Alpha’s Obsession

Chapter 1-1

1

Layne

The computer data stares at me and I stare back. It’s a pointless contest. The computer wins.

Shaking my head, I roll my chair across the lab to my microscope, but no, nothing’s changed there either. “That can’t be right,” I mutter and rub my eyes. I’ve been peering through the microscope or at a screen all day, seven days a week since starting this job. Maybe I’m starting to hallucinate.

“Something wrong?”

I gasp and whirl, hand to my chest. “Dr. Smyth, you startled me.”

The man at the door inclines his white blond head but doesn’t apologize.

“Nothing’s wrong. Just talking to myself. I do that sometimes. Um.” I clear my throat. “I finished with the preliminary tests with the cells the Alpha team rushed over. There have been some rather spectacular results.”

My boss walks in like he owns the place, even though he hasn’t set foot in here since he first hired me. He isn’t dressed in a lab coat, but in a dark business suit. Even in shiny black shoes, he doesn’t make a noise when he moves, and sometimes I catch him watching me with an unblinking stare. Like an alligator or some predator on the hunt. My mother always told me I had a wild imagination. I clutch my desk chair, happy to have something between me and him.

“I have to ask—what was the source of these cells?”

“I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” His smile makes me stiffen. If anything, the mirthless grimace only showcases his prominent canines.

“Ah yes, of course.” I give a half-hearted laugh, to show I know it was a joke.

“All in due time, Miss Layne. For now, Data-X is enforcing double blind tests on all new projects, to prevent research bias in the findings.”

“Of course. It’s just, the data… it’s extraordinary.” I move to my desk to show him. “Everything was normal until I placed them under a high spectrum—”

“One moment,” My boss interrupts and waves in someone from the hall. A lean, older man with a seamed face walks in. “Don Santiago, I’d like you to meet our new hire, the leading scientist on the Omega project. Miss Layne Zhao.”

Actually, it’s Doctor Zhao. I worked hard for that Ph.D. Someday I’m going to have the nerve to correct this creep with a crocodile smile.

The newcomer’s eyes crawl up and down my form. He’s either judging my rumpled appearance, or admiring my breasts under my lab coat. I decide it’s the former, to give him the benefit of a doubt.

“Nice to meet you.” I straighten, wishing I’d known my boss was coming with guests. I can’t remember the last time I went home to shower. Not that I’d have much time, but at least I could’ve put on a fresh lab coat and brushed my hair. I can’t remember the last time I did any of those things, either. Which isn’t keeping Don Creepy from eye-f*****g me.

“The pleasure is mine,” the man purrs in heavily accented English. His gaze rests on the curve of my breasts under the lab coat as he says to Smyth, “Such a beautiful woman to keep locked up in this lab.”

Smyth chuckles and I grip the chair. Something about the grating sound puts my teeth on edge.

“Oh, we’ll let her out eventually.” To me he says, “Don Santiago is visiting all our operations. He’s a major donor to the program. I’d like him to hear your findings.”

“Of course.” I pause as several black clad men stride in and take places by the door and discreet places around the room. They all carry automatic weapons strapped to their chest.

“My apologies,” Santiago says in that warm, rich tone. “I bring my bodyguards wherever I go. Things are less secure in my home country.”

“Ah, right. No problem. Security around here is pretty tight, too.” I smile weakly. Truth is, security around here is ridiculous. Another reason I work such long hours in the lab—so I don’t have to go through the stupid strip search every time I take a break or leave for lunch. Some of the security guards enjoy searching me a little too much.

“A necessary precaution,” Smyth says. “Our research is on the cutting edge of DNA studies. Our competition would kill to get their hands on our findings.” I stiffen again at the word kill, but both Smyth and Santiago chuckle. Being surrounded by six burly guards with guns must put me on edge.

I clear my throat. “As I was saying, these are the cells extracted from the Alpha project—you’re familiar with it?”

Both Smyth and Santiago nod. They probably know more about it than I do.

“So I’m running tests on these cells. And… they’re extraordinary. Resistant to disease, extremely long lasting and self-regenerating.” I pause for gasps of awe.

Nothing. The two men watch me. Santiago almost looks… bored. Smyth gestures for me to continue.

“But they’re normal human cells… at least I thought they were.” I turn to the computer where I ran the latest test. “Today I placed them under a weak light spectrum. The cells… morphed. Into something else. Something… not human. I haven’t been able to discover much beyond that—”

“What sort of light spectrum initiated the changes?”

“Uh.” I hate when I’m interrupted, and Smyth does it a lot. But he’s the boss, and when he hired me, he gave me access to a state of the art facility to complete my post-doc studies. And when I publish my findings, all the creep factors here will be worth it. That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway. Just smile and comply. “It’s uh…” I search for layman’s terms. “Made mostly of red and orange. A weak light. Meant to simulate moonlight.”

Smyth and Santiago exchange glances.

“Anything else?” Santiago asks. I shake my head, even though I want to gush on about how amazing the breakthrough is.

“Good, good. Email me with any more findings.” Smyth holds out a hand to usher Santiago from the room, immediately dismissing me.

