New Species 11 True (5 page)

“How so?”

True hesitated. “She wasn’t callous or cruel.”

“A polite technician?”

True shrugged. “She was different.”

“Different how?”

The questions began to annoy him but he owed the male a
debt. He faced him, crossing his arms over his chest. “She brought me pain
pills without the guards’ knowledge a few times after I suffered severe
beatings. She also sneaked in candy, saying it was Christmas. I didn’t know
what that meant at the time but I liked the sweetness of it. No one had ever
given me a gift before.”

The male’s eyes widened, revealing more of the red in the
irises. “What did she want in return?”

True looked at her. “She asked for nothing.”

“Odd. Mercile never did anything without a motive.”

“Yes.”

“She escaped when you were rescued?”

“She wasn’t there. I reviewed the statements taken from all
employees that were captured. She’d called in sick that day.”

“That was unfortunate.”

“Not for her.” True couldn’t stay across the room anymore
and dropped his arms to his sides, drawing closer to Shiver. “She remained free
to work in another place our people were kept.”

“She was finally captured.”

And almost killed.
He kept silent.

“I’ll return to the hall.” Jericho paused by the door. “You
might want to hide your emotions better.”

He spun around. “What does that mean?”

The male cocked his head, staring back at him. “You should
be filled with rage but that’s not what I see when you look at her. She’s
little and pretty, despite the bruising. Don’t forget what she is and where she
comes from. That’s not a female you should trust.” His lips curved into a
smile. “You’d have to keep her in front of you at all times to be sure she
doesn’t strike when your back is turned. You want to mount her.”

“I don’t.” His temper flared.

The primate had the nerve to outright grin. “Humans have a
saying that is appropriate right now. You protest too strongly. That means your
anger comes from knowing that what I say is right.” He stalked out of the room.

True fumed. He didn’t want Shiver.
Perhaps once
, he
admitted. That had changed when he’d learned she had a motive for being kind.
Polanitis had attempted to use his fondness for the female to force him to
agree to participate in breeding experiments. The thought of what would have
happened if they’d been successful was enough to cool his desire.

She was human and he could have gotten her with child. He
hadn’t known it was possible at the time but the consequences would have been
horrific. Mercile would have bred countless Species infants after learning
humans and Species could breed, exposing their offspring to the hell their
fathers had suffered at their hands. His fists clenched and he had to swallow a
howl of rage. Shiver had tempted him to mount her and that weakness caused a
deep sense of shame.

Jeanie opened her eyes, peering in confusion at the bedrails
rising on both sides of the mattress she lay on. It came as a shock to be
alive. The familiar sights of a hospital room assured her that she hadn’t died.
The dull pain in her side when she shifted was also proof.

She tried to touch her face but her arm jerked to a halt as
something pinched her wrist. She stared at the handcuffs securing her to the
bedrail. Confusion instantly surfaced.

“Hello?” Her voice came out dry and rough. She swallowed,
wishing for water.

A white-haired man sporting a pair of glasses appeared and
stared down at her, frowning. “Hello. I’m Dr. Harris. You’re at the NSO
Homeland in Southern California, Ms. Shiver.”

“Water,” she croaked.

He disappeared for a few seconds then reappeared with a
glass and a straw. He lowered it to her mouth and she sipped the
room-temperature liquid. It wet her tongue and throat, soothing away the
soreness.

He drew it back. “Not too much at once. You can have some
more.”

“Thank you.”

“How do you feel, Ms. Shiver?”

She swallowed. “It’s
Shy
-ver. That’s how you
pronounce it.”

He blinked. “Fine. You’ll live. You may wish you hadn’t by
the end of the day but I did my job. I’m sending in a nurse to help you get
showered and dressed. The NSO wants answers. You’ll be escorted to the lower
floor where your questioning will begin.”

Jeanie swallowed, taken aback at his words and cold
attitude. “Why am I handcuffed?”

He hesitated but instead of answering, offered her a few
more sips of water. She accepted.

“Do you know what NSO stands for?”

“Yes. New Species Organization.” She shifted on the bed a
little to get comfortable. “I understand where I’m at.” She glanced down. “Am I
okay? The bullet didn’t do any severe damage?”

He seemed at a loss for words for a moment. “You’ll heal
just fine but expect a scar. We had to operate to remove the bullet and you
suffered internal bleeding. You needed a blood transfusion but it didn’t hit
anything vital.” He paused. “Expect tenderness at the wound site for a while.”

“Thank you.” She was stunned the injury wasn’t worse.

She saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes and finally figured
out what it was. For some reason the guy pitied her. She wanted to ask what was
wrong but he turned abruptly and walked away.

“The nurse is here,” he said as he exited the room.

A tall New Species woman entered. She frowned when their
gazes met but approached the bed, gripped the side rail and lowered it. “Sit
up. You need to shower and put on clean clothing.” Her tone was icy. “You stink
of medicine.” Her blue gaze remained narrowed, her manner unfriendly. “Your
hair needs to be washed too.” She produced a key from her pocket and unlocked
the handcuffs.

