Mikal (Second Wave Book 3) Read online

  They were waiting for one final guard before his siblings breached the facility, and he and Chance would head in through the air ducts. A dual approach because they wouldn’t be expecting his talented family-only Chance.

  “Last guy is coming. Keep your heads up and wait for the signal,” Chris told them through the Shengari’.

  Mikal turned to a nervous Chance and squeezed her hand.

  “We’re going in a minute. We’ll get them out,” he said reassuringly.

  Chance nodded her head, grateful beyond words that Mikal was with her and his family was helping them.

  “Do you remember the plan?” Mikal asked, feeling the nervousness and fear in her energy.

  Chance nodded her head and grinned up at Mikal.

  “Yeah. This is what they trained me for. It’s nice knowing I will be able to use it to help instead of kill,” she said a little nervously.

  Chance had been running the plan through her head nonstop since they’d left the old airport that Mikal and his family called a base. Her nervousness wasn’t caused by any fear of him or his family. If anything, having him and his siblings here gave her hope that they would succeed and save her sisters.

  What made her nervous was the very attractive male beside her. Something about him caused her energy to vibrate at a higher level than she’d ever experienced before. She could feel her cells dancing in her body at his nearness, and she found herself gravitating towards him. She wanted and needed his touch, to know he was near. She’d never even felt that way about Alpha One, and it confused her and excited her at the same time.

  They heard Chris’s call that they had taken out the last guard and breached the interior, and Mikal nodded at Chance before he dissolved into the air and headed into the fresh air duct system.

  Shaking off her thoughts, Chance quickly followed him into the maze of ductwork. She followed him through the twists and turns until she came out into the lab and reformed her body next to Mikal.

  Mikal had come through first, and the moment he reformed he threw his throwing knives at the sole guard in the room, the dual weapons embedding deeply in his neck, dropping him to the floor just as Chance formed next to him and faced the doctor and technician left in the room.

  “Oh my God . . . oh my God!” the doctor screamed as he scrambled backwards in the room, franticly searching for a place to hide.

  The technician stared at Mikal with wide, fear-filled eyes before passing out, smacking his head on a table, and hitting the floor with a loud thump.

  Mikal watched the man fall, and when he saw the blood pooling around his head, he kneeled down to check the man’s pulse. The idiot had actually managed to kill himself.

  Mikal stood and smirked at the cowering doctor that remained.

  “Well, I don’t have to dirty my hands with that bastard at least,” Mikal said as he flexed his fists at his sides.

  “What do you want? What?” the doctor said, beginning to cry.

  “Open the cells,” Chance demanded.

  Mikal saw the doctor look over towards a computer system behind him and spoke to Chance through their private energy path.

  “Do you know where they usually open the doors at? Which computer? Or button?” he asked, wondering if the computer the doctor was looking at was a warning system or the way to open the cells.

  Chance looked at the same system the doctor was, but when Mikal turned to look at it, the doctor grabbed a dart gun hidden in the desk he was hiding behind.

  Mikal turned too late and dissolved into air just as the dart flew through the sparkling particles he left behind in the air. He reformed instantly, weapons drawn, but he only stared at the knife embedded in the doctor’s forehead. Right between his eyes.

  He looked at Chance with a huge grin.

  “Good hit,” he said.

  Chance shook her head sadly.

  “No, it’s not. Only a doctor or guard has the code to open the cells,” Chance said, wondering if they’d just entombed her sisters.

  Chris snorted as he came into the room.

  “It’s a good thing we got a doctor on standby then. Amun’s bringing Dr. Mussberger. Apparently, after we left to head here, the doc decided to let Amun know that the facility is put on remote lockdown if there is not a regular check in completed when the guard change shifts,” Chris said as their siblings joined them in the main lab.

  “Where are your sisters kept?” Reign asked, looking around the lab area.

  Chance gestured to a heavy metal door on the other side of the room.

  “That’s the hallway that leads to the cells. They’re in there,” she said, hoping that they didn’t get this far for nothing.

  She’d tried to communicate with her sisters along the energy path she’d used before, but there was nothing but silence, and she was getting more and more concerned that something had happened to them.

  Siggy and Dante sat down at two of the computers in the lab and began trying to hack into the systems. Their hope was that they wouldn’t have to rely on Dr. Mussberger to get to the sisters. The less they had to depend on him, the better they would all feel.

  Amun had warned them through the Shengari’ that he had convinced Dr. Mussberger that they were going to allow him to switch sides and work for them. The ability to keep doing his research on the unusual DNA found in the core samples is what convinced Dr. Mussberger to eagerly accept the offer. None of them thought it was a good idea, but they didn’t have a choice.

  Several minutes later, Amun came in with Dr. Mussberger who immediately moved over to an empty computer terminal and began entering a 16-digit code while the screen flashed red. Within seconds, the lights stopped and the screen settled into the familiar blue-hued desktop.

  Dr. Mussberger wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Amun.

  “We cut it really close. I’ll get the doors open to the cells, and you guys can get the specimens while I copy as much of our research as I can,” Dr. Mussberger said, oblivious to the low growls of the Dranovians when they called the females specimens.

