Page 107 of Siren in the Rain

Ruby searches through several special refrigerators where samples are being stored, a grim look on her face. “They’ve got illegal biological samples in there. Cocky idiots labelled them. More of what we’ve seen so far and…” She trails off. “Other stuff.”

That doesn’t sound good.

Ruby continues. “Emma and I will stay and get copies of as much data as we can before the LAPD officers show up in here.”

Dallas nods. “Remember to use the panic button I gave you if needed, and we’ll come back for you right away.”

Emma pulls two smaller squirt guns out of the backpack. “Don’t worry, Dallas. I’ve got this under control. Anyone tries to mess with us and I’ll dose them with a rather unpleasant temporary paralytic.”

“Ooh,” Ruby coos, rubbing up against Emma. “You didn’t tell me you played with poisons too.”

Emma licks her lips. “I dabble a little.”

“Tell me more,” Ruby says breathily.

“Fucking hell,” Cal groans. “Please save me. I can’t handle all this schmoopy crap I’m getting from all corners lately.”

He casts a mock glare in my and Griffin’s direction.

Griffin laughs. “Just wait until it’s your turn, bro.”

Cal shakes his head vehemently. “Nope, never. Never gonna happen.”

“I think he doth protest too much,” I tell Griffin.

“Cal’s actually a secret romantic at heart. At least, that’s what I believe,” Griffin confides.

Cal ignores us and turns to Harper. “Any bright ideas as to where they might be secretly hiding the Otherkind folks we’re looking for?”

Harper pulls up a schematic of the building on his phone and points to an area up ahead. “My intel indicates this part of the building has a higher than usual security contingent with round-the-clock guards focused on one door. This is most likely where they’re at.”

“Let’s go,” Dallas declares.

Emma hands me her Super Soaker. “Take this.”

“Won’t you need it?”

She gestures to the two water guns and her still-packed backpack. “I’m good.”

I take the Super Soaker and follow as Harper once again leads the way, taking us deeper into the building.

We run into a handful of fleeing personnel along our route and I make good use of Emma’s Super Soaker, downing them easily.

“You’re ruthless,” Cal says appreciatively. “Nice work.”

I shrug. “Don’t want any of these fuckers getting away. They’re all guilty if you ask me.”

“We’ll leave them to the human team,” Dallas says. “Stay focused.”

We know we’re getting close when we hear agitated voices filled with rising panic up ahead.

“What the fuck are we supposed to do now?” someone says.

“Did you call the boss?”

“Yeah, but she can’t get here fast enough. The cops are already in the building. They’ll be here any minute.”

“Then we execute Code Red protocol. Destroy all the specimens. Leave no evidence behind.”

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