“Who is going to exchange them? Huh?” Brent yelled. “Not me. That’s stupid. They’ll just set a trap and we’ll go to prison forever. They aren’t really going to pay us.”

“We’ll get them out of here and it will buy us some time to think of a surefire way to get paid by the NSO to return these three. We’re smarter than those bastards. We just need to get out of here before more arrive.”

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot you!” John T yelled.

“Calm.” Brass’ deep voice barely reached Lauren since he wasn’t shouting. “The NSO will pay for us. Just don’t harm the women.”

“See? I told you they were sappy enough to protect innocents. You move and I slit the receptionist’s throat. She isn’t a part of this and she’s two months pregnant. Fight us and she dies. I can take out Gina too before you reach me.” John B snorted loudly. “The NSO will pay us. We just need to get out of here. Bill, where are more darts? We’ll tranquilize these two, tie up the women, and split.” His voice rose. “More of them could be on the way. These three could be scouts or something. They are hunters, right? Shoot them with darts, we’ll carry them out and figure the rest of this out when we’re safe.”

“Please,” Kim begged. “Let me go.”

“Shut up. I didn’t bring enough darts.” Brent sounded furious. “You told me there was one of them. Not three.”

“He came in alone!” John T yelled. “If I’d known there were more, I would have told you on the damn phone.”

“Don’t move!” John B yelled. “I swear he’ll shoot you both and you won’t get another warning. These women will die too. Do you want their blood on your hands?”

Lauren’s heart pounded and she knew she had to do something. She lifted her hand to call 9-1-1 from the phone on her desk but memory of the phone system stopped her cold. Every phone would show a line in use by flashing red. She couldn’t risk making a phone call but her coworkers were planning on taking Wrath and she couldn’t allow that to happen.

She pushed on her desk to test the weight of it but it didn’t budge. It was the only thing big enough in the room to keep them from breaking down the door if she barricaded it. That plan wouldn’t work though because they could as she had—go around the building, and come in through the window.

“Move,” John T ordered. “In that back office now. Keep your hands above your heads, move real slow. If you even twitch, I’m going to shoot you.”

“Yeah,” Brent said, “do that. We have phone cords. We’ll tie them up, take them out the back and grab the last one after we get them settled in the van.” He paused. “Go get the van.”

“My minivan?” John B gasped. “Everyone will see inside it.”

“The company van, you idiot!” Mel shouted. “It’s bigger. It’s got the cargo area and tinted windows. Just dump the signs out of the back.”

“Fuck,” he shouted. “Move, Gina. You too, Kim. You’re staying close to me. If they attack, you’re both dead.”

“Keep moving,” John T ordered. “Keep your hands up. Mel, go rip out the phone cords. You have three in there. Use the ones to the fax machine too.”

Lauren glanced around her desk, saw no one, and crawled forward until she could peek out the door. Her coworkers weren’t in sight and she leaned out enough to see Mel’s office. John T’s back was to her and he blocked most of the doorway, preventing her from seeing what was going on in Mel’s office. All of them seemed to be in there.

Pure terror gripped her but she moved, shoved up to her feet and grabbed Wrath’s chair by the arms. The back of it dug into her belly as she pulled. As the wheels moved over the carpet his boots dragged, making it tougher on her. She pulled, prayed he wouldn’t slide out of the seat. He would be too heavy to put back if he did.

She paused, listened, and heard her coworkers arguing in Mel’s office. She glanced around the corner again, saw John T’s back was to her, and she frantically pulled. The chair left her office, she bit back a groan, and kept pulling Wrath toward the front. She just needed to make it about ten feet to the reception area. She made it without anyone spotting her. Guilt ate at her over leaving the New Species and her coworkers being held at knifepoint. She couldn’t help them though. Wrath was the only one she could save. She needed to get him to safety first and just prayed the man she’d spoken to on Brian’s phone arrived in time to help them. It would be suicide to rush into Mel’s office to attempt to rescue anyone else.

Her back hit the exterior glass door but it didn’t push open when she pressed against it. She hit it with her ass but the glass just barely moved. She twisted her head, realized someone had locked the door, and fought to turn the deadbolt. The glass door opened and fresh air filled her lungs as she sucked in a deep breath. She pulled, dragging the chair and Wrath out of the building.

No one was on the sidewalk. Gravity helped move the chair since the building was higher than the street. She turned it, pulled frantically, and kept going. Her eyes remained on the building. She expected her coworkers to come out after them at any second when they realized they were missing a New Species but she made it to where she’d left Amanda.

“Open the back door now.” Lauren pulled harder, moving faster.

Amanda saw Wrath, the chair and Lauren. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened.