New Species 11 True (34 page)

True regained enough of his equilibrium to pull out of their
hold as he approached it. The window was wide open and he sniffed. His senses
were dulled but some blood was visible on the lower section of the window
shelf. He bent and sniffed. Relief came instantly.

“It’s not hers.”

“You’re sure?”

He glanced at Darkness. “I know it’s not hers.”

“Good. Now sniff around the frame. I did and found more. It’s
different. I just wasn’t sure if it was hers or more blood from a male
underneath that artificial odor.”

“This is hers.” He turned his head, smelling the other side.
“And here. That’s Jeanie’s blood.”

“It’s faint. She probably harmed her hands when she grabbed
hold to pull herself outside.” Justice backed away, lifted a radio and spoke
into it. “Get our best trackers here. We’ve got blood from one of the humans
and from the mate.”

True tensed and then jumped, barely wincing when one of his
shoulders slammed against the frame. He landed in the backyard. He stayed low,
staring at the ground. It was flattened, trampled where Jeanie and the males
had exited the bathroom. He sniffed, not picking up blood right away. Then he
did. It belonged to the human male. He bent closer, sniffing.

“What do you have?” Darkness climbed through the window and
crouched, sniffing too. “I smell it too. The male stepped here and he’s
bleeding.”

“We need lights out here!” Justice yelled. “In the backyard.”

True kept low, sniffing. “I lost it.”

“Me too.” Darkness frowned at him.

“He must have known he was bleeding and stopped it somehow.”

Darkness growled. “They are smart.”

True rose and began to circle the brick wall that enclosed
the yard. He sniffed, also looking for evidence of where they went over it.
Darkness shadowed him, doing the same.

“It would be faster if you started on the other side.”

“You were drugged. Two noses and sets of eyes are better. We
don’t want to miss anything.”

True should have been offended but the male had a point. He
wasn’t going to trust his senses at that moment with Jeanie’s life on the line.
The slider at the back of the house opened and more males rushed out. They were
canines and they started along the other wall.

They met near the center. “I don’t understand,” Darkness
growled. “Did they fly over the wall?”

True wanted to howl with frustration. “Maybe they went back
inside and left through the front door or the side gate.”

“You saw the lock still in place and it hasn’t been touched.
It was rusted in place,” Justice argued. “Also, I was the first to arrive.
Jessie wanted to come with but I demanded she stay. They didn’t leave from the
front. Two teams arrived within half a minute of me.” He shook his head. “We
had Species rushing out of their homes. They didn’t leave that way.”

“The backyards?” Darkness leapt, landing gracefully on the
corner edges where the walls connected. He stared out, turned his head, and
frowned before glancing down. “I only see Species. They appear to be searching
every yard.”

“I ordered them to.” Justice growled. “How did they get her
out? For that matter, how did they get inside Homeland?”

“It’s almost as if they flew out,” one of the Species
muttered.

“Darkness?” Justice frowned at him. “Is it possible they
somehow flew over Homeland and dropped in? Maybe found a way to fly out as
well?”

He jumped down, landing in the yard. “I’m going over options
but no. We would have heard a helicopter if they were airlifted in or out.
There’s no way they could have used gliders.” He pointed to the hill behind
them. “Even if they’d managed to climb up there to use it for a jump-off point,
they don’t have the range to make it out from that height.”

“Air balloons?” Tiger strode into the backyard. “Is that
possible?”

Darkness snorted. “Do you know how big that would have would
be to support the weight of three humans? We’d have seen it and radar would
have picked it up. No way did they get that in and out of here without it being
detected.”

“Perhaps they have something smaller.”

Darkness shook his head. “It would be too difficult to
control with this wind without motors to guide them and we’d have heard them.
We just haven’t thought of how they were able to get in or leave.”

“So where did they go?” True was frustrated and worried
sick. His stomach churned and he wasn’t sure if it was from that or the drugs
he’d been dosed with. He spun, staring at the yard. “The attic. That’s where
they got in the house.” He lunged forward, ready to tear it apart searching for
Jeanie but Tiger blocked his way.

