Sari

by Middleton, Rose

  Metal scraped on metal as Kai unlocked the cell. “Thank you. There’s a sublevel called the nursery. I suspect that’s where you’ll find Mara.”

  “If Sari is still alive, she’ll be on SL 7. That’s where he keeps the Failures.”

  With a nod, they shook hands. No one needed to say the obvious goodbye and good luck speech. Instead, Kai joined Sarah at the rack of weapons.

  Tom started toward the elevator when Kai called him back. “Listen, if you get out alive and need somewhere to go, come to Melbourne. I’m sure Eco-Corp can help.”

  “You mean the company run by Waylon Landau?”

  Kai smiled, but it soon fell when he saw that Tom looked worried. “Don’t tell me he’s involved.”

  “He’s not the good guy you think, Kai.”

  Kai swore. Sarah swatted him on the arm. “Language.”

  “Be careful, Tom,” Kai said.

  Tom nodded. “You too. Both of you.”

  “You’re not taking a weapon?” Sarah asked. Tom simply held his hand up and revealed his claws. “Oh.”

  They watched Tom go. Sarah handed him a rifle. “I know how you feel about guns, but I think we can make an exception just this once.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rex surveyed the truck, packed with Hunters, pregnant hybrids, and his other unique creations. There was only one thing left to do, but he needed to make sure his precious cargo was secure. He didn’t know what he’d do if he lost the babies. There wasn’t a chance he’d let Sari get her goody-goody hands on these women. The Hunters were charged with the safety of the women. Rex expected them to give their lives. Anything happened to his incubators in transit and heads would roll.

  Literally.

  He met Stevens’ firm gaze, glad to see the young man still cool in a crisis. The suddenness of the evacuation could rattle anyone, but his right hand man hadn’t fallen prey to panic. “You’re in charge back here. You know what to do if anyone, and I mean anyone, threatens the package.”

  Stevens gave a single nod. “Yes, sir. I won’t let you down.”

  Rex opened his mouth, but thought better than to remind Stevens of his failure in disposing of the professor. Stevens was smart enough to know that anyone who failed him now was as good as dead and anyone who got in the way wouldn’t live to see nightfall.

  Rex would pull the trigger himself.

  He met each woman’s worried gaze in turn and smiled. “Never fear ladies, you’re in good hands. You’ll be in your new quarters very soon.”

  Rex stepped down and out of the back of the truck to shut the doors tight. When he turned back into SL 10, he expected to see Jessica bringing up the rear with the last important piece to complete the evacuation, but she was nowhere to be found. He crossed to the service desk to find the insulated case sitting quietly. No Jessica. Rex frowned.

  Precious seconds ticked by, jeopardizing their escape. He needed Jessica to haul her ass down here and pack it away neatly in the truck along with everything else. With a hand on the case, Rex glanced back at the truck. Leaving without her hadn’t been in the plan. She held the expertise to ensure the delivery of the hybrid offspring and the know-how to rebuild their entire operation. Without Jessica, he could survive, but it held the project back, slowing their forward momentum considerably.

  Where the hell did she go?

  His fingers curled around the case’s handle. Amazing how thirty years of research could fit into such a small box, but therein lay the beauty of modern technology. Though the outer metal casing wasn’t cold to the touch, it contained insulated compartments and stored the most valuable ingredient in his work. Embryos. Without them, he could kiss the future goodbye.

  Jessica pushed through the doors, the expression on her face one of confusion. “Rex!”

  “We have to leave. Right now.”

  She paused, her hand covering his on the case forcing him to stop and look at her. “What about Hawk?”

  “It’s too late, and there’s no room. We have another hybrid just like him.”

  The frown wrinkling her brow looked too much like a challenge. “So you’ll just leave him here to die?”

  “Trust me, Jess. It'll all work out.”

  Serious intent crossed her face as she leaned forward. In all the time she’d been doing his bidding, Rex had never seen her so intense. Nor had he ever felt her working against him.

  “For the record, we should take Hawk and the Tigress with us.”

