Page 17 of Forced to Mate by the Mad Scientist (Kindred Tales Spicy Shorts #3)

17

SYLVIE

But there was no opportunity for escape for the next several days. Dr. Barbarous must have sensed how desperate Sylvie felt because the guard around the women’s prison was doubled. Every time she dared to look outside, there were three or four treetures standing there with their arms crossed, looking like bouncers in front of an exclusive nightclub.

Then, just at lights-out on the fifth night since they had been captured, it started to rain.

“Ah, listen to that—rain!” Hersha exclaimed, cocking her head at the pattering sound from outside.

“Rain!” Clemina echoed. “Thank the Nature Goddess!”

All the women in the room cheered but Sylvie was bewildered.

“Rain?” she asked, frowning. “Why does rain make everyone so excited?”

“Because it means the treetures will be busy soaking in the water—it keeps them from wanting to take us,” Lorna explained. “It kind of immobilizes them— as long as it’s raining they just stand there, looking up at the sky.” She shivered. “I really hope it keeps raining all night!”

Her sentiment was echoed by the other girls, especially Shredda whose turn it was to “entertain” one of the tree-men that evening.

Sylvie hoped it kept raining too—she was beginning to think that this was the perfect night to escape. The pattering sound of the rain falling on the huge tree’s leaves continued through suppertime when they were served their protein mush, not by a treeture but by the collection droid, which handled the metal bowls using its long silver arm. By lights out when everything went dark, it was still raining.

Sylvie wanted to leave at once, but she didn’t want anyone to know she was sneaking out. She made herself wait until the small, dark room was filled with the soft sounds of regular breathing before she sat up and slipped out of her cot.

She was in the cot nearest to the door and just a few steps took her there. Holding her breath, she dared to pull the door open just an inch so she could see out.

Standing right outside the huge tree that housed the prison were three of the massive treetures. Every one of them had their faces turned up to the sky as the rain beat steadily down on them.

Sylvie’s heart leaped in excitement but she made herself move slowly. She waved a hand to see if any of them would react…but none did. It was like the rain had hypnotized them.

It made her wonder why none of the women had ever tried to escape on a rainy night before. But of course, even if they did get away, where could they go? According to Hersha, the space-net that Barbarous had used to capture their ships had also damaged them beyond repair, so it wasn’t like they could fly away. And how long could they survive, lost in the endless jungle?

Moving quickly and quietly, Sylvie slipped through the motionless guards and made her way around the edge of the compound. She kept to the shadows of the trees, not caring that she was getting soaking wet until she finally made it to the tree where Kross was being held.

To her relief, there were no guards outside. Clearly Barbarous thought the pain walls were enough of a deterrent to keep her Protector from escaping. After feeling around the bark for a moment as she had seen the treetures do, Sylvie found the hidden release and the door swung silently open.

She slipped inside the darkened room, which was lit only by the red light from the pain walls. Kross was lying on the bed, but he wasn’t asleep. His eyes went wide when he saw Sylvie standing there.

She put a finger to her lips and pressed the button on the wall. At once, the wavering red walls of energy that had been enclosing Kross in his prison disappeared, leaving the room in pitch blackness.

Sylvie was going to try to make her way across the room in the dark, but she didn’t have to. A moment after the pain walls went down, Kross was at her side. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in her ear,

“What the fuck are you doing and how did you get in here?”

“It’s raining,” Sylvie murmured back. “It incapacitates the treetures. Come on—let’s get out of here!”

She’d been half afraid that the rain would stop, but it was still pouring steadily when she pushed open the door. She and Kross slipped silently out and headed for the place where they had entered the compound in the first place.

Kross took the lead. Holding her hand, he moved soundlessly forward through the trees and towards the rustling underbrush. It was too dark to see very well, but the big Kindred had much better night vision than Sylvie did. She followed his lead, her heart pounding against her ribs. They were doing it—they were actually escaping!

“There it is,” Kross murmured, keeping his voice low despite the rain. “I can see the opening up ahead. You go through first and I’ll follow.”

“Can you get through it?” Sylvie asked anxiously.

He nodded.

“I’ll force my way through if I have to but I want to be sure you’re safely through first.”

Sylvie was just ducking to go through the small hole in the underbrush when a cold, horribly familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

“I don’t think so—neither of you is going anywhere.”