Page 40 of Healing Creek (Arena Dogs #3)

All four guards remained in the room and Grace had no doubt they would physically restrain her if she didn’t cooperate. “Sure. Why not?” She walked over to the stool and slid onto the seat.

An auto-syringe was laid out on the adjacent table, ready to take a sample of Grace’s blood. There was even a small cup of juice there for after. How thoughtful.

Smith reached for the syringe. “Push your sleeve up.”

Grace did as she was told and put out her arm.

It was a painless process she’d been through thousands of times, but always with one of her family members performing it.

As her blood filled the small collection tube, she looked around the lab.

It was clean and organized with all the latest equipment.

Her gaze landed on a terminal across the room.

A familiar shape lay on the counter between a thermal cycler and a centrifuge—Bug.

She kept her glance quick and sweeping. She didn’t want to call attention to Feeona’s miniature remote access drone, and she needed to verify one thing before they set their plan into motion.

She allowed her glance to linger over a corner of the lab with a workstation set up for DNA extraction, with a hood and supply cabinet right where Jennifer said they would be. There was no lock on the cabinet.

“There we go.” Smith capped off the last collection tube and pressed a sealer pad over the tiny dot of blood on Grace’s arm. “I can’t wait to get a look at this.” Smith indicated the blood.

Grace pulled down her sleeve. “This place is just perfect for the work that needs to be done.”

Smith laughed. “It isn’t much for comforts, but it is as well-equipped as my lab back home. Frankly, I’m looking forward to getting back there.”

A chime sounded and the terminal screen across the room lit up.

Smith’s attention was drawn to the terminal, and she headed over to read the incoming message Feeona had faked, informing her there was a secure message coming in on the com unit.

Grace eyed her sister, who had started to shake. Her back to the guards, she silently mouthed you can do this.

Smith made a humph of surprise and headed for the door to her office.

She looked into the retina scan and the door slid open.

It was a stupid security measure, but the point had just been to get her out of the room.

As the door slid shut behind her, Grace got up and brushed past her sister, heading for the supply cabinet.

Jennifer grabbed the blood samples from the counter where Smith had left them and screamed.

She charged the guards who were conveniently clumped at the door.

The glass vials smashed on the floor and her sister screamed hysterically at the guards.

Grace flung open the cabinet and searched for the phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol and denaturing detergents.

Every good genetics lab had a supply for separating DNA from proteins and other cellular components.

Her sister was still screaming across the room, but footsteps sounded close behind her.

She grabbed a handful of the small containers and turned.

One of the guards stood in front of her.

Damn, in her plan they were all distracted by her sister.

She lifted her right hand as if to show him her treasure and when he looked…

she took a swing at him with her left. She connected with his nose to the satisfying sound of a crunch and followed it up with a kick to the groin.

He doubled over and clutched at it, likely more from shock than the pain.

The next thing Grace did was one of her harder tricks. Especially with her medi-bots not at full strength. She stopped breathing. The medi-bots made her lungs more efficient, and she could hold her breath longer than the average person.

Grace threw the glass containers at the ground.

Lovely, breakable glass—still used in laboratories for volatile compounds.

The guard started coughing immediately. He was trying to talk but couldn’t get the words out.

She imagined he was trying to say something like what are these noxious fumes .

He was too busy choking to stop her from grabbing the rest of the box of containers and taking it with her as she moved to the guards holding her fighting sister.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the guards still downstairs as well as Dr. Smith.

They were all rushing to the same spot where Jennifer screamed and Grace’s blood dirtied the floor as the guards stepped in it.

When she reached them, she threw the rest of the containers onto the floor at the guards’ feet. Smith started shouting orders. They all had guns but none of them saw Grace or her sister as enough of a threat to shoot them. And none of them saw Bug buzz over their heads and down into the basement.

They were all coughing and blinking watery eyes.

Grace’s eyes were starting to sting now, too.

She could stop breathing but she hadn’t thought to protect her eyes.

One man grabbed her arm. That was okay. She’d done her part.

