Page 16 of Savage Mates

Oh, shit. Oh… Shit.

Another bag came flying down the aisle, stopping next to my seat. It was one of the duffle bags held by the research assistants. Looking up, I was certain Rory was about to unfasten his seatbelt so he could grab it. The other assistant, Kyle, pushed his hand against Rory’s arm. Now both men were staring at me.

With one additional lurch, the plane came to a hard stop.

A whirring sound continued for several seconds until the engine was shut down.

After a few seconds, I threw my head back, half laughing as I took several gulping breaths.

“Jesus Christ,” Peter muttered.

“I think I just lost several years of my life,” Carrie managed to say, her voice trembling.

My legs were trembling as well. A few seconds later, the pilot appeared. “We’re down, but damaged.”

“What’s wrong with the plane?” Kyle Singleton asked. The man was tall and extremely muscular with short-cropped hair.

“Lightning took out the electricity and one engine. It’s okay. If we need to, we’ll call for a backup plane. But we’re safe.”

“Woo hoo!” Carrie said while applauding.

There was something ominous about being stranded on an island with no quick and easy way of leaving. My hand shaky, I unfasted my seatbelt, my curiosity getting the better of me. I lunged for the bag, able to snag the straps before Rory could make his way toward me.

The zipper was partially undone, allowing me to see the contents inside.

Weapons.

A ton of them.

A cold shiver danced down my spine, but I didn’t have time to fully react before Rory yanked it from my hand.

“I’ve got that, Dr. Radcliff.”

“Why do we need weapons, Rory?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice down. There was no sense in upsetting Carrie and Peter.

He leaned forward as if what he was about to tell me was intimate. “Come on, Doctor. There are wild animals on this island who wouldn’t have a problem eating you alive. But don’t worry. I will protect you.”

Laughing, he backed away.

“Asshole,” I whispered.

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

The compound was surprising. Not necessarily in a good way. While there was electricity and running water, some furniture remaining from when the Philippine military had abandoned their mission, the disarray suggested the buildings had been picked through.

Not exactly ransacked, but some items had been carefully selected. For use by whom?

My mind tripped to the more dangerous possibilities. What if the lions were even more intelligent and after shifting had… Nope. I wasn’t going to entertain the thought.

It was entirely possible given the size of the island there were other inhabitants as well. Should I be even more terrified? Maybe that was the real reason for the duffle full of weapons. I’d forgone mentioning my find to my assistants, but even after unloading and securing sleeping quarters in the main building, I remained unnerved about what I hadn’t been told.

One of the stranger aspects was that it appeared as if the facility had been abandoned quickly. There were still some clothes, and papers in files. Even a few pictures on the walls. Maybe they’d left because of extreme weather only to have the government decide the area was too risky for continued operations. Whatever the case, being in the compound felt odd, as if we weren’t supposed to be here.

There were five buildings in the compound of varying sizes, one of them a bathhouse. One side for the women. One for the men.There were residential quarters complete with cots. Along with the sleeping bags we’d brought, we’d be comfortable enough.

And away from the extreme humidity and mosquitos the size of elephants.

The kitchen was in working order, complete with ovens and even a walk-in freezer and two commercial-sized refrigerators. There was also a dining/recreational area with a ping-pong table. Off to the side was a medical facility, which still had some adequate items that could be used including stainless tables and implements, and a cabinet full of bandages and splints. There were even items that would help with blood tests and taking sample DNA. As if left for us to use. With the sinks and heavy electricity, the room would be decent enough to run some basic tests.