The Catalyst: (Book One) Read online

He continued to stare at her for a moment, before he moved to the counter and began taking rolls off the baking sheet to cool. She looked around. He had put the table back. She was not sure if that had any bearing on his odd behavior, but she made note of it just in case.

  “Are you hungry?”

  At the mention of food, her stomach both rumbled and cramped. Bread, maybe. Anything else was not an option.

  “A little.”

  Addar placed one roll on a saucer and set it in front of her. It was joined by a glass of water and the bottle of Tylenol from the cabinet. She looked up at him.

  “For the headache.”

  She wanted to ask how he knew, but the rolls smelled fantastic, her head was still pounding, and she had dry mouth. Robin gave him a small nod of thanks and swallowed two pain pills before she took a cautious bite of the roll. It was soft and faintly sweet. It smelled fantastic. She looked up to complement him and froze.

  He was watching her, but it was not with his usual calculating stare. There was no heat behind it either. She was not sure what to make of it, so she turned her attention back to her plate.

  “Do you have work today?” he asked.

  “No. It’s Saturday,” she said, taking another bite.

  The roll really was good. She waited until she had finished all of it and drank half of the water, before she started her interrogation.

  “What happened last night?”

  There was a flash of something dark and dangerous in Addar’s eyes.

  “You were very tired. When you added alcohol to the mix you became inebriated very quickly.”

  There was a bite to his tone, she had never heard before. He was angry. No, furious. She scowled. He had no right to judge her.

  “And how did I get home?” she asked sharply.

  “Your neighbor.”

  “Marty.”

  “Yes, Marty,” he hissed. “He and I assisted you into the building.”

  There was more, she could see it in his eyes. The sweet bread became bland, as she lost her appetite.

  “And?”

  His eyes fastened on the table top. On her tense hands.

  “Nothing. You went to your room.”

  The tension slowly faded from her. She was being ridiculous. Robin licked her lips and forced a small smile.

  “Thank you, then. For helping me.”

  His gaze rose to hers and when he spoke there was weight to it. “You’re welcome.”

  She could only meet his eyes for a few seconds, before she had to look away. Even when she turned her attention back to her half-eaten roll, she could feel his eyes on her. Robin took a bite before she could snap at him. It was not his fault. He had no experience with human interaction. He could not know how irritating his clear disapproval was.

  “What are your plans?” he asked her, after several minutes of silence.

  She took her time chewing the last bite of the roll, already considering. She would need to find time to speak with Benny. He no doubt had an opinion about her out of character behavior the night before. Some careful damage control would be needed to keep him from talking. Robin sighed. The first time she got drunk since her teenage years and it would have to be in view of the building’s biggest gossip.

  “I’m not sure,” she said finally. “You?”

  “No plans.”

  No, he would not have plans. With no family, friends, or resources of his own, he would not have any plans at all. The thought caused a pang in her chest and she forced herself to look at him. His eyes had darkened to their usual gray, but he was still watching her.

  “Do you…” she trailed off.

  No. No matter how he looked or acted, he was not human. It was fine to feel compassion for his plight, but to do what she was about to do was insane. She cleared her throat.

  “I was invited to my parent’s house for lunch. Would you…like to accompany me?”

  It would be awkward. Horrible and awkward. At any time he could say or do something that would compromise not just her career but her freedom. It was insane. She opened her mouth to take it back, but he was already speaking.

  “Yes.”

  They stared at each other, and she thought she saw a spark of challenge in his eyes.

  “My parents, they don’t know about…this.” She vaguely gestured between them.

  “I know.”

  The ring of her cell phone ended any further conversation. Robin stood from the table and after giving him one last look, stalked from the kitchen. She found her phone still in her purse. Where she never would have left it. She frowned, checking that it was still password protected. It was. So, Addar had not gotten into her work files. She relaxed slightly.

