“We’re already prepared to fight for the freedom of Species.” He glanced at Wrath. “And for the females of our males.”
“What if it is a hot zone?” Wrath didn’t even want to think about someone taking the time to set explosives or other deadly precautions that would kill anyone inside the building in case of a breach. “We aren’t abandoning them, are we?” He wouldn’t leave Lauren.
“It’s a grab-and-go if it’s a trap.” Tim frowned and held Brass’ stare. “You sure he’s okay? This is personal for him.”
“It’s personal for all of us. There are Species in there as well. He’s got a right to try to save his female.”
“Shit.” Tim sighed. “I don’t think this is a good idea. We need everyone coolheaded.”
Brass released Wrath’s arm and leaned in closer until they were practically nose to nose. “You go for your female. Don’t hurt the male with her, Wrath. Do you understand me? We don’t know the circumstances and until we do, swear to me that he’s safe from you. I give you my word to personally lock you in a room with him later if he hurt her without justified cause.”
“I swear.” They were hard words for Wrath to say but the most important thing was Lauren.
Tim reached up and touched his ear. “Set off the alarm. Everyone get ready to breach on my mark. Remember the damn layout.”
Wrath’s heart pounded and fear gripped him hard. He silently swore to get Lauren past whatever horrors she’d endured. They could deal with anything together, as long as he got her back alive.
Chapter Seventeen
A car alarm going off in the distance woke Lauren and she tensed, disorientated, but the arm around her waist reminded her quickly of reality. She was locked inside a cage with 140, her cheek pillowed on his arm and the sound she heard was a typical one.
“It is fine,” he assured her. “We hear those sounds sometimes.”
“Car alarm,” she supplied. “Everyone seems to have one these days. I’m guessing it’s windy outside or a cat jumped on it. My Tiger has set off many of them.”
“Tiger?”
“My pet.”
“Are you warm enough?”
“Yes. Thank you.” He was keeping her warm, made sleeping bearable in the confined space, and she closed her eyes again, ready to drift back off.
140 growled, his body turned rigid and his head jerked up.
“What is it? Do you see a rat?”
“No. I smell humans.”
“I do too,” one of the other Species hissed.
“Unfamiliar,” one of them growled.
“Thank God!” Joy hit Lauren as she tried to sit up but 140 held her against him. “Let me up. It’s got to be the cavalry.”
“Who?” 140 didn’t release her.
“The NSO. They must have found us, got my message, and figured it out. Everyone remain calm,” she whispered. “These will be the good guys and some of your people should be with them.” Tears filled her eyes. “Wrath must be out there too.”
A male shouted and it was the start of rapid action that had Lauren screaming in terror and confusion. The boards over the windows blew apart, glass shattered and loud booms deafened her. Men’s shouts, blinding lights, and smoke came with it.
Big shapes seemed to fly through the now-destroyed windows and the big body behind her was instantly gone. He almost stepped on her when he pinned her body between his calves, planting himself above her in a half crouch. He snarled.
She had to blink a few times to adjust to the flashlights bouncing all over the big room. Boots pounded over the old dance floor and she watched dark shapes rush past the sides of the cages. One of the big shapes hit the other side of the cage and snarled. Her head jerked in that direction and Wrath crouched down enough for her to see him clearly.
“Wrath!” She tried to turn on her stomach and crawl to him but 140’s legs still pinned her.
140 spun, snarled at Wrath, and refused to let her go. Wrath showed sharp teeth but didn’t make any scary sounds. He did lift his flashlight though, enabling her to see more of his features. It was the best sight Lauren had ever seen.
“140? This is Wrath. It’s okay. Can you ease up on my legs and let me go to him?”
He moved, stepped away, and she crawled a few feet to Wrath. His hands came through the narrow bars, cupped her face and pulled her so close her skin brushed against metal. His eyes looked black as she stared deeply into them. The sounds of shouted orders from the task force faded away as all her concentration centered on him.
“Did he force breed you? Hurt you? I can’t smell right now from the way we had to come in.”
“No.”
She shoved her hands through the bars to touch him. He was warm. He let her caress his jawline on both sides and even lowered to make their faces level.
“You’re telling me the truth? You haven’t been harmed?”
“I’m okay. I’m great. You’re here. You came for me.”
“Always,” he swore.
He pulled back to stare at something behind and above her.
She turned her head and saw 140 watching them quietly from the other side of the cage. He frowned, his eyes narrowed and he shook his head.
“I have a mate of my own. She is downstairs. I was only keeping yours warm. Her skin is colder than ours. Please find my mate.”
Lauren glanced at Wrath. “She’s sick. I don’t know what they’ve done to her or why but they are keeping her in the basement.”
Brass was suddenly there. “I’m on it. I’ll get her.” He rushed away.
Wrath released Lauren and moved to the door of the cage. A human member of the task force met him there. The man dropped to his knees, aimed a flashlight on the lock and withdrew a small kit from one of the pockets on his pants.
