<strong>RIKA</strong>


    Jared''s lips twisted as he considered her, eyes narrowed. She held his gaze and didn''t flinch. She really would do whatever he wanted her to doa€”within reasona€”as long as she was free. That was the whole idea, that she assimte back amongst them until she had a chance to get her hands on one of themand devices.?


    "Exin to me," Jared said quietly, dropping the tablet to the table, then walking around to lean back on it, staring at her, his arms folded. "Why I should believe you that your attitude towards thesea€| creatures has changed."


    "Because I was observing from a distance then," she hissed. "Romanticizing maybe. I meana€| They are soft-hearted towards each other and nature, most of the time. But when they''re angrya€| they''re monsters. Please, you have toa€”"


    "So, why did the monsters let you go?"


    "They didn''t! I started toply, following that male around. But then they learned about you and we raced out here and he brought me and was asking me questions. They got distracted and I ran."


    "You told them about us?"


    "Only what I had to, to survive! That''s why I''m here, telling you what they''re doing, so you won''t be hurt by them!"


    "So you escapeda€| how?"


    "There was a panic among them when we got to the edge of the forest and a scout had identified you already almost on the ins. I ran during the confusion."


    "And you?" Jared said, turning to Reece who opened his mouth. But Rika jumped in again.


    "I saw him when we were traveling. He''s a male, so not as valuable to them. So when I got loose I untied him and brought him with me because he''s one of us."


    "That remains to be seen," Jared said ominously.


    Rika blew out a breath. "Look, I get it, alright? I know it looks bad. I know they were there to check up on me when that thing took me. But I''m here and I''m telling you that they''reying ambushes and traps. Now you can spend all your time watching me, or you can send a team out to confirm that I''m not lying."


    Jared''s eyes narrowed, but then he turned to the man who''d brought her in from the ins. "Charlie, what do the drones say?"


    "There is activity at the edge of the forest. And they have detected digging and construction. Heat sensors are picking up movement in the trees, but it''s too far to detect the wider numbers unless you want me to send them through on sr and see if we can get one back."


    "Yes!" Rika said. "See! I''m telling you the truth. Get a drone to? If you don''t get defenses in ce, they''ll get you."


    "I think we can take them," Jared said to her, patronizing. "But I do appreciate the heads up."


    "You guys and your fudging arrogancea€”you don''t get it. I''m telling you that they''re smarter than you think. If you just barge in there with guns you''ll take some of them out, sure, but they have ambushes and traps, anda€| they know thisnd like the backs of their hands. They can smell things. It''sa€| frightening how much they learn without even opening their eyes. I''m telling you, if you aren''t careful, they''ll do a lot more damage to you than you''re expecting."


    "I''m sorry, Rika, but I''m always going to trust the tech before I trust humanity. You could be lying to mea€”you could have been lied toa€”" he emphasized when she opened her mouth to insist that she wasn''t. "If we have to fight a few of them, so be it. The rest will surrender when they see the havoc we can wreak."


    "They aren''t like us. They don''t hide their leaders behind the front lines. If you want the best specimens you''re going to have to take them by stealth because if you just plow in there, you''ll kill them all before you get control of the ce."


    "Oh?" Jared asked, apparently genuinely curious.


    "I''m not lying. I listened to their ns. The forward pushing out here was only 40 strong and it had two of their leaders within ita€”they scout and work just like the rest of them, and they''re warriorsa€”real warriors. When they fight they move so fast I can''t even see it happen. For goodness sake, pleasea€| if you''re going to capture them, do it. But don''t walk into an assault. They''ll hurt you before you subdue them, and you''ll lose the best of them."


    Jared watched her for a long minute, then met eyes with the guy who''d brought her in. He picked up the tablet and started tapping again, then walked it over to the other guy and they whispered about it. She prayed Reece could hear them.


    When Jared returned to stand in front of her, his face was wary. "I''m going to let you out of the bonds. But if you attempt to leave this tent before I return, that will be it. You''ll be named a traitor and held like we would hold one of them until we can get you back home and they can deal with you. Do you understand?"


    "Yes! Yes, thank you! Please, post guards ora€| or anything. Justa€| it''s been a hard few weeks and my body is aching and I''m having serious anxiety."


    Jared nodded, then reached for her wrists, cutting the zip-ties that had been used to keep her hands bound. Rika sighed, though her skin crawled when he touched her. He didn''t have the look in his eyes that her father had had. She wasn''t as sure about the other guy, the one that had brought them in. But Jareda€|


    "Thank you," she breathed, rubbing her wrists. "Thank you. You just tell me what you want me to do and I''ll do it."


    "What about me?" Reece asked as Jared stepped back from her.


    "Not yet," Jared said. "Sorry, dude, we have no frame of reference for you at all. If you''d prefer, I can put you in a cage with no bonds."


    Reece shuddered. "No thank you."


    "That''s what I figured. Now both of you stay here and don''t move. I have to go review a couple of things and get some advice, then I''ll be back with more questions."


    Rika thanked him again, ducking her head and rubbing her arms now that they were free. To her relief, the other two walked out with him so she was left in the tent with Reece.