Chapter 24. Protection

A month later…

Atlanta

This new high school in Atlanta was a complete mess. When the long-awaited bell finally rang, Nigel threw his notebooks and textbooks into his backpack and hurried to the exit. A couple of healthy students, who are staying in the same class for the second time, pushed him as they passed to the exit. One of them, Butch, turned around and looked into the boy's face and shouted sarcastically.

Butch – "Out of the way asshole."

Nigel – "Go to hell."

Butch – "Hey, what did you say? Watch out for the words "quarantine child.""

Nigel went berserk at that phrase. As soon as he accidentally dropped where he came from in class, then this hateful nickname stuck to him. The only person who didn't call him that and tried to become a friend was his schoolmate Chris - "You're finished!"

Butch– "What? What are you going to do to me? Will you complain to Mommy? Oh, right, she was a drug addict and died of an overdose! Oh, I'm sorry... You have no one to complain to, kid."

Nigel clenched his fists and lashed out at him–"When Sarah gets here, she'll beat the shit out of you! You're finished, asshole! She's going to kill you!"

Butch took a defensive stance–"Stop threatening your imaginary girlfriend! It's time to teach you a lesson!"

They started fighting with Butch, rolling on the floor and hitting each other. Nigel pounced on top and mercilessly struck the face of an adult guy, leaving minor abrasions. The students gathered around them, filming on their phones and shouting support for each of the competitors. One of Butch's friends ran up and pulled Nigel away, slamming his back against a locker. It was that bastard Javier. In fact, it was something like a local school gang. Butch was the main one, but the dumbest one. Javier was smarter, but he wasn't as strong. There were also a couple of high school students who were constantly hanging out with these jerks.

Nigel – "Get off me!"

An adult guy was holding him by the neck and chest, pressing him against the metal doors. Butch got up from the floor, wiping the streams of blood from his broken nose.

Butch – "You're going to answer for this, you little bastard!"

Running up to him, he struck a hard blow in Nigel's face. Tilting his head back, his eyes went dark for a second and he felt a salty taste in his mouth and numbness spread across his cheek. His friend Chris ran up to Big Butch and hit him on the back with a briefcase. Turning around, he pushed Chris away and he fell to the floor without keeping his balance.

But that was enough time for Nigel to get his folding knife out of his pocket, which he usually hid and smuggled into school. He remembered what Carroll had taught him. "If a stranger grabs you on the street, then slash with a knife below the elbow. There are arteries there. Let the bastard bleed to death." Her words echoed in his ears. Opening the blade, he slashed at the strong arm of the high school student who was holding him. The grip immediately loosened, and he jumped back, seeing how the guy was trying to stop the blood, which began to flow like a river from the severed arteries, forming a large puddle on the floor. Butch stared at the knife in his hand.

Butch – "He's a murderer! A Juvenile Bandit! Security! Call the police!"

Nigel grabbed his backpack and, holding Butch on the floor with his gaze, walked over to Chris and helped him get off the floor.

Hiding the knife, they quickly ran to the emergency exit, hearing footsteps and curses behind them.

Butch– "Where did you run to? We'll meet again quarantine freak! You're going to be arrested today!"

Chris – "Thanks, you're in trouble now."

Nigel – "Carroll taught me how to defend myself... And I won't let anyone hurt me anymore."

It was light in the diner. At lunchtime, a lot of people came here to relax in the middle of the day. She and Chris took a couple of hot dogs with coffee and sat at a table by the window, watching the daytime street life of the big city. After what happened at school, he wasn't going to come home so soon. After the cafe, he planned to go to his favorite place with Chris again. An abandoned General Motor factory on the outskirts of the city. Usually there are all kinds of homeless people, drug addicts and just weird guys. But there are a couple of places that only she and Chris know about.

Nigel– "I'm not used to it. I was born in the suburbs, and all my life my mother and I traveled to different small towns to survive..."

Chris: "Oh, at least you've traveled, man. I think I'm going to be stuck in Atlanta for the rest of my life. I want to leave here when I grow up."

Nigel – "Great hot dogs. I like their sausages with cheese inside."

Chris: "And also these crispy onions, salted hard-boiled cucumbers..."

Nigel: "This sauce is divine."

A young couple sat down at the next tables. A tall brunette with short hair, dressed in a denim jacket, and his girlfriend with a fiery red hairstyle in a beautiful dress.

Nigel began to feel the guy's gaze on him, but tried not to pay attention to him.

Chris– "Dude, I'm grateful to you. But... I'm sure you'll be kicked out of school, and the cops are probably already looking for you."

Irina and her husband Damir were good people. An ordinary married couple who have a simple job, an average income and who can afford to rent an apartment in a large metropolis. They've probably already talked to the director on the phone, and I think the police have already checked them for the truth.

Nigel– "It's a pity... But they asked for it themselves. I'm tired of being called a "quarantine kid."

Chris - "Butch is a terrible freak. The whole school secretly hates him. They say even the director is afraid of him. It seems that his father was some kind of criminal boss in the past. Nigel... This guy is looking at you strangely."

At the next table, the guy turned away and his girlfriend, noticing that the boys were looking at them attentively, waved a friendly hand at them.

Jess – "The boy on the left looks so cute... But he has sad eyes. It's like he's been through something terrible..."

John – "Maybe..."

Jess – "Why did you decide to go to this cafe? I think it's boring here... I'd rather drink wine and eat something more delicious than pizza."

John – "I'm sorry... I'll take you to a restaurant tonight. I just wanted to have a coffee."

Jess–"Didn't you say you didn't like coffee?"

John –"Well, I just wanted to. I still want to understand why you drink it so often."

He couldn't tell Jess the whole truth. She didn't know who he was, and he was afraid to scare her off with his abilities. Jess was sweet and funny. Even the crime she committed did not darken her soul. She was bright, and he couldn't blame her for anything. Of course he didn't want coffee. The smell attracted him. And its source... An 11-year-old boy was sitting at a table opposite. That smell... Connection... It's like friendship, but stronger... She was connected to him. But she wasn't around. If anyone knew where Sarah was, it was this boy.

Nigel finished his hot dog and crumpled the wrapper with a napkin.

Chris – "I hope they're not perverts. I read on the forums that they often behave very friendly, trying to gain the trust of children."

Nigel glanced at the couple at the table opposite - "I don't think they're one of them. Maybe just foreigners or just very curious. Let's get out of here."

