Captivate (Alien Cadets Book 2) Read online

  “I’m not planning on taking a cruise,” Sage said, but he was already thinking. If Faal was collecting Rik for the death chamber, as he seemed to be doing, it would be useful to have a Crosspoint with him. Someone above reproach (or Merith influence) and with certain powerful contacts...

  “I know you’re not. But having come this far, I’d like to see how your endeavor progresses. Call me an interfering fool, but I am going to come.”

  Sage nodded slowly. “I appreciate it.”

  Francois grinned. “Let’s shake on it.”

  Sage’s hand was still vibrating when the next five Rik came furtively to the door to get their tattoo.

  TO BE CONTINUED...

  NOTE TO READERS

  Thank you for reading Captivate! I hope you enjoyed the further story of Sam, Nat, and Akemi. To find out what happens to them next, as well as to Claire, Basher, and Sage, look for Eradicate, the conclusion to the Alien Cadet series! Eradicate is available on Amazon now.

  Also, if you enjoyed this book (or even if you didn’t), please consider posting a review! As an indie author, reviews are invaluable for reaching new readers and continuing my career.

  Most of all, thank you for spending your time to read this book. I sure do appreciate it, and I hope you have a lovely day.

  Sincerely,

  Corrie Garrett

  ALSO BY CORRIE GARRETT

  Manipulate, Book 1 of the Alien Cadets

  Eradicate: Book 3 of the Alien Cadets

  The Aspen Experiments

  And don't miss the next series: Sign up for my new release newsletter!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Corrie was born and raised in Austin, Texas, but now lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and four kids. She enjoys browsing Imgur for laughs, reading, and occasionally obsessing about Rubik's cubes.

  For news and information about Corrie, please visit: http://corriegarrett.wordpress.com/

  You can also:

  Like Corrie on Facebook

  Follow Corrie on Goodreads

  Manipulate (Book 1) Synopsis

  After the explosion of the Large Hadron Collider, which caused severe damage to the Earth’s ecosystems and killed millions in Europe and elsewhere, Earth was invaded by the Spo aliens. They took ruthless control, executing many world and national leaders who offered resistance. They also took groups of children from all over Earth to be trained on the Spo home world in intergalactic languages and politics.

  Sam Locklear and several groups of these human cadets were brought back to Earth just in time for humanity’s sentience trial. Sam and Natsuki Fujimara (his former girlfriend and fellow cadet), were pushed into a public relations campaign to calm Earth before the trial, but their reception was rocky at best.

  Unknown to the cadets, the Rik aliens, a body-hopping species with their eye on Earth, dispatched assassins to target the best cadets before the trial. The assassin sent to Los Angeles, a young woman named Shara, succeeded in kidnapping the first of her targets from a public event in Hollywood. Although she was supposed to kill him, Shara's assumed humanity began to surface and she instead left him near death on the beach.

  With the help of her accomplice, an alien named Downy, Shara eventually managed to kidnap Nat (Natsuki) the next of her targets, and Nat’s little sister, Akemi, and sent them off to a waiting Rik space vessel.

  The Rik wanted to use Nat to infiltrate the cadets, but they failed to take Nat’s body, as she was protected by a secret inoculation developed to prevent just such an event. Nat’s sister, Akemi, became the victim of another experiment, but although her body was killed, her brain unexpectedly survived the transfer to a biocomputer and she regained consciousness. She and Nat discovered records that the Rik were behind the Hadron Explosion, not human terrorists, and they managed to get the evidence to the trial in time to ensure that humanity would win.

  The assassin Shara decided to turn traitor to her species, and also gave evidence at the trial to support the human cause.

  At the conclusion of the trial, with only a few moments to influence the future of both their species, Sam decided to offer the Rik a treaty, despite their efforts to invade Earth. He hoped it would give humanity an advantage as they entered the galactic economy, and perhaps prevent the Rik from trying other ways to undermine humanity.

