Chapter 31

Dark secrets

"You're sure your ex had a room of his own here?" Alexei asked doubtfully. "Not just a suite that they set aside for him when he visited?"

Looking away from the marble statue she'd been studying, Katja caught her lip between her teeth to keep from sighing. "I'm positive the room belonged exclusively to him, Alexei. He has an electronic safe in the suite and everything, in case he has to leave documents or expensive items here. Or so he told me. He would never let a guest go near that."

"So where would it be? What floor?" Adrien asked aloud, drumming his fingers along the hallway wall. "He have a lucky number?"

"No," Katja replied. "He didn't believe in luck, just hard facts. Or so he said."

They had been searching the resort room by room, and it was taking far too long, in Katja's opinion.

"Anyone ever go up to that tower I saw from outside?" Petrov asked. "Given what I've heard of Alexander, he'd want his own castle."

Adrien nodded as they turned a corner in the hallway. "Yeah, I saw that thing. Sounds about right to me. Never found a way up there, though, so I think it's just for show."

"That's not Alexander. Everything had a purpose. Where was it?" asked Katja.

Everyone stopped to think.

"Well, in relation to where we are in the resort now it was probably…" Alexei trailed off, looking around him.

Petrov stepped around the boy to a digital floor plan map on the corridor wall. "South side of the building?"

Adrien joined him, looking around his shoulder at the same maps. "No, closer to the southwest, I think. It was near the back of the lodge."

Since Katja had not yet seen the outside of the lodge herself, she could not give her input. She'd have to rely on what her men had seen, because if they went out in the storm now, the visibility would be so bad they probably couldn't even see it.

Blue gave a dissenting growl and parted the men with his hands, stepping through them to press a claw at the touchscreen until he brought up the ground floor map.

Adrien looked up at the hunter. "Buddy, that's a hallway behind the lobby that goes to a few maintenance rooms. We've already looked, remember? There's nothing there."

A strange hunch inexplicably pushed Katja to say, "Let's go check it out anyway. This room-to-room method is getting us nowhere."

Blue gave her an approving grunt. Adrien just shrugged, and they all piled in the nearest elevator.

"Where are we now?" Alexei asked. "Eighth floor?"

"Doesn't matter, just push the lobby button," Adrien said testily after Katja quickly translated.

Sticking his nose in the air, Alexei said, "Just for that, you're going to have to wait," and pressed three random buttons along with the lobby one.

"You little shit!" Adrien yelled when he'd seen what the scientist had done.

"Alexei," Katja chastised as Alexei went to sit on the cushioned elevator bench.

"What? He was asking for it," Alexei complained. Blue snarled at him, and Alexei curled into a ball, wincing.

Yawning, Adrien said, "Well, since we're gonna be in here a while, might as well learn some more about each other. Petrov, what's your favorite food?"

"Mine?" asked Petrov. "Syrniki."

The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor, opened, and closed again while they waited.

"I'm not sure what that is," Adrien said. "Can I guess?"

Petrov gave a rare laugh. "Sure, Pierce. Go ahead."

Adrien pondered, pacing in the small space. "Like a farm food, I assume. Umm… a vegetable dish with… green beans."

"Not even close, I'm afraid," Petrov answered. "It's… Katja, is there an American name for it? I am sure there is, I just can't remember."

Rubbing at her sore IV arm, Katja said, "Pancakes. But made with cottage cheese."

Adrien's eyes brightened. "Breakfast food? Can relate, Max. I'll make you some tomorrow morning."

The car halted at yet another wrong floor.

Petrov shook his head. "Thank you, Pierce. But I can do it. You've done all the cooking."

Now facing Katja, Adrien changed his line of questioning and asked, "Ever meet the president of Russia, Kat?"

"Of course not," she replied. "Have you ever met your president?"

"Which one?" Adrien smiled, clearly being coy with her.

Reluctantly, Katja admitted, "I did see him at a distance once, in a military parade."

"Oh? Did he notice you?" he pressed, clearly relishing her discomfort.

"He… winked at me," Katja mumbled. She still wasn't fully convinced it had been at her, but there really had been nobody else near her at the time.

Adrien laughed raucously. "That's hilarious."

"Glad you find it so funny," she replied drily.

Eventually, they reached the lobby. Everyone piled out and made their way to the empty hallway behind the lobby.

After searching behind every door and finding only supplies, Adrien said, "See? Like I said, nothing here."

"Sorry, Blue," Katja told the hunter, who seemed unconvinced. He did seem to be more comfortable being unmasked around them after the hot tub incident, at least. "It was a good idea, but–"

In the corner of her eye, she saw a piece of artwork at the very end of the hall, and she turned her head fully to see it clearly.

Yes, it was the painting she thought it was.

Slowly, she made her way to the dead end, to get a closer look.

"You gonna finish that thought?" Adrien asked as he followed her. "Where are you going?"