Chris was the first to push the door out of the cafe – "Where to now?"

Nigel – "you know yourself…Our secret place. I hope you have money for the subway."

After getting up, the two guys put on their jackets and backpacks and headed for the exit. John inhaled the scent once more as one of the guys walked past him. He was already beginning to suspect something. It's bad. John couldn't keep the secret, he was discovered. The boy realized that he was being watched and hurried away. But now he knows his scent. And he can find it when he needs to. It was important for him to find out where Sarah was and what happened to her.

Jess followed his gaze and looked at the backs of the guys coming out of the cafe. - "Children are always cute. That's how you look at them. Has something happened?"

John – "It's okay. It's just that one of them seemed familiar to me."

Jess– "Hmm, maybe it's your friends' kid? Where have you seen him before?"

John didn't know what to say to that– "I don't remember anymore... I just recognized that face."

After a few minutes, Jess abruptly stood up and headed towards the toilet, John felt a pungent smell and the pain she experienced.

Jess–"I'll be a minute... Wait for me here."

After a couple of cups of coffee and long minutes of waiting, it seemed to him that she was calling him. She needs his help. Without hesitation, he went to the toilet door and knocked: "Is everything okay?"

Jess opened a small crack in the door–"John... Can you go to the pharmacy?"

John – "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Jess–"No, silly... I have... These days. Do you understand?"

John didn't understand what she was talking about, but he smelled blood and realized that she was in pain: "These days?"

Jess - "Red Monsters"... John, turn on your head!"

John scratched his head - "I'm sorry... I..."

Jess - "Go to the pharmacy and buy tampons... Only in a blue package. Ok? Do you remember?"

John – "Yes, well... I'll be quick..."

Speeding up, he moved away from the cafe towards the nearest pharmacy, which, judging by the map at the public transport stop and signs, was located on the corner of another street. But with his speed, he was there in a couple of minutes.

It was harder to tell what he needed. Standing in front of a counter with colorful packages, he read the names for a long time, not knowing what to choose. Strangely enough, Sarah had never made such requests to him. The girl behind the counter helped him quickly pick up what he needed.

Girl - "What did she tell you? Is it serious?"

John - "She said... The red monsters..."

Girl - "So it's serious. Take this. This should help."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a guy enter the pharmacy from the street and, without saying a word, took out a gun, pointing it at the seller's head: "Money, bitch! Quickly!"

Noticing John, the guy, who had very wide pupils in his eyes, and the crayfish were trembling, pointed the barrel at him, aiming at his forehead, and shouted: "On the floor! The wallet! He raised his hands!"

John could feel his heart beating, his sweat, his fear, his desire for a new dose. This guy was not himself, insecure, weak, ready for any abomination for the sake of a new dose of his favorite drug. After looking at the criminal with a stern, icy gaze, he only slightly tilted his head: "You will not shoot."

Guy, puzzled, take a step back – "Are you fucking stupid or something?! You idiot! Did your mother drop you often as a child? On the floor! I'll sew the head!"

John took a step forward without fear and snatched the gun from the guy's hands. He looked at the weapon and tucked it into the back of his belt – "I'll take it to my collection... You don't mind, do you?"

Raising his hands and trembling with fear, the guy carefully moved with his back to the exit – "I understood everything... You are welcome... Just don't kill me... I'll just leave..."

At this moment, the saleswoman, waking up from her stupor, pressed the alarm button. The guy, hearing the signal, quickly ran out of the pharmacy and crossed a wide avenue and disappeared into an alley. John ran after him, smelling him, stalking him like prey... It's too easy. Catching up with him at the old brick wall that separated the yards, he grabbed him by the jacket, preventing him from climbing over to the other side and threw him on the lid of a dumpster.

Guy - "Dude... I beg you... I didn't want... I just need a dose. The barrel is not even loaded... I beg you... I didn't have any bullets. I was just scaring."

John hesitated for a second, took out a hidden pistol and aimed at the guy and pulled the trigger several times. There were only the ringing clicks of the percussion mechanism. An empty clip.

The guy, covering himself with his hands and curled up on the lid of the tank, almost went crazy in a fit of hysteria – "Please... I beg you... Let go... I need treatment... Take me to the clinic... I'm done... I'm begging you... Have mercy..."

Crushing the gun with his foot, breaking it into pieces, the hybrid grabbed the guy and pressed him against the wall, squeezing his throat.

John – "You're pathetic... An unworthy opponent. Go away... But if I smell you again. I'm sorry, there will be no mercy."

Firmly pressing the back of his head against the brickwork, he released him, the body slid down.

Back at the cafe, he knocked on the toilet–"Jess... It's me. I brought what you asked for."

There was no answer. After listening, he knocked harder –"Jess?"

A waiter with a tray of coffee passing next to him noticed his attempts to reach out – "I'm sorry, sir. Are you looking for a girl? She was taken away..."

John – "Who?"

Waiter – "The police came for her. She was arrested"

Turning around, he approached the waiter, startling him with his quick reaction and strength. Recoiling, the guy almost dropped the tray of drinks.

John–"Did they say where they took her?"

Waiter swallowed nervously and quickly recalled what he had heard in the conversation of the officers – "It seems they mentioned the site on West Trinity Place"

Without answering, he quickly went outside and quickly found their car parked in the backyard. Now it was necessary to decide what to do first: find the guy or save Jess. If he breaks into the police station, then they will need to get out of town. And then you will have to forget about the child. And so far he was the only link to Sarah... it's decided…

The abandoned General Motors plant in North Atlanta

Nigel and Chris were sitting on the concrete floor of the second floor of the farthest surviving workshop. It was located a little further from the main buildings and was usually empty. It's strange why the local homeless didn't choose this place. Perhaps because of the strong smell of paint. Previously, in this workshop, cars were painted in different colors directly from the assembly line. They made a bonfire out of scraps of wood, paper and old newspapers and fried bread and sausages.

Chris strung a sausage on a wooden skewer and began to heat it over the fire - "Dude, I think they love you... They can be understood. They got a call from the school saying that you cut a guy with a knife. The reason is simple. My mother would kill me for that."

Nigel – "Irene is not my mother..."

Chris– "But they care about you."

Not so long ago, Irene called him, and it turned out that he had already been expelled from school. She was furious. And then he realized that he had done the right thing by not returning home after the cafe.

