by Mikayla Lane
“Did they bring you here to kill you too?” she whispered.
“No!” Chance said loudly, causing the little girl to flinch.
Chance winced at her own stupidity and looked at Mikal with unshed tears in her eyes.
Mikal turned to the small girl and smiled gently, sending the child calming and safe energy.
“No, honey. We came here to free you. Like we did Chance’s sisters. You can even pick a name, just like they did. Come out, honey; let us show you what it is like to be out of here. For good,” he said, holding out a large hand to the frightened child.
The little girl shook her head vehemently and pulled her knees tighter to her chest.
“No, they killed her. Right outside the door. I heard her screaming and screaming. She begged them to stop, and they laughed at her!” she said putting her hands over her ears and beginning to cry hysterically.
Mikal stood and strode over to the bed. Reaching under it, he gently pulled the child from underneath and held her tightly in his arms.
“You’re safe now, little one. I will let nothing hurt you again,” Mikal promised the child shaking uncontrollably in his arms.
Without looking at Chance, he left the cell and made sure that the child didn’t see his frantic siblings trying to save the other female.
Keeping himself focused solely on the child, Mikal walked past his somber siblings and out of the lab, into the darkness of the night. The further he walked, the more the child calmed down until he was standing in an area completely surrounded by trees and shrubs, and she picked her head off his shoulder and sucked in a startled breath.
“It’s so pretty,” she said as she tilted her head back and looked at the sky.
“Take a deep breath and taste the wonder of the air,” Chance said as she walked up beside Mikal and smiled at the little girl.
The child took an exaggerated breath and smiled broadly at Chance.
“It tastes so good!” she said in wonder.
Chance chuckled softly.
“Yes, it does. Wait until you meet the others. We’re all like you . . . we’re sisters,” Chance said with a catch in her voice.
“Do you have a name you’d like to be called?” Mikal asked.
The little girl looked up and stared at the sky again as she shook her head slowly.
“Donor pigs aren’t allowed to have names,” she said sadly.
Mikal was so startled by what the tiny child said that he felt like he’d been slapped. He looked questioningly at Chance whose face was a mask of horror.
“It’s true?” she asked on a choked whisper.
“Is what true?” Mikal asked.
Mikal didn’t get an answer as his siblings began running out of the lab and they turned to join them as the transport moved above them and began to hover.
“Hold her,” Mikal said and handed the small girl to Chance before walking towards his brother Chris.
“Get up and out of here! We got less than five!” Chris called out.
Mikal looked around suspiciously as his siblings, and the Tezarians made a point of avoiding his gaze before porting into the transport.
What the hell now? he wondered.
“Chris,” Mikal asked, drawing closer to his brother.
Chris shook his head, knowing they had no time to talk. Not here. Not now. He’d made a rash decision, one he was sure he’d regret later, but right then, he didn’t care. He put his hand on Mikal’s shoulder and hit his port stone, taking them both into the hovering transport.
“Hey!” Mikal began before he saw that Lara had brought Chance and the small child aboard.
Mikal looked around as the ship quickly filled with the others and the curiously subdued Sibiox cats.
It was who was missing that caught his attention. That and the sad and sickened looks on the faces of his siblings and the Tezarians told him something was seriously wrong.
Mikal looked at Chris and spoke to him through the Shengari’.
“What the hell is going on? Where is the other female?” Mikal asked as he stared at his brother until Chris looked away.
“Everyone’s here!” Shane called out.
“Go! Go! Go!” Chris called out to Deacon, seconds before the transport took off.
Mikal grabbed Chris’s arm to get his attention when the ship was rocked by a percussion wave. He stumbled, using his hold on his brother’s arm to propel them both against the wall where they could grab the straps hanging down from the ceiling.
Once they both had a strap and regained their footing, Mikal pressed his brother up against the wall with his larger body.
“Tell me what the hell you just did!” Mikal growled at Chris through the Shengari’.
Chris pushed Mikal away from him enough to put some space between them and looked past Mikal to the opposite wall.
“I . . .” Chris said then shook his head.
Mikal looked at the others and noticed that they were all intentionally avoiding his gaze.
Mikal grabbed Chris by the shoulders and threw him into the wall of the ship.
“You better tell me something now, brother, or we’re going to have a problem,” Mikal said with a low growl.
Chris still wouldn’t meet Mikal’s gaze.
“I did what we had to do,” Chris whispered hoarsely.
Mikal was getting ready to shake the information out of his brother when Declan, Liam, and Lara pulled him away from Chris as Lara used her energy to force Mikal into a seat and keep him there.
Lara sat next to him and held his immobile hand as Mikal glared at Chris.
“Don’t blame him. The blame rests elsewhere. He made a tough call, one that he will have to face your father over. One that you will understand when we get back,” Lara said softly, a single tear slipping down her cheek.
Mikal looked over at Lara, the sick feeling in his stomach growing as he saw Dree and Angel trying their best to keep the small girl and Chance distracted. The energy in the craft was one of immense horror and sorrow.
