Numbers
Page 55
The female hesitated but nodded. “Okay. I don’t have to track him though.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. She touched the screen and held it up to her ear. Long seconds passed.
“This is Breeze. Locate Hero for me now. Track his cell.” She paused. “Priority. Do it.”
“Breeze,” Jinx whispered. “This might not be a good idea. You didn’t see his face.”
“I see hers.” Breeze stepped closer, keeping eye contact with Candi. “We all carry cell phones, and we can track everyone in an emergency. I’d say this constitutes one of those. It takes about a minute. We’re going to find him for you, okay?”
“Thank you.”
“I take care of my females, and you’re one of mine now.”
“Damn it, Breeze.” Torrent lowered his voice enough that he might have figured Candi couldn’t hear him. “He bolted out of there. I saw rage and fear. We should speak to him before we take her near him.”
“Shut up,” Breeze snapped. “I’d tear this damn place apart if I were her.” She glanced at him. “I’d tear through you if you tried to stop me from going after a male I was raised in the same cell with, and discovered he was alive after being told of his death. You were right there while she talked about him. She went through hell, and was just hoping to find the ones who took him from her. She’s killed for him. Do you want to be next?”
Torrent scowled. “As if I’d allow her to harm me. She’s a little thing.”
“Females are mean,” Breeze growled. “If you aren’t afraid of her, be afraid of me. She might be underweight and scrawny, but I’m not. Want to tangle?”
“This is irrational,” Jinx rasped. “Hero probably needs time to process all this, and the female needs to be fed and monitored. You heard Doc Trisha. The doctor who kept her didn’t make sure she ate healthy, and the years of drugs have left her in a weakened condition.”
Breeze extended her middle finger. “Tell it to the hand. I’m finding Hero for my female. He can feed her and help her regain her strength. She’d eat for him more so than for one of us. She knows him. I don’t care what is wrong with him, he’s going to man up.”
“Breeze, this isn’t cut and dried. You’re acting as if she’s his ma—”
“Where is he?” Breeze snapped, turning her back on Jinx to talk on the phone. She paused, listening. “Okay. He is? Right now? Say hell no. Do you understand me? I’m pulling rank. That’s a big-ass no way. Thanks.” She hung up and faced Candi.
She’d caught her breath. “You found him?”
“He’s heading toward the men’s dorm to pack. He just called Security and said he wanted to go back to Reservation. Let’s go. How afraid are you of seeing a lot of our males?”
“I’d face anything to see 927.”
Breeze pocketed her phone. “I know you would. He likes to be called Hero now. Say it in your head over and over. We hate the numbers. Okay? It reminds us of being at Mercile, and you know what fun times we had there.” Breeze walked toward her. “Come on. We’ll go find him together.”
Candi was touched that the female was being so nice. “Thank you.”
“I’m putting myself in your shoes.” Breeze glanced down and cursed. “Your feet are bleeding. You need shoes. Mental reminder. Where the hell are the ones you came with?”
“They didn’t fit. I stole them off Penny.”
“The doctor you killed?”
“I knew I’d need them. I took her pants, and found her jacket in the car. I needed to get out of the clothes they kept me in. I was afraid humans would call the police if I still looked like a patient. I didn’t know how to drive so I left the car there. I did take her purse. I remembered cash. She had some of that.”
“You poor thing. It must have been terrifying being out there alone, but you made it to us. We’re going to find your male and make him talk to you, okay? Do you need one of the males to carry you? They will.”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“I bet not. I’d be feeling no pain either, if I were you. Lift them up though and let me make sure it isn’t bad. I’ll worry otherwise.”
It was a small request. Breeze was concerned with her health. Candi did as asked, noting a small cut on one heel and another on the meaty area by her big toe. “Minor. I don’t have the protective pads on my feet that you were born with.”
“We’ll clean and patch them up at Hero’s place. We all keep medical kits in the bathrooms of our homes. Let’s go. If you start to hurt, speak up. One of the males will be more than happy to carry you.”
Candi glanced at Torrent and Jinx. They both appeared irritated at best, certainly not happy.
Breeze turned, waving an arm. “This way.”
Candi didn’t care if the males were upset. Breeze was taking her to 927. Hero. She needed to learn his name. Her gut instinct was to trust the female canine. They walked on the sidewalk. Others stared, but she knew they were entitled to. They probably didn’t see many humans. She’d only encountered the guards at the gate and the two in Medical—the female doctor and the male nurse.
“Do many humans live here?”
Breeze shook her head. “Only mated ones, and a few of the most trusted ones who work for us. You met Paul. He lives here with his wife. She’s human too. Trisha is mated to one of our males.”
“I liked them.”
“They are good humans and nothing like the technicians and doctors at Mercile. Hell, Trisha would use her scalpel to cut them up, and Paul would assist her by holding them down. They have no love for anyone who harms Species.”
“Why the name New Species?”
Breeze shrugged. “What else were we supposed to be called?”
“What you are. Canine.”
“We have canine, feline and primates here. We wanted it to be fair. We were new since the world didn’t know about us. New Species seemed appropriate and fitting. We took a vote.”
“Did one of you finally make it to the top and go back to save the others? We used to dream of doing that.”
