True

by Laurann Dohner

  True gave the male a grateful look for backing him up before turning his head and growling at the doctor. “She belongs to the NSO now. You stated it. Do what we say. Stop giving her the drug.”

  “You do work for us.” Jericho’s voice deepened. “That’s an order.”

  “I’m on it.” Paul removed the bag he’d just hung. “I’ll go get plain saline. Let’s not fight. I don’t want to get my ass kicked,” he muttered. The nurse rushed around them and fled the room.

  “I’m calling Justice.”

  “You do that.” True wasn’t concerned with Harris’ threat. “Tell him it could have killed her. I’m sure he won’t be happy.”

  The doctor stomped out of the room and True relaxed, looking at the primate male, Jericho. “Thank you.”

  The other male shrugged. “My job is to protect and keep her safe. I fail if she dies.” He glanced at the bed. “I heard she once worked where you were held.”

  “She did.”

  “You want her to survive to experience the suffering you once lived with daily? Fuller is run by humans. She’ll learn to regret all she’s done.”

  “She wasn’t like the other technicians.” He studied Shiver, resisting the urge to step closer.

  “How so?”

  True hesitated. “She wasn’t callous or cruel.”

  “A polite technician?”

  True shrugged. “She was different.”

  “Different how?”

  The questions began to annoy him but he owed the male a debt. He faced him, crossing his arms over his chest. “She brought me pain pills without the guards’ knowledge a few times after I suffered severe beatings. She also sneaked in candy, saying it was Christmas. I didn’t know what that meant at the time but I liked the sweetness of it. No one had ever given me a gift before.”

  The male’s eyes widened, revealing more of the red in the irises. “What did she want in return?”

  True looked at her. “She asked for nothing.”

  “Odd. Mercile never did anything without a motive.”

  “Yes.”

  “She escaped when you were rescued?”

  “She wasn’t there. I reviewed the statements taken from all employees that were captured. She’d called in sick that day.”

  “That was unfortunate.”

  “Not for her.” True couldn’t stay across the room anymore and dropped his arms to his sides, drawing closer to Shiver. “She remained free to work in another place our people were kept.”

  “She was finally captured.”

  And almost killed. He kept silent.

  “I’ll return to the hall.” Jericho paused by the door. “You might want to hide your emotions better.”

  He spun around. “What does that mean?”

  The male cocked his head, staring back at him. “You should be filled with rage but that’s not what I see when you look at her. She’s little and pretty, despite the bruising. Don’t forget what she is and where she comes from. That’s not a female you should trust.” His lips curved into a smile. “You’d have to keep her in front of you at all times to be sure she doesn’t strike when your back is turned. You want to mount her.”

  “I don’t.” His temper flared.

  The primate had the nerve to outright grin. “Humans have a saying that is appropriate right now. You protest too strongly. That means your anger comes from knowing that what I say is right.” He stalked out of the room.

  True fumed. He didn’t want Shiver. Perhaps once, he admitted. That had changed when he’d learned she had a motive for being kind. Polanitis had attempted to use his fondness for the female to force him to agree to participate in breeding experiments. The thought of what would have happened if they’d been successful was enough to cool his desire.

  She was human and he could have gotten her with child. He hadn’t known it was possible at the time but the consequences would have been horrific. Mercile would have bred countless Species infants after learning humans and Species could breed, exposing their offspring to the hell their fathers had suffered at their hands. His fists clenched and he had to swallow a howl of rage. Shiver had tempted him to mount her and that weakness caused a deep sense of shame.

  Chapter Three

  Jeanie opened her eyes, peering in confusion at the bedrails rising on both sides of the mattress she lay on. It came as a shock to be alive. The familiar sights of a hospital room assured her that she hadn’t died. The dull pain in her side when she shifted was also proof.

  She tried to touch her face but her arm jerked to a halt as something pinched her wrist. She stared at the handcuffs securing her to the bedrail. Confusion instantly surfaced.

