In Robert's car, Alex contemplated blasting him unconscious once they were past security. Inside the complex, Alex was glad that she hadn't, for she would have needed help locating Dr. Hermann's lab. They wandered through the lowest level.

"Ooo, what's in there?" Alex squealed like a schoolgirl and clapped her hands.

Alex slipped out of Robert's grip and stood on tiptoe to peer in the tiny glass window inset the armored door. The room beyond was so huge that she couldn't see all the way around it.

"That's Professor Hermann's lab," he said without enthusiasm.

Alex knew that she had hit the jackpot. "You said he was your boss, so this must be your lab." She batted her eyelashes, pursed her lips in a seductive manner, and asked sweetly, "May we go in?"

"This is where I promised to take you." Robert drew an ID card from his pocket with obvious reluctance. "Don't touch anything. We're taking a peek, remember."

"Just a teensy weensy peek." Alex batted her eyelashes again.

How do women keep fake ones on? This eyelash glue must be like Bondo.

He punched in a code and inserted the card. Alex almost pushed him over the second the door opened.

"You promised not to touch anything," he warned as she rushed past.

"It's sooooo big! You must be important to have such a big lab. Show me around, please." Alex twirled so that her dress lifted and showed off her fit legs.

"This is the centrifuge where we spin the blood."

"Oh, very interesting. What else?" Alex scanned the room.

"This is the microscope to examine the blood samples."

"A microscope, nice." Alex rolled her eyes but remembered herself and plastered on a sweet smile.

"This is the gas chromatograph." Robert gestured to the bulky, white machine occupying the entire corner.

"I see." Alex's gaze lit on a large darkened glass panel. Before he could protest, she ran over and peered through the glass. "What's this?"

Robert tried to stop her as she hit a switch marked with a light bulb. The panel lit up, revealing the room beyond and its unconscious occupant. Alex's heart leapt as she recognized Cale and bit her lip to keep from crying his name.

"What is it?" Her voice trembled from rage and she fisted her hands.

"Don't worry, it can't hurt you. That's what I told you about." Robert patted her shoulder, tone and motion both condescending.

Alex almost slugged him, his saccharine tone fueling her rage. "What is it?" she asked again with a smile, rehearsing punching him in her mind. "You were right. It is like my pet lizards when I was a child."

Robert can see through Cale's disguise. That makes him one of the bad guys. He's no ally.

"That's Dr. Hermann's secret project."

She caught the bitterness in his voice, but filed it away for future use as she looked over the control panel. There were too many control buttons to figure out the open button.

"It's some new species. Dr. Hermann says it's unique and will make him a big name in zoological circles. Says it has inspired all the stories of dragons through history. I don't know if he's more obsessed with the fame in academic circles or the lust of being right. He typifies the mad professor type." Robert shook his head, either in disbelief or sadness or both.

"It looks, well, like a cross between a dragon and a human." She watched for his reaction. "How does it act? Is it intelligent?"

"I don't know. He keeps it sedated all the time." His tone soured.

"Oh, the poor thing." Alex let her anger trickle out in the form of tears. "Where did he capture it? What if it thinks and has feelings? How can it have a chance to defend itself?"

"I know. Dr. Hermann is hiding something." The hatred in Robert's voice exploded and surprised her. "I bet that creature is intelligent and that's why he won't let it regain full consciousness before he dissects it to complete his research paper. He's MRI'd it from head to toe and taken tissue samples from all over. But a living creature is priceless to prove his point. Soit must be intelligent and will either die of dehydration or he'll sacrifice it"

"If it's intelligent, we should rescue it." Alex reached out to hold his hand, but her intentions were far from pure. She would jolt his nervous system with a full charge. "You're smart. You seem like a hero to me."

I don't know any human males but bastards and I'm a wholesale witch, but I save my friends. Let's see what you do.

"Really? Hermann thinks I'm a minimum wage slave moron so he rants around me."

"Look how smart you were to figure out that being is intelligent," Alex said in her first sincere tone of the night. "You're no murderer. You'll help me do the right thing."

I hope.

"You're right. We'll rescue it," Robert said.

To her surprise, he snatched his hand away and punched a dizzy array of buttons. Alex noticed with chagrin that he touched none of the three that she had chosen earlier.

"If that thing is intelligent, it deserves more than dying in our lab. It should be allowed to regain consciousness, show us if it can communicate. Even if it can't, it should be preserved in a zoo. Not dissected." Robert fit his ID card into a glowing slot on the panel and turned it.