“Hello.” Jeanie smiled, happy to meet a free New Species despite
it not seeming mutual. The pain in her side dampened her joy, though, when she
forced her body upright. “Oh. That hurts.” She tenderly touched the gown over
her injury, feeling a thick bandage under the thin material.

“Being shot causes pain.” The nurse stepped back. “Do you
need assistance getting down?”

Jeanie pushed her legs over the edge of the bed only to
notice how far her feet dangled above the floor. “These beds are pretty high.”

“They were designed for Species.” The nurse advanced, her
touch gentle when she wrapped her arm around Jeanie’s waist, carefully helping
her transition to a standing position.

Jeanie half expected dizziness to strike but she felt
surprisingly good. The nurse released her after a few seconds, seemingly
confident she wouldn’t fall.

“Follow me.”

“What’s your name?”

The woman growled. “I don’t want to make pleasantries with
you.”

It stung but Jeanie tried not to allow it to hurt her
feelings. After all, she’d worked at two places that had abused New Species. No
matter the reason for her being there, some animosity might remain. That or the
woman just didn’t like humans in general. She didn’t push for answers to figure
out the exact cause.

The bathroom in the corner of the room was equipped with a
sink, a shower stall and a toilet. She blushed while using the latter, knowing
it was probably protocol for a nurse to remain present in case she fainted or
needed help. The nurse turned on the water in the shower, bent and retrieved a
set of clean gowns from a cabinet under the sink.

“You put one on with the opening in the back and one on with
the opening in the front when you’re done, to keep you completely covered on
both sides.” The woman paused. “No one enjoys their ass being exposed in those
things once they are out of bed.”

“Thank you.” She wanted to say more but the stern look on
the New Species’ face had her closing her mouth as she removed the thin gown
after untying it in the back.

“I’ll stay in case you need help.” The woman clasped her
hands together at her waist and leaned against the door.

Jeanie entered the open stall. The bandage covered a
four-inch section just below her waist. A film of plastic covered the entire
thing so she didn’t hesitate to step under the water. She closed her eyes,
sighing in relief as warmth soaked her from the head down. Just being alive and
able to shower seemed a gift.

710 crossed her mind as she stood there. She’d dreamed of
seeing him again, trying to imagine what she’d say, or what he would, after he’d
discovered the work she’d done to help get him and his people free. It was too
much to ask for him to be outright friendly after what he’d suffered. She’d
always be a reminder of those hellish times when he’d been beaten and chained.

Hope that he’d be there and want to talk to her again rose but
she pushed it back. She might be at Homeland but that didn’t mean he lived
there or that he’d purposely seek her out. He could live at Reservation. He’d
made a huge impact on her life but she’d just been another employee to him. She
stepped back, reaching for the shampoo on the shelf built into the wall of the
shower.

“Scrub well,” the nurse encouraged.

Jeanie glanced at her. “I plan to.”

“You really stink.”

She winced, glancing away. The other woman’s sense of smell
would be acute and New Species were known to be blunt. She hoped she hadn’t
smelled really bad to 710 but being covered in blood wouldn’t have gone
unnoticed. Jeanie scrubbed her hair then washed the rest of her body with soap.
They had stocked the bathroom with quality products, proof that they weren’t a
standard hospital.

The warm water was missed when she shut it off and accepted
towels from the woman who’d drawn closer. “Do I need a new bandage?”

“No. It looks like the plastic kept it dry. Just gently pat
it with the towel.”

“Thank you. Do you know who will be at this meeting I’m
going to?”

“I have no idea.” The nurse retreated to the door. “Two
males wait in the hallway. You don’t want them growing impatient to get the
answers they seek.”

Jeanie nodded, hurrying.
Of course they want to talk to
me. Some of the employees had to have escaped using the emergency exits. It’s
imperative to track them down before they flee the country.
She was just as
eager to see some of them imprisoned. Jim Booth at Cornas hadn’t been as
horrible as Dean Polanitis at Drackwood, but he was close. Both of those
research facilities were partners with Mercile Industries and had to have
gained access to the New Species through them before they’d been closed down.

The thin gowns didn’t do much to keep her warm but she was
covered to mid-calf. “I don’t suppose I could wear scrubs?” She peered at the
nurse with hope. “At least bottoms? I feel a bit indecent.”

“It will have to do.” The woman waved a hand down her body. “Most
of them are in my size or larger. They wouldn’t fit. Follow me.”

“How about a pair of socks or even those paper footy things?
My feet are cold.”

Jeanie translated the low growl as a no. She sighed, leaving
the bathroom. Two big New Species wearing black uniforms greeted her inside the
room by the door. It reminded her of 710 as she glanced at the white letters on
their shirts. These ones didn’t wear vests. She studied their faces,
disappointed that he wasn’t one of them. The primate was a handsome guy with
unique brown eyes, the red hues in them fascinating. The slight reshaping of
his flared nose and the bulkiness of his upper body gave her an indication he
might have been mixed with gorilla DNA. She’d heard they existed but were rare.
He was the first one of his kind she’d ever seen.