Katja was only half listening as she reached out and touched the painting's frame. "I recognize this. Alexander took me to an art gallery auction. Well, it was actually more of a party for rich people." That was an understatement. She'd rented an expensive formal gown for the occasion – on her own dime no less – and it still hadn't been good enough. Alexander had brought home something 'better' for her to wear, even though he knew she hated it when he bought her expensive things.

"And this painting was there?" asked Petrov.

Taking in the gentle, soft scene of a young woman in a white dress and bonnet, wandering a field of wheat and juxtaposed against a nightmarishly stormy dark sky, Katja nodded. It felt strange, seeing the same artwork she'd seen years ago, here and now in this setting. "It was. The funny thing is, Alexander hated it. He liked more modern, edgy pieces. When I stopped and appreciated it, he said it's the kind of painting people would look right through, because it was so boring. I had no idea he bought it."

She hadn't thought it was boring. She thought the contrasts told a whole story. Even several, depending on personal interpretation.

"That doesn't really make sense," said Adrien. "Why would he spend money gon it if he thought it was terrible?"

Petrov twisted his mouth contemplatively. "Well, he is kind of hiding it down this hall. And why adorn a staff corridor?"

Katja's brain clicked. "Hiding it, or hiding something else?" she wondered, gripping the frame. "Please help me move this, guys."

Blue and Petrov tried to lift the painting, only to find it swung forward on disguised hinges. Behind it was a small, electronic keyboard.

"This is so cliché," Alexei commented sadly. "I expected more ingenuity from the great Alexander Vidovic."

Petrov put his fingers on the keys. "Never mind that. Katja, any idea what the password would be? Looks like eight digits. His birthday, your birthday?"

"Not mine. He never remembered my birthday," Katja answered.

Adrien made a scoffing sound. "Good lord, and you accepted this guy's proposal, why?"

"Not important right now!" Katja pointed out. "Maksim, try zero, six, twelve, one, nine, eight, seven. That's his birthdate."

"You like older guys, eh, Kat?" Adrien asked with a wink. "Interesting."

Petrov quickly spoke up. "That didn't work, Katja. Anything else?"

Scouring her brain for something, any other date that might be significant to Alexander, she said, "Ten, ten, two, zero zero four. It's the date he started his internship at Seegson." He had still only been a teen, but apparently had shown enough promise that management was willing to overlook it. Or so Alexander had claimed.

"You're shitting me right now." Adrien stated.

"What?" Katja asked.

"October tenth, two-thousand four?" Adrien answered.

"Yeah? What about it?" Katja asked.

"That was the date Alexa Woods led Weyland into the pyramid under the ice," Adrien explained.

She just blinked.

"Well?" Adrien prompted.

"The irony isn't lost on me, but what do you want me to say?" Katja finally answered. "It's an odd coincidence. That's all it can be."

"No such thing as coincidence…" Adrien muttered. The keyboard chirped, and a seam suddenly appeared in the wall, slowly opening to reveal another elevator.

"This guy really is a James Bond villain," Adrien grumbled as they all stepped aboard, with more uncertainty this time. "So Katja, where exactly did you meet this guy? I mean, take this as a criticism of him rather than yourself; but it doesn't sound like the two of you travel in the same circles."

While exhaling, Katja's mind took her back…

When her men left base, they usually went to bars or clubs. She, however, adored the run-down little tea shop that was half-hidden between a large furniture store and a medical clinic.

They sold flowers, too, and her favorite thing to do during a rare trip off the base was to sit amid the greenery and sip tea while the shop's cat sat at her feet. Many times, her brother would join her.

Tucked into a corner table, face hidden behind her book, Katja jumped in her seat when the chair opposite her was dragged back and someone sat without a greeting. For a second, she wondered if it was Karik, coming to surprise her. But he wouldn't be that rude.

The purring feline ran away, just as startled, and Katja marked her place in her novel before lowering it and frowning at the intrusive stranger. "Pardon me, but this spot is taken. Perhaps one of the staff can help you find a table?" she suggested, polite but firm.

The man who'd helped himself to her spot was slim but with little muscle tone, and skin that suggested he spent too many hours in tanning booths. His hair was probably dark but dyed blond, and he carried a smirk that looked permanent.

"I know," he said, "but I noticed you while I was in line, and I had to meet you. I know this method is a bit forward…"

"Yes, it is," Katja told him. She didn't like being impolite, but he was making her skin crawl. Not to mention the man in the black uniform who was standing behind his shoulder. And unlike her admirer, that man had biceps to spare. Almost looked like a… bodyguard?

"You don't know who I am, do you?" asked the blond stranger.

Now Katja was annoyed, and didn't hide it. "Someone who can't take a hint?"

His brows lifted in genuine surprise at her flippancy, and he laughed. "Wow. Okay. Let's try this again, maybe? I'm Alexander Vidovic."

