Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 108

 

Bouncer pounced with his claws extended, and for the first time I saw why everyone was so afraid of cerops. It wasn’t just the wide wounds his claws slashed across the officer’s throat, it was the poison that bubbled from the wounds and the froth that immediately bubbled from the male’s mouth. He died instantly. “Bouncer, no—” was all I got out before he was already stalking back to my side.

Ases squeezed my shoulder. “That guy was on the vid feed.”

“What?” I couldn’t look away from the bloody pawprints coming straight from the body to us, but I couldn’t move past the body either. I had to, but how could I? Bouncer had just murdered someone. He could have been an innocent officer just doing his job, not knowing any better.

“I know you’re freaking out, but I recognize him. He was on the feed from my mech. He was at Garjah’s house.”

“He was?” I blinked several times, finally looking away from the blood to look at Ases. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Bouncer was too.”

How could he have known? I stared down at Bouncer who was sitting next to me and licking his paw. He glanced up at me, his head tilted, and then slowly put his paw back down on the floor. He didn’t look any different from any other time before when he’d pounced in play. No blood lust or desire to attack anyone else.

Bouncer was smart. He’d saved us. “Okay.” I took a breath. “Let’s go.”

The rest of the officers we’d come across had been subdued by the rebels and gagged. For people who weren’t supposed to be able to do more than one job because of their lack of memories, they were remarkably adaptable. I had to wonder how much of their biology was really racially coded memories and how much was culturally embedded practices?

I shook off the introspection. The plan required that I move forward with the team to the member of the security forces that Garjah had trusted to work with the rebels. He was going to walk me into the secure area that we believed they were holding Garjah in, like he’d captured me and was bringing me in for either secure holding or whatever else they were doing to him there.

It really worried me that they hadn’t told me that part. That he might be hurt.

We caught up to Chaintrik and Loktah. Loktah held a weapon loosely at his side. “Okay, I’m taking you in, and remember I’ll need to loosely secure you. You’ll be able to thumb the release on these here.” Loktah indicated a depression on one edge of a pair of white cuffs that were linked together that would hold all four of my arms between me.

“The rest of us will be here, in this blind spot we located.” The area was where the two hallways converged. Chaintrik indicated his comm and said, “But we’ll be listening if you need us.”

“I understand.” I had to play my part. We were trying for stealth. All out assault was the last thing we wanted. It was bad enough the other officers had already seen us, and that Bouncer had killed one of them.

I drew in a deep breath and let it out. “I’m ready.” Putting my arms behind me, Loktah tried to cuff me. Bouncer growled, and Loktah jumped back, swearing.

“Calm down, he won’t hurt you.” I knelt. “Bouncer, calm down. He isn’t hurting me.” I held out my hand. “Give me the cuffs.” Once I had them, I held them out to Bouncer. “See, these are so I can get close to Garjah. I’m going with the officer so I can get close and we can get him out. You need to stay here with Ases, and then you will protect our back so we can get him out. Okay?” I rubbed his head. “I’ll be fine, but if I’m not, I’ll call for you.”

We had to hope he’d stay calm because we were running out of time. I stood and nodded, handing Loktah the cuffs. “Let’s go.” He put them on me, and this time Bouncer stayed calm. We started walking, and I did my best to pretend I was scared and shocked at where I was.

Stars, who was pretending?

Loktah was a great actor, and he jerked me around when we reached the door, showing my face to the screen so they’d open it. I gasped and cringed back.

The door opened. “What are you doing here?”

“We captured the human. I was told to bring him here.”

“Who told you that?”

“The orders were digital. I don’t get paid to ask questions like that.” Loktah jerked on my arm again, and I winced. He didn’t know my bones and muscles weren’t quite as dense as theirs. Whatever. Realism. If it aided in the officer’s belief so they’d let us in, I’d put up with a few bruises. I waited, my head bowed, barely daring to breathe.

The guard stepped back. “Bring him in.”

We entered the room, and it was an oval space with four rooms coming off it. There was one other officer sitting in a chair. The worst part of all was seeing Garjah in one of the rooms through a clear doorway. His face looked unharmed, but his eyes were closed, and he wasn’t moving.

“We’ll process him, so you can go.”

Was he asleep? Unconscious? Drugged? Stars, if he was drugged, that was a problem I hadn’t thought about. Now how did we—

“Sure. You just have to acknowledge on my comm that I delivered.” Loktah drew a weapon from inside his pocket and fired at both officers before they could even register what he’d done. I gasped. “Relax,” he said. “They’re just out for a while, not dead.”

“Get these off me, and open that door.” I had to get to Garjah. 

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J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes