From LANDON (Badari Warriors Book 11)…

If you haven’t read any of my Badari Warriors series: Genetically engineered soldiers of the far future, the Badari were created by alien enemies to fight humans. But then the scientists kidnapped an entire human colony from the Sectors to use as subjects in twisted experiments…the Badari and the humans made common cause, rebelled and escaped the labs. Now they live side by side in a sanctuary valley protected by a powerful Artificial Intelligence, and wage unceasing war on the aliens. 

A group of human prisoners have been kidnapped from a remote colony, now held in a big cell at the alien scientists’ lab…

No guards had come to check on the prisoners in three days.

Seven days ago, the situation had been normal, as far as anything was normal for a human captive inside a Khagrish lab.

Six days ago one guard had been coughing but the three daily meals of mush and moldy bread showed up on time and two humans were taken away in the mid-afternoon for an experiment. The prisoners never returned.

Five days ago only two guards made the rounds instead of three and one of those Khagrish had been pale and coughing. Three meals were delivered, one late.

Four days ago there was only the morning meal provided, brought by one guard and the robos. There was no bread.

And then…nothing.

Two days ago the water stopped running in the cell’s sinks and bathroom.

Today people were dehydrated, desperate and terrified of dying.

All the scraps of food were long gone.

Mandy Rennegar staggered to the front of the cell to take her shift as a watcher, ready to scream for help if anyone showed up. The humans had been yelling and pleading for help through the force barrier for days with no response.

Could all the Khagrish have died? Could the guards, technicians and scientists have just decided to walk away from the whole place, leaving their human captives?

The aliens were certainly despicable enough to commit such an act but the fact the guards had been ill argued for the first scenario.

VS NOTE: And then a few paragraphs later a dying lab tech wanders into view in the corridor…the woman is confused, clearly dying…Mandy the FMC tries to get her to open the cell.

Making her voice calm, encouraging even, Mandy said, “Is it time for the experiments? Did the scientist send you to collect me? I’ve been waiting right here the way the guards told me to.”

The tech coughed again, rolled over and grabbed at the wall. “Time. Tests,” she muttered in Basic. She clawed her way to her feet, Mandy rising slowly inch by inch with her as if to lend the woman strength.

The Khagrishi teetered back and forth as she slowly extended her right hand toward the controls on the exterior of the cell and pushed one button after the other in a slow motion effort, mouthing the symbols with cracked lips as she touched the corresponding part of the pad.

Holding her breath, Mandy was only a few inches away from the tech now, separated by the shimmering force barrier, “So far so good, open the cell and take me to the lab with you.” The faint cognizance she’d seen in the woman’s eyes before was gone and she stared at Mandy as if not really seeing her at all. The next breath rattled horribly in the tech’s chest and she fell forward.

As she did so, her hand pushed against the long orange button at the bottom of the console. There was a harsh buzz and the force barrier retracted about half way, leaving an opening.

In utter disbelief, Mandy stood frozen for a moment.

Her fellow prisoners didn’t hesitate, surging forward with oaths and cries, shoving and pushing to get out the opening. Several fell, sprawling in either the cell or the corridor and people trampled over them before they crawled or were dragged away from the open space.

“Come on!” A frantic man grabbed Mandy’s sleeve and pulled her toward the opening, “The barrier might reactivate any second.”

She was the last person out of the cell.

VS: But of course there’s a lot more adventure and trouble ahead. More next week!

The blurb: When unexpected circumstances give her a chance to escape from an alien scientist’s lab after she’s been tortured, Mandy Rennegar knew she should run for the hills with the other prisoners. There’s one more special captive who hasn’t been freed, however, and she decides to risk everything to help him. Mandy’s not leaving anyone behind.

Captured by the enemy on a scouting trip, Landon of the Badari has been pushed beyond his limits of sanity and strength by the Khagrish experiments and waits to die…until the human woman sets him free and takes him into the wilderness with her on a desperate trek to freedom. If he could only regain his memory, he’s sure there’s a sanctuary on the planet where his people could help them both.

As Mandy and Landon flee the pursuing Khagrish new challenges arise, including secrets from the past which could destroy the growing attraction between them. Difficult choices have to be made, putting Mandy’s life at risk and Landon discovers the Khagrish have left a lasting mark on his mind.

Will they reach the Badari sanctuary in time? Can their love survive Mandy’s revelations? Will the Alpha of the Badari give them a chance to be together or will he allow her to die when Landon risks everything to save his fated mate?

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo     Nook       GooglePlay