He looked at her like he expected the name to cause her to fall out of her chair. It didn't. Clearly disappointed, he continued, "I'm the head of the technology division at Seegson. The job comes with a lot of… recognition in the media."

"Must be dangerous, too," Katja commented, and took a long sip of her tea as she locked eyes with the towering goon. "If you have a bodyguard."

Alexander waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't mind him. Just a precaution. By the way, you still haven't told me your name."

Katja looked this 'Alexander' guy over again. He was probably in his mid-twenties, about five years or so older than her. Awfully young to be the head of a whole division of a big company like Seegson. "I'm not sure I want to. Maybe you can use your media influence and figure it out." She was somewhat appalled at her own manners, but he deserved it.

"Come on." Extending his hand, he placed it on hers, then began to slide it up her arm. "Give me a chance?"

That was too much. Immediately, she grabbed his wrist and bent it back, incapacitating him. Although it couldn't have really hurt too badly, he gave a small shriek.

The bodyguard jumped forward and grabbed her arm, and her reflexes responded accordingly. Jumping from her chair, she used her free hand to punch him right in the throat.

Making a gurgling noise, the bodyguard released her and fell to his knees, panting. He hadn't been expecting it, but that was how her defense had succeeded, otherwise she would have been floored.

She loved being underestimated.

"What is wrong with you?" asked Alexander, rubbing his wrist. "Are you insane?"

Katja shrugged, leaning down to help the bodyguard stand. His windpipe wasn't going to be feeling well for a while. She did feel a tiny bit bad about that; after all, he hadn't initiated anything, his boss had. He'd just been doing his job. Still… "You both touched me first," she pointed out before taking her seat again.

Alexander sighed, then his face relaxed into a smile. "So we did. I apologize. I just want a chance to impress you. If you'll let me?"

Katja turned her head away. Like most guys who had asked her out, he didn't understand.

She knew plenty of impressive people.

She didn't want to be impressed.

She wanted to be loved.

Katja shook the memory away. "Chance meeting," she said gruffly. "At a tea shop."

She caught Adrien flicking his gaze over to Petrov, then said, "Tea shop? Must have made quite the impression on you."

"Something like that. I beat up him and his bodyguard."

Adrien smiled. "Atta girl. Is he really that important that he has his own bodyguard?"

Blue also gave her a new noise. It sounded like a growl, but she could swear it was laced with his purr. Maybe a shudder in disgust? Maybe grumbling? Maybe not, it was hard to tell with him.

"Yes. And he's been promoted a few times since I met him, too. But initially he went from intern to division leader because he built some software for Seegson. Something… I don't really know how to describe it."

"I do," Alexei chirped. "It's antivirus software called 'Working Joe', but it's a learning A.I. And his promotion was well deserved. To this day, nothing else in adaptive A.I. even comes close. Rumor has it Weyland has been trying to steal it for years."

After Katja translated for Adrien, the elevator ride ended, and the group emerged into a new suite.

This one was even more fancy than the one they'd been using, and clearly was the work of an interior decorator rather than the mass-produced, mostly uniform rooms below. Katja recognized Alexander's input in it, though, from the minimalist sterility of the designs. At least the guest suites had some Neo-Victorian charm to them.

The place was torn apart, though. Not in a vandalized way, more like someone had frantically packed to leave in a hurry. A few of the guest rooms were in the same state.

"He must have been here not too long ago," Katja said in confusion, leaning down to pick up a discarded phone charger. "Like when the serpents attacked, and the place was cleared. He'd never allow housekeeping to leave his room looking like this."

"He just happened to be visiting right when this all happened?" Petrov asked suspiciously. "When the media was warning about the danger of the meteor beforehand?"

"Does seem kind of odd," Adrien agreed.

"No such thing as coincidence…" Blue repeated Adrien through voice clips.

Katja lifted her hands. "Hey, stop acting like I'm about to defend him!" she protested. "I'm not! But I find it really hard to believe he'd have any idea this was coming, let alone put himself right in the middle of…"

She trailed off as she noticed a glinting in the corner of the ceiling. Squinting, she tilted her head. The overhead light caught it again.

"Is that a camera?" she asked aloud, pointing.

Adrien looked up to where she was indicating. "Oh yeah, the hotel is covered in them."

Fearfully, she looked to the hunter. "But, if Blue's been filmed–"

Petrov placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Within the first hour we were here, I had Alexei delete all the footage back to twenty minutes before any of us arrived, and then block it from uploading to any digital storage if wi-fi is restored. Then he disabled them. Blue will remain a secret."

Proud of his foresight, she gave him a thankful look. "Good work." Then, remembering why they were here, she cleared her throat and began to direct her men.

"Alright, let's spread out in groups of two and see what we can find. Alexei, you're on your own. If you find anything electronic, see if it has that part."

"Obviously," grumbled the boy.

Adrien made his way to Katja's side, making it clear he wanted to partner with her. "Let's go."

