CollectiveMemory Read online

  Collective Memory

  Tielle St. Clare

  For Cayl, coming to Earth and taking on a masculine Earthly form is less than convenient. These human senses are distracting and clearly the reason humankind hasn’t progressed.

  For Devin, escorting Cayl through his first day on Earth is just part of the job…until she discovers the bad guy they’re chasing is hiding out in a notorious sex club.

  Enter Mace. He’s willing to help out and allow them access to the club. After all, Devin and Cayl are two of the sexiest people he’s met, even if Cayl does sound like a Sci-Fi convention reject. Mace is more than willing to play along with Cayl’s “innocent” act, even though he wants to devour them both.

  But there’s a dangerous alien on the loose and Cayl’s rethinking his opinion on human senses. Suddenly he finds it quite intriguing to see, taste…and touch.

  Ellora’s Cave Publishing

  www.ellorascave.com

  Collective Memory

  ISBN 9781419934070

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Collective Memory Copyright © 2011 Tielle St. Clare

  Edited by Briana St. James

  Cover art by Dar Albert

  Electronic book publication June 2011

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  COLLECTIVE MEMORY

  Tielle St. Clare

  Chapter One

  Devin clicked on the icon to start a new file then offered a cool smile to the man sitting stiff and straight in the client chair on the opposite side of her desk.

  “Name?”

  “John Smith.”

  Couldn’t come up with anything more original?

  Devin kept the comment to herself. It wasn’t her place to judge.

  “Occupation.”

  “Security consultant.”

  Naturally.

  “Height.”

  “Six-three.”

  “Weight.”

  “Two-thirty.”

  Solid muscle.

  She looked up and filled in the hair and eye color for herself. Eyes—brilliant green, hair—yummy.

  She saw the word pop up on her computer screen and hit the delete key five times, replacing it with blond. More like sun-kissed gold but they weren’t looking for anything that specific. Too bad there wasn’t a place on the form for “tongue dragging gorgeous”. That would have been the perfect identifier but no one had asked her.

  Devin clamped down on the wayward thoughts. She’d processed many a good-looking client before. Most were assholes. And this one didn’t seem to be any different.

  She hit print on computer and grabbed the pages as they appeared.

  She placed her hand on the small pile next her. “Here is your money, identification, passport. It should be enough to get you through any security you run into.” She flipped the packet over. “My contact information is on the back. If you find yourself in trouble with the authorities, call me at once. Don’t try to explain yourself.”

  She didn’t wait for the macho protest she was sure was coming. She’d been through this so many times she could recite it in her sleep.

  She pulled the top form off the stack and placed it in front of him. “Please sign your true name at the X on the bottom. This is merely a statement saying that while you’re on Earth you will not attempt to implant, impregnate, duplicate or in other way reproduce your species.”

  His lips pressed together in a thin line and his nostrils contracted as if he smelled something foul. “Why would you imagine I would want to reproduce in such a primitive form?”

  “It happens. And it irritates the locals.”

  He grunted then scanned the document, signed the bottom and looked up, directing those cold green eyes at her for the first time.

  “Is that all?”

  “A few more questions,” she said with a tight smile. “Have you been human before?” After working for Interplanetary Customs for five years, she’d learned most aliens took a while to adapt to a human body.

  “No, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you adjusting to the body they’ve assigned you?”

  He rolled his shoulders as if the leather jacket he wore was a little too tight. “It’s adequate.”

  She choked on his words. His body was so much more than “adequate”. Damn, why did they waste the gorgeous forms on the temporary visitors? This body should have been kept for someone who was staying long term. The women of Earth would have appreciated it. She sighed but continued through her instructions.

  “We should run through a few things to ensure you maintain the health of the body you’ve been given.”

  “John” rolled his eyes but didn’t bolt out of the chair.

  “Do not attempt to stop breathing. Your body needs the atmosphere.”

  Many species found it a difficult concept. A scent would offend them or they’d decide the air was unhealthy and they’d stop breathing, passing out and causing all sorts of ruckus when they got transported to the hospital.

  “You must feed at least twice a day. Three times is preferable.”

  He nodded. Nutrition in some form was more common.

  “And we need to discuss sex.” Devin had long ago stopped blushing at this point in the conversation. Sex was the thing that tripped most aliens up. Many species simply divided to make another creature. Earth animals were some of the few to actually require two parents and physical interaction.

  The corners of John’s eyes tightened and he nodded. “I understand the human reproductive system, Agent Denning. I’m here to capture a killer, not indulge in these intrusive human senses.” He gave a harsh shudder like he was trying to shake off a bad memory. “It’s no wonder your kind hasn’t progressed further with all the distractions.”

  “Well, we do the best we can.”

