New Species 08 Obsidian Read Free Page A

jumped out before they closed.
    The back doors to the medical center were usually locked but she had keys. She sweated a lot and it tricked down her spine and between her breasts as she got that door open. No officers were assigned outside where her rental truck waited. She rushed toward it, lifted open the rear rolling door, and quickly dragged out the ramp.
    “Fuck,” she hissed, gripping the head of the bed. She took a running start, knew it was insane to attempt it, but figured if she didn’t get enough speed the damn thing would run her over when it began to slide back.
    Desperation gave her that added amount of strength and the wheels of the bed hit the ramp. It was jarring but momentum kept it going all the way into the back of the small-size rental truck. She wished she could collapse on her ass from exhaustion but she didn’t have time to waste as she glanced at her wristwatch. She had nine minutes to get out of there before someone checked on 880. She could only pray they didn’t eat too fast and return early.
    She had prepared the back of the truck already and used handcuffs she’d purchased from a sex shop to lock the rails of the bed to the inside bumper of the moving truck. She shoved a packing blanket between the side of the bed and the wall, praying it would cushion any bumps. Doubt struck.
    What if I end up killing him? Oh shit. I’ve lost it. It’s too late though. No way can I get him back to his room before they find out I took him. Shit! She peered down at his scarred features and clenched her teeth. She wasn’t going to allow him to die and that would be a certainty if she didn’t follow through with her plan.
    It wasn’t easy to get the ramp to slide back inside the grove it had come from. The thing seemed heavier to put back than to pull out, but she managed. Fear of getting caught kidnapping a New Species and what they’d do to her was motivation enough. She pulled down the back door, locked it, and rushed to the cab.
    She climbed into the driver’s seat, glanced over at her purse, hidden mostly from sight on the floor, and fumbled for the keys. The truck started as she belted in with her free hand, threw it in drive and slowly pressed down on the gas. They were in motion. She drove carefully, hoping her guest wasn’t being jarred too much.
    A quick glance at her watch made her hurry to the employee gate. She had a tight schedule to keep. She turned the air-conditioning on high, hoping it would blow away any stench of lingering fear. She opened the window to help as the gates and the officers who guarded it came into view.
    “Dear god,” she softly prayed, “please let this work. Pretty please?”
    The officer who stopped her wore a mask that shielded his face. The tinted, protective dark glass hid his identity and she didn’t recognize his voice.
    “Hello, Dr. Allison.” His head turned to stare at the back of the truck. “Where are you going?”
    “I bought furniture for my home yesterday. I have to return the truck today.” She lifted her arm to show him her watch. “It’s got to be back by five. Can you check me over quickly and let me go? The rental place will charge extra if I’m late.”
    “Of course.” He stepped up on the side of the truck and peered inside the front to make sure no one forced her to leave by hiding on the passenger floor. “Is the back unlocked?”
    Where the hell is that guy? Come on, damn you. She managed to keep her voice calm. “Yeah. There’s nothing in it but the moving blankets that protected the new dining room table from being scratched. Go ahead and look.”
    He climbed down and she wanted to scream when he walked toward the back of the truck. Her gaze lifted to the thick gate in front of her and the other Species male who manned it. More of them were above on the wall with sniper rifles. She could ram the gate in an attempt to flee but they might open fire, accidentally shooting 880. That wasn’t a risk she would take.
    “Alert!”