New Species 11 True (7 page)

“You admit you worked to gain our trust to use against us?”

“Let me handle this.” Jordan gripped 710’s shoulder. “I’ll
deal with her.”

710 bared his canines and growled. “Back off. She’s mine.”

Jordan released him, taking a step to the side. “Okay.”

Jeanie frowned. “I never used anything against you.”

“Why gain our trust? Why make us feel as if you cared?”

“I wanted you to know I was in your corner. I couldn’t
exactly say I was there trying to get you free. There were cameras everywhere
and if I ever whispered that fact to you, what if you let it slip to the guards
in anger or told another New Species to give them hope? I couldn’t risk it. Our
lives were at stake.”

“We need to find out what was on that mainframe,” Jordan
stated. “Focus on that.”

“Shut up, Jordan,” 710 snapped. “Don’t interfere.” He leaned
in closer. “Do you want to spill my blood now?” His gaze dipped to her lips and
he revealed his sharp canines again. “Do you need a reminder of who has the
worse bite?”

It wounded Jeanie’s feelings, seeing 710’s bitterness. “You
would win.” She didn’t think he’d use his teeth on her though. He could have
while he was chained at Drackwood if the urge had ever surfaced. “I don’t want
your blood, 710. I never did.”

“What was the purpose of gaining our trust?”

“I told you.”

“What did Polanitis hope to gain? What kind of information
were you trying to get from us? What was the angle?”

“There was none. I just wanted you to have hope and not give
up in that hell. I wanted that for all of you. I was fighting for you whether
you knew it or not.”

“Are there backup files of the ones you destroyed?”

“I don’t know.” She slumped in her seat, disheartened by his
lack of confidence in her word. “That was way above my paygrade. I only fried
the computer to keep the New Species alive until the SWAT team arrived.” She
peered into his beautiful eyes. “I’m telling you the truth. I was working with
Agent Terry Brice. You need to call him and clear this up. I was working with
the NSO this entire time.”

The team member still holding her wrists snorted. “Lady,
stop now while you’re ahead. You’re digging a bigger hole to get buried in.”

She didn’t bother to glance at him, instead keeping her
focus on 710. He rose to his feet and backed away. “Take over, Jordan. I don’t
want to lose my temper and I’m about to.”

Jeanie wanted to wake from the nightmare but it wasn’t a bad
dream. 710 thought the worst of her and it didn’t matter that it would be
cleared up in time. Agent Brice would hear about her arrest and show up to set
things right. It still hurt. The task force team member crouched down in front
of her again.

“Help us link Mercile Industries to Cornas Research or you’ll
be sent to Fuller. The jerks who run it will make you wish you’d cooperated
with us. They aren’t much nicer to prisoners there than your coworkers treated
New Species. You’ll be locked inside a six-by-five cell with bars for walls.
You’ll never see daylight again or know a moment of privacy. They don’t even
have windows there.”

Hot tears threatened but she refused to cry. “What is
Fuller?”

“It’s a prison for criminals who commit crimes against New
Species. It will make regular prison seem like a vacation in the Bahamas. You’ll
never get out of there until you’re in a body bag on the way to the funeral
home of your family’s choice. No court dates, no parole, and no visits from
anyone.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his cold eyes. “No phone calls. No
contact with the outside world. No television, radio, or internet. You’ll spend
the rest of your damn life suffering as New Species suffered. Play ball with me
by giving up all the information I want or you’re on the next transport there.”

“Call Agent Terry Brice. Please? He’ll tell you who I am and
this will be cleared up. His number is—”

He cupped her side again, his thumb pressing against her
wound enough to make her cry out. “There is no damn Agent Brice. Stop fucking
with me.”

“Enough,” 710 snarled.

“Stop, Jordan,” Trey Roberts commanded.

“There is,” she blurted, leaning closer to Jordan, angry and
in pain. “He’s visited me many times and I’m tired of this bullshit. Find him.
Just call his cell. I know the number by heart. I was too afraid to write it
down in case my apartment was searched again.”

“Again?”

“They do that to employees. They search our homes, our cars
and even check our phone records to see who we contact. I’m pretty sure they
even bug our homes and phone lines so they can hear every word we say. I found
a few in my apartment once, at least I think they were bugs. I didn’t dare
touch them. I was always very careful or I’d never have survived this long.
They would have killed me if they even suspected I worked with the NSO.”

