Instinct Ascending: Rabids Book 2

by Amy Cook

  An idea forming, Harley had grabbed a couple of the gadgets from his side bags and snuck closer to the hotel. Pulling out three of the disks, he’d activated them, teeth clenching against the noise they emitted as he set them up at a nearby abandoned building. Then all that was left to do was hide and wait, hoping there were Rabids nearby, and enough of them to do the job.

  The gadgets were an invention he used on occasion, to draw Rabids to him. It came in handy when he sensed a possible ambush ahead and didn’t dare venture closer. He’d set off one of those doodads and the Rabids would hear it and come outta the woodwork.

  The sound was too high-pitched for Clean ears to consciously recognize, though eventually it gave them headaches. Hybrids and Rabids were a different story. It was a high-pitched screaming sound, meant to give off the impression of distress — worked a lot like the distress calls hunters used when looking to draw in wildlife predators to target. Only this hunter was hunting Rabids. And this time, the hunter was looking for more of a distraction than a hunt. He’d used three in hopes that the increased number would cause the sound to travel farther and draw more attention.

  A full hour had passed, and by the time the first Rabid had shown up, Harley was ready to claw his ears off. The Cuts had started shouting the alarm as a whole drove of Rabids came over the hilltops. And of course, once the Rabids had seen the Cuts, they’d lost all interest in the sound of his doodads. And then all hell had broken loose. While the Cuts and Rabids fought, Harley had climbed the hotel walls, searching the windows as he scaled the multilevel roofs, scenting as best he could. Finally he’d found his pop’s scent and climbed through a window. Following the scent had led him to find Tandy holed away in a crawl space at the top of the hotel. The fight had moved inside by then, where more hell broke loose. Which had led them to where they were now.

  “I got run outta town.” Tandy sighed heavily. “Luckily, I had some warning ahead of time and sent my stuff on before me. But it was a hell of a fight gettin’ outta there.”

  “Who was it?” Harley growled, eager to send heads rolling. Tandy’s eyes turned guarded.

  “Don’t matter. Suffice it to say, I got enemies everywhere, and this particular enemy has connections.”

  Harley sighed, knowing he wouldn’t get any more answers on that part of the story. He let it go for now.

  “Anyways, I managed to get out, though I was worse for wear on the way out. Fought my way across till I got here. It’s a safe house for travel agents. Or it was. My enemy hired Cuts to look for me; knowin’ I was too far for their grasp, they sent someone else to do the dirty work.” Tandy spat in disgust.

  “They found us here, and attacked, killin’ everyone off or tryin’ to torture ’em. Cuts wanted more than just me. There’s plenty of other bounties out there for agents. I hid myself away in the rafters and called ya in for help.”

  “So what now? When we get ya outta here. You comin’ back to Dallas with me?”

  “Naw, too dangerous. I ain’t leadin’ my troubles your way. Got a place over in Colorado I can hide out in. At least till this all blows over.”

  “I’ll help ya get there.”

  “Y’all can’t be away much longer, or they’ll get down on ya,” Tandy argued. “Just help me get an hour or two away, and we’ll be good.”

  “I’ll take ya there, or I’ll hog tie ya and take ya. Which way’d you prefer?” Harley frowned. Tandy frowned back. They held those frowns for a good five minutes before Tandy waved him off.

  “Ah, you’re a stubborn mule.”

  “I come by it naturally.” Harley smirked.

  Over the next twenty-four hours, Harley peeked out the curtain hourly, tracking the whereabouts of their enemies. They waited until darkness fell on the second day in hiding before they tempted their luck and snuck out of the cave. Tandy had packed Harley’s car full of supplies, and drove it out the entrance. Apparently, after taking Amiel to Texas, the old man had replaced the window she broke — and, while he was at it, put a new engine in, too.

  “Reliving sentimental value of memories workin’ on a project together,” he’d explained to Harley with a proud smile. Tandy dropped Harley off at his bike, and together they started the trek toward Tandy’s hideaway in Colorado, managing to slip away under the radar of Cuts and Rabids alike.

