Page 90 of Evan and the Alpha

Ge-Ro grins. “So I can wrench it open.”

“Er. Yeah,” Min says, glancing at the alien, looking him up and down. “You definitely could.”

Ge-Ro could probably overpower the electronic lock and wrench the door open right now if he wanted, but that wouldn’t do us much good. First, if it didn’t work, we’d have Scott and guards and Mom and Dad down here. And then, even if it did, where the heck are we going? If Min’s right and we’re going down, then the door will pop open a couple of minutes before we’re back on the ground, at best. I’m sure there’s an emergency hatch somewhere near here, and we’ll be able to get out the door and hop on out of here without anyone catching on.

It’s almost perfect. Almost.

“How much longer do you think it’s gonna be?” I ask.

Min waves a hand. “Another four, five hours?”

I grimace. I’m hungry. I ache. And I need to pee. There’s a toilet in here, sure, but I’m a little nervous about peeing in front of these two. I mean, I shouldn’t be, but I am.

“’Kay,” I say, then settle back down on my side, nervously chewing at my lip.

***

I definitely have to pee in front of them. In fact, I have to do it, like, three or four times before we finally land. At least, Min thinks we’re getting close to landing because the ship’s vibrating a lot more. It’s like a continuous shaking through the ship at this point with the occasional bump or bounce.

“Hurry up,” Min snaps at me. She and Ge-Ro are standing near the door, waiting for the exact moment the power flickers. It’s such a brief window, we can’t afford not to be ready.

“Not my fault,” I mutter, shaking myself out, then dropping my robe. I’m so grateful I opted for the slinky dress version of omega garb, not pants. Good thinking, past Evan, always better to get kidnapped in clothing that makes it easier to go to the bathroom.

I waddle over to join them by the door. The ship shudders some more, and I almost topple over. “Lean against the wall,” Min instructs.

It’s still really tough to keep my balance. I’ve been finding that harder and harder to do since I got pregnant, even as I’m standing still. I stumble around a bit as the ship shudders and shakes more.

The lights go dim for a split second, and Ge-Ro grunts with exertion, but he pulls the door wide open, metal crunching as he strains. Min slides through the gap in the opening, followedby Ge-Ro. The two of them look back at me from the other side.

I don’t know how long we stare at each other. “Well,” Min says.

I glance at her, then the gap. Then I look down at myself—all belly, no feet. I look like a beach ball.

“I can’t fit,” I hiss at them. “I’m going to get stuck.”

“Oh, you can make it,” Min argues.

I huff, then sidle up to the gap, still sizing it up. “I don’t think I can, Min.”

The lights come back up. There’s a grinding noise as the doors try to close again. Min mutters something about how she should have busted the lock panel. Ge-Ro looks at her, then turns to the panel and smashes it so hard with his fist, sparks go flying.

The grinding stops, but we can hear feet, voices.

“Come on, Evan,” Min huffs at me.

I try to slide through the gap and, as predicted, almost get stuck. “No way,” I mutter, shaking my head as I back into the cell. “I can’t.” My cheeks flush. I’m so embarrassed, even though I know there’s really no reason to be. I’m pregnant. Like, really pregnant, baby-kicking-the-shit-out-of-my-insides pregnant, and there is no way me and this baby bump are going through that opening.

Min looks at Ge-Ro, who sighs and steps back betweenthe doors. He leans his back up against one side, then pushes against his feet, thrusting back through his shoulders as he tries to shove the doors further apart. Except, with the power back on now, they’re even harder to move. Ge-Ro closes his eyes and grits his teeth, growling and snarling. The doors inch back.

“One of the cell doors has been breached.”

Min’s head turns viciously toward the voices. She looks frantically back at us. “C’mon!”

Ge-Ro gives another mighty heave and I try again to sidle through the opening. I’m wedged up tight against the kroakka. He opens his eyes and looks down at me.

I manage to slip by, just barely. I think it’s because Ge-Ro actually pushes on the door again and it gives just that little bit more.

Min grabs my wrist. “C’mon,” she repeats for what feels like the hundredth millionth time.