Rile and Alex came back at midnight to find Gabe curled on the kitchenette floor by the oven set on 450 degrees. In alarm, Alex started to lunge for him, but Rile held her back.
"He's fine," Rile said.
Gabe jumped to his feet. "I was just a tiny bit cold since I'm alone, that's all."
Rile huffed. "It's not weakness to need body heat, Perfect Eldest Son. Where's Cale?"
"Not here. I thought he met up with you."
Alex shook her head, chewing her lip in thought. "Any of the movies he would have seen should be over by now."
Gabe sheathed his sword and staff that had been lying by him. "Let's go. Which movie theatre, Alex?"
"I bought him a refillable popcorn bucket and a loyalty card to Grand Slam, so probably there."
Alex started to lead the way, but Rile soon shouldered past her. Alex rolled her eyes when he bumped her arm. When they arrived at the darkened theatre, Gabe knelt on one knee on the sidewalk, leaned forward with one hand on the concrete to stabilize himself, and inhaled. He shook his head.
Rile tapped Alex. "Cover me." He trotted further down the sidewalk before bending and sniffing. He also knelt on one knee and leaned forward, sniffing. He cast about in a semi-circle before inching forward, still scenting the concrete. Alex drew her staff and kept beside him, fierce expression on her face so no one would interfere. Not that anyone in New Orleans would give them much more than a second glance, unless some S&M guy wanted in on what he figured was domi-matrix activity.
Rile stiffened, obviously catching Cale's scent, and he stood, but bent over. He hurried on the trail, Gabe close behind.
"Look!" Alex darted down a side alley, pointing at a small white object on the ground. She picked it up and showed it to them. The bent plastic bucket displayed a picture of popcorn and "Rile, share this with Cale" hand-lettered on the bottom.
"Cale's scent ends here as well." Rile turned the bucket over and over. "Probably entered a car."
"Or taken in a van," Alex said.
"Home," Gabe ordered. "We'll plan our attack on Hermann's lab."
"The two of you are not attacking a secure lab," Alex said. "That's suicide and it won't free Cale." When Gabe opened his mouth, expression furious, she held up a hand. "Reconnaissance and infiltration, Guardian of the Universe. Surely you use such methods on your home world. And if not, then as a Guardian when you want to help on alien worlds?"
Gabe clamped his mouth shut and Rile grinned.
"I'll ask Dr. Dewey if he can find out who Hermann's lab assistants are, the best and most trusted," Alex said. "I have ways to infiltrate as well." At Gabe's stubborn look, she added, "Give me two days, please. You can plan all you want with Rile."
Rile rolled his eyes. "Thanks ever so much, Alex."
"I said home." Gabe's tone silenced even Rile and they followed him.
***
The sun was barely over the horizon when Rile uncoiled with a sigh from his fidgeting brother. He stood up, picked up his staff, and twirled it a few times.
"Get up, Gabe. You kept me awake for hours. Give me the key to Alex's apartment and I'll get her started talking about her plan."
Gabe sat up in bed and stretched his golden wings. "You dare to awaken Alex? In the morning, no less?"
"Why do you think I have my staff?"
"You'll jab her with a staff?"
"And duck." Rile held out his hand. "The key, please."
Gabe stood, shook his wings lightly, and folded them against his back. "As much as I would enjoy watching her blast you, I have pity for Alex."
"I'm doing this for Cale."
Gabe's expression hardened. "Let's go."
He strode out of their apartment and was up the stairs to Alex's in no time, stomping on the outdoor staircase so hard that it rattled. Rile was hot on his heels. Gabe knocked on Alex's door instead of opening it, ignoring Rile's impatience. Gabe fit the key in the lock and started calling Alex's name even before he opened it. Rile huffed at him, also stomped loudly across to her bedroom door, and rapped on it with his staff. Gabe winced as he heard a thud, obviously Alex falling or jumping out of bed.
"It's us!" Gabe shouted.
Both he and Rile cringed back when Alex yanked open the door, her eyes and hair wild, hand flaring with white power.
"Cale needs your help," Gabe said quickly.
The appeal for help cut through her morning fog and she blinked, sanity returning to her eyes. She stopped the power to her hand and ran it through her unruly hair.