  “Hello?” Her voice came out dry and rough. She swallowed, wishing for water.

  A white-haired man sporting a pair of glasses appeared and stared down at her, frowning. “Hello. I’m Dr. Harris. You’re at the NSO Homeland in Southern California, Ms. Shiver.”

  “Water,” she croaked.

  He disappeared for a few seconds then reappeared with a glass and a straw. He lowered it to her mouth and she sipped the room-temperature liquid. It wet her tongue and throat, soothing away the soreness.

  He drew it back. “Not too much at once. You can have some more.”

  “Thank you.”

  “How do you feel, Ms. Shiver?”

  She swallowed. “It’s Shy-ver. That’s how you pronounce it.”

  He blinked. “Fine. You’ll live. You may wish you hadn’t by the end of the day but I did my job. I’m sending in a nurse to help you get showered and dressed. The NSO wants answers. You’ll be escorted to the lower floor where your questioning will begin.”

  Jeanie swallowed, taken aback at his words and cold attitude. “Why am I handcuffed?”

  He hesitated but instead of answering, offered her a few more sips of water. She accepted.

  “Do you know what NSO stands for?”

  “Yes. New Species Organization.” She shifted on the bed a little to get comfortable. “I understand where I’m at.” She glanced down. “Am I okay? The bullet didn’t do any severe damage?”

  He seemed at a loss for words for a moment. “You’ll heal just fine but expect a scar. We had to operate to remove the bullet and you suffered internal bleeding. You needed a blood transfusion but it didn’t hit anything vital.” He paused. “Expect tenderness at the wound site for a while.”

  “Thank you.” She was stunned the injury wasn’t worse.

  She saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes and finally figured out what it was. For some reason the guy pitied her. She wanted to ask what was wrong but he turned abruptly and walked away.

  “The nurse is here,” he said as he exited the room.

  A tall New Species woman entered. She frowned when their gazes met but approached the bed, gripped the side rail and lowered it. “Sit up. You need to shower and put on clean clothing.” Her tone was icy. “You stink of medicine.” Her blue gaze remained narrowed, her manner unfriendly. “Your hair needs to be washed too.” She produced a key from her pocket and unlocked the handcuffs.

  “Hello.” Jeanie smiled, happy to meet a free New Species despite it not seeming mutual. The pain in her side dampened her joy, though, when she forced her body upright. “Oh. That hurts.” She tenderly touched the gown over her injury, feeling a thick bandage under the thin material.

  “Being shot causes pain.” The nurse stepped back. “Do you need assistance getting down?”

  Jeanie pushed her legs over the edge of the bed only to notice how far her feet dangled above the floor. “These beds are pretty high.”

  “They were designed for Species.” The nurse advanced, her touch gentle when she wrapped her arm around Jeanie’s waist, carefully helping her transition to a standing position.

  Jeanie half expected dizziness to strike but she felt surprisingly good. The nurse released her after a few seconds, seemingly confident she wouldn’t fall.

  “Follow me.”

  “What’s your na
me?”

  The woman growled. “I don’t want to make pleasantries with you.”

  It stung but Jeanie tried not to allow it to hurt her feelings. After all, she’d worked at two places that had abused New Species. No matter the reason for her being there, some animosity might remain. That or the woman just didn’t like humans in general. She didn’t push for answers to figure out the exact cause.

  The bathroom in the corner of the room was equipped with a sink, a shower stall and a toilet. She blushed while using the latter, knowing it was probably protocol for a nurse to remain present in case she fainted or needed help. The nurse turned on the water in the shower, bent and retrieved a set of clean gowns from a cabinet under the sink.

  “You put one on with the opening in the back and one on with the opening in the front when you’re done, to keep you completely covered on both sides.” The woman paused. “No one enjoys their ass being exposed in those things once they are out of bed.”

  “Thank you.” She wanted to say more but the stern look on the New Species’ face had her closing her mouth as she removed the thin gown after untying it in the back.

