New Species 02 Slade (14 page)

couldn’t see.

“Lollypop?” He almost sounded insulted.

“Because I want to lick you,” she replied sweetly.

He growled and gripped her arm. “You’re only

saying that because you know we have to leave.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Let’s go.”

“Lead the way.”

Trisha couldn’t see a thing. Slade kept a good hold

on her arm, warning her when to step over something in

their path. She stumbled a few times. Slade paused after

the fourth time she nearly fell.

“I’m going to carry you until the dawn. We’re

moving way too slow.”

“I’m sorry.” She meant it. He could travel much

faster if she wasn’t with him, knowing full well she

posed a danger to his survival.

“Don’t worry about it. I know you have your

limitations since you’re only human.” Amusement laced

his voice.

Trisha lifted her other hand and gave him the finger.

“Can you see this?”

“Maybe later, Doc. I’ll take that as an offer. I’m

turning around for you to climb on my back and here’s

the bag. If I have to carry you, you need to carry it.”

He carefully put the bag over her head and arm so it

rested on her back. He moved until she knew he waited

in front of her. He crouched and she climbed onto his

back. He lifted her as she gripped his shoulders and

started walking.

Finally, dawn broke and Trisha could see. “Put me

down.”

He stopped and released her knees for Trisha to

slide down his back to her feet. They were in a sharp

ravine that twisted out of sight. She stared upward on

both sides. “That’s going to be a climb if this thing

doesn’t end somewhere soon.”

Dark blue eyes met hers. “I waited for you to be able

to see but we need to climb now. I want out of this. It was

good for carrying you but we’re better off on higher

ground.”

I had to open my mouth, she thought but she nodded.

“After you.”

He shook his head. “After you. I want to be able to

catch you if you fall.”

That made sense to her. She took a deep breath.

Slade pointed and Trisha nodded, turned, and saw a lot

of brush on both sides. She grabbed hold of a root and

started to climb. The ground became rocky in some

places but she kept finding handholds with the

vegetation. Slade stayed right behind her. Her foot

slipped once and Slade grabbed the heel of her shoe,

stopping her from sliding. She turned her head.

“Thanks.”

“Keep moving, sweet thing.”

“You got it, lollypop.”

“Knock that off.”

“Right back at you.”

She gave her attention to where she climbed and kept

moving. Her hands hurt but she tried to ignore it,

knowing their lives were at stake. The light got stronger

as the sun rose and the chilly air turned into a warm,

sunny morning, causing Trisha to sweat.

Trisha knew her relief showed clearly when they

reached the top and she groaned. She felt as though

they’d been climbing forever. A hand suddenly grabbed

the back of her slacks and yanked her down. Trisha

gasped as she collapsed to her knees. Slade crouched at

her side.

“Stay down,” he ordered, flashing her an irritated

look. “We’re higher, easier to spot, and your blonde hair

is too visible.”

“Sorry. This stuff isn’t my forte.”

“Unfortunately, it is mine. Take a break, stay down,

and be quiet. I’m going to scout the area.”

“Sure. You do that.” She was exhausted as she just

spread out on the ground, not caring how much dirt she

sprawled over. She put her arm under her head. “I won’t

move.”

Slade snorted. “Women.”

“Men.”

“Smartass.”

“Dumbass.”

“Doc, knock it off.”

“While you’re scouting, I don’t suppose you could

find a local coffee shop and bring me back an iced mocha

coffee, could you? Maybe a muffin? Or a donut?”

Teeth flashed at her when he suddenly grinned. “I’ll

do my best.”

Trisha watched him leave. He stayed low. She

studied the sky, deciding it would be really hot when the

sun rose completely. She could just feel it. She sat up a

few minutes later and carefully looked around, spotting

ridges below. They were at a high point all right. She lay

back down, hoping Justice North had sent out the

National Guard to rescue them. She wanted a hot

shower, clean clothes, and food. She yawned.

She hadn’t gotten enough sleep. She was a pro at

taking cat naps. She’d done it since med school. Being an

intern could be a sleepless existence. She had learned to

sleep under extreme conditions. She just hoped that

training helped her survive on so little sleep and the

grueling pace they needed to keep to stay ahead of the

men hunting them.

* * * * *

hard into Trisha’s stomach.

Her eyes flew open and she stared in fear at the hairy

man wearing fatigues who stood over her. His shotgun

shoved tighter against her waist, digging into her

stomach, and his feet were planted wide apart above her.

She stared right up between his spread legs and couldn’t

miss the fact that he had a tear in the seam of his pants to

reveal a section of red underwear.

“Where’s the animal man?”

Trisha met the man’s gaze as her heart began to

Trisha met the man’s gaze as her heart began to

pound from terror. He means Slade. Obviously the men

who’d tried to kill them were definitely anti-New

Species. She breathed hard, terrified. He’d shoot her in

the gut if he pulled the trigger and that would be a

horrible death. If he fired, she hoped he hit major arteries

to make her bleed out quickly. With the gun pressed into

her skin at that angle, she figured the hole the weapon

blast made would finish her off quickly.

“You deaf, bitch? Where is the animal-man?”

“He abandoned me,” she lied. “I slowed him down

too much.”

The man leered at her breasts. “Stupid fucking

animals. I would have at least fucked you first. Get up

slow. You’re the doctor, right?”