Trey Roberts stepped into the light. “She looks so sincere
and outraged.” He turned his head, stared at 710. “She’s either telling the
truth or she’s the best liar I’ve ever seen. I’ve met CIA operatives with less
talent for staying in character when they are deep undercover.”

“This is so stupid,” she protested. “Just find Agent Terry
Brice already.”

Trey took a few steps closer and sighed. “There is no Terry
Brice. Jordan is having a hard time believing your story because it doesn’t
make sense. The SWAT team didn’t hit that building. We did. The NSO doesn’t
need a judge to get a search warrant. We think New Species are being held
somewhere, even suspect they might be there, and we can gather at least four
teams within an hour to tear any place apart.”

Her mind blanked for a second, trying to make sense of what
he said. It didn’t.

“We have three helicopters at our disposal at all times and
can get them in the air within an hour with our teams fully prepared to
converge on a location. We’ve done it and I have to admit I’m always a little
impressed with our quick response time. We don’t have to follow the letter of
the law. New Species are exempt from that red tape when it comes to recovering
other ones.” He held up a hand and fisted it, straightening one finger.

“Your first mistake was saying you contacted the tip line.
If you had, we’d have torn Drackwood apart a brick at a time to search every
inch of it for New Species.” Another finger went up. “Your second mistake was
saying the name of this supposed agent because I train with each and every
member of the task force who are involved with Species. There is no such
person. You can’t even claim he’s from another agency because we’re it when it
comes to the NSO. Shit doesn’t go down without our approval and knowledge. It’s
a presidential order for any outside agency to report to my boss immediately
and pass all information that involves New Species directly to him. No such
call was made to Tim or number one would have happened. We’d have ripped
Drackwood apart just the way we did Cornas. We got the tip about it and were
there within four hours.”

Jeanie believed him. She ignored the throbbing pain in her
side that Jordan had caused, staring up at Trey Roberts in a daze. “I don’t
understand. He had a badge and knew all the information I gave the NSO. He had
the number for the disposable cell I bought. No one had that except where I
left it in the message.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jordan snorted. “She’s going to play this
game to the end. Let’s just call Fuller for a pick-up before I lose my temper.
I’ve never decked a woman in my life but I’m tempted to make her the first.”

“I’m trying to help you, believe it or not,” Trey whispered.
“We’re under orders not to hurt you but we don’t run Fuller. Make a deal with
us or they’ll interrogate you. New Species don’t hurt women but we’re not that
squeamish. You’re just going to be a number in prison.”

“I’m telling you the truth. I swear.” Desperation set in. “I
get that it doesn’t make sense if what you’ve said is true but that’s how it
happened. He said he was an agent, had a badge, and I thought I was working for
the NSO. I wanted to get those New Species freed.”

“I can break her,” Jordon swore. “Give me five minutes alone
with her.”

“No way in hell,” Trey answered. “I won’t allow that to
happen. You were already too rough with her. It’s one thing to make threats to
create fear but another to rough her up. You’d know everyone in here agrees
with that if you’d take a second to glance around at the dirty looks you’re
getting.”

“I’ll call Fuller for a pick-up then,” Jordan warned before
turning his angry stare on Jeanie. “Bye, sweetheart. These are the last
friendly faces you’ll see. I suggest you look long and hard out any window
inside that van since it’s also the last time you’ll see anything without bars
blocking the view.”

“That’s not accurate.” 710 drew her attention. “Dean
Polanitis is there so you will be able to see him again every day. I am certain
he will be happy to see you since you both will have a lot of catching up to
do.”

That information was an emotional blow to Jeanie. Even
hearing Dean Polanitis’ name made her break out in a cold sweat of terror. They
were taking her to where he was being held. She’d have to see him again. All
the nightmares, the sleepless nights and constant anxiety of the possibility
that he might escape one day slammed home hard.

Dean Polanitis would kill her, no matter what it took. He
had to know she was the reason he’d been arrested and Drackwood taken down.
Flashbacks of the horrible things done to her caused a full-blown panic attack
to strike. She was right back in that horrible lab room, restrained to a
gurney, seeing his cruel smile as he watched her being injected with drugs. The
pain she’d suffered seemed to amuse him and Dr. Brask. He’d be at that prison
too.

