Prey

Kendall leaned back. "Good heavens, no. He's far too important to kill off." He shrugged. "Now the staff of research station Frederick, the ones missing when we first arrived, well they weren't all that important. They were used for other experiments. Tragically, none of them seemed able to withstand the demands on their pathetic bodies."

"You killed them?"

"Not me. I had very little to do with their demise."

Julia frowned. "Who are you, Kendall?"

He smirked. "I must say you look simply ravishing without a stitch of clothing on. If you weren't required for so delicate an operation, I might ask our esteemed hosts to allow me a little time to indulge in the fruits of your luscious little body."

"I'd sooner die than let you touch me."

Kendall smirked. "As if you have any control over the situation. Trust me, I can do whatever I wish with you." He ran his hands over her body about two inches above the surface of her skin.

Julia felt like a live wire was being dragged across her. Her skin tingled. She struggled against it, but felt her nipples harden.

Her legs snapped open.

"No!"

Kendall leaned back. The tingling sensations died and Julia closed her legs.

"Pretty interesting stuff, huh?"

"How did you do that?"

"It was a gift of sorts from our hosts. Sort of a quid pro quo. I gave them something and they gave me something in return."

"Mental powers?"

"Seemed fitting since that's how they communicate with each other. If I was going to work with them, I had to be able to do the same things they could. Although I suspect they held a few skills back from me. I can't say as though I blame them. If it was me with all the power, I'd want to keep something in reserve. Just in case."

"Just in case of what?"

"That I had a change of heart and didn't feel like keeping up my end of the bargain."

"Any chance that you have?"

Kendall leaned close and licked one of her nipples. "Not in this lifetime. I like the power far too much to relinquish it." He licked his lips. "You taste delicious." He cast a glance down at her crotch. "I wonder…"

Julia tensed her legs. "I wouldn't Kendall. It's been a few days since I had a good shower. Things are liable to be a bit…ripe down there."

He nodded. "Fair point."

Relieved for the moment, Julia pressed him. "Seeing how I'm not exactly going anywhere anytime soon, would you mind filling me in on what exactly is going on here?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

"I have some ideas."

"They're probably wrong. You never struck me as someone who could reason their way out of a damp paper bag."

"Thanks."

"It started years ago. For all of us. Surely you've read accounts of abductions? Seen the specials on TV?"

"I suppose."

"Those dreams. The ones we all share. The common bond between us all. That was the indication that we'd been abducted as well. All of us. We've been taken by our hosts for many years. Me since I was about eight years old. I think we all started around then."

"Why?"

"Medical reasons. I'll get to them in a moment." He paused and looked at her body again.

Julia wanted to puke.

"When I was eighteen, I grew tired of waking up and finding myself suffering from missing time. You know about that? That's when people have whole blocks of their lives that they can't remember. Maybe they're driving down the road and then they wake up and they're fifty miles and two hours further along than they recall. Worse, they can't remember any aspect of getting from point A to point D. That's missing time."

"And you had it?"

"My dear, we've all had it. You just don't remember it because you haven't looked at your life with an open enough mind. You've seen your future only in the terms you set for yourself, not the reality of your situation. As such, your vision is rather hazy."

"And yours is crystal clear, is that it?"

"Actually, it wasn't. But like I said, I got tired of not being able to remember things. So I hypnotized myself."

"Self-hypnosis? Wasn't that risky?"

Kendall shrugged. "Perhaps. But I certainly wasn't going to go and see a certified hypnotist and risk ridicule over something so many people see as ludicrous."

"So you realized what had been happening to you?"

"Indeed. And once I did, I made preparations for their next visit."

"What sort of preparations?"

Kendall smiled. "There are things one can do that would enable them to, shall we say, level the playing field?"

"Trade secrets? I would have thought you'd enjoy gloating about your superior intellect."

"The fact that I am standing here, free to go and come as I please, while you are strapped down to that cold slab is proof enough of my ability."

"So these are aliens?"

"I prefer the term visitors. Aliens makes them sound like border jumpers stashed away in some beat-up truck."

"My mistake."

"They've been coming here for millions of years, did you know that?"

"No."