She wouldn’t forget how he’d helped her today. He’d recognized her hypoxia, giving her his oxygen, holding her hand. He’d even bandaged her cut.
He followed her to her room, people casting him curious glances as they passed. “What do the scientists here have against guys like us?”
He didn’t seem bothered by the situation, just curious.
“Too many researchers have had their work appropriated by the military. They discover something or create something new, only to see it used for violence.”
“Like Einstein’s research and the nuclear bomb.”
They started down the stairs to the lower level.
“Yes, exactly. Some are happy to sell their work to the Department of Defense or private contractors, but many aren’t.” It wasn’t a problem for Samantha because her work had no military applications—not yet anyway. “Sometimes, professors don’t have a choice. The university owns the research and sells it to military contractors.”
“I get it.” He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, while she fumbled in the pockets of her snow pants for her room key.
“There’s also the growing militarization of Antarctica, with governments like China, Russia, and the US playing fast and loose with treaty regulations.” She found her keys, unlocked her door, opened it. “Many of us see any armed presence here—and that includes you Cobra guys—as undermining regulations that have maintained Antarctica as a science preserve for decades.”
If this offended him, he didn’t show it.
“We won’t be here for long. May I come in?”
“Yes.”
He followed her into her room and shut the door. “What about you? Is that why you thought we’d be assholes?”
“I didn’t put it that way.” She’d take her words back if she could. “I knew some football players in high school and boys from NJROTC, too, and they—”
“What’s NJROTC?”
“Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps—a pre-military program for high-schoolers. They had big egos. They bullied kids like me, smart kids.”
“Bullied you?”
Did he not know the word?
“They called me names, hit me, made fun of me, told me I was ugly.”
Thor frowned, his blue eyes looking into hers, his expression serious. “I’m sorry to hear that. That’s not the kind of men we are.”
“I see that now. Is that what you wanted to discuss?”
“No, but thanks for your honesty. Be careful around the Russian team members, okay? We don’t know anything about them. We don’t know if they were lying or telling the truth, but they know you were at the crash site. They know you retrieved something from that wreckage. If I were you, I wouldn’t let them into my room or go anywhere in the station alone, especially not the service arches or ice tunnels.”
“Okay.”Well, darn.
Could she admit to herself that she’d hoped he’d come here to kiss her?
As if.
A man like him could have any woman he wanted.
She took off her parka, touched at least that he’d thought about her safety. Then again, that was his job. “You really think they’re behind this?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Do you believe they flew out to the crash site with weapons in the middle of austral winter just to lend us a hand?”
It wasn’t impossible, but itwashighly implausible. “No.”
“If they’re here to get a second chance at the package, they could try to get it through you. I’m serious, Samantha. Don’t take risks. We’ll be leaving when the weather allows. You should be safe once we’re gone. I’ll put together a more specific security plan for you this afternoon.”