Jaci's Experiment (17 page)

“They’re no longer my people, Sam.” She wanted that to be clear.

“Heard and understood, ma’am. I can appreciate that.” He placed one arm around her and one under her bent knees. “This may hurt a bit and I’m sorry for it, but we have to get you out of here.”

149

Jaci gritted her teeth and did her best not to make a sound as Sam stood with her in his arms. He was much stronger than she’d have credited. She felt the lean muscle of him through his clothing as she settled against his chest.

They’d left the cave far behind before the pain in her leg settled into a
dull throb that spiked whenever
she was jostled. But she was getting used to it, and she felt a certain amount of pride in the fact that she hadn’t cried out once. She’d do nothing to jeopardize these men who were risking so much to help her.

They could have just as easily left her to die in the wreckage or be found by the Alvians.

“I remember you now,” Sam said in a low voice as they followed along behind Bill. The men had conferred a few minutes before, agreeing that the Alvians hadn’t yet begun searching the mountainside.

Perhaps she’d damaged their patrol craft more seriously than she’d thought. Her mind drifted in a fog of pain, but she tensed at Sam’s words. “You delivered medical supplies to Ruth’s cell when she was patching me up after…”

“After she was raped in that terrible experiment.”

“That was torture, Jaci. Not an experiment.”

She nodded. “I agree. Now. If that’s any consolation.” She held his gaze, as serious as her own. “I never understood what the Maras were trying to accomplish, but as a mere Jaci it wasn’t my place to question them. I think now, I should have. Even if it ended my career. Someone should have demanded to know why they made your people suffer so.”

“Thank you for that, at least.” He was silent a long time as they headed down the mountain. “You weren’t as bad as the others. You were kind when you could be, though you probably didn’t realize it at the time.”

“Even before I could feel, I liked serving in the pens. Not that I liked seeing your kind held prisoner, but I liked observing humans. They always fascinated me. And I thought…I thought I was friends with some of them. Ruth especially. She helped me when I had no one else to turn to.”

Sam’s arms tightened on her as his body tensed. “Can you tell me how she is? Where she is?”

150

“She is very well, Sam. Don’t worry. A few weeks ago, she was taken to Chief Engineer Davin’s Southern Engineering Facility. She has a rare crystal gift and I’ve heard from my mates that she and little Samantha are doing very well indeed.”

Sam stopped in his tracks, his face a mirror of shock. “Samantha?”

“I thought you knew,” Jaci backtracked, though the agony of her leg was making it hard to think. “Ruth had a baby girl a few months ago. She is named Samantha, after her father. When you said you remembered me from Ruth’s cell, I assumed you were the father. Is your name Samanth?” she tried experimentally. Jaci had limited knowledge of human names.

“Samuel.” The man seemed to be in a state of shock as he continued to follow in Bill’s tracks. “My name is Samuel. The feminine version of my name is Samantha. Ruth named her baby for me?”

“I believe so, if you were her lover. She once told me that her lover had escaped. She was happy for it, but she missed you.”

“God!” It was a broken whisper torn from his being. “I miss her too.” His gaze refocused on her. “You said she was safe? Ruth and my…daughter…are at Davin’s?”

“They are. Both happy from what I’ve heard. Davin is a good man. He’s been bringing humans to his facility a few at a time to train them in crystallography. They live above-ground in nice apartments and have many freedoms. They live there under his protection. My mates are there. That’s how I know.”

“You can communicate with your men? How?”

Jaci wasn’t sure what to tell him, but decided on the truth. This man literally held her life in his hands.

“One of my mates is a dreamwalker. I never know exactly when he’ll come to me, but when I sleep, if he’s dreamwalking, he’ll come and we can talk. He’s learned how to use crystal power to boost his own abilities so he can reach me over such long distances.”

“My God.” Sam seemed more than impressed by Michael’s power. “If you talk to him again, would you ask him…?”

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She thought she knew why he hesitated. “Ruth would want to know that you’re alive and well. She pines for you, Sam. She loves you.”

“Then ask him to let her know I’m all right. If there’s any way—if there weren’t a price on my head—I’d make my way to South America. I’d do anything to be with her. But I’m a wanted man. I killed an Alvian soldier to gain my freedom. They won’t let me cruise back into one of their facilities like nothing happened.”