“What the hell happened?” he asked Lara privately through the Shengari’.
Lara sighed heavily and patted Mikal’s hand before looking at him.
“You know what you saw. It was worse than that. They’d . . .” Lara paused to take a deep breath.
“We couldn’t have saved her,” Lara finally said.
Lara wished she could scrub the images from her mind, but she knew they would haunt her and the others forever.
“You blew the place with her inside? What if they recover something?” Mikal whispered angrily, hoping Chance wouldn’t hear.
Chris sat on the other side of Mikal and rubbed a hand down his face.
“We took the hard drives . . . everything Dante and Siggy will need to find the other labs. The detonation . . . she wanted to do it herself. We gave her a dec charge,” Chris said softly.
Mikal sucked in a sharp breath. Something as powerful as a dec charge would bring down their father on them. He looked around at his siblings and the Tezarians and noted the sorrow and emotional pain bleeding from them, and he knew. He’d been trying to tell himself that it hadn’t been as bad as he thought, that his eyes had played tricks on him.
“What of the child?” he asked as he saw Luca and Grant scanning the small girl in Chance’s arms.
“We have Amun, Sergei, and Lauren waiting for her. It’s bad, Mikal, but Luca thinks we got to her in time,” Chris said sadly as he looked up at the scared and shaken child.
“Are you sure . . .” Mikal began before Chris cut him off.
“Yes! Damn . . . yes. I can’t get into it right now. None of us can . . . Amun can tell you more. Let’s just try and keep the little one alive and safe,” Chris said hoarsely before he stood and walked down the aisle and into the cockpit.
Mikal wanted to roar in rage, but with Lara sending him calming energy and the fear and pain he felt from the child, he knew it would only serve to upset everyone more.
“Just breathe and remembe
r that they need you more than ever, and you have to keep your shit together if you’re going to help them,” Lara said, squeezing Mikal’s hand in her own.
Mikal nodded as his eyes locked with Chance’s worried ones.
“She’s gone isn’t she?” Chance asked him through their private mental path.
Mikal gave a sharp nod and immediately started sending her warm, comforting energy. He watched the brave woman nod her head and blink away her tears as she hugged the small girl closer to her chest.
“We need to find them all,” Mikal said, clenching his fists in rage.
Lara chuckled softly.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that now. I do believe your father is already on his way to us with Amun, and when he knows . . . I think your father will be taking over this mission,” Lara said.
Mikal shook his head.
“Not without me,” he vowed.
Lara didn’t want to burst his bubble right then, but she had no doubt that Grai was going to have much to say about this latest, unauthorized mission and where they would all be going next. He warned them to keep him updated, and they’d lied to him. In Grai’s current state, she didn’t think it was going to bode well for any of them.
Although her energy was much more powerful than Grai’s and she could easily manipulate him, Lara had no intention of doing so. She was Army; she knew the value of following orders and had instead allowed the emotions to overtake her as much as the others had. She would take her punishment along with the rest of them.
“We’re landing in 5, 4, 3, 2 . . . Deacon called out before the transport gently touched down inside the hangar.
The door to the transport had barely opened when Grai jumped on board and glared at each of the occupants in turn, each looking away from him in shame for their role in lying to him.
Grai walked past his children and the Tezarians and kneeled in front of the little girl in Chance’s arms. Traze stood in the doorway, blocking everyone from leaving the transport. With the rage emanating from the normally fun-loving man-child, no one dared try to leave craft.
“My name is Grai; I’m their father. I heard that you were an amazing and very brave little girl, and I was hoping that you could help a very scared friend of mine learn to be brave too,” Grai said softly as he smiled at the little girl.
Everyone was more than a little surprised when they heard a small cry come from Grai’s pocket. Even the little girl turned to him with wide, pretty eyes.
Grai smiled as he pulled a small black ball of fluff from his pocket, the cries getting louder as he did so.
“What is it?” the little girl asked curiously as she reached out a tentative hand to the squirming black ball of fur.
“This,” Grai said as he placed the ball of fur in her hand. He smiled as she immediately clutched it gently to her chest and stroked its soft fur.
“This is a Sibiox kitten that is ready to learn to be a protector, but is still a little afraid. I was hoping that she could stay with you so you could teach her to be as brave as you are. Do you think you can help take care of her and show her how to be brave?” Grai asked gently.
Mikal looked curiously at Ranger Danger to see what he thought of one of their kittens being given to a child and was surprised at the smile on the cat’s face.
“Why?” Mikal asked the cat gruffly.
Ranger turned glittering black eyes to Mikal.
“The kitten needs to leave her family to learn, and the girl child needs the kitten even more. So I ask your daddy to bring her. The kitten will help the child with her memories and nightmares,” Ranger explained.
Mikal saw the child smile for the first time as she held the small kitten in her arms, and he was surprised to see the kitten nuzzle into the little girl’s neck and fall asleep.
“I think she’s in very good hands now,” Grai said softly before he stood and walked back to the door of the ship.
