Pushing Boundaries Ch. 05

Marine... It's me, Key. Don't look up, don't even make a single expression. Blink twice if you can hear me.

Marine blinked. Key?

Yes Sweetie, I'm here.

I'm scared...

I know... shh. I need you to tell me something Marine. Are there cameras inside this room?

Yes! But I can't see them.

Keona paused to think. From where she was, she could see another panel just a few feet away. Could that be the control room?

I'll be right back Marine. Do not move or show any sign that you're relieved. Hear me?

Yes Key...

Keona padded over to the other ventilation hatch and peered downwards. Though she couldn't exactly see a variety of colors, she could distinguish the shapes of the people and monitors in the room.

There was only a Vampire at the console; she was sure of that although the room does reek of other scents that she could not describe... They smelled...

Like her.

Were there other hybrid children hidden here? A wave of sudden panic took over Keona. This was what her parents had been trying to protect her from and now she's here... in some sort of holding facility. She needed to help those children out too! What if they had parents? People who love them?

A burst of warmth curled inside her heart. She needed to act --Now.

Pushing as hard as she could against the metal hatch, Keona did not wait for it to drop to the floor and alert the room's occupants but immediately leap out; shifting in mid air to land gracefully behind the unsuspecting controller.

His reactions were a split second too late for her hands were already on his neck --a sharp twist --and he lay unconscious on the floor. She hadn't killed him but simply broke his neck. It should heal in a few days.

Turning around to make sure no one was behind her, Keona glazed her eyes over the panel of controls and reached for the microphone. That must be how the captors communicate with Marine right?

"Marine Sweetie, it's me. Now I'm going to try and get the door to open but if it doesn't... you see the mirrored wall in front of you?"

"Yes," stammered Marine, getting up to her feet.

"If I can't open the door, I'm going to break the damn mirror and I want you climb through it do you understand?"

Marine nodded wordlessly.

Keona frowned over the various controls. All these tech stuff were beyond her comprehension so she did as promised --she threw one of the chairs into the glass panel in front of the control.

"Marine!" she shouted as alarm bells began to ring. "Hurry!" Pulling Marine carefully into the control room, Keona held her cousin's hand tight and headed to the door. "What can you do Marine?"

"I... I don't understand..."

"What is your ability Marine?" she demanded. "We need to use our best resources right now to escape."

Marine looked at Keona and bit her lips. It had taken her so long to perfect the ability... and once Keona saw it, she would have it too. To her surprise, Keona did not push for an answer and instead held her hand tighter as they ran across the hall.

The alarms were ringing continuously and Keona knew that she did not have much time. They were going to block all exits even as they speak and Keona was praying that it didn't mean complete lock down. Once that happened, there was no way out.

Keona was frantically reading minds --as many as she could --all while running down the hallway. Partly was to hide from the guards but partly was to see where the nearest exit was. She got lucky when a group of them ran by to secure the east exit. This was their chance!

"The moment you get out, I want you to find Riley... he's in his car a little further down the road. I need you to go and get help you understand? Call Alex and your parents."

"But Key!"

"There are others trapped here Marine. Just do this. I can handle myself... I'm strong remember?"

Marine hugged Keona and whispered, "I can run... run real fast. Faster than light."

"Good girl. I want you to run and get yourself out while I distract the guards you hear me?"

"Key..."

"I'll be fine. I promise. Now, on the count of three... One, two..."

"Ah, Miss MacFarlane we finally meet..."

"Run!" Keona shouted as she pushed Marine. The moment her fingers left Marine's body, Keona could no longer see her. Amazing --she was moving so fast she was invisible!

Keona turned her head slightly, just to catch a glimpse of whomever had called her name, before mimicking the exact thing that Marine had done. Of course, it wasn't as perfect for Keona felt herself moving too fast for her body to control and she didn't know how to slow down so she ended up crashing against one of the walls at the end of the hall.

The annoying tingle at her back told her that she either sprained a muscle or broke a rib. As if that wasn't bad enough --guards were coming towards her from every corner.

"Shit!" she cursed even as the first few Vampires started to grab at her. Keona was an excellent fighter but there were just too many of them. Even if she were to mentally suggest them to back off, she'd have to do it one by one and it would drain her out too much. So she did what she could.

She pushed herself to her limit --physically and mentally.

***

Connor watched from a far as the hybrid girl fought her way through the first dozen of his Vanguards. They were not his best but they were decades older than her and would have easily immobilized a 24 year old Vampire.

"But you're not just a Vampire are you?" His lips curved into a wry smile as she started to take down the next dozen set of stronger Vanguards. It was wearing her down, he could see that but Connor was impressed nevertheless --except that she didn't kill those she took down but merely knocked them out. That didn't impress him but caught his interest straight away.