  Chapter 38

  Charleen

  Charleen paused in the mess hall, nostrils flaring. Snarl on her lips, she kept walking, and her shadow followed. Finally having enough, Charleen spun, catching Greer by the neck and slamming him into the wall. The hand on his neck constricted while her free hand constricted an equally important area below the belt. Greer squeaked in protest, eyes flying wide as she threatened to turn him into a eunuch.

  “Why are you following me, Greer?”

  “I just wanted to ask you about some juicy gossip I heard, my QueenLeader.”

  “I hate rumors,” Charleen snarled, squeezing harder. Greer’s legs spasmed and he jerked against her hold. It didn’t get him far.

  “Kyree started it!” he gasped, trying to save his own skin.

  “I don’t much care for Kyree, either.”

  Greer struggled harder, knowing he wasn’t winning himself any battles here. “It’s about the girl!”

  Charleen’s eyes narrowed, mind swiftly sifting through her options. “Keep your tone down!” Charleen growled, eyes flaring wider with an expansion of power that had Greer sniveling. “What girl?”

  “The one your Second has been doting on for months now. The one that Kyree says is an unmarked Hybrid.”

  “Are you on drugs, Greer?” Charleen sniffed him. “You know what happens to Hybrids discovered to be using drugs.”

  “No! I swear! But your Second must be. What would Foundation say about him running all around town with an unmarked Hybrid?”

  Charleen growled, slamming Greer against the wall again, much harder this time.

  “If you so much as whisper a word about that girl, or my Second, if you even think their names, I will ram my hand down your throat and rip your stomach out from the inside. Do you understand?”

  “I won’t whisper a word, my QueenLeader. But what’s to stop others from talking to Foundation about this? The rumors are circulating.”

  Charleen’s hand grabbed the underside of Greer’s jaw, squeezing. “I wonder how easy it is to spread rumors without a jaw?”

  Greer winced and whimpered at the increased pressure on his jaw.

  “Now Greer, I have a job for you. Start circulating your own message, and rest assured there is no rumor to it. Everyone stays away from the girl. You don’t talk to her, or about her. You don’t so much as breathe in the same mile as her. Or I will eviscerate each and every one of you until you learn your place!”

  Greer was a whimpering mess by the time she released him. He crumpled to the floor and she turned, taking in the entire room of Hybrids that watched with interest. She knew they had all been listening in on her exchange with Greer. She released an infuriated roar, making sure they all felt the power of her command and threat. She waited until each one of them shrank down in their seats, showing their submission, before her eyes sought out Kyree. The woman’s eyes widened, and she sank even deeper into the chair.

  “If I hear so much as a whisper out of you again, I will personally leave what’s left of your carcass for the Rabids to pick at.”

  Kyree instantly fell to the floor, silently groveling. Charleen’s gaze swept to take in the room.

  “Anyone who gives that worm their ear will lose it!” Her growl echoed around the walls. Heads bobbed lower in a sign of fealty, and she turned her back, stoically walking from the room, showing she had not an ounce of fear of any of them. Leaving the cafeteria, Charleen released a heavy sigh. Harley had better hurry up and get back. The others were getting antsy to take his place.

  Chapter 39

  Amiel

  Amiel stared down at her phone for the hundredth time. And then Harley’s words rang in her
ears for the thousandth time. “We’re done. Too dangerous.” His phone had been turned off since then: six days ago. She hadn’t heard a word out of Cajun or Charleen either. Except for the time she sent Charleen a tentative text, asking if they were going to meet up. To which she received a single, abrupt reply.

  “No. Stop texting.”

  Shoving the phone into her apron, Amiel pushed the tears back. There had to be an explanation for this. Harley wouldn’t just leave her high and dry. Charleen wouldn’t just cut her off. She hadn’t done anything to break their friendships. Had she? Maybe they were just busy, and here she was bothering them. They had a lot on their shoulders, after all. Her jaw clenched as she stared down at her hands. They shook against the countertop, an uncontrollable tremor that had only been worsening all night. She quickly shoved them under her arms in an effort to hide their seizures when Joyce walked up to the register with a smile. Amiel smiled back, before excusing herself.