  Insolence aside, she had a point, but time had run out. The Facility was lost to the likes of Sari and her lackey, the professor. Lord knew they’d destroy his work and render the place useless. Before long every sublevel would be crawling with cops. It was out of Rex’s hands. Anger and frustration bubbled inside him but he kept a lid on the despair at losing a state of the art research lab.

  There was always Plan B.

  Focused once again on Jessica’s pretty face, he swallowed the bitterness and smiled. “Sweetheart, this doesn’t have to end here. We don’t have to end here. The future is full of potential and is just waiting for us to reach out with both hands and grab hold. If we stay too long then it all goes up in smoke. What do you say?”

  Deep in thought, Jessica’s eyes glazed over for the briefest of moments. Should she choose not to follow him, he’d make do, but he’d rather not have to. He’d have to kill her, of course. Having her as an enemy would give him too many headaches. Besides, she had intimate knowledge of the goals he aspired to achieve, how he hoped to reach them and what he needed to succeed. She could screw up his plans.

  But if there was one thing about Jessica he could always count on, it was the vision of a new world. His new world. Together, they would be unstoppable.

  She blinked, the glaze in her eyes clearing to reveal sharp, bright pupils. “Come on, sugar, you know I’m with you all the way, but they’re just one level up. We can make a quick stop and be out in no time.”

  Rex smiled. She had a point. God, he loved smart women. “Okay.”

  At the other end of the passage, the elevator dinged, a clear sign they’d better get a move on or face a premature end to their dreams. Rex led Jessica to the back of the truck, attempting to direct her toward the passenger seat, but the slide of the elevator doors drew his attention. Glancing back over his shoulder, his stomach rolled at the figure standing in the doorway.

  Finally freed from her wheelchair prison, all Sari could think about was Kai’s sister. Why hadn’t he told her about his true reasons for tracking down wild cats? So many thoughts whirled through her head. All his talk of faith, all his pleading for her to trust him, yet he didn’t trust her.

  It wasn’t a lie so much as a strategic omission and she had to wonder why. Did he know Rebecca had cancer? Did he suspect Sari had something to do with her disappearance?

  Her stomach rolled over. He couldn’t have suspected she had something to do with Rebecca’s fate, could he? God, she couldn’t think straight. She ran a hand through her hair and grimaced at the grimy feel of it. What she’d give for a shower. Hot soapy water and soft thick towels, yeah, she could use that right about now.

  “Sari!” Her head snapped up to find Pitch staring at her with childlike confusion in his eyes. “Where the hell did you just go?”

  Good question. “I…uh…”

  “Just get us out of here already. We don’t have much time.”

  Using the metal bars of Mystery’s cage, Sari pulled herself up to her feet. The sheet covering her slid to the floor, but letting go of the bars didn’t cross her mind. Her legs wobbled, her muscles quaked. The last time she felt this weak was when she’d woken up after six months of drug-induced sleep. Even the thought of bending to pick up the sheet made her woozy. Memories flooded her mind as the terror of such vulnerability gripped her heart. Almost too afraid to know the answer, she tried to figure out where all her strength had gone.

  Zimmerman?

  No. Waylon was the one who gave her a drink. How stupid of her to cons
ume anything in this place. She should know better.

  “Sari, please.” Mystery’s soft, soothing voice filtered through the thoughts. Sari felt the sheet slide around her back and watched in a daze as Mystery tied it like a toga. “You need to focus. Unlock my cage, sweetie. I’ll take care of the others.”

  Salty tears stung her eyes. The maternal concern in Mystery’s voice struck at her deep, reminding her of her mother’s death and the accident. It was so long ago she could hardly remember the sound of her mother’s voice. Too much of her heart wanted to believe it had the same caring quality she heard in the old cat’s voice. Why, after all these years, did she finally feel the grief? All this time she’d only listened to the hurt, and the angry voice cursing her parents. They’d abandoned her. Left her to the care of an abusive uncle and a gutless aunt.

  Five years old and learning damn fast to protect herself from flying fists and coffee mugs thrown at her. The injustice made her see red, but the adult inside argued that her parents hadn’t done it on purpose. For the first time, Sari allowed the inner child to dream of growing up with the loving parents who hadn’t died in a car crash.

