The Typhon Project

Chapter Twenty-Seven--The One Thing I Can't Lose

Holding my breath, I inched closer to Jace.

The girl continued to stare and then every other head in the room turned in our direction. Their faces morphed from surprise to red faced, hard glaring anger--murderous, seething anger. "Breathe, Leah. It's going to be okay," Jace whispered. "And you're cutting off the circulation in my hand."

I loosened my grip and my fingers ached from squeezing so hard.

One by one they rose to their feet. The dark-haired girl marched toward us. She glowered at me and then her gaze flashed down to the hand Jace's on mine. I shook his hand off. I didn't need to cause anymore trouble for him than I already was.

"What in the hell are you doing?" she demanded.

"Leah this is my sister, Jenna. Jenna, this is Leah."

"I don't want to know its name, Jace. How could you bring it here? You've shown it how to find--."

"Relax, I'm going to explain everything."

Jenna folded her arms. "You've endangered everyone here!"

The others murmured. One boy, maybe twelve or thirteen years old, broke away from the rest and ran down a tunnel at the back. Jenna looked back and then threw Jace a satisfied smile. Jace squared his shoulders. Moments later the boy reappeared with an older man beside him. An older Jace.

"Dad is going to kill it. And then you." She shook her head.

Being called it made me feel ant-sized. But she was right. I was an it--a mutant.

The man I assumed to be Jace's father pushed past the others, his face a glowing molten shade of red. His gaze raked over the little bit of me not hidden behind Jace then the molten red morphed into purple.

Jace stepped back, pushing me back with him. "Uh. Hey, Dad."

The others closed in behind him, fists clenched and jaws tensed.

Long seconds of silence punctuated by my heart hammering ribs passed.

The man lifted his chin. "What in the hell are you thinking bring that in here? It will bring all the lizards down on us! Jenna, go get a rope so we can tie it up. We can't have it getting away."

"No, dad, she won't tell anyone. She's not one of them."

"Well, it sure as hell looks like one!"

Jace straightened his back. "She used to be human."

"Well, it is one of them now."

"Dad, she needs a place to stay. They were going to hurt her. I had to bring her here."

His gaze narrowed. "The silver ones are smart. They know our weaknesses and you, son, played right into its hands."

Jenna returned with rope. I shouldn't have come here. Of course, they'd never believe I was different from the others. I studied the angry set of Jenna's lips, her soft, pink human lips. A heavy weight dropped onto my chest. What I wouldn't give to be human like her. Instead I was this--this thing.

Jace's father turned to her. "Go pat it down, make sure it doesn't have any weapons."

Jace blocked her. "You don't need to do that, Jenna."

She side-stepped him. She ran her hand up and down either side of me and then she grabbed my wrist and examined my watch. "All she's got is a watch."

"Smash it," his dad barked. "It's probably got a tracking device in it." 

She tugged at the band. I tore my arm away. Not Dad's watch. It's all I had left of him. "Don't touch me!"