The Alpha Men's Secret Club 5(9)
“Your words, not mine.”
Kate appraised Alyssa. She knew she was no match for the seasoned interrogator. Sooner or later, she would have to cut to the chase.
“Why did you bring me here?”
Alyssa smiled. “Would you consent to a lie detector test?”
Kate caught her breath. “Why?”
“There are secrets you and Rust are keeping buried. We would like to uncover those secrets in the interest of national security.”
“Why is this a matter of national security? How is Rust a threat to you?” Kate knew she had to tread very carefully here. She didn’t know what Rust had or hadn’t revealed.
“If you have nothing to hide, then a lie detector test wouldn’t be a problem.”
“I have the right to refuse, and you can’t prove that it’s because I’m keeping secrets.”
“Then we have a right to refuse your request to see Rust. It is after all a matter of national security.”
Kate felt helpless. They were going around in circles.
Alyssa’s gaze dipped down to her abdomen. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Truth be told, we were expecting something like this to happen,” Alyssa said. “I take it the baby is Rust’s?”
Kate was trapped. “Yes.”
“We will need to run some tests.”
“What if I refuse?”
“We both know that’s not in your best interest. Either yours or Rust’s.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“You have made a lot of inferences in the past ten minutes that you have no proof of. Collaborate with us, Kate. We are not the enemy. We are here for a common purpose.” Alyssa leaned forward in earnest. “We need to study this phenomenon for the good of mankind.”
“How is that for the good?” Kate’s heart was sinking lower and lower, because she knew the answer. There were so many things humans could learn from this.
“You’re a college student and you’re smart. Don’t let anything else, like your love for Rust, blind you to the fact that a lot of good can come out of this. We haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg. How do the human cells shift? Can we use this particular mutation to avert certain diseases, like cancer?”
Kate’s hand involuntarily went to her tummy.
She said, “But you’re going to hurt him to find out the truth, aren’t you? You’re going to have to hurt my baby.”
“It’s in our best scientific interest for you to carry the baby to term. Why would we want to hurt your baby?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re going to do to us. I’m scared, and rightly so.”
Alyssa hesitated.
Then she said, “You have my word that nothing will be done to you without your consent.”
There was a steadfastness in her voice, and an underlying tone of something else that Kate couldn’t decipher. And yet, it was there – a sixth sense warning which niggled at her. She sensed that the FBI interrogator might have said the same thing to the O’Briens.
Besides, she desperately, desperately wanted to see Rust.
Kate said, “All right.”
Oh my God, what am I doing?
“Good choice,” Alyssa said. “You won’t regret it. Now, I hope you’ve packed some of your belongings. If not, we have everything you need right in this facility.”
9
Kate did not know what to expect.
Would Rust be reduced to a shell of what he once was? She hadn’t seen him in a month. Anything could happen. They could have starved him. Deprived him of sleep. Electrocuted him. Burned him. Anything to get him to cooperate with them.
Worse, they could have harvested his organs. Performed open surgery on him to inspect his insides.
Anything!
Alyssa led her down several corridors through several security channels – guards, door card swipes, retinal scans. And then finally to a simple door at the end of a wing.
Kate’s chest felt swollen and fluttery. She was so scared! She didn’t think she could bear it if anything happened to Rust. And how would he react when he saw her pregnant state? She remembered how he had dumped Shamilar once he found out she was pregnant.
Would he dump her too?
Suddenly, she wondered if she had made a mistake in wanting to see Rust. She had foolishly agreed to submit to their investigations, and at the same time, she would expose herself earlier to Rust’s wrath.
What if he made her get rid of the baby?
No, the FBI wouldn’t allow him. But maybe that’s exactly what they wanted!
Oh, she was so confused!
Alyssa scanned her retina, and the door clicked open. It was really a prison after all.
“You locked him in?” Kate accused.