Keona MacFarlane as it seems has never killed a single thing in her life.

"We shall soon see..." he whispered as the last vestige of her strength started to leave her. Keona was beginning to take in more blows than she could give out.

"That's enough," said Connor; his voice reverberating down the hallway. "Stand down soldiers." They did as told, moving to the side to let the Pureblood kneel down to a very worn out and bruised Keona.

"It is an honour to meet you, Miss MacFarlane. I hope you will reciprocate my gesture," he said, offering her a hand to get up.

However, Keona simply glared at him and snarled her question, "Are there more... like me here?"

Her question surprised him --the mortal emotion so vivid across his cold face. He contemplated his answer for a minute; simply staring at her slowly healing face.

"I will show them to you if you allow me the grace of your company."

Connor didn't need to read her mind to know that she was already planning to help the other hybrids escape. It was clearly reflected in the green of her eyes.

"Well?" he prodded.

"How do you know who I am?" she demanded; slowly pushing herself to her feet --with much difficulty. Yet she refused his help.

"I know much about you and your family... What I know is beyond compare. Not even Aramis Culzean comes close."

Keona's eyes snapped straight to Connor's face. He knew her grandfather! "What do you want from me?"

"Oh... just a little bit of this and that... maybe a little blood," he replied with a smile. Keona was beginning to hate that smile.

"I'm not giving you a damn thing!" she protested when he reached out to grab her wrist.

"Ah... then I'm afraid I can't let your precious Marine leave this facility..."

Despite her weakened state, Keona forced herself to push a brutal suggestion into the Pureblood's brain. It might have worked of course --if she was at full strength and maybe a few hundred years older --for all it did was make him release her hand in surprise and step back.

Then she felt it --an invisible hold on her mind; an icy grip over her brain, jerking her into submission. Keona heard herself scream but there was no sound... and then she felt herself melting away into an empty darkness...

***

"She's still asleep," said Hedva.

"How is she?"

Hedva looked at the Pureblood Helene and saw sadness in her eyes. Was she sad for this child? Or perhaps a memory of her own?

"We've sedated her and I'm keeping her stats monitored. As you can see, she's healing herself even unconsciously so we are not administering any medication."

Helene moved closer to the screen. "Extraordinary... so tell me Hedva, how do you plan to proceed with the trials?"

"With your permission, we will draw a sample of her blood and compare it with the developed prototype."

"What do you expect to see?"

Hedva shrugged and shook her head. "I can't say Madam. If I enter the experiment having preconceived ideas then I will miss things."

"I would not want you to miss a thing. This child... is precious," whispered Helene. "Don't harm her unless it's necessary."

Hedva nodded and watched the Pureblood walk across the room towards the electronic sliding doors. If she had her questions, this was the best time. Helene was feeling soft.

"Madam..." Hedva tried to halt the Pureblood.

"Yes?" Cool blue eyes turned to face her.

"I am only asking this because it relates to the research..." said Hedva carefully. "But if the current prototype does not survive past its infancy; how would you like me to dispose of it?"

The blue eyes hardened into coal --not anger but pain. "Then you will burry her for me," she whispered and left the room without saying another word.

Women, Hedva thought, were always subject to their emotions even when they try to hide it from the world. The research lab may call the hybrid prototype by it's lab name but Hedva knew that both of them had their own secret name for the miracle baby.

When you put a name to a face... it always becomes harder to let them go when the time comes. And Hedva knew that the time was coming... soon.

The prototype was showing signs of breathing difficulty and unstable eating patterns. She was rejecting blood and did not take well to formula milk. As a Werewolf, Hedva knew that pack mothers suckled their young, regardless of whose pup it was. It was how a pack functioned for they took care of each other's young.

As with prototypes, there will always be mistakes in coming up with the perfect combination. Helene had been a Pureblood and the Were whose sperm she had kept frozen was a Beta wolf. In contrast, Keona was a product of an Alpha --the Original Were --and a turned Vampire. There are many mechanics at play there. Did the gender of the Vampire play a bigger role or was the quality of the sperm more important?

Taking gender out of the equation then Naira, the other hybrid girl would be a better choice for comparison: Sperm from a Pureblood and egg from a Beta Werewolf. The status would be much more similar to Helene's situation or is it?

Helene may have successfully carried the child to term but artificial insemination did not solve the problem of gene compatibility between Vampires and Werewolves. Everything at the moment was still inconclusive. Hedva couldn't put her finger to it until she managed to study Keona's blood.

But for now... she will let the child sleep. There are many tests to be done on her tomorrow. Keona will need all her energies to stay alive and Hedva did not want the girl to die... yet.

***