Chapter 21 #2
Idris’ head swiveled left and right, his nose wrinkled, probably at the stench coming from behind a closed door that could have been a closet or perhaps a washroom. Likely the latter since it smelled like someone had spilled a bottle of something astringent, which roused Idris’ suspicion.
“Be ready,” he murmured as he tiptoed to the closed door.
He flung it open and growled, “Found you!”
“Don’t come any closer, or I will shoot.” A sweating Levy emerged with a bulging satchel draped across his chest. He held a gun aimed at Idris’ head. The one surefire way to kill a shifter.
“There is no escape,” Idris warned.
“There is now that I have a hostage. Pretty sure your friends want you alive.”
“Meh, I wouldn’t be so sure. If given the choice between my life and yours, I’d forgive them for making the world a better place.”
A claim that only served to make the beading on Levy’s balding head worse. “Killing me would be a mistake. I’m on the brink of revolutionizing the world.”
“The world doesn’t need what you have to offer,” Idris’s harsh reply.
“Doesn’t it, though? Imagine the potential.”
“Ah yes, your plan for super soldiers. Not interested.” Idris crossed his arms.
“You fool! I’m talking about the fact the protocol allows people to heal. Injury, illness. Don’t you see the good it could do?”
Svetlana wondered if that argument would sway because she could see the allure, but Idris shook his head.
“What of the bad? Or are we gonna ignore the fact the protocol still fails in some? And let’s be honest, not everyone should unlock their beast side.
The world is already a violent place. Can you imagine a cartel or infidel army of shifters?
It would be almost invincible.” Idris had apparently put some thought into it.
“Bah, I should know better than to think a simple fool like you would understand,” Levy spat.
“I understand that, for some people, death isn’t enough. Lucky for you, yours will be delayed until we can be sure your research dies here with you.”
Levy recoiled. “I won’t tell you anything.”
“A few hours with Takhi and you’ll spill your guts.”
“Spill what? I have nothing to hide. My research is all here.” Levy patted the satchel.
“Bullshit. Only an idiot wouldn’t be backing up their notes onto some kind of cloud.”
“A cloud can be hacked,” Levy countered.
The men argued, delaying their escape.
Delayed.
Svetlana glanced out the window, the night sky cloudy, making visibility poor. She found herself wondering, how had the doctor planned to flee? Drive or…
In her sudden panic, and without conscious thought, she switched shapes and blurted out, “Idris, the helicopter, it’s missing.”
“I’m sure Takhi and the others will be back for us.” He misunderstood.
“I mean the one that brought you.” She stared at Levy. “Where is the chopper you were using?”
“Getting supplies.” Quickly spoken, and the doctor’s eyes shifted left.
“He’s lying,” she spat.
Idris lunged so fast Levy couldn’t react. Her big man knocked the gun aside and grabbed the doctor by the throat, lifting Levy high enough his feet dangled and his eyes bulged.
“When’s the chopper coming back?” Idris growled.
“Uh…”
Idris shook and then slammed Levy against the wall until he whimpered.
“It will be here soon with more soldiers. And guns. Enough to blow yours out of the sky,” Levy huffed.
Idris glanced at Svetlana. “We need to tell the others and get out of here.”
“Agreed.” As she spoke, she snared a white coat hanging on a hook, grimacing at the smell of the last man who wore it.
A man who should be dead.
Soon. Although she might have to get in line for the killing blow. Despite her repugnance, she slid on the jacket so as to avoid strutting out naked for all to see.
They emerged from the building in time to see the truck that had brought her rumbling as it gathered speed, heading for the closed gate. Sparks flew as it smashed through it.
Takhi stood watching as its taillights grew smaller. She glanced their way. “Ah, if it isn’t Dr. Levy.”
“Alive against my better judgement,” Idris grumbled.
“Don’t worry. He won’t enjoy these last few hours he’s got left.” A dark promise. Despite her initial reaction, Svetlana was starting to like the woman.
“Where’s Yuri?” Svetlana asked.
“Right here, sister dear.” He strutted from around the side of the building, along with a woman who uncoiled wire as he walked.
The female snipped off the end. “The lab is ready to blow.”
“And not a moment too soon. There’s a military bird on its way,” Idris announced.
“Fuck.” A man dressed in combat gear poked his head from the helicopter. “How soon?”
“Not sure, Captain. But given Levy wouldn’t shut up, I’m guessing anytime.”
“Everyone’s on the chopper except for you, Freya. Light the fuse first,” the man barked.
“Yes, sir,” Freya quipped.
“We got room for this asshole?” Takhi jerked a thumb at Levy.
“Hell yeah, we do. We sent all the prisoners, except for Hiro and Tatiana, in the truck. Toss him in.” The man stepped aside to give them room to board as the blades began spinning faster.
Idris began prodding Levy in the direction of the chopper. “Move your ass.”
“Fuse is lit! The countdown is on,” Freya shouted as she sprinted past and threw herself in the cockpit.
Blame her announcement for their momentary distraction. Gazes went to the spark travelling along the wire. Levy used that lapse to his advantage and ran from them, aiming for the open gate, satchel bouncing against his hip.
Idris immediately sprinted in pursuit, only to halt suddenly.
They all stared in shock as something big swooped from the cloud-laden sky and grabbed hold of Levy.
“No!” shrieked Levy as the thing lifted the doctor from the ground with its big and powerful wings.
“Holy shit,” Idris exclaimed. “It’s the thing from the lab in Canada.”
Svetlana didn’t understand what he meant, but quickly surmised this was one of prisoners who’d been experimented on.
A creature straight out of a horror movie and he’d not come to rescue Levy, a point made obvious when the screaming started at the same time as it began to rain. Not water drops, though. Blood.
Droplets fell, along with pieces of the doctor, the torn limbs hitting the tarmac with wet slaps.
Someone murmured, “Geezus,” but the man on the chopper yelled, “Get aboard now. We’ve got to take off now before the building blows.”
The reminder had them racing to get inside the helicopter, Idris being last, as he made sure Svetlana got in before him. He’d barely jumped in and grabbed hold when the machine lifted from the ground.
Despite the tugging wind, he and Yuri slammed the door shut, but they could still see through the window. Feel, too, as the lit fuse hit the first of the explosive charges.
Boom. Boom. One after another, the bombs went off, the shock wave causing their chopper to wobble and tilt before their pilot got control again.
They couldn’t see much once the lights on the ground went out, but that didn’t stop everyone on board from cheering.
They’d escaped.
But Svetlana had to wonder, What next?