Someone grabbed her arm, she looked up to see Trey’s pale face and he jerked hard enough to make her cry out when he dragged her free. He kept pulling her along the floor until a good ten feet separated her from Brawn. She stared at the sight of him fighting with 919. It was brutal and the sounds they made were flat-out terrifying.
“Get that human out of here,” Brawn snarled. “He is out of his mind.”
Trey cursed, bent and scooped Becca into his arms. She twisted when he lifted her up and jogged for the door. She watched in horror as Brawn and the male kept fighting while no one seemed to help him. Her mouth opened to yell that someone needed to pull them apart but by then Trey had taken her from the room and bounded up the stairs.
“Put me down.”
He panted, kept moving and ignored her order. He slowed as they neared the top and she was grateful for that because all that jostling wasn’t easy on her stomach or her bones.
“Rebecca!”
She’d know that shout anywhere as she turned her head, searched the crowded warehouse filled with team members, New Species and some of the teams medics. Trey halted and eased her down onto her feet.
Tim nearly slammed into her but he skidded to a stop before they crashed together, wrapped his arms around her and encased her in a hug. “Baby.” His voice broke. “Thank God you’re alive.” He rocked her in his arms. “Are you okay?”
Tears filled her eyes and she didn’t try to stop them as her face was smashed against her father’s shirt. “I’m going to be fine.”
“Get a medic!” he shouted, making her wince.
“I’m fine.”
“Sir,” a man reported, “let her go and let me see her injuries.”
Her dad eased his hold on her and she glanced at Bucky, one of the team medics, happy to see another familiar face. The redhead reached out, cupped her jaw and stared at her face.
“Let’s get her to a truck.”
“I’m fine.” She pulled away from his touch.
His gaze lowered down her body, seeming to take note of everything. “Are you sure?”
She stepped back from her dad, looked up at him and smiled. “I’m really okay, Dad. A few bumps and bruises but I’ll live.” Her shoulder ached and her head throbbed some from when she’d crashed to the floor but she wasn’t going to complain about that.
“Shit!” Bucky grabbed the back of her head. “You’re bleeding.”
She froze as his gloved hands touched something that made pain lance through her scalp. “Ouch!”
“We have helicopters about to land.” A New Species male stepped up to her father. “We’ll take your daughter to Homeland. Our doctors are standing by there to treat the injured.”
Tim shook his head. “I’ll take her to a hospital, Brass.”
The tall male frowned, glanced at Becca and addressed her dad. “That will involve your law enforcement. We’d prefer to keep this a Species matter.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you want.” Her dad’s temper showed.
Brass cringed. “They will want us to turn over those we’ve arrested here today. Do you really wish for them to face charges in your courts? They won’t be as harsh on the offenders, your daughter might have to go into a court to testify and we’ll have to explain why we breached this building without consulting them first.”
The idea of any of those monsters responsible for everything she’d survived getting a lighter sentence or a drawn-out trial had Becca’s temper flaring to life. She stared at the tall Species guy until he met her gaze.
“Your laws are harsher?”
“They worked for Mercile once from what we understand and they tortured New Species. They won’t walk away from that.”
That was good enough for her. “I’ll go with you.”
“No.” Tim gripped her arm. “I’m taking you to a hospital.”
She reached out and gripped his fingers. “I don’t want them to get away with what they did. I’m going with them to see their doctors. Let them handle this, Dad. Please?”
The loud sound of a helicopter came from outside and it seemed to land on the street or somewhere nearby. She tugged on her dad’s fingers to urge him to let her go.
“It will be fine.”
He opened his mouth but Brass held out his hand. “I’ll escort you myself and guard you. You’ll be perfectly safe, Miss Oberto.”
“I’m going too,” Tim demanded.
Brass took her hand. “Wouldn’t you rather transfer the prisoners to Homeland? Your daughter will be there when you arrive.”
The indecision on his face assured Becca that he was torn.
“Do that, Dad. Make sure they get there and are locked up.”
“I’ll be there within four hours.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Brass’ hold was gentle as he led her out of the warehouse. It was sunny outside, it blinded her a bit after being kept inside. The wind tore at her hair as they approached the helicopter.
“You will be fine!” Brass yelled to be heard over the engines of the helicopter.
He lifted her inside and helped buckle her into a seat and took the one next to hers. She watched them lift in the injured New Species who’d been hooked up to machines. He was still unconscious. She didn’t know the medic’s name—he was one of the newer members of the task force team she hadn’t met yet. Her gaze searched for Brawn but he didn’t join them when the doors closed and the helicopter lifted off.
Where is he? She hoped he was okay since he would have been flown to Homeland if he needed medical attention. The sound inside the helicopter was too loud for her to try to interrogate Brass. It would have to wait until they landed.
The big New Species next to her opened a blanket and turned in his seat, offering it to her. She gave him a grateful smile, wrapped the soft material around her body and leaned back against the seat. They’d been saved. She buried her face in it and let the tears fall. It had been a hell of an ordeal.
Chapter Eleven
It felt like a long ride to Becca but the helicopter finally landed. She’d never been to the NSO Homeland before. Her father had said it was a nice place when she’d bugged him about it out of curiosity. The engine cut off and the doors opened. They removed the gurney with the unconscious male first and shock tore through her when two large, tall females suddenly appeared.
They had to be at least six feet tall and had the altered New Species features with their well-defined cheekbones. One had catlike eyes that reminded her of Brawn but her hair was shocking—a mix of different colors. Both women wore black uniforms with NSO printed in white letters above their left breasts. They smiled timidly.
“It is safe,” Brass assured her. He stooped to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling and helped her unfasten her belt. “This is Rusty and Sunshine.”
He got out first and reached back to gently lift her down. The two women kept their smiles in place. The redheaded one had yellowish eyes—they were pretty, but eerie in a way. She waved to a Jeep.
“I’m Rusty. Sunshine doesn’t talk much. We welcome you to Homeland and promise you safety.”
The woman with the multicolored hair nodded but didn’t say a word. Becca kept the blanket wrapped around her and was given the passenger seat. Brass stayed behind with the injured male while they loaded him into a van. The Jeep took off and she tried not to stare at all the New Species they passed. Rusty drove.
“We’re taking you to Medical. We have excellent doctors,” Rusty said.
“I’m Becca. I’m Tim Oberto’s daughter.”
“We are aware of your name and who you are.” Rusty shot her a sympathetic look. “Tiger called ahead to tell us what happened and that you were on your way.”
Sunshine finally spoke from the backseat. “We know how it is to be locked up and under the control of others. We have lived it. We understand so you are not alone.”