Free Resistance (Earth Evolution Series Book 2) by KD Jones

help.”
    “What the hell, Liam? He’s a human.”
    “I know, but he knows the subway tunnels better than anyone, according to Maggie. He’s been training under Lieutenant Nix Saber. You know she’s as tough as they come. She’ll be coming with him.”
    “I can’t wait. I’m on my way to search with some of my guys. Have Nash and Saber report in to my lieutenant in charge when they get here.” Kyle heard his brother cussing at him, but he disconnected anyway. He had to find Rachel.
    He motioned for his men to come forward. They had come to the fork in the subway tunnel and there were splinter tunnels that they needed to investigate.
    “Okay, we’re going to have to split up. Each of us takes a tunnel. Our mission is to find and safely retrieve Miss James. Try to not engage the enemy unless Miss James’s life is in danger. We’re trying not to cause friction with the humans.” He waited until everyone had taken a tunnel and then he turned and took the last one to the right.
    After a few minutes in, he started to second-guess himself and considered turning around and seeking out a different tunnel. But then a scent caught his attention. He knelt down and took a deep breath in his nose. It was Rachel’s blood. He would know it anywhere. He thought about pulling his men but what if this was somehow a ruse and the enemy was trying to lure him away from the right tunnel? No, he had to wait until he had more evidence to go by before pulling the others away from their tunnels.
    He moved quickly down the tunnel and thought he heard movement and voices ahead. He sped up. He was right. Someone was down this way, but who was it?
    Kyle kept one hand on his weapon as he began jogging. A shadow ahead of him moving quickly his way caught his attention. The person tripped but got back up and kept coming in his direction. Kyle stopped and was about to draw his weapon on the person when the voices, sounding closer now, distracted him.
    “Get her before she gets back to the others!”
    Fuck! It had to be Rachel. He lowered his weapon and hit his communicator. “I’ve found them—” He was suddenly hit head-on and knocked down to the hard cement. His communicator hit first and came apart in several pieces. Then the back of his head made a loud popping sound. He felt sharp pain and dizziness. “What the hell!”
    “Kyle?” Rachel’s voice was directly in front and on top of him. She must have been the one to knock him down and she had landed right on him.
    “Yep.” He groaned as he tried to lift her off of him.
    “What are you doing here?” she asked, helping him to his feet. He swayed a little and would have fallen if she hadn’t reached out and steadied him.
    “I’m here to rescue you.”
    “Well, you suck at it.” Rachel commented dryly. She looked behind her and then back at him worriedly. “We need to get out of here. These guys that kidnapped me are totally psycho and they have guns.”
    He grabbed the pieces of his communicator and shoved them into his pocket. Then he reached for her hand and started hobbling toward the other direction of the tunnel. Every step he made was painful. But he wasn’t about to stop and take the chance of Rachel being abducted again. He felt a tug on his hand and stopped in frustration.
    “We need to go.”
    “I know, but you’re not going to be able to outrun them hurt like that.”
    “What do you suggest we do?”
    “Hide.” Rachel pointed to a door that was partially hidden by debris and vines.
    He didn’t like it but she was right. His injuries were slowing them down. He had an emergency medical patch that he could apply but it would work much faster if he were stationary. He pulled her over to the door and shoved it open. He turned, got inside and closed the heavy metal door. He was grateful it had a locking mechanism. As soon as the door closed, they were in complete darkness. He wasn’t sure if the men were close enough to hear all the noise the door made.
    “I