  Chris noticed his brothers on the verge of ripping up the doctor and whistled to get everyone’s attention.

  “As soon as he gets the door open, everyone hang back and let Chance and Mikal go in there and explain to them that they are safe now. We don’t want a bunch of terrified females on our hands when we need to get out of here,” he ordered, accomplishing his goal of refocusing their attention on the mission and not that bastard doctor.

  The door suddenly popped open, and Chance stood back for a second, afraid of what she would find inside the cells where she’d spent her whole life. She looked up at Mikal as he took her hand and smiled at her.

  “Introduce me to your sisters,” Mikal said softly, encouraging her to face her fears and go inside.

  “Two?”

  Chance heard Alpha Nine’s voice, and with a choked gasp she ran inside the door, pulling Mikal along with her.

  “Nine? It’s me! It’s safe!” Chance said as she ran to the first cell and looked inside to see Alpha Nine shaking in the doorway.

  Chance grabbed the 12-year-old child into a hug and allowed the tears to slip silently down her cheeks as she picked her up and carried her out of the cell and into the hallway.

  “Who are you?” Alpha Nine asked in awe as she stared up at Mikal with wide, white eyes that looked just like his own.

  Chance turned Nine in her arms so that they could both look at Mikal together.

  “This is Mikal. He and his family came to help me get you guys out of here,” Chance said with a smile at the wonderful man who helped her get her sisters.

  “Did you come from another lab?” Alpha Nine asked, her childlike curiosity allowing her to forget her fear.

  Mikal shook his head and smiled at the beautiful little girl in Chance’s arms. Her long white hair spilled down her back to her waist, and her white eyes gleamed with curiosity. With her coloring, she looked like Chance, but the features of her face were completely
different.

  Where Chance was beautiful with strong features, the small child was delicate, almost frail, with an ethereal quality.

  “No, little one, I was born free and adopted by a wonderful father. My brothers are in the lab. They helped us to come get you,” Mikal said gently, afraid that he would frighten the girl.

  “Can I be free one day too?” Nine asked innocently.

  Mikal heard his brothers clearing their throats to control their emotions upon hearing the little girl’s innocent request. He fought his own emotions as he nodded his head mutely.

  “We came to set us all free,” Chance said as she walked down the hallway to the other cells.

  Mikal looked up in surprise as two more girls, who appeared to be in their teens, peeked their heads around the corners of the open cells in front of them.

  “Two! You came back!” Alpha Seven said as she ran to Chance and hugged her.

  Alpha Six just stared at Mikal, her eyes filled with fear and curiosity as Chance put Alpha Nine on the floor so she could hug Six and Seven.

  She continued down the hallway until she saw Alpha Four come out of her cell, her shoulders thrown back and her head held high.

  “Are we really free?” Alpha Four asked, trying to keep the tears of hope from falling from her eyes.

  Chance nodded her head and ran forward to hug her sister. When they’d all cried and hugged for a few minutes, Chance pulled back and looked at her sisters.

  “This is Mikal; he’s like us. He and his family are going to help us,” Chance explained, hoping her sisters wouldn’t be frightened of the unique family.

  Alpha Four looked down the hallway at Declan and Liam, who were standing in the doorway to make sure it didn’t shut on them.

  “They are different. Like us,” she said, feeling the difference in the energy of the strangers.

  Chance nodded her head and smiled at Mikal before looking back at her sister.

  “Yes, they are. But in a good way. They’re a real family, and they really want to help us. Mikal is like us, and they love him enough to want him to know his people and where he comes from,” Chance explained, hoping her sisters would accept them.

  “Will they beat me if I want to have a real name?” Alpha Nine asked Mikal shyly.

  Mikal leaned down so he wouldn’t look so big to the small girl, and it gave him a chance to calm the anger that threatened to make him go kill Dr. Mussberger.

  “Chance already picked her name and that’s what we call her,” he said pointing at Chance while Nine’s eyes widened in surprise and excitement.

  Mikal smiled at the small girl.

  “We’re getting out of here in a few minutes and you’ll get to meet my family. Do you think you can come up with a name before we get to the door so Chance can introduce you?” he asked the excited child.

  Alpha Nine nodded her head so hard that Declan and Liam were afraid she’d break her delicate neck. The two brothers had heard the little girl and also struggled not to kill Dr. Mussberger for being a big part of what was done to the females.

  Both brothers used the Shengari’ to relay the conversation to their other siblings, each determined to use the female’s chosen names as often as possible to help them begin adjusting to freedom. The thought of calling them by a lab-designated number sickened them all.

  The small girl looked up at Chance with tears in her eyes.

  “Would you be mad if I wanted to be called Katie? That way, if we say the name all the time . . . we’ll never forget her,” Nine said sadly, thinking of her four-year-old sister who’d been killed because she’d wanted a real name.

  Tears fell unchecked down all of the sisters’ faces, and they hugged one another while Chance nodded her head.

  “Are you sure?” Chance asked the little girl.

  Nine nodded her head.

  “I want her to live on with us . . . even if it’s just by a name. It meant so . . .,” Nine took a shuddering breath and Chance hugged her close.