"Fire truck it all, Cale," she said. "First stop, Dr. Dewey. He can give me names of male lab assistants so I can scope them out for one likely to fall for a little sexual temptation. Just a little!"
"Of course," Gabe said politely. "You are no fainting female that falls prey to others."
"Strong enough to save your golden hide," Rile said.
"Mutual saving," Gabe replied stiffly.
Alex clapped her hands. "Boys, please, no squabbling until we've rescued Cale. I've got my work cut out for me. What are y'all going to do? No attacking labs without me, please."
Gabe scowled briefly then said with dignity, "We will learn the layout of Tulane and march the perimeter several times to memorize it thoroughly."
***
On the second day, Alex entered her apartment to find Rile waiting for her.
"Hi, Rile." Alex's face was obscured by her overflowing shopping bag. She yanked her key out of the door and kicked it all the way open. "There are pralines in the right hand cabinet."
"Forget the pralines. What did you buy? Why did you go shopping without me?" Rile plucked the bag out of Alex's hands.
"Rile! You're lucky I despise public bathrooms and am desperate." Alex disappeared into her bedroom.
Rile followed her and sat on the bed while Alex was in the bathroom. He looked into the bag and picked a black spike heel out of the bag. "What are you doing with this torture device? I thought you didn't believe in them."
Alex said something, but he couldn't hear it over the running water. He took out the black dress from the bag and shook it. A smaller black item fell from its folds.
"An artificial breast enlarger? You swore you would never own one."
"Rile!" She stuck her head out of the bathroom. "It's part of my plan. Now hand me that enlarger and dress, please." She stuck her hand out of the bathroom and he complied. She disappeared again, firmly shutting the bathroom door in Rile's face.
"Plan? What plan?"
"Shoes and stockings, please." Her hand reappeared and again he handed over the items.
"Alex, what's this all about?"
She stepped out of the bathroom and twirled before him."Be a sweetheart and zip my dress the rest of the way." She lifted her hair out of the way and he managed the zipper. "Thank you. What do you think?"
"You look different."
"Did Gabe teach you your remarkable powers of observation? What do you think? Do I look beautiful?" Alex tried the cute pout that she detested, but was planning to use tonight.
"Of course you're beautiful, but not because of this stuff. What does this have to do with Cale?" Rile automatically complimented females, no matter what the species.
Alex's pout flashed into a shocked expression, amusing Rile. She forged ahead, flustered. "I'm capturing a human male that I suspect knows where Cale is. That is why I'm using all these torture devices." She pulled out a makeup case and brushed on blush.
"How can you capture anything with those things on your feet?"
"I won't capture him with my feet." Alex stroked the brush on her cleavage for emphasis. "What you're witnessing is a centuries old method that human females use on human males when they want something. I want Cale."
"Who's the human?"
"I've been stalking him for the past two days. He's a worker at Hermann's lab. He's single, geeky, and desperate—perfect for the capture. We're going to dinner tonight. What he doesn't know is that, after dinner, he's taking me into that lab." Alex draped her arm around Rile's shoulders and said in saccharine tone, "Oh, I want to see where you work. I'm impressed by scientists like you. I mean, they're working to save the world. You're sooo smart. Oh, pleeeeease." She stroked his muzzle and batted her eyelashes.
"Will it work?" Rile looked doubtful. "You look and sound stupid."
"Human males love stupid human females. I guarantee that if he knows where Cale is, he'll show me. That's why I bought all these horrible things. Trust me, some cleavage helped by the artificial breast enlarger, some simpering, and he'll lead me straight to Cale. Then wham! I knock him out for the count while Cale and I hit the road."
"You're going alone?"
"Rile, a girl can't have a date with a third wheel tagging along. Besides, he's an ordinary human, I can handle him. The worst that can happen is that he knows nothing about Cale and I'll have wasted an evening. Then I'll develop a terrible headache."
"Headache?" Rile leaned forward and studied her face.
"Another century old device. Trust me. I know what I'm doing." She took a step and fell off her right shoe. "Well, I have to practice on these shoes of hell."
"Did you tell Gabe about this? I smell deceit." Rile said.
