I NEED A HERO (𝓒𝓞𝓜𝓟𝓛𝓔𝓣𝓔)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Consciousness came back slowly. Instinct kept Nemera perfectly still as her mind cleared and took control of her body again. The only sign that a very keen observer might have noticed was a certain tension that took hold of her body as she came to full awareness. As she quietly sniffed the air, checking for anyone nearby, she was surprised to discover that she was alone.

She lay on a clean bed, but they had just dropped her, fully clothed, on top of the bedspread. Her nose caught the lingering scent of the Urku and the Tav that had taken her, as well as a canid - probably a Hrax, although she couldn't be sure. Her ears heard the thunder outside, the videos in a distant room and the muted conversation much closer to her - likely in the next room. Wonder of wonders, she was not bound hand and foot - indeed she wasn't restrained at all.

As her eyes opened, she almost laughed. In the back of her throat she could still taste the anesthetic. Kelaform. They weren't expecting her to wake for some time. Blessing her father's Mota genetics, she stretched quietly, experimentally. Her muscles were a little stiff from inaction, but all in all she was in good shape.

It took but a moment to confirm that they had found and removed her ankle gun. Her blue eyes searched the dim room, looking for a possible weapon, but nothing more substantial than a lamp presented itself. A small clock set the time as just after midnight. Lightning split the sky, disturbing her vision for a few moments. The growl of thunder coming close on the heels of the flash confirmed that the storm was very close.

So was Tau.

Now why had those thoughts of Tau intruded on her immediate peril? Inexplicably it seemed that she could almost feel his concern for her, reaching out like a physical touch. Where had such fanciful thoughts come from now, of all times? Shaking it off as an aftereffect of the kelaform, she turned her attention back to the matters at hand.

Weaponless and far outnumbered, she had to avoid discovery and confrontation if she hoped to come out of this alive. With a supple twist she slipped silently off the bed and to the floor, crouching low as she crept to the window. A glance outside showed her that she was on the second floor and there was at least one above her. There were no trees close to the house.

Reaching up, her fingers searched the top of the sash for a lock while her eyes searched the borders of the window sill for the alarm she knew must be there. She found both, and was surprised to discover a simple contact alarm. Now if she could just find a decent length of wire ...

Lightning struck close by and she heard a static crackle. There was something with a speaker in the room. It took a few minutes of looking before she saw a monitor on the bedside table. Creeping over, she discovered that it was wired and she grinned. Disconnecting it was a twofer - it wouldn't transmit any noise she made to her captors and the light wire would be perfect for her needs - if it was long enough.

To her delight it was standard two part speaker wire. Once she pulled it apart down the center seam it would double it's length and give her enough to do the job. It took a bit of chewing up close to the speaker, but her sharp teeth severed the wire despite giving her the shivers. She followed the length back to the wall and set her teeth to it again.

Pulling the wire apart, she twisted the ends together. She had the alarm bypassed in minutes, unlocked the widow and eased the sash up. The polymer screen presented no barrier. A single extended claw slit three sides, leaving the flap dangling. Her pupils flared as she gazed around the grounds, looking for the guards she knew must be there.

The nearby yard was suspiciously empty. A limo was parked next to the house, guarded by the same Urku that had stopped her car. Her mind raced, trying to discover a way to get past. Urku were almost impossible to evade or hide from, even for a cat. The sudden sound of breaking glass sounded unnaturally loud to her ears. As she saw the Urku start in the direction of the sound, she had a sudden realization.