A door clicked open to the right of the panel. Alex was through it and inside the cage before he could say another word. She bent over her fallen friend, cradled Cale's head, and stroked his short muzzle.

"Oh, no." This time her tears were for grief. "I'm getting you out of here." Alex tried unsuccessfully to haul him up, but even as the smallest brother he was still tall and packed with muscles.

"Let me help." Robert reached down and together they lifted Cale to his feet.

They looped his arms around their shoulders. To Alex's concern, Cale didn't arouse.

"Is he all right?" she asked.

"Only sedated. C'mon, before I change my mind, pop a hernia, or both."

They struggled out of the room. Alex's initial gratitude turned to aggravation as she stumbled under Cale's weight. If it weren't for Robert, she could fly Cale home.

"I'll lose my job over this. They'll arrest me."

"Courage, Robert. You're doing the right thing. Besides, you're in too deep now."

They passed through the lab's main door into the hallway.

"I guess."

Alex rejected the thought of blasting him and flying off with Cale. Robert would be blamed and she didn't want him to suffer for helping them.

I have to get rid of him, though.

"We'll go out the back and I'll bring my car around," Robert said.

When he left for his car, Alex again thought of flying off.

Would Robert trace me and cause problems?

"Cale, wake up." She ran a sparkling hand down the side of his muzzle until the car pulled into view. Robert jumped out and together they heaved Cale into the hatchback.

"Now where?" Robert settled behind the steering wheel and turned to Alex.

"My roommate will have a fit if I brought home a humanoid dragon." Alex knew she would have a fit if this guy found out where she lived.

"My place. I live alone."

Alex fervently wished for some brilliant plan to pop into her mind. At least she would find out where Robert lived. It might be useful.

"You're lucky I have a first floor apartment. I can imagine getting caught in the elevator with him and a crowd of people."

I know the feeling.

The car pulled onto the sidewalk in front of a once elegant antebellum home that had been chopped into four apartments. The long white columns were spotted with black mold but the large windows retained their elegance. Robert jumped out and opened a door with his key. He rushed back and opened the hatchback. The second they hauled Cale inside he raced back to park the car.

"Cale, prime time for escape. Wake up and on your way. I'll handle this guy."

Alex increased the charge that she gave Cale, but he didn't flinch. She cut it off barely in time before Robert came back in.

"Let's lay him on the couch. He'll be more comfortable," she suggested.

*****

Task completed, they sat on the floor, breathing hard, and gazing at the sleeping form.

"Not only am I unemployed, I'm a criminal." Robert held his head in his hands.

"Now, now." She patted him on the back. "They'll train you for a new job. I hear license plates are lucrative."

He groaned. "They'll know it was an inside job. The computer recorded my ID and code."

"They'll suspect another scientist, not the lab tech. Report your ID card lost tomorrow. After all, what's your motivation? It's not like you could write the paper and take the credit." Alex consoled.

"They'll think I sold him."

"I'll be your alibi," she said out of guilt. "I have no motive. After all, I'm a temp worker on a first date. Why should I protect you? They won't find any sign of money on you."

"Thanks." Robert's tone was dry.

"You know what I mean. Besides, you're committed now. We can't take him back without being discovered." The last thing she wanted was a remorseful lab worker turning her in. "You did the right thing," she repeated in a kinder tone.

He yawned widely and looked embarrassed. "Sorry. Guess I'm not cut out for a life of crime. It's too tiring."

"Why don't you go to bed and sleep? I'll watch him."

"I couldn't leave you."

"We'll take turns. I'll take the first round." Alex had no intention of leaving Cale's side, and she bet Robert was too tired to awaken once asleep.

"Don't you want some sleep now, too?"

Alex gave him such a sharp look that the words died on his lips. Robert stammered and tripped on his feet as he turned into the hallway. He scampered to his bedroom and clicked the door shut.

"Oh, Cale." Alex placed her hand over his chest.

She let it sparkle white and moved it over his chest, leaving a glowing trail behind. Cale twitched, but her relief turned to ice when he began to moan. He moved restlessly and pushed her hand away. He grew more frantic, head and hands thrashing, mumbling incoherently.

"Cale, it's me, Alex. What's wrong? You're safe here, well, relatively." She ran her hand over his forehead. His eyes opened and her blood ran cold when they showed no sign of recognition.

"Something up?" Robert asked, standing over her.