  The top edge of her phone’s screen was filled with icons. Missed calls, voicemails, and text messages. She opened the texts first. One from Ken and one from Amber. Robin stared at Ken’s for a beat, before she opened it.

  “Sorry about yesterday.”

  She frowned. That was it. She jabbed the delete button and opened Amber’s text message.

  “Did the comparisons you asked for. Addar is like a superhero.”

  Robin raised her eyebrows. That would require a phone call for clarification. She checked her missed calls. All of them from the lab at Renon. A cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. No. If things were out of control, Ken would handle it. In a worst case scenario, he would simply terminate the project. She dialed Amber’s number instead.

  The phone rang one and a half times before Amber answered. Someone was screaming dramatically in the background. The sound quickly shut off.

  “Dr. Kay? Hey! I thought you were avoiding me.”

  “No. Tell me about the comparisons,” Robin said quietly, aware of Addar just out of sight in the kitchen.

  “You mean Addar’s superpowers? It’s pretty freaky stuff.” Robin could not decide if she sounded more excited or alarmed. “Totally epic, though.”

  Excited, then. Robin cleared her throat.

  “The results?”

  “Right, yeah. Um, hold on just a sec?”

  Robin made a soft noise of affirmation. She listened to Amber shuffling through paperwork and muttering to herself. After a moment, the younger woman made a pleased sound and came back on the line.

  “Found it.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Well, you know how you had me take those tests on Addar’s senses?”

  “And do comparisons. Yes.”

  “I finished with it. I had a few classes and that big chemistry test and you know I have Dr. Kerr this year and she hates everyone, so—”

  “The results, Amber?”

  “Oh, yeah. Um, so you wanted to focus on hearing, smell, and sight. I started with hearing.”

  Robin listened to her flip through some paperwork.

  “Sense of hearing is 20Hz to 50,000Hz which—”

  “Wait. Please repeat that.”

  Amber dutifully repeated the same numbers again.

  Robin glanced toward the kitchen doorway. Addar could probably hear every word she said. No. He definitely could. She narrowed her eyes.

  “Go on.”

  “Which means his hearing is better than a dogs and nearly as good as a cats. Superhero-y, right?”

  Robin did not reply.

  “His sense of smell is a little better than a humans. According to the thingy, it’s like five times as sensitive.”

  Robin quickly translated ‘thingy’ to the name of the machine they used for sensory testing. She tried very hard not to think of the way Addar liked to inhale her scent.

  “And sight?”

  “Yeah. That’s the really cool one. He has 20/5 vision. And his night vision is crazy.”

  “Define ‘crazy’.”

  “Like, when he looked in the machine it said he has three times as many rod cells and tapetum.”

  Yes. She had noticed the occasional glint of his eyes in low light.

  “Pretty cool, right? Dr. Kay? Are you still there?
”

  Robin cleared her dry throat. “Anything else?”

  “Um, no?”

  “Thank you for your research.”

  Addar outmatched her in nearly every way. Perhaps, every way. She had no hope of containing him if he chose to cause havoc.

  “Are you okay, Dr. Kay? You sound, I dunno, like tired or something.”

  The comment jerked Robin out of her thoughts.

  “How do you feel when you’re around Addar?”

  “Whoa. Hold on. Is this a test? ‘Cause, like, yeah. Addar’s totally hot, but I’m a pro, Dr. Kay.”

  It took Robin a moment to realize what she was implying. Then, her eyes darted toward the kitchen.

  “No, that’s not what I was asking. The weakness you were feeling. Is it gone?”

  “Um, yes? I mean mostly, yeah.”

  “Amber, this is very important. Do you feel any of those symptoms around Addar?”

  Her assistant fell silent.

  “Amber?”

  “Yeah, but that’s a coincidence, right? I mean, you’re always telling me not to be superstitious and jump to conclusions and stuff like that, right? I figured…I dunno.”

  Robin sighed quietly, rubbing at her forehead. She should have made the connection earlier.

