by Piper Stone
“Them?” I asked, tipping my head in his direction. I was able to see the whites of his eyes and the darkness of his vicious gaze.
“You are a rulebreaker, Bastille, and that won’t work for such important work.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” My instinct kicked in. This bastard was part of it. I had to get the hell away.
When he fisted my hair, dragging me away from the bodies, I let out a strangled screech, fighting to reach my weapon. Luca... There was no reason for me to reach out in my mind to a man that I couldn’t trust, but the alternative could be deadly.
“I don’t think so, bitch.”
The second I wrapped my hand around my weapon, he brought his hand down, the hard punch catching me across the jaw.
“Oh!” As anguish exploded into my head and neck, I continued to fight, able to get off a single shot before he brought his hand down again.
“Enough of that. You’re going to get what’s coming to you.”
The glint of steel from the syringe seemed to shift closer to me, yet everything was in slow motion. I let out another yelp, attempting to fire my weapon again when I felt a prick in my neck. Oh, God. I... No. “What... did... you...” Almost instantly my muscles began to shut down, my eyesight foggy.
Then he began to laugh as he jerked me to a standing position. “Now, bitch, you’re going to learn the truth that you so desperately hunger for. Then you’re going to be ripped apart by a beast. Just what you deserve.”
“No...” As I studied his eyes, I could no longer hold mine open. Luca. Come find me. Come... Everything was just so...
* * *
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
“I will have you. I will take all of you. You are my mate. Salvation.”
“Mmm...” Shifting, I tried to reach out to him, but it felt as if a thousand-pound weight was holding me down.
“Then you will be mine forever.”
Forever. No. No!
Gasping for air, I swam up from the powerful dream, visions of the roughhewn lion pinning me against cold stone blocks floating in front of me, his face outlined in vivid color. Luca... my head ached like a son of a bitch. Oh, God. Why did I feel so damn bad? After blinking a few additional times, hair stood up on the back of my neck. This wasn’t right. Everything seemed claustrophobic. Holding my breath, I tried to listen for any other sounds. Only the drops of some liquid permeated the space around me.
But I knew someone was there, standing in close proximity. Watching. What the hell was going on?
After taking several deep breaths, I tried once again to focus as well as grasp whatever sound I’d heard before.
Plunk...
Plunk...
Water.
I was hearing drips of water, but there was a tinny sound to it as well. The drips were coming from a faucet into some kind of a metal basin. Wait a minute. I shifted my position, realizing both my arms and legs ached in a way that I could barely describe. As if I’d been running a marathon. As if... I’d been drugged. What. The. Fuck?
Everything was fuzzy, my nostrils burning from some godawful stench. Gagging, it took several seconds for my body to respond to my mental commands, allowing me to turn over. I coughed several times in order to keep from retching, still trying to make out anything around me
“Wake up, little girl,” the dark voice commanded.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
This time, I knew the sound without question, the hard clatter of metal smacking against metal.
Were the words real? I jerked up my head, instantly regretting it, the sweep of bile even worse than before, my head pounding. This had to be some kind of nightmare. I had to be hearing things. I was so tired, my eyelids heavy.
Think. Think.
After wiping my mouth, I struggled to move to a sitting position, reaching automatically for my weapon. Of course, it had been removed. Think. Think! Robert. The river. The bodies. Oh, my God. Very slowly I turned my head as I reached out until my fingers connected with whatever I was positioned on. Within seconds I realized I was lying on some kind of a cot.
This was no nightmare.
“Time to wake up our guest,” the voice called out from the distance.
Click.
The instantaneous bright light seemed to permeate my eye sockets even with my eyes closed. I shielded them, blinking only twice before a vibrant pain washed through every inch of my head, daggers in my eyes.
“Wakie, wakie or I’ll have to take care of that for you and I doubt you’ll like that very much, Clarise.”
Suddenly, anger flushed through my system. Even the way the fucker said my name pissed me off. I struggled once again to shift, able to slide my legs off the platform I was on. When my boots hit the floor, I was stunned at the vibrations rocketing through them, shooting all the way up my legs and into my arms.
Finally able to open my eyes without wincing, I kept my gaze away from the horrific light, trying to make out anything else in the area surrounding me. It was cold and damp, shivers trickling along the backs of my legs. While I wasn’t shackled, I had difficulty moving. I tried to grasp the last thing I remembered.
A lake and... the murders.
The fucking asshole had planned the entire thing. The bastard had drugged me. There was no doubt. I should have known what he was going to do the night before. Or maybe he’d been instructed after the assholes had followed me from the park. Had they seen Luca? There was no way of telling. Robert had been so arrogant about the Breeds, so nasty.
“There she is. Back in the world of the living. But not for long,” Robert said, laughing.
“She needs medical attention,” a female voice said quietly, fear in her tone.
“You need to stay the hell out of this, Dr. Wycliff, or I’ll have you thrown out of here.”
“Yes, Lieutenant,” she retorted.
“What is going on?” I managed, finally able to focus on a limited portion of my surroundings. Everything was stark, concrete under my feet and from what I could tell, thick block walls. All I could think about was being inside a prison cell.