“This is a piece of cake,” the man chuckled, glancing up at Wrath. “Can I let them all out? Is it safe?” He turned his head to warily stare at 140. “We are here to rescue you and your people. We’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to attack me. You boys would kick our asses.”
140 nodded. “We know you are not our enemies.” He turned his head to the other three New Species. “Relax. They are here to free us.”
“Let them out,” Wrath ordered. “I will handle it if one attacks.”
The human on the floor went to work on the lock. In thirty seconds he managed to pick it. He stood, pulled the door open and stepped back. Lauren rushed into Wrath’s open, welcoming arms.
He lifted her off her feet, his arms almost crushing her to his chest, until their faces were level. She threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. She clung to him and buried her face against his neck, thrilled to be able to touch him again. The lighting in the room growing stronger finally caught her attention and she lifted her head to peer around.
Members of the task force who had come in with battery-operated lanterns stood watching them calmly and Lauren chuckled when Wrath began to sniff at her.
“I need a shower. You might want to hold off on that until I smell better.”
He chuckled. “I don’t care. You’re safe.”
“I knew you’d come.” She stared deeply into his eyes. “I had no doubt about it.”
He growled. “I am not letting you go again.”
“My mate,” 140 growled. “Can I go to her?”
Wrath tilted his head to peer around Lauren, his hold eased, but he refused to put her down. “Wait here where it’s secure. They will bring her to you as soon as they deem it safe to move her. She will come to no harm from us.”
140 paced the cell and Lauren didn’t understand why he stayed inside it when the door had been left wide open. She glanced away, realized the other cage doors had been unlocked by the task force member, yet not one of those three had stepped outside their enclosures either. Her gaze swept the room to search for a reason, realized at least ten humans and five New Species were watching the newly released men and wondered if fear kept them from venturing out.
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“You can come out of your cages,” Lauren informed them.
The golden-haired feline male stepped carefully out of the cage, looking uncertain and prepared to attack if necessary. Movement from the corner of her eye had her head turning and she gaped as a tall, long-haired New Species female came striding into the building. She wasn’t wearing a uniform, just jeans and a T-shirt. Her dark gaze flicked around the room, skimmed past Lauren and Wrath and fixed on the feline who’d just frozen steps away from the open cage door.
“I’m formerly 52 but I’ve taken the name Midnight.” She stopped a few feet away from him, openly studied his features, and smiled warmly. “You are safe from the technicians who held you and are no longer at their mercy.” She paused. “You are free. You are going to go home with us, to our people, and you’ll never be locked up again.” She bowed her head to him slightly, before meeting his stunned stare once more. “We call ourselves New Species and you have family now.” She glanced at all four males before facing the feline male again. “All of you are family.”
“I can’t believe this is real.” The blond feline moved away from his cage and turned to look at Lauren. “You weren’t trying to fool us with the stories you shared.”
Lauren shook her head. “No. I wasn’t.”
The dark canine stepped out of his cage and stalked toward Midnight. The tough-looking Species woman tensed slightly, faced him but didn’t back away. He moved a little too close to her, his gaze roamed her body and he sniffed. Lauren would have smacked any guy who openly showed his sexual interest but Midnight seemed not to be offended. He hesitated.
“May I?”
Midnight’s gaze narrowed. “You wish to get a better sense of me?”
He just stared at her.
“Fine but don’t touch. I don’t know you.”
Her body language remained on alert but she held still as he slowly circled her, sniffed a few times and seemed to take in every inch of her body and clothing.
“What is he doing?” Lauren whispered to Wrath.
“He’s not sure what to make of her and all the scents he’s picking up have to be new to him. We take pleasure handpicking everything we use for how it smells. Shampoo, body wash and even our laundry soaps. He won’t approach a male with his curiosity so we brought in a female, hoping it will speed up the process of them learning to trust us.” Wrath kept his voice low, his lips almost against her ear and his hold tightened. “She’s less threatening to them.”
Lauren watched the canine finally back off a few feet, a frown firmly curving his lips. “You’re one of ours but you smell so different.”
“This is freedom.” Midnight glanced at the other New Species who’d just left the cages then turned her attention on 140. She sniffed the air, slowly stepped closer to where he waited in his cage and paused by the open door. She glanced at Shadow.
“Where’s the female Species? Is she his mate? I can pick up her scent coming off him.”
“Brass and the team are getting her. She was held in a separate location in the building.”
140 growled. “I want her.”
“Easy,” Midnight crooned, opening her hands on her side. “She’ll be safe with them. They will bring her as soon as she’s freed.” Her gaze darted to Shadow again. “What is the holdup?”
“I don’t know.”
“What happens to us now?” The canine stepped closer to Midnight. He invaded her personal space again but didn’t touch her.
Midnight held her ground once more and just met his intense stare calmly. “You will follow me out of this building. There are vehicles outside waiting to take us home and you’ll meet more of us.” She paused. “We have kind, nonthreatening humans who work for us. They will check you over to make sure you don’t need medical treatment and you will be nice to them.”
His eyebrows rose.
“They are our friends.” Midnight hesitated. “I know you can’t understand that but these humans never harmed our kind. They didn’t work for Mercile and they help us. We aren’t doctors but they are. Do you understand?”
He growled and Midnight did something that made Lauren gasp while Wrath tensed. The woman suddenly spun, her foot shot out and she knocked the canine’s legs out from under him. He hit the floor hard on his back and Midnight dropped on top of him. She straddled his waist and growled as she leaned over him. Her hands cupped his face and she got so close they could have kissed.
“Don’t move,” she demanded. “Be calm and listen to me carefully. One of those humans is a female mated to one of our males. I’d hate to take you home only for you to be killed by him when you give him no choice but to protect her. Any of the humans you come into contact with are our friends. Do you understand me?”
He snarled but didn’t fight.
Midnight hesitated before she released him and rose to her feet. She offered him a hand. “You’re weaker right now. You’ve been caged and I doubt they fed you well. I could take you in a fight. Behave. You are free but that doesn’t mean you can be an asshole.”
Lauren closed her mouth and watched the tough female pull the male to his feet. He didn’t snarl again but kept away from her. All his anger seemed to have been knocked out of him as effectively as the air in his lungs must have been when he’d been dumped on the floor.
The golden-haired feline made a rumbling noise and Midnight spun toward him. She tensed and her features tightened.
“Do you need to be taken to the floor and talked to?”
He shook his head and slowly grinned. “You’re a fierce female. Are there more of you where we are going?”
A chuckle escaped her and her hands dropped to her side. “Yes. You’re a lover more than a fighter, aren’t you?”
He sniffed. “I smell no male on you. Is there one in your life?”
“There is. I’m not mated to him but there are plenty of females for you to get to know better. We’ll discuss that on the drive back to our home. I’ll inform you of the right and wrong way to approach them.”
“Good.”
“Where is my female?” 140 began to pace his cell, agitated. Midnight moved closer to him.
“Easy,” she whispered. “They will bring her soon.” She shot a worried look Shadow’s way.
“Can I go to her? I know where she is. Please? She will be—” 140 stopped talking and snapped his head in the direction of the hallway. He lunged forward, left his cage and rushed in that direction.
Brass appeared suddenly carrying a tall, frail-looking New Species woman in his arms. A blanket was wrapped around her body but it didn’t hide how thin she was. Her head rested against his chest and it didn’t appear she was conscious. He saw 140 coming and froze, staying that way.
140 reached them and opened his arms. “Give her to me.”
Brass hesitated. “She needs a doctor. We need to airlift her to our medical facility.” He glanced around the room, searching for someone. “Tim? Get one of our helicopters here right now. She’s in critical condition.”
“Give her to me,” 140 snarled.
“I’m going to,” Brass assured him. “You can hold her but we need to get her to our doctors.” He inched closer to the upset Species and transferred the woman into his waiting arms. “Do you know what they did to her? The humans we captured won’t talk.”
140 gently cradled the woman in his arms and rested his cheek against the top of her head. Pain sounded in his voice.
“They have been giving her pills that make her sicker. I don’t know what. They refuse to tell us what they do. Please help her.”
Brass turned to one of the human task force members. “Call Homeland and tell them to get everyone awake. Have Medical standing by.” He looked at one of the New Species. “Slash, call Justice. Let him know what is going on and that we need to find out what they did to her. We’re sending the prisoners to Homeland and I want Darkness there to interrogate the bastards. He’ll make them talk.” He finally looked back at 140. “We are going to do everyt
hing we can to save her. You have my word.”
Lauren blinked back tears. The woman was so pale, so lifeless, that she already seemed dead. The grim mood in the room assured her that everyone was more than aware of how ill the New Species was.
“Follow me outside,” Brass urged 140. “I promise no one will take her from you. You can stay with her but our doctors need to work on her when we reach them. You have to allow them to do that. I swear that they will do everything possible to save her life.”
“Please,” 140 whispered.
Brass moved and everyone parted for them to make their way outside. A few of the men kicked down the wall under one window so 140 didn’t have to step over it to get outside. A helicopter could be heard approaching and Lauren hugged Wrath tighter, grateful they were together and had a happier outlook than 140 and his mate.
“That could have been you needing a doctor.”
Lauren stared into Wrath’s beautiful, haunted eyes and knew they both pondered the same thing. He continued to hold her until she wiggled.
“You should put me down. I’m not exactly light.”
He shook his head. “No. Let’s get out of here. I’m taking you back to my home.”
She probably should have felt embarrassed from the many eyes that had to be watching them but she wasn’t as Wrath walked with her outside. She buried her face in his neck, closed her eyes and just clung to him.
He had to put her down when they climbed into the SUV to open the back door. She scooted inside, he came after her and Shadow opened the other door. The men were on either side of her and she felt safe. Her gaze drifted to the mostly destroyed building, all the windows were gaping holes now and she hoped to never see it again. Jasper’s had once held fond memories but not anymore.
Wrath suddenly turned in his seat, his hands dug behind her back and under her thighs, he lifted her and settled her sideways over his lap. She didn’t protest, instead just leaned against his chest and curled into his big body.