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Whitney explored the mansion for the first time. It was a very beautiful home with lots of interesting things on the walls and on the tables. Whitney saw Ella and the butler, Hubert, but she didn't speak to them. She went downstairs to the basement. He had an old dungeon and a pool downstairs. There was an exercise room of sorts to the other side. There was another door within the basement. The wolf lay in front of the door and whimpered when he saw her.
�Here, boy,� Whitney announced happily, glad to see a familiar and friendly face.
The wolf jumped to its feet and leaned against her legs so she could pet him. She played with the big wolf for a long moment. The door opened and Brent stepped out. He paused when he saw her then closed the door and activated the security system.
Whitney smiled slyly and tilted her head. �What the big secret behind door number one? Female slaves? Alien pod nursery?�
Brent rolled his eyes. �That room is off limits to you,� he said simply. �If a door is locked--you stay out.�
Whitney continued to smile and mocked him. �Relax, Brent. I�m really not the least bit interested in what you do.�
�Keep it that way,� he said simply and motioned her away from the door.
Whitney walked away from the door with him following. She looked behind her and showed little emotion. �I�m having a friend over tonight,� she informed him simply.
�A friend?� Brent questioned. �The sort you share secrets with or the type you blow building up with?�
Whitney laughed lowly. �A little of both,� she replied.
�At least your honest,� he said with a sigh. �I would appreciate only one of your friends over at a time. I don�t need any problems with the alien troops.�
�Relax,� Whitney said with a tiny smile. �We have no intentions of carry on with business in your home.� She cocked her head to one side. �I don�t trust you.�
He gave her an odd look. �Is this friend male or female?�
Whitney�s brow raised along with a teasing smile. She folded her arms across her chest. �Does it matter?�
Brent leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets. �I don�t particularly care for the idea of you entertaining men in your bedroom.�
Whitney raised a brow and laughed softly. �Jealous?�
Brent glared at her without humor.
�You�re far too serious,� Whitney informed him simply. �She�s a female friend.�
Around 10:00 in the evening, Whitney returned to the house with Nadine. The two women explored the first floor together. Whitney was still attempting to figure her way around the house herself. They found Brent in the lounge while reading the latest headlines.
�Brent,� Whitney announced, catching his attention. He glanced toward her and her friend then stood while smiling. �This is my best friend, Nadine. Nadine, this is Brent Valdemar.�
He approached Nadine and extended his hand. Nadine's smile brightened when she glanced over his handsome features. Nadine gladly accepted his hand.
�It's a pleasure to meet you, Nadine,� Brent announced warmly.
�I could definitely think of worse places to be stranded,� Nadine announced while studying Brent.
Whitney rolled her eyes and pulled Nadine away from Brent. �I think we�d better go to my room--before you say something I�ll regret.�
Nadine giggled while being towed away. She looked back at Brent with adoring eyes. Nadine waved at him. They headed up the stairs and along the upper hallway.
�What a gorgeous man! You have got to be the luckiest girl in the
world!� They entered Whitney�s bedroom. Nadine flopped on the bed and looked around the room. �Look at this room!�
�Nadine,� Whitney growled firmly. �You�re in the enemy�s house. He�s the enemy, remember?�
�He�s too gorgeous to be the enemy,� Nadine replied with a smile. �There must be some sort of mistake.�
Whitney groaned and rolled her eyes. �You�re terrible.�
Nadine laughed. �Me? I�m not the one using the rebellion as a way to deflect potential lovers.�
�Are we going to have this conversation again?� Whitney asked. �Just because I�m not as free as you, that doesn�t mean I�m the one with the problem.�
�Frazer�s been after you for months,� Nadine announced. �I know you like him. Why do you continue to push him away.�
Whitney frowned and turned away from Nadine. �He makes me uncomfortable. He�s too aggressive, I think.�
�That�s probably why he�s in charge,� Nadine explained.
�I�d rather wait and see what happens after the planet has been reclaimed,� Whitney said.
�Soon that excuse won�t be any good,� Nadine informed her. She looked at her watch and sighed. �I have to be at Bosco�s by midnight. Too bad you can�t persuade that sexy man to pull your curfew.�
�Brent doesn�t bend, and he has no sympathy toward the rebellion,� Whitney said. �He can�t be trusted.�
It was one in the morning when Whitney woke to the sound of footfalls in the hallway. She could see the hall light under her door. Voices could be heard softly speaking. Whitney slowly got out of bed and walked toward her door and listened.
�We can't even get to our shipment. Word of the rebels being nearby has every alien guard roaming the streets tonight. Even the mutants aren't stirring,� said the unfamiliar male voice.
Brent's whisper cut him short. �Let's go downstairs, I don't want to disturb Whitney. Our littlest rebel might decide to help her friends.�
She could hear the voices in the hallway becoming faint. Whitney opened her door and crept out. The wolf, Steel, watched her then followed her down the stairs. Whitney heard the study door close. She quickly headed toward the study and listened only a foot away from the door.
�They're combing the woods for these rebels, which shuts our operations down for awhile," the man announced.
�Just for tonight. Get word to our friends, notify them of the change, then I want a new shipping route planned for tomorrow night.�
�What about the alien troops roaming the town? If they're causing problems for the small time rebels, what about our business? Will they bother our transports?�
Whitney knew those men were always thinking of the dollar value for everything. Someone had to warn her friends of this new information. Her friends could be in serious trouble, not to mention the brave men and women of the rebellion forces. It was up to her to warn Nadine and Frazer, and she knew where to find them at one in the morning. They were in Bosco's basement. She had to go at all costs.
