Trisha gasped but kept her binoculars trained on the three fallen men. She saw movement as the two other hunters spun to look at what had happened behind them. She saw a flash of black and the redheaded New Species seemed to appear out of nowhere as he rushed the two men from behind.
He leaped, tackling them as if he were a football player taking down two rival players. She was close enough to clearly hear the grunts of pain. In seconds the four hunters on the ground lay motionless and the two New Species stood over them silently.
Trisha got a really good look at both men and was assured they were definitely Slade’s men. They had the distinct facial anomalies that most of the New Species had. The black-haired Species had a smaller nose than most and his features were telling. She suddenly had a feeling that he had to be part primate. The redhead had cat eyes similar to Justice North, indicating he had to be feline.
The two men withdrew something from the lower pockets of their pants that resembled thick plastic ties and secured the downed men’s hands behind their backs. When they’d handcuffed all four of their prisoners, they yanked their ankles up and bound them with more white ties until they had them hogtied. The black-haired Species give a thumbs-up sign to his redheaded companion.
One of them laughed and Trisha moved. Her body was sluggish because she’d lain in the same position for too long but she was able to carefully rise to her feet. She leaned out a little, staring down at the men who were about sixty feet from the area where the two dead men lay.
“Hello,” she called out.
They didn’t jump or seem surprised when they turned their heads to gaze up at her. She let that sink in. Did they already know where I was? She decided they probably had. One of them, the redhead, nodded at her.
“We’ll get to you after we dispose of the dead bodies. Your kills?” He jerked his head toward the two men who lay far below her. “Two of them, right? I smell two different scents.”
Shocked, Trisha just gaped at him. There was no way they could have seen the two dead bodies from where they stood. They would have had to walk around a few more trees and a huge boulder. She finally nodded.
The black-haired Species pushed his hair away from his face as he peered up at Trisha. “Where is Slade? We caught his scent but it’s faded as though he’s been gone for hours. Why did he leave you, Dr. Norbit?”
“He said there were too many of them.” She paused. “He wanted to cut down their numbers. He seemed certain if he started hunting them that some of them would get spooked enough to leave but he should have been back by now. He said if I fired the guns he’d hear and come running.”
The redhead nodded. “That is a good plan. It accounts for why we found two empty camps with the scent of blood but no men.”
Two camps? She wondered if they’d found the one where she’d been held or the one Slade had attacked the night before. She didn’t really want to know. She just worried about Slade. He’s promised to come if she needed help and he had to have heard the gunshots but he hadn’t arrived yet. Two of his men had to rescue her instead. Is he hurt? Dead? Maybe he is still on his way.
“Is there any way you can tell if Slade is close?” Trisha silently hoped they could.
The redhead lifted his head and sniffed. He shook his head. “I don’t scent him and if he comes, it’s from afar. We will get you down from there when we are done. Sit and stay put. You’re safe now, Dr. Norbit. Our people will send a helicopter here to fly you to safety and we will find Slade if he does not return within a reasonable time. We have teams spread out for miles searching for you both. I would track his scent but I’d rather wait until you are secured on the helicopter. You were our primary concern since Slade can take care of himself.”
Trisha was speechless over being told she was the New Species’ primary concern. She worked for them, sure, but Slade was one of their own. She was glad the man below her had so much confidence in Slade’s ability to take care of himself though. He must be really good at survival. Slade had told her that he’d trained with most of these men and they had to know him really well.
The black-haired Species leaned down and pulled something from his bottom pocket. Their pants seemed to have a lot of them. Trisha crouched down but watched what he did. It looked as though he had some kind of bulky cell phone he spoke into. She saw his lips move but didn’t hear his words. She quickly realized he spoke into a satellite phone. She’d seen a few of them a time or two. He hung up and replaced the phone into his lower pocket.
Trisha moved back away from the edge, not wanting to watch them remove the bodies from below. She wondered what they would do with them but didn’t ask. She sat on the sleeping bag and hugged her arms to wait.
“Where are you, Slade?”
The silence squeezed at her heart at not knowing if he was okay or if he’d never come back to her. They had some things to discuss if both of them came out of this alive. Did what had happened between them mean anything or was it just one of those trauma-induced moments? She uttered a curse word. What if he had only slept with her and treated her the way he had because of the situation they were in? She pushed those thoughts away. It was too painful.
* * * * *
Slade sniffed the air, could scent his own kind, and pure rage gripped him. They’d prevent him from killing all the humans who meant to do harm. The distant sounds of gunfire had come from Trisha’s direction. His heart raced as he jumped over a fallen log, used it to kick off, and leaped over a small ravine. He landed hard, crouched, and then rose up.
“Easy,” a male called out. “Stop running.”
Slade snarled, his head jerked up, and he spotted a familiar face from his perch on a tree limb twenty feet in the air. “She’s in danger.”
“No, she’s not. Smiley and Flame have her. They spotted her perch and are intercepting the males in her vicinity. She’s well taken care of.” The guy jumped, landed on a pile of dead leaves, and straightened. “You can’t be seen by humans right now.”
“I must go to her, Ascension.”
