Numbers (15 page)

He closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. His
boyish features had transformed into maturity over the past few years. He took
on a harsh expression when he was angry or upset, but at the moment he just
looked vulnerable to her.

“I heard them talking.”

His eyes snapped open. “About what?”

It was a little embarrassing, but she never kept secrets
from him. “Evelyn wants to put us together and let us share a room again. She
doesn’t agree with Christopher keeping us apart. They were fighting about it.”

“She does?” He sucked in a sharp breath.

Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “She wants us to, um, you know.”

His gaze roamed down her body. His breathing increased the
tiniest bit, but Candi noticed. She could relate. He looked at her. “Are you
going to say yes if she asks?”

“I would.”

He reached out, breaking the rules Christopher had
implemented. His warm hand brushed her knee. It was just for a second though,
as if adjusting how he sat was the reason. She hoped the guard assigned to
watch the camera had missed it, or wouldn’t bust them for such a minor
infraction.

“They know how we feel about each other.”

“It’s why they took you away.” His temper flared.

“I know. Christopher showed me a tape of two people having
sex.”

“Did it frighten you? I’d never hurt you.”

“I know. And no, I wasn’t afraid. That was his plan though.
It just made me understand why I suddenly noticed things about you.”

“Like what?”

She glanced at his chest and arms, and then his mouth again.
“You know.”

He smiled. “You want me too.”

Her chest ached. “More than anything. I hate that they only
let us see each other once a week now.” She glanced around the room they used
to share. “I miss this being our space.” She stared into his eyes. “I miss you
holding me when we sleep.” Tears filled her eyes. “I miss everything about
you.”

“Talk to Evelyn. Tell her yes.”

“It’s not that simple. Christopher said no. They got into an
argument in the hallway that was loud enough for me to hear. He said I’m too
young, and we have to wait a few years before he’ll agree to allow that
experiment.” She’d felt resentment. “Like what we are to each other is
nothing.”

His nose flared, a sure sign he was about to go into a rage.
She shook her head, silently pleading with him to keep it under control. They’d
pull her out of the room if he got loud or did anything aggressive. The chains
secured to his wrists and ankles could be used to yank him against the wall,
and he would not be able to stop them.

“I know it’s frustrating,” she admitted. “But at least he
didn’t say no outright. He just said that I’m too young. That means we’ll be
back together at some point. Be good. Please? Don’t make them hurt you. I can’t
stand that. It tears me apart when I see bruises on you.”

“I’ll do whatever they want if it means we can be together.”

“Thank you.” She fisted her hand in her lap, wanting to
touch him instead. She missed running her fingers through his silky black hair.
“Don’t let them make you angry. We’ll be together again soon, and they won’t
keep us apart.”

He bent a little, drawing closer. “You be good too. Do
whatever it takes. I need you with me.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The car slowed and left the road. The motion shook Candi out
of her reminiscences, right back into the present. The wheels seemed to be on
something uneven and bumpy. She peeked, letting her head fall when a really
severe jarring caused her entire body to lurch to one side.

She spotted a lot of trees and grass. The car slowed and the
engine died. So did the music. Penny opened the driver’s door and slammed it.
It was no longer possible for Candi to track her by sound. She closed her eyes
all the way, her hand near the metal buckle latch. She twisted her wrist a tiny
bit until her thumb found the release. She waited, still and ready.

The door next to her opened and she stopped feigning sleep.
Penny bent, her attention on getting something out of her purse. It was a knife
with a long blade. Candi pushed the button and the buckle released with a soft
click. The other woman must have heard it because her head snapped up, her eyes
going wide.

Candi lunged and grasped the handle of the knife. Penny
shrieked and tried to stab her, but Candi had primal survival instinct and
loads of adrenaline on her side. She kicked out, knocking the other woman to
the ground. She fell out of the car, landing on the woman’s chest. They
struggled but the older woman lost.

Time stopped as another memory surfaced. It had been the
last time she’d seen
him
…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He snarled, fighting his chains. Rage had taken hold of him.
He pulled back his lips, baring his sharp fangs.

“I’ll kill you!” he roared.

It tore her apart from the inside out, hearing him make that
threat and knowing it was directed at her. He didn’t understand. She kept far
back from him, knowing he probably would unless she got him to listen. He
seemed to have known what she’d done as soon as she’d stepped inside the room.
He’d gone insane.

“Please listen.” She had two minutes to explain and tried to
do so, her heart breaking.

He threw back his head, bellowing his rage loud enough to
hurt her ears. His muscles strained as he fought and he managed to snap the
links of the chain attached to one arm.

One of the technicians grabbed her around her waist and
yanked her off her feet. She fought. “No! Put me down.”

They weren’t listening either. The man she loved freed one
arm and grabbed hold of the other chain still holding him hostage to the wall.
“I’ll kill you,” he snarled again.

“I did it for you!” she screamed, wildly fighting the guard.
She actually kicked him hard enough in the shin to make him stumble. She threw
back her head, pain exploding from the impact when she made contact with his
chin. He dropped her.

She rushed forward, right at the man who was losing his
mind. “Please,” she begged, crying. “I—”

Another guard grabbed her around her waist, stopping her in
her tracks.

The second restraint broke and the man she loved spun,
trying to grab her. The broken, loose chain still attached to his wrist flew
out when his grasping hand tried to reach her. She never saw it coming but felt
the metal links slam into the side of her head. Everything had gone black. She
woke to see the face of Penny Pess. Her old life was gone and her new hell had
begun…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Candi plunged the knife into the woman’s chest. Penny didn’t
scream but her mouth opened as if she wanted to. Candi jerked the knife free,
grabbed the handle with both hands and stabbed her again, putting all her rage
behind it. It sank deep, until the knife became stuck.

“Roast in hell!”

She stared at Penny, watching the life leave her. There was
no guilt or sense of regret. She sat there for a short time. When she finally
looked up there was trees and grass all around her. A slight noise came from
somewhere behind her. The source was the highway and the cars passing along it.
She got to her feet and looked up at the blue sky.
I’m going to avenge you,
she
swore.

Present day

Candi ignored the panic that rose when she approached those
thirty-foot walls. Guards with guns stood along the top. There was no barbed
wire, but it didn’t alleviate the apprehension that she was willingly about to
enter another prison. She ignored the idiots on the sidewalks who tried to talk
to her. They weren’t worth her time. She marched forward until the barrels of
large, menacing weapons were aimed at her and a deep voice shouted, “Freeze!”

She stopped and took care not to make any sudden movements.
She lifted her arms out, palms open so they could see she wasn’t armed. Her
right hand had a small cut from the knife fight, but it had scabbed over a bit.
Her gaze darted to those black-clad figures, and she tried to determine who was
in charge and who belonged to that voice. It was impossible to tell since they
wore helmets and dark glass covered their faces.

She waited as more guards rushed to the gate, adding more
guns pointed in her direction. She’d already endured the hard part. She’d
hitchhiked across five states to reach the NSO Homeland without being killed or
arrested. It was lucky that people knew exactly where it was located since
she’d had to ask. Her time watching any kind of news had been limited at best.
She closed her eyes, focusing.

“Miss, you need to turn around and leave. You’re not allowed
to come this close to the gates. Move on.”

She opened her eyes and turned her head left, locating the
one who spoke. It was easier to pinpoint him by listening. “You sound human. I
learned a few things yesterday from a trucker. He said the NSO employs a task
force team that is human. I want to talk to a New Species. Get one.”

“How the hell would you know what I sound like?”

“Because you don’t sound like one of them. Get me a New
Species.” She held still, closing her eyes.
Patience
.

“Who are you? State your business.”

She cocked her head, focused on the new voice. “Say
something else.”

A very low growl sounded from the same person and she
smiled. It was enough, even if he hadn’t said a word. She fixed her gaze on the
guard in the middle, standing behind the gate. “I’ll talk to you. You sound
like a canine, but that can be deceptive since you’re probably irritated with
me.”

“What the hell?” The man from the top of the wall sputtered.
“Lady, take a walk. You’re sounding crazy.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time someone has accused me of
that.” She took a step closer but stopped, not looking away from the one who’d
growled under his breath. “As much as I hate to say this, because I really
can’t stand to be locked behind gates, you need to let me in.”

“We’re going to call the cops and have you taken away if you
don’t leave. I’m done playing with you, lady.” It was the guard up on the wall
again.

“Shut up, human. I’m talking to him.” She kept her gaze
locked on the male behind the gate.

“Human? What the hell do you think you are?”

The guard on the wall was starting to piss her off. She
pulled back her upper lip and snarled low at the one behind the gate. “I was
told you were freed. Humans still tell you what to do? Are they as bad as
technicians? He seems like an asshole. Can you shut him up?”

“I’m an asshole? Look, lady,” the guard on the wall leaned
over a bit, speaking louder, “I’ll have your ass hauled away faster than you
can say you’re fucked. Now leave.”

