Her hands trembled in response to wondering what they’d do to her when she made that call. It was one of those times she hoped good intentions came into play. She hadn’t stolen 880 to do him harm. Tiger had refused to consider her request and although it wasn’t exactly conventional treatment, New Species weren’t standard in any way. They were genetically altered human hybrids and she needed to adjust to their special needs as their doctor.

Allison washed her plate, refilled her coffee cup and dragged a chair closer to the bed in the center of the room. She sat, used the table to hold her drink and sighed. “It’s going to be a long week, isn’t it?” Her teeth dented her lower lip but quickly released it, annoyed with the habit she seemed unable to break. “How about if I tell you a story? I didn’t have time to buy any books but I loved reading as a kid. Ever heard the story of Beauty and the Beast?” She paused, waited for an answer that she didn’t expect, but wanted to pretend he could answer. “It was my favorite story as a kid.” Her gaze lingered on his scarred face. She knew it was unethical to be attracted to 880 but she couldn’t help it. “Here it goes.”

Half an hour later she stopped, had expanded the story as much as she could, but didn’t want to wear out her voice. She left his side to unpack her bag but stayed in the living room. She checked his pulse every few hours.

* * * * *

“She’s using cash she withdrew from the bank to mask her trail.” Tim Oberto crossed his arms over his chest. “We are searching every motel within a two-hundred-mile radius. The dumps and dives don’t ask for identification or credit cards. We are watching all her family and known acquaintances. She hasn’t called them yet but we’ll be able to trace her when she does. We’ve tagged her driver’s license, her bank accounts, credit cards, and sent her photo out to trusted associates who will be searching for her.”

Tiger growled, enraged. “She has to have help hiding him.”

“I agree.” Justice frowned at the task team leader. “What else is being done, Tim?”

“Every law enforcement agency in ten states has been notified to be on the lookout for that rental truck. She may be trying to use it to keep them on the move, hoping it will be harder for us to find her. That’s true but with an APB out for all rental trucks matching that description, she’ll eventually be caught. They are all being pulled over and checked. We’ve hired more air support and they are searching for that truck. We’ll find her but it isn’t going as fast as we hoped. She’s smart.”

“It’s part of the reason I hired her.” Justice rolled his shoulders and his fingers flexed over his desk. “I am still stunned she did this. She was so timid.”

Destiny had joined the meeting due to his close association with Allison Baker. “I don’t believe she will purposely allow him to be harmed.”

Tim snorted. “She could have sold him to some bastard already or handed him over to one of the many anti-New Species groups out there. They’d love to have one of you and make up some lie. I can see the headlines now. They’ll probably say he’s carrying some disease that is communicable and harmful to the general population just to start a panic.”

Destiny snarled. “Doc Allison cares for us. She was upset when we denied her request to use a female’s scent to see if 880 would respond. I think that is why she took him and she is hoping to wake him. It wasn’t the right thing to do but I refuse to accept that she did it to give him to someone who would kill him or use him to do us harm.”

Tim shook his head. “I won’t be surprised when we get a call for ransom at the very least.” He stared grimly at Justice. “I’d make funds available in case that happens. My team will handle the exchange. That’s the best outcome I can think of at this moment.” He paused. “We should release her photo to the news stations and let them know what his real condition is just in case I’m right. It’s better to cut the snake’s head off before we feel the bite of its venom. The last thing we need is the CDC showing up thinking we’re hiding some kind of disease or to have jackasses calling the White House to whine.”

“No.” Justice sat up straighter in his chair. “We don’t want anyone to know she kidnapped a Species. It would put a target on them for our enemies.”

“She’s already working with them.”

“Tim,” Tiger growled. “We’re stressed enough. We’ve been over this and decided to avoid media attention. This is a Species matter until we know otherwise. The fewer who know, the better. We have to at least consider that the note she left was true. She may have taken 880 in some misguided attempt to help him. We’ll find them but we’ll do it as quietly as possible.”

“Fine.” Tim threw up his hands in frustration. “Don’t listen to my advice. That’s just what you pay me for. If she’s so saintly then she’d call us when she sees her face plastered all over every channel, knowing how dangerous it just got out there for her.” He shot Destiny a glare. “Your Dr. Allison is in deep shit.” He stared at Justice next. “I’m not putting on kid gloves when we find her. She kidnapped a New Species and put his life in danger.”

“I know.” Justice sighed. “Do whatever you need to, quietly, to recover our male.”

* * * * *

The female climbed into his bed, pressed against his side, and 880 was aware of her small size. More feeling had returned to his body but his limbs refused to answer his commands. Under the covers the fingers of his left hand curled though, a sign he had worked past the drugs paralyzing his body.