True(9)

She listened, hearing the same speech multiple times while they cleared cells of the test subjects down the hall. All fifteen of them on that floor had survived. She hoped the ones a floor above had been equally as lucky and that no one had managed to break through their cell doors. The cops were using some form of small explosive devices, something the facility guards didn’t have access to.

“Wait,” a soft, feminine voice protested. “Get off her. Tech Shiver?”

A gentle hand brushed hair away from Jeanie’s cheek. She forced her eyes open. It was difficult to even focus, the pain and coldness that racked her body growing worse. A pair of familiar dark eyes stared back at her and she tried to smile at 433. The other woman had dropped to her hands and knees next to Jeanie, so close to the floor that their faces were inches apart.

Jeanie opened her mouth to assure her everything was going to be fine, wanting 433 to know that she could trust her rescuers, but nothing came out. She couldn’t speak. Her throat was too dry and exhaustion had taken hold. 433 brushed her thumb along her cheekbone, growled, before jerking her head up. The sound deepened into a threatening one.

“She helped us. Get off her!”

“She’s not your concern.” The man spoke softly but his tone was firm. “Please back away from the prisoner.”

The thumb left Jeanie’s face and 433 rose to her feet, snarling. “Get off her! She killed them to save me. I smell her blood and she’s hurt. She needs a doctor.”

“Forget it. Let the bitch die,” the same man stated.

433 stepped closer and Jeanie couldn’t move her head enough to see what was going on but the weight on her ass was suddenly gone. A man grunted.

Another growl sounded, far deeper in pitch. “What is going on?” The angry voice belonged to the man who’d given the speech over and over to the men and women they’d been rescuing, claiming to be one of them.

“She saved my life. That guard on the floor came in to kill me but she shot him first. She said help was coming and she had to disable the locks on the doors to protect us. She was hurt but your males have hurt her more. She is always kind to our people. She stopped a guard from mounting me last month.” 433 sounded pissed and frantic. “Make them help her, please. She’s hurt. Smell her blood.”

“Do as she says,” the deep voice commanded. “Get help for the human female. We’ll sort this out later.

“She’s an employee here.” Someone yanked on her coat. “Here’s her card with her picture. She’s one of them,” a man declared. “Technician Jeanie Shiver.”

A deep snarl sounded and the rough grips securing her hands and hair were gone. Someone else grabbed her arms and she groaned when she was gently rolled onto her side. Pain made her cry out. She closed her eyes and felt blackness taking her. I’m dying.

“Look at me,” a deep voice snarled.

Jeanie forced her eyes open again. More flashlights had been added until the hallway was now well lit. 710 glared down at her. His dark gaze swirled with fury but she saw recognition there. He remembered her.

She studied him. He was tanner than he had ever been and his blond hair had grown longer. He wore all-black clothing and his vest had white NSO lettering, which stood for New Species Organization. She’d been given proof that 710 had survived the rescue assault she’d helped set up on the testing facility but had never thought she’d get to see him in person again.#p#分页标题#e#

“Shiver,” he rasped, his voice sounding harsh but gentle at the same time.

She blinked at him, holding his gaze, running her tongue over her dry lips. She tried to speak but nothing came out. His nose flared as he inhaled and a scary growl tore from his parted lips as he looked at someone behind her.

“Your men shot her?”

“She was that way when we found her. There were two dead security officers also shot.” The man who spoke sighed. “It looked as though they turned on each other.”

“Get help for her now,” 710 snarled. “She’s dying.”

“Okay. Medic, come to the subbasement, lowest floor. We have a critically injured.”

Another man snorted. “Let the bitch die. They obviously shot each other to avoid being caught for questioning. It will save us from having to kill her later.”

710 obviously disagreed. “Get those handcuffs off.”

Jeanie moaned as someone touched her and pain shot up her shoulder and down her injured side as the metal was removed from her wrists. It hurt to move but she wanted to touch 710 just once more. She knew she wasn’t going to survive, despite medical intervention. One glance at the pool of blood she lay in was enough to convince her of that grim fact.