She took a deep breath and blew it out. It was obvious that
the male behind the gate wasn’t going to talk to her again so she’d have to
deal with the annoying jerk up on the wall. She turned her head slightly to
glare at him.

“You think you can frighten me?” She shook her head, and
then looked at the male behind the gates. “Four days ago I escaped captivity
and killed a woman who worked for Mercile. You remember them, don’t you? I’m
tired, hungry, dirty, and I don’t like what I’ve seen of this world so far. I
don’t belong out here, but I do belong in there, even with your walls.”

Absolute silence reigned. She had their attention. She
cleared her throat. “I’m going to slowly reach behind me and withdraw a knife.
I’ll toss it to you. Your nose will tell you I speak the truth.”

They didn’t shoot her when she did exactly that, tossing the
knife a few feet from the gates and in the direction of the male behind it. The
metal blade clattered on the pavement. She waited, watching him. He motioned
with his hand and the gates opened a few feet.

“Stay still,” he demanded in a harsh tone.

She didn’t move a muscle. He stepped out and bent. She could
hear him sniff, and his helmeted head snapped up. A deeper growl emanated from
him.

“You’re not a canine. You’re feline. My apologies.”

“You can tell that by the sound I make?” He picked up the
knife and stood but didn’t retreat.

“No. They can sound the same, but you had to get closer to
that blade. A canine wouldn’t have had to. His sense of smell is better than
yours.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Candace Chazel, formally experiment H dash 01. Some of the
asshole technicians shorted it HOL but said the word hole as I got older,
because they knew what my purpose would be. I would appreciate not being called
that. It was an insult, and brings back a lot of bad memories.”

The male passed the knife back to another guard, and then his
gun. He approached and tears filled her eyes. She blinked them back, but
watching him strut forward—there was no other way to describe how a feline
moved—was finally something familiar and welcome. He stopped close. She wished
she could see his face, but that black glass shield was too dark, too murky.

“Explain.”

“That’s going to take some time, but I was raised at Mercile
too.”

He sniffed at her. “I don’t believe for a second that you’re
Species.”

“I’m not, but I was raised there. One of the doctors decided
they’d like to find out what would happen if they put a five-year-old human
girl into one of the cells with a canine male.” She peered up at him. “I was
there until I was sixteen.” She pushed back the painful memories. “After that I
was taken to a human place where they kept me drugged and locked up. Do you
know what an asylum is, for crazy humans? The doctor who made me an experiment
paid them to keep me there so I couldn’t tell anyone about Mercile, or what
they did belowground. The woman in charge of that hellhole also worked for
Mercile. That’s her blood you just smelled. The doctor in charge of putting me
inside Mercile is dead too. Two down, and so many more to go. I want your help
finding the rest of the technicians and doctors. They need to pay for what they
did.”

He said nothing. It made her angry.

“I could have given up and just died. I refused. Do you know
why? I spent every waking moment plotting revenge. They killed the male I
loved. He was my everything. He’s dead, and they will pay for it.” She growled
low, furious. “I won’t rest until every one of them is dead too. I am not
asking for your help. I am demanding it. You owe him the same. We’re here, but
he’s not.”

The big feline reached up and pulled off his helmet. His
long black hair reminded her of the male she’d lost, but his catlike, deep-blue
eyes were drastically different from the dark-brown ones that haunted her. He
frowned, seemingly unconvinced.

“Do you want me to describe our cell? One sink, a toilet and
a pad on the floor. No blankets. We had a hose to shower with. Every room I saw
was the same. They had a medical supply closet in the far corner, past the
kill-zone line. They had a mechanical rigging system of chains on the wall.
Sound familiar? There were constant injections, and they played stupid games
while they tested their drugs. You were fed seared meat on platters they
brought in while they restrained you against that wall.” She lowered her voice.
“Breeding experiments were performed, hoping to create more of you through natural
births since they could no longer use surrogate births. I was there.”

He paled a little.

“They used us against each other. You know how fucked-up
they could be. They made me decide between doing something that would hurt my
male or watching my male be murdered in front of me as punishment. I would have
done and endured anything to save him. I did.” She inched closer and clutched
his uniform sleeve. “I didn’t understand the game that time, and they used my
decision to snap his mind. He died howling and enraged.” Tears slipped down her
cheeks. “He thought I betrayed him. That’s the last memory I have of the male I
loved. They killed him, but I have survived to see this day. Help me find every
last bastard who was there, and make them pay.”

“Jinx?” It was the annoying guard up on the wall. “What the
hell is she saying? Are you all right? Get back from her.”