Jeanie couldn’t stop herself from freaking out, recognizing
the signs when she began to pant. She struggled with the task member holding
her wrists behind her back, not caring if he broke her arms. She just needed to
get away, to find a dark corner and curl into a ball.

“No! No!” she got out, throwing her head back.

True turned away, angry that he’d been so completely fooled
by Jeanie Shiver in the past. It was a poor excuse that he’d been a prisoner at
the time, the lowest point of his life. The connection he’d felt toward her had
been a lie, a ploy on her part.

It was cold consolation that the coconspirators would be
kept so close yet so far away. Polanitis had been evil and Shiver was as guilty
as the male. It seemed fitting that she’d suffer the same fate. True just
wanted out of the basement, away from her and the past.

He had taken three steps when she cried out and her screams
began. He spun, saw her thrown out of the chair. Chris had done it, his hands
going to his bloody nose as he cursed. Trey and Jordan reacted by attempting to
grab her but she rolled, clawing her way to her feet. She lurched on unsteady
feet right into Jericho. He tensed when the male tried to hold her still by
gripping her hips.

She screamed again and her hands fisted, frantically beating
on the male’s chest. True stalked closer, knowing the male could restrain her.
Her knee lifted and the primate snarled, caught off guard. True winced,
understanding she’d scored a direct hit when the male released her and fell
back to grab the front of his pants. He could have struck her on his way down
but he knew the male purposely resisted hitting a female. She was small enough
to kill with one blow.

Chris recovered first, blood all over his lower face and
hands as he rushed up behind her, his intention clear—to tackle Shiver. Rage
twisted the human’s face and True snarled, sure the male would cause her great
harm.

“Don’t!” He rushed forward, moving faster than the human. He
hooked an arm around her ribs and barely swung her out of the way when the task
force member ignored his order. The other male brushed against his side from
the near collision, on his way to hitting the floor as True whisked her beyond
his grasp.

True lifted Jeanie into his arms as she screamed again. Her
legs kicked wildly and her fists flailed the air. He glanced around, searching
for somewhere to take her that she couldn’t be hurt if he put her down. There
was nowhere. She bucked in his arms and it was difficult to keep hold of her.

He just dropped to the floor, her ass on his lap where he
sat. A snarl tore past his lips as he adjusted his grip on her and managed to
pin her arms over her breasts by hugging her against his chest, one hand
pressing them down over her ribs to keep them contained between their bodies.
His other hand fisted in her wet hair near the base of her neck as he leaned
forward, glaring at her when he managed to keep her from tossing her head.

“Enough!” he roared. “Stop.” He winced when one of her
flailing feet hit the concrete but he protected her head from the same fate.

She stilled in his arms as her struggles ceased. The way she
looked at him with pure terror was something he’d hoped to never see. He
inhaled, almost choking on the scent of her fear. It had to be a very strong
emotion for him to smell it, which assured him of the sincerity of her
response. A human couldn’t fake those kinds of extreme physical reactions that
could be picked up by Species senses. The rapid rise and fall of her chest
reminded him of the danger of her having a heart attack. Had the drug she’d
been given caused some type of damage? She panted, seemingly unable to catch
her breath.

He cleared his throat, softened his tone. “Easy. Breathe in
and out. Slow it down.”

She stared into his eyes as if he were a lifeline but
responded by licking her lips, obviously attempting to do as he instructed.

“Get the damn medic!” Trey yelled. “Now!”

“I’ll be fine,” Jericho growled low, sitting up, but kept
one hand over the front of his groin in a protective gesture. “It hurts like
hell but give me a minute.”

“It’s not for you. The female is in distress.” Flame kept
his distance. “I can smell her.”

“The bitch is nuts,” Chris muttered, pushing himself off the
floor to a sitting position. He shot a glare at True. “I think she broke my
nose when she threw her head back into my face and I probably just busted my
lip when I kissed the floor. I would have had her if True hadn’t interfered.”

“You hit the floor hard,” Flame pointed out. “That looked
painful.”

“Fuck you.” The human stayed on the floor and checked out
his palms. “Great. They are bleeding too.”

