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“We’re not far,” said Jude.
“That’s good to hear,” muttered a male prisoner with a black eye. “They don’t exactly take care of us.”
“What did you do to attract their interest?”
“I asked too many questions.” The man gave Jude a curious look. “Why are you rescuing us?”
“It’s what we do,” said Lincoln, over his shoulder. “You’re welcome to join us.”
The man snorted in surprise. “I might just do that. There’s nothing for me here.”
“We’ve got plenty to keep you occupied,” said Jude.
They reached the buildings and raced past them.
Lincoln ran ahead and disengaged the Invis Tech on the Cobra.
“Where are we going?” asked a lanky, short guy with a mess of blond hair.
“Back to the bunker.” Jude looked at Heath, and he nodded.
“We’ll have to run a security check on all of you before we take you there,” said Heath. “It’s just a precaution. We have to keep the location safe.”
The rescued prisoners muttered, but no one objected.
“The State won’t find you there,” said Heath. “You can stay until you figure out what you want to do next.”
“That sounds like a fair deal.” The prisoner with the black eye looked around the group, and everyone nodded.
They all piled into the Cobra. Lincoln took the driver’s seat next to Malachi before re-engaging the Invis Tech and speeding away.
It was only then that Jude let himself relax. That was when his injuries began to protest. The dragon serum was doing its work, but he still ached like he’d been smashed into a brick wall by a bulldozer.
Annie passed around water for everyone, along with pouches of food. “Has anyone got any serious injuries that need looking at now?”
“Nothing that can’t wait,” said Heath. “The soldiers wanted to make sure we were conscious when we were strung up.” He opened a handheld fingerprint scanner and handed it around the group. “I need scans of your prints so we can check your backgrounds.”
The prisoners all obliged. Jude saw that as a good sign. They weren’t taking anyone back with them who could be considered a threat.
Annie tucked an arm into the crook of Heath’s elbow as he scanned through the readings. “I’m glad we got you in time.”
He kissed her forehead. “You’re not the only one.”
“Did you see Octavia?” asked Jude. “Was she being held in the same place as you?”
“We never saw her,” said Heath. “We got taken to some processing center, stuck in a cell, and then moved. What happened after we were taken?”
“There were more soldiers waiting for us,” said Jude. “We were returning from the air raid shelter when we lost contact with you.”
“Those damn soldiers slunk out of the shadows,” said Heath. “We tried to fight them, but there were too many.”
“It was the same with us.” Disappointment hit Jude. “I thought Octavia might be with you.”
“She wasn’t,” said Malachi. “We didn’t see her.”
“Where the hell have they taken her?” Frustration grew inside Jude. He had to know she was okay.
“They’ll most likely process her and send her to a State prison to await trial,” said Heath. “Listen to the comms channels for information about prisoner transport in this area. Maybe we can intercept.”
