Page 29 of Aliens Love Curves

"...better results this time..."

"...shame about the last one..."

Their footsteps fade, but their words echo in my mind. Another what? Better results from what?

I need to find Casey.

The hangar is busy with pre-flight checks when I arrive. My eyes scan the crowd, seeking her familiar form. When I spot her, my heart stops.

She's with Harlan, of course. He stands too close, one hand resting possessively on her lower back as he shows her something on a tech-pad. Her head is tilted toward him, a smile playing at her lips – the smile that should be mine.

As I watch, his hand slides lower, and something in me snaps.

Before I can think better of it, I'm striding across the hangar. Harlan sees me coming, his smile turning smug. He deliberately leans closer to Casey, whispering something in her ear.

I reach them in three long strides, grab Casey's hand, and pull her away without a word.

"Stryker" Harlan's voice carries a warning. "We were in the middle of something.

I don't stop, don't look back. Casey stumbles slightly, keeping pace with my longer stride.

"What the hell?" she hisses as I lead her through maintenance corridors. "Stryker, you can't just—"

I pull her into an empty storage room, closing the door behind us. The space is tight, filled with spare parts and the scent of engine oil. And her.

"Have you lost your mind?" She yanks her hand free, eyes flashing. "Do you know how that looked? After everything we've done to make Harlan think—"

"They're killing them." The words burst out, rough with urgency.

She blinks. "What?"

Instead of answering, I pull out my tech-pad, showing her the files. "Missing pilots. Dozens of them. All after testing prototypes. All covered up with convenient explanations."

Her anger fades as she scrolls through the reports, colour draining from her face. "These dates... they coincide with major technological advances in their glider designs."

"Keep reading.

She does, her eyes widening at the medical records. "Genetic compatibility... enhancement trials... Oh stars, they're not just killing them, are they? They're experimenting on them."

"And you're next in line for testing." My voice breaks slightly on the last word.

Casey looks up at me, realization dawning. "The medical equipment transfers I saw..."

"Probably for whatever they're planning to do to you." My tail curls around her waist protectively. "We need to—"

She cuts me off with a kiss, fierce and sudden. Her hands cup my face as she pulls back, eyes shining. "You brilliant, overprotective fool. This is exactly what we needed!"

Before I can respond, footsteps echo in the corridor outside. We freeze, pressed together in the dimness.

"Check every room," a gruff voice orders. "Mertok wants them found."

Casey's heart pounds against my chest as boots approach our door. My tail tightens around her waist as I scan the room for options. A maintenance shaft in the ceiling catches my eye.

Without a word, I lift Casey toward it. She catches on immediately, pushing the panel aside and pulling herself up with practiced grace. I follow just as the door below opens.

We lie still in the cramped shaft, barely breathing, as guards search the room. Casey's body is pressed along the length of mine, her face buried in my neck to muffle her breathing.

"Clear!" a voice calls. The footsteps move away.