  “It meant a lot to her. I think she would be honored that you would want to be called that,” Chance said, wiping the tears from Katie’s face.

  Alphas Four, Six and Seven nodded their heads in agreement with Chance before Katie turned to her sisters.

  “It’s your turn now,” Katie said, excited to know what her sisters would choose.

  Alpha Four sighed and looked around nervously, like she expected a guard to jump out at them.

  “I choose Rylie,” she said then held her breath, waiting to see what would happen.

  When nothing did, she turned to Alpha Six.

  “Now you,” she said with a smile.

  Alpha Six grinned and said, “Mary!” before letting out a small scream of excitement and turning to Alpha Seven.

  “Macy,” Alpha Seven said with a small smile before she hugged her sisters.

  Mikal and his brothers gave them a few minutes to be together before he finally cleared his throat to get their attention.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said, nodding towards the door and his two brothers.

  Chance could feel her sister’s nervousness and moved to stand beside Mikal.

  “Let’s get out of here. Wait until you see how beautiful it is outside,” Chance said as she took a few steps towards the door.

  “Where will we go?” Macy asked, taking a few steps towards her sister.

  Mikal waited until the girls passed him before he followed behind them.

  “We have a very safe place and were hoping that you’d stay with us while you figured out where you want to go and what you’d like to do,” Mikal said.

  Chance turned to look at Mikal.

  “You said you were going to the other labs to find your uncle,” Chance said questioningly.

  Mikal nodded his head.

  “Yes. We want to free the others and maybe find our uncle in the process,” Mikal said honestly.

  “Then I want to stay with you and find my other people,” Chance said, stopping in the hallway to turn and stare at Mikal.

  Mikal grinned broadly, unable to stop it. He was hoping that she’d stay but had been afraid to ask.

  “All of you may stay with us for as long as you want. We can help train you to defend yourselves and even help you find somewhere safe . . .” Mikal began.

  Rylie shook her head and interrupted him.

  “I will stay with Alpha . . . Chance. And fight for our people,” she said.

  Katie clutched Chance’s hand and looked at her with pleading eyes.

  “You’re not going to leave us are you? I want to stay with you. All of you,” Katie said, looking at her sisters for support and comfort.

  “We’re never leaving you, kid. We stay together like sisters should,” Macy said, cuddling Katie to her side.

  Chance nodded her head.

  “We stay together, and we find our family together,” she agreed.

  “Good! I want to see the outside!” Katie said as she jumped up and down in excitement.

  Liam and Declan warned the siblings guarding the outside of the building that the females were going to come out so they could ensure the area was secure and free from anything that may frighten the girls.

  Chance stepped past Liam and Declan, as did the other girls, but it was Katie who turned back and hugged first Declan and then Liam before giving them both watery smiles.

  “Thank you . . . for saving us and for not killing me for having a name,” she said softly before she ran up to Chance and clutched her hand.

  Dr. Mussberger was oblivious to the angry glares of the Dranovians, his mind consumed with saving as much of his research as he could.

  “Focus!” Chris said, stopping his siblings from their thoughts of killing the doctor.

  Not that he blamed them. Chris was also very moved by the scared, apprehensive girls—the little one especially. There was something so delicate about her that made him want to shield her and protect her.

  Seeing the reactions of his siblings, Chris
knew they were feeling the same way.

  Which is going to make it a lot more difficult to keep the doctor alive, Chris thought.

  Knowing he didn’t have a choice, he spoke to Amun privately through the Shengari’.

  *****

  Dane and Elias smiled at the girls when they came out of the door to the lab and looked up at the sky in awe.

  Katie drew in a dramatic breath.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she said with a sigh.

  Mikal leaned down and took her small hands in his own.

  “We can’t get out of here without going up inside of a transport craft. So don’t be afraid when you feel the warm wind above you, OK?” Mikal asked the wide-eyed child.

  Katie looked around the sky and then at Mikal.

  “I’ll get to fly?” she asked in excitement.

  Mikal looked up at Chance questioningly. Chance shook her head at him and kneeled down beside her sister.

  “Yes, Katie, I’ll help you fly inside of it, and then it will take us to our freedom,” Chance said softly.

  “We can fly now? Whenever we want?” Macy asked in excitement.

  Chance shook her head.

  “No! Yes . . . damn it!” Chance said, trying to think of how to explain her fears to her sisters.

  Mikal chuckled and stood up, keeping Katie’s hand in his own.

  “What she means is yes. But you have to stay very close and not wander too far away from one of us. The bad people will come looking for you, and we need to make sure they don’t find you again,” he explained.

  “I understand,” Macy said with a sigh, before she disappeared and reappeared 30 feet away shouting and giggling in joy.

  They watched Rylie, Macy, and Mary pop in and out around the small area around the entrance, unable to stop their smiles at the sisters’ first taste of freedom. Even the tough Dranovians guarding the perimeter were finding it hard not to smile.

  Mikal glanced down at Katie and the look of longing on her face as she watched her sisters almost broke his heart. He had to know why she couldn’t transform into her air form.

  “Why can’t she fly?” Mikal asked Chance through the energy strands in his mind.

  Chance looked at him, then quickly looked away.