"I didn't have time." Alex patted his muzzle. "You tell him. I have to leave now to arrive on time. That hairdresser took longer than I thought. Bye."
"Tell me the name of the restaurant."
"Mike Anderson's, and don't forget to lock the door." She wobbled out the door.
*****
It bothered Alex how easily she slipped into her role of seductress, instead of the terrible avenger of sexual exploitation. Shoving the thought from her mind, Alex walked gracefully into the restaurant, spike heels and all. The restaurant was New Orleans dim, with low lights on the original sandy yellow columns of the Spanish era building. The heavy, dark, wooden tables with their equally bulky chairs accented the Spanish influence. A single purple Iris in a glass vase graced the center of each table. Robert's eyes bugged out when he saw her. Gratified, she smiled her best vapid smile.
"Hi." She slipped into the chair.
"I was worried you wouldn't come. You're late."
"Silly, a girl is always fashionably late." Alex giggled and patted her hair.
Ugh. I can't believe I'm saying this.
"Would you like something to drink?" Robert opened the drink menu.
"Whatever you like." She giggled again.
Chlorine bleach. To sterilize my mouth.
"Jax beer it is." Robert raised his hand and waved to the waiter.
I hate beer. Oh, for a martini.
"Tell me about your work. A lab, right?" Alex cooed and batted her eyelashes.
"I'm sure you'd find it boring."
"Try me," Alex said with a steely glare. At Robert's shocked look, she ducked her head and smoothed her expression. She grabbed her purse to cover her actions and applied lipstick. "No really, anything about you is really interesting to me."
Robert puffed out his chest.
Male pride. Appealing to it works every time. Jerks.
Alex nearly grabbed the beer out of the waiter's hand. "Thank you, honey." She batted her eyelashes at him and then she chugged half of it. "What?" she asked when she saw Robert staring at her.
"Nothing," he said meekly.
"Sooo, tell me about your job." Alex forced a smile.
"I'm a lab tech."
"Oh, tell me about the lab." Alex chugged more beer. "It sounds so interesting."
Tell me about the fire truck lab already.
"It's very technical."
"Do you think I'm too stupid to understand?" Alex slammed the beer down.
"Certainly not." Robert sat back, eyes now wide with surprise.
Alex drained the beer. "Sorry. I like intelligent men. Tell me about your job." She flipped her hair and strained another smile.
Moron. Tell me about that lab before I beat you denser than you already are.
She motioned the waiter and called out before he reached the table, "Chocolate martini."
"What do you want for dinner?" Robert opened the menu.
You to tell me about that lab.
"What do you like?" Alex asked.
"I've never eaten here. You?"
"No, but I like crab, crawfish, flounder, etouffe, stuffed mushrooms, and stuffed artichokes," Alex said.
And you to tell me about that lab.
"I like gumbo."
"Very authentic. Why don't you order it?" Alex batted her eyelashes yet again and thought about pounding muggers into the ground to calm her mind. She flagged down the waiter. "This is our first date. Please take our order."
Please, before I go insane.
"The lady would like stuffed mushroom appetizer and the flounder stuffed with crawfish," Robert said, "I would like a cup of gumbo and crab imperial."
"Excellent choice." The waiter jotted the order in his little flip notebook.
"Isn't he smart," Alex cooed to the impassive waiter. "He works in a lab. I want him to tell me all about it."
The waiter smiled, flipped closed his notebook, and left.
Really, tell me all about the lab. All. About. It.
Alex placed her elbows on the table, rested her chin on her hands, and gazed at Robert with what she hoped was adoration and not the irritation that burned inside her.
"Dr. Hermann is a herpetologist."
"I'm sure you're tired of all the herpes jokes."
"Yes. He studies exotic reptiles, looking for the medical applications for Tulane."
"Marvelous," Alex breathed. "Go on."
"I'm just the tech. I handle the reptiles and take care of them."
"That's very important. You haven't touched your beer. Go on."
The waiter appeared and handed Alex the triangular, smoked glass of her martini. She thanked him and took a sip.
"It's marvelous. Try it." She held the glass to Robert's lips.
Startled, he sipped it.
"Do you like it? Why don't you take it?"