  “Do we still have blood samples at the lab?”

  “Uh, yeah?”

  “Good. I hate to ask you this, but would you go into the lab today.”

  “Like right now? I’m halfway through a movie.”

  Robin was not sure if she wanted to sigh or laugh. She settled for an ambiguous hum.

  “In the next hour, please. I need you to run some tests.”

  “What kind of tests?” Amber mumbled.

  “Are you eating?”

  “Yeah, Twizzlers. You want me to bring you some?”

  Robin closed her eyes. “No, thank you. I’ll text you the details.”

  Amber audibly swallowed. “Okay, Dr. Kay.”

  Robin ended the call and shook her head, reminding herself that Amber was a very able lab assistant. Once she felt centered again, she scrolled through the list of voicemails. She started with the oldest one and pressed her phone to her ear.

  “Dr. Kay, it’s Brad from Renon. Tina said to call you. There’s been some activity here. The organism is almost fifteen centimeters larger than it was last night.”

  Robin raised an eyebrow, as the call ended. Interesting. The organism grew last night without anyone present. As she thought about it, she sent Amber a quick text. If there was an energy exchange taking place, perhaps it was on a cellular level. If a drop of human blood was added to the sample of Addar’s, maybe it would show the interaction. Robin sent the text and went back to her voicemails.

  “Dr. Kay, it’s Tina from Renon. The organism is still growing at a rapid rate. It…it looks human, ma’am. Please call as soon as you can.”

  Robin deleted the voicemail and went to the next.

  “Robin, it’s Ken. You appear to be correct about the organism. It does greatly resemble a human. I just got to the lab and…you need to come in. You need to see this. Call me back.”

  The last voicemail was from just before she woke. Frowning, she started the recording.

  “Robin. You need to get here now.” Ken sounded tired, exhausted even. “It’s approaching adolescence. The air contamination is back. The building supervisor is working on it, but for now the team has been taking turns in the lab. We need you here.”

  Robin glanced toward the kitchen. Addar was completely silent, but if he had heard everything, he would know that she was leaving and where she was going. After everything she had learned, she was not sure she could trust him in her building alone.

  “Addar,” she said softly.

  She immediately heard the sound of a chair scraping across the kitchen floor. Addar appeared in the doorway a moment later. His face was blank of expression, but she could see her own thoughts in his eyes. He was wondering if she would trust him, gauging her likelihood of reacting badly. She raised her chin.

  “You heard all of that?”

  …

  It was a test. If he lied there would be no second chance. He could see it in the set of her jaw. No. There were things to lie about, but this was not one of them. He nodded his head. Her frown eased.

  “Can I trust you?”

  He almost laughed at the loaded question. For the current circumstances, he supposed she could. For anything that compromised the mission? No. He may find her attractive and fascinating, he may be fond of her, but she was not more important than the mission. Nothing was.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  Robin stared at him, and it felt like she looked into him. To where he held a budding dissonance. His interest in her like a candle flame in the darkness.

  “Alright. I will trust you to stay here.”

  She gave him a long look, before nodding to herself.

  “Okay,” she muttered under her breath.

  Addar watched her drop her cellular phone back into her purse and walk past him. He could not keep his eyes from following her. His gaze swept from her wrinkled dress to her slim calves incased in nylon stockings. He watched her until the bedroom door closed behind her. He would need to rid himself of the untoward interest he had in her.

  From what he had overheard, Ilan was growing at a rapid pace. He would be mature enough to escape soon. Days. No more than two or three. And Robin would be there with him. Addar bared his teeth at the thought. She was off limits. The rest were fair game, the assassin could feed from one of them.

  The door at the end of the hall opened and Robin exited her bedroom in unusual work attire. She wore another pair of jeans. Not the threadbare ones he was so fond of, but a pair of dark wash jeans in a thicker material. She had paired it with a simple, white button up shirt and a pair of plain white tennis shoes he had never seen before.