At the last second Alex remembered not to fire at the hapless lab tech. He must have heard the sounds and come out of his bedroom.

I'm losing it if a normal human can sneak up on me.

Alex looked up at him. "He's waking up, but there's something wrong. He's in pain."

"Must be the sedation wearing off. He's probably having withdrawal symptoms since he's going off the drugs cold."

"What drugs?" Alex stood up and faced him.

"It's a synthetic heroin derivative. Dr. Hermann developed it in his private lab. Tulane wouldn't approve it, so he saves it for special cases."

"What?" Alex twisted the collar of Robert's shirt to see him choke. "You gave Cale heroin?"

"Hey," he sputtered. "It wasn't me. I'm one of the good guys, remember? I helped you rescue him. Let go!" He slapped her hands.

She released his collar, but anger snapped in her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Good Guy, what do we do about it?"

"Do? There's nothing we can do, unless you want to find a street dealer and buy some heroin."

"There must be something. What do you do when this happens in the lab?"

"It doesn't happen in the lab. All the animals are sacrificed before they develop withdrawal."

Cale moaned again, louder this time.

"We can't let him suffer. Any suggestions?" Alex asked.

"You called him Cale," Robert accused and Alex dropped her gaze. "What do you know about this? Now I want some answers."

Before she could reply, Cale jerked up with a cry of pain.

"Cale!" She rushed and knelt next him. "It's okay. You'll be okay." She ran her hand up and down his arm, trying to soothe him.

Was that a flicker of recognition in his eyes?

"Think of something," Alex looked up at Robert and bit her lip. She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand. "Please. Please help him. I'll...I'll do whatever you want."

Please don't ask for something I don't want to give, even in my desperation. How low will I sink? I don't want to know.

"Maybe if we had some way to sedate him so he wouldn't feel the pain." Robert leaned over for a closer look, only to be locked in the grasp of one angry dragon.

Cale stood up and lifted Robert off his feet, holding him by the throat.

"Help," Robert gurgled.

"Cale, you're not in the lab. Let him go." Alex grabbed his arm.

When Cale looked at her, she thought for a minute he knew who she was. Then another pain hit him. He knocked her away and continued throttling Robert.

"Sorry, Cale." She hit him squarely with a full force blast. Both he and Robert fell to the floor, but Alex cradled Cale in her arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"No really, I'm fine, don't worry about me." Robert rubbed his throat. "What did you do?"

"I took your suggestion and knocked him out."

"Now listen to me." Robert fixed her with a steady gaze. "It's time you leveled with me." When she didn't look up, he continued, "I've lost my job, I'm going to be arrested, and you engineered this whole thing from the start."

"Sorry." Alex didn't look up. "I didn't expect you to be such a nice guy. I figured you were some opportunistic, amoral killer."

"Don't flatter me. What are you?"

"Other than a jerk?" She looked up with such a chagrined expression that Robert grinned. "I'm a good example as to why human experimentation is banned. Cale is my best friend. We escaped together and we look out for each other. When he disappeared, I staked out Hermann's lab and picked you to get me in. I didn't expect to find him, but I got lucky. Not so lucky for you, though." Alex discovered she was good at making up stories on the fly.

"You were an experiment? What did they do? Who did it?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Alex didn't want her lie to grow more complicated.

"Don't get your back up. I'm sorry."

"I gotta go." Alex scanned around the room for exits.

"Please don't leave. You'll need help with it, I mean, Cale. Besides, withdrawal can last for days." Robert laid his hand on her shoulder and Alex flinched.

"I can handle it and you'll be in danger. You won't want us here when the cops investigate." Alex ducked away from his hand.

She looped Cale's arm around her shoulders, lifted off the ground, and flew to the back door. Her chest tightened so that she could barely breathe. Her heart pounded so hard that it made her vision pulse and her head throb. Flying slowly always almost killed her. She didn't know why and never wondered about it.

"If you need me as an alibi, leave me a note at the Tulane central bulletin board. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but you already know more than you should. Remember to report your ID and card stolen. Goodbye." Alex swept out the door and went skyward, leaving the astonished Robert staring after her.

"Helluva first date." Robert closed the door.

*****

A/N Rewrite dedicated to

Rewrite dedicated to

Poor Cale! Poor Robert!  Who do you feel worse for?
o0eliza0o
Dedicated to:

Nelly054
My newest reader who is full of infectious enthusiasm.,

o0eliza0o