Breeze stopped walking and Candi paused too, staring up at the other female. “You don’t know?”
“This is Breeze. Locate Hero for me now. Track his cell.” She paused. “Priority. Do it.”
“Breeze,” Jinx whispered. “This might not be a good idea. You didn’t see his face.”
“I see hers.” Breeze stepped closer, keeping eye contact with Candi. “We all carry cell phones, and we can track everyone in an emergency. I’d say this constitutes one of those. It takes about a minute. We’re going to find him for you, okay?”
“Thank you.”
“I take care of my females, and you’re one of mine now.”
“Damn it, Breeze.” Torrent lowered his voice enough that he might have figured Candi couldn’t hear him. “He bolted out of there. I saw rage and fear. We should speak to him before we take her near him.”
“Shut up,” Breeze snapped. “I’d tear this damn place apart if I were her.” She glanced at him. “I’d tear through you if you tried to stop me from going after a male I was raised in the same cell with, and discovered he was alive after being told of his death. You were right there while she talked about him. She went through hell, and was just hoping to find the ones who took him from her. She’s killed for him. Do you want to be next?”
Torrent scowled. “As if I’d allow her to harm me. She’s a little thing.”
“Females are mean,” Breeze growled. “If you aren’t afraid of her, be afraid of me. She might be underweight and scrawny, but I’m not. Want to tangle?”
“This is irrational,” Jinx rasped. “Hero probably needs time to process all this, and the female needs to be fed and monitored. You heard Doc Trisha. The doctor who kept her didn’t make sure she ate healthy, and the years of drugs have left her in a weakened condition.”
Breeze extended her middle finger. “Tell it to the hand. I’m finding Hero for my female. He can feed her and help her regain her strength. She’d eat for him more so than for one of us. She knows him. I don’t care what is wrong with him, he’s going to man up.”
“Breeze, this isn’t cut and dried. You’re acting as if she’s his ma—”
“Where is he?” Breeze snapped, turning her back on Jinx to talk on the phone. She paused, listening. “Okay. He is? Right now? Say hell no. Do you understand me? I’m pulling rank. That’s a big-ass no way. Thanks.” She hung up and faced Candi.
She’d caught her breath. “You found him?”
“He’s heading toward the men’s dorm to pack. He just called Security and said he wanted to go back to Reservation. Let’s go. How afraid are you of seeing a lot of our males?”
“I’d face anything to see 927.”
Breeze pocketed her phone. “I know you would. He likes to be called Hero now. Say it in your head over and over. We hate the numbers. Okay? It reminds us of being at Mercile, and you know what fun times we had there.” Breeze walked toward her. “Come on. We’ll go find him together.”
Candi was touched that the female was being so nice. “Thank you.”
“I’m putting myself in your shoes.” Breeze glanced down and cursed. “Your feet are bleeding. You need shoes. Mental reminder. Where the hell are the ones you came with?”
“They didn’t fit. I stole them off Penny.”
“The doctor you killed?”
“I knew I’d need them. I took her pants, and found her jacket in the car. I needed to get out of the clothes they kept me in. I was afraid humans would call the police if I still looked like a patient. I didn’t know how to drive so I left the car there. I did take her purse. I remembered cash. She had some of that.”
“You poor thing. It must have been terrifying being out there alone, but you made it to us. We’re going to find your male and make him talk to you, okay? Do you need one of the males to carry you? They will.”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“I bet not. I’d be feeling no pain either, if I were you. Lift them up though and let me make sure it isn’t bad. I’ll worry otherwise.”
It was a small request. Breeze was concerned with her health. Candi did as asked, noting a small cut on one heel and another on the meaty area by her big toe. “Minor. I don’t have the protective pads on my feet that you were born with.”
“We’ll clean and patch them up at Hero’s place. We all keep medical kits in the bathrooms of our homes. Let’s go. If you start to hurt, speak up. One of the males will be more than happy to carry you.”
Candi glanced at Torrent and Jinx. They both appeared irritated at best, certainly not happy.
Breeze turned, waving an arm. “This way.”
Candi didn’t care if the males were upset. Breeze was taking her to 927. Hero. She needed to learn his name. Her gut instinct was to trust the female canine. They walked on the sidewalk. Others stared, but she knew they were entitled to. They probably didn’t see many humans. She’d only encountered the guards at the gate and the two in Medical—the female doctor and the male nurse.
“Do many humans live here?”
Breeze shook her head. “Only mated ones, and a few of the most trusted ones who work for us. You met Paul. He lives here with his wife. She’s human too. Trisha is mated to one of our males.”
“I liked them.”
“They are good humans and nothing like the technicians and doctors at Mercile. Hell, Trisha would use her scalpel to cut them up, and Paul would assist her by holding them down. They have no love for anyone who harms Species.”
“Why the name New Species?”
Breeze shrugged. “What else were we supposed to be called?”
“What you are. Canine.”
“We have canine, feline and primates here. We wanted it to be fair. We were new since the world didn’t know about us. New Species seemed appropriate and fitting. We took a vote.”
“Did one of you finally make it to the top and go back to save the others? We used to dream of doing that.”
Breeze stopped walking and Candi paused too, staring up at the other female. “You don’t know?”
