Keeping her fingers crossed that Andrea would rethink herstance on dating, Poppy grinned when her new friend started asking all sorts ofmedical questions. The smile dropped off her face when she heard theall-too-familiar tone at the door. They were apparently about to get a visitor.
The person who walked through the door was not the one Poppywanted to see. Demascus smiled thinly at the women and his grin deepened evenfurther when he noticed the women on the cots.
“So I see that only three of you were actually pregnant.” Hewhistled through his teeth, apparently pleased with himself.
Clenching her hands into fists, Val hissed, “You knew thiswould happen, didn’t you?”
“How fucking evil are you?” Poppy yelled as she approachedthe bars of the cell. If he got close enough, she was going to reach throughand grab his skinny little neck and strangle him herself.
Keeping back from the cell bars, Demascus glared at each ofthe women before again smiling thinly and folding his hands in front of him.
“I see you as a plague, Poppy. Nothing more than an insectthat needs to be smashed.” Motioning to the women on the cots, he smiled. “Atleast I know that we have stopped the abomination of cross-breeding with youhumans.”
Poppy reached beside her to where Val was standing andsqueezed her arm to warn her and keep her quiet. Lord only knew what Demascuswould do if he realized that they hadn’t taken the pills. Trying to figure outhis plan, she needed to keep him talking.
“How do you plan to get away with this?”
“Very easily actually.” Pacing in front of the bars as if hedidn’t have a care in the world, he stated casually, “I am going to be leavingSquadron Two shortly on a shuttle to join my true warrior brothers.”
“You’re going to the Verge?” Poppy remembered what Wheatonhad explained to her and Val earlier. “Wheaton said you were so far down on thetotem pole you couldn’t be a Council member if you joined them…are you going tobe a lackey?” Smiling when she saw Demascus freeze in his steps, she took astep back when he turned to her with hate in his eyes.
“Actually I have been assured a Council position now that Ihave been able to carry out my plan, you stupid human.”
As Demascus spoke, he moved closer to the bars. Overcome byanger at his words, Poppy acted before thinking. Moving quickly, she strucklike a snake. Grasping his tunic between the bars, she used all her strength topull him into the unforgiving metal. Grunting when her arms were wrenched fromthe action, she hit any part of his body she was able to reach. The warriorswho had been with Demascus had not seen her attack coming but quickly moved tosave their leader once they realized he was trapped. Before they were able tofree him, Poppy latched on to a chunk of his greasy hair and was furiouslytrying to separate it from his scalp. Banging his head against the barsseparating them, she stopped when a warrior pulled out the now familiar silvercylinder. Dammit! She’d wanted to get in a few more licks before thecavalry made their move. Letting him go, Poppy tossed hair she had managed tofree from his nasty pinhead to the floor.
“Who’s the stupid one now, fuckhead?” she goaded.
“You surprise me, Poppy,” Demascus wheezed. Adjusting histunic and trying to smooth his hair, he forced a smile. “Do not worry though, Ihave a surprise for you as well.”
“And what’s that?” Poppy asked, her voice trembling withanger.
“Not only have I gotten the brides away from their husbands,but I was able to plant a virus in the matching code. What took years for theCouncil to accomplish with the profiles has been destroyed in seconds. ThePhaetons have no need for Earth if they are unable to make bridal matches.”
Poppy couldn’t believe the crazy man standing in front ofher. The only thing missing from making the sight perfect was him cackling likean evil villain and vanishing in a puff of smoke.
“Our husbands will come for us, you moron. When they do,that means you’re going to get your ass kicked.” Melanie walked toward the barsas if she weighed a lot more than the hundred and thirty pounds Poppy guessedher to be.
“Seriously, little human, what exactly will your husbandcome here for? His profile said he preferred tall redheads with largebreasts…and you are anything but.” Seeing Melanie physically deflate before hiseyes at the sting of his words, Demascus laughed in her face.
“You see, none of you are what the warriors wanted. Or evenneeded for that matter,” he continued, turning to walk out the door. “And nowthey can move on from this stupid idea of human brides.”
“Demascus?” Poppy called out. When he paused to glance back,she smiled at him. “Wheaton will find you.”
“Poppy, I wouldn’t worry about him finding me. I would worryabout him finding you.” With those parting words, Demascus swaggered out thedoor.
Chapter Thirty
Poppy huffed out an angry screech. If it was the last thingshe ever did, she was going to pop that asshole in the eye.
“C’mon, ladies, we need to figure out a way out of here,”Poppy said, determined not to let him win.
As the women started to take a catalog of what they had inthe cell that could be used as tools to escape, Poppy ran through differentscenarios in her head. The cell was fairly big and had four cots, three ofwhich were taken by sick brides, a toilet and a sink. An inspection of the lockshowed them it was electronic and the bobby pin Val had found in her bag wouldn’tbe any help in picking it. Poppy suggested using Val’s lighter and some paperto set a small fire to try to call someone’s attention. That idea was quicklythrown out. The women felt it was possible nobody would respond to the room andthey could suffer from smoke inhalation or worse. After further inventory, theyrealized they didn’t even have anything they could use as
