Read Online Determinant -Guardians of Vesturon [3] by A.M. Hargrove - Free Book Online Page A

and specks of silver. It was a hue I was unfamiliar with but they were intriguing and fascinating. The alarms were still ringing in my ears and the air felt electrically charged around us.
    “Halt!”
    I turned into stone. I couldn’t move a muscle. He cocked his head as his eyes bore into mine.
    “Breathe!”
    I distinctly heard his command in my mind and I was helpless to disobey him. I felt myself take a deep cleansing breath. I questioned him with my eyes. He flicked his head toward his men and they stepped back several feet.
    “Who are you? Why are you here?”
    I was confused by the demanding questions swirling in my brain but felt compelled to answer him. I had never used mind reading to communicate, but I was sure he would hear my answer.
    “I’m January St. Davis. I’m here working on an internship for college credit.”
    “You are human ?” he asked with incredulity.
    I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Why would he want to know if I was human ? What a ridiculous question!
    “I don’t understand. Why would you want to know that?”
    “Leave this area and continue on your way!”
    He silently shook his head and the intermittent flow of his thoughts was abruptly halted, just as if the internet had shut down. My communication highway had been disconnected—I was now offline. We stood there in silence and I could not break eye contact. I floundered in the depths of their color. I won’t deny my fascination with him. He wasn’t handsome in the usual way but his compelling looks mesmerized me. I can’t say I was attracted to him and yet I couldn’t seem to look away. There was also a frightening element to him but I wasn’t afraid. It was an erratic mix of emotions.
    I abruptly became aware of my ability to move. I gnawed on my lower lip as I continued to stare at him. His eyes raked me over and he slightly shook his head. Then he nodded once, and continued down the corridor.
    I felt the urge to run after him and scream at him to stop, but I had no idea why. I eventually began walking again, intending to go home. When I reached the exit doors, I realized I left my purse in the lab. My immediate thought was that maybe I would run into him again. I dashed back down to the lab but the corridor was empty.
    Disappointed, I returned to the lab for my purse. As I was moving through the various rooms, I noticed the door to one of the freezers had been left open. It was the freezer that contained the most deadly of viruses. I didn’t direct have access to that area, but thick glass walls partitioned off every room, so you could see in each chamber. It was built this way as a security measure. I went to the phone on the nearest wall to call the guards, but the line was dead. I moved back into my area, but that phone line didn’t work either.
    I found a camera closest to me and waved my arms back and forth in front of it, hoping to catch the attention of the guards. I waited for the alarms to ring, but nothing happened. Exiting my lab area, I wandered the corridor, hoping to run into someone. The whole level seemed deserted. I took the stairs to the next level and it was also devoid of people. Hmmm…this was highly unusual.
    I tried the phones on this level, but they were dead, as expected. I grabbed my cell phone and called 911. Ten minutes later, the building was swarming with police, HAZMAT and CDC officials investigating the issue.
    It was finally discovered that there had been a brief power outage. That was why the cameras or phones hadn’t worked. The lab was investigated thoroughly for foul play, but no evidence was found. The cryogenic container was thought to have accidentally opened when the power outage occurred. All the specimens were accounted for so everyone relaxed and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
    My nagging doubt persisted though. Those men I saw in the corridor should not have been there. The video cameras had shut down at exactly the same time of their appearance. Coincidence?