HASH: Human Alien Species Hybrid by April M. Reign Read Free Book Online Page B

hear us. I have something I want to show you.” Em reached out her hand, and an old-fashioned paper file appeared in it. “Here you go, Aric. Professor Ahern’s emails about severing the program. I know I told you about it, but I wanted you to see it, too.”
    I looked at her sharply. “You said it was Dr. Stevens who was going to end the program”
    “There are some emails from her, too.” Em held out another file for me. “All the details of the HAP project and the HASH project to produce a human/alien hybrid are in these folders. She volunteered you for that, Jade. For the breeding project.”
    I thought about insisting that we release our hands but Aric was reading by then. His expression was grave as he read. Part of me wanted to put an arm around him, because I knew what it was like to have proof that the people who had cared for you wanted you dead, but I wasn’t sure if I should do that. Especially since we had just kissed.
    As Aric read, Em began to flicker out of existence. For the briefest moment, there was something else standing in her place. Something silver and perfect. Then she flickered back in and her head fell forward.
    “Oh, that felt…um, I think we’d better get you both back.”
    “Are you all right?” I reached out to touch her, but my hand went through her.
    “Um…right now, maybe?”
    Aric looked up from reading. Just from his expression, I could see that he’d read more than enough. He looked like he was going to say something…
    But he released my hand and we were now visually there for the scientist to see. From the corner of my eye, I could see the familiar shape of Em. I started to pull back from him further, but he held me with easy strength. He leaned in, and for a moment, I thought he might kiss me again. But his lips brushed my ears, his voice coming low.
    “I understand, Jade. We can’t stay here. We need to escape.”

Chapter Five
    It was one thing, talking about escaping, but it was another thing to actually prepare to do it. A week had gone by, and it felt like I hadn’t done anything toward our goal.
    I’d met up with Aric a few more times, snatching whispers of conversation where I could, but honestly, even that was nearly impossible when our every movement was carefully watched—every movement that did not include Aric and I intertwining our fingers and going off to subconsciously hide from the Institute.
    My dreams had changed, too. They were still about the crash, as often as not, but now others joined them. Dreams about Aric, about the moment we’d kissed.
    So far, dreams were all I had, on every front. What did I know about breaking out of scientific facilities? About the only advantage I had was that I knew the layout of the Institute, and even then, I wasn’t sure that I knew it well enough. After all, what had I seen of it beyond my room? A few carefully controlled spaces, and the corridors in between.
    Em, naturally, had appointed herself as the escape committee. “I’ve got maps of the Institute now.” She stood in my room and projected one onto the wall for me to see. I knew no one but me could see it, even though someone watched me every moment.
    “We’re here. We need to get to the exit, here, but to do that, we’ll need to find a way out of the room.”
    “Can’t you just…” I waved vaguely at the door.
    “There’s the Faraday cage in the way, and that doesn’t help us with the scientists, or the security, or the cameras, or…”
    I got the message. I didn’t have a chance to answer though, because a scientist chose that moment to open the door to my room. She was a red-haired woman a few years older than me, in one of those crisp, pristine lab coats, carrying a clipboard. The security key card clipped onto her pocket identified her as Dr. Adams.
    “Dr. Stevens would like to see you, Jade.”
    She led the way toward Dr. Stevens’ office. I followed, walking quietly beside her. Em stayed close to me and walked behind us.
    Dr. Adams