“She’s safe. We have her, my friend.” The other male’s gaze swept down Slade’s body before he met his eyes. “You’re soaked in blood and gore. You’ll terrify her if she sees you this way. It’s a pretty horrific sight even for me. How many did you kill?”
“Many.” Slade’s body began to relax. Trisha would be safe if Flame and Smiley were near. Both males were very good. “She’s safe? You’re sure?”
“You found her a secure location. No human is going to reach her before our males do. She is safe. Calm. May I approach? You’re injured and feral at the moment. You have that caged look we know so well.”
Slade crouched, breathed heavily, and tried to catch his breath. “I won’t attack.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I wasn’t sure how far you’d gone or if you’d lost it.” Ascension stepped closer, slowly, and crouched in front of him until only feet separated them.
“I’m fine.” Slade stared into the other man’s eyes.
“Good. We knew you’d survive but weren’t sure of your state of mind if you had to kill. We found some of the kill zones. Why didn’t you just stay with the doctor?”
“They were closing in on us, there were too many, and one group of them found her the first time I left her alone. She has no survival skills and allowed them to walk right upon her. I had to turn the tables to make sure no more could harm her.”
Ascension watched him silently, frowning. “I smell her on you. It’s hard to pick up over the stench of blood and death but it’s there.”
A soft growl rumbled from Slade. “And?”
Ascension reached over and clasped his shoulder. “She’s human, soft, and a doctor. They take oaths to save lives. I don’t want to see you harmed.”
“I need to go to her.” Slade tried to straighten but the other male’s firm grasp on him only tightened.
“Listen to me.”
“What?”
“You’re feral right now. Your mind i
s calmer than we feared but you’re walking death. You don’t have a mirror. Your features and eyes have the wild look we tend to get when it happens. She can’t see you this way. You’d only terrify her. I’m under orders to find you and bring you back to Homeland. Allow me to take you there.”
Slade growled. “No. I’m not done here. There are more of them.”
“Orders are—”
“They attacked her, one of them beat her and tried to rape her. She could have died when they forced the SUV off the road. They declared war on us and I want it finished. Any that get away could attack again at a later date.”
The hand eased and released. “I can’t bring you in if I haven’t found you. I understand but you must stay away from her until you regain your ability to suppress your rage. At least wash before you rejoin us. There’s a stream to the east. I can smell her on you and they will too. They may fear you forced her into sexual submission in your current condition. I don’t believe that. I know you too well and I’ve seen you watching her while we’re on duty. You must have purposely rubbed her scent on you to keep it.”
Slade remembered biting Trisha and wiping her blood behind his neck. He hadn’t meant to do it at the time but he acknowledged that he hadn’t rectified it either. Having her scent had kept him sane when he’d killed to protect her.
“Finish what you started if you believe they will be a continued threat to your female. I never saw you and this conversation never took place. Just swear you’ll wait twenty-four hours before you approach her after you’re ready to be found. There are three dozen of us inside the woods. We’re doing a grid search for the humans. We brought along five primates so watch the trees. I knew you wouldn’t expect it and I waited from above to find you.”
“Smart.”
Ascension grinned. “I know you, my friend. We’ve been together too long since we were freed.” All emotion wiped from his features. “And don’t forget to find that stream. I’d do it now and then continue your hunt. Just wash after you find them so you aren’t covered in their blood when you come in.”
“I won’t forget. You swear she’s safe?”
“My word.”
It was good enough for Slade. “I want to kill them all for risking her life.”
“That causes me to feel fear. Find the humanity inside you. I’ll say I searched this area without result.” He stood. “Go, and watch the trees from now on. I’m not the only one who will think to hide there to seek you out.”
Slade rose and took off into the thicker forest, keeping his attention up as well as on his surroundings. Primates kept to the treetops when possible, their scents harder to catch, and he didn’t want to be found until he cut down some of the numbers of the humans who had tried to harm his Trisha.
Regret gripped him as he replayed Ascension’s words. Trisha was human, she was emotionally soft, and as a doctor, she might hate him for the lives he’d taken. Later he’d think about that, but for now, he had threats to take care of.
Chapter Eleven
“I’m coming up, Dr. Norbit,” one of the men called out about an hour later.
Trisha stood and walked to the edge. The first thing she noticed was that the two dead bodies were gone and she couldn’t even spot blood on the ground. It looked as though someone had dumped dirt over the stained areas to completely conceal the deaths.
Trisha watched the black-haired Species climb up toward her easily without any trouble managing the steep terrain. She almost envied his agility and speed as he approached her. Slade had to shove and push her to get her to the top. He came up it as easily as a leisurely stroll on a flat surface.
He had to be about six feet tall with wide shoulders. Up close Trisha was sure the man was part primate. He was really cute with his softer-than-normal features. New Species were usually handsome in a tough-guy, attractive way. He had the muscular, large frame of a New Species though when he stood before her. His features were nearly adorable with his rounded, pretty almond-colored eyes and his animated features—primate cute.