The male moved slowly and his big, gloved hand covered her
own. He didn’t force her to let him go, but instead just held on. “What do you
like to be called?”

The tightness in her chest eased. “He called me Candi.”

“Come with me, Candi. I believe you. You’re safe.”

She released his shirt, but he kept hold of her, laced their
fingers together, and slowly turned. She kept pace with him as he walked her through
the gates. All her fear and worry dropped away. For the first time she felt
safe.

“It’s okay.” He glanced around at the males. “Someone get on
the radio and tell Medical we’re on our way there. Call Justice and tell him we
have a situation. He needs to meet me there. Breeze too.”

She jerked to a halt, instantly fearful. He stopped and
turned his head.

“I’m not crazy. Don’t drug me again.” She yanked her hand
out of his, backing up. “No more drugs. No more locked rooms and silence.”

“Easy.” He just dropped his helmet on the ground. “I just
want a doctor to examine you. They work for us.” He glanced down her body. “You
don’t look well. We do it to all incoming Species. No one is going to drug or
hurt you.”

Candi felt torn. “I’m telling you the truth. Don’t send me
back out there. I don’t belong. I have to find the ones who killed my male and
make them pay.”

“We will.” He eased forward.

She backed up. The slight sound of a footstep alerted her
and she spun, snarling at the black-clad guard who’d sneaked up behind her. She
reacted when he tried to grab her arm. Her reflexes were slow, but she threw up
her forearm, batting his hand away. She frantically looked for a place to flee.

“Back off!” Jinx snarled. “Get away from her.”

The guy threw up his arms, jumping back. “I was trying to
help.”

“Don’t. Candi?” Jinx tried to regain her attention.

She turned sideways so she could see them both.

“It’s okay.” Jinx lowered his voice to a soothing tone. “I
give you my word. I believe you. Did you learn that from him? The snarling?
You’re good at it.”

She nodded.

“You said he was canine, right?”

She nodded again.

“Torrent?” He’d raised his voice. “Remove your helmet and
come over here. Slowly.”

She saw the motion at the edge of her vision and watched one
of the other guards take off his helmet. He was canine, his silky black hair
pulled into a ponytail. He approached cautiously, his blue gaze fixed on her.

“What’s going on? I couldn’t hear what was said out there. I
was too far away, and you forgot to turn on your helmet mic again.”

He reminded her of 927, with that hair. Tears filled her
eyes as she stared at him.

He stopped, his dark eyebrows arching. “No one will harm
you, small female.”

“Female,” she couldn’t help but laugh. “I actually miss
being called that. How silly is that? Humans don’t use those terms normally,
unless they are describing the gender of a person. It’s nice to meet you,
male.”

The dismay on his face was almost comical too. He glanced at
Jinx, apparently confused. “What is going on?”

“What is protocol when we find one of ours from Mercile?”

Torrent gasped, staring at her.

“Answer,” Jinx demanded. “Where is the first place we take
one of ours?”

“Medical.”

“Why?”

Torrent glanced at Jinx, and then at her. “To check their
health and see if they need medical care.”

Jinx took another step closer. “I spoke the truth, Candi.
He’s not lying. Let’s go there. Please don’t fear us. We’d never hurt one of
our own, and that’s what you are. Do you understand?”

She nodded.

He eased closer and held out his hand. “It’s going to be
okay. No one is going to hurt or trick you. No deceitful games. That’s for
humans. We don’t play them.”

“Okay.” It was tough to trust anyone, but staring into his
feline eyes, she was willing to try.

He pulled back his hand, tore off his gloves and dropped
them on the ground. He reached out to her again and gently laced his fingers
through hers. His skin felt warm to the touch. A tentative smile curved his
lips. “Easy, female. It’s okay.”

“You don’t need to baby me.”

“Maybe I want to. You’ve been through a lot, but it’s going
to be okay. I promise you that.”

* * * * *

Hero chose to take the stairs rather than the elevator down
to the lobby. He was too impatient to wait for the slow-moving machinery. He
had a night off his shift and planned to have fun. There would be dancing
involved and he’d heard they were serving prime rib at the bar. He reached the
first floor and came to a stop, staring at the group of males gathered by the
couches. Some appeared downright angry. He changed direction.

“What’s going on?”

Destiny was the first to speak. The primate male still wore
his work uniform. It was obvious he’d just left there, judging by the smell of
Medical coming off him. “They brought in a female. I was just telling everyone
about it. We’re stunned.”

“One of the females got hurt? Is it bad?” The news alarmed
Hero.