Page 19 of Hunted

Tandor chuckled, but Jobek just walked into the kitchen and tossed the injector into a pullout bin that looked like a trash compactor. According to the background info Neeva had given her, nearly everything on Altor was broken down into energized molecules and recycled through matter generators, so it was a safe bet that the trash compactor was actually some sort of recycling unit.

As he returned, Jobek spoke in their native language, likely to see if she could understand him.

“Orifois fil assen woxfer—anything anyone tells you should be verified. It is simply the best approach to unknown situations.”

“I can understand you now,” she told him. His words still sounded foreign to her ears, but the nanites seamlessly provided each word’s English counterpart.

“Good.” He motioned toward the table and spoke in a firm, clear tone. “Display newscast six-twenty-eight from my private library.”

The display flickered to life as the file he’d requested began to play.

A female reporter stood in front of a nondescript building. If it weren’t for her gold-toned skin she could easily pass for human. Her dark hair was pulled back and her eyes were nearly purple. The tense expression on her pretty face indicated that something important was going on.

“The accused scientists are about to be led out,” she said to the camera. “This raid is the culmination of months of exhaustive investigation. According to our sources, the—oh, here they are now.” She turned toward the building as the front doors were thrown open by armed guards or police officers. They were dressed in uniforms, but Ansley had no idea what the insignias meant.

A stranger in arm restraints emerged next, then Dr. Lorish and another male. Both were restrained and dressed in similar tunics. Were they uniforms or the Altorian version of a lab coat? Trepidation gripped Ansley’s belly, making her feel nauseous. “What are they accused of?” She knew, but needed to hear Jobek say it.

“Kidnapping and conducting medical experiments on infants and small children. Three females were found in his lab. They were all in medically induced comas and all three had recently given birth.”

She swallowed with difficulty and clenched her fists. “Did they survive?”

“They did not.”

Tears escaped the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away with a shaky hand. The three restrained males were loaded into a vehicle that hovered about a foot off the ground. She knew this was real, yet it felt like a movie, a tragic horror movie.

“Play video file six-seven-three-one-one,” Jobek directed the computer.

The on-location recording blinked off and a studio news cast replaced it.

“Today’s protests were peaceful and orderly,” the handsome newscaster was saying. He had copper-colored skin and green eyes that perfectly matched his bright green hair. Unlike the female reporter, his features were exotic and decidedly non-human. “As long as the protests continue to be—we have breaking news.” His expression sharpened and his gaze shifted to something off camera. “The notorious geneticist Degatt Norice has just escaped from Baanok Prison where he was serving multiple life sentences. He was assisted by a team of mercenaries who had disguised themselves as a transfer team. There are a total of eleven prisoners unaccounted for at this time. Two guards were killed in the melee and twenty-six individuals have been transported to nearby hospitals. We are gathering details as quickly as we can and will report our findings as soon as possible.”

“Nine people died that day,” Tandor told her as Jobek paused the recording. “Six guards and three prisoners.”

“Turn it off,” she pleaded. “I’ve seen enough.”

Jobek obliged. “Everything I told you is true. The founders were never protecting you. They are the monsters who gave you your abilities and they fled to Earth after escaping from prison.”

“Oh, God.” Ansley pressed her hand over her thudding heart as she realized what her errand was really about. “I was a contingency plan in case their newest escape failed.EverythingNeeva told me was total bullshit.”

“Explain exactly what she told you.” Jobek’s tone was firm, yet calm.

“The crystals contain detailed information about second-level conduits. Neeva said it was just a precaution. That we would need it if anything happened to Dr. Lorish. Our altered DNA can cause complications. Neeva wanted the information available in case anyone else got sick.”

“She used what happened to Jodi to manipulate you.” It wasn’t a question. Jobek sounded as if he was thinking out loud rather than expecting an answer. “You said you tried to contact someone for help,” Jobek reminded. “Were they human or Altorian?”

She shook her head, feeling vulnerable and foolish. “There was never anyone else. I was trying to meet up with the guy who drops off supplies, but just so he could shuttle me off the island. I was supposed to hide in plain sight and wait until the founders sent someone to come get me.” She blinked and tears trailed down her cheeks. “I had no idea who they really are.” No, it was more than simple ignorance. The founders were the only parents any of the girls had known, or at least remembered. They had no reason to mistrust anything they said.

Tandor approached her slowly and placed his arm around her shoulders. “None of this is your fault. You were deceived by some of the most ruthless minds in our star system.”

“You had no choice but to trust them,” Jobek added. “They made damn sure you were completely dependent on them. Isolation and dependency are fundamentals of emotional and physical abuse.”

Their reassurance did little to soothe her embarrassment or anger. Her entire life had been a lie. Even Neeva, her mentor, had skillfully manipulated and deceived her at every turn. Tears blurred Ansley’s vision, but she angrily blinked them back. She needed to think, to plan, which required accurate information. “None of the other founders are scientists. What was their real role in all of this?”

“I do not know the details,” Jobek admitted. “If you knew their real names, I could do some digging for you. Without them…” He just shrugged.

“It doesn’t matter.” Another wave of emotion threatened her composure but she refused to give in. “I know they’re dirt-bags and liars. The rest is irrelevant.” Tandor tried to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away. “If Neeva had chosen another girl for her contingency plan, would you be courting her right now?”

“I don’t know,” Tandor said as he glanced away.

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