Nigel swore - "I know... To understand... Damn, it's so hard. If only Eva or Sarah were here. All this shit wouldn't have happened. Sarah would beat the shit out of that jerk. She would have gutted him."

He angrily slammed his fist on the concrete floor. The echo reverberated through the workshop.

Chris – "Hush, man. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Nigel – "It's all right..."

Chris has been wanting to ask this question for a long time - "I'm sorry to ask. But Sarah and Eve. You often talk about them. Who is this?"

Nigel sighed - "When I lived in West Virginia. They sheltered me during the quarantine. Sarah saved me from drug dealers. My mother owed them a lot of money. They stole me from the yard and wanted to take me apart for organs..."

Chris almost dropped his sausage into the fire - "Dude! It's cruel! Why didn't you say this before?!"

Nigel's eyes narrowed - "Why?"

Chris - "Dude, now I understand some of the things you do... I wouldn't have survived it."

Nigel – "These people are no longer alive... My older sister took care of it..."

Chris - "If you became so close, why did you break up?"

Nigel - "I don't know... She took me into the woods and told me to leave... And then she almost killed me, she chased me until she fell behind."

Cris - "Did you have a fight?"

Nigel - "No, that's right... I want to find out for myself, what happened to her then? That's why she hated me so much in an instant."

Chris – "Did you once say that you were attacked?"

Nigel – "All I saw was an explosion... and then a lot of soldiers appeared in the forest, they shouted that they would shoot."

Chris - "Maybe she was just protecting you? She didn't want you to get hurt."

Nigel - "Maybe... I don't know, man... I do not know."

There was the sound of a car approaching from below. Chris looked out of the window and his face immediately turned pale.

Nigel – "Cops?"

Chris shook his head, "I don't even know..."

Three people got out of the car and walked quickly inside the building. Chris recognized the faces of two of them immediately and his stomach turned cold. Butch and Javier were moving briskly towards the stairs that led to the second floor of this workshop.

When Nigel saw this, he grabbed Chris by his T-shirt and pulled him into hiding - "Hiding"

They managed to quickly hide and extinguish the fire. There were footsteps on the stairs and loud laughing voices. Chris cautiously looked out the window again.

Chris – "Damn, another car. But there's only one guy there.…It seems…Oh no. This is the guy from the cafe. They are for one thing. He's definitely a pervert. We're screwed."

Chris's voice had completely faded. Nigel kept his eyes on Butch, who was walking around their former campfire and stirring up the ashes mixed with dust. The rising cloud spread to all corners. Unable to stand it, he sneezed.

It was already useless to hide. Three tall guys with bats stood in front of them and the main one pointed directly at Nigel, who was hiding behind a steel duct pipe.

Butch – "Look at this sweet couple... Ahahhaah... Now quarantine child, I will teach you a lesson in politeness. Elders should be respected."

Nigel took out his knife, already with traces of dried blood, and blinked out into the light, showing the blade – "Don't come near me!"

Butch twirled the steel bat in his hands–"What's going to happen to me? Will you complain to your dead mom?"

Nigel clenched his jaw, trying to control himself – "I cut your friend... Isn't that enough for you?"

Javier approached them from the right and waved his bandaged hand: "It hurt, I lost enough blood. For this, I will break all your bones, you little bastard!"

Chris stood behind Nigel, taking a piece of brick in his hand. Javier swung the bat and jumped at the children, screaming in anger. Chris threw a brick at him and hit him right in the head. Throwing the bat out of his hands, he fell to one knee, rubbing his bruised forehead with his hands. Butch was furiously stepping on the boy. Nigel tried to stab him in the stomach with a knife, as Carroll had taught him. But the blow knocked the knife out of his hands and a second later his back cracked from the impact of the bat. Almost fainting and feeling nausea rising in his throat, he sprawled on the concrete. A few hard kicks with his boots made him howl in pain as he rolled and tried to cover his body with his hands. Javier and another friend of Butch's kicked Chris. Swinging the bat, he wanted to kill Chris with one blow.

Butch took Nigel's hand–"I'm going to fucking break it for you! You little bastard!"

A voice from behind distracted them from their plans. Nigel, hardly feeling the blood coming out of his mouth, turned his head and saw the one he least expected. The guy from the cafe who was looking at him so strangely was standing behind them right now. His whole body expressed complete calmness and readiness to act. He looked pretty serious.

Butch – "Get out of here asshole! Otherwise, we'll break you too!"

Dropping the boy's hand, he walked towards the strange stranger.

John–"I've heard it too often to take your word for it."

Swinging the bat at the guy, he wanted to split his head open. Turning away, John pulled a pistol from his bosom and pointed it at Butch's head, pausing for a second and looking into the scared eyes of the guy. Lowering the barrel, he shot him in the knee. A blow to the chin with the handle sent the big man into a long sleep.

Javier and the other guy stepped back, looking at the gun in the stranger's hand. - "Let's go! He's got a gun in his hands!"

Nigel got up and ran to Chris, who was lying on the floor badly beaten, blood trickling from his mouth – "Chris, dude! Get up! Chris? CHRIS? Chris! WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU?! get up! WAKE UP!"

Nigel tugged at his shoulders, seeing that he did not wake up. He touched his hand and felt his pulse. He looked at the two guys with bats, and then at the armed guy who was already next to him – "Help us! You are welcome! He's not breathing! He has almost no pulse..."

John knelt down next to the child's body and his fingers probed Chris's neck. At that moment, his nails turned black and his eyes shone with a blue light. The voice was direct and calm: "Your friend is alive! But he needs to go to the hospital urgently."

Nigel picked up the knife from the floor and looked at the guys – "You almost killed him! Stupid assholes! I will kill you!"

He rushed to Javier with a knife to cut him into pieces, but a strong hand stopped him.

John–"I'll deal with them myself."

Nigel watched as he approached the two guys and hid the gun.

Javier – "Sir, please let us go. We really did something wrong, but you have to call the police! We're still underage."

John looked at Chris's body on the floor, bits and traces of blood – "If a person goes to kill, then he is no longer a child."

Inhaling the smell, he spoke more harshly than before – "And judging by the smell, you are no longer children..."

Javier looked around fearfully, looking for a hiding place or a loophole. His friend tried to run to the exit, which was behind John. Taking a step towards the fleeing man, he stretched out his hand and grabbed him and pulled him closer to him. Lifting the guy off the ground, he abruptly threw him out the window from the second floor. Screaming, the guy plopped to the ground, clearly fracturing enough bones for himself.

