Her father’s car sat in its reserved spot in front of a sign that read H. Sutherland. She exited the car, and glanced up at the camera situated on the corner of the building.
The evening security guard waved from his perch behind a small, less than clean window. Smudges on the glass blurred his smile, but she couldn’t mistake the shiny gold tooth displayed so proudly from its position in the front of his mouth.
The door buzzed once, and a click told her the lock had released. She pulled it open and stepped inside.
“Hi, Willie. How are you this evening?”
Willie had been one of her favorite night watchmen. His uniform always appeared clean, neatly creased, and he smelled nice. The badge he wore shone perfectly to match the bald spot on top of his head. He had a toothy grin for everyone and a heart of gold.
“Doing good, Miss Abbie. I sure have missed your face around here. The place hasn’t been the same since you were laid off.”
“Thank you, Willie. I miss you too.”
Willie cleared his throat. “What brings you here?”
“Henry forgot his dinner.” She held up the brown paper bag for him to see.
“I hate it when that happens. My wife is always harping at me about how forgetful I’m getting. I reckon she’s right. It’s hard getting old. He must be working on something pretty big to bring him down here at this hour. It’s almost nine o’clock.”
Abbie couldn’t agree more. “He’s always been eager to please when it comes to Newman. This lab has become his whole life, it seems.”
Willie nodded and waved her on. “Tell him not to work too hard.”
“Have a good night, Willie. Tell that beautiful wife of yours I’m ready for more of her fried chicken.”
“I sure will.” He beamed.
“See you, Willie.” She winked at him and hurried off down the hall.
The cameras strategically placed along the corners of the ceiling caught her eye.
Abbie knew Winchester Industries pushed the limits and sometimes experimented with drugs not previously approved by the FDA. But whatever her father had rushed to the lab for had nothing to do with illegal testing. He wouldn’t have been asked to come back in for that alone.
Taking the elevator up to the third floor, Abbie waited for the doors to open and stepped out into the hallway.
The door to her father’s lab lay straight ahead. She trailed across the hall and turned the knob.
The predictable sounds of a lab in use met her ears as she eased the door open and entered her father’s domain.
He obviously hadn’t heard the door shut behind her over the consistent beeps and humming of the equipment surrounding him.
Abbie took in the room with a quick glance, noticing a big pair of feet hanging off the end of a bed her father stood next to.
Curiosity took hold as she crept farther inside. The closer she got the more confused she became. It was definitely a man lying on the bed; only, she’d never seen one that size in her lifetime.
A sheet covered his lower body from waist to ankles, leaving his upper half bare. His chest appeared devoid of hair and stood off the bed about two feet. He was massive and had to be at least six foot ten by her estimation.
Warmth enveloped Abbie as her gaze slid to the stranger’s face. Beautiful would be a gross understatement.
He had a smooth, strong jaw that angled up to slightly pointed ears. Pointed ears?
His dark hair lay haphazardly tousled on the pillow. Full lips and a faintly crooked nose made up the rest of his face. She wondered what color his eyes were.
Without conscious thought, Abbie inched forward on shaky legs. Why would they have him here? Is he sick?
Her father must have sensed her approach. He stiffened a second before spinning around. “What are you doing here?”
He seemed more nervous than surprised.
“I brought your dinner. You left in such a hurry, you forgot it.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” he snapped, reaching for the bag she held.
“What’s going on, Henry?” She nodded toward the incapacitated stranger taking up far too much bed.
His face paled slightly. “You have to leave. Now.”
Anxiety surged. “What is that man doing here? This isn’t a hospital, so don’t lie me. I knew something was going on when you got that phone call earlier. What sort of illegal activity do they have you involved in this time?”
“Honey, please. You’re not supposed to be here. You need to go home. Now. I’ll explain it all in the morning.” He glanced toward to door several times as he spoke.
“Not until you tell me what you’re involved in. You promised me you wouldn’t participate in anymore illegal activities, Dad. No matter what Newman threatened you with.”
Henry took a deep breath and pinned her with an impatient stare. “Fine. But then you must go. And it’s not what you think. Newman didn’t threaten me, but he might if he finds you here.”
Abbie raised an eyebrow. “Am I not allowed up here? And Willie let me in. He doesn’t know what kind of illegal dealings go on in this lab. He thinks that I was laid off due to budget cuts.”
Henry averted his gaze. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
Chapter Two
Abbie stared at her father as he attempted to explain away the man’s presence with some fabricated tale.
“This is all I know. It…” Henry took a deep breath and started again. “It washed up on the beach a few hours ago. Newman called me in to run some tests before they extradite the corpse to Area 51.”
“Wait.” Abbie held up a hand when he would have continued. “Newman is the CEO of Winchester Industries, not a doctor. Why would he personally call you in? And it?” She jerked her chin toward the bed.
Henry hesitated. “It’s not human, Abbie. I don’t know what it is, but I need to get these samples taken before the crew from Area 51 arrives. You have to go. No one else is to know about this.”
“Not human? That’s impossible.” Other than the stranger’s size and pointed ears, he appeared the same as any other man. “And how did he get here?”
Henry turned to a computer near the head of the bed and tapped a few keys. The screen came out of hibernation within seconds to display a chest X-ray.
“Someone ran across the thing on the beach. Apparently, it drowned somehow and floated up on shore. Local PD had the creature sent to the morgue and Newman had it delivered here. He told the police this was a Hazmat situation and needed ‘him’ contained until they cleared the scene. No one questioned Newman since he owns the hospital and this lab. The cops had no idea it was an alien.”
“Why would they think he’s not human? Did the coroner open him up and find a little green man in residence?” She would have rolled her eyes if the situation didn’t already resemble a Twilight Zone episode.
“Come look at this.”
Abbie stood next to her father to gaze at the unbelievable evidence of a six-chambered heart. It took a moment to register the truth, but there was no mistaking it.
“How is that possible? I’ve never seen anything like it. Do you know what this means?” Her voice sounded strained to her own ears.
“Neither have I. And it doesn’t mean anything to us. Once it leaves here, we forget it exists.”
“But, Henry—”
“No.” He glanced at his watch. “The crew will arrive in less than three hours to retrieve it, and then I develop amnesia. Do you understand?”
“We have a little time before they get here. Show me please? This is too amazing to be true.” Several questions ran through her mind at once. She couldn’t voice them all.
With a click of the mouse, another image appeared. “Do you see that?” Henry pointed to an object on the screen.
“Yes, what is it?” She leaned in to get a better look.
“The equivalent of lungs.”
“But what is that?” She indicated something winged that grew from the sides of the organs.
“They’re gills.” His voice took on an awed tone, which she could understand. She was in the same frame of mind.
“It can’t be.” Yet the evidence of it mocked her from inches away.