some yellow to the blue light that permeated the room. In response, a dull buzzing sound could be heard. It was not especially loud, but it was constant and somewhat annoying. Then, actual illumination took over, bathing the chamber in clear white. The smooth walls of the place interacted strangely with the various sources of light in it, creating an effect she wouldn’t have been able to imagine if she hadn’t seen it.

“So, we are here, Mr. Alien. What now?” Her better judgment had tried to prevent her from being a smart-ass toward the alien who was in complete control of the situation, but she just couldn’t help it.
Please don’t flip out due to my mouth.