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“I didn’t.”
“Is he here yet? I might as well pick his brain.”
“He’s due at any time.”
“Great. I’ll suit up and work the gate.” She walked a few feet away before turning, a smile on her face. “I hate wearing the helmet but I don’t want the humans falling in love with me. They couldn’t handle all this.” She winked before disappearing into one of the rooms.
The corners of his mouth lifted but he resisted laughing outright. Breeze always amused, saying outrageous things. She put everyone at ease—a rare gift. His was instilling fear in others. Those grim observations darkened his disposition as he crossed the room, watching the monitors.
“It’s a calm day for the protestors,” Bluebird announced.
“Good.”
The door opened again and Trey Roberts entered. The human task force team leader glanced around, finally met his stare and approached. Darkness tensed.
“I was looking for you.”
“Did the human die from his injuries?”
Trey shook his head. “Pricks like that don’t die easily. I’m here to work with the guys looking for more intel on our target. Tim wanted someone to relay the info while he’s putting together a plan of attack with the rest of the teams.”
“They are working on that over there. Make yourself at home. You know where the fridge and coffee machine are located.”
“You New Species have me addicted to caffeine.”
“Is that a complaint?”
“Hell no. Just an observation. I’ll go be useful and get out of your hair. Great job in there. Tim might not have said it but I will.”
Darkness watched the human join the two males at the computers before he spun around and went to the room where they kept their gear. He put on a bulletproof vest, grabbed a helmet and headed outside.
He climbed the ladder to the walkway near the top of the wall and peered over the edge as he lifted a weapon, his intention to look intimidating. One glance showed him two cars and a van in line, waiting to be searched before entering the first gate. He sighed. It was boring walking the wall but it was better than staring at the ceiling from his bed.
* * * * *
Katrina was excited as she drove through the first set of gates at New Species Homeland and hit the down button on her window. She already had her identification out, having shown it to the first guard. It had passed inspection, being an official license. She also had a full background cover. A second guard approached her driver’s side window.
It fascinated her that all the NSO officers were completely covered, from their combat boots to their gloved hands and tinted face shields. She studied the person intently but couldn’t see a hint of skin. The broad shoulders, tall frame and bulky arms implied it was a male but she had no way to tell if he was human or New Species. It was a brilliant tactic to prevent protestors or potential threats from distinguishing the exact identity of each guard.
“Hi. I’m Kathryn Decker but call me Kat. I’m from the crime lab in Bakersfield. I’m the consultant.”
He accepted her license and touched the communication device attached to his ear. He spoke softly enough that she couldn’t hear the words. It would be procedure to verify her identity once again and that she was expected at Homeland. She glanced at the gates that closed behind her and looked toward the second one about fifty yards in front of her. There was plenty of space separating the sides of her rental car from a guard shack and more walls.
“So you wave people through the first gates one vehicle at a time and recheck them in this area?”
He slid his glove up the side of his protective headgear but said nothing.
“Sorry. I’m just curious. I’m with the crime lab, remember?”
The guard released his earpiece and handed back her license. “You need to pull up there and leave the engine running. Our team has to go over your car and then we need to search you. A female will do that. Just step out of your vehicle and she’ll meet with you.” He pointed to marks that had been painted on the pavement.
She accepted her license and drove forward. It put her dead center in the open space. It made sense. They’d have room to go over the vehicle and it was a good blast zone if anyone drove explosives inside. She put the car in park and exited the vehicle.
A second guard stepped outside the shack and approached. Kat surveyed the person from head to foot—exact outfit, no unique marks, generic identity. The figure was tall and fit but there was noticeably less shoulder and arm mass. The woman’s breasts were hidden under the thick Kevlar vest. She wouldn’t have guessed her sex if she hadn’t been told to expect a female.
Kat’s heart rate increased with excitement at the prospect of having interaction with one of the New Species women. They were elusive and not much was known about them. No photographs had ever surfaced and no one knew what they looked like. She grinned. “Hi.”
The figure paused a few feet from her. “Why are you so happy?” The voice was a little gruff but definitely that of a woman.
“I’m just happy to be here. I’m really looking forward to getting to know New Species. I’m Kat Decker from the crime lab in Bakersfield.”
“I’m aware of who you are. We’re looking forward to your classes.” Her tone softened. “I love crime shows.”
“It’s not exactly the same as you see on television. Those shows have a lot of high-tech equipment that we don’t really use.”
“Oh.”
“The classes will be fun though. I spent two days reviewing things to teach.” Kat didn’t want to disappoint the NSO. She might be there under false pretenses but she’d decided to make the most of it. Robert Mason could kiss her ass if he thought she was going to follow his exact orders. She’d view it as a vacation of sorts, one where she got to interact with New Species and share some of her knowledge on how to combat the latest criminal trends.
“We don’t frighten you?”
“Only if you plan on kicking my ass because you all appear to be in really good shape.”
The tall woman laughed. “I’m Rusty.”
“Is it bad manners to offer to shake hands?”
Rusty offered a gloved hand. “Nope.”
Kat shook it. “NSO stands for New Species Organization, right?”
