“Get me cameras on that building,” Darren Artino shouted. “The woman is too green and I bet she’s just panicking. I’m going to fire her ass when this is over.”
“I’ve got the East Street camera on line,” a man called out. “Screen fourteen.”
Darren Artino pointed to the right screen and knew Justice breathing down his neck. Both men focused their attention on the screen. They watched a truck accelerate toward the front entrance of the women’s dorm.
“Son of a bitch,” Darren spat.
“What are Hail Mary doors?” Justice grabbed Darren by the arm and spun him around.
Darren took a deep breath when he met a pissed-off pair of cat eyes. “Hail Mary is a prayer. It’s, ‘oh hell, it’s bad’. Reinforced doors have been activated inside the dorm and they cut off entire sections of the building.” He jerked his arm to break free of Justice’s grip. “Get every camera we have inside the dorm on screen and I want heat signatures being tracked on every floor, right now! Priority one to all frontal screens.”
Justice reached for his cell phone to place a call. “The women’s dorm is under heavy attack.” He hung up.
“Thirty-four heat signatures are on the third floor. The Hail Mary doors are down and secure,” a woman shouted out. “One heat signature is on the first floor and its moving fast.”
“There are thirty-five women living inside the dorms, according to our records,” a man called out. “All accounted for.”
Cameras normally inactive inside the dorm clicked on. One screen displayed women who sat or leaned against walls inside the hallway of the third floor.
“Those are my women.” Justice tensed. “Are they safe where they are?”
Darren nodded. “Very. Nothing can get to them. The steel doors are almost a foot thick. Not even a bomb could dent them. I told you they would be safe.”
“We have the front doors on screen ten,” a man yelled.
Justice and Darren looked at that camera view and Darren cursed. The glass doors were down on the floor. The damage along the top of the wall where they’d been anchored had been twisted inward.
“Son of a bitch! The glass held but the building didn’t.” Someone stated the obvious.
“We have movement with four new heat signatures,” a woman called out. “We are tracking the original single heat signature. It’s inside the kitchen. I’ve got all cameras on line now.”
* * * * *
Ellie ran into the kitchen. She’d heard the doors come down with a loud crash and knew she was trapped. She could either hide while she prayed help reached her before those men found her or she could fight. Her odds of facing off and winning against the four armed men weren’t good. Her main concern had been the New Species women and it comforted her, knowing they were safe. She’d understood it would be a dangerous job when she’d taken it but she never thought something this bad could happen.
She yanked open the knife drawer and grabbed the largest one she could find while she watched the open doorway over her shoulder. A she tried to quell her panic, knowing she needed a clear head. I need a place to hide.
Her focus immediately landed on the island and she moved to it, ducked down and got out of sight. She cracked open one of the cabinets and started shifting items inside, doing it as quietly as possible.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” a male voice yelled.
Are you kidding me? Ellie shook her head. They can’t even tell the difference between a human and a New Species. The idiots don’t even know what to shoot at. Hunters, my ass, she fumed, remembering that word painted on the side of their truck.
“Come out, kitty cat.”
The voice sounded closer. Ellie’s heart raced while she eased into the small space. There wasn’t much room but she managed to wiggle under the counter and get the cupboard door closed. She had her knees pressed to her body and her head bent in a balled position in the darkness. She tried to control her breathing to prevent them from hearing it. Her ears strained for the slightest noise. All she could do at that point was pray they didn’t find her until help arrived.
“I’m not going to kill you. I just want to talk.”
Ellie clenched her teeth. The guy obviously believed her to be a complete moron if he thought she’d believe him for a second. There was no way she’d attempt to talk to those insane jerks without bulletproof glass separating them. To allow them get close to her would be the fastest way to die and she wanted to live.
* * * * *
Justice continued to glance at different screens to watch what took place inside the women’s dorm. He flipped his phone out and hit speed dial. He’d just seen Ellie Brower hide inside a cabinet under the island in the kitchen. His gaze tracked the four intruders who searched the lower section of the house. They’d realized the elevators were out and they were blocked access to the second floor by a large steel door that cut off the stairs. The men split up and moved room to room on the first floor of the dorm, searching for Ellie.
“Our women are secure on the third floor but the human female is hiding inside the kitchen. It’s just a matter of time before they find her. She’s trapped. There are four heavily armed males inside and they gained entry by breaking down the front doors.” He hung up.
Darren Artino spun to frown at Justice. “Who were you talking to?”
“My security team is on their way.”
Darren’s mouth dropped opened and then slammed shut. “Security is my job. Communications are still down. I can’t exactly call my security guards and order them to give anyone permission to enter Homeland. They blocked off the front gates by using employee cars to barricade it to prevent anyone else from coming inside.”
