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Why were they interested in Ash?Georgia longed to wring the truth out of the Siblet and figure out what their devious plans were.

“If we’re not taking a mud bath together, what do you suggest? Dinner and a movie?” Ash said.

“We’re taking you back to the laboratory.”

“Why? Did you forget your packed lunch?”

Georgia grimaced as that comment earned Ash another whack from a Siblet weapon.

“We’ve yet to splice an Apexian with beast DNA. The results could be fascinating.”

Her breath caught in her throat, and an icy horror spread through her. They couldn’t do that. Ash would be killed if they experimented on him.

“Like hell that’s going to happen.” Ash rolled away from his kneeling position and flipped onto his feet.

The Siblet were on him a second later. He was struck to the ground and a weapon held to his head.

“If you fight us, you die.”

“Then you’d better kill me. I won’t be one of your screwed up experiments.”

“We’re working on finding a perfect blend of mutant. An unstoppable killing machine we can control. Apexian parts could be useful.”

“You’re wasting your time if you think an Apexian mutant will ever work for you,” Ash growled out. “We’d turn on you and rip out your throats. And we’d enjoy every second.”

“The famous Apexian spirit can be broken. And we’ve already found a way around your defenses.”

The troop laughed at that comment like it was the funniest joke they’d heard all year.

Georgia gritted her teeth, her hands in fists, longing to slam into these Siblets and stop their laughter.

“You mean your poisonous screwed up lizard things? Yeah, we know about those. And we know how to heal from any bites,” Ash said.

“Is that so? Which means you’re even more valuable to us. We have to find that flaw and fix it.” The Siblet who’d been speaking stepped back. “Sedate him. Get him to the lab and prep him for testing and then surgery.”

Georgia stroked the banty’s head softly to prevent him from growling again. She also wanted to snap and snarl. Ash wouldn’t be a Siblet experiment. He wouldn’t be strapped down and used. She was getting him back, no matter what she had to do to achieve that.

It took three injections of sedative to subdue Ash, and even then he was still conscious, cursing and slurring his words as the Siblet pulled him to his feet.

Two troop members walked either side of him and one behind, his weapon trained on Ash’s back.

Georgia waited until they were out of sight before sliding down the tree with the banty and following them. They were heading straight back to the caves they’d fled from.

Rather than risking going in the main entrance, she hurried back to the escape hatch and shimmied her way back down, the banty bouncing from rock to rock as he nimbly made it back to the ground before she did.

Georgia crouched on the floor and listened intently to see if there were any Siblet around. It was quiet. Most of them must have repositioned outside to hunt them.

The banty jumped on her shoulder, and Georgia checked the corridor was empty before racing along it.

She ducked back as footsteps approached. She must have gotten ahead of the Siblet by coming through the escape hatch. And Ash would be slowing them down if they were having to help him walk. He wouldn’t make their lives easier now he was their prisoner.

A few seconds later, Ash was dragged past. He was barely able to stand and being held up by two large Siblet.

Georgia waited until they’d all gone past then snuck out into the corridor. She looked both ways to make sure no one was coming and then hurried along behind Ash and the Siblet troop.

She had to duck and hide several times as groups of Siblet kept moving around. Several groups passed, carrying loaded boxes. They must have decided it wasn’t worth the risk to stay now their base had been discovered.

Would they take Ash with them or leave him here to die?