Page 87 of Heart’s Prisoner

Lana closed her eyes. It was what she had had in mind for him before, only then she had been too afraid to ask.

"You could try. I had thought of the idea before. But I don't think I could bear the thought of possibly losing you again," Lana admitted.

Xerus snorted. "They are no threat."

Lana turned her head up to meet his gaze. "They are. I know you are well trained in combat and are more powerful. But they have something you don't. Numbers. And advance weapons that they could use with their eyes closed. They are one of the military's most trained men. A few might not be anything but there are at least two dozen of them. And I have seen the kind of weapons they are packing." Lana shook her head. "We can't risk it because I...my people need you."

Xerus' eyes bore deep into hers and Lana held his gaze. "If something happened, the others would be stuck. I would be left defenseless, unable to help," she said softly. She reached up and kissed his neck, trailing her lips upward, moving across his jaw. Xerus closed his eyes, groaning. He backed her against one of the walls, placing his arm against the black marble, leaning his body forward, sheltering her. She continued to kiss him gently, tasting droplets of water.

Xerus hissed. "I cannot avoid them forever."

"I know," Lana said between kisses. Then a thought lit up her mind. "I think I have an idea." She looked up at him. "We should send the uninfected straight to the docks right away. Though they can't leave until it is safe, it is better to have them all in one place, away from Galger's team. As soon as everyone is out, we keep Galger and his men from following. They either comply to set their weapons aside and be tied up or they remain and...we continue with the initial plan."

Xerus' eyes narrowed. "We set off the bombs."

Lana nodded.

"I would rather they were dead, but I assume your kind would wish them to face some sort of trial for their actions?"

"It would be the right thing," Lana said wearily. She had made sure the Scibot recorded all movement within the base so that every action was filed away into the main system. And every hour it sent those files into cloud storage which would be easy to access. Everyone would know once they got out and Galger and his men could face punishment for their crimes.

Xerus grumbled but didn't argue. "Very well. I assume then you will use the cargo elevators to get the rest of the people up to the docks?"

Lana's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"I have seen the maps. I know the supply routes are the only ones capable of going from each level to the docks without having to stop at the city sector first. I was planning to use it myself when I first studied the map on level twelve."

"Ah, so that was the information you stole from the bot. I should have guessed..."

Xerus' mouth widened and he shrugged.

"Yes, that's the plan." Lana continued. "Right now there are a few waiting up on the docks now. Place the bombs then shepard those hiding or in saferooms and send them up. Galger and his team have been sticking to level three as their home base so we will go there last. Once it is highly unlikely that there is anyone left on those levels, we can just place the bombs and nothing more." Lana gripped Xerus and kissed his shoulder with excitement, her anger and fear subsiding temporarily. "It could work."

"I'll go back to the lower levels and get to the uninfected first that were left. Then make my way up once more," Xerus said. He pressed against her, nuzzling the side of her head. "It shouldn't be difficult. And quick. Once they see me, they will run faster than they ever have in their lives."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Xerus didn't have to go far down to find survivors. Based on the Scibot's readings, there was no one alive on any of the levels from eleven to ten. Just bodies. Some half-eaten by creatures lurking in the dark, others killed mysteriously in ways Lana didn't want to think about. Likely from those infected and hostile. Weeding out the weak. Lana had done her best to avoid looking or thinking about them when Xerus had been setting his bombs, but now it was all she could focus on and it made her stomach twist.

There was no one left on nine either as they had fled their units so Xerus made his way down to eight where, based on the data, there were a few hiding. Once he found them, Xerus made sure none were infected then drove the group out of the room they had blockaded and, with a little fear mongering, shepherded them into the warehouse, to the cargo elevator. They took it up and Xerus too made his way to the next level. He found the people he had left on seven and did the same with them as he did with those on eight. Their screams and cries of terror echoed through Lana's headset but she remained still and calm, knowing they were in no real danger. They had no way of knowing Xerus was helping them.

As he led them through the rooms, one did find an ounce of courage and took out his gun to fire toward Xerus. The alien dodged, the bullet barely missing his head, and quickly disarmed him. The man stumbled and fell then ran to catch up with the others.

"Seci nix vi shaaves," Xerus muttered. Something about humans being so ungrateful.

"They don't know you are trying to help," Lana reminded him.

"Still, it would be nice not to be shot at," Xerus sneered.

"I know, I'm sorry. Level six there is a group in the saferoom. They likely won't have guns."

Xerus hissed. "We shall see."

Lana's lips tightened, her heart pounding as she centered all her focus on the screen. She was nervous for him and for the others. Even if Xerus got them to run in the right direction toward the cargo elevator, there could still be other specimens or infected hiding, ready to attack.

Once those on seven were out, Xerus made his way through the debris-filled passages of the medical bay until he came up beside the saferoom door. He opened his jaws wide then shut his mouth as if setting it in a specific manner, his head bowed. He backed away to stand underneath an unlit corner, his eyes piercing the dark. He cleared his throat then lifted his tail to knock soundly on the door.

Minutes passed and there was no answer. Xerus went to knock again when a voice broke the silence.

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