  Tears slid down her cheeks. Memories flashed before her and the anger found a new target.

  Zimmerman!

  He had a lot to answer for.

  Sari blinked and focused on Mystery. Beautiful gray eyes stared back and the smile welcomed her home. “That’s my girl.”

  Forcing her body to cooperate, Sari retrieved a ring of keys from the desk by the elevator. She’d lost count of how many times Zimmerman sat there and goaded them from afar. In all his high and mighty conceitedness, he’d relied on the safety of iron bars and reinforced steel locks. He’d pay, and if she didn’t get to him, either Pitch or Mystery would. She knew that for a fact.

  At each of the cages she unlocked, she hugged fellow Failures. When she got to Mystery’s cage, the embrace minus the cold bars filled her heart with joy. Finally, at Pitch’s door, she stared into his eyes through the bars and watched the anger subside. He initiated the hug, pulling her tight against his scarred chest and holding her longer than he should have.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’ve been a bastard to you.”

  Sari shook her head and pulled back to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry too. I should’ve come back for you sooner. Are you going to be okay, Pitch?”

  For the first time since she woke from the tranquilizer darts, he smiled. Tentative at first, his grin grew wider and his eyes lightened. He’d been like her big brother. They’d held hands through the long cold nights. He’d stroked her forehead to ease the nightmares, murmured soothing words when the agony of shifting got too much. Without him, she wouldn’t have made it through. She was stronger for his friendship, his guidance, and his love. Would he ever know how much he meant to her?

  He kissed her forehead. “Your heart belongs to someone else. I love you, Sari. I’ve only been hard on you because you expect nothing less. You have become a very fine woman.”

  She let her eyes drift shut and rested her forehead on his warm chest. The slow, steady thrumming of his heart settled her fears. His distinctly male scent reminded her of the man he spoke of, the one to whom her heart belonged. How could he know when she’d barely begun to understand it herself?

  Lusting after Kai wasn’t supposed to become more. What had triggered her deeper feelings? How had she come to care for someone who would lie and who didn’t trust her? Admit it, you haven’t got a clue. Maybe not, but that didn’t mean she’d bow down to his royal highness without some sort of explanation. If he thought she’d accept his lie by omission because he’d blindly trusted her, he had another thing coming. She would forever be indebted to him for removing the microchip and taking care of her, but it didn’t excuse his deliberate manipulation of the truth.

  He would spill the truth, one way or another, and only after that would Sari consider where their future lay—if they had one at all.

  In the ultimate betrayal of her thoughts, her body warmed for Kai. The way he touched her, the way he filled her all came back. The ghost of his touch skimmed down over her back and the remembered heat of his fingers seared her skin. She’d made love to him twice and not shifted. He’d eased her fears with words and caresses and the kind of kiss every girl dreamed of. Had it all been a lie? Did he use the physical to hide his true purpose?

  Why couldn’t she stop thinking he’d used her? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t done the same. In the beginning, she’d sought him out for this very reason, to find The Facility. The secret agenda stayed deep in her, and she protected it with her life. That was why she’d approached Waylon, to optimize her chances of success and give her the resources she needed for her selfish goal. Hell, she’d been set to double cross Kai without a second thought. What right did she have to feel indignation at his deception?

  His end goal was bigger than hers because it was selfless. It wasn’t about exacting revenge or seeking vigilante justice. His purpose came from something she’d never really had and may never fully understand. Family.

  Leaning back, she stared up at Pitch. Despite their close bond, she knew so little about him. Kidnapped, just like her, he’d been brought here against his will but from where, she didn’t know. He’d never mentioned parents or siblings or a girlfriend, and though older than her, he’d never preached to her about life.

  “You worry too much,” he said with a smile, sliding a lock of hair out of her eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Come back to Melbourne with me. Let me help you. We’ll find someone to fix your sight.”

  His smile grew sad. “That’s what I love about you, your optimism. For now, let’s concentrate on getting out of here. Deal?”