Deciding not to question him on it, she nodded. "Okay. What room do you want to take?"

"Bedroom?" he suggested. "If he left anything personal behind, I'm guessing that's where it would be."

"All right. Blue, Maksim, check out the kitchen." She sincerely doubted it was used at all, since Alexander preferred room service to cooking, but every part of the suite was worth searching. Even if he just jotted notes in there during his morning coffee. "Alexei, you take the main room here."

"Is this genuine polar bear fur on his bed?" Adrien questioned incredulously once they were in the bedroom.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Katja answered in disgust.

"So like any other rich elite, he pretends to love the environment with the green energy pandering bullshit, but then goes and does shit like this?" Adrien gestured.

"That's him. He loves to counsel and scold others on what he secretly does," Katja shrugged.

He left the question of why she was about to marry this assbag unasked.

"So, what do you know about Seegson Corporation?" Adrien asked as he opened up a nightstand. Shitload of condoms, but no parts.

However, like the main room, there were plenty of personal items strewn around the carpet. The guy sure had left a mess.

"Nothing, really. All I know for sure is they are a technology and communications corporation, headquartered in Sevastopol, Ukraine. I sometimes tried to talk to Alexander about it and even searched the web pretty extensively, to be a supportive fiancée; but the whole place seems awfully secretive. Alexander could never tell me much because they make every employee sign a nondisclosure agreement."

NDA, standard stuff.

She then gave him a critical stare. "And despite what you think, I'm not an avowed communist. I'm not really an anything– 'ist'. I joined the military to make a positive difference in the world. Economics and politics aren't really my thing."

He was rather surprised by that, considering she was the daughter of an ex-KGB agent. Must have been the older half-brother's influence, keeping her out of politics. Guy sounded real stand-up. Regardless, Adrien passed over that comment, and returned to her initial statement as he really wasn't interested in politics either. He wanted to keep the conversation on this Alexander guy, who was steadily rising on his shit-list.

From all the information he'd gathered thus far, Katja's ex had to be involved in this mess somehow. "Well, Seegson is a self-proclaimed competitor to Weyland. I don't think Weyland even knows they exist, if that tells you how threatened they are by them," Adrien explained.

"This is relevant how?" Katja asked as she belly-crawled under the bed, giving Adrien a decent view. "She should really wear those pants all the time. Those legs… Hot damn!" Not to mention that posterior…

Man, he was as bad as the alien.

"Your ex, a high-ranking member of an organization that is in competition with Weyland, just happens to be here during this serpent outbreak? Not to mention the date code he uses to get up to this room. Weyland knows because of the incident on Bouvetøyen island. Seegson must know somehow, and Alexander wanted a chance to beat them to the serpents."

He took notice of a custom gun on the wall while Katja searched. A double barrel .600 Nitro Express. They ranged in price from a brand-new heavy-duty truck to half the cost of a small house, and were generally used on big game safari hunts. Might be a useful weapon going up against the queen. He'd remember to grab it and any ammo on the way out. Hopefully, it wasn't just a wall decoration.

Wiggling back out from under the bed, Katja lifted her torso and sat on her knees. She studied him, as if try to decide whether he was talking out his ass. "What would Seegson want with the aliens?"

"What does Weyland want with them?" Adrien countered. "Technology, weapons, pharmaceuticals, money. Doesn't matter, really. No matter what, it's dangerous."

Still seated, Katja crossed her arms. "So they send Alexander? Who needs his own bodyguard? I don't buy it."

"He's an executive, right? Maybe they didn't send him. Maybe he figures it out on his own, sends himself. Maybe he collects a specimen for cloning, has another 'breakthrough', and boom, is crowned CEO. A surprise that gives him the promotion."

"That's a lot of maybes."

"Not enough to be called coincidence. If I've thought of this, I know you certainly have," Adrien countered again. Was it some leftover loyalty or feelings for this douchebag? No way she thought this was all happenstance.

"You really think he'd be dumb enough to stay here to try and get a serpent – even just a sample for cloning – by himself?" Katja asked.

Ah, so it wasn't defense. She just believed he was smart enough to have self-preservation instincts.

"Katja, this is a guy with no real-world experience, from what you've told me. He sounds very sheltered. Yes, I think he's that dumb. Maybe he even brought the bodyguard, thinking that would be plenty of muscle. Hell, go even further. Maybe like Weyland, he had an army of mercenaries here. I know Seegson hires private military contractors too," Adrien said.

"Those are all interesting theories, but–" Katja began.

"I found something!" Petrov called.

"No way this guy has ever cooked his own food a day in his life," Petrov spoke aloud when he and Vai'dqouulth entered the kitchen.

Vai'dqouulth had to agree. From what Katja had described about her former prospective lifemate, the human had no relevant skills. Maybe even less than the runt. At least Alexei had some use when he'd helped repair his wrist computer.

"I doubt we'll find anything here, but no stone left unturned, I suppose," Petrov shrugged and began rummaging through the center island.