  She pushed her way into the employee bathroom in the locker room, locked the door and leaned on the sink. That nervous energy was bouncing around inside her head again… the one that signaled her other side was on the verge of going night-stalking.

  The week Harley had been forced to stay in the Skirts as punishment, she hadn’t patrolled once. Charleen’s meditation had helped, but it was a huge relief when Harley took her out for a night of patrol. Bringing down that giant had really taken the edge off. But now, she’d been through another week-long dry spell, and her other side was getting seriously miffed. Amiel’s heart was skittering wildly, and she often caught herself on the verge of hyperventilating. Like right now, for instance. Amiel stared in the mirror, gasping slightly at the dilated state of her eyes.

  “Knock it off!” she whispered angrily at the reflection. Her pupils pulsed in the mirror, and she growled in annoyance, scrubbing at her eyes. “Don’t do that! It tickles and it’s creepy!” They pulsed again in rebellion. “Uggh! Stop angsting at me for something I can’t control! It’s not my choice that this patrol crap stopped!”

  “If it’s not your fault, why did they leave you?” A snippy tone sounded in her head, and she wasn’t sure if it was the tags, Malinda’s voice, or Amiel’s own self-consciousness. Amiel gripped her head against the pounding that stirred to life within.

  “They didn’t leave me! There has to be some reasonable explanation. There has to be!” She slumped over the sink, splashing cold water in her face. Aside from the Hybrid jitters, Amiel’s heart ached for a whole set of other reasons. She’d looked at the calendar to check her schedule tonight, and the date had jumped out, sucker-punching her. She’d literally doubled over in that moment. As of midnight, it was officially Jaron’s birthday. And, like the great sister she was, she hadn’t even realized it until that moment. What kind of person was she, that she forgot her brother’s birthday, only months after his death? A knock at the door startled her.

  “What?” she called out with a shaky voice, wiping her face with a paper towel.

  “Hun? There’s a guy out here askin’ for ya.”

  Amiel’s head snapped up at Joyce’s tentative statement.

  “Should I tell him y’all went on break?”

  “No!” Amiel yanked open the door, her smile back in place, hoping it was Harley. The smile sobered when she realized the tags weren’t buzzing. It couldn’t be Harley. Or Cajun. The smile returned. Maybe it was Pell with news. Joyce eyed her carefully.

  “Suga… are you okay? Ya look awful pale.”

  Amiel danced out of the way when Joyce moved to feel her forehead.

  “No. I’m fine. Just… cramps.”

  Joyce’s face immediately filled with sympathy. “Sucks bein’ a woman some days, don’t it?”

  “Tell me about it,” Amiel muttered, before heading out the door. Her eyes searched the restaurant, finally catching on a blond head, and blue eyes.

  “Alexander!” Amiel called excitedly, pushing under the trap door in the counter to wrap him in a hearty hug. Alexander chuckled, clearly taken off guard. Nevertheless, he patted her gently on the back.

  “Hello, Amiel.”

  She pulled away, blushing but too excited to see a familiar, happy face to contain herself. “Oh, gosh, it’s so great to see you again, Alexander!”

  He cleared his throat, cheeks tinged with red when she pulled away. A couple of people sitting in the booths snickered, and Amiel’s eyes widened when she realized they were his men.

  “Oh, I mean Greysen.” She winced, offering an apologetic whisper. “Sorry.”

  Alexander shook his head with a grin. “No worries, Amiel. They’re just jealous. The only time a girl is happy to see them, is to see them leaving.” A groan of disagreement chorused from the others, and Amiel grinned, glad she hadn’t gotten him in trouble with his men.

  She beamed up at Alexander, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders at his presence. Over the months since he’d helped her enter the city, she had received one text making sure she had settled in okay, and one letter letting her know that his cell had been destroyed. In this world, unless you were a dealer on the black market, phones were a difficult commodity to come by. Therefore he had sent the letter, knowing it would be a while before he got his hands on another one. She hadn’t heard from him since then, almost a month ago.