“How can you tell? They were already covered in blood.”

“Shut up, Flame.”

“Both of you shut it,” Trey demanded, staring at True. “Is
she okay? So much for thinking she shouldn’t be in handcuffs or that she’d
avoid a physical altercation with us.” He spun around to glare at Jordan. “I
told you to reel it back, goddamn it. She’s not ex-military or some thug. Women
snap under too much pressure. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

True dipped his head, staring into Shiver’s eyes. She still
peered up at him, her pupils dilated. He eased his hold. Her breathing seeming
to slow to a more normal rate.

“Please,” Shiver whispered, now limp in his arms. “Don’t let
him near me.”

He frowned, shooting a glare at Chris. The male could have
hurt her if he’d succeeded with the tackle. She was no match for his heavier
body and slamming her into the concrete floor could have caused a lot of
damage.

“He won’t touch you.”

“I can’t take it.”

He frowned, wondering if she was having flashbacks to when
she’d been arrested. He silently swore that Chris would be pulled off any
duties that involved females until he had better training. She never should
have been treated with such disregard. The near-death experience had left her
traumatized.

“You won’t be harmed. Just keep breathing slow and steady.”

The elevator opened and Midnight rushed forward. She took in
the scene with a grim expression and approached him quickly with a syringe. He
adjusted his arms to lift Shiver a little more toward him to give the nurse
free access to the back of the female. Midnight crouched.

“This will keep her really mellow,” Midnight promised, using
an alcohol swab to rub a spot on Shiver’s thigh and gently inserted the needle.
“It’s fast acting. It won’t knock her out but she won’t cause more trouble. Do
you want to carry her or should I have Paul bring a wheelchair? She won’t be
able to walk in a few seconds. It’s going to make her a bit drowsy and a lot
loopy. No more escape plans will be forming in her brain.”

“I’ll carry her.” True wasn’t about to hand her over to any
of the other males.

The female nodded and tugged on the gowns that encased
Shiver, tucking some of the fabric between his forearm and her thighs. Midnight
leaned in. “You don’t want to keep her exposed. She’s bare under the gown.”

He gnashed his teeth in anger. No one else had mentioned
that. The dimness of the room where he now sat would account for the humans not
seeing her exposed body too clearly but the Species males were another matter.
Jericho seemed oblivious as he recovered from having his nuts smashed but Flame
had no excuse. He glared at the male.

Flame raised his arms. “I saw nothing. My hearing is great
but my eyes totally were blind to the fact that she mostly shaves it all off.”

“Congratulations,” Midnight muttered, turning to the
redheaded male. “You sound so human.”

“Thanks.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.” She glanced back at True. “Follow
me. We’ll get her settled back into bed.” She straightened.

“She’s being transferred to Fuller.” Trey came closer. “Doc
Harris gave the green light that she was to be released to them after we were
done here. Their new doc will keep a close eye on her for the next few weeks.
It will take them about an hour to send a van. Talk to her and see if you can
get real answers. She couldn’t even handle Jordan being an asshole. I don’t
want to think about her going there.”

Movement in his arms caused True to look down. Shiver
wiggled one of her hands free from between their bodies and clutched at his
shirt. He tensed, expecting her to claw at him, put up another fight. She didn’t.
Her eyes widened as she stared up at him.

“Please don’t let him kill me.” Her words slurred a little.

“He won’t.” True was definitely going to have a talk with
Tim Oberto about Chris.

“Nobody here will,” Trey swore too. “We just planned to
scare some answers out of you but Jordan took it too far. I swear we would have
stepped in if he’d tried to hit you.”

Tears filled her eyes and True hated to see them. She looked
so fragile and weak at that moment. He resisted the urge to adjust his hold to
brush them away as the wet drops slid from the corners of her eyes. One landed
on his bare upper arm where he still kept hold of her head, now keeping it from
slumping rather than from thrashing around.

“I did it for you. I saved you.” Shiver’s words were still
slurred. “I…hurt for you.”

“I may have given her too much,” Midnight assessed. “Dr.
Harris left to speak with Justice so I just grabbed one of the sedatives from
the cabinet. I only injected her with half but it may have been too strong.”

