Joy rushed inside and sat on the edge of the cot. Her hand trembled slightly as she brushed back damp strands of Moon’s hair from his cheek and caressed his jawline. She glanced at his chest, noticing his taut ni**les and seemingly chilled skin.

“Is there a blanket?” she murmured, remembering to keep her voice low.

“He doesn’t need one.” Smiley crept closer. “This is a comfortable enough environment for him. It’s the calming drug that cools his skin. It slows his heart rate. He needed the rest and a reprieve from the headache. Warming his external temperature too much would only remove the sedative faster through his pores. We actually even lowered the heat to make sure he stays down longer. He’ll warm quickly when he wakes. All that pacing and fighting he does causes him to sweat.”

Joy nodded, touching Moon’s chest. He did feel cooler than normal to her. His skin always seemed hot. Something nagged at her and a crazy thought suddenly popped into her head. She looked up at Smiley. “Species sweat out drugs?”

“Of course. It’s part of the reason we’re all in such great shape. We realized at a young age that rigorous exercise not only kept us from being bored while we were locked in our cells, it helped us rid our systems of their drugs. The cycle became routine to us. I feel restless if I don’t keep an active regiment of working out.”

Her attention returned to Moon. “You keep adjusting the temperature down here?”

“Yes.”

Her head whipped in Smiley’s direction. “Is there a sauna at Homeland?”

“No.” His expression became almost comical. “Those hot rooms? They would be a form of torture to my kind. The heat would be unbearable.”

“It would make you sweat a lot though, right?”

“Buckets.”

Her gaze slid to Moon. “And maybe sweat out any drugs you’d been given?” She glanced back at him.

Smiley’s eyes widened. “We didn’t try that.” He reached for his radio but paused. “He’d dehydrate.”

“Not if he is monitored and it is done correctly.”

Smiley backed out of the cell and walked far enough away that all she could hear were the soft tones of his speech but not the words. She focused on Moon.

“I’m here.” She stroked his cheek. “I know you want to protect me but you wouldn’t hurt me, regardless of your mental state.” She believed that. He’d be more inclined to want sex instead of bloodshed.

Footsteps sounded and Joy turned her head. Smiley waved to her and whispered. “Get out. They are coming down here. You can’t be found on that side of the door.”

Regret was a bitter pill to swallow as she released Moon, her gaze lingering on him as she rose to her feet. Smiley locked the door and pointed.

“Five feet back.”

“What did they say about the sauna?”

“I don’t know what the doctors will say but Justice was interested in the theory.”

Joy stared at Moon’s still form. “I hope it works.”

“We’re desperate. We’ll try anything at this point.”

She glanced at Smiley.

He shrugged. “That’s the truth.”

* * * * *

466 couldn’t move when he woke. He raised his head and snarled. The human standing a few feet in front of him started, paled, and turned to speak to someone.

“I still protest.”

“Do it, Ted.”

The male who replied had a deep, gruff voice for a human and it sounded as if he spoke through a door or wall. It gave 466 time to glance down his body. Restraints held him upright on his feet and tightly bound to a flat wooden surface. Thick straps were wrapped around his wrists, elbows, chest, waist, thighs and ankles.

The strange tubes that were taped to his body were alarming. Were they injecting some fluid directly into his veins? He snarled again, lifted his chin, and gave the human a glare that promised swift death. He struggled but the straps across his body didn’t break.

They should have used chains. That was a mistake, he decided. Mercile usually didn’t do stupid things that could allow them to escape but their error would cost the life of the white-haired human. It might take time to break free but he would, then he’d snap the human’s neck. He’d worry about the other human after he got through with the first one.

“We should wait until the task force arrives. You can interrogate the man they are bringing in and get answers that way. This could do more harm than good.”

“The prisoner could lie. It could take days to break his spirit enough to trust his words. There’s no guarantee he even knows about this drug Moon was given.” The other voice deepened even more, almost sounding inhuman.

“What if he is so bitter that he purposely gives us an answer that will cause Moon’s death?” A third human had an unusually deep voice too. He also remained out of sight. “Let’s stick to what we know are facts. We can sweat out certain drugs. It might not work in this case but it’s safer to try this than to trust some chemist with a grudge.”

The white-haired human appeared flustered. “We’ll call in more experts and have them double-check anything the ass**le does before we try it on Moon. I understand your reservations to trust anyone who worked for that company but that’s why we have good people on call.”

“So far those experts haven’t figured out what was done to Moon. They don’t know much about Species. Unfortunately, only Mercile does. Do it, Ted. Otherwise, move out of the way and I’ll do it myself.”