I took several deep breaths before easing off the platform, my body swaying. While the drug was beginning to wear off, I still felt accumulated effects, including partial paralysis of my limbs. The freaking bastard. “Who assigned you to do this or did you go rogue? What the hell do you think you’re doing? You killed them, didn’t you? Those poor people.”
There was nothing but the slow drip of some liquid, a reminder that I was obviously in some kind of a cage. He was studying me like some lab rat.
“Murderer!” I called.
Was I in the facility? This was a far cry different area than the one the administrator had allowed me to see. Which meant a portion was for show, as if to keep the control mechanism of the government pleased when they visited. Had Dr. Porter really been a part of this?
“No matter where you go, Robert, I will hunt you down, you fuck!” My exclamation seemed to echo in whatever chamber I was in, another wave of cold energy blasting into my muscles.
Then I heard a deep chuckle, the rumble infiltrating every pore, every synapse. The bastard thought this was a game.
“Feisty, just like always. You should have kept your mouth shut and everything would have been fine. Of course I murdered them. Some humans are expendable, especially for the cause.”
Oh, my God. I felt like I was going to puke.
“You’re nothing but a vicious snake in the grass, Robert, just like I knew you to be before. Did the commander tell you to murder those poor people?” When he said nothing, I laughed. “My guess is that you did that all on your own. Was it about getting a promotion? You’re nothing but a wretched criminal and you will be brought to justice.”
“We are the justice, Clarise, in case you haven’t figured that out yet. While you’re needed at this point, you won’t be in the future. I suggest you keep your mouth shut.”
“You can go fuck y
ourself.” His answer told me that whatever was going on was a part of a larger plan.
“You need to deal with her, Lieutenant. We don’t have time to waste,” another male voice said, one I didn’t recognize.
“Shut the fuck up!” Robert snapped.
I smiled, hearing his anger. I knew all the buttons to press with the asshole, but I had to come to terms with what I was dealing with.
However, I couldn’t be certain that the commander was behind this, which should make me cautious in my actions. Should. I was running on piss and vinegar, able to accept my cavalier attitude might come back to bite me, but Robert loathed being treated like an idiot.
Which he obviously was if he thought he could get away with capturing and caging me.
Unless my promotion had been a carefully laid out plan.
Every step he made, his footsteps heavy, I shifted closer, defying the hateful light. When I made out the actual bars of the front of the cell as well as dark shadows in the background, I couldn’t help but laugh. The asshole was trying to terrify me, keeping me on stage in front of an audience. Rushing forward, I wrapped my hands around the hard steel, glaring into the darkness beyond. When he stopped only two feet away, yet far enough I still couldn’t make out his face, I turned away, placing my back against the bars.
A trickle of fear skipped down my spine, my heart racing. What the hell was really going on? I’d been pushed into accepting a job I wasn’t qualified for but for what purpose? Was I simply some pawn in whatever scientific experiments were being performed on the various Breeds? That made no sense, unless my friendship with Dr. Porter had been the reason.
Observe. Pay attention.
After taking a deep breath, I tried to make out anything else I could see in the space. While the damn light blurred almost half the area, my eyes had become accustomed enough to allow me to make out a significant portion. There were no windows to the outside and there was a distinct chill not caused by air blower units, which could mean the room was in an underground facility. Or maybe it had been designed as a prison. The stench was a combination of chemicals as well as the distinct odor of copper. No, it was blood. After blinking several additional times, I could swear there were bloodstains covering portions of the block.
Jesus Christ.
What had they done to the Breeds?
I rubbed my arms in an effort to keep my teeth from chattering.
I sensed there were other people in the space, waiting and watching to see what the captive human would do. While I had no way of knowing where I was given the bleakness of my surroundings, I had the distinct feeling I’d been brought to the science ward.
The silence was unbearable, my nerves on edge.
The second the bastard started walking closer once again, I calculated the distance then shoved my hand through the bars, dragging the asshole closer. I smashed his face against the cold metal, laughing the second he yelped, his body slumping. Then I listened again, trying to determine what I was up against.
There were four gasps, which meant they weren’t officers of the law. There were also two additional sets of footsteps headed in my direction, the whooshing sound of their weapons being engaged unmistakable.
Twisting my hand, I was able to crush Robert’s cheek against the bars, my fingers digging into his skin. “Call off your dogs, Robert, or I’ll be forced to gouge out your eyes.”
Hissing, he glared at me with utter hatred in his eyes, which actually made me smile all bright and pretty for him. All I had to do was shift my hand again and agony swept across his face. “I suggest you let me go, Clarise, or trust me, you’re going to pay for this.”
I was able to make the two other officers only they were dressed entirely differently, as if true soldiers. That shot a round of adrenaline into my cells, forcing me to take a deep breath.
“Like hell I will. Call them off, Robert. You know me well enough to know I won’t hesitate to follow through with my promise,” I said ever so quietly.
He made another strangled sound before waving his arm, motioning the others away. “Bitch.”
