Brawn

by Laurann Dohner

  “I swear none of them hurt me, Dad. How many times do I have to say it?”

  “Tiger and Trey wouldn’t tell me much, no matter how much I threatened. What the hell was going on down there?”

  “There was a woman doctor who used to work for Mercile and she had a bunch of goons working for her. They planned to sell the New Species to someone in Europe so they could earn enough money to flee the country. They knew they are wanted by the police. They have some buyer over there who wants a set of them. I guess there are three types of New Species and the doctor only had one so she had Brawn kidnapped and plans to kidnap another one.”

  “Feline, canine and primate. I read the report and we’re trying to find the leak.”

  “Good. Can I ask you something?”

  He tensed but gave a firm jerk of his head. “You’ve earned some answers after what you’ve gone through. What do you want to know?”

  “What is going to happen to them?”

  “The males are under a doctor’s care. The New Species have a few specialists working for them and they’ll do whatever they can. They’ll call in consulting doctors if they think someone can help. Those guys will get the best care possible now that they are home.”

  “I’m glad to hear that but I meant the ones who took Brawn and me. Are they going to pay for what they did? That’s what I want to know.”

  He reached out and rubbed her foot through the blankets. “New Species law is brutal. You were right to leave on that helicopter. I wasn’t thinking straight or I would have sent you to Homeland myself. Those sons of bitches are never going to know freedom again.”

  “The NSO can give them a trial and sentence them to life in prison?”

  He hesitated.

  “Tell me. Please?” Tears pricked her eyes. “I’ll sleep better at night. They killed Tina and Mel. They came into my home and—”

  “We have a prison, baby. It’s not known, it’s not for general population, but one that only holds people who have committed crimes against New Species. Justice North is a damn smart man who negotiated some impressive deals.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Mercile was funded in part by the US. It’s not widely known but the public would be pissed if they knew where their tax dollars were being spent. Everyone involved wants to keep it that way. New Species could sue the United States and win in court the way they’ve gone after Mercile to be compensated for the years they were imprisoned. It was cheaper to settle and better for public relations to just keep it under wraps. They were given Homeland, the money to start it up, and my task team to hunt down Mercile employees who weren’t captured and to recover New Species still out there. We have found five testing facilities and there could be more. We don’t know but some New Species were given to investors.”

  “Given to investors?”

  He looked down. “Women, baby. The company traded money for flesh.” His gaze lifted and his mouth grimaced. “Sexual slaves. We try to find them.”

  Tears fell. “Oh my God.”

  “Yeah.” He rubbed her foot. “That’s what my team is mostly for. We hunt those sick bastards down who bought them and try to find out if the women are still alive.”

  “Have you found any?” She hoped so.

  “Some. Usually it turns out bad. I won’t lie. Justice demanded to have a task force put at his disposal with full resources to track them down and I was assigned to lead it. We can do what most law agencies can’t, don’t have as many rules as they do and that includes starting up our own prison. We take the ones we arrest there and they aren’t getting out. There’s no such thing as parole or time off for good behavior.”

  “It’s at Homeland or Reservation?”

  He shook his head. “No. It’s at another location and I’m not telling you where. Some of the people who used to run Homeland before New Species took control are now in charge of that facility. It’s not a resort, let me assure you. They aren’t mistreated but they sure aren’t watching cable or getting visitors.”

  “New Species now get to hold the people prisoner who once kept them locked up. That seems fair.”

  “No. Justice didn’t want to put any of his people in that uncomfortable situation. The prison is completely staffed by us.”

  “Your team?”

  “Humans.”

  “They are human too, just not completely.”

  “That’s true but they call us humans. It’s starting to rub off on me.” He smiled. “I’m going to sleep downstairs on the couch tonight unless you want me to sleep on the floor in here. I could.”

  She was touched that he’d offer. Usually he drove her nuts but after what had happened, she didn’t really want to be alone. “You’re too old to sleep on the floor,” she joked. “You’d never get up. My couch pulls out into a king and the mattress is pretty comfy. Thanks, Dad.”

  He released her and stood. “I’m just downstairs. Do you want me to leave the light on?”

  Becca admitted to being tempted to do just that but she shook her head instead. He was being really sweet at the moment but she didn’t want him using her moment of weakness against her later. Her dad had a way of doing that. Before she knew it he’d be trying to talk her in to moving back into the main house.

  “When is Brawn returning?” She really wanted to see him.

  “He’s not.”

  Shock struck, quickly chased by pain. “What? I was under the impression when I reached Homeland that they’d take his statements and afterward he’d be coming back to my house.”

  Anger deepened Tim’s voice. “Tiger is in charge while Justice is on vacation and he deemed it a failure having one of their men live here. They were pretty helpful today getting you back but it’s just not safe for them to live outside those walls. It puts anyone they are with in danger.”

  “It wasn’t his fault.”

  “I know but I’m glad he’s not coming back. I have a meeting in the morning to go over different scenarios to get some of their guys to integrate with my team. I just have to figure out how to do it safely.”

  “I’d like to talk to Brawn,” she braved, risking her father’s temper.

  He paused by her door. “That’s not going to happen. I was assured that he’s done with humans. I know something happened between you, you refuse to tell me the details, but I was assured he wants nothing to do with humans ever again.” He flipped off the light and closed her door.

  Tears fell. Brawn was done with humans? As in he never wanted to see her again? She remembered how he’d reacted when she’d touched his arm and yelled at Trey to get her out of there. Maybe he’d lied and he was angry at her.

  It hurt. She’d fallen for him but should have remembered he didn’t want to get involved with her. He’d made it clear, yet she’d hoped. Becca turned her face into her pillow and clutched it. She missed Brawn and it tore her up a bit that it was over without even getting to say goodbye to him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Nine weeks later

  Becca wandered around the cabin, bored and lonely. She finally settled on the couch, curled into a ball and used the arm of it for a pillow. She was due to contact her dad soon and she’d have to think up a new lie. He thought she was traveling through Europe and would be shocked if he knew she’d never left California. They kept in touch via her computer.

  It was much easier to lie that way than to figure out how to route calls with her dad’s caller ID. She had friends and family who lived in France and Germany, they knew her dad was a tyrant and were sympathetic enough to send the occasional postcard his way to keep him fooled. They thought she just needed a break.

  That part had been true up to a point. Her dad had driven her nuts after she’d come home and she’d needed a break from him charging into her home trying to draw her out. She’d been depressed after her kidnapping, had taken time from work and hated to admit she’d wanted to stick close to her phone in case he called.

  The thought of Brawn made her sit up and clen
ch her hands together over her thighs. She’d been sad at first when he hadn’t tried to contact her but as the weeks passed, it had turned to anger. How dare he not even check on her? It would have been polite to at least get in touch to see if she had recovered from their traumatic ordeal. The fact that he’d had sex with her made it twice as unforgivable not to make that effort. So much for being a team.

  His belongings were taken away by one of her father’s men the day after she’d returned home. She’d had to deal with repairmen for two solid weeks, patching up her poor damaged house, and she’d closed the guest bedroom door after they’d left to avoid being reminded of him. It hadn’t worked though. Every single time she passed through the hallway to go to her bedroom, she caught her glance straying there.

  Four weeks later she’d made a shocking discovery that had changed her life. She’d had to plot and plan, make up a bunch of lies and move to a cabin in Northern California. She’d worked quickly to make calls to set up an elaborate deception. She discovered she was good at it and believed she’d covered all her bases. Her dad would have tipped her off if he grew suspicious.

  Worry struck hard and pitted inside her stomach at the thought of making a mistake. Even the memory of the dreaded phone call she’d made three weeks ago on her way to the cabin had her tense. I bought a disposable cell phone, paid cash, kept the call reasonably short and it was far from here. I even remembered to remove the battery from it and throw it in the trash in case someone tried to track the phone. She took deep breaths. You did it all right and no one knows it’s you. That calmed her a bit.

  The phone had rung twice when she’d placed that call. The NSO operator had answered and she’d asked to speak to Doctor Trisha, had lied and said the woman was expecting her call. Becca had given a false name and even used a Texas accent. She’d lived in that state for five years when she’d been a kid while her father was stationed there as a combat instructor. She felt sure she could pull it off and believed she hadn’t forgotten to keep her voice altered.

  Doctor Trisha had picked up after four rings. She would never forget the way her stomach heaved at hearing each ring, her heart had raced and fear had gripped her. It was too dangerous to make the call but she’d needed some answers to some important questions.

  “This is Doctor Trisha.” The woman had a cheerful voice.

  Becca knew that would change. “Hello,” she’d managed to get out. “I don’t have much time, I’m afraid you’ll trace the call, but we need to talk.”

  “Um, okay.” The doctor’s happy tone changed to one of hesitancy.

  “Is it true that some New Species are allergic to chocolate and it makes them really sick?”

  The silence had stretched longer than Becca liked, every one of them counting since time was limited. They could try to track the phone but by the time someone got there, she’d have disabled the battery, been gone and planned to dump it somewhere else in a trash bin.

  “You need to address all your questions to the public relations department of the NSO,” Trisha had finally responded. “Have a nice day.”

  Panic gripped Becca. The doctor planned to hang up. “Wait! This is urgent.”

  More seconds ticked but the line remained open. “It’s urgent that you know if they are allergic to chocolate? What kind of nut ball are you?” Anger altered her voice again.

  “I’m pregnant,” Becca blurted, clenched her teeth in regret but knew she’d have to reveal that fact to get the answers she so desperately needed. She took a calming breath to remember to talk with the false accent. “I slept with a New Species and I’m pregnant. I’m afraid that if I eat chocolate that I’ll hurt the baby. I need to know if that’s a possibility.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “I’m not laughing.” Becca hesitated. “It’s true and I am afraid to go to a doctor, considering who the father is. Will a doctor be able to tell that right off? I know they take tests and give ultrasounds. Is it safe for me to go see someone or do I have to avoid that to prevent them from finding out?”

  “Don’t you have better things to do than make prank phone calls? I do.” Trisha sighed. “I’m hanging up now.”