This euphemism he did understand, and fully agreed. Humans, as he had learned, often hid things in extremely illogical spots. There was always a chance they'd find what they needed in here.

As he began his search, his thoughts wandered to this 'Alexander' of yet another rival clan, 'Seegson', as they were called. He already did not care for this human; it was obvious he had been here for the same thing as clan Weyland, and likely for the same reason.

The hard meats for currency.

Yautja had a sort of hybrid economy. A class system, mixed with trading and by necessity; a currency system – though that was reserved specifically for trade spots with other sentient species in the universe. It wasn't used by the Yautja outside of that generally, though, there were always exceptions.

Humans adored the currency system, like many sentients; the folly was they always assumed it was absolute, until it was discovered it wasn't worth anything, unlike skills.

A good way to weed out the weak, and breed more worthy generations for those species that utilized it.

He'd also discovered his favorite human had poor judgment in males.

No, that wasn't it. She was smart, and seemed to really consider ramifications to everything she did – something he very much appreciated about her. A better explanation was, Alexander must have seemed like stability and survivability with his monetary wealth to her.

Maybe that's why she now preferred Petrov. What he lacked in wealth, he made up for in some skill, if mediocre. Vai'dqouulth was certain the human could at least keep a female and pup alive and in fairly good health during hard times. Others within this very building could do even better.

Why she went after inferior males when there were worthy ones in front of her was still a mystery to him. She could pursue Adrien or… or… another male.

Speaking of, the fact she had taken down not one, but two males during a courting process had been a very welcome surprise. He had assumed that since human females were usually smaller and with less physical advantage, they wouldn't typically fight a male in hand-to-hand unless forced to; but Katja, at least, was more like one of his kind's females.

Hearing that she'd fight an interested male had him shivering and purring in the elevator. He had attempted to cover it up from the others with lowly growls. Thankfully, it seemed it had worked.

"I found something!" Petrov announced, breaking him from his thoughts. A moment later, the rest of the humans joined them.

"What'cha got?" Adrien asked.

"Emergency radio. Alexander is rich, maybe it's one of those fancy satellite radios." Petrov held up the device triumphantly.

"Alexei?" Katja requested.

The runt walked over and took the device. After some assessing, he shook his head. "No, just a normal radio," Alexei stated as he set it down.

"Dammit," Adrien grimaced, interpreting the head shake. "Well, it was a good find, Petrov," he continued.

"Not good enough, apparently," Petrov replied, the defeat in his tone evident.

Why? Just because this did not have what they needed didn't mean he should just give up.

"Where'd you find that?" Adrien followed up. At least he wasn't a defeatist.

"In this closet. Looks like a survival duffle," Petrov showed them.

"Blue, why don't you take over for me in the bedroom with Katja? I wanna pick through this find with the lieutenant, see if I can't help identify something that might be useful," Adrien suggested.

Vai'dqouulth nodded and began herding the ever-interested Katja back to the bedroom. Immediately he took notice of the pelts on the bed. He gave them a touch and found they were genuine, not synthetic, like the ones on his sleeping pallet in his ship and living space that he was so used to.

Grabbing it, he draped it over his shoulder. Katja was giving him a questioning look.

"Do not care for the synthetic pelts in the sleeping quarters. Sleep with real pelts I make myself," Vai'dqouulth explained, taking the opportunity boast of his skill at the same time.

Yautja males had to sell themselves to prospective females without seeming completely arrogant. He had mastered the art of bragging through innocent conversation.

"Oh! You should've said something sooner. I'm sure we could've found some wool blankets in housekeeping and supplies. After all, humans can have allergies to synthetics sometimes," Katja said.

Such a weak species, susceptible to almost anything; and yet they persevered and thrived. Admirable. And her never ending want to help him in any way. It was… refreshing.

"You make your own blankets?" Katja asked the question he was hoping she would ask.

"Yes, trained to utilize every part of the animal in hunt, no waste. Goddess of life demands it," Vai'dqouulth explained through his computer. His tone would definitely be proud if he could speak for himself. He also purposely mentioned animals rather than sentients to placate her misplaced morality.

"That's amazing! Maybe I could watch you sometime? Learn a thing or two. I wasn't very good at my own survival training," Katja requested.

He stifled any noises of satisfaction; she was impressed by basic skills. Not only that, but she could also identify areas of personal weakness and admit it with humility. The final aspect he liked was that she wanted to improve in her weak areas by learning from experts. Yautja were sometimes too arrogant to admit a weakness, even to themselves. Something he strived to avoid.

Yautja females were just not like this. It wasn't necessarily a flaw or problem, but it took very little to capture and keep Katja's attention. Her appreciation and interest for the more minor facts she learned about him was invigorating. Not to mention, he could tell she was genuinely enthralled rather than just being polite.

By comparison, Yautja females never seemed satisfied with anything unless it involved reproduction and even then, he wondered.