  “It is so good to see you,” she repeated. “I was worried when I hadn’t heard from you.”

  “Unfortunately the military doesn’t rank very high on the list of those in need of cells. We’ve got radios to call in if we need to, and that’s good enough. I’ve been saving up for a new one.”

  A girl in the back scoffed, a dark glare on her face when Amiel met her gaze. Amiel’s brow rose, realizing the girl’s anger was directed at her. Alexander wrapped an arm around her, protectively drawing her in to his side, motioning at the others.

  “You lot go have some fun. We roll out at 0400. Be here or walk back to base.”

  The soldiers left with excited cheers, fighting with one another to get through the door. The girl with the dark glare was the last to leave, her gaze burning holes through Amiel. Alexander turned, blocking the girl from view, a bright smile on his face.

  “So! I promised to come by and check up on you, and here I am, finally.”

  Amiel smiled, putting the angry girl out of her mind. “Thank you for checking in on me.”

  “Do you have time to sit and talk?”

  Joyce piped up, clearly listening in to the whole conversation. “Of course she does! It’s her break time anyways, ain’t it, Amiel?” Joyce winked, shooing her away. Amiel had already taken her break, actually, but if Joyce was offering another, she’d eagerly use it. Stint hadn’t been in all night, so she could safely get away with it.

  “What would you like to eat, Alexander?” Joyce grinned down cheekily at him as he sat.

  “Any suggestions?”

  Joyce beamed, clearly pleased he’d asked. “Donut dips are a big deal ’round here, if you ain’t impartial to havin’ so much sugar in the middle of the night.”

  Greysen laughed, ordering a large plate of donut dips as well as orange juice, a side of eggs, sausage, and biscuits with gravy. Joyce spun away, merrily ordering their food before heading off to the other patrons.

  Amiel and Greysen chatted over the casual things most people discuss when first seeing one another after a long separation, or in a new friendship. When the food arrived, he dove into more serious matters.

  “Have you found anyone to teach you self-defense?”

  Amiel felt her stomach flounder slightly. “Yes. I have. He’s a very nice man. Kind of a soldier like you, actually. His name is Harley. He has a gym just a few blocks from here, and we train almost every day. And it has even helped with the… with the tag issue we discussed last time I saw you.” She glanced around, assuring herself their conversation was still private. Alexander nodded slowly, not sure what to make of her somewhat glum expression.

  “That’s good, right?”

&
nbsp; “Yes. It is.”

  His brow furrowed, as he carefully studied her expression. “But you don’t love the training?”

  “Oh, no. I do love it. I love it a lot.” She bit her lips against the burning in her eyes. “Sorry, I’m just having kind of an off day today.”

  His head dipped, and he pushed his food around the plate. “Me, too. That’s actually a big reason why I’m here.” His eyes rose to meet hers. “You shouldn’t have to be alone right now.” A lump formed in her throat, choking her. Alexander had come to comfort her on Jaron’s birthday. He’d remembered.

  “I forgot until tonight,” she confessed with a quiet whisper, the tears overflowing as she stared at her hands. “I looked at the calendar and it hit me. I was so caught up in my own world, I didn’t even think about it. And now I feel like the biggest jerk in the world. Who does that? What kind of horrible person must I be?”

  Alexander moved around the booth to sit by her, pulling her into his arms. “Now, now, don’t think like that.”

  “But it’s true! How could I be so selfish?” She sobbed.

  “You’re not selfish, Amiel. You’re living your life, just like Jaron would want you to. He’d want you to be so busy you got wrapped up in living and forgot the sadness his death brought you. You know he would.”

  “He would. And that’s exactly why I need to remember him. He deserves more than that.” She sobbed against his fatigues, all the stress and anxiety of the week pouring out in one big mess. He grabbed her a couple of napkins from the box on the table, handing them to her so she could somewhat clean her face up between bouts of sobs. He held her close, though there was nothing but an awkward, brotherly sort of love in that grasp. She found herself wondering if he’d left a sister of his own behind, somewhere along the way. She finally pulled away, dabbing at her eyes.