  Before she could answer, Sari caught a faint scent in the air. The hairs on her nape rose and a chill crossed her skin. She smelled danger. Literally. In the form of gas. As if sensing her fear, Pitch lifted his nose and sniffed. They all did. The pride together, perhaps for the last time.

  “Come on!” Mystery was the first to act. “To the elevator.”

  Sari took one step but the floor fell away and she collapsed. No, it wasn’t the floor. It was her legs. Rendered useless. Muscle spasms rocked her. Pain tore through her body, making her scream. Pitch knelt beside her, coughing and spluttering. She remembered this, had lived through this before. Barely.

  “Gas,” she wheezed.

  Pitch shook his head. “Virus.”

  No, please. Not the virus. She remembered all too well, the little girl pleading to be spared the experiments and the pain. The memories would never leave, the nightmares of her life sown into her reality as readily as the feline DNA stitched into hers. Vivid as day, the image of a merciless Zimmerman staring down at her, cooing at her that everything would be fine.

  “There’s an antidote in the lab,” Mystery choked. Her fingertips grazed over Sari’s hair. “I’ll get it.”

  “No.” Sari shook her head. Virus aside, the gas would kill the others if they didn’t get to safety. “You need to get out.”

  Pitch slid an arm under her knees and wrapped the other around her back. Helpless to move, the virus coursing through her muscles, Sari swallowed.

  “I’m not leaving you.” He growled.

  “I’m dead anyway. Go. Save yourself.”

  His jaw clenched, he coughed again. The gas had to be making him dizzy. He slumped to the floor, taking her with him. Every jolt sending a bolt of fire through her. She had maybe a minute left. Still in control of her eyes, she pleaded with Mystery to get the hell out. The woman nodded, the streak of gray hair amidst the black making her seem wise.

  Sari wanted them to take Pitch. No way was he dying so she wouldn’t be alone. That was too noble, too stupid. But her mouth wouldn’t open. The control of her muscles was gone.

  It seemed Zimmerman would have the last laugh after all. That damned virus. He’d infected her with it once and had nearly killed her then. Dumb luck saw him pick the right syringe to bring
her back. In all the time she’d been in, and out of, The Facility, she never understood the point of the virus. Now it seemed moot. He’d kill them all anyway. It mattered none that she was part of the cull.

  Elevator doors slid shut, and she stared at Pitch. His mouth tinged blue, he whispered soft words to take away the terror. She didn’t want to die this way, not when Kai didn’t know how pissed she was at him for not telling her about Rebecca. Not when she hadn’t told him how much she wanted to explore this thing between them, whatever it was. And though she loved Pitch, she didn’t want to die in his arms.

  The sound of Pitch’s lullaby grew soft, too soft. He looked away for a moment, smiled, and then touched her cheek. Was this what it was like to be deaf? All the vision without the surround sound sucked, but an instant later, relief filled her. The vision didn’t suck anymore, not with Kai’s face hovering over hers.

  A pinprick in her arm barely registered on the pain scale. A mask covered her face and sweet, sweet oxygen filled her lungs. Oh, that feels good. She blinked, the cool air on her face a godsend. Her arm moved and something squeezed her hand. Kai. He put a mask over Pitch’s face, they talked in a muffled garble. Pitch set her in Kai’s arms, waved, then left. It was just her and Kai now.

  His smile said it all as he lifted her and walked them to the elevator. Slowly her hearing came back and the first sound she heard was his heart, hammering against his chest in a frantic rhythm. The elevator jerked downward, but Kai held her tight until the doors slid open again. Moving out of the elevator, he set her on the floor and took off his mask.

  “It’s okay, you can breathe down here. Mad bastard only gassed your floor.”

  Figures.

  He removed her mask, careful and slow as if afraid he might hurt her. Without another word he pressed his lips to hers, threaded a hand into her hair and kissed her. Really kissed her. Told her with his lips and tongue how much he missed her and was glad to find her alive. Sari reveled in the feel of his velvet smooth lips and sensuous tongue, returning the sentiment. When he pulled back, his red rimmed eyes held her in a gentle embrace.