The Saga Continues. Since we alternate every week, you start at Mary’s site with Chapter 9 of “Escaping Humanity” – then come back here and read Chapter 6!!!  

For those that have missed this from the beginning, you can find the complete story description and chapter listing HERE.

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“Just what do you think you’re doing?”

“Don’t screw with me Lucas,” Lynx hissed at him. “Just go back to your happy blissful ignorance, your happy little wife and get the hell out of my way!”

“Fat chance, Tiny.” James’ voice came from behind her. They’d tagged teamed her?

Lynx let out a low growl, “James. You know I can kick your ass from here until next week. Lucas, you aren’t even animal, and your water doesn’t touch me. What do you think you can accomplish?”

“Maybe getting you back into a clear headed state of mind?” Lucas leaned against the wall of the tunnel, “Because James and I are certain that you aren’t in one.”

Lynx folded her arms across her chest, her stance relaxed even as her skin thickened and turned gray in preparation for battle. Her nails grew into long black claws. She grinned when both men tensed. They knew how poisonous her claws were, “I’m not like you, Lucas. I can’t sit there, close my eyes, count to ten and go off to la la land talking to hallucinations. There aren’t enough drugs in the world.”

“You aren’t going out there blind, Lynx.” James moved closer to her. In one move he was close enough to make her claustrophobic reactions that much stronger. “I don’t care what you think you know.”

“I know what you do,” she snarled over her shoulder. “If they’re alive you know who has them. You also know that if anyone can get in there it’s me. The old man still has a soft spot for me.”

James ignored her clear threat and gripped her arms. She was only aware of it through her line of sight. “And he’ll take you back and try to make you his again. When you don’t join his team with a smile, he’ll kill you. You know what that would do to Mom, you ungrateful little bitch!”

“Enough!” Lucas was quiet on most occasions, but when he wanted to be he could pack real power behind his words. This was one of those times. “We aren’t here for you two to show how well you fight. Lynx, you promised Mom. You swore that you would never go near Steele again.”

“It was a different time.” Lynx narrowed her eyes at James, letting one claw sink into each of his wrists. As an animal he would heal, but it still burned like hell. Once his eyes widened she grinned and shoved him off toward Lucas. “And they weren’t in a Steele trap! I have to get them!”

Both men looked at each other. For all intents and purposes they were identical. The expression they wore was as opposite as who they were. Lucas had been born and raised as natural as the day is long. His personality had always been calm, collected, the perfect temperament for his eventual chosen path as medicine man.

James was his opposite in every way. Talisa had created him under duress, forced to make him hot tempered – so angry he could almost be called unfeeling. A world class fighter, he might have been what he’d been created to be if they hadn’t found him. So instead of the world’s best soldier, he was the head warrior of what was left of the tribe and of the mutant fighting force.

“No.” Lucas was calm, “Not like this. Not without a plan in place.”

“Lucas,” James growled. “I can’t let her! I am bound to Chance’s orders. Mom and Dad’s too! They made us swear we would keep this family together no matter what!”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.” Morgan backed up a little, “And I’m not bound to follow Chance’s orders like you. I do what I want.”

“It’s suicide,” James lunged for her again. “I won’t let you! If I have to lock you in a cell you’d better believe that I will!”

“You think a threat of a cell scares me?” Lynx snorted, “I thought you knew me better than that by now.”

James’s growl was cut off and in a moment Lucas was in his place. Lucas ignored her claws and thick skin, drawing her into a hug. “Lynx, we all want Mom and Dad back. That doesn’t mean we’re willing to give you up to do it.”

Lynx closed her eyes, pushing back against him. “Love and affection doesn’t do it either, Lucas. You just don’t get it. Neither of you do.”

“What’s going on here?” Out of the shadows came the only face that was most welcome to her. Unfortunately it was also the least welcome. Of all the people that would fight her plan to go after her parents, Danny was the one that would be able to stop her.

James knew it too, if the shit-eating grin on his face was any indication. “Well for one your woman was about to try to head on out of here to save our parents. Didn’t plan on telling anyone about it either.”

Lynx growled and lunged toward James.

Danny grabbed her arms, staying behind her to avoid the claws. “Babe? Is he serious?”

“Asshole,” Lynx snarled at James.

Lucas nodded toward Danny, “Yes Daniel. We just got word this morning that our parents might not be dead after all. Lynx has it in her head that she is the only one that can save them.”

Lynx took a swipe at Lucas, knocking away Danny to run down the corridor. Behind her she could hear him calling for her, but she didn’t stop. With speed and sure footedness she raced through the corridors.

Soon as she could she burst out of one of the houses. Danny wasn’t far behind her, but it didn’t matter. She just had to get out of the confines of the tunnels. Despite her claims that a cell wouldn’t affect her she was too claustrophobic for tunnel living.

“Elan,” Danny’s arms wrapped around her and he pulled her back against him. “Babe, look at me.”

“No.”

“Elan.”

“Stop calling me that!” She struggled against his grasp, but then a flood of memories filled her head. The tears of Talisa ringing through her head, My baby.

“Babe. She loved you.”

I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you to that man again. Please, Elan. Stay with your brothers. Talisa had been trying to keep Lynx from going to kill General Steele once the truth of what he had done to her parents and herself came out. Her first goal had been to kill him.

Lynx fought against Danny’s grasp, “Stop! You said you wouldn’t do that to me!” His ability to manipulate memories, to keep a person confined in the emotions of them could be valuable. But she had some scary memories and made him swear to never use it on her.

“I’m sorry, babe. I just thought you needed to see Talisa’s argument too.” Danny turned her toward him, “I know you want to save them. If they are alive I can’t blame you for that one bit. Going in there just ain’t smart.”

“I’m the only one General Steele will let close.” Lynx relaxed despite herself, her skin returning to normal. Being able to feel Danny’s touch relaxed her the rest of the way, “There’s no other way.”

“There’s always another way.” Danny kissed her forehead, “Your parents are some of the smartest people I know. Bet they’re working on something now.”

“Danny.”

“Yes, Elan?” Even though he was the only one that didn’t receive the threat of death for calling her by her real name, it still hurt every time she heard it.

“They’ve all lost so much. I helped start this hell they’re going through.” Lynx kept her eyes lowered, even when he tried to force her to look up. “If I can save them I have to. For the family they gave me. For them.”

“They wouldn’t want it if it meant losing you.” He sighed, “And I ain’t about to spend the rest of my life moping around like Charlotte and Ariel. So you’re not going nowhere. Not without me.”

“I’m not risking your life.”

“Then you ain’t risking your own.”

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