Maybe he felt the same way.

The contribution to this may be because males and females only really interacted with any significance during mating season, and it was brief. Not segregation so much as the two sexes running their own parallel societies. Males hunted; females raised the next generation.

It made the females seem aloof outside of that, but perhaps that was by necessity. He couldn't know as he wasn't female and really never thought about it until his interactions with Katja started.

"Honored to show and teach," Vai'dqouulth said finally.

"Thanks," Katja praised, before walking lightly to a door. So grateful too. Again, over such small things.

She opened it, revealing a large storage space with several hanging garments.

"Walk-in closet in a hotel," he heard Katja murmur. "I don't understand what I ever saw in him. Guess I was young, and not used to having a lot of attention. But maybe I'm just making excuses for my stupidity…"

Suddenly, it clicked into place for him. Katja chose males poorly simply because of inexperience. This was not a uniquely human problem. Young Yautja females often had to learn the hard way whether a male was worthy to sire her offspring.

Pushing some garments aside, Katja stepped back, revealing a heavy and reinforced black rectangle. "A safe! Blue, can you open it?"

He would not disappoint.

With his blades, he cut off the door hinges to the 'safe' and tossed it aside, then gestured for her to inspect the contents.

Sticking her arm into the safe, Katja searched. Eventually, she withdrew a few items. Currency by his guess. Documents called a 'passport'. And another black rectangle, this one small.

Why did humans obsess over that shape so much?

"I think this is an external hard drive," Katja said, turning the rectangle over in her hands and dropping the rest. "I'd have to ask Alexei for sure, but I don't know what else it would be. See the USB slots?"

Vai'dqouulth nodded, though he had no idea what a USB slot was.

Katja wavered, suddenly blinking rapidly.

"Sorry. Sorry. Just got a little… tired there for a second." Shaking herself, Katja continued to look, but produced nothing else of importance.

Her wavering was concerning, however. It seemed despite the medical treatment; she was still recovering. He'd give her some more time, but take charge if she didn't rest soon.

After all, they both knew he could force her to rest.

"Nothing else?" Katja wondered. "Well, hopefully the drive has something at least." Tucking the item under her arm, she called for the others.

Looking through the survival duffle, even with their combined efforts, Adrien and Petrov could not find anything of significant value. There were a couple MREs, but almost everything else they either already had, or didn't need.

Petrov seemed even less talkative than normal, and additionally, his level of frustration over the radio situation had seemed out of nowhere. Especially since unlike Alexei, he didn't seem to be the complaining type.

Maybe he had wanted to be the hero for Katja.

Speaking of…

"So, hey. You buying any of that crap about Alexander just 'happening' to be in that tea shop when he and Katja met?"

Petrov finished packing a knife from the survival bag into his vest and zipped it. "No, not at all. I've driven past the tea shop Katja is talking about. It's decrepit. Doesn't sound like Alexander's kind of place." Looking over at Adrien, he added, "He must have known, somehow, that she'd be there, and used it as an excuse to meet her. And I'm assuming you think it's because he'd hoped she could lead him to the extraterrestrials."

Adrien blinked. As indecisive as this guy was, he certainly had intuition. "The thought crossed my mind," he admitted. "Besides her own government ties, there is her father as an information resource. What do you think?"

"I honestly don't know. I never met Alexander. From what I know about him, though, I wouldn't put it past him." Petrov began. "For Katja's sake, I hope it isn't true. He put her through enough crap already."

"The resort is cover, then. An in and out of Russia as well as a base of operations while he looks for wherever this queen is hidden. Was hidden." Adrien added.

"Like you said, not a coincidence." Petrov said as he rose to his feet.

Adrien also stood; or at least, tried to. He groaned as his knees and back protested, and Petrov extended a hand.

Taking it, Adrien eventually got to his feet. "Wait'll you hit thirty," he grumbled at Petrov. "Your joints stop working." Not entirely true, it was more how hard he had pushed his body more so than his age.

And the injuries, obviously.

Actually, his joke was based on guesswork. Though he was almost certain of his estimation, he really didn't know Petrov's actual age. But he was willing to bet the man wasn't any older than Katja. "How old are you, anyway?" he asked.

After some hesitation, Petrov said, "I'll be twenty-nine in three months."

He was younger than Katja, then. Barely by anything; but the way the Lieutenant had phrased the reply made Adrien wonder if Katja did typically go for older men.

"Listen. Pierce…" Petrov sighed and folded his arms, changing the subject. "I want Katja to survive this."

Adrien nodded, only half listening. "I want everyone to make it too."

"No, I mean… that's why I overreacted about the radio. I thought it would spare us the confrontation with Weyland for a transmitter. Blue could call his reinforcements, and Katja could get to a hospital. I just… if it comes down to me or her, I want her to be the one to live. Get it?"