The rest was up to Feeona. How long would it take her to hack at least one of the locks downstairs?

Would the guards in the dormitory building hear the commotion and if they did, how long would it take them to respond.

Jennifer’s screaming stopped as she could no longer get enough breath through her burning throat. A roar sounded from the basement stairs and the Arena Dogs were suddenly there. Grace blinked back tears, trying to see without success.

She heard grunts and breaking bones. The grip on her arm dropped away.

She backpedaled to get further from the dense cloud of fumes.

She turned to move more quickly and bashed into a work bench.

She wiped away her tears and got her bearings.

The guard who’d had a hold of her was hanging limply from Creek’s grip.

He dropped the man as he caught her gaze. God, she loved him.

Several of the other Arena Dogs made short work of the guards.

Mercury had one over his head and threw him down the stairs.

Carn had another guard on the ground, pounding him into unconsciousness.

Jupiter watched the door to the hallway.

Bianca Smith was on the floor coughing and gasping.

Saturn helped Jennifer move away from the heaviest concentration of fumes.

Grace’s vision began to dim around the edges.

She flashed Creek a quick smile then dashed over to the vent hood.

She slapped a palm against the emergency-red button.

Air whooshed past her as the exhaust fan sucked the noxious fumes from the room.

She waited for the air to clear then took in a fresh breath.

“All clear!” She shouted to be heard. Then she was swept into Creeks arms. She wrapped her arms around him and clung.

She didn’t want to let go. Not only because his strength was reassuring, but because lethargy dragged against her body.

And fresh air had done nothing to aid her vision.

Not now. This couldn’t be happening now.

The barks of the other Arena Dogs called Creek’s attention back to them.

Another group came up the stairs. Mercury gathered the guards’ weapons and passed them out among the team, then one by one they slipped out into the hall.

“Seneca told us what was happening.” Creek slipped one of the guns into her hand. “Wait for Feeona to hack the last lock then get her and your sister back to Feeona’s ship.”

Grace leaned back, letting the counter behind her take some of her weight. “You’ll be careful.”

Creek nodded. “This time we know what we’re up against and surprise is on our side. This will be easy.” Then he was gone.

Grace found her sister getting water from a container in the corner. Her hands were shaking, and Grace had to help her open the water and lift it. “Go to the sink and splash some water in your face. It should help.”

Her sister did as she suggested and that left Grace to find some way to secure Smith. The older woman was in rough shape, wheezing and crying. Grace couldn’t muster up any sympathy for her as she tightened a length of flexi-tubing around her wrists. “You chose the wrong side of this war.”

Smith coughed. “I’m not a soldier, just a scientist. You of all people should understand. We just follow the science.”

“Setting the science aside for a moment, how do you justify what you’ve done to Jenny?”

“I tried to tell them I didn’t need her. Owens isn’t a man you disappoint.”

Feeona came up the stairs from the basement with Bug hovering over her shoulder. “Well, he’s going to have to get used to disappointment.”

Grace looked up into Feeona’s face. “You’re amazing.”

“You’re damned amazing yourself. Now let’s get the hard drive from the computer and get out of here before any of these guards regain consciousness.” She reached out a hand to help Grace up and Grace took it, trying to cover her weakness.

Luckily the door to the office had remained open during all the commotion. Feeona went in and got to work.

Jennifer came up to Grace’s side. “You okay?”

Grace leaned heavily against a counter again. “My vision is a little dark around the edges.”

Jennifer slipped an arm around her waist. “You need to sit down.”

“No. There’s no time.” She shifted her weight from the counter to her sister as they watched Feeona through the open doorway. She removed the hard drive like it was child’s play.

Feeona’s brow furrowed as she studied them. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.” Grace straightened up as she rushed to speak. “Everything’s fine. The guys have got this and we need to get to your ship.”

Feeona studied her for a moment then headed for the doorway to the hall. Grace breathed a sigh of relief. She could make it and the men wouldn’t be far behind. Like Creek said, this time surprise was on their side.