Sari

by Middleton, Rose

  He stopped cold and stared at her, fear widening his eyes. “Don’t joke about that.”

  Sari grabbed a sweater and forced her head through the hole. “I wasn’t.”

  They packed in silence, neither, it seemed, wanting to discuss the plan or the consequences. Sari had no intention of explaining her reasons again, fearful that she’d chicken out. Though she’d managed to keep the memories of her life in The Facility locked in a small box in her mind, it wouldn’t take much for them to break free. For so long she’d battled the inner demons to live independent, to live her life how she wanted.

  Giving it all up seemed crazy.

  Too crazy.

  “Sari—”

  “No.” She stared him down. Their packs lay ready, the campsite cleared of evidence that they’d stayed the night. Thankfully the rain had stopped, though the wind continued to rustle the canopy above. “There’s no way you’re talking me out of this. You know what you have to do, just as I know what I have to do. It has to be this way, Kai.”

  He crossed the small gap between them, striding firm and sure to grab her by the shoulders and pull her close. “I was going to say that I don’t know what I’ll do if anything happens to you before I find you.”

  She blinked. “Kai, you should prepare yourself. I might not be the same person afterwards.”

  He gulped. Twice. “I will be as quick as I can. I promise.”

  Sari trailed her fingertips along his cheekbone and nodded. “I know. Take care of Mara.”

  “I’ll leave her with Sarah and then find a cavalry to bring back with me.” An unsure smile flitted across his lips before he kissed her. Sweet and sad and laced with the reluctance to let her go, his lips told her one last time that he didn’t think this was a smart move.

  I know that too.

  Upon parting, Sari rubbed her thumb over his lips before bending for her pack. Pain and fear whirled inside her. Questions and doubts zipped through her head. She pushed it all aside.

  From their makeshift camp, they hiked back to the cave. Once again, Kai took his place in the fork of the tree. Sari stowed her pack in the hollowed trunk of the same tree after removing her clothes and shoving them inside. With a final glance up at Kai, she shifted into her cat form and waited for Mara’s arrival. They’d agreed to a half-hour after dawn run-in and right on schedule, Mara appeared with a male counterpart.

  Sari sniffed the air, tasted each of their scents and watched them explore the cave. They’d find no trace of her or Kai, just evidence of Mara’s and Tom’s presence. And as Mara had said he would, the male cat paused at the patch of flattened dirt for a more thorough inspection.

  Sari took her cue, prowling into the open, her purring set at its maximum volume. Two pairs of jaguar ears flicked toward her a mere instant before their eyes followed. Hungry gazes devoured her form, and when the male took one step toward her, Mara stopped him. Sari kept her eyes trained on the male, the feral need she saw in his gaze born not of one defending his territory, but of a male with a female set in his sights. Sexual frustration at its peak.

  Mara charged, her growl scaring away a flock of birds above. Screeches rang in the air as Sari braced for the impact. She rolled backward with Mara’s momentum, the two wrestling with all the realism they knew. Sharp claws scratched her skin, drawing blood. Mara’s strength pushed her into the mud, the ground ferns crushed beneath her back. Keeping those razor edged claws away took as much work as in a real fight, but they had to be convincing.

  It couldn’t look like two girls fighting.

  Sari rolled away from Mara’s reach, moving to the left. The sting of exposed blood on her shoulder reminded her that there was real pain to come. This time she made the first move, launching herself at Mara. The force of impact threw them deeper into the undergrowth, the pair tumbling end over end for a good minute before they came to rest.

  Mara lay on her side, heavy breathing signaling her surrender. Sari growled, her high pitched screech an unmistakable shout of victory. With a wink to Mara, she ran back toward the cave. Fern fronds batted her face and the slushy mud beneath her paws squelched, but when the enemy came into view, everything else vanished. Sari leapt high in the air, pummeling him to the ground when she landed. She heard the air rush out of his lungs.

  He lay winded while she prowled around his body. She stalked him as she would any creature at her mercy, her feline instincts hard to keep in line. Things could so easily get out of hand, but she wouldn’t let the cat have full control unless it became necessary.

  Watching him, Sari’s whiskers twitched. The air was too still, too silent. She had her victory; the forest should have come back to life by now. Rather, the fur along her spine tingled with the sensation of being watched, a feeling she knew all too well.

  The impact of a dart jolted her shoulder. Seconds later, another slammed into her left flank. Sari screamed. They’d been double-crossed. She needed to run, to get out, but the first step she took faltered and her body hit the ground with a thump. Everything inside her slowed down. Her heartbeat, the flow of her blood, her thoughts…the tranquilizers took sharp effect. Quicker than she’d experienced before.

  Her body seemed heavy, her lungs burning as they drew air. Even sound began to register differently, as if everyone and everything moved in slow motion.

  Heavy footsteps shook the earth by her head as a second black cat was dropped beside her. Sari blinked. Mara. Four tranq darts lolled at her neck. Maybe they hadn’t been double crossed?

  Confusion rendered her vision blurred, and she cried when her body shifted back to its human form. At least she changed all the way and didn’t get stuck half way between, like had happened upon her escape. Tall men—some naked, others dressed—stood around, staring down at her. Gruesome smiles haunted her as her eyelids threatened to close. A big face pushed into her vision, his grin victorious and cocky.

  “So this is the great Sari Jones?” he jested. “Not so great now, are you? My name is Chance Stevens, and it’ll be my pleasure to drag your ass back to The Facility and throw it in a cage, where it belongs.”

  He reached for her but stopped at the sound of another voice at full yell. “Get away from her, you bastard!”

  Sari’s heart squeezed tight. Kai. They had him too.

  Stevens stood, his boots kicking wet earth in Sari’s face. “Well, well, what have we here?”

  Kai glared at the pompous little shit, the two thugs at his sides holding him back. A good half-head shorter than Kai, he clearly drew some sort of sick pleasure from knocking out defenseless cats with his gun. He’d pay good money to see the asshole go a round or two with Sari in hand-to-hand combat. Or should he say, hand to claw?

  The short guy stood before him, staring up at him with that sick grin. “You must be the professor. Nice to meet you.”

  In place of a handshake, the coward punched Kai in the jaw. His vision blurred for a moment. How long had it been since someone landed a punch?

  “Clever,” Kai said. A trickle of blood leaked out of the corner of his mouth. “Real fucking big of you to hit a man who can’t fight back. I take it you weren’t fortunate enough to receive their strengths.”

  The grin wavered and then a fist landed in the center of Kai’s chest. Air deserted him.

  “The boss doesn’t want you. I think I should kill you now and leave you here as cat chow. What do you say?”

  Kai straightened as best he could. Shit, he wasn’t built for this kind of crap. He was a lover, not a fighter. But he needed to change his tune pretty darn quickly if he wanted to avoid being taken prisoner. Damn good thing he’d hidden two cans of the magic eucalyptus spray not far from here. All he needed was to get free of their hold and he’d escape. It was bad enough Sari would be taken. Without him on the outside, what chance did she have?

  He glanced down at her limp figure, breathing slow and heavy. She was hurt, and it made his blood boil. Lifting his head, he forced a smile at the twit before him.

  “Do it.
I dare you.”

  A whimper from Sari almost smashed his resolve, but he knew this dickhead wouldn’t kill him. No, he wasn’t the kind of man who got his hands dirty in war. He always sent in someone else to clean up the mess. Kai was counting on it.

  “What? You’d rather die than come with us?”

  “Go with you? You make it sound like I’ve got a choice. Let’s face it; I don’t. So are you going to be a man and shoot me?”

  He pointed the tranquilizer rifle in Sari’s direction. “And what about her? Don’t you care?”

  Kai rolled his eyes, summoning every ounce of foolish courage he possessed. “Shut the fuck up and kill me already. Or are you going to talk me to death? Because you just might succeed.”

  With a roar of anger, the asswipe swung the rifle at Kai’s head. It connected with his cheekbone and his knees buckled instantly.

  “Get this smartass out of my sight. Do whatever the hell you want with him. Shit, I don’t care if you rip him to pieces while he’s still alive. Just make sure he disappears for good.”