Javier walked away and looked at the stranger in fright – "Please don't... I won't do that anymore..."

John tilted his head - "You will... It's just that you don't know it yet."

Getting closer, he grabbed Javier and threw him over his shoulder like a doll. With a blow to the chest, he completed the reception, crushing the chest and breaking the guy's ribs.

Stepping over him, he went to Nigel, who was sitting by the body of his friend. Javier grabbed his leg with the last of his strength, squeezing his shin.

Pulling his foot out of his hand, John stepped on the guy's throat and at the same moment something clicked. The guy's head twisted into an unnatural position. His neck was broken.

Nigel watched in horror. When John finished with them and returned to the guys, Nigel covered his friend with himself: "Who are you? Are you a half-breed?"

John stopped and shrugged, as if he had heard similar questions before.- "No... I'm not a half-breed. My name is John. And you probably know who Sarah is.

Nigel–"Did you know her?"

John – "Yes, a long time ago. Then we lost touch. It's a long story."

Nigel looked at Chris, who began to show signs of life: "If you help him, I'll tell you everything I know."

Nodding, John picked up the boy's body and carried it to the exit. As he passed Butch, he saw that he was trying to call the police on the phone.

Butch - "There's an alien killer here! He killed two of my friends! Come soon! Don't let him get away!"

John opened his mouth and stuck out his segmented tongue, piercing the phone along with his palm. Horrified, the guy looked at the pointed tip of his tongue, which left a large hole in his hand.

Nigel – "Cruel..."

John– "I just have my hands full."

After returning from the hospital, Nigel has so far told only one thing about his new friend - he was a damn cool guy. He was Sarah's ex-partner, and she only mentioned him a couple of times. And so fate brought them together. Who would have thought? Everyone thinks he's dead, but he's sitting next to him and driving the car to the house.

The doctors said that Chris had a fractured skull and he should be under their care. Nigel escaped with only abrasions and bruises.

Nigel looked at the guy next to him and noted that he didn't look as strong as he really was: "Thanks for helping us.. Ha, you know, maybe it's inappropriate. But I felt your gaze there in the cafe. Chris thought you were perverts..."

Smiling, John let out a soft chuckle, "Perverts? Ha, that's really funny. I'll have to tell Jess about it..."

Nigel - "Jess? Is this the girl who was with you?"

John nodded.: "Yes, and I'll pick her up as soon as I drop you off."

Nigel hesitated a bit, not knowing what to say and what not to say: "Sarah mentioned you a couple of times. At lunch, she told me how you were at a rock concert."

John laughed sincerely and kindly: "What? Does she still remember that? I'm glad she remembered me like that."

Waving his hand lazily, Nigel continued, "At first I was scared, thinking that you were a half-breed. Sarah talked about them. They are similar to you, but weaker."

John: "And they're also damn mean."

Nigel: "Sarah mentioned red eyes. But I noticed that you have blue eyes. But I didn't understand right away," he lowered his eyes, "I'm sorry if I was rude..."

John pleaded, making it clear that at this moment he understood everything: "It doesn't matter. So what's wrong with her? Where is she now?"

Nigel looked away and turned away, looking out the window at the scenery of the evening city passing by. "I don't know. We were attacked and she made me run away. I still don't know what it was. Maybe she wanted to kill me or eat me? Or maybe I was just a toy that was no longer needed..."

He felt John's cold, piercing gaze on him: "No... Don't think that way about her. She would never do that."

Nigel: "You didn't see what was there. She tore the man to pieces and then ran after me. I miraculously survived and was able to escape..."

John chuckled, "Ran away? From Sarah? And you're a confident guy. Do you really think you could run away from her?"

Nigel was hooked by his mocking tone-"What's funny? I was scared. She almost killed me."

John frowned, "Tell me, what happened there?"

Nigel tried to explain what he could remember about that evening: "Soldiers came and started shooting... When she took me away, they chased me. In short, here's what. And as I was running away, I heard explosions and saw a big fire. And before that, I had a pretty happy life. Even in such an unusual family."

After being silent for a few minutes and considering his words, he replied: "She saved you... And she marked you with her scent. It's a sign for both friend and foe."

Nigel: "God, I don't understand you."

John continued, becoming more and more convinced of the correctness of his assumptions: "If she wanted to kill you. Nothing would have stopped her. She sent you away so that you could escape and survive. Obviously, you didn't want to leave on your own, and she had to do it. Her scent is like a beacon. And you're lucky I found you first.

Nigel wondered if it was worth talking about-"You know about Dean, right?"

John frowned again at the unpleasant memories-"Dean Ashland? This man created me for her. He's not a bad guy, but... However, it's too early for you to know about it."

Nigel: "There is something else. You'll definitely like it. Sarah found Eve... She's her mom. You knew about this, didn't you? And then there's Carroll and her son Paul. They're just like you, and they're really cool. And shortly before the incident, Carroll dragged a mercenary named Press into the house. At first they kept him in the basement, but then they sort of reconciled. In short, it was an amazing time in my life. There won't be a better one."

John - "She found her mother... Carroll and Paul... The press? I think I've missed too much. Too much... Sarah said she barely remembers her mother. But she always wanted to find her. Although I didn't fully believe that she was still alive."

He stopped a block away from their house.

John - "Will you get there?"

Nigel picked up his backpack - "Yes. Thanks for the ride."

After getting out of the car, he paused for a second - "Will we meet again? By the way, maybe you'll come home. Irene knew Carroll. You won't be a surprise to her. And she definitely won't give you away."

John-"I have some business to finish. Then I promise I'll come by your place."

Nigel - "Good luck, bro!"

John nodded and stepped on the gas. The car pulled away and sped off, disappearing into the shadows of the evening streets. The house his guardians rented in Atlanta was nearby. Go a little ahead and turn right. Here he is.

He could only guess what kind of scandal Irene would cause. She was a kind but very nervous woman. He knew that it would be difficult for her to accept everything that had happened to him. She worries about him and wishes him only the best.

New Mexico - the Aspen Nest complex - the exact location is unknown…

- "You won't catch up with me" - a 12-year-old girl with milky hair dressed in blue pajamas ran across the entire large room stuffed with equipment and deftly jumped over the hands of one of the laboratory assistants who tried to catch her. Laughing, she landed on the floor and bounced off the metal floor like a spring and ran in another direction. Laura's scream could be heard in the background: "Eva! It's time to sleep! Eva..."