  “I’ll stay in case you need help.” The woman clasped her hands together at her waist and leaned against the door.

  Jeanie entered the open stall. The bandage covered a four-inch section just below her waist. A film of plastic covered the entire thing so she didn’t hesitate to step under the water. She closed her eyes, sighing in relief as warmth soaked her from the head down. Just being alive and able to shower seemed a gift.

  710 crossed her mind as she stood there. She’d dreamed of seeing him again, trying to imagine what she’d say, or what he would, after he’d discovered the work she’d done to help get him and his people free. It was too much to ask for him to be outright friendly after what he’d suffered. She’d always be a reminder of those hellish times when he’d been beaten and chained.

  Hope that he’d be there and want to talk to her again rose but she pushed it back. She might be at Homeland but that didn’t mean he lived there or that he’d purposely seek her out. He could live at Reservation. He’d made a huge impact on her life but she’d just been another employee to him. She stepped back, reaching for the shampoo on the shelf built into the wall of the shower.

  “Scrub well,” the nurse encouraged.

  Jeanie glanced at her. “I plan to.”

  “You really stink.”

  She winced, glancing away. The other woman’s sense of smell would be acute and New Species were known to be blunt. She hoped she hadn’t smelled really bad to 710 but being covered in blood wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. Jeanie scrubbed her hair then washed the rest of her body with soap. They had stocked the bathroom with quality products, proof that they weren’t a standard hospital.

  The warm water was missed when she shut it off and accepted towels from the woman who’d drawn closer. “Do I need a new bandage?”

  “No. It looks like the plastic kept it dry. Just gently pat it with the towel.”

  “Thank you. Do you know who will be at this meeting I’m going to?”

  “I have no idea.” The nurse retreated to the door. “Two males wait in the hallway. You don’t want them growing impatient to get the answers they seek.”

  Jeanie nodded, hurrying. Of course they want to talk to me. Some of the employees had to have escaped using the emergency exits. It’s imperative to track them down before they flee the country. She was just as eager to see some of them imprisoned. Jim Booth at Cornas hadn’t been as horrible as Dean Polanitis at Drackwood, but he was close. Both of those research facilities were partners with Mercile Industries and had to have gained access to the New Species through them before they’d been closed down.

  The thin gowns didn’t do much to keep her warm but she was covered to mid-calf. “I don’t suppose I could wear scrubs?” She peered at the nurse with hope. “At least bottoms? I feel a bit indecent.”

  “It will have to do.” The woman waved a hand down her body. “Most of them are in my size or larger. They wouldn’t fit. Follow me.”

  “How about a pair of socks or even those paper footy things? My feet are cold.”

  Jeanie translated the low growl as a no. She sighed, leaving the bathroom. Two big New Species wearing black uniforms greeted her inside the room by the door. It reminded her of 710 as she glanced at the white letters on their shirts. These ones didn’t wear vests. She studied their faces, disappointed that he wasn’t one of them. The primate was a handsome guy with unique brown eyes, the red hues in them fascinating. The slight reshaping of his flared nose and the bulkiness of his upper body gave her an indication he might have been mixed with gorilla DNA. She’d heard they existed but were rare. He was the first one of his kind she’d ever seen.

  She glanced at the other one. He was feline with pretty catlike eyes and red-streaked hair. Neither one smiled at her, their expressions grim. Jeanie was disappointed they weren’t friendlier. The one with the reddish eyes offered his arm.

  “I’m Jericho. You may hold on to me. Tell me if you experience any weakness.”

  “We don’t want you hitting the floor. My name is Flame and I’m not a medic so I don’t want you injured on my watch.” He glanced at the nurse. “Are you coming with us, Midnight?”

  “No.”

  That caused the feline to frown. “What if she starts bleeding or something?”

  “Bring her back here.” The female sailed out of the room.

  Jeanie hesitated before curling her fingers around the offered muscular forearm. Jericho was really warm, causing her to shiver.