Almost shrugging, but deciding it would be too dismissive, Adrien nodded instead. "Got it. Just keep in mind the airline emergency rules."

He received a quizzical look in return.

"You know. Make sure your own mask is secure before you can help someone else. Katja can take care of herself well enough; but to help her, you have to check your own 6 from time to time, too," Adrien explained.

Before Petrov could answer, Katja's voice floated towards them from the bedroom.

"Hey boys, I think I found something. Not parts, but it could be informative."

Everyone gathered in the bedroom, and Katja held out the hard drive. "Alexei, can you see what's on this?" she requested.

He scoffed. "Can you shoot a gun? Don't insult me, woman," he told her, plucking it from her hands.

Blue gave him a threatening hiss for the remark, to which Alexei cowered.

Katja wiped at her eyes sleepily, to keep her hands busy. Otherwise, she might have slapped him. "Just get it hooked up and loaded, please." Though part of her knew it wasn't rational, she was frustrated with her body for tiring so quickly. She'd finished the medicine; shouldn't she be back to normal?

"I'm going, I'm going," grumbled Alexei, headed for the digital television in the living room.

"How are you going to hook it up to that?" asked Adrien as he watched Alexei begin to plug wires in.

Katja seated herself on the sofa, hoping the others couldn't tell how rapidly she was losing strength. After viewing the video, she would probably have to lay down again. Dammit.

Throwing his head back, Alexei said, "Katja, tell him the master is at work, and not to question it. Also, there's a tower hooked up to this television. Alexander has rigged it so he can use his computer through the TV. He must like the couch."

Katja gave Adrien an edited explanation, and by the time she was done, Alexei had something up on the television screen.

"Is that Alexander's bedroom?" asked Petrov, sounding equal parts disturbed and disgusted.

Sure enough, Katja recognized the suite's enormous bed and headboard. "He has a… camera in there?" she ventured. She'd seen the one here in the main room, but hadn't imagined Alexander would also install one pointed right on his bed.

Adrien laughed. "You both sound so scandalized. Bet you're glad you never came here with him now, Kat."

Actually, she was. She didn't think Alexander would've kept the camera's existence a secret from her, but still…

"Do we really want to see any of this?" asked Petrov, after checking Katja's expression. Her heart warmed. He could tell she was deeply uncomfortable.

"We should at least see if Alexander was really here during the evacuation," she said neutrally, trying to thank Petrov with her eyes.

Alexei yawned. "So like a few days ago?" he asked.

"Sure, start there," Katja responded.

"Just see if there are clothes all over the floor," Petrov spoke again. "He left a mess when he packed to leave, remember. It'll be a dead giveaway if we rewinded far enough."

"Smart," said Adrien.

Alexei sighed and went to the side of the tv, where a thick, rolled-up piece of what looked like rubber was nesting in a container similar to a cup holder.

Removing it, the scientist unrolled the small mat, placing it on the coffee table, and Katja saw keys. Of course. Alexander would need a keyboard handy for his computer.

Alexei began typing, and soon, the onscreen picture had changed. A camera time stamp in the lower corner of the screen showed the seconds ticking, but nobody was in the untidy room.

"Reverse," Blue ordered.

Alexei complied, going back further.

Suddenly, there was movement on the television. Alexander was rushing around the room, grabbing whatever supplies he could, a phone tucked against his ear.

His hairline had receded slightly, and she was pretty sure he'd done something to alter his nose, but it was definitely him.

"No, I don't care. I don't! No excuses. The chopper has to be here in half an hour," he shouted. "The Russian military is on the way to evacuate the rest of the resort. And I'm not putting my life in the hands of those brainless, incompetent… they were supposed to contain all this. Whatever. I don't care if it's impossible. What do you mean the Americans know? Forget it. Half hour, the roof. I will pay you ten times the asking price if you follow through."

Lowering the phone, he glared at his pair of bodyguards. One was Markus, who had been his original guard. The other Katja didn't recognize.

Katja hoped Markus had evacuated safely on Alexander's helo. She and he had actually ended up becoming friends despite that rough first meeting.

"So, he was here," Adrien said, prompting Alexei to mute the recording. "Think he made it out?"

"I would guess so," Katja replied. "If his personal chopper didn't make it in time, he would've swallowed his pride and joined the civ transport." He wouldn't have risked his life; she knew that much.

"Considering he wanted a serpent specimen so badly, he sure bailed fast," snorted Adrien.

Katja shook her head. "Didn't you hear him? He expected our forces to handle the situation. Probably thought it'd be simple to sneak a specimen away unnoticed." For the first time, she was beginning to believe Adrien's theory that Alexander had been here for the aliens.

"What a moron," Adrien said.

"This is the man who forgot he had an emergency pack and wasted time putting together more supplies made of nonessentials," Petrov pointed out.

"That's because the pack belonged to the bodyguards, not Alexander," Adrien commented. "I saw a name on a tag on the back of the duffel, but it wasn't Alexander's. Colossal dipshit expects everyone else to be prepared for him."