  “So I’m given to understand.” He pushed the chair back and stood, towering over her. “Thank you for your assistance, Agent Denning. I’ll be on my way.”

  Good riddance, Devin thought. He was gorgeous but she knew better than most that the outside form had nothing to do with the being inside. Particularly since his outside form had probably been in a cryo-tube five hours ago just waiting to be thawed.

  “Good luck.”

  The door opened before John had a chance to reach it and Devin’s boss walked in. “Actually, Devin, change of plans. You’ve been assigned to accompany Cayl—” He nodded to the alien who had called himself “John”. “While he’s here.”

  “What?” She did not want to spend the day—no, strike that, the night—with an arrogant alien who hated humans. She’d done her time in the field. She liked her de
sk job just fine thank you very much.

  “Our bosses and his want the guy he’s chasing and they want him caught soon. He’s a threat to the entire universe. We don’t have time for Cayl to figure out how to function in this world. You’ll escort him on his search.”

  Devin sighed. There was little chance of getting out of this. Cayl—she liked that name better than John Smith anyway—had been her last appointment in a very long day, but the IPC was understaffed like most government agencies and given that they were secret except for a few—okay, three—people in the White House, there was little likelihood they’d get more funding. 2011 was not an enlightened year for space aliens.

  “Okay. Any leads? Where do we start?”

  Cayl pulled a scrap of paper from his front pocket. “Our last operative was able to transfer this information to me before he was killed.” He handed the note to Devin. “This is the last known sighting of Harken.”

  “And Harken’s the bad guy, right?” she asked, looking at the address. It wasn’t one she recognized but she was sure she could find it. Girding herself, she grabbed her purse. “Let’s go.”

  Cayl was silent through most of the drive. Unlike many aliens Devin had escorted, he didn’t seem interested in the world around him. He wasn’t fascinated by the scents or sounds, the types of architecture or sky. One alien had been captivated by the concept of glass and had put fingerprints all over her windows. She’d been a little annoyed but at least he’d been fun.

  She listened to the spoken guidance from her dash-mounted GPS, turned the final corner and found a place to park on the street. They had to be close. According to the voice in the box, they had reached their destination.

  “It should be right there.” She turned east, looked up and almost choked. A low, subtle sign glowed beside the front entrance—Switch.

  “Why are you calling on your deity? Do we need assistance so soon?”

  “It’s a sex club,” she snapped, ignoring his questions.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The building where your friend was last seen is a sex club.”

  “He is not my friend. He is my enemy and I do not understand the term ‘sex club’.”

  “Sex is—”

  “I understand human reproduction. I do not grasp the club aspect to this. I thought this was a private activity.”

  “It’s a place where people come to have sex, with their partners, with other people, to watch other people.”

  “Then let us go. We have no time to waste.” He started off. Devin grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

  “It doesn’t work that way. It’s an exclusive club. You have to be a member to go in.”

  “And are you not a member?”

  The snort that erupted from her lips was less than ladylike but she couldn’t stop the sound.

  “Uh, no.” Not her scene—except in wicked late-night fantasies—not her crowd.

  “Is there not someone we could contact? Someone who is a member who could escort us into this facility? Perhaps someone from the IPC?”

  She managed to crush her giggle this time. No one at the IPC fit into the Switch crowd. It was the place of beautiful people. Beautiful rich people who liked to have sex in public and get their asses slapped by multiple men and oh, why was her pussy getting wet?

  Devin shook off the sensation and flipped through her mental Rolodex. Someone she knew had spoken about Switch, had been inside. The conversation was vague and no doubt alcohol laced but she remembered the voice. She just needed the face. It took a moment but the image clicked into her brain. Mace. He was a member. Six-foot-two, black hair, muscles that just made her want to lick him from top to bottom and then retrace her path from the bottom up. Oh yeah, Mace. Perfect. Gorgeous.

  He was also completely out of her league and would probably laugh at her when she called him. But her boss had told her this was an important bad guy. Someone who was a threat to both Earth and Cayl’s world.

  Cayl stared at her, his expression a mixture of annoyance and exasperation.

  “We must progress. Standing outside is doing us no good.”

  “It’s too early for anyone to be inside anyway.” Switch didn’t open until late.

  With a sigh, she flicked on her phone and thumbed through her contacts, finding Tammy’s name. Tammy was Mace’s cousin and might have a way to contact him. It took some finesse and avoidance but she finally got Mace’s number.

  “This man you speak of, he can get us inside?”

  “He can, whether he will or not is another issue.”

  “If he understands the gravity of the situation, I’m sure he will assist us.”