  Panic gripped Becca again. She knew the doctor didn’t believe her but she needed to. “His sperm is noticeably hotter than other men. They are also well endowed, at least he was and he growls a lot during sex. He has sharp teeth, likes to grip skin with them and enjoys sex on the rough side.” She hesitated. “This isn’t a joke and he was circumcised.”

  “Who is this?” Trisha’s voice came out soft. “Is this for real?”

  “Yes.”

  “You need to come to Homeland, just tell them you need to see me and they’ll escort you in. I’ll personally examine you. I don’t believe you since Species can’t breed but it will end this nonsense.”

  “I am pregnant, the father is New Species and no way am I coming there. Just please answer my questions.” Becca hated the desperation she heard in her own voice. “Can it hurt the baby if I eat chocolate? I crave it but I’ve avoided having it. I’m taking over-the-counter prenatal vitamins but I’d like to see a doctor. Will he know if he examines me that something is off? It’s two questions, two answers and that’s all I need.”

  The silence made Becca realize she’d wasted money on a disposable phone and making the call. No New Species baby had ever been conceived before, everyone knew it was impossible and the doctor didn’t believe her. She’d risked it though since she was on her own without medical help. It terrified her not knowing if the baby was okay.

  Trisha finally spoke again. “That’s not possible.”

  “Well, it is. I’m definitely pregnant and too afraid to go see a doctor. I didn’t want to risk a test coming back weird and them figuring out my baby is mixed race. Please just answer the question. I have to get off the phone soon. I don’t want you to trace the call. I know y’all can do that.”

  “Why don’t you come to Homeland? I’ll personally examine you myself. It’s free if you’re worried about money.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  Trisha spoke fast. “This is a prank, right?”

  Becca fought tears. “I wish it were but no. I’m scared,” she admitted. “I know about the hate groups and I’m the first woman to get pregnant by one of them, which would be huge news. I don’t want my baby to be the center of a freak show or to be targeted by idiots. I’ve rented a remote cabin. No one but you knows about this. I don’t trust anyone.”

  “You need to see a doctor. Come to Homeland. It will be safe. No one will hurt you.” Trisha took a deep breath. “Or I’ll come to you if this is real. Just tell me where you are. No one has to know.”

  “It’s not happening.” Becca hesitated. “I can’t let my family find out. It’s hard to explain and complicated but that’s how it is. The baby’s father is New Species. Is there anything special I can’t eat or drink besides the regular stuff? Do I need to consume more meat? I know they eat a lot of it.”

  “Tell me something else so I know this is real.”

  Becca bit her lip. “I’m gaining weight fast and showing already when I shouldn’t be. I had morning sickness within a few weeks of getting pregnant but I thought I caught the flu until I started gaining weight and my breasts grew tender. I’ve had friends who had babies and remembered them complaining about that when they were pregnant.”

  “Tell me where you are and I’ll come to you. You need medical supervision immediately if you are pregnant and it’s a New Species. How far along are you?”

  “I’d rather not say. You could ask who’s slept with a human woman and narrow it down to find me. I won’t take that risk.”

  A soft curse issued from the doctor. “You don’t know how dangerous this could be if you are alone. Are you really going to a remote cabin? You can’t do that. You need medical help close by. I need to know how far along you are.”

  “I have to go. Do I need to eat more meat or avoid any foods? Can I see a doctor safely withou
t it ending up on the evening news? Just answer that. I don’t want to harm the baby by not giving it what it needs or eating something it can’t tolerate.”

  The doctor softly swore. “Yes. Eat more red meat. Some New Species get sick on chocolate. I don’t know if it would affect a baby but it can make some of them really ill. Don’t chance it. A doctor would get odd results right away if it were a Species baby and think something was wrong with your pregnancy. He’d run more tests and they would figure it out quickly. Come to Homeland. You—”

  “That’s never going to happen. I’m sorry but forget that. I won’t see you.”

  “Can you at least call me every day? Do you have a pen? I’m going to give you my cell phone number. We’ll talk and you’ll get to know you can trust me.”

  Becca hesitated. “You won’t try to trace the call or anything?”

  “I swear.”

  Becca reached into her purse, knew it was a bad idea, the doctor was probably lying, but she was desperate. “Give it to me.” She wrote down the number. “I’ll call you in a few days. This isn’t a prank. I really am pregnant and it really is by a New Species.”

  “Please, I’m begging you,” Doctor Trisha urged softly. “Let me come to you or you come to Homeland. Just walk up to the gate and tell them to page me. No one but me needs to know right now. Please just—”

  Becca had hung up the cell phone and slid the back off to remove the battery. Two miles later she’d ditched the phone in a trash can and continued on her drive to her rented cabin. She pulled her thoughts from that conversation and stood from the couch. She stretched and knew she needed to run errands soon. She had to make one more call first. Yesterday something had happened that left her no choice. She needed to talk to Doctor Trisha again.

  The new disposable phone lay on the dining room table. She bit her lip, debated taking a long drive to hide her location better, but her father would know if something were up. He never said anything in his emails, she felt safe no one suspected her of anything and she probably was safe. Doctor Trisha might honestly be trustworthy when she said she’d never try to track the phone calls. Some people were.