  “I won’t harm you.” His voice was husky, a little scary and deep.

  “It’s not that. I just took a shower and it’s chilly. I just didn’t realize how cold I was until I touched you.”

  The New Species glanced at the other one. “Get her a blanket.”

  Flame crossed the room and yanked open a cabinet. He shook out a fresh blanket and approached from behind her but paused. “What do I do with it? Wrap it around her and one of us carries her? You should do that. She appears frail.”

  “Why me?” Jericho growled low. “You’re weaker than me and less inclined to accidentally crush something.”

  “I am not.”

  Jeanie released his arm and turned. “I can walk. May I have that?”

  Flame handed over the blanket. She wrapped it around her like a shawl and took Jericho’s arm again. She fisted the material at her chest to keep the blanket closed in front so it didn’t slip off her shoulders. It helped a little but she still wished for real clothes. Her bare feet on the cool floor weren’t helping to warm her much.

  “Thank you. I’m ready to go.”

  Flame followed them. Jericho walked slowly at her side and she appreciated it. He towered over her with his much longer legs. The hallway was clear. They entered a large area with desks, a long counter, and she glimpsed buildings through the windows along one long wall. Curiosity about Homeland had her craning her neck to see more but they reached an elevator too soon to spot anything of interest.

  The doors slid open and a tall guy stood inside, wearing the same uniform as the New Species who escorted her, except he was fully human. She studied his features closely to be certain. He frowned and examined her as well.

  “Hello, Ms. Shiver. I’m Trey Roberts. I’m one of the team leaders of the task force here at Homeland.” He glanced at Flame. “I was coming up to see what was taking so long.”

  He pronounced her name wrong but she didn’t correct him. It had been a common occurrence all her life. She’d seen some of the task force members on television in brief news clips but they usually hid their faces with caps pulled low on their foreheads and wore mirrored glasses to hide their eyes. He was an attractive guy in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties, but the way he looked at her in that unfriendly manner had her wondering why.

  “She showered.” Flame crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I see. Her ha
ir is wet.” Trey glanced down at the blanket, arching an eyebrow in question.

  “She was cold,” Jericho announced.

  “Well, we can’t have that.” Trey sighed. “Don’t forget that she’s not a guest here.” He directed a pointed look at her hand, curved around Jericho’s forearm. “Where are the handcuffs?”

  The primate growled. “They weren’t needed.”

  “It’s still my job to point out protocol.”

  “We’re not wearing any weapons she could steal and she’s had no access to anything sharp. Do you believe she is physically capable of endangering us?” He looked offended.

  “No. Forget I said anything.” Trey appeared exasperated when he gave her his full attention. “Let’s get this over with. You have a lot of questions to answer.”

  “I have one myself. Why was I handcuffed in the first place? You know who I am since you know my name.”

  His mouth firmed into a tight, grim line before he jerked his head toward the open elevator. “You’re not the one who will be asking questions. Let’s go.”

  Jericho steered her inside. She felt tiny compared to the three large men sharing the elevator. Trey Roberts stared at her in a way that had her dropping her gaze to the floor, a sense of apprehension knotting in her stomach. Something was wrong but she didn’t know what. Fear inched up her spine but there shouldn’t be a reason for it. It still remained. She chalked it up to a little nervousness about being around free New Species.

  It had been a dream of hers to get them out of those cells and to the NSO but she had dealt with dangerous ones. They killed humans when given the opportunity, though it was totally justified. The difference between imagining standing next to them once they were free and actually doing it seemed a logical reason for her to feel a bit paranoid. She dismissed it as the cause of her uneasiness.

  The elevator doors opened into a large windowless room with a few thick beams to support the enormous space. Jericho moved and gently drew her forward until she got a view of the other side of the room. Three rooms with bars for walls lined one wall, each set up similar to jail cells but with nicer bedroom furniture. Her gaze lingered on them, happy to see they were empty.