27. Chapter 27
The need to pull Rachel into my arms was unbearable. She looked so frightened and vulnerable that it pulled at the core of all my protective instincts. It didn't matter how many times my rational mind reminded me that we needed her help. I wished we had simply blown up the damn portal.
"Almost there," Amber shouted, getting my attention back to the mission. Dzur-Khan and I stationed ourselves at the entrance of the elevator to be the first ones out and encounter whoever waited for us on the other side.
Dzur-Khan rose in my estimation; his focus was fully on the doors, while everything here had to be overwhelming for him, even more so than it had been for me during my first time inside the IC building. He had to be curious and fascinated, yet he looked as ready to charge as if he were facing a Vandruk enemy.
The cab stopped, the doors opened, and Dzur-Khan and I rushed forward, followed by Amber, running straight into ten rifles aimed at us from uniformed humans.
Amber hastened around us, shielding us with her body. I growled, just like Dzur-Kahn, unused to a gallis protecting us. Dzur-Khan's arm moved forward, but I caught it, shaking my head. He hissed at me in anger, something I fully understood.
"Don't shoot." Amber widened her stance, her arms.
"Doctor Wayland?" a man moved around the males in front of him.
"Sergeant," Amber replied, sounding relieved. "It's good to see you again."
"And you, but what is the meaning of this?" The male pointed at us.
"All we want is to go outside and talk to the press," Amber explained reasonably, keeping her arms up. My attention was divided between the guard and Dzur-Khan. I worried that he would jump forward at any moment to protect his mate. His muscles were already tensing as if he were coiled to move.
"I'm Rachel James"." Rachel stepped around Dzur-Khan and me, and I hissed in dismay. Her voice wavered a little, a sure sign of her fear, and yet, she moved to Amber's side in comradery. She was the bravest gallis I had ever met.
"Miss James, I'm glad to see you too"." The sergeant took in Rachel's tattered clothes. "I hope you are unharmed?"
"Unharmed and well," she agreed. "We need to speak to my colleagues outside. I promise we will explain everything."
Jenna also moved ahead of us.
"Doctor McKenzie, we feared the worst"." The sergeant was obviously out of his element.
"I'm unharmed, thanks to the Vandruk," Jenna stated loudly.
Dzar-Ghan, followed by the rest of the warriors, stepped out of the elevator. A hissing sound announced the doors closing. I cursed. He couldn't have known this, but now the elevator was free to bring up more humans. We didn't have much time to clear our rears.
"Please, let us go outside"." Amber took a step forward.
The sergeant seemed clearly torn between what he was supposed to do and what he wanted to do.
"Don't let them get away," a woman yelled from the top of a sort of balcony a couple of floors up, staring down at us.
"Doctor Kensington," Jenna greeted her. "It's good to see you. If you would please instruct the sergeant to—"
"Don't be na?ve, Doctor McKenzie. Take these people prisoner, Sergeant. Now!"
My body coiled to spring into action.
"That would be a mistake"." Amber's voice was cool and professional. "You're United States Marine Corps soldiers, not rent-a-cops for her"—Amber pointed up to the woman—"no matter what she thinks. I used to be Navy Intelligence. Amber Seymore, look me up. I'm telling you, soldier-to-soldier, this situation is not what it seems. We need to speak to the press."
"She's been brainwashed like the other women," the one on top yelled.
"I've been there only a few days. Too little time to be brainwashed," Rachel asserted. "I'm a reporter and uncovered a massive conspiracy the world needs to be informed about."
"Take her into custody. Now!" Doctor Kensington screeched.
"Ma'am"." The sergeant looked clearly confused.
"Sven Grammer"." A man arrived next to Doctor Kensington. "NSA, do your duty, Soldier."
"Sven," Amber hissed. "How's the rib? Did it heal after I broke it when you tried to kill me?"
"Sergeant?" One of the males on the sergeant's team looked clearly uncomfortable, his rifle lowered a few fingers' width.
"Keep them in your sight," the sergeant commanded, pulling a radio from his lapel and speaking into it, too quiet for me to hear what he said.
"This man tried to kill me because I asked questions about IC. They killed my sister, Dawn, the woman you know as Doctor Wayland"." Amber still had her arms up as she took a step closer to the sergeant.
I waved my hand at the warriors at my back to be ready. I didn't know what Amber was planning, but this could end up in a hail of bullets and Rachel was right in their path. At any moment, the elevator behind me could open, releasing more security guards.
From what I gathered, the males pointing guns at us weren't in the IC's employ but the government's, which was still confusing to me, but I hoped it played in our favor. Amber seemed to think so and I was willing to acknowledge her expertise on this.
"Doctor Wayland is dead?" the sergeant asked, inclining his head and creasing his brow, "but you…"
"I took her spot. We were twins."
"She's lying!" Sven spat. "She killed her sister to infiltrate IC. She works for the Russians."
Amber's head flew up; she laughed, actually laughed. "Really, Sven? That's the best you can come up with?"
"All right, ma'am, let me take all of you in protective custody while we sort this out and—"
"While you're sorting it out, we will be dead." Amber turned to the sergeant.
The male pushed his fingers against his ear, speaking, momentarily distracted. In a move that surprised me as much as the soldier, Amber was not only on him but had his gun pulled from his holster and pointed at his head.
"Guns down"." She snarled at the other soldiers.
A ping announced the elevator behind us was moving. On the top, Doctor Kensington screamed, "Don't you dare let them get away."
Amber's head moved to the numbers displayed on top of the elevator, creasing her brow. We had only moments, I figured.
The soldiers weren't putting their guns down.
"Rachel, Jenna," Amber yelled, and Rachel and Jenna moved.
"Rachel," I yelled her name in frustration. She looked at me in despair but rushed to Amber's side, with Jenna next to her, who promptly stumbled, nearly toppling Amber and her hostage over. I jumped forward, but Amber regained control of him, glaring at Jenna.
"Sorry," Jenna whispered.
"Stay close," Amber hissed, dragging the once again cooperative sergeant toward the entrance door.
"Not one more step, or we will open fire," Sven yelled from the balcony.
It was now or never; the elevator would open at any moment. That was our chance. I passed a silent message to Dzar-Ghan and Dzur-Khan; the moment the elevator doors opened and more humans poured out with guns drawn, we rushed the soldiers, who were unable to shoot at us for fear of hitting the rushing guards and vice versa. It didn't take long until all of them were subdued.
"Hurry," Amber cried, keeping a hold of her hostage.
The exit doors opened, and more soldiers stood in the yard, ready for us. But we had weapons now. Even though most of our warriors didn't know how to handle them—Amber had given a quick crash course—the soldiers outside didn't know that. Up on the balcony, Doctor Kensington screamed in frustration. While Sven held a cell phone to his ear, shouting into the receiver.
"Drop your weapons, and nobody will get hurt," Amber yelled at the guards and soldiers.
Ahead of us was an iron gate. Reporters on the other side held their cameras through the slats, filming the commotion.
"I'm Rachel James. I'm here with Doctor Wayland's sister and Doctor McKenzie," Rachel shouted, swelling my chest with pride for her while my heart hammered wildly in fear for her. "I need to talk to you. I need a live interview now!"
"Evvie Sanders, from News Now, you know me. We'll be happy to give you an exclusive," a woman yelled through the fence.
"Get back," someone yelled at the reporters. The chaos was complete.