the project,” Harry continued. “Marcus took over and before we knew it, they were going out armed to the teeth, taking most of the guards who hadn’t been through the process with them.”
“We found out later they attacked some military types out in the jungle on an exercise,” Albert said. “You and your friend, apparently.”
Kendra was about to ask what had happened to Dr. Mahsood when the door slammed back against the wall. Two hybrids strode in, looking bored and hungry. They flexed their claws as they focused on her, and it was hard not to cringe.
“Come with us,” one of them said. While he was the less animalistic of the two, she could still barely understand him.
She wanted to fight them but knew it wouldn’t do any good and might end up getting her killed. They seemed to want her alive, and she wanted to stay that way. But when she stood up to go with them, Harry and the other men jumped to their feet faster than she would have thought them capable of and moved to stand in front of her.
“You’re not taking her anywhere,” Harry said firmly.
The hybrids tensed, their claws flexing again, their eyes glowing a darker red. These two were seriously on edge and seconds away from ripping the old men apart. Knowing she couldn’t let that happen, she shouldered her way past the doctors and stopped in front of the hybrids.
“It’s okay, Harry,” she said. “I’ll go with them.”
The hybrids almost looked disappointed that they wouldn’t have a reason to beat the doctors into submission.
Harry caught her arm. “You don’t have to go with them.”
She gave him a small smile. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. I’ll be back.”
Kendra hoped she sounded more convinced than she felt. Turning, she followed the first hybrid out the door. The other one fell into step behind her as if she was some dangerous spy who might try to escape. If she thought there was even the slightest chance she could get away, she would.
They led her across an open space between the various other buildings that made up the research facility. The rising sun hadn’t quite crested the ridgeline yet, so she couldn’t make out much, but she saw enough to realize the place hadn’t been built recently. In fact, some of the buildings looked as if they’d been here for a few years. Maybe it had been some kind of conservation center or something.
Even though escaping was probably going to be impossible, that didn’t stop her from surveying her surroundings anyway. The wire fencing encircling the camp didn’t bother her as much as the hybrids patrolling the perimeter. Getting past them would be difficult, even if she could somehow ditch her two guards.
But the hybrid in the lead was already walking up the steps to a building. He opened the door, then moved back and ushered her inside.
Kendra hesitated. It was almost completely dark in the building, except for the dim light coming from a small lamp on the table. At least she thought it was a table.
The hybrid gave her a shove that sent her stumbling into the room. She tensed, expecting something to pounce on her and rip her to shreds. But nothing tackled her and threw her to the floor. That should have been reassuring, but it wasn’t.
She looked around warily. There was a large conference table in the center of the room, with half a dozen chairs around it. Along the back wall was a counter with a coffeepot and a microwave, as well as a small fridge. The tableau seemed out of place in the jungle camp.
Despite the everyday office vibe the coffeepot and microwave gave the room, there was an eerie quality to the place that had her checking every dark corner and shadowed crevice, trying to see who was in it with her.
That’s how she found the second-in-command slouched over in one of those big conference room chairs, dead. There was dried blood all over its uniform shirt and down around the top of its pants. He must have bled out while sitting here, and no one had done anything to help. She glanced over her shoulder, but the hybrids who’d escorted her had already left and closed the door. Damn, these monsters were cold. It was like they didn’t care whether anyone lived or died, even one of their own.
“Have a seat.”
Kendra jumped at the deep, guttural voice coming from the other side of the room. She didn’t need