“Already looked there. That’s how one of them got in. He
tore off the air vent on the side of the house and used it to gain entry.”

“Which side of the house?”

“The right.” Justice pointed. “All the cottages have them.”

True stomped toward that area and stared up at the hole in
the side of the house near the roof. It infuriated him that he hadn’t known
about it before or he would have made sure no one could get in that way. He
frowned though as he stared at it.

“How did a human get up there?”

“Maybe they climbed on the roof and used a rope?” Darkness
backed up and then ran to gain momentum before he leapt. He landed on the roof.

True was stunned. It was a twenty-foot jump. Species were
good but that was something he couldn’t have done. Of course he wasn’t feline
either. They were better jumpers than canines. The male crouched, easily
scaling the tile to the peak of the roof. He straddled it, glancing around.

“There’s no sign of that. I don’t see any disturbances up
here.”

True lowered his gaze to the hole. If a human hadn’t used
the roof, he would have needed a ladder. There was no sign of one. He walked
forward, leaving the grass for a sidewalk. The air-conditioning unit was there
but it wasn’t high enough to have been helpful to a human who was trying to
gain access to the attic vent, unless maybe someone boosted him. He crouched,
staring at the artificial grass that had been laid around the area to make it
appear more natural looking.

His nose twitched as a faint scent filled his nostrils and
he growled, bending over as he leaned closer. “Jeanie.”

“What is it?” Tiger came closer with Justice on his heels.

A heavy body landed behind him as Darkness jumped from the
roof.

“Her blood. It’s here.”

True sniffed again, following it. It stopped and he drew
back. A faint gap in the grass became noticeable. He reached out and slipped
his fingers into it, touched concrete. He lifted, seeing more of it instead of
the dirt he suspected should be there. He tore it back and stared at a metal
grate.

“Son of a bitch,” Darkness grumbled. “What is that?”

True released the area-rug-size artificial turf and bent,
sniffing. Some of her blood was on the side of the hole. He turned his head,
staring at the feline. “This is how they got out.”

“What is that?” Justice sounded furious. “Why didn’t we know
about it? It’s big enough for people to fit through. That is probably how the
human escaped after their first attempt. That’s why we could never locate him.”

Darkness cursed and nodded. “Homeland was built as a
military base, correct?”

“Yes.” Justice still frowned.

“The humans could have built underground tunnels or it could
be for rain runoff from the hill above.”

“I don’t care what it is.” True grabbed the metal grate and
lifted. It was heavy but it yielded easily. He tossed it aside. “I’m going
after her.”

Darkness grabbed his arm. “Wait. We need more men and
flashlights. Our eyesight is good but there will be no light below ground.”

“Fuck.” True snarled. “I’m going after my mate.”

“Five minutes,” Justice promised, yanking at his radio to
order what they’d need. “That’s got to come out somewhere. Tiger, go find
someone who knows what that is and where it goes.”

“I’m on it!” Tiger yelled, rushing around the house.

“I’m going after her now.” True couldn’t wait. Jeanie was
bleeding and in danger. Every second could count.

Darkness got in his way. “Listen to me. You go rushing in
there, crashing around in the dark. They might just kill her. We need to be
smart and stealthy about this. I understand that you want to find your mate but
you want her alive, don’t you?”

It tore him up but he struggled to be reasonable.

“We’re going after her but we need to do it the right way.”

He clenched his teeth. “Okay.”

Jeanie heard the faint scrape of footsteps before light from
an opposite tunnel announced Boris’ arrival. She’d had time to cool down and
assess the situation. He didn’t know for sure that she’d identified him. That’s
probably why she was still alive and the two thugs he’d hired hadn’t killed
her.

She glanced at them. They’d changed out of their wet
clothing and had shoved everything else into the duffle bag. Both of them
looked eager to leave as their boss entered the chamber.