Rusty nodded. “When in uniform it also stands for New Species Officer. Take your pick. We’re good at adapting.”
“Very cool.”
“I need to search you. Would you mind turning around and assuming the position?”
Kat spun and spread her legs. She reached into her front pocket and removed her cigarettes and lighter. She set them on the roof of her car in clear view. It was a reminder of why she had come to Homeland and how torn she felt about it. Smoking was a bad habit she fell back on every time there was a lot of stress in her life. She spread her arms wide and gripped the top of the car. The pat-down was thorough and Rusty even checked her cigarette pack and lighter, handing them back when she was done.
“I need to check your purse now.”
Kat reached inside her car to retrieve it. Rusty placed the handbag on the hood of the car and carefully searched inside as Kat watched.
“Here you go,” Rusty said as she tried to return it.
Kat refused to take it, instead asking, “May I make a suggestion?”
Rusty nodded. “All right.”
Kat accepted the purse and placed it back on the hood. She motioned Rusty closer. “You don’t want to just examine the contents. You need to search the purse as well. I’m here to teach your officers the latest tricks criminals use and this is one of them. I put a few things inside my purse to see if you would find them. You missed them. Watch.”
Kat dumped out the contents and then handed the purse back to Rusty. “Squeeze the purse. Feel every inch.”
Rusty did so and tensed. Kat stepped back. “Both sides of the lining have two fake knives that are plastic. They aren’t sharp but they could have been. Running a metal detect
or over the purse wouldn’t have worked to find them. I also put a tube of water along the bottom of the purse that you probably mistook for cushioning. It could have contained poison, a biological weapon or a gel explosive that could be ignited with the lighter you handed back to me. You have to feel every inch of something you search and investigate every bump or inconsistency. Never allow any substance through security, even if you believe it’s just simple water. Your best option is to secure purses and bags in a separate location when you have day visitors. Take their possessions away from them when they enter and return them when they leave.”
Rusty discovered the hidden linings and removed the objects. She sighed. “I see.”
Kat nodded. “I could have killed someone if I’d been a bad guy.”
Screams suddenly erupted from the direction of the front gate. Kat turned in time to spot a van with tinted windows tearing through the shrubs next to the line of cars waiting to enter Homeland. It nearly plowed into a few protestors before it scraped against those vehicles. The grill had been modified into a battering ram. She caught a glimpse of what appeared to be two packages taped to it. Those packages exploded on impact with the gates. The hinges of the gate gave way and it came crashing forward onto the pavement.
Shock held her immobile for precious seconds while the van tried to drive over the downed metal barrier. The guards along the top of the walls opened fire. Their bullets ricocheted off the sides of the vehicle. Rusty grabbed Kat and both of them hit the ground next to her rental.
Kat lifted her head and took in the unfolding hell. Two of the van’s tires were stuck in the damaged gate but it wouldn’t take long to get free. It backed up and then the driver shifted gears and advanced again. A bent part of the gate hung him up but he was almost clear of it.
The too-close-for-comfort view she had of the grill revealed no sign of more explosives taped to the front. The driver was probably intent on using engine power and force to breach the second gate but her rental car stood in his way. He’d have to skirt around it and that would slow him down.
She struggled to get out from under the New Species woman who’d taken her to the ground. One look revealed that Rusty was okay and not in the way of the tires that were about to be pushed forward when the van slammed into her rental. The engine was still running. She got to her knees and lunged through the open car door, grabbed the emergency brake and yanked it on. It wouldn’t stop the van but it would make pushing the car a bit more difficult.
She backed out of the car, landing on her ass, an instant before it was rammed. Her attention fixed on the van. Bullets were still bouncing off it, not doing any damage except for what appeared to be some faint scratch marks.
“MOVE!” Rusty yelled. “Follow me.”
Kat turned her head as the New Species got to her feet. She pulled her weapon but didn’t fire at the van. Kat reacted, her years of training taking over before she could think. She yanked the handgun from Rusty’s hand, rose and flipped off the safety.
“Shoot the tires,” Kat yelled.
She took a shot at the windshield where she saw two assailants sitting. Both wore tactical assault gear with full-face shields. The vehicle windows held, which meant she couldn’t do any damage but that went both ways. Movement in the back of the van assured her there were more of the bastards. She advanced, ignoring the gunfire, hoping the guards on the wall didn’t target her.
The driver turned his head as she stopped next to his door. She grabbed the handle but it was locked. She gripped the gun with both hands. He pressed on the gas, tires squealing, and the smell of burning rubber assailed her as he pushed her rental a few feet. She moved with it and scanned the door for a flaw. The lock was exposed so she fired into it. The hole that appeared seemed to surprise the driver and she might have hit him but the bullet wouldn’t do much damage with the chest rig he wore. She yanked open the door and aimed for the two inches of skin revealed at his throat when he looked her way and made the mistake of glancing up at the wall, lifting his head. She fired.
The passenger attempted to raise a military-grade assault rifle to shoot her but he snagged the end of it on the center divider, between the seats. She fired at him but the bullet didn’t pierce his face shield. He did lunge back. The driver choked, blood flowing over his vest. He wasn’t wearing a belt. She fisted one of the straps of his vest and yanked hard. She turned as he fell out, putting her side against the van, out of the passenger’s sight line. The driver fell to the ground and she released him.
Bullets tore into the open door next to her and she knew if she swung forward to fire at the passenger again, he’d hit her. She focused on the dying man at her feet. She bent, careful to keep out of the open door of the still-running van but it wasn’t moving forward anymore. Her car prevented it. She yanked his handgun free of its holster and spotted two objects that looked like grenades.
Holy fuck. They aren’t screwing around. She dropped the guns on the ground and grabbed the two explosive devices. They were handmade, by her guess, but looked deadly. She didn’t have time to ponder exactly how they worked or what they would do. She feared the other assailants would burst out at any second and attack. She saw the switches and used her thumbs to activate them, praying they wouldn’t instantly blow. She risked exposure when she threw them inside and leaned over to grab the door. She slammed it closed, spun and sprinted away.
“Run! Bomb!” she shouted at two advancing NSO officers.
One of them followed orders by diving behind some kind of barrier they’d set up near the guard house but the second one kept coming.
“It’s going to blow,” she got out. At least she hoped it would. It would be really bad if she’d just set off two chemical weapons, thinking they were explosive devices. She’d had mere seconds to examine them.
The guard still coming at her had to be at least six-foot-five. He didn’t point his gun at her, which was a blessing. She tucked her head when his arms opened as if to grab her but she tackled his waist. It knocked the air from her lungs when she slammed into his solid frame, reminding her of hitting a wall at full speed. They both went down though.
BOOM!
The sound nearly deafened her and something slammed into her back. She wasn’t sure if she’d been hit by a flying object or if it was just the shockwave from the explosion. Her ears rang, she felt numb and was unaware whether she was hurt. The big body under her moved. She was sprawled on top of him. He rolled over and she suddenly felt the unforgiving pavement under her back. His weight pinned her as she managed to open her eyes, not even aware they had been closed until then.
Her hearing improved somewhat as the trauma lessened. The guard was heavy, crushing her between him and the ground. He’d turned his head to look behind him. She stared up at a tan throat, revealed beneath his tinted face shield, and even noticed his square chin. Popping noises and a hissing sound filled the air.
“Son of a bitch.” His voice gave her chills. There was a gruffness to it that wasn’t quite human—too deep, almost a snarl.
He pushed off her and she sucked in air, her lungs starved for oxygen. She got her first glimpse of the van, or what was left of it, when he rolled to his knees then got to his feet.
She sat up enough to stare mutely at the destruction. The windows had blown out at the front of the van and the back doors were open. Flames shot from both sides of it and black smoke rolled upward. A body lay near the driver’s door—the man she’d shot in the throat. He wasn’t moving and she didn’t expect him to. The bullet she’d fired had been a kill shot.
Her attention returned to the van and the dark object hanging out the back, to the ground. She was able to focus enough to make out what it was. Bile rose as she identified the shape of a head and arms. He wasn’t moving. She managed to choke back the urge to throw up. It sank in that she’d just killed at least three people, unless the passenger had exited the other side before the explosion. The NSO guard moved but she couldn’t take her horrified gaze off the burn
ing van.
Orders were shouted in the background but she ignored them. I did that. I killed them. It sank in and she couldn’t force her limbs to move. Kat didn’t flinch when the guard leaned down and grabbed her arms. He easily jerked her to her unsteady feet. She swayed a little but locked her knees. Her training demanded she snap out of it and get with the program but all she could do was watch the burning van. She could smell burning flesh under the thick stench of rubber and whatever else was on fire.
“You’re under arrest,” that deep voice growled next to her ear.
The feel of handcuffs being snapped on her wrists finally pulled her out of her shock. She turned her head and peered up at the guard. He was over a foot taller than she was and massive. He’d snapped the cuffs on her wrists in front instead of behind her back and now gripped the chain between them.
She swallowed, trying to find her voice. “I can explain.”
“You blew up that van.” He growled. “You stole a gun from one of my officers. Who are you?”
She turned her head. Black-clad officers had rushed forward with fire extinguishers, trying to put out the blaze. She wanted to order them back in case the gas tank hadn’t already blown but they were keeping a safe distance. The New Species at her side expected an answer. She remembered that and looked at him. “I’m Kat Decker. I’m the crime lab consultant.”
“Bullshit.”
She inwardly winced at his harsh tone. Her mind began to fully function again and she realized she’d fucked up. She’d have laughed outright at someone if they’d just done what she had then claimed to be some lab jockey from forensics. She didn’t regret her actions though.
He spun her and a hand firmly clamped around her upper arm before he shoved her gently. “Move.”
It came as a shock when she saw the destruction done to the guard shack. Part of the roof had caved in, the entire side facing the van having taken heavy damage. “Is everyone okay?”
“I don’t know.” He definitely snarled. “We’re checking.”
Rusty rushed forward. Kat identified her by her shape and empty gun holster. “I’m so sorry, Darkness.”