Grai stood next to Traze in the doorway of the transport and looked at each of his children, each one looking away from his penetrating gaze.
Mikal knew he was the cause of them being in trouble, and he stood and faced his father, willing to accept the blame so his siblings and friends wouldn’t get into trouble.
“Father,” Mikal began before Grai silenced him with a wave of his hand.
“Don’t! This is not the time,” Grai said before he looked at Chance and the child in her arms.
“Your other sisters have been sedated and are in another craft with the doctors. They are doing very well and will follow us to your new safe location. Buckle up everyone, we’ve going on a little ride,” Grai said.
Moments later the transport lifted off, their father presumably telling Deacon through the Shengari’ where they were headed.
Chance looked around at the nervous and sad faces of the people who had tried to help her, and she cleared her throat to speak to their intimidating father.
Mikal saw that Chance was going to say something, and he immediately tried to stop her.
“Don’t! Now is not the time! Father is . . . very upset with us right now,” Mikal warned in her mind.
Grai looked up sharply, as if sensing the conversation between Mikal and Chance. His dark eyes looked between the two, his face only cracking a smile when he looked at the small, scared child.
“I do not believe we need to have a discussion in front of the child. I think she’s been through enough. Don’t you?” Grai asked, looking pointedly at Chance and Mikal.
Something about the man scared the hell out of Chance, and she was in no position to argue either.
And he’s right, she thought as she cuddled the sleeping girl closer to her. The child had been through enough and didn’t need to hear their conversations about where she’d come from.
Chance nodded her head at Grai, as did Mikal. Content with that, Grai turned to Traze, and it was obvious that they were having a private conversation through the Shengari’. Traze glanced over at them all a few times and nodded his head. It may have looked innocuous, but the kids knew their father and dreaded what was coming.
Mikal squeezed Chance’s hand and smiled at her when she looked at him.
“Don’t be afraid of him. My father is very intense, but there is no one that I would trust more. He is normally very loving, and he smiles more. But since his brother was taken . . . he’s determined to find him. I don’t blame him. We’re hoping that your labs will lead to the one that Koda is being held in. After blowing the last one . . .” Mikal’s voice trailed off when he realized just what this mission may have cost them.
Mikal looked around at his siblings and knew that the same thought had occurred to them as well. The normally rowdy group was subdued and silent, each with their head bowed and wrapped in their own thoughts.
Mikal finally looked up at his father, his heart breaking for him over what they’d done. The military definitely knew they were coming after them now, and they could kill or move the other captives—including Koda.
“Actions have consequences, son. You should have learned that by now,” Grai said softly in Mikal’s mind.
Moments later, Deacon called out, “We’re landing in 5, 4, 3, 2 . . .”
The door to the craft opened and Traze and Grai jumped out as Deacon came out of the pilot’s seat and jumped out after them.
“Oh hell, we might as well get it over with and see where we are this time,” Declan said as he stood and walked to the door, then jumped out.
Traze popped his head back in the door and looked around at them angrily.
“It would be a good idea if you moved; we’re wasting enough time,” he said before he disappeared again.
Dree sucked in a sharp breath.
“Whoa . . . what the hell?” she said, looking at the others in amazement.
“He’s right,” Chris said as he stood. “We need to get moving so they can get back out there and find Koda. Let’s go!”
Everyone stood quickly, and Mikal took the little g
irl and her kitten from Chance and carried her outside of the craft. He looked around in shock as the others headed into yet another converted industrial area.
“Anyone know where we are? Declan won’t tell me,” Dusty complained.
“We’re in Toronto. Canada,” Mikal said, still surprised they were there.
“Why here?” Dree asked in a whisper so Grai wouldn’t overhear.
Grai turned from several yards in front of them as they walked from the craft to a large warehouse building.
“You are here because there are now five more, just like Mikal, with the same challenges that he faces. This is where your brother comes when he wants to blend in,” Grai said, stunning Mikal and everyone else.
Mikal had never told anyone that this was his special spot, the place where he felt most at home when not with his family. He had no idea how his father had known. It shouldn’t have surprised him.
“When did you become a hockey fan, eh?” Shane asked in a mock Canadian accent.
“You will get to learn all about his haunts and likes and dislikes while you are all here. Which will be a while,” Grai said as he held open a door for them.
Chapter Twelve
Grai waited in the conference room for his children to finish getting settled in their new rooms. He wasn’t surprised that Chris, Lara, and Dread were the first to show up. As the leaders of the motley fools, it had been their responsibility to keep him informed.
“Dad,” Chris began when Grai shook his head.
“No. Sit down, we’re waiting on everyone else,” Grai said, not willing to have the argument more than once.
Mikal was settling the child in with Amun, Sergei, and Lauren when he heard Chris’s call through the Shengari’ for them all to hurry. Since Grai built all their bases the same way, the siblings already knew where the rooms were and quickly stored their gear before heading to the conference room above ground.
Chance walked beside Mikal, determined to speak her mind to his father this time. She wanted to know what the hell had happened to the other girl in the lab, the one who didn’t make it.