Page 69 of Salvation for the Alien Mercenary
"Like hell you are," Covak growled. "You looked like a kid in his first shift. Like yourfrexxingbones were all trying to break at once. Hate to break it to you, but humans don'tdothat."
He shook his head, immediately regretting the movement as nausea washed through him. "I'm good. It's passed. We need to keep moving."
Ryke entered the lab, taking in the scene with one glance. "Status?"
"Davis hit the deck again."
"Isaid, I'm good," Davis insisted, forcing himself upright despite the tremors still wracking his frame. He curled his hands into fists to hide the shaking. "The pain's gone."
"But something triggered it," Jesh said from behind Ryke. "This facility contains whatever K’ell was working on. Perhaps something here can help..."
Before anyone could reply, Covak's head snapped up, nostrils flaring wide. His pupils dilated, muscles tensing beneath his skin. "Someone's still alive. And they're running."
The Vorrtan's skin flushed deep crimson, fangs lengthening as he inhaled deeply, turning his head. "That way. Moving fast."
Even weakened, Davis recognized the start of Covak's battle form. The Vorrtan species had been engineered for war... for tracking. Killing. No one was better suited to hunt down a fleeing target.
"Davis." Mira's voice was soft in his ear. "Be careful. Please."
The simple plea steadied him. "Always am."
"Covak, take point," Ryke ordered. "Jesh, flank right. Davis, with me. Rann, maintain position at the shuttle."
They moved through the facility as one unit. Covak led, following scent trails invisible to the others. Each corner brought new evidence of the brutality of the attack. This wasn't random. Someone had come here specifically to erase whatever work was being done... and make sure no one lived to tell about it.
"Trail leads outside." Covak raced toward a side exit. "Getting stronger."
The door slid open to reveal another landing pad. A nondescript trading vessel sat there, engines cycling for departure. A figure hurried up the boarding ramp, glancing over his shoulder.
The team was already moving. Ryke and Jesh circled left. Covak and Davis went right, cutting off escape routes. The figure reached the top of the ramp, hand hovering over the door controls.
"Oi!" Ryke's voice cut through the stillness. "Stop where you are."
The figure froze, then slowly turned.
"Are you K’ell?" the Reaper leader demanded.
He was older than Davis expected. Silver streaked his dark hair, and his face was lined. His knuckles whitened on the handrail as he saw the armed mercenaries surrounding him. But then the Latharian's gaze landed on Davis, and his eyes widened, jaw going slack.
"Impossible," he whispered. "After all this time?"
Davis frowned. "What? Do you know me? Do you know what's happening to me?"
K’ell's hand fell from the door controls. Scientific fascination replaced the panic in his expression.
"I knew the M'Suun continued their work after I left," he said. "But I never thought..." His eyes remained fixed on Davis's face, studying him like a specimen. "Which facility are you from?"
Davis advanced another step, anger building beneath his ribs. "What am I? What did you do to me?"
"Oh, I didn't do anything to you," K’ell said, shaking his head. "You're not my creation." A laugh escaped him. "You're something I never thought I'd live to see. My gods, you're proof that the experiment worked."
"What experiment?" he demanded, hand dropping to his sidearm.
K’ell's eyes narrowed, scientific curiosity overriding fear. "How long have you been changing? What triggered it?"
"What fucking experiment?" Davis reached the bottom of the ramp. "Start talking, or I start shooting. What. The fuck. Am. I?"
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