“You’re right.” Jaci felt compassion for the man who so obviously wanted to be with his mate. “Maybe Davin can come up with something. The man has accomplished some amazing things on behalf of humankind.”

“For now, it’s enough to know that Ruth survived. And I have a daughter.” A look of wonder passed over his handsome features. “I never thought I’d have a child. No matter who her father is, she’s named for me and she’s mine. My baby. Samantha.”

“Ruth believes she is yours,” Jaci had to tell him. “The Oracle, Caleb O’Hara, sent her a message before the baby was born, telling her so. I delivered it myself. Caleb foresaw that the baby was yours and wanted to let Ruth know so she would love it, as she loves you.”

Tears gathered behind the strong man’s eyes, but he didn’t speak for a long moment. “Thank you,” he finally rasped out, turning his attention back to the trail they followed downhill after Bill.

After they stopped for a short break, Bill carried her a portion of the way down the mountain. They paused one more time, in a copse of trees while Bill withdrew a communication crystal from one of his pockets. He left her sitting on a boulder while he moved off a short distance to speak quietly with someone over the crystal.

Jaci would have been concerned about the use of Alvian technology, but her leg hurt so badly by that point, she didn’t much care. Bill could be calling the High Council itself, but all she wished for was a respite from the pain.

“We have to wait for the surveillance drone to pass, but then we’ll make for the outbuilding we used before,” Bill said to Sam as he rejoined them. “Mick will meet us there.”

152

Sam carried her this time as they made their way carefully downward toward some objective only the men knew.

153

“Release the female,” a cold Alvian voice said from behind a nearby tree.

“Son of a bitch,” Sam uttered as he lowered her to the ground. “How’d he get in front of us?” Jaci looked around and realized Bill was nowhere to be found. She hoped that was a good sign. “Sit tight, sweetheart.” Sam left her sitting on a fallen log, with a thick boulder between her and the Alvian soldier.

“Step away from the female and have her stand,” the voice commanded.

“She can’t stand,” Sam said, raising his hands and stepping back toward cover, though he wasn’t quite there yet. “She has a broken leg.”

A soldier dressed in light armor stepped out from behind the tree in front of them, a weapon grasped in one hand and trained on Sam. “Step away from her,” the soldier ordered and Sam moved.

The soldier stepped closer, and the next thing she knew, Bill was diving out of the tree above, to land on the man’s back. She heard the sickening crunch of bone as the man fell, lifeless to the forest floor. Sharp reports of projectiles being fired sounded through the forest. She looked up at Bill, her savior, but he’d spun away so fast, she could barely follow his progress. He ducked and twirled as Sam sprinted away, toward the new threat. A moment later, a muffled cry reached her ears and she knew the second soldier had met a similar fate when Sam stepped clear, the weapon now in his hand.

“That was close,” he said as he stuffed the weapon in his pocket and bent to pick her up once more.

“Are there more of them?” she asked, looking around at the now threatening forest.

“Only two,” Bill said shortly, beginning to scout ahead once again.

He stopped short and signaled Sam to stop as well. It seemed they were waiting, but for what, Jaci had no idea.

A moment later, two humans stepped clear of the surrounding trees and faced them.

154

“What brings you, Bill?” the taller of the men asked.

“This girl crashed her ship and broke her leg. She’s on the run and…she feels.”

Suddenly Jaci was the center of attention, the two newcomers looking her over with measuring eyes.

The shorter of the two stepped forward. “Let me take a look at that leg.”

Bill stood aside and let the man approach. He had a friendly face and a caring smile that set Jaci at ease though she strained to hear what the taller man was saying to Bill.

“We saw them come into the woods and decided to hike up and see if we could help.”

“As you see, we have the situation in hand, but we could probably use some help hiding the evidence until I can dispose of it far enough away from your property to alleviate suspicion,” Bill replied.

“Can do, my friend. I’ve got a place to stick them until we can move them far enough away, but the sooner the better. There’s lots of traffic on Alvian channels. They’re looking for the girl.”

Bill shrugged. “That was to be expected. She can never go back, Justin. She wasn’t supposed to be part of this and now that they know about her, she’ll never be free.”

“Then we’ll have to figure a way to help her.” The tall man’s tone was matter-of-fact, which surprised her. She never expected to find humans so willing to help her out of the mess she’d made of her life.

The second man moved her leg in a way that made her gasp and drew her attention.