The girl in the old video footage turned at the scream and smiling, looking with her blue eyes at the camera, ran up and clung to her. Eva: "Only after the fairy tale." Laura lowered the camera and her free hand gently ruffled the little fidget's hair: "Definitely cute. Now go back inside. It's time for you to go to bed!".

At this point, she pressed the stop key. She didn't want to see it any further. Why go back to something that can never be returned. Yes... she loved her, loved that little girl. I loved to sit with her in the evenings and read fairy tales inside her glass cage. I loved brushing my hair and talking to her. She comforted her and taught her everything she knew. Laura couldn't have children. A rare genetic disorder. Perhaps it determined that she became a molecular biologist. She hoped to correct her flaw, but it turned out to be in vain.

But even the love for this little girl had to be forgotten. It had to be trampled on, burned in the same fire as its predecessor. Because you can't hurt someone you love. This is a betrayal and a crime.

Wiping away a single tear, she straightened her business gray suit and, throwing a lab coat over her shoulders, moved towards block "B", where Eva was currently being held.

She was sitting inside her cell under close supervision and protection. A dozen female and male soldiers were on duty in the cell, along with several scientists and laboratory assistants. Laura used to be the boss here, now she's just an assistant and an observer. When she got closer to the cage, she saw that Eva was now lying on her bed dressed in a simple orange jumpsuit made of cloth, which is usually worn by prisoners. Despite her cruelty, even she allowed Eva to wear more beautiful and varied clothes.

Laura -"Hi, Eva... You seem out of sorts? "

Getting up from the bed, she went to the barrier, forcing the guards to involuntarily tense up - "I feel that something is going to happen today. It's time to experiment on me. Yes, Laura?"

Laura lowered her eyes, unable to withstand her withering gaze, "You know that I'm not deciding anything here anymore."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Eva walked away - "Huh, that's how I believed you. You've always been in charge. And now some military man is pointing you out. Don't make me laugh, Laura."

Laura-"I'm not going to make excuses. You killed a lot of people on the way here... Borgess is furious. He even wants to change your name."

Eve turned sharply and her palms pressed against the barrier, it was reminiscent of what she did when Patrick was brought to the former laboratory -"What?"

Laura - "Hecate"

Eva - "Fuck you"- she slapped her palm, causing the barrier to vibrate.

Several guards took a step forward, weapons at the ready.

Laura shrugged her shoulders, "That will be your new name."

Eva started screaming, unable to hold her anger at them- "My name is Eva... And no one will ever fix it. I am the one who gives life... I'm a mother... But I can also take the lives of those who deserve it."

Laura - "I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I really can't change anything now. Major Rodriguez is a real bastard. You'll soon understand what I'm talking about."

Eva seemed to calm down and even took her hands off the barrier-"What are they cooking? The fire? Bullets? Poison?"

Laura knew that her next words would have a terrifying effect, but Eve, as a mother, had to know this-"Not to you. The Colonel is interested in Sarah as a cleaner individual. The experiment will be on her."

For a second, it seemed that time froze in place, suddenly turning around, Eve struck a powerful blow against the wall and it cracked with a crunch. The guards surrounded the cell and one of the soldiers dragged Laura away.

Eva - "Tell him that you will all die if you touch my daughter."

Laura pulled her hand away from the guard - "Eva, I tried to tell them."

Eva- "I don't care! I'll just kill you all. Pieces of dog shit. Tell Borgess and this major that when I get out of here, I'll feed them to the dogs. Her voice became roaring like an animal's. She saw how her eyes changed and reptilian slits appeared instead of pupils.

The guard took Laura and led her to the exit - "Ma'am, it's dangerous for you to be here. The instance is unstable."

Laura looked back and shouted to Eve-"I'll be in that block today. I'll try to stop them, but I can't promise anything. Understand, I'm not lying to you. I'm powerless right now."

Eva screamed back at her, "But you would also torture her. Yes, Laura? You like to enjoy our torment... I promise that you will experience it the hard way."

Laura feels her anger begin to take its toll, he pushed the guard away - "Leave me alone" - the sound of her rapid footsteps echoed through the room as she approached the barrier - "You know what. Yes, I hate you! You are the same monsters! You are no different from Sil. Sarah killed one of the lab technicians. You killed a huge number of guards and staff. Most of them are not bad people. But you always didn't care about people. We're just meat to you. Yes, Eva?"

Eva walks away- "You don't know anything about me... And don't you dare talk about her like that... She's different and everything you've told me about her is a lie."

Laura is a little puzzled - "How do you know her?"

Eva- "I do not know her. But I knew Carroll."

With a blink, Eve became an ordinary person again and all her anger disappeared somewhere. The guards continued to stand tensely, not taking their eyes off her. Laura walked away and shouted at the staff, "Put the guns down, you assholes. She calmed down."

When she reached the exit of the block, she looked back and looked into Eve's eyes and whispered in half a tone - "Forgive me..."

Without answering, she lay down on her bed and turned away from them.

Today was the first test day. The major appeared at the appointed time in the detention block "C". It was here that Sarah was kept. Laura met him in the main control room, which overlooked the laboratory and all the preparations for the experiment.

Laura tried to pretend that nothing was happening. But still, she understood that if they touched their daughter, they would lose all contact with Eva. When she saw Rodriguez enter the observation deck, she tried to dissuade him – "Good morning, Major. Are you sure that you want to conduct an experiment on this particular individual, I would prefer Eve. She's more resilient."

Rodriguez was clearly not in the mood to bicker – "The plan has already been approved by the command. I'm not going to change anything."

Approaching the glass through which the entire content block and the camera in the center of the room were visible from a height, the scientist looked at Sarah, who was serenely watching everything from her cage, as if waiting – "Major, I know that you are in charge here now. But I've worked for many years. And if we start experimenting on this girl now, then the channel of communication with Eva will be closed to us."

The major slowly walked up to her, he looked like a tiger ready to attack a poor sheep–"It seems to Miss Baker, you have begun to forget who we are dealing with. Let me remind you." He pointed to his scar running all over his face. "Do you want to know where I got this from?"

Laura looked into his eyes filled with malice and hatred for all living things and asked, -"From where?"

Major – "Pacific Ocean…Many years ago. There was a similar creature there. Also blonde, with a cute face. But then she tore my guys apart, she was like a sadist blowing their guts out. I miraculously survived. So you don't have to make angels out of them, Ms. Baker. I know who they are and what they are capable of."