Get all liquored up. You might talk more. About the lab. Please, the lab. All. About. It.
"No, that's yours."
"We'll share it." Alex took a sip, gaze fixed on Robert in a sultry manner. She touched the glass back to his lips until he drank again. "How big are these reptiles?"
"All sizes, but Dr. Hermann prefers the larger ones because he says there are more applications to humans. This latest one is the largest." He stopped himself.
"Oh?" Alex put the glass to Robert's lips again and tilted the glass so that he was forced to swallow a long drink. "Tell me."
Tell me or I'll force this drink and the glass down your throat, you miserable human male.
"Never mind. Please tell me about yourself."
"Boring. I'm not smart like you. Don't have an interesting job like you. So, a really large reptile. Large like a person?" Alex pulled her dress lower and her breasts, lifted by the enlarger, obligingly flashed.
I'll take a shower for an hour after this to sterilize myself. But it's for a good cause. This bastard could have Cale.
Robert gazed down her chest, then shook himself slightly. "Yeah, like a person."
"I'd love to see that. I love reptiles."
Not humans. Humans are scum. You looked down my dress and I'll beat you black and blue once I have Cale.
Alex conveniently ignored that she had baited Robert.
"I can't take you," Robert said.
Alex tried the cute pout. "I had snakes growing up," she lied, or at least she thought she did. "And Anolis carolinensis as well."
"The Anolis carolinensis recently had its genome sequenced." Robert's expression lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Really? Did Dr. Hermann do that? Or you?" Alex put her hand on top of Robert's and stroked it.
"No, those are too small for him. But the specimen we have looks like a large Anolis carolinensis."
"Oh, please let me see it." Alex squeezed his hand.
"I don't know." Robert glanced down at his hand and Alex touched it to her cheek.
"I did so love my pets. It would be like a trip to my childhood." Alex squelched her fury that there were real tears in her eyes.
"Hey, hey." Robert wiped away the tears. "Don't cry. Okay, we'll take a quick peek."
"Thank you. I need to freshen up." Alex shoved away from the table and snatched her purse.
What the fire truck was that about? Why am I crying?
Alex slammed the stall door in the restroom.
I'm worried about Cale. That's all.
Alex checked that the restroom was empty before battering her fists against the wall. The pain lancing through her hands and arms made her feel better. At approaching footsteps, she plucked her lipstick out of purse and applied it. Anger and pain made her stalk to the table before she remembered to slink like a model.
"Feeling better?" Robert asked with true concern.
"Oh yes." Alex hid her bruised hands under the table as she slid into her seat. "I see the appetizers came. Let's share the mushrooms. I can't eat all this."
"Do you want some gumbo?"
"No, thank you." Alex was glad for the typical New Orleans dim lighting because her left hand was swelling.
The waiter walked over, notebook at the ready. "May I get you anything else?"
"Another chocolate martini. Do you want another beer, Robert? Or your own martini?"
Looking startled, he shook his head. When the waiter reappeared with the martini, Alex shoved money at him.
"Alex, I'm paying for our date."
"Very noble, but drinks are expensive and I'm ordering a lot. I doubt lab techs make a lot of money."
"I can pay." Robert's lips tightened and his genial expression fled.
"Sorry to offend you. I'm sure you can, but I'm beyond reasonable with the drinks." Alex took the martini in her less injured right hand and shooed off the waiter with the money.
"What happened in your childhood that makes you cry and want to drink?" Robert gazed at her with such a kind look that Alex's throat tightened.
Alex polished off her martini. "Everyone has a sad story. A first date is not the place to speak of such things. Those little lizards were my friends when I had none. I want to see them again and seeing a large one in your lab would heal me in a way I can't explain." She choked back her tears.
Fire truck me. What is the matter with me? Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.
"We'll go after dinner. It's okay." Robert reached across the table and patted her right hand.
"Thank you. Let's eat."
I won't pound you into the ground after all.
***
A/N
Alex is hunting human males again, this time a science nerd! Do you think she'll succeed with the poor guy?
Dedicated to one of my newest readers, a dedicated and accomplished high fantasy author who is stretching her comfort zone reading my urban fantasy romance. Thank you