  “Right. We’re going to tell him what’s going on.” Shaking her head, reminding herself Cayl didn’t understand sarcasm. She’d met one other alien from his world. They were ethereal beings, no bodies, no senses, no feelings, just minds that thought. Most likely, Cayl had no concept of embarrassment or shame. She tapped in the number and waited as it rang. She didn’t expect much. She could hardly say that her client, an alien from another world, needed access to Switch to chase down an interplanetary bad guy.

  She listened, half hoping that Mace wouldn’t pick up. When his deep voice answered with a curious “hello?” she wished she’d spent that time figuring out what she was going to say.

  “Mace?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hi, it’s Devin. I don’t know if you remember me. We met at—”

  “Of course I remember you. You’re Tammy’s friend. I believe you laughed when I asked you out.”

  Devin winced. She’d hoped he’d forgotten that, had kind of thought he’d been too drunk to remember, because the only reason he would have asked her out was because he was drunk. And maybe she’d seemed like a challenge. She deliberately hadn’t fawned over him that night, had made no attempt to capture his attention unlike the other women, and some men, at the party.

  Besides, she’d heard rumors that he was bi. She couldn’t compete with most of the female half of the race. How the hell would she be able to attract a man who had his choice of both sexes.

  “I knew you were joking.”

  “Was I?”

  “Of course. Uh, listen, the reason I called is, I have this friend…”

  “Tell me you’re not calling me to set me up on a blind date.”

  “God no.”

  “Thanks, my ego so appreciates conversations with you.”

  Devin crushed the sigh that threatened. She wasn’t advancing their cause.

  “Agent Denning, may we progress?”

  She nodded, waving her hand to silence him. He tipped his head to the side and looked at her, irritation flashing in his eyes. Oh good. Just what I need.

  “As I was saying, I have this friend. And he’s…” She looked at Cayl. The leather jacket and arrogance in his expression gave her hope. “He’s into the sex club thing. You know, like Switch?”

  “Yes…” He drew the word out, making it a question.

  “Well, he’s only in town for a few days and he won’t have time for a membership. I was hoping you could take us in…as your guests.”

  “Hmm, you want to go as well?”

  She looked over at Cayl. His lips thinned in annoyance and his eyes tightened at the corners. Yeah, as much as she’d like to send him into Switch alone, he’d cause a riot within five minutes. He didn’t have the concept of politeness down just yet.

  “I think I’d better.”

  Silence hummed through the phone line and Devin winced. Maybe laughing at the guy when he’d asked her out hadn’t been the best idea but really, he was tall, built and gorgeous. One of those rich beautiful people. He couldn’t have been serious.

  “Sure.” Mace’s response was devoid of emotion. “What time? Where should I pick you up?”

  “Tell him that we need access as soon as possible,” Cayl interrupted before she could respond. She looked over. He was standing right beside her, obviously listening in. “We will wait f
or him here.”

  “You’re there now?” Surprise coated Mace’s words and rang through the phone lines. Great, can I look any more desperate?

  “Uh, yes. Listen, this is a little tough to explain. Can you meet us here and we’ll talk?”

  “That will be interesting. Give me about thirty minutes.”

  “Thanks.” She snapped the phone shut and glared at Cayl.

  “Thirty minutes. That is quite a long time, isn’t it?”

  “No. It’s very fast and you’re very rude. It’s not polite to listen to people’s conversations.”

  “You do not seem to understand the gravity of this situation.”

  “No, because you haven’t told me anything about it. We have a few minutes, tell me now.” The instincts of a field agent returned. She folded her arms on her chest and looked at Cayl, her eyes demanding an answer.

  “We’re searching for a dangerous being.”

  “More.”

  “My world is dedicated to contemplation and the search for knowledge. We but rarely allow outsiders in and then only when they show a need to learn and have something to contribute. Harken was brought into our community almost two Earth years ago. No one noticed the greed that encompassed him. A short time ago he left our world and is taking the knowledge that he found there to gain power.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?” Power hungry despots appeared every couple of years in the universe. There was always someone to take them down. The IPC and Earth in general tended to stay out of the conflicts. Unless they directly threatened the planet or humans in general.

  “Think of it. One man controlling all the known universes. His knowledge expansive enough to fill those universes. No weaknesses.”

  Her stomach did a little flip-flop. That didn’t sound good. “One guy can’t be that smart,” she pointed out.

  “No, but an entire world can. Our world has a collective memory. When one being learns something, we all share in that knowledge. It has allowed us to progress deep into the mysteries of science, mathematics, physics.” Cayl started to pace, his body taking on the stress of his worries. “Harken is using our considerable knowledge to gain universal power and he’s using Earth as his home base. We believe he will first take over Earth since it will be a relatively easy target.” Devin tried not to glare. “The inhabitants being so primitive they are unlikely to resist.”