Page 56 of Healing Creek
“Come on, Grace. Time for questions later when we’re underway.” His voice was patronizing and agitated.
Fear shot through her like lightening. Her heart raced, beating so hard she heard it in her ears. She could barely hear the jungle. This wasn’t right. Grace ran into the dense vegetation. At least she tried. Roots and vines snagged her steps. Wide green leaves and moss-covered branches beat at her arms as she batted them away. Zachary cursed.
The sound of branches snapping and his body smacking against the foliage haunted her. He shoved her and she lost her footing. She flailed helplessly as the ground zoomed toward her and she slammed into it face first.
A tree root caught her in the chest, stealing her breath. Pain exploded in her cheek.
Then he was dragging her back to her feet and shoving her back to the basher. She all but fell into the passenger seat, hitting an elbow on the door frame. She was still rattled and foggy when he slipped the plasmold restraints onto her wrists, pushed and shoved until she was in the safety harness, and connected the buckle.
“It’s the suppressant,” he explained. “It impairs cognitive and motor functions without inducing an unconscious state. But you would have known that if you were able to think clearly.” He was squatting beside her in the open door, smiling up at her.
“Why?” She attempted to touch her aching cheek with one hand but couldn’t manage it.
“I expect you’re also still weak from the transfusion. You gave up a lot of blood. As soon as you’re more coordinated, I’ve got some broth and juice for you.”
“No. Why are you doing this?” Speaking aggravated the pain in her cheek and she winced. She pressed her fingertips against her thigh and tapped.
“Best intentions. But that is a long story.” With that he slammed the door shut and jogged around to the driver’s side where he climbed into his seat and strapped in. With the touch of a button the engine rumbled to life. The whole vehicle shook with the power of it. The basher lurched forward, crushing the jungle under the powerful front end. The going was easier than she expected from her first glance around them. As her mind started to clear she realized they were on an overgrown path. Lots of new vegetation but no major obstacles. The basher bounced and rocked as it scaled these lesser obstructions. The motion made her stomach churn.
After the first thirty minutes the terrain leveled out and the motion became less jarring. They must be crossing the ravine floor. There was no sign of a path here but the vehicle didn’t seem to need one. Her eyes grew heavy and she battled to stay alert. A loud crunch and a lurching motion jarred her awake. They were going up the opposite side of the ravine. How long had she been out. Her head felt clearer.
“Can I have that broth now?” She shouted to be heard.
“In the compartment by your knees.”
She found it and worked within the limits of the restraints to get it out and flip open the sip-top.
“You said you have good intentions. Can’t you tell me where you’re taking me?”
“I came here from Roma with Eve, you know.” He spoke loudly to be heard over the basher’s engine. “I was happy to leave at the time. All the exciting work was coming to an end and Eve’s mother was a real bitch to work for.” He laughed. “But there are four other partners I can work for.”
He was taking her to Roma. The confirmation rattled her.
Zachary chuckled again. “You have to admit, there is some beauty in letting their money fund the work to solve the genetic problem. Once it’s solved, I’ll make the research available to everyone. It doesn’t serve anyone to let the Arena Dogs just dwindle down to a few births a year.”
He must have decided Samantha’s pregnancy was an anomaly. But somehow he thought she was the key to correcting the genetic flaws in the Arena Dogs’ reproduction.
“I tested your blood while you were unconscious. Pretty miraculous that you’re still alive. If the medi-bots in your blood can do that they’ll be able to help the Dogs. I’m sure of it.”
“They don’t rewrite genetic code,” she shouted to be heard. “The best they could do is find a work-around.”
“Yes, but we can take it from there. That’s the beauty of medical science. You should know that. But then you aren’t the smartest of your parents’ offspring, are you?”
“Which of the Roma houses are you working for?” She needed to keep him talking. Find out what she could from him.
“Owens has your sister, and he already has a bounty on you, so he’s my first choice. We’ll have to see.”
“You haven’t been working for Roma?”
“No.” He seemed happy to answer her questions. His confidence was discouraging.
“Have you been in touch with Owens yet?”
“Not yet. Communications are monitored at Haven. No way to get a signal out of there.”
Did anyone know she was missing? “They won’t let you just take me.”
“No one even knows we’re gone.”