  Akemi cannot return to her body, but the biocomputer that housed her brain was installed safely on the Spo space station that had been orbiting Earth for several years.

  Return

  Back Cover

  Survival is sanity, or so they say, but sixteen-year old Akemi has survived in such an unorthodox fashion that even her sister fears for her sanity. As part of an alien computer system, installed in a space station orbiting Earth, Akemi is both uniquely powerful and uniquely isolated.

  When the space station explodes in the night sky, sabotaged by unknown enemies, Akemi survives yet again, but this time suspicion for the catastrophe falls upon her. Determined to discover who is truly responsible for the attack, Akemi and her sister set out to track the other suspects to a foreign world far from Earth.

  Accompanied by capable Sam and irrepressible assassin Shara, they find themselves drawn into a political game with one of the most powerful aliens in the galaxy. With the perilous feeling that they are playing right into his hands, Akemi and her friends must uncover the truth about the sabotage without jeopardizing humanity’s fragile new status. Or exposing Akemi’s fragile existence.

  Return

  Glossary of Returning Characters

  Natsuki Fujimara (Nat) – Too old to be considered for the first wave of alien cadets, Nat offered to go with the aliens in place of her younger sister. She and Sam had a romantic relationship for two years while in the cadet program, but she stayed away from him after their mentor encouraged them to begin a physical relationship based on their genetic profiles. The Rik kidnapped Nat to take her body for one of their spies, but it didn’t work. She managed to escape from them and get back to the trial in time to provide key proof of the Rik plot to overthrow Earth. (Back to book.)

  Akemi Fujimara – Nat’s sister, kidnapped by the Rik just after she had lung surgery. Akemi was known to be brilliant, and cadet material, but had been prevented from joining the cadet program because of her cystic fibrosis. After being captured by the Rik, they removed her brain and installed it in a biocomputer – a computer designed to interface and make use of the dense, neural network of an intelligent animal. Akemi’s consciousness survived the transfer and she was able to escape with her sister and get back to Earth’s sentience trial to provide evidence. (Back to book.)

  Sam Locklear – A popular cadet, he became disillusioned with the Spo when he saw their handling of a natural disaster on Earth, and he publicly rebelled against them on live television. He was tried for his crime and sentenced to execution. The execution didn’t work and through a technicality his mentor was able to let him go. Sam uncovered several key aspects of the Rik plot to take over Earth, and became the cadet spokesperson during and after Earth’s sentience trial. (Back to book.)

  General Greg (Spo alien) – Mentor to Sam, Nat and their cohort of cadets, he is a famous and decorated war hero of the Spo nation. He genuinely respects humanity and his cadets, though he feels they have a weaker moral code than he does, and he doesn’t hesitate to override them when necessary. (Back to book.)

  Shara (Rik alien) – Trained on her homeworld to be an assassin and spy, Shara lacks empathy and isn’t afraid of violence. She inhabits a human body and though she feels no remorse for taking it, she has become friends with several humans and begun to experience the full range of human emotion. She kidnapped one cadet and was unable to kill him, leaving him comatose on the beach. She befriended Akemi before kidnapping both Akemi and Nat, which caused the first stirrings of her guilt. She decided to side with the humans and gave evidence against her species during the sentience trial. Her best friend is Akemi, with whom she shares a love of fashion. (Back to
book.)

  Faal of Merith II (Merith alien) – A high standing member of the Galactic Council, he officiated humanity’s sentience trial and gave the official ruling for humanity and the Rik. He strongly counseled Sam not to make a treaty with the Rik during the trial. (Back to book.)

  Return to Chapter 1

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  CHAPTER 40

  CHAPTER 41

  CHAPTER 42

  CHAPTER 43

  CHAPTER 44

  CHAPTER 45

  CHAPTER 46

  NOTE TO READERS

  Manipulate (Book 1) Synopsis

  Back Cover

  Glossary of Returning Characters

  Table of Contents