Two weeks of hell, she silently grumbled, and headed for her apartment. If she left though, she had nowhere to go, no life to go back to, after cutting all ties with her past. The very idea of asking her parents to live with one of them until she got back on her feet threatened to give her a migraine.

Her parents argued about everything, regardless of living apart, and then asked her to referee their asinine fights. Both of them had been bitterly opposed to Ellie’s own divorce, the only thing they agreed on, and they remained in contact with her ex-husband. They’d make her spend time with him with their misguided and annoying attempts to get them back together. She’d rather jump into a pit of snakes than ever return to the life she’d once had. She didn’t call home for a reason and she sure didn’t want to go back to it. Both her parents were angry at her, which meant they finally gave her peace, something she hadn’t had from the pair since their divorce when she was ten.

Her new life consisted of moving forward and helping people with real problems, two things she wanted to do with the New Species. They were important to her and they needed people who cared on their side. She definitely cared.

Ellie changed quickly, put on a pair of sweats, a tank top, and running shoes. She needed fresh air and time away from the dorm, certain she wouldn’t be missed. She tried not to feel self-pity. She’d assumed the job would have kept her busier and maybe have been rewarding. Instead she suffered loneliness and depression. She tucked her MP3 player into the front of her bra and shoved her ID card there too since she didn’t have pockets. She left her room and started to jog in place while she waited for the elevator.

Ellie glanced at her watch when she left the dorm building and took note of the dark sky outside with only a few stars twinkling above. She turned and faced the windows to peer inside at the women who sat on couches laughing together in the living room area. She couldn’t hear what they said but the dozen women she spied on seemed happy.

Happy I’m not there, she thought grimly. She muttered a curse as she turned her back on the sight. She’d never been a jogger until she’d moved into Homeland. Physical activity helped her deal with her boredom. She broke into a slow run along the sidewalk. The park-like area extended for a great distance along the guarded walls.

Ellie reached into her bra to turn up the volume on her MP3 player until music pounded in her ears. She went through phases with types of music and recently she’d been into heavy metal to fit her mood. She traveled steadily along as the path turned away from the walls and toward the park that contained a large pond. She enjoyed running next to the water.

Ellie slowed to a fast walk for a good block when she started to tire until she reached the pond. She stopped to stretch, bent over to touch her toes, and then straightened. She saw movement from the corner of her eye. She turned, expecting to see another jogger appear but she saw no one. She frowned. She could have sworn she’d seen someone.

Ellie shook her head and dismissed it. She figured the wind moving the treetops had drawn her attention. She stretched her arms upward and twisted her body in various positions to loosen muscles. Her body ached when she jogged but she wanted to get into shape. At twenty-nine it seemed to be a good time to do it.

She smirked, knowing her ex-husband would drop from a heart attack if he got an eyeful of her now. She’d once been more than a little overweight. She had almost totally become a different person after her bitter divorce from a cheating, verbally abusive ass who believed her pathetic enough to take whatever he dished out. He’d been wrong. She wasn’t a doormat, would never stay with someone who didn’t know how to love, and had ended the marriage despite Jeff’s protests.

She’d completely turned her life around after she’d witnessed suffering firsthand while working at the testing facility. Forty pounds lighter and free of her ex, she had a much happier outlook. She chuckled. She’d actually lost two hundred forty pounds of unwanted weight since Jeff had accounted for two hundred of them. Her final cut from her past had been escaping her parents after they’d tried to guilt her into taking Jeff back. Hell hasn’t frozen over yet, she thought with a smirk.

The hair on the back of her neck suddenly prickled. Her limbs froze while just her gaze darted around the park. Landscapers had planted lots of trees, turning the area into a mini forest area surrounding the water. A few park benches had been strategically placed and the buildings were located on the outer edges of the park. She could just make out the tops of them from where she stood. She studied the darkness once more, the sense of being watched growing.

Ellie reached down the front of her shirt to grip her MP3 player and pushed the “off” button as she removed it. She listened intently but didn’t hear anything out of place. She started to turn the music back on but a soft growl made her jump. A dog? She looked over her shoulder to scan the surroundings again.

There were a few guard dogs patrolling Homeland but their handlers were always a leash away. Security guards would be in view if one of the canine units were in the vicinity. A sudden urge to return to the dorm gripped her.

Ellie took a few steps but heard another growl, closer this time. Her body tensed with alarm. She scanned the area again to search for the source while she shoved her headphones down to her neck and held her music player in a tightfisted grip. She hoped one of the dogs hadn’t gotten loose. They were large, mean animals, and well trained in defending the property. They’d treat her as if she were an intruder.

“Hello?” Her voice rose. She hoped a security guard would answer. “Is anyone there?”