She managed a nod despite her shock that he’d know

anything about her. “I’m Dr. Trisha Norbit.”

“You a vet or a real doctor?”

“I’m―”

“Doesn’t matter,” he cut her off. “Get your ass up.

One of my boys is hurt and it’s your lucky day. Usually

we kill traitors of our country but I need you. Guess it

don’t matter what kind of doctor you are as long as you

know how to set a bone and stitch up the skin.”

Traitor of their country? She gawked at him. The guy

was obviously a fanatical freak. Great. She sat up when

he pulled the gun a few inches from her shirt and he took

another step back. Trisha carefully rose to her feet and

put her arms up.

“You got any weapons besides your tits?”

“My… ” She stammered and glared at him. “No.”

The man shifted the shotgun, kept it cradled inside

the crook of his arm, but trained on her. “Lift your shirt

slowly and show me you don’t got a gun hidden in your

waistband.”

She did it, pulling her shirt up to her ribs and slowly

turned until he could verify she wasn’t armed. She met

his gaze when she’d done a full circle. It took a lot of

control not to glance around to see if she could spot

Slade but she didn’t dare. She prayed he’d see the man

with the gun and not walk back to her.

“Let’s go. Bill? Tom? You still got my back?”

“Yes, sir,” a male called out from the left.

“Sure as shit, Sully.” The voice spoke from the right.

Trisha glanced around her but she didn’t see anyone

but the man in front of her with the gun. He grinned,

revealing yellowed, crooked teeth.

“Some of my boys are with me. We usually travel in

packs of four. It will be the last thing animal-man ever

does if he decides to save you. He won’t be back for you

though unless he gets an itch in his dick.”

Trisha refrained from curling her lip in disgust. He

was the lowest form of humanity, in her opinion. From

the sound of his voice and the things he said, he honestly

thought very little of Slade. He didn’t even know him

and it had to be his prejudice against all New Species.

He might be a moron but unfortunately he held a gun on

her.

“Move it.”

A plan struck Trisha. She took a step and limped

badly, dragging her foot a lot, and made a big

production of wincing. The man with the gun uttered

curse words that made her wince.

“You’re injured? Goddamn it!” He roared the words.

Trisha had to resist smiling at the idiot. He’d been

worried she’d make a loud sound but he’d just shouted.

Slade would have heard that for sure. Hell, anyone within a

mile heard him, she guessed. She bit her lip hard and

watched him as she paused limping.

“It happened when you guys caused the SUV to

crash.”

He looked furious. “Tom? Get out here.”

Tom probably didn’t have to shave yet from the

looks of his pink skin and he had the narrow body of a

pre-teen. He stood nearly as short as Trisha’s height of

five-foot-three. He gripped a handgun and a large knife

had been strapped to his camouflage clothing, making

him appear as if he were a twelve-year-old dressed up as

an Army guy for Halloween. The faint lines displayed

near his mouth were the only signs that gave away his

true age, putting him in his mid-twenties.

“Yes, sir?” Tom’s voice came out unusually deep,

probably something he did on purpose to sound more

masculine. Green eyes fixed on Trisha, lowered to her

breasts, and that’s where his attention stayed.

She wanted to cross her arms over them but was

afraid to move for fear of being shot. The jerk leered at

her. She glared at him but he didn’t seem to care since he

probably didn’t notice her anger. He wasn’t looking at

her face. That would mean he’d have to stop gawking at

her breasts.

“How far is Pat from us?”

“A mile, sir.” Tom licked his lips and rubbed his free

hand on the top of his thigh. “That the animal lover, sir?

Bet she did him.”

“Shut up,” the man in charge ordered. “Look at her.

She’s pretty. She isn’t some ugly no-account who can’t

find a real man like us. Get on the radio and tell him that

we’re coming in slow with her because she’s limping.”

Tom finally dragged his attention from Trisha’s

breasts to look at the older man. “Sure thing, Sully.” Tom

appeared anything but happy as he disappeared into

thick brush.

“Let’s go.”

Trisha remembered their names. Sully. Tom. Bill. She

could identify two of them so far if she lived long

enough to reach the authorities. She really wanted them

arrested. She concentrated on that silent plan as she

slowly limped along, purposely dragged her foot, and

made a show of nonexistent pain. If she slowed them

down it would give Slade more time to get away. He

could look for help and send back the police to her.

They mostly traveled downhill. She stumbled a few

times but Sully never lifted a finger to help her. He kept

the gun trained on her, followed close behind, and didn’t

say a word. Trisha guessed that if Slade didn’t get her

help she probably wouldn’t be alive much longer than

the time it took for her to patch up the injured man.

They’d probably shoot her the way they had Bart when

they no longer had a use for her.

They left the thick brush finally and she spotted a

clearing with a tent set up and the fresh remains of a

small fire. Trisha smelled food and her stomach

rumbled. A coffeepot sat in the dead ashes of the crude

fire pit they’d built with stones in a circle. Trisha paused,

turned her head, and met Sully’s mud-brown eyes.

“He’s inside the tent so get your ass in there and help

him. Pat, we’re here and the doctor is coming in. Don’t go

blowing her brains out before she can tend you.”

Trisha limped toward the tent but nearly screamed in

real pain when a fist grabbed her hair from behind and

yanked her body back. She stumbled and collapsed to

her knees, forcing Sully to release her. Tears blinded her

for seconds as she grabbed the back of her head,