Blue grumbled something, but did not speak clear words for them.

Turning her attention back to the television, Katja saw Alexei was forwarding the recording a half hour.

"Oh, there he goes," announced the boy as Alexander slung his pack over his back and exited the bedroom, followed by his bodyguards. "His helicopter must have arrived."

"Hmm," Katja said. "I guess so." If she survived this, she was going to contact her ex. He had some explaining to do. Chewing at the inside of her cheek, she asked hesitantly, knowing it was a bad idea, "Alexei, can you search for a specific date?"

"Yes," he responded, fiddling with the keyboard before bringing up a menu. "What date?"

"December twenty-second to the twenty-sixth, twenty-eighteen," she told him. "It was the last time he invited me here."

"Over Christmas?" Adrien asked.

"Yes. If I pushed a little harder, I probably could've had the leave approved. But that would mean someone else would've had to miss the holiday with their family. Alexander got pissed and stormed off, saying he was going alone. I wonder if he actually did."

"Let's see," Alexei said, clicking on the screen.

"Katja, I don't think that–" Adrien began to say, but the video was rolling.

Onscreen, a woman in an evening gown was standing out on the bedroom's balcony, looking through a telescope. Though Katja had earlier seen the balcony through the room's large, sliding glass door, she'd had no desire to go out on it herself in the middle of the storm.

Alexander came into frame, going to the balcony to pull her back through the door and into the room.

"Careful," he told her teasingly. "Look through that thing too long, and you'll get abducted by aliens."

The woman gave a light laugh, flinging her long hair over her shoulder, and Katja finally got a clear look at her face.

"Is that…" Alexei wondered.

"Jade," Blue announced.

"No way," Adrien stated.

"What's she doing there?" Katja wondered. Weyland/Seegson business? If not, why exactly was Jade at a resort with the man who, at the time, was her fiancé?

"You believe in aliens?" Jade purred, taking Alexander's hands.

Alexander stepped closer, stroking her hair.

So.

It was like that then.

Katja didn't feel hurt, exactly; but it was a bitter pill to swallow knowing that she had wasted so many years on a man who hadn't even bothered to be faithful.

"I believe in anything that science hasn't disproved," Alexander told Jade, laying on his fake Italian accent.

"Godsakes," thought Katja impatiently. And she had to find this out in front of everyone. Including an alien. They must've thought she was a complete fool for going as far as she had with this 'man', a generous and inaccurate word to describe him.

"He's Italian?" asked Adrien.

"Maybe a quarter, if that," she snorted. "He's from Croatia. He just thinks Italian is more suave, or something."

"Quiet!" Alexei said. "I wanna hear what they're saying!"

In the video, a cell phone began to ring. Alexander groaned and backed away from Jade. "Sorry, I have to take this. One second."

He didn't even bother lifting the phone to his ear, merely tapping a button to put it on speaker. Then, Katja could hear her own muffled voice.

"Hi, Alexander. How are you?"

"Fine, baby. Just getting ready for bed. You?"

"I'm good. I miss you. I just wanted to tell you again how sorry I am that I couldn't make it. I hope you're having fun. Did you get to go skiing?"

"I did," Alexander said, beginning to tap his foot impatiently. "Maybe next time you'll come with me."

"I will. I promise. And when you get home, we'll have a late Christmas. I already have a meal planned that I'm going to make–"

"That's great, Katja. I can't wait. Look, I'm a bit tired. Can we talk tomorrow?"

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Merry Christmas, Alexander," said past-Katja, and he ended the call without another word.

"What a jackass," Adrien chuckled, briefly interrupting the video.

On the tv, Jade sat on the bed and ran her fingers through the pelt. "Who was that?" she asked.

"My fiancée."

Approximating a shocked look, Jade repeated, "Fiancée? You're engaged? Then why did you invite me here?"

"Listen, you don't have to worry about it," Alexander said lazily. "It's just a business transaction, really."

Katja felt the words like a stab. What was he talking about?

" 'Business transaction'?" Jade asked. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. She's good-looking, decent personality, and she isn't after my money. Plus, her job keeps her busy and out of my hair. Being married to her won't be difficult; though she's very rough around the edges, and has no sense of style or taste. But her father has access to some information that could be very beneficial to my corporation. So when I found out he had a daughter, I decided to see if I could leverage that."

Jade looked up at him from under her eyelashes. "Smart. I knew I liked you for a reason."

"We'll see. It's been years, and the old man still hasn't slipped up once. Didn't think I'd actually have to propose to the girl, but here I am." Alexander shrugged. "But enough about her. I want to spend Christmas with you."

Leaning forward, he started to kiss her.

"Turn off the video, Alexei," Petrov ordered.

Katja kept her face as blank as possible, but inside she was in turmoil.

We are at the half way point (more or less), pulse check, everyone still with us?