Read Online Alien Eyes by Lynn Hightower - Free Book Online Page A

experience of.”
    â€œGumby, if you mean no,” Mel said, “just say no.”
    String hissed. “There.” He slid across the tile floor, belly plates rippling. “Aslanti, medical.”
    Her answering hiss was audible.
    Mel looked at David. “Looks like love to me.”
    â€œDr. Aslanti?” David said.
    â€œYes, police detective. Please to hurry, much to do.”
    â€œWe need to talk to Dahmi. And I’d like an update on her condition.”
    â€œYes?” Aslanti teetered back and forth on her fringe.
    There was a short silence.
    David tried again. “Can you tell us—”
    â€œWhy you ask?”
    â€œCops are irritating, aren’t we?” Mel said.
    â€œNo. No, why you ask to me?”
    David had a sudden bad feeling. “Where is she?”
    â€œNot here.”
    He gritted his teeth. He’d had one too many literal Elaki today. “What room did they give her?”
    â€œFifth floor, mental. I tell all this to other of the police. Why not to speak for them?”
    David glanced at Mel. He felt a chill at the base of his spine.
    â€œWhat other police?” Mel’s voice was rough.
    â€œOther ones. I not remember names. One say … oh, I not know. Am busy, please to—”
    â€œ What other cops ?” David put a hand on her soft scaly side and she skittered backward, out of reach. “Human? People cops?”
    â€œNo, not hot dog flatfoot.” She turned to String and hissed. “More Izicho.”
    â€œI’ll take the stairs,” Mel said. He ran to the door, then turned. “Where are the stairs?”
    A woman holding a basket of plastic specimen bags, one Elaki scale to a bag, looked at him curiously. She popped her gum.
    â€œBest way is, you go like through there—”
    â€œ Show me.” Mel grabbed her arm and pulled her along.
    â€œParking lot, String,” David snapped. He looked at Aslanti. “Show me the staff elevator.”
    â€œElevator?”
    David gave her a push. It was like rolling a heavy vacuum cleaner. “ Go .”
    Aslanti swept ahead of him, shedding scales. She glided out of the ER into a main hospital corridor, then made a sharp left.
    An Elaki mounted upright on what looked like a scaled-down fork lift was being propelled into a open elevator.
    â€œ Priority ,” Dr. Aslanti called. “ Please to scram out of the way.”
    A startled boy in green cotton scrubs pulled the fork lift back out of the elevator and watched David and Aslanti scuttle in.
    â€œFive to mental, code secure Aslanti,” she said. “Priority speed.”
    David grimaced. Priority speed on a hospital elevator? They might make it by dinnertime.
    â€œBrace yourself, Detective.”
    The door slid shut and the elevator shot upward like a rocket. David grabbed for the side handle that wasn’t there, and fell backward. Aslanti, lightweight, no ballast, her frame no more than three inches thick, spun sideways past him.
    â€œGabilla,” she muttered. “Most stupid system.”
    David caught her in one arm and held her close. She smelled citric and was soft to the touch. He wondered if she was offended by his human odor. The elevator jerked to a stop and he let her go.
    The door slid open and Aslanti glided through. She was moving fast now, he could just keep up. The floor was polished and slippery and he skidded once, Elaki staff looking up at the squeak of his shoes.
    Aslanti paused outside a narrow black door. “Secure, Aslanti,” she said. The door opened a few inches, and she pushed her way in. David turned sideways to fit through.
    The room was tiny and close, the walls dark brown. The S-shaped bed was shoved crookedly against the wall. A leather buckle dangled over the headboard. A smattering of scales trailed across the floor.
    No Dahmi.
    David wondered how she’d stood it, restrained and netted in this narrow nightmare, alone with her