She glanced at the other one. He was feline with pretty
catlike eyes and red-streaked hair. Neither one smiled at her, their
expressions grim. Jeanie was disappointed they weren’t friendlier. The one with
the reddish eyes offered his arm.

“I’m Jericho. You may hold on to me. Tell me if you
experience any weakness.”

“We don’t want you hitting the floor. My name is Flame and I’m
not a medic so I don’t want you injured on my watch.” He glanced at the nurse. “Are
you coming with us, Midnight?”

“No.”

That caused the feline to frown. “What if she starts
bleeding or something?”

“Bring her back here.” The female sailed out of the room.

Jeanie hesitated before curling her fingers around the
offered muscular forearm. Jericho was really warm, causing her to shiver.

“I won’t harm you.” His voice was husky, a little scary and
deep.

“It’s not that. I just took a shower and it’s chilly. I just
didn’t realize how cold I was until I touched you.”

The New Species glanced at the other one. “Get her a
blanket.”

Flame crossed the room and yanked open a cabinet. He shook
out a fresh blanket and approached from behind her but paused. “What do I do
with it? Wrap it around her and one of us carries her? You should do that. She
appears frail.”

“Why me?” Jericho growled low. “You’re weaker than me and
less inclined to accidentally crush something.”

“I am not.”

Jeanie released his arm and turned. “I can walk. May I have
that?”

Flame handed over the blanket. She wrapped it around her
like a shawl and took Jericho’s arm again. She fisted the material at her chest
to keep the blanket closed in front so it didn’t slip off her shoulders. It
helped a little but she still wished for real clothes. Her bare feet on the
cool floor weren’t helping to warm her much.

“Thank you. I’m ready to go.”

Flame followed them. Jericho walked slowly at her side and
she appreciated it. He towered over her with his much longer legs. The hallway
was clear. They entered a large area with desks, a long counter, and she
glimpsed buildings through the windows along one long wall. Curiosity about
Homeland had her craning her neck to see more but they reached an elevator too
soon to spot anything of interest.

The doors slid open and a tall guy stood inside, wearing the
same uniform as the New Species who escorted her, except he was fully human.
She studied his features closely to be certain. He frowned and examined her as
well.

“Hello, Ms. Shiver. I’m Trey Roberts. I’m one of the team
leaders of the task force here at Homeland.” He glanced at Flame. “I was coming
up to see what was taking so long.”

He pronounced her name wrong but she didn’t correct him. It
had been a common occurrence all her life. She’d seen some of the task force
members on television in brief news clips but they usually hid their faces with
caps pulled low on their foreheads and wore mirrored glasses to hide their
eyes. He was an attractive guy in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties,
but the way he looked at her in that unfriendly manner had her wondering why.

“She showered.” Flame crossed his arms over his chest.

“I see. Her hair is wet.” Trey glanced down at the blanket,
arching an eyebrow in question.

“She was cold,” Jericho announced.

“Well, we can’t have that.” Trey sighed. “Don’t forget that
she’s not a guest here.” He directed a pointed look at her hand, curved around
Jericho’s forearm. “Where are the handcuffs?”

The primate growled. “They weren’t needed.”

“It’s still my job to point out protocol.”

“We’re not wearing any weapons she could steal and she’s had
no access to anything sharp. Do you believe she is physically capable of
endangering us?” He looked offended.

“No. Forget I said anything.” Trey appeared exasperated when
he gave her his full attention. “Let’s get this over with. You have a lot of
questions to answer.”

“I have one myself. Why was I handcuffed in the first place?
You know who I am since you know my name.”

His mouth firmed into a tight, grim line before he jerked
his head toward the open elevator. “You’re not the one who will be asking
questions. Let’s go.”

Jericho steered her inside. She felt tiny compared to the
three large men sharing the elevator. Trey Roberts stared at her in a way that
had her dropping her gaze to the floor, a sense of apprehension knotting in her
stomach. Something was wrong but she didn’t know what. Fear inched up her spine
but there shouldn’t be a reason for it. It still remained. She chalked it up to
a little nervousness about being around free New Species.

It had been a dream of hers to get them out of those cells
and to the NSO but she
had
dealt with dangerous ones. They killed humans
when given the opportunity, though it was totally justified. The difference
between imagining standing next to them once they were free and actually doing
it seemed a logical reason for her to feel a bit paranoid. She dismissed it as
the cause of her uneasiness.

The elevator doors opened into a large windowless room with
a few thick beams to support the enormous space. Jericho moved and gently drew
her forward until she got a view of the other side of the room. Three rooms
with bars for walls lined one wall, each set up similar to jail cells but with
nicer bedroom furniture. Her gaze lingered on them, happy to see they were
empty.