“I’m Smiley. Hello, Dr. Norbit,” he crooned softly as he crouched at the entrance, balancing on the balls of his feet. He was too tall to stand inside the hole. He smiled at her. “The helicopter should arrive here really soon. They have been pretty busy today transporting all the humans we caught. We tried not to kill any of them but…” He shrugged. “Some of them were just too stupid to live. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. Is there any word yet on Slade?”
He slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry but there is not. He is one of our best and there’s no need to worry about him. He can take care of himself in any extreme situation.” His gaze raked up and down Trisha but there wasn’t anything sexual in the way he studied her at length.
“Who beat you?”
“I was captured yesterday morning but Slade rescued me. Unfortunately before he did, this happened.” She pointed to her still-throbbing cheek and her swollen, busted lip. Slade kissing her crossed her mind in a flash but she pushed that memory back. “I’m fine. A few cuts, some bruising and some pulled muscles are the worst of it besides what you see on my face.”
“Slade allowed you to be caught?” He looked highly amused as he laughed. “I’m shocked.”
“He didn’t let me. He got cut off from me while he left to look for a place to stash me like this hole I’m in.” Trisha frowned. “Slade has saved my ass in the biggest ways that you can imagine. Please don’t laugh about this. He killed men to save me.”
His smile faded instantly. “I apologize. There is nothing amusing about this. Let me help you down and we’ll wait for the helicopter. You will be flown to a hospital to be checked over and afterward, returned home. Justice was very adamant about securing you and getting you medical treatment before we return to Homeland. He’s waiting there to talk to you.”
Trisha glanced around the small area but didn’t see anything that she should take with her. Her attention landed on the guns. “Should we take those? I’d hate for kids to climb up here in the future and find them. They are all loaded.”
“We’ll take care of all that.” He turned, almost brushing his head on the dirt roof. “I’m going to help you down. Do you need me to carry you on my back? I’m a very good climber and I promise I won’t allow you to fall.”
“I think I can manage if you just help me down. Slade had to catch me a few times. I’m afraid I’m not as coordinated as you guys are.”
He nodded, smiling. Trisha had a good idea why he was named Smiley. He seemed to do it easily and often. “It’s a gift we have.”
Trisha slowly walked toward him and studied the ground below when she reached the edge. She wasn’t big on heights and it was a long way to fall. Smiley moved, climbed out first, and looked up at her.
“Just turn around and start down. I’ll be right here below you. I’ll catch you if you fall.” He winked. “I’m strong. I promise not to drop you.”
She was scared but she turned and tried not to look at the ground below. Climbing down was worse than going up had been. She slipped twice but Smiley’s hands always gripped her, kept her in place, and finally they reached the bottom. Trisha had the urge to kiss the ground but resisted to prevent her rescuers from believing she’d lost her mind.
The redhead glanced at Trisha and nodded. She saw his nostrils flare and he frowned. He moved closer to her, sniffed again, and looked grim.
“I’m Flame. What happened to you?”
Trisha stared back at him, unsure exactly what he meant. He was about six-foot-three, a good foot taller than her, and obviously New Species with his wide-shouldered, muscular body. He looked as though he could easily kick some serious ass. He was more frightening to look at with his pronounced cheek bones and the sharp teeth his lips barely contained.
“I was captured and beaten. I was also in an SUV that rolled down the side of a mountain and we hit a few trees along the way. It’s been a rough few days for my body.”
Flame snif
fed again. “You have Slade’s scent on you but I also smell two human males. You smell of blood, fear, and sex.” He looked even more dangerous. “You were raped by the humans?”
Her mouth dropped open but then Trisha closed it. “Slade saved me.”
She was a little freaked out. She knew their sense of smell was amazing but it was downright eerie that the man could pick that much up just by sniffing at her. It left her really uncomfortable to know they had heightened senses to that degree.
“I’ll track the two humans down and kill them.” Flame blinked. “I swear this to you. They won’t live for what they have done.”
Trisha’s heart pounded. “They’re dead. Slade took care of that.”
A quick jerk of his head and Flame turned away. “Good. I’m going to go babysit the four stooges we captured, Smiley. Don’t allow her out of your sight.”
“I won’t.” Smiley turned to Trisha and examined her face. “Why don’t you sit down? The helicopter will be here soon.”
Trisha sat. She was already coated in a layer of dirt and didn’t care if she got more of it on her. “Where will it land?”
He hesitated. “It won’t. It will hover. We’ll hook you up and they will lift you out. The trees in this area are too dense for a landing and we don’t want to risk hiking you out. You’ve already suffered enough trauma without that. It will be a piece of cake.”
“Great.” Dread gripped Trisha. “Did I mention I’m afraid of heights?”
Smiley grinned. “It’s a good way to face your fear.”
Just great. Soon enough she heard a helicopter in the distance that grew louder as it approached. Smiley kept silent as he regarded her, something he’d been doing the entire time she’d sat there. He finally turned his head and glanced at the sky.
“They are here. It will be loud. They will drop down a harness and I will hook you up. It will lift you and someone inside will pull you in to belt you into a seat. You will be flown to a hospital and two of our men will be with you until you reach home. You now know what to expect.”