I bite my tongue. I’m a DNA scientist. I have degrees from two top schools. And now I have a boss who treats me like an i***t lab tech, or worse, eye candy. And I’ll take it, because if these Alpha cells hold the key to curing disease, then being a little uncomfortable is worth it.

I sigh and get back to work.

~.~

A few hours later, the lights flicker above me, and I blink. For a second the lab is bathed in darkness, the only light coming from the computers. I stand, but they come back on, as if everything’s normal. My computers are all running, but they’re on backup generators so if there’s a power outage, I don’t lose any data. Still, it’s odd.

“Security,” a low voice calls and I rear up from the desk. A young man with spiky blond hair holds up his hands. He’s wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt molded to his muscled chest. He’s not a big guy, like some of the security guards, but he is pure lean muscle. Something about him makes my near-extinct libido rev its engine.

“Hey, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s all right. Um, do you need me to go?” I gather up some papers.

“No, I won’t be here long. Are you on the night shift?”

I flash him a smile. He’s young for a security guard—my age. Tattoos run up his forearms and he has gauges in both ears. Even so, he’s friendly-looking, and not in a creepy way.

“I’m just working late. Ongoing project. You know how it is.”

“I’ll be quick,” he says. “Just doing the rounds.”

“Got it. They sure don’t skimp on the security around here.”

Another low laugh. He’s a little James Dean. Or Billy Idol. Not like the other military-type guards. “I promise not to get in your way.” His voice is smoky.

“Thank you.” This earns him a bigger smile. My lab is my kingdom and sanctuary. As much time as I spend here, it should be my permanent address.

I pinch the bridge of my nose to relieve the ache between my eyes. It’s nighttime, which means dinner. I haven’t even eaten lunch.

I head to the corner where I keep my granola bars and pain meds, feeling the young guard’s eyes on me. He’s attractive, if you pay attention to things like that. Which I usually don’t. For whatever reason, my hormones, which have barely worked since I skipped high school and went straight to college, just kicked into gear. Over the first friendly security guard in this prison-like work environment. Go figure. I definitely need to get out more.

I use the break to go to the bathroom, where I splash water on my face. Other than dark circles under my eyes, I don’t look too horrible. My straight black hair is pulled into a tight ponytail, no muss, no fuss. I have high cheekbones and dimples, like my mother, with almond-shaped eyes, a gift from my Chinese-American father. I guess I’m pretty. Even in a lab coat, my curves are obvious. Not as full as they would be if I ate regularly. But under the white fabric is a woman’s body. Enough to entice skeevy security guards. Enough to draw Santiago’s attention.

I make a face at the mirror. I don’t care if he’s a donor and multi-millionaire—and he must be, to fund a project like this. That dude was creepy. I don’t want him ogling me. The young security guard… now that’s a different matter. Wouldn’t mind a strip search from him.

Okay, that was an uncharacteristically s****l thought. What’s going on with me? I really have been too isolated lately.

When I return to my seat, the computer flickers. Odd. It was fine a minute ago. But now the screen is alive with movement.

What the hell? I frown, my fingers flying for the mouse. My research is on this computer and I don’t have time for IT problems.

I look over and see the young security guard bent at a modem in the corner. “What are you doing?”

He straightens, but doesn’t answer.

“The only person who’s supposed to touch these computers is me.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets and for some reason, I think he’s doing it to seem less threatening.

“Did Dr. Smyth send you?”

The handsome guard goes still. Fully alert. “You know Dr. Smyth?”

“Of course I do. He hired me. He was just here.”

“Here?” The man’s mouth tightens, blue eyes blaze. “Did you see him?”

“Yes. Why?” The computer beeping beside me makes me turn. “What did you do?” Numbers scroll across the screen, some sort of code I don’t recognize. “These machines are used only for tabulating my test results.” I hit the keyboard and nothing happens. “Did you do this? Make it stop!”

When I turn, he’s pointing a gun at me. A large handgun with an extra barrel on top. “Step away from the computer,” he says. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

My heart jams up in my throat. I raise my hands and back away. Gone is the casual, harmless air, replaced by a hard-faced soldier.

Who in the hell is this guy and what does he want? Suddenly the security in this building doesn’t seem so over the top. Maybe they really do have people who want to steal the research. If I can get into the hall, I can pull an alarm. My eyes must’ve flashed in that direction because he shakes his head.

“Don’t even think about it.”

My blood runs hot, then cold. “What are you going to do?”

“What I have to. No more, no less. Do as I say and you have nothing to worry about.” Says the man holding the gun. I keep still, mentally tallying everything in this place I could use as a weapon. There are a few vials of infectious diseases in a cold room, but if I throw them at him, I’m putting myself at risk. Keeping the gun trained on me, the intruder moves to the computer and waits.

“A few more minutes, and I’ll be on my way. This lab is rigged with explosives, though. So you’ll want to get out quick.”

Ice sluices through my veins. “What? No,” I gasp. “You’re bluffing.”

“I don’t bluff.”

I grip the back of a chair to keep upright, the tidal wave in my stomach making me dizzy. “Why are you doing this? This research could save lives.” My brain spins, working on how to get my data out of the place before it blows.