  As he was dragged backward, he let his gaze fall once again on Sari. Her body shook though he couldn’t tell why. I’m not leaving you, I swear. They won’t kill me. I will find you.

  Trust me, Sari.

  His view of her was cut short when they threw him. Kai flew backwards, praying he didn’t hit anything sharp on his way down to the ground. Thankfully, he only jarred his back upon landing on the soft damp soil. He scrambled to his feet, but they were quick, on him in no time like flies on honey, spinning him around and grabbing an arm each. They marched him forward, passed the tree where they’d found him.

  Past the first can of eucalyptus.

  “Come on fellas,” Kai cajoled. The big beefy one on his left twisted his arm a little harder. Tension pulled Kai’s shoulder tight and the awkward angle of his arm made him wonder if one false move would snap the bone like a twig. “Give me a head start. I mean, you’ve got all the advantages.”

  Mr. Grunt on Kai’s right laughed, the sound low and sinister. “You got that right.”

  “Hell, you guys could give me half a day’s start and still catch me. I’m human, only a man. I don’t possess superpowers like you guys.”

  They shoved him forward, the force pushing him to his knees. Kai got up, expecting them to grab him. When they didn’t, he turned to find them standing in waiting.

  “You know,” Beefy said, “you’ve got a point. I do enjoy a good hunt. Will you put up a decent fight, nerd boy? Or will we catch you too quick?”

  “Yeah, I hate wasting energy on meals that give up easily.”

  Kai wanted to shake his head. Had he heard them right? “You mean…”

  They both nodded. “What are you waiting for? You’ve got five minutes. Run!”

  For a second, he felt like a cartoon character with his legs pumping but going nowhere. It only lasted the blink of an eye. Now that he had the head start he’d hoped for, he had a chance.

  Kai ran at top speed in a northerly direction, making sure to spread as much of his scent as possible. They wouldn’t have let him go if they couldn’t smell him, right? He touched tree trunks the whole way along, smearing an invisible trail for them to follow, and picking up a handy can of strategically placed eucalyptus hide-us along the way.

  Damn, he wished he shared their incredible speed. It sure would make for a fair fight, even without the claws. Still, he pushed on, the knee high ferns whipping his legs as he powered through the forest toward the river. If he could make them think he’d followed it in a bid to lose his scent, it improved his chances further.

  Dodging a low slung branch, Kai’s lungs burned. His jaw throbbed where the short, rifle-toting megalomaniac had walloped him. His chest screamed with each breath and his back ached. This wasn’t Kai. He didn’t do chase ‘em down, shoot ‘em up. He was a science geek who played with microscopes, maps, and fossils. When did his life become this?

  At the sound of rushing water, he pulled the can of eucalyptus from his jacket pocket. Covering his entire body before the Hunters caught up to him would take a freakin’ miracle. He started praying and spraying, covering his head, chest and arms while still on the move. A growl in the distance behind him made his legs move quicker. He climbed the small rise, the muscles in his legs burning, but he refused to give up. He sprayed his legs and when he reached the bank, he stopped and turned the can to his back. Covering his ass and the backs of his legs was easy.

  Finally, he sprayed the bottom of each foot, careful to leave his last print facing the river and super careful not to step down in the same spot. He gave himself ten seconds to catch his breath and then headed east and deeper into the jungle, his sole hope for survival resting on the eucalyptus scent that surprisingly kept his sinuses clear.

  Chapter Nine

  Rex rubbed his chin as he stood in the still elevator. Hm, where to begin. He had a ton of work to do now that his little Sari was back, but his curiosity about Mara’s and Tom’s deceit crawled under his skin like an invading worm. It itched like crazy. He had to know why she’d planned to escape. What didn’t she want him to find out?

  He pushed the button for the floor of the med lab and waited out the ride in silence. She would talk; he would see to it.

  When the doors pulled apart, he strode to Tom’s cubicle and rounded the curtain to find Mara curled in a ball on the cart, weeping uncontrollably. Tom tried to comfort her, but nothing he did or said helped.