Releasing her, he returned to his seat. Taking the microphone, he gave the command – "Attention everyone! Get ready to start the experiment"

What this major said sounded incredible. Pacific ocean. Another individual? From where? Laura was trying to figure out chaotically what it was about. But she was not aware of any bases or experiments in that part of the world.

George was on their shift today, too. As he prepared the equipment, he realized that something terrible was about to happen. Torture. He had never been involved in anything like this before. After finishing his part of the work, he quickly ran up to the camera before anyone noticed and whispered to the girl behind the glass – "They want to conduct a test. This will be related to electricity. I don't know for sure."

Sarah looked at him, then her gaze swept across the room and settled on the emergency shutdown console. George followed her gaze – "I'm sorry...I'm sorry... really... I can't... they'll kill me if I do this...I'm sorry."

Sarah turned away - "Then go away... there's nothing else you can do to help me."

George looked at the remote again–"I'm sorry"

After the command was given, many cables connected to the holding cell caught fire and tens of thousands of volts rushed to the steel floor inside. The whole chamber was filled with sparks of electrical discharges and Sarah shrank into a ball and her body began to deform. Large sores covered her skin. Twisted in an unnatural position, she screamed and called for help. She rolled on the floor and howled in pain as the current simply tore at her skin and seemed to burn her insides. Inside the cell, everything was filled with dense, nasty smoke from burnt flesh. Sarah, unable to bear the agony, just lay on the floor twitching from convulsions. Standing next to the Major, Laura couldn't stand the sight. Her hand reached for the light switch, but the man grabbed her and threw her against the wall–"Watch your hands, miss."

Laura – "Stop it! Immediately! You will kill her."

Rodriguez jerked at the harshness of her words–"Calm down! Pull yourself together damn you"

Suddenly, all the electricity went out. The lights went out. A little general bewilderment began. Laura took the opportunity to run up and pushed the major away and turned off all the equipment. The major tried to grab her in the dark, a hard fist flying an inch from her face. Laura did gymnastics herself as a child and quickly stuck her heel in the major's groin.

Whimpering in pain, he bent over and fell to his knees. Snatching the pistol from his holster, Laura ran out of the control room towards her office.

When the power supply was turned on, several sturdy guards rushed in and helped him get up and sit down in a chair.

Rodriguez – "What happened? Why is the energy gone?"

The guard–"Sir, one of the technicians pressed the emergency shutdown lever. We've already arrested him."

Rodriguez rubbed his groin–"How is the object? Has the security system been breached?"

The guard – "Everything is under control. The camera is equipped with its own backup power supply. She didn't have time to escape. Sir, what happened to you? Do you need help?"

The major stood up heavily and walked to the exit - "Find Dr. Baker. Arrest her! Throw it in the camera to this lab technician. So far..."

Saluting, the guard ran away to obey the order.

Right now, Laura didn't have a plan for what to do. Violation of the major's orders and her act. She didn't quite understand why she did it. But there was no other way out. Yes, she's not an angel. She conducted experiments on intelligent beings. But what this major was doing was a real sophisticated murder. Apparently, he was taking revenge on the aliens for what they had done to him and his people many years ago. She couldn't bear to look at what they were doing to Sarah.

There were also riots in block "B". The warning system emitted loud unpleasant signals, and a metallic voice notified the entire staff: "Attention! About the threat of violation of the conditions of detention in blocks "B" and "C". Attention! All personnel with access to weapons must go to temporary detention facilities"

The administrative block "A" was located one floor above. When Laura saw that one of the elevators was empty, she ran inside and pressed the button. The doors slammed shut and the cab went up.

The Wasp Nest complex was built as part of a biological and genetic research project. It was a real miracle of technology. Almost 20 floors were hidden deep underground. Upstairs there were security posts and barracks with hangars for military equipment. There are several helipads here. But the most interesting thing was hidden deep underground. A huge complex with many laboratories, warehouses and equipped with first-class equipment.

When the elevator doors opened, she ran to the end of the corridor. The door to Borgess's office was ajar. Obviously, he was still in the complex and was the only one who could influence the major right now. They had a strained relationship, she knew Carter hated her. But she had hope that she would still be able to negotiate with him. She had to prove to him that the major was a real psycho and his actions were unjustified. Even scientific expediency.

When she opened the door, she saw the colonel, who was talking on the phone, standing sideways to her.

Borgess - "Yes, I'm listening..."

Laura clearly heard Vasakh's voice on the phone: "We found the guy. He lives in Atlanta with a couple of his guardians."

Borgess - "You know what to do... I need information about the whereabouts of the others. Make him talk."

Vazakh - "Yes, sir" ... (In the background, you can hear the screams of a child and pleas for mercy... Then a shot and a woman's screech)... Darleck... no!"

Laura shuddered, realizing that something terrible was happening there. Running into the office, she slammed the doors and crushed them with her weight. Her hands were shaking, but she tightened her grip on the handle of the M9 pistol.

Laura - "Colonel! What's going on?"

Borgess turned around, and his face turned purple with anger: "Baker? What the hell? What are you doing in my office? His gaze settled on the gun. - And who gave you permission to take the weapon? I don't think I gave you permission.

Locking the door, she came closer: "I demand that Major Rodriguez be suspended from conducting experiments. He is completely incompetent."

The colonel did not take his eyes off the gun-"I refuse to talk to you until you put down your weapon. What do you allow yourself? I'll call the major now.

When he picked up the phone, he heard the fuse click. Laura pointed the gun at him and shook her head, "Carter's not here. And now you're calling Vasakh and telling him to leave the baby alone!"

Borgess turned purple and literally choked with rage: "Baker! You must be crazy! I'm putting you in a mental hospital! Put down your weapon! Immediately!"

Running up to him, she hit him on the cheek with the barrel and put the muzzle to his cuticles: "You fat piece of stinking shit! What did you think? Quickly call Vasakh! I am ready to torture aliens, I am ready to follow your stupid orders and put up with your vile antics. But I won't let you torture the children."

Borgess froze in place, his voice changed, became velvety: "Laura, you must have overheated. Talking to this girl has a bad effect on you. Put the gun down, and I promise I'll just give you a little vacation. Otherwise..."

Laura pressed harder on the bastard's groin, making the colonel wince: "Shut up, you bastard, call Vasakh! Quickly!"