He wore black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt instead of
the suit she’d always seen him in. She’d still know him anywhere. The cat ring
still adorned his pinky as he stared at her, his glasses too low on his nose.
Sweat beaded his forehead and cheeks while he panted.

“I forgot how long it takes to get in here.”

“Is that our cash?”

Jerry Boris glanced down at the bag gripped in his hand and
nodded, tossing it in their direction. “Ten grand, just like you asked for.”

It was insulting that her life was worth so little. Boris
turned his attention on her and frowned. “What is in her mouth?”

“A gag.”

“I see.”

“We’re out of here.” The blond bent and opened the bag,
checking inside. He closed it and nodded at the other man then lifted it as he
straightened. “It’s here.”

“Wait!” Boris flushed. “The job isn’t done.”

“You said go in, get her and bring her here. There she is.”
The other guy pointed at Jeanie. “That was the job. We’re leaving. Those New
Species are going to find us. We want to be long gone before that happens.”

“They won’t.” Boris reached back and pulled out a small
bottle of water from a back pocket. He took a sip. “I purposely removed all the
blueprints for the underground utilities and drainage catacombs. It’s how I’ve
been able to sneak on and off Homeland whenever the need arose. The bastards
probably think it’s magic that their streets never flood when big rainstorms
hit. It’s given me full access to most of the buildings too.”

“Whatever.” The blond shrugged. “We’re out.”

“I need someone to watch her.” He glanced at his watch. “I
have to be back in bed before the sun comes up.”

The brunet snorted. “A vampire, huh?”

“No.” He shot a glare at Jeanie. “They planted bugs and
cameras in my home. I had to pretend to go to bed but they’ll see I’m not in it
when the sun comes up.”

She was stunned. How had he known?

“You think I’d have missed a bunch of people trampling
through my house? I never vacuum or dust. I could see their footprints and
stuff moved on the shelves, no matter how careful they were.” He fixed his
stare on the two men. “I have plans to get a lot of money for her. I’ll pay you
another ten grand if you babysit her for two days down here while I negotiate.”

“It’s not worth it.” The blond took a step toward the tunnel
Boris had used. “I think it’s just a matter of time before they figure out we’re
down here. I have a life I plan to live.”

“Fifty grand.” Boris took another sip of water. “Each.”

“Fuck.” The brunet paused, studying him. “You think she’s
worth a hundred grand? She’s a bitch. No guy is going to pay that and we were
just in their house. It’s nice but they aren’t rich. It’d be cheaper if he just
gets a new girlfriend. I sure wouldn’t pay that much for a piece of ass.”

“We’ll do it,” the blond said. “But we’re not prepared for
that. We’ll have to leave and come back. We’re going to need food, sleeping
bags, and I want more ammunition.” He reached behind him and withdrew a gun. “Not
just tranq darts. I’m getting some real firepower.”

“They’ll hear it if you fire a gun. That’s why I gave you
those.”

“The bastards will already know—they’ll
be
here if I
have to fire on them,” he spat, shaking his head in disgust.

Boris frowned. “Fine. One of you go, but one stays.”

“Screw that.” The blond shook his head. “He could just take
the money and not come back.”

His partner flipped him off. “Or you could.”

“You’re a team. You don’t trust each other?” Boris looked
disgusted.

“We work together but we aren’t friends.” The blond shifted
his stance. “Besides, I have my own weapons of choice, and don’t forget, I know
how dangerous those bastards are. I already lost one man going after that
bitch. We’ll need to be gone about two hours. I think you can handle her on
your own for that long. You better mean cash.” He glanced around the room. “I
refuse to take anything less to stay in this hellhole.”

“And we want to be paid tomorrow,” his partner demanded.

“I told you I’m being watched,” Boris protested. “It isn’t
easy to get that kind of cash so fast. I can get it for you by tomorrow night.
I’ll come back right after they think I’m in bed.”

“Fine.” The blond strode off with the second man following.

“Two hours,” Boris called out. “Hurry up.”

Boris smirked at Jeanie, coming closer but stopped about
four feet away. “You never could follow orders well. I told you not to go to
work that day. Did you listen? No. Look at the mess you’ve gotten us into.”

Her fingers curled around the chain of the handcuffs and she
wanted nothing better than to stand and swing the chair at him but the sound of
booted feet still could be heard as his two goons left. She couldn’t risk them
turning around if she hit Boris, no matter how much she wanted to do it.

She reached up with her free hand, feeling the back of the
gag. It was knotted in her hair, a wet tangled mess she tried to free.

“Don’t bother screaming. We’re about forty feet underground
in a location that only has road above us. No one lives nearby and it’s the
middle of the night. None of those crazy bastards are going to be out. You’ll
only make me angry.”

Using her free hand, she worked the gag loose, tearing out a
bit of her hair in the process. She spit it out of her mouth and tossed the
offensive thing aside. It hit the ground with a splat. She sucked in air and
wished she could brush her teeth. Her gaze sought Boris instead.

“Fuck you, Brice.” She decided not to reveal she knew his
real name yet.

His smile widened. “I assume you know I don’t really work
for the NSO by now, recovering the lost ones.”

“You were ransoming those locations for money.”

“Brilliant, wasn’t it?” He backed up and leaned against the
wall, just dropping his water on the floor. “I’m going to retire really soon
with a lot of money. Do they know who I really am or was the Fuller debacle the
reason they are watching me?”

He doesn’t know.
She decided to play dumb. “Fuller?
Why would that make them watch you?”

It was the right thing to say because he chuckled. “I run
it. Surprise! I should have fired some of the staff there. I knew they were
screwing around but I didn’t give a damn because it got me information from
time to time when I’d listen in on the Security feeds.”

“Is that how you found out about Cornas Research? Did you
ever really have a plant there or was that a lie too?”

He crossed one ankle over the other, getting comfortable. “Actually,
that was pure luck. One of the prisoners didn’t like her treatment at Fuller so
she complained to me. I told her I couldn’t help unless she gave me something
in return. Her sister worked at Mercile too but she’d decided to go out on her
own. The dumb bitch got busted with some of those animals but her sister wasn’t
as greedy. She took a job at Cornas to continue her research on those bastards
there. I sent you in to confirm they had some of them locked up.”

Hatred filled her but she hoped he’d tell her more. “How
many other people like me are there?”

“There’s no one like you, Jeanie. You were so damn gullible.”
He rolled his eyes and his voice turned high pitched. “I just want to save
them,” he mimicked. He shook his head. “Stupid do-gooder. What did it get you?
Shot and arrested. Then you had to go and fuck one of them. Do you know how
much money you’ve cost me by spreading your legs? A lot. You should have just
been transferred to my prison and that would have been the end of it. You would
have slipped and cracked your head open in the shower or had a food allergy
that killed you.”

“I’m not allergic to anything.”

“That’s not what the autopsy would have said.” He shoved
away from the wall. “That’s okay though. I’m going to do two more ransoms and
then I’m retiring. But it really pisses me off because I wasn’t done sticking
it to them for ruining my life. Those animals thought they could just throw me
out of Homeland, take my job and get away with it. I’m disappointed it’s ending
before I was ready to disappear. Too bad I couldn’t make those bastards suffer
more but I’ll just have to really enjoy these last few days I have left. No way
was I leaving without making sure you paid for that.”

“Two?” She knew he planned to use her but who was the other
person?

He nodded. “A woman Species. Those animals go nuts over the
small ones. They’ll do anything I ask to get her back. I had my guys go scout
out the place to make sure the tip was real and hired a private investigator to
keep an eye on the fat cat who owns her to make sure he doesn’t plan an
extended trip. The two of you together are going to be worth a lot of money. I
didn’t notice they had installed cameras until I’d already made some mistakes.
They might know about one of my bank accounts so I need to fatten up a new one.”

