morning.”
Tony held his breath as the two men lowered their arms and turned toward him. Spivey cocked his head to the side on his way past Tony.
“Sir,” the corporal acknowledged, a wrinkle lining his brow.
Tony nodded, but kept his mouth shut. If he spoke now, one of the men might recognize him, blowing his cover and costing him his life.
Once the door closed, Brandon clapped Henry on the back. He nodded toward the two holding tanks in the center of the room. “As you can see, we have recently managed to acquire these two specimens.”
Henry’s mouth dropped open in feigned surprise. “Where on earth did you find them?”
“It doesn’t matter. Suffice it to say, they cost us a pretty penny.”
Tony peered at the big Bracadytes floating in the tanks and wondered if they’d been terminated prior to arriving at Eglin, or if the two giants were dead on discovery. Of course, he couldn’t ask.
“May I?” Without waiting for a response, Henry meandered over to one of the Bracadytes and pressed a button. The tank made a humming sound before slowly lowering to a horizontal position.
Removing his lab coat, Henry placed his arms inside the black expandable sleeves built into the sides of the tank and picked up one of the subject’s hands by the wrist. “How long has he been without a pulse?”
It didn’t escape Tony that Henry had referred to the Bracadyte as he, instead of it .
“Neither of them have had a pulse since their arrival two days ago,” Brandon confessed. “But we are keeping them in salt water to help preserve them as long as possible.” He turned toward the door. “I would advise you to keep your guard with you, just in case.”
Henry nodded and pulled his hands free of the rubber tubing. He waited until the door closed before whispering,” How the hell are we going to get them out of here? They’re dead. And in case you haven’t noticed, they’re huge and probably weigh close to three hundred pounds each.”
Tony moved close enough that only Henry could hear. “Open the tanks.”
“But why? We can’t possibly lift them and carry them out.”
“Let’s hope we don’t have to,” Tony murmured in a low tone. “You are going to give them blood and hopefully awaken them. If it’s not too late.”
Henry’s eyes grew huge. “What’s to stop them from killing us both if we manage to revive them?”
“You let me worry about that. Now let’s get started.”
Chapter Thirteen
“ Naura ?”
The sound of Tony’s voice inside her head nearly buckled her legs in relief.
She dropped her weight into a chair and closed her eyes. “ I am here, Tony.”
“ I need you to listen carefully to me, okay?”
“ I am listening,” she answered, her heart racing with fear and excitement.
She could feel his mental sigh before his voice once again whispered through her mind. “ Henry has just finished giving the two Bracadyte males some blood. I need you to convey to them both that we are not the enemy and to obey my orders if they want to survive. Understand?”
Hope soared inside her heart. “ Are they alive?”
“ I don’t know, but they seem to be in the same catatonic state that Hauke was in at one time. He was revived by Abbie’s blood.”
“ As I was by yours,” she hesitantly sent back.
“ Exactly like that. Now, do you think you can do this?”
“ Yes. I am able to communicate with my kind. Especially Braum.”
There was a long pause. “ Who is he to you?”
Was that anger she detected in his voice? “ A friend. His sire is my father’s second in command.”
Tony was quiet for so long she thought he’d disconnected their mental link. “ I see. Just make sure he doesn’t attack. I’d hate like hell to have to kill your…friend.”
Naura felt the instant Tony pulled from her mind, leaving an emptiness behind that was deafening.
“ Braum ?” she mentally called out. “ Braum, can you hear me?”
Vaulcron rushed into the room. “I can feel your
Tony held his breath as the two men lowered their arms and turned toward him. Spivey cocked his head to the side on his way past Tony.
“Sir,” the corporal acknowledged, a wrinkle lining his brow.
Tony nodded, but kept his mouth shut. If he spoke now, one of the men might recognize him, blowing his cover and costing him his life.
Once the door closed, Brandon clapped Henry on the back. He nodded toward the two holding tanks in the center of the room. “As you can see, we have recently managed to acquire these two specimens.”
Henry’s mouth dropped open in feigned surprise. “Where on earth did you find them?”
“It doesn’t matter. Suffice it to say, they cost us a pretty penny.”
Tony peered at the big Bracadytes floating in the tanks and wondered if they’d been terminated prior to arriving at Eglin, or if the two giants were dead on discovery. Of course, he couldn’t ask.
“May I?” Without waiting for a response, Henry meandered over to one of the Bracadytes and pressed a button. The tank made a humming sound before slowly lowering to a horizontal position.
Removing his lab coat, Henry placed his arms inside the black expandable sleeves built into the sides of the tank and picked up one of the subject’s hands by the wrist. “How long has he been without a pulse?”
It didn’t escape Tony that Henry had referred to the Bracadyte as he, instead of it .
“Neither of them have had a pulse since their arrival two days ago,” Brandon confessed. “But we are keeping them in salt water to help preserve them as long as possible.” He turned toward the door. “I would advise you to keep your guard with you, just in case.”
Henry nodded and pulled his hands free of the rubber tubing. He waited until the door closed before whispering,” How the hell are we going to get them out of here? They’re dead. And in case you haven’t noticed, they’re huge and probably weigh close to three hundred pounds each.”
Tony moved close enough that only Henry could hear. “Open the tanks.”
“But why? We can’t possibly lift them and carry them out.”
“Let’s hope we don’t have to,” Tony murmured in a low tone. “You are going to give them blood and hopefully awaken them. If it’s not too late.”
Henry’s eyes grew huge. “What’s to stop them from killing us both if we manage to revive them?”
“You let me worry about that. Now let’s get started.”
Chapter Thirteen
“ Naura ?”
The sound of Tony’s voice inside her head nearly buckled her legs in relief.
She dropped her weight into a chair and closed her eyes. “ I am here, Tony.”
“ I need you to listen carefully to me, okay?”
“ I am listening,” she answered, her heart racing with fear and excitement.
She could feel his mental sigh before his voice once again whispered through her mind. “ Henry has just finished giving the two Bracadyte males some blood. I need you to convey to them both that we are not the enemy and to obey my orders if they want to survive. Understand?”
Hope soared inside her heart. “ Are they alive?”
“ I don’t know, but they seem to be in the same catatonic state that Hauke was in at one time. He was revived by Abbie’s blood.”
“ As I was by yours,” she hesitantly sent back.
“ Exactly like that. Now, do you think you can do this?”
“ Yes. I am able to communicate with my kind. Especially Braum.”
There was a long pause. “ Who is he to you?”
Was that anger she detected in his voice? “ A friend. His sire is my father’s second in command.”
Tony was quiet for so long she thought he’d disconnected their mental link. “ I see. Just make sure he doesn’t attack. I’d hate like hell to have to kill your…friend.”
Naura felt the instant Tony pulled from her mind, leaving an emptiness behind that was deafening.
“ Braum ?” she mentally called out. “ Braum, can you hear me?”
Vaulcron rushed into the room. “I can feel your
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