  Rex cleared his throat and they both jumped; Mara so high she landed back on her feet next to the trolley. Fear clouded her eyes. Rex could see the pulse throbbing in her temple, but he laughed lightly and rounded Tom’s bed to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder.

  “My my, we are jumpy.”

  Wiping her cheeks and sucking in great lungfuls of air, she plastered a fake smile on her mouth. Rex saw right through it to the lie she was about to tell.

  “It’s just shock. I thought Sari would kill me.”

  I bet you did. “Good thing Stevens got there in time or you’d be toast.”

  Tom’s jaw flexed. “Why was Stevens following Mara, if I may ask?”

  “Well, after your run-in with Sari yesterday, I couldn’t risk a repeat and have another of my Hunters sidelined for a day or two, now could I?”

  “Oh.”

  “Now, come along, Mara.” He squeezed her shoulder and tugged her toward him. She hesitated. Surprising. “I think with all this excitement, we’ll move your medical check forward and complete it today.”

  “I’m fine,” she snapped.

  “But I heard you were given a good beating. I insist.”

  Though she resisted at first, she eventually followed. Rex didn’t miss the worry on Tom’s face or the comforting look he tried to offer Mara. Directing her toward a free gurney, Rex pulled shut a dividing curtain and nodded toward the medic. In a few moments Mara was hooked up to various machines. She lay on the table frozen, terror in her eyes and skin as pale as a ghost.

  “What are you hiding, Mara?” Rex hummed, lifting a syringe. “I wonder, I wonder.”

  She stifled a cry.

  “Aw, come now, it can’t be so bad that you can’t tell your papa, now can it?”

  Her eyes shifted toward him, frightened and horrified. Her mouth opened, but she said nothing. Rex shrugged. He’d honestly hoped she’d tell him. Never mind.

  He flicked the skin at the crook of her elbow to stimulate the blood vessels. Locating the one he wanted, he pushed the needle into her arm and withdrew blood. Sneaking suspicions told him this was where he should start looking for clues, and while the sobbing Hunter quietly begged for mercy, he turned to the tube of blood over to the medic. He then lifted a specimen cup and held it out to her.

  Mara wiped at her wet cheeks and shook her head. “Please,” she pleaded. “Please, let it live.”

  “Let what live, Mara?”

  Her eyes squeezed shut. Tears ran down the side of her face. Her color began to retu
rn. “My baby. Let my baby live. Please.”

  Straightening, Rex gave a nod, as if the news didn’t shock the hell out of him. “Tell me everything. I want all the details.”

  She gave up the information without a fight and when spent, she curled into a ball on her side and allowed the medic to strap her to the bed.

  A confusing array of emotions twisted his gut. Surprise at their rebellion. Amusement at their attempt to keep it hidden from him. Awe at the natural conception he hadn’t anticipated. Anger at their deception. Most of all, hurt ate at him. He’d trusted Tom and Mara, more so than any of the others. They’d snuck around behind his back and bucked his authority. Eventually, they would both be punished.

  “Mara, I’m going to allow this pregnancy to continue, but you will need to be isolated. If any of the other Hunters find out that you and Tom have been cavorting like a pair of teenagers, then I fear others will expect some of that same attention, from you. It’s for your own safety.”

  The Hunter’s eyes slowly moved and focused on him.

  “No one will see you until you’ve given birth. After that, there are going to be some new rules for you to follow. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, but he doubted any of his words really sank in. The girl still appeared to be in shock. “What about Tom?”

  “No.” Rex shook his head. “He will not be allowed to see you. From now on, your only company will be myself and the medical team.”

  “Please, I need to see Tom.”

  Rex tilted his head at the girl and touched her knee. She flinched. “You love him, don’t you?”

  She blushed and nodded.

  “Well, I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Rex nodded to the medic who wheeled the bed toward the elevator. Once in a private room in the nursery, Mara would be cut off. Though she was strong, her mental toughness could be broken and when Rex had finished with her, she’d wonder who the hell Tom was.

  “Where is he taking her?”

  Tom’s voice startled Rex. He spun to find the boy standing behind him. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”