“It’s a clean break.” He smiled at her. “I’ll fix you up with a cast when we get to the ranch. I’m Mick O’Hara.” He held out one hand for her to shake in the way she’d seen humans do. She returned the gesture.

“I am Jaci 192.”

“Pleased to meet you, Jaci. I think you might know our brother, Caleb.” Mick and Sam started down the mountain once more. She noted Bill and the other human had gone off together—probably to hide the bodies of the Alvian soldiers.

“You are the brothers of the Oracle, then.”

Mick laughed. “Is that what they’re calling him now?”

155

Jaci blushed. “It’s what the humans call him. Unofficially, some Alvians refer to him as O’Hara Primus. It is the designation for progenitors. Since he is the leader of your line and your line is the progenitor of Hara, it is something a few of the techs on the project who know of his origins have begun to call him.”

“Primus?” Mick laughed again. “Makes him sound like a gladiator.” Jaci didn’t understand the reference, but it seemed to amuse both men.

“Are you Hara’s father?” she asked, curious.

But Mick shook his head. “Harry’s my nephew. Justin is his father.”

“The warrior who went off with Bill?”

“The very same.”

That gave Jaci something to think about. Gossip about the O’Haras was rife within the tech community.

One was rumored to be a doctor—undoubtedly that was Mick’s role—and the other a warrior of great skill. It was interesting to her that Hara’s father was the warrior and not the scientist. He seemed such a studious young man, but then, perhaps he had hidden depths. Most humans did, she was coming to understand.

When they reached the edge of the trees, Mick took out a very complex crystal. Not only were humans prohibited from having crystal technology, but this kind of advanced tech was out of their realm completely. Apparently these O’Haras had friends in high places.

Mick took a few readings, then turned to them. “The drone is gone for now. It’s safe to get out from under the trees. You know the building, right, Sam? It’s all ready. I just have to go back to my office for a few bits and pieces for the cast. I’ll be back in a half hour. Make yourselves comfortable.”

They walked as he spoke, coming out of the trees into a field planted with some sort of food crop. It was tall and gawky, planted in neat rows and nearly as tall as she was. She’d never seen the like.

After the neat rows ended, they came out into a clearing in which lay a small, wooden building. Sam took her inside while Mick moved past, toward the other buildings she could see in the distance.

156

They weren’t inside long when Bill arrived.

“Justin’s hiding the evidence and clearing the scene.”

“Good man,” Sam said, nodding as Bill closed the door behind him. “Mick went down to his office to get supplies.”

“Then I need your help.” Bill looked like he’d rather be anywhere else but asking for his friend’s help at that moment.

“What is it?” Sam asked, moving closer to the other man while Jaci watched from where she was propped up on the bed, her leg held aloft by a number of pillows.

“I got hit during the fight. The projectile had a barb that I can’t remove by myself,” Bill admitted. That sounded serious to Jaci, who hadn’t realized Bill was hit at all.

“Mick should see to it. I’m no doctor,” Sam objected.

“It can’t wait and you’ll probably find out sooner or later.”

“Find out what?”

Bill turned angrily. “Will you take the damned thing out or not?”

Bill eased forward. “All right, all right. Where’d you get hit?”

“Upper right shoulder.” Bill shrugged and his collar dropped low, exposing the top of an angry red wound.

“I see it, but I need more exposure,” Sam said, pulling at the cloak and shirt Bill still wore. Bill seemed oddly reluctant to let the shirt fall any lower, but Sam was able to maneuver enough to grasp the protruding end of the barb and work it out backwards with a minimum of fuss. He did it fast and clean, which was probably a mercy to Bill. Sam reached over to the small table and got the disinfectant, spraying a liberal dose on Bill’s exposed shoulder. He pulled at the shirt to get to the rest of the wound and stopped short.

“Holy shit!” Sam’s voice was low and filled with puzzled awe as he stepped back.

The shirt and cloak fell away as Bill struggled forward. A set of glorious golden wings came into view, folded compactly along the ridges of Bill’s back.

“You’re an Avarel,” Jaci said in reverent tones.

“No, I’m not.” Bill’s words were adamant as he turned to face them. “I’m as Alvian as you, Jaci, but I was bred as an experiment.”

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“What’s an Avarel?” Sam wanted to know.

“The Avarel were an advanced race of explorers who visited our worlds many generations ago,” Jaci explained. “It was from observing them that we first realized our aggressive ways were destroying our own people. They taught us the way of peace and after they left, our leaders determined on the path that has led to our current emotionless existence.”

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s what these people would have wanted,” Sam said. “They sound like what we call angels in our mythology. Beings of light who had wings and brought messages from God—warnings, teachings and the like. Maybe your Avarel visited Earth in the distant past as well.”

“It’s likely,” Bill admitted. “They were explorers. But your mythology makes it even more imperative that I hide my wings. I’m no divine messenger. I’m just a man. A reformed assassin. I have the blood of many on my hands, and on my conscience.”

Jaci hadn’t ever heard him speak so plainly about the past she’d only guessed at. Her heart went out to him. “They designed you with Avarel traits, didn’t they? For what purpose? And how? Such tampering with the Alvian genetic code is forbidden.”

Bill’s expression turned grim. “Nothing is forbidden to the Council. The Avarel DNA sequence is just one of their secrets. I was created to be the hand of death. The assassin who can swoop in and kill before the target is even aware of his presence. And I was good at it too. My genetic codes are those of the hunter, not the prey.”

“So you’re saying you’re a hawk, not a chickadee.” Sam’s lips lifted in a lopsided grin. “I get that. But that’s a nifty set of wings you got there, my friend. How in the world do you manage to hide them?”

“They are smaller than full Avarel wings, they tell me.” Bill curled one wing around to the front of his body, stroking the feathers in contemplation. “I assume real Avarels can fly for long distances, but I’m only good for sprints.”

“Do you know if the wings breed true?” Jaci asked, fascinated by the idea.

“I was never meant to breed.” Bill leveled his gaze on her, his face grim.

158

“Then why did they send me to collect your samples?” Even as she said the words, she realized the horrible truth.

“For experimentation.” She could see the devastation in his eyes. “As far as I know, I’ve never had a viable offspring.”

Jaci reached out to him, taking his hand in hers. “I’m sorry.” He settled the cloak back over his shoulders, hiding his wings.

“Please don’t speak of this to anyone,” Bill asked without looking at either of them.

Mutely, Jaci looked to Sam and he nodded just once. “It’s your secret to tell, Bill. I’ll respect your wishes.”

“As will I,” Sam agreed.

Bill left the room without looking back.

Mick returned shortly thereafter and set her leg in a cast made of a sticky white substance and bandages. It was low-tech, but it would work. She complimented him on his skill and they spent some time discussing Jaci’s former job. Mick had a level of understanding she hadn’t expected from a human, though she’d known many of them were highly educated in various fields.

She didn’t realize any of their medical practitioners would be so aware of genetics. She told Mick as much and he spoke of human research into genetics that had been ongoing at the time of the cataclysm.

She was impressed that humans had progressed so far and not for the first time, she realized the heinous crime her people had committed when they’d sentenced most of this world’s population to death.

“I’m sorry to be such a bother,” she said as Mick cleaned up and prepared to leave. “I didn’t know where to turn and I remembered how nice Callie and Harry were to me, but I didn’t mean to bring more danger to your door.”

“Don’t worry, Jaci. I’ve been in communication with Harry and let him know what happened to you. He made sure I promised to help you. If he hadn’t said you were already bonded to two human men, I’d wonder if he didn’t have feelings for you himself.”

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“Hara and I don’t Hum,” she said simply.

“But you do Hum with the two men who are at Davin’s? I think Harry said they were named Mike and Dave.”

Jaci nodded, her heart pining for her mates. “Yes, I Hum with them. Hum and more. We are true mates.

But I just don’t see how we can ever be together.” She felt tears start in her eyes, but refused to let them fall.

“Now, now. Don’t worry about that yet. You need to concentrate on healing. The rest will fall into place as it’s meant to be. I’m a big believer in fate, Jaci.”

“With your brother Caleb’s powers, I can understand that, but I just don’t see this situation working out.

I’m a fugitive now, just like Bill and Sam.”

“True, but like Bill and Sam, you have friends, Jaci. We’ll all do what we can to help.” He patted her shoulder in a paternal way and gathered the last of his equipment into the bag he’d brought with him.

“Justin’s bringing a meal up from the house. Surveillance will be stepped up once that patrol fails to check in and they realize you’re still missing. Don’t go outside.”