  “I’m leaving now,” she announced, as she breezed past him.

  He followed her to the door.

  “I want you to know—” She broke off as she turned and he was mere inches from her.

  Her scent, fresh and smelling lightly of her lavender soap, floated up around him. He cocked his head at her.

  “I purchased a cell phone for you. On the way home from the lab yesterday.”

  She reached into her bag and pulled out a small box, no larger than his hand.

  “It should be suitable.”

  He nodded, but did not look at it. Her facial expressions were interesting when she was flustered. A small line appeared between her brows and she looked everywhere but at him. She also had a habit of chewing on her bottom lip and fidgeting. It was such a break from her usual cool behavior, he could not help but find it fascinating.

  “I am sure it is.”

  She nodded, clearing her throat. “Well then. I’ll see you in a few hours. Go ahead and charge the phone and—”

  He reached out to smooth his hand over hers where she was gripping the doorknob painfully tight. She tensed for a moment, then looked down at their joined hands.

  “I know your personal number. I will call if I have need of you.”

  Addar dropped his hand to his side to keep from reaching for her.

  “Of course. Well, have a good day.”

  She whirled around and slipped out the door, leaving him to push it closed and lock it.

  “You, too,” he murmured.

  Chapter Eighteen

  She could not get Addar’s face out of her mind. The intense silver of his gaze above his sharp cheekbones. The image stuck with her for the entire taxi ride to the lab. And his voice. The way his words had not reflected the look in his eyes or the tone of his voice. The deep, near growling tone of an agitated creature. An animal protecting its territory. And the kiss… Robin twisted her purse strap in her hands.

  “That’ll be—”

  “Twenty, I know. Thank you.”

  She handed over the money and climbed out of the taxi. Her usual coordinat
ion seemed to have deserted her. Some of the lethargy of the day before lingered. Combined with her swirling thoughts, it kept her off balance. Something she could not afford. Her eyes rose to the building, as she walked toward it. Especially if things were going wrong with Addar’s second incarnation.

  Robin managed to paste a professional smile on her face by the time she reached the lab. The moment the door opened, she felt it. A tingle at the base of her spine that grew into a chill. Robin stepped into the room. The chill became a wave of lethargy, weighing her down until she had to grab the chair near the door.

  “Robin,” Ken called weakly.

  She forced her head up to look for him. He stood next to a tank, similar to the one she had in her lab at the university. Just behind him a figure floated in the clear liquid. Robin blinked hard. She forced herself to take a deep breath, before she looked again. No. It was the same. The organism was not Addar. Her subconscious mind seemed to grasp the significance of the realization before the rest of her.

  “Robin,” Ken called again.

  She tore her eyes away from the figure to meet Ken’s gaze. He motioned for her to come closer. Everything in her told her to turn, to run, to get as far away as possible. It was not Addar. Not a second incarnation. It was something, someone, completely different. She forced herself to take a step closer. The fatigue hit her so hard she staggered and nearly fell.

  Like a morbid curiosity, her eyes wandered back to the creature and stayed. It looked to be in its early adolescence. No older than thirteen or fourteen. The hair was a sandy brown color. Where Addar’s skin was pale, nearly gray, the creature before her had golden skin. She watched it with a sharp eye as she approached.

  Maybe, it was nothing like Addar. Perhaps, Addar did not have the same power. She hated how much she wanted to believe it. Think of Addar as being benign. Robin came to a stop beside Ken, her body shaking from exertion. She glanced at Ken to see his dull eyes fastened on her. She nearly winced at the dark circles beneath his eyes.

  “Can you take over? I sent Tina and Brad to the break room.”

  He started to stumble away before she could agree. With a shaky sigh, she collapsed into the chair near the tank and turned to face the computer screen. It was growing so fast. Addar had grown to maturity in two weeks. This creature was only two days old. It would be fully grown by midnight. Matured and dangerous. Robin turned to look at the tank.