There was already a commotion outside the door. The guards knocked on the door, and a minute later she flew out under the pressure of several thugs in armored suits and with rifles at the ready.

Ducking, she was forced to let go of Borgess and, pointing the gun at one of the guards, pulled the trigger. Shot. Covering his wounded shoulder with his hand, the guard dropped the machine gun. The second bullet hit the helmet directly, staining the wall and floor with crimson bloodstains like jam.

There was a crash of broken glass, and something clouded in her eyes. Tenacious thick fingers closed around her throat. "Damn Colonel." The last thought flashed through her mind before she lost consciousness.

Borgess threw Laura's body away from him and pointed at her to the guards: "Lock this bitch in a cell! I'll let you work with her for a while. She seems arrogant, we have to let her know where she belongs."

Novosibirsk - Russia

He has changed many houses over the past years. This apartment on the outskirts of Novosibirsk was now one of those places. It was lined with old Soviet plywood furniture. It seemed as if it was rarely used, as if most of the time it was preserved until better times. It was hard for him to get used to the new society. Nikolai's friends were former military or intelligence officers. They were serious, disciplined, well-trained specialists in their field. He hasn't met everyone yet. But Nikolai supported him as best he could and told him something about his friends.

Sergey is Nikolai's best friend. They graduated from the academy together. Former senior officer of the Zaslon detachment. A man who was born in this city and knows every stone in these parts.

Alexey - Arthur had already heard about him before. He was an attache in Japan and helped in the investigation of the sinking of the ship.

Dmitry gave the impression of a buffoon and a buffoon, but it was deceptive. This man had worked for a long time as an investigator on particularly important cases and knew things that others did not even know about.

After a long journey, they were given a good rest. Nikolai dragged Arthur across half the world on his way here. They flew from the USA to India. From there, with the help of their friends, they were transported by private plane to Syria. Arthur recalled the infernal heat in Damascus. After what he saw there, the Nevada deserts seemed like a cool place to him.

They left Damascus, accompanied by SAR soldiers, for Idlib. And from there, under the cover of night, together with a group of military specialists who were returning from a secret mission, they flew to Russia.

After such adventures, a hot shower, food and sleep on a sagging sofa became what he needed to recover.

Arthur thought he had given up smoking a long time ago, but now he was smoking on a simple balcony of a multi-storey building and looking around the visible surroundings of such an unfamiliar northern city.

Nikolai came out of the back room and opened the creaking balcony door - "Stop smoking. Come on, they're waiting for us."

9 people gathered in the room. Everyone who agreed to help Nikolai in his search. Alexey unbuttoned the collar of his white office shirt and began to explain to them everything he had learned in recent days. He arrived in the city before anyone else to scout the situation.

Alexey slapped his knee - "So, in this sad hour, I have gathered you all to tell you the most unpleasant news."

Sergey crossed his arms - "Stop playing the comedy already. The inspector Sucks. Come on, tell me."

Alexey - "Don't interrupt me. Listen carefully. A few weeks ago, tourists traveled far into the taiga and came across one of the villages. Everything seemed to be fine, but the locals there were like some kind of sectarians. They carved a statue out of a fir tree in the form of some kind of girl, but not quite ordinary. She looks more like a monster or a predator. Claws, teeth, fins. The devil knows what. And they worshipped her like a God."

Nikolai - "We have already seen something like this in Japan."

Alexey - "Yes, that's right. In the local church, one artist also painted icons depicting a girl with half of her face like a reptile. Tourists, of course, were pretty fucked up after seeing such a fucked up thing. Some of them immediately left there. Others, a little smarter, began to take pictures and ask the locals about what was going on here. And the conclusions of the lord turned out to be disappointing."

There was a pause when Alexey took a can of beer and took a long sip to rinse his throat. Arthur listened attentively to him, unable to stand it, he squeezed out a couple of words in Russian.

Arthur - "And? What happened next?"

Alexey - "Take your time. Let me breathe. In short, the locals told a very mystical story. It turns out that there was a place of extraction and processing of wood near the village. Taiga is everywhere. There are many sawmills. The forest, as it turned out later, was illegally exported to China, but that's not about it now. All these cuttings were controlled by a local group. Frostbitten bastards. They used the inhabitants of the local villages as slaves. Officially, according to the documents, everything was clean. Don't dig in. The company, official employment, a full social package for employees, a large salary. Everything is as it should be. But in fact, people were lured into bondage. All this went on for about a year. But not long ago, something appeared in those parts. Something started attacking people in the taiga. At first, the animals were found torn to pieces. Wolves and bears, the owners of these places, began to avoid them. Then the attacks on the overseers began, who took the unfortunate people to forced labor. As a result, this creature literally cut out the entire group, attacked their center, where, by the way, they kept the bulk of the people. And the most interesting thing is that none of the civilians were injured. But all those who had guns in their hands were found dead. And it seemed that before they died, they were simply torn apart by claws."

Nikolai nodded - "It sounds interesting. Did you say that tourists took photos? Do you have any?"

Alexey, with the air of an experienced poker player, took an envelope out of his pocket and put the photos one by one on the table in front of them.

Sergei lethargic photo and his mouth opened - "What is it? Damn... Some kind of monster. What kind of sick mind made this up? "

Arthur took one of the photos, which depicted a sculpture 5 meters high carved from a single trunk of a large tree. This creature was really similar to the shape of Eve that he had seen. Very similar, but there were differences. He has not yet revealed what he knows about it. Feeling Nikolai's tenacious gaze on him, he only nodded meekly. He understood him perfectly.

...

Traveling in an old SUV through a dense forest was not easy. Several times they got stuck and stuck in the mud. But after half a day's journey, we reached this village. For the time being, we decided to be in civilian clothes and not show our weapons openly, so as not to scare the locals.

Slamming the door of the jeep, Nikolai took out a pistol and handed it to Arthur. - "Here you go. Just don't show it in front of our guys. I don't want them to be nervous."

Arthur- "Don't they trust me yet?"

Nikolai - "They just don't know who you are. I haven't told them too much about you yet. They have to be ready for this."

Arthur - "I understand. I'll be careful."

A small village in the northwestern part of Siberia looked like a piece of the Middle Ages that somehow ended up in the modern world. An excellent water source, a couple dozen old wooden huts made from the trunks of coniferous trees, a church. It's just like in old paintings or photographs. The only difference was the large wooden statue on the outskirts. A huge sculpture of a creature carved from a single tree trunk, which was definitely not found in these places, it should not have existed on this planet at all.