“Is she in danger of overdose?” Instant concern for her
safety plagued True.

“No. She may pass out though or be extremely dopey.”

He nodded sharply. “Okay.”

“It isn’t.” Shiver released his shirt and lifted her hand
higher, her fingers brushing his jawline. “Never going to be okay again.”

“We’ll put her in bed until the van arrives. They can take
her, gurney and all.” Midnight spun around, striding toward the elevator.

True lifted his chin out of Shiver’s reach. Her fingertips
stroking him did odd things to his body and he refused to allow her to get to
him. Flame approached and reached down, gripping his upper arm. Jericho
recovered enough to move to his other side, mimicking the action. Both males
helped pull him to his feet so he didn’t have to release the female. He gave
one quick nod of thanks before following Midnight.

“I wake up screaming.”

True halted, looking down at her. Her tears slid down her
face when she blinked up at him. A tightness constricted his chest. He hated to
see her so desolate.

“He hurt me so much but it was for you. That’s how I
survived.”

“You’re fine now.” He wanted to reassure her.

“I’m not. Stupid panic attacks.” Her hand lifted and she
placed it on his neck. “Thought I was past them. Haven’t had one in months.”

She suffers panic attacks?
He frowned, watching her
face.

“Please don’t let him get near me.”

“Chris won’t be allowed near you.”

“Polanitis,” she muttered, closing her eyes. “He’ll kill me
if he gets the chance.”

Every muscle in his body stiffened. “What?”

Her eyes opened, shimmering with new tears. “He’ll be so
angry. Don’t let him near me. I’m dead.”

Anger rose and it burned. “Your close friend will be happy
to see you.”

Her gaze widened and her lips parted. “What?”

“Your friend will be happy to see you,” he repeated.

She shivered in his arms and turned her head, burying her
face against his chest. “You smell good.”

His dick twitched and he ground his teeth together, walking
again toward the elevator. Midnight waited, keeping the doors open. She
wrinkled her nose when she pushed the button for the floor above them, punching
in the code to activate the lift.

“She needs another shower. I take it you scared her. Did you
get the information you needed? The stench of her fear is strong.”

“She doesn’t smell bad.”

Midnight shrugged. “It does to me. It’s sickly sweet.”

He inhaled, hating the way his lower half was still engaged.
The semi hard-on wasn’t welcome, nor was the desire to run his nose along
Shiver’s throat. He wanted to cover her with his body until she felt protected
and the scent faded from her skin. The urge to lick her to get a taste
irritated him. It was the animal instincts, he recognized, but it didn’t sit
well with the rational part of him.

Shiver turned her head, staring up at him again.

“You didn’t answer my question. Did you get the information
from the female?” Midnight stepped out of the elevator when the doors opened,
leading back to the patient rooms.

“No. She’s being sent to Fuller. They’ll try to gain
information we couldn’t.”

“That place gives me the creeps.” Midnight pointed to the
bed. “Just put her on that and I’ll at least give her a sponge bath. Stay put
until I return. I may as well change her clothing too. They just sent over
sweats that should fit her.”

“The humans won’t notice how she scents.”

“I will and I am the one left to babysit her until the van
arrives. She shouldn’t be left alone. I’ll be right back.”

True gently eased Shiver down on the bed and tried to let
her go but she fisted his shirt with both hands. She pulled, drawing him closer
until his mouth was way too close to hers. He breathed through it instead of
his nose, guessing she’d smell even more tempting at that close range. He gazed
into her eyes, surprised to see fear there again.

“Please protect me. I did you.”

He reached up and cupped her cheek. Her skin was soft, too
much so. He wanted to stroke it. “You’re heavily drugged but safe.”

“I heard her. Don’t send me where Polanitis is.” She
whimpered. “I’m dead if you do.”

“You won’t be killed. We don’t do that to females.”

She struggled to sit up and he backed away a little,
watching her as she seemed to also fight the drug in her system. Her gaze
sharpened a little as she frantically looked around. “Hide me.”

“Jeanie.” Using her first name seemed appropriate at that
moment and odd at the same time. “Lie back down.”

She grabbed his hand with both of hers, clinging to it. “I
saved you.”

“You’ve said that.”

“You don’t believe me.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “How can
you do this to me after what I’ve done?”