“You have no idea.” I wanted to continue smashing his face, breaking every bone, but I knew better. That would only get me killed. The second I let him go, I backed away from the bars, moving just out of his reach. I folded my arms, standing with my legs a full two feet apart, daring him to fuck with me. Hell, I knew my bravado would fade at some point, my nerves getting the better of me, but I would push him as long as I could in order to get answers.
Snarling, Robert pounded his fist against the steel, shaking his head. “Cut off that fucking goddamn light. It’s time I had a chat with Officer Bastille.”
I heard scrambling, even though the other two soldiers remained exactly where they were, their weapons pointed at eye level. My eyes. They were prepared to shoot if necessary. The second the massive floodlight was turned off, I sagged slightly, taking several deep breaths. Even the darkness seemed more ominous than before, sending my senses into overdrive, my skin crawling.
Luca...
I couldn’t help but think his name, as if the powerful lion could hear me. As I fisted my hands, I couldn’t stop thinking about his prowess and the amazing time I’d spent with him. Amazing. Oh, my God. I’d been attacked by some creature that shouldn’t exist not once but several times, and I was actually thinking of it in positive terms.
As a series of softer lights came on, including several within the cell itself, I was finally able to see where I’d been taken. I’d been right. There were two male and two female scientists, one who I recognized from time spent with Dr. Porter. She seemed agitated, fiddling with her hands, her mouth twisting. I sensed a fear crawling through her, could smell it from where I was standing. I could even swear I heard her heart beating rapidly.
When she darted her eyes from Robert toward the other side of the room, I bristled, daring to walk closer to the bars. Now I could taste her terror on my tongue even as my own pulse skyrocketed.
The facility behind the steel bars was pristine, various tables and scientific equipment located throughout. I was shocked at the number of instruments; Netscape systems lining one wall didn’t shock me on any level. As I shifted my gaze toward another table, a series of shivers skated down my spine, yanking at my breath.
Knifes, scalpels, and various injection instruments had been carefully positioned. While they were horrifying, the most terrifying was the HEBME. Human Electrical Behavioral Modification Equipment had been outlawed over a decade before, the lasting, scarring, and permanent effects deemed torturous by every scientist, doctor, and other experts.
A single bead of perspiration trickled down from my forehead, my eyes refusing to leave the ugly reminder of the past.
Robert adjusted the sleeves on his uniform as he followed my gaze, snickering under his breath. What wretched experiments had they been doing on the Breeds? I was sick to my stomach, trying to keep the paralyzing emotions from shutting down my mind and my training. My father had told me about the horrible devices years before, even showing me pictures of the criminals who’d experienced the system.
They’d never been the same, some even needing to be euthanized.
“You’ve been a very bad girl, Clarise. We’d hoped that you would be easy to train, but after last night, I knew better. However, Commander Martin has a strong belief in you, as if you could be redeemed. I’m not so certain.”
Robert’s words were just as chilling as the sight of the equipment. “What the hell is going on here?” I demanded. This was the fucking commander’s doing—his empire. Jesus.
I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the female scientist from before had inched further away from Robert, her fear turning into anger. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was going for one of the scalpels.
Robert ignored everything behind him, once again closing the distance toward the cell, a smirk on his face. “You were told exactly what your job would entail. Working with the Breeds.”
&nb
sp; “I wasn’t told you’d be torturing them.”
“Oh, that’s not my job,” he said, darting a glance over his shoulder at the scientists. “But they do as they’re told. They know the consequences if they don’t.”
“Was Dr. Porter really murdered by one of the Breed subjects or is it all a lie? Are you just experimenting on them for some ungodly reason?” He didn’t answer at first, forcing my rage to increase. “Tell me!”
He turned his full attention to the very scientist I’d noticed earlier. “Tell her, Dr. Wycliff.”
The scientist was even more nervous, merely shaking her head.
“You will fucking do as you’re told, Doctor. You are expendable. Tell her!” Robert demanded.
Dr. Wycliff moved closer, her eyes never leaving me. “It’s true. Several of the Breed animals went crazy out of the blue. They almost burned down our other wing then killed Dr. Porter and two of his assistants. It was horrible. Just... the poor creature had to be killed.” She looked away, a nervous tic appearing on her mouth. There was something she wasn’t telling me. I would get it out of her one way or the other.
For a few seconds, I envisioned Luca’s face, the fury that had kept his muscles tense, his eyes haunted. Luca... I needed answers. Goddamn it. What had I been dropped in the middle of?
“Out of the blue? I know enough about the various Breeds to realize they do not just go off the rails without a reason. What the fuck did you do to them?” I demanded, lunging toward the bars, my anger bursting through the seams.
Dr. Wycliff jumped backwards, her arm smashing against one of the tables holding the various nasty and very sharp instruments. Her entire body was shaking as if I’d smacked her in the face.
That just might happen when I found a way out of the cage.
“No. No! You don’t understand,” she insisted as she scrambled to yank everything back in place.
Robert snorted, his hot breath cascading across my face. “Have her prepared, Dr. Wycliff. There’s been a shift in our requirements. Our guest is going to become part of the protocol.”