Nikolai walked around the courtyards and questioned the locals, collecting all possible information. At that time, Arthur entered the old church and inhaled the smell of pine needles, incense and fresh wood. In addition to the usual icons of saints, there was a painting of a creature in the corner. Half of the face belonged to a beautiful girl in her 20s with slightly narrowed eyes, the other part looked like Eva's face in a different shape.

After watching enough, Arthur went outside and met Nikolai, who had finished his inquiries and was smoking near the church.

Arthur - "Is there a result?"

Nikolai - "Bandits came to the village to take people to work. They took away those who resisted, beat them and dragged them by force. They only took strong men. They took them to their base, where they forced them to cut down the forest. Those who refused were tortured and shot. Then a girl just came out of the forest and killed all the bandits. People got free and went home. That's the end of the fairy tale."

Arthur leaned thoughtfully against the banister of the old staircase: "Is that all? Don't they tell you anything else?"

Nikolai threw away his cigarette butt and called him to follow him - "There is one piece of news. One woman, who was also in captivity, decided to help the girl. He offered her clothes and food. She brought her to her house. They told me where she lives. I hope she won't refuse to talk to us."

They did not stay long at the entrance to the already almost destroyed village house. Pretty soon the hostess came in. When she saw him on the threshold, she was embarrassed, but boldly stepped forward. This woman's name was Raisa.

Raisa - "There are all kinds of people hanging around here. What are you doing here? She's not here, she's not here. She's gone. I do not know where to go."

Nikolai stepped forward, "I apologize for the intrusion. I know that you are already tired of these policemen and other people. My friend and I are journalists, and it's important for us to hear your story." After that, he took out a thick wad of money from his wallet and handed it to the woman. Seeing such a large sum, she immediately cheered up and invited them in.

Raisa - "Good. In that case. Please come into the house."

The house was quite damp, but warm. Arthur sat down next to a large Russian stove, whitewashed with lime, with a large black hole covered with a metal lid. A cat jumped onto his lap, purred and began to rub against Arthur's jacket and neck. The woman was surprised to see this.

Raisa - "Wow. She doesn't usually like guests. But I fell in love with Daria. Daria was constantly playing with the cat, like a little child. Although the girl was an adult. Strange, of course, but kind. She helped me a lot with the housework. She chopped wood with such speed that my late husband would have envied her strength."

Arthur also stroked the cat in response: "Weren't you afraid of her?"

Raisa - "Who was I afraid of?"

Nikolai -"My foreign friend means Daria. After all, she had claws, and they say she wasn't human at all."

Raisa grinned - "Why should I be afraid of her? And don't call her names. She's still the same. Well, big deal, she had claws. My cat has claws and teeth too. Well, I'm not kicking her out of the house. But I asked Daria to slaughter her old cow, and she did it in the blink of an eye. She waved her hand, and the cow had no head left. She was a good girl, I liked her. It's a pity that she left. I would feed her, dress her like my own daughter. And she would have helped me. I don't have anyone. Since my husband died, I live here, no one needs me. And that's why there's help here and someone to talk to. She's a smart girl, by the way. She told me a lot about distant countries. She was in Japan. Look what she gave me."

She took a small tube of hieroglyphs from the far shelf. A Japanese musical instrument.

Nikolai came to his senses: "Tell me, did she say something about Tatiana?"

Raisa - "Yes... How do you know that?"

Nikolai - "It doesn't matter now. You are welcome... Keep going."

Raisa -"She was talking about this woman. I didn't understand much. But she replaced her mother. She took care of her. And then some people came and killed her. Poor orphan. She's all alone in this world."

Nikolai - "What else did she say?"

Raisa - "Yes, different things. About some ships, soldiers, she said that she did not know where to go and what to do next. Sometimes she was so distracted, as if she was lost in her own thoughts and couldn't wake up. She wandered around the house for hours, as if fascinated. But I took her hand and put her to bed. She's like a child. When she left, I packed her a big backpack, gave her a lot of things, and she just left. I asked her to stay, but she said she needed to move on. She had such sad eyes. I didn't want to let her go so much." - The woman began to cry. - "If you find her, then tell her that I miss her. Protect her, she's strong, but she's so lonely."

Nikolai handed her a handkerchief - "Thank you for taking care of her."

The woman just waved back at them. After leaving the house, they immediately headed back to the cars. Arthur could barely keep up with Nikolai -"what? Where to next?"

Nikolai got behind the wheel and signaled to the others. A minute later they left the village and drove back. Nikolai was clearly thinking about something. Finally, as they drove away, he spoke.

Nikolai -"Let's get to know the others now. They will tell us what they found out at that sawmill where the entire local mafia was destroyed. Then we'll think about it. She left here a couple of days ago. With her abilities, I do not know how far she could go. And the most important question is, even if we meet her. How will she receive us? Eh?"

Arthur didn't know what to say to him. In character, this Daria did not resemble Eva at all. She was clearly wilder. You need to be as careful as possible with her.

Going to the window of a large mansion decorated in the pre-revolutionary style, she wiped the glass with her palm and wiped away the dirt and dust that had been accumulating in this place for several years. She could see her face in the reflection of the glass. Beautiful slightly narrow green eyes, a young Russian girl's face with an innocent smile and curly hair.

Taking out a jar of plum jam from her hiking backpack, which Raisa gave her, she opened the metal lid with a leko claw and dipping her fingers into the jar began to lick them, enjoying the sweet fruity, slightly sour taste.

A heavy groan distracted her attention and riveted her gaze to the bound body of a man who lay in a corner and trembled in horror looking at his captor. She crept up to him with animal agility and squatted down and looked into his eyes.

"You're bad... you like to hurt... bad... you hurt Raisa."

Hearing her words, the man began to twitch hysterically, trying to free himself from the ropes that cut into his body and did not allow him to move. The girl did not take her eyes off him. Getting to her feet, she stepped on his back with her bare foot, preventing him from moving.

"I don't like those who hurt my friends... you will be punished."

Finally, I was able to make this chapter. Then, alas, there will be a big break. I need time to gather my thoughts and figure out further ways of development. But I want to make you happy, a new story will be released soon. I will be glad if you like it. Leave your comments and write to me in messages. I will always be glad to talk to you. Thank you all! You can also join our community of fans and authors in Discord. "SPECIES"