I moved faster than she expected, not toward her but toward the window behind the desk. The reinforced glass withstood conventional force, but not the focused pressure of mapinguari claws at structural weak points.
The window shattered as I crashed through it, the three-story drop beneath me less dangerous for my kind than a direct confrontation with energy weapons. I twisted in mid-air, landingin a controlled roll that still sent pain shooting through my already battered body.
Guards shouted, spotting me immediately. I ran, not toward the maintenance tunnel exit where Kalyndi would emerge with the children, but in the opposite direction, drawing pursuit away from them.
The diversion on the western perimeter had served its purpose, but now security forces were regrouping, forming a perimeter around the facility. I charged through their line at its weakest point, taking fire that scorched my hide but failed to stop my momentum.
The forest beyond offered cover, familiar territory where I could lose pursuers before circling back to the rendezvous point Elder Marok had established. I ran deeper into the trees, using every trick I knew to confuse my trail.
By the time I reached the hidden cave system five kilometers from the facility, night had fallen. Tarek and another warrior, who nodded respectfully as I approached guarded the entrance.
"The others?" I asked immediately.
"Inside," Tarek confirmed. "All safe."
Relief flooded through me as I ducked into the cave. The main chamber was lit by portable lamps, revealing a scene that stopped me in my tracks.
Kalyndi moved among the rescued children, checking each one with gentle hands and soothing words. The children, initially frightened and withdrawn, now showed cautious curiosity about their surroundings. Some even smiled as Marok's warriors entertained them with simple tricks and stories.
Dr. Vega sat apart, deep in conversation with Elder Marok, maps and documents spread between them. Selene distributed food and blankets, her face alight with purpose.
But it was Kalyndi who drew my gaze like a lodestone. She looked up as I entered with her face transforming with joy and relief. She rushed to me, throwing her arms around my waist, heedless of the others watching.
"You made it," she breathed.
I held her close, savoring her warmth, her scent, the simple miracle of her presence. "I promised I would."
"Did you get the records?"
I patted my pouch. "Everything Dr. Vega had on the children and their parents."
She pulled back slightly, examining the burns and cuts I'd sustained during the escape. "You're hurt."
"Nothing serious."
"Let me be the judge of that." She led me to a quiet corner of the cave, making me sit while she retrieved medical supplies.
As she cleaned my wounds, her touch gentle but efficient, I observed the organized chaos around us. "How are the children?"
"Physically healthy," she reported. "Emotionally... it's complicated. They've been isolated from their parents since they were toddlers. Some barely remember their families."
"But they will," I said firmly. "We'll find their parents."
"Dr. Vega has been surprisingly helpful. He knows where most of the parents are located." She applied a healing salve to a nasty burn on my shoulder. "He says he wants to make amends."
"Do you believe him?"
She considered the question seriously. "I think so. He seems genuinely disturbed by what Magnus Terra has been doing. He thought he was part of a voluntary program to save our world, not a forced breeding project."
"And Elder Marok? What's their discussion about?"
"Safe routes to the Eastern Territories. There's a network of free settlements there, outside Magnus Terra control. Mixed communities of humans and monsters who rejected the matching system."
I nodded, having heard rumors of such places. "That's where we're headed?"
"Yes, but not directly." Her eyes met mine, serious and determined. "First, we find these children's parents. As many as we can. Then we all go east together."
"Magnus Terra won't stop looking for us," I warned. "Especially now that we've exposed their program."