“A Gift?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You said small
New Species.”

“That’s what Mercile Industries called them. You really
fucked up my plans, Jeanie. I’m really angry about that.”

She bit back a smartass remark, glaring at him instead. The
urge was strong to batter him with the chair she was chained to but she wanted
to learn more first. She had two hours before his goons returned but she hoped
to be long gone before then.

“I hadn’t planned to retire this year but I had to get you
to Fuller to make sure you couldn’t tell them too much. They might be
suspicious of me right now and upset about how I ran the prison but they can’t
nail me on anything yet. I’ve had to accelerate my plan and will just have to
settle with what I’ve made so far and what I make off the two of you.”

“What were you worried the NSO would learn from me?” She
wanted to know if he’d confess his real name.

He just shook his head, smiling. It was annoying.

“So where is this Gift?”

“Like I’d tell you. I’m going to negotiate for her first
just to make sure you can’t tell them about her. That means you’re going to be
down here for a few days.” He snickered. “Not that you will be able to tell
them much of anything.”

“What does that mean?” A chill ran down her spine.

He paced a little by the tunnel and finally looked at her. “Do
you really think I’d tell you I run Fuller and just let you walk out of here?
It’s not happening. I want you to know that because you’ve made my life hell
since you were arrested. I’ve worried that they’d piece it together and they’d
grab me before I could board a flight bound for freedom. You have to pay for
that.”

Her hand tightened on the chain and she straightened in the
chair.

“I can’t believe you would come here.”
Right under
Homeland.
It gave her chills.
The guy is insane.

He laughed, looking every bit the part of a madman. “Do you
know how much I enjoy being right under their noses without their knowledge? It
proves I’m superior. Justice North will eventually figure it out. Justice for
Justice. Perfect, isn’t it?”

“You’re something, all right. What are you going to do with
me?”

“They’d smell a bomb on you, but poison? Doubtful. At least
not at first. I’ll just tell them you’re drugged when the exchange is made.
Dumb and Dumber, who just left, are going to get the blame for kidnapping you.
I know where both of them live so it’s just a matter of making a stop to
retrieve the money I’ll have to pay them. Neither one of them is smart enough
to stash it in an offshore account or hell, even a safe-deposit box. They
probably hide it under their mattresses or behind furniture.”

She watched him, waiting for an opportunity.

“You could tell those idiots of my plan but they won’t
believe you. I’ll just say you made threats and said how stupid they were that
you could turn them on me. That makes it even better.” He chuckled. “Being
warned and yet still getting caught. Sound familiar, Jeanie?”

She braced her feet on the floor, hoping he’d come closer.
All she had to do was wait until he turned a little. He wouldn’t be able to
move out of the way fast enough before she’d be on him. He outweighed her but
she was in better shape and had a weapon. She didn’t see one on him. The sweats
were baggy but he was too arrogant to think she’d attack. It was a bet she was
willing to risk her life on.

“You’re a spineless prick.”

He paused, staring at her. “You think your precious New
Species are better? Give me a break. Do you know how easy it’s been to
manipulate them? You have gullibility in common with them. You also wouldn’t
believe how stupid some of them can be about honor and shit. They just drop
money into an account if you show them any proof at all and they think they
might be able to recover more of their kind.”

“You wouldn’t know anything about honor, would you?”

“Nope. I don’t have that flaw.”

He seemed proud of that fact. Jeanie felt disgust.

Jerry Boris winked. “They ruined my life. It’s only fair
they pay for it. I had to create a whole new plan to get back some of what they
took away. I had a really sweet thing going on until you ruined it all. I
almost wish I could take you out with something really painful but it’s going
to have to be a slow-acting poison and you’ll need to be unconscious. At least
you’ll have a few days to mull that over and suffer, knowing your fate. I’m
also petty and spiteful, by the way.”