“I’ve got the East Street camera on line,” a man called out. “Screen fourteen.”
Darren Artino pointed to the right screen and knew Justice breathing down his neck. Both men focused their attention on the screen. They watched a truck accelerate toward the front entrance of the women’s dorm.
“Son of a bitch,” Darren spat.
“What are Hail Mary doors?” Justice grabbed Darren by the arm and spun him around.
Darren took a deep breath when he met a pissed-off pair of cat eyes. “Hail Mary is a prayer. It’s, ‘oh hell, it’s bad’. Reinforced doors have been activated inside the dorm and they cut off entire sections of the building.” He jerked his arm to break free of Justice’s grip. “Get every camera we have inside the dorm on screen and I want heat signatures being tracked on every floor, right now! Priority one to all frontal screens.”
Justice reached for his cell phone to place a call. “The women’s dorm is under heavy attack.” He hung up.
“Thirty-four heat signatures are on the third floor. The Hail Mary doors are down and secure,” a woman shouted out. “One heat signature is on the first floor and its moving fast.”
“There are thirty-five women living inside the dorms, according to our records,” a man called out. “All accounted for.”
Cameras normally inactive inside the dorm clicked on. One screen displayed women who sat or leaned against walls inside the hallway of the third floor.
“Those are my women.” Justice tensed. “Are they safe where they are?”
Darren nodded. “Very. Nothing can get to them. The steel doors are almost a foot thick. Not even a bomb could dent them. I told you they would be safe.”
“We have the front doors on screen ten,” a man yelled.
Justice and Darren looked at that camera view and Darren cursed. The glass doors were down on the floor. The damage along the top of the wall where they’d been anchored had been twisted inward.
“Son of a bitch! The glass held but the building didn’t.” Someone stated the obvious.
“We have movement with four new heat signatures,” a woman called out. “We are tracking the original single heat signature. It’s inside the kitchen. I’ve got all cameras on line now.”
* * * * *
Ellie ran into the kitchen. She’d heard the doors come down with a loud crash and knew she was trapped. She could either hide while she prayed help reached her before those men found her or she could fight. Her odds of facing off and winning against the four armed men weren’t good. Her main concern had been the New Species women and it comforted her, knowing they were safe. She’d understood it would be a dangerous job when she’d taken it but she never thought something this bad could happen.
She yanked open the knife drawer and grabbed the largest one she could find while she watched the open doorway over her shoulder. A she tried to quell her panic, knowing she needed a clear head. I need a place to hide.
Her focus immediately landed on the island and she moved to it, ducked down and got out of sight. She cracked open one of the cabinets and started shifting items inside, doing it as quietly as possible.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” a male voice yelled.
Are you kidding me? Ellie shook her head. They can’t even tell the difference between a human and a New Species. The idiots don’t even know what to shoot at. Hunters, my ass, she fumed, remembering that word painted on the side of their truck.
“Come out, kitty cat.”
The voice sounded closer. Ellie’s heart raced while she eased into the small space. There wasn’t much room but she managed to wiggle under the counter and get the cupboard door closed. She had her knees pressed to her body and her head bent in a balled position in the darkness. She tried to control her breathing to prevent them from hearing it. Her ears strained for the slightest noise. All she could do at that point was pray they didn’t find her until help arrived.
“I’m not going to kill you. I just want to talk.”
Ellie clenched her teeth. The guy obviously believed her to be a complete moron if he thought she’d believe him for a second. There was no way she’d attempt to talk to those insane jerks without bulletproof glass separating them. To allow them get close to her would be the fastest way to die and she wanted to live.
* * * * *
Justice continued to glance at different screens to watch what took place inside the women’s dorm. He flipped his phone out and hit speed dial. He’d just seen Ellie Brower hide inside a cabinet under the island in the kitchen. His gaze tracked the four intruders who searched the lower section of the house. They’d realized the elevators were out and they were blocked access to the second floor by a large steel door that cut off the stairs. The men split up and moved room to room on the first floor of the dorm, searching for Ellie.
“Our women are secure on the third floor but the human female is hiding inside the kitchen. It’s just a matter of time before they find her. She’s trapped. There are four heavily armed males inside and they gained entry by breaking down the front doors.” He hung up.
Darren Artino spun to frown at Justice. “Who were you talking to?”
“My security team is on their way.”
Darren’s mouth dropped opened and then slammed shut. “Security is my job. Communications are still down. I can’t exactly call my security guards and order them to give anyone permission to enter Homeland. They blocked off the front gates by using employee cars to barricade it to prevent anyone else from coming inside.”
