Page 62 of Monstrous Baby
I allowed my voice to crack with fear. “Then why are you killing me?”
His eyebrows lifted with surprise. “Who said anything about killing you?”
“If you remove the Sirian cells inside me…”
“Oh, my mistake.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “We do plan to relocate you, certainly. This won’t be a safe area with the KORE threatening.” He put much more emphasis on the new alien species. Moving around the table, he approached Snryx without hesitation. “This isn’t for you, but for them. DSC always reclaims its property. A shame, honestly. You were one of the finest SPXs we ever engineered.”
:Now,:I told Snryx.
One of his implements whipped around the man’s hand, preventing the pen from touching him. Another went around his throat and a third around his other hand. “Still am, asshole.”
27
NATALIE
Iwas honestly a little disappointed that Snryx didn’t lop off the scientist’s head.
:I would gladly chop off his head if that would make a difference,:Snryx replied grimly.:He’s an agent, as fake as this empty laboratory.:
The man didn’t even struggle, only tipped his head sideways quizzically. “What do you hope to achieve?”
“A way out of here,” I muttered, looking around frantically.
The walls and floor were smooth silver, supposedly tungsten, the only metal strong enough to cage dyni. The room itself was circular, which made sense if we were inside the BGR’s jump ring. How long could he hold it? I didn’t recall Axxol’s being so large.
:The diameter of this particular jump ring is larger than approximately ninety-eight percent of all recorded jump rings available in my databanks.:Lohr’s mind still churned through research data on the KORE, so deep that his bond seemed thin and distant. Almost like he was on another planet, or back on Earth.
In fact, if I allowed my eyes to unfocus…
I could see the ghostly imprint of the giant Jacuzzi tub behind him where I’d been hiding before the alpha tore through the roof. The construct weakened. Because we had the agent controlled—for now? Or maybe some other reason. Surely the T-rex couldn’t hold the jump indefinitely, especially with the rest of my squad pressuring them. Probably killing them.
Axxol could hold the cave in Gioiello without even being there physically, but I’d assumed that was his BGR+ skill, not something a standard pilot could do. I focused on him. Remembering the way he smelled, raw, wild and feral. The promise of violence darkening the blue fire in his eyes. The growl of his voice. I didn’t have a mating mark with him, but if the jump ring was weakening, hopefully he’d be able to hear me on the grid.
:How do I make him drop this jump ring?:
Axxol locked onto my mind with vicious jaws, seizing me like he never intended to let me go. Static and interference roared in my head, but I could make out his words.:You fucking kill him.:
:I can’t see him. He’s not physically here.:
:He is. You just can’t see through the turbulence he’s using to jam your location. Adjust the frequency. Rip his fucking jump to shreds.:
“There is no way out,” the scientist said calmly. “Not until DSC allows you to leave. I have my orders.”
“The hurricane will make land soon.” Mr. Smith white-knuckled the handle of his briefcase. “We must deploy the weapon to stop it.”
:No!:Lohr suddenly roared so loudly in my head it made me flinch.:We mustn’t let that crystal anywhere near the KORE.:
“My people know where we are,” General Waverley said. “You can’t hold us here indefinitely. We came prepared to nuke all of you if necessary.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block them out. Their rising tension, the shrillness in their voices as they began to fear for their lives. Holly clutched my entire arm, her body pressed against me, shivering. But that only made me wish I had Kroktl’s arms around me.
:I’m here, baby,:he whispered, gently tucking my hair behind my ear.:Our youngling’s safe. Come home to us.:
No doubt or anxiety threaded his words. Only one-hundred percent faith and confidence.
In me. Our love. Our bond.
I exhaled, long and slow. Eyes closed, I envisioned the bathroom around me. White marble floor beneath my feet… No. That wasn’t right. Rizan had ordered a huge, ridiculously thick bath mat for the floor so my feet wouldn’t be cold when I got out of the tub. My favorite color, purple.
