He clenched his fists. The feeling in his chest intensified as he looked around in the empty and quiet room. Most were still asleep at this hour. “Where’s Jade?”
“She’s not with you?” The medic’s focus spiked.
“She said she was going to get something to drink, that was an hour ago.”
That got Blaze on his feet. “I’ve been here for ten minutes, and I haven’t seen her.”
The dreadful feeling in his gut grew by the minute.
Did this mean what he thought, or was she just having a chat with someone somewhere?
Or had something happened?
Had one of the Fighters snapped like Edge had with Faye?
A cold shiver went down his spine. “I have to find her.” He spun around, ready to head for the door, but halted.
Celise and Wind were in the doorway. They held hands, and Wind looked as if he was ready for anything.
Celise’s eyes were still half-closed. She yawned and looked around. “Unusual to see you both up this early.”
Nightmare didn’t have time for morning greetings. “Have you seen Jade?”
The doctor instantly sobered, eyes wide. “No. She’s mostly been with you for the last few days.”
His body started to shake, but thankfully, he was able to hide it from the others. Chaos went through his mind. Something had happened. “Damn it.” He headed for the door again, only to be forced to stop once more, when Phoenix blocked his way.
The Fighter crossed his arms over his chest, intentionally not moving.
“Out of my way.” Nightmare didn’t like the calm look on the cyborg’s face. It only pissed him off even more now that his nerves were spiked.
“I can move if you want but running around trying to find Jade won’t do you any good. She’s not here.”
Nightmare’s breath got stuck in his throat as a gasp went through the room. Every already triggered emotion went off like an explosion, making him tremble.
Betrayal. Disbelief. Confusion. Anger.
It all washed over him like a huge mix of turmoil.
The knowledge that she’d abandoned him grabbed ahold and refused to let go. It squeezed his chest hard, making it difficult to breathe.
Fear for her life and disappointment mixed into the disordered cocktail.
Phoenix placed his hand on Nightmare’s shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “Relax. Jade will be back once she’s done what she has to do.”
He pushed his hand away. “Explain.”
“Did you really expect Jade would do as you wanted? She’s not a dog you can tame. She will go her own ways.” He straightened his back. “Jade has gone back to MedAct to find out anything she can about the bond, but I assume you’ve already figured that out.”
Nightmare frowned so hard it hurt. “How? I never showed her the way out.”
Phoenix inhaled, as if preparing himself, but his back remained straight. “I showed her.”
He snapped. Pure fury made his blood boil and he slammed the cyborg against the wall. “How dare you?”
A loud gasp came from his side, and in the corner of his eye, he saw Celise’s fear, but he was unable to let Phoenix go.
The Fighter didn’t struggle. “I dared, because you made the wrong decision. This is our only chance to find out more about the bond, and the only one who can find that information is Jade. She must go back to MedAct. Not in a week or two, today. She’s already been gone for a week, and that’s long enough. Any longer and the doctors will suspect something.”
“I didn’t know you trusted her,” Nightmare hissed.
Phoenix remained silent for seconds that felt like hours. “I don’t, but I’m giving her a chance, and so should you.”
Hesitation washed over him, sweeping away the worst rage in the process.
“She’ll be fine,” the cyborg assured him. “As long as you stay out of it, nothing will happen.”
His mood darkened again. “How can you be sure?”
“Because they won’t hurt one of their own, especially not their CEO, and especially if they aren’t suspecting anything. As long as she sticks to the story that she’s been on vacation with Celise, everything will be fine.”
Nightmare clenched his teeth.
Phoenix was right, but his whole form vibrated from the almost overwhelming need to go after her.
He felt it in every part of his soul.
His bound one wasn’t by his side, and even if the bond was locked away, he could feel its dissatisfaction.
Of course, Jade would be safe. He didn’t doubt that. She’d worked at MedAct for fifteen years, and it’d been her haven … from him.
The one place he hadn’t been able to go.
Although, he’d never really tried. All he’d managed was to break in through the main entrance to get his hands on the then newborn cyborg, Shade.
Nightmare had studied MedAct for years, even stolen the interior plans of the building, and managed to figure out another way in, but he’d never seen any use for it … until now.
Entering MedAct would be a death sentence.
They wouldn’t even try to find a bound one for him, as they did for every Fighter they managed to catch.
No, he’d be sent to XenthAid.
The place had been a mystery, a rumor, for a long time, but now he knew where the Fighters who refused to bind themselves went.
Like Heaven and the other three who’d helped to get the tank. Unfortunately, he still didn’t know where XenthAid was located. Nor did he know anything about it.
Nightmare shook his head. Somehow, they’d get them back, but right now, his focus was on Jade.
He was unnerved, and the sensation wouldn’t leave him.
Phoenix was right, and yet, why did it feel like she was walking into a trap?
He was probably just being paranoid, but he couldn’t shake the feeling. He headed for the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Phoenix yelled after him.
Nightmare didn’t answer.
Instead, he started to run.
“Shit,” the cyborg said. “Nightmare, stop!”
He didn’t.
Soon, he heard running footsteps behind him. He was fast, and knew where he was going.
Celise wasn’t strong enough to stop him, and Wind wouldn’t try because Celise was his priority.
Nightmare only had to worry about Blaze and Phoenix, but the medic wouldn’t fight him; wouldn’t try to stop him physically.
Phoenix, on the other hand, knew how to throw a punch.
“Don’t do it!” Celise yelled behind him, desperation in her voice. “You’ll make things worse. Trust that Jade will return.”
He couldn’t do that.
He had to go after her. There was no other option for him now. The determination had taken over. It drove him in her direction, and didn’t matter how foolish this idea was.
He had to protect his bound one from the enemy.
Nightmare would risk his own life to keep her safe.
Blood pumped in his veins, as he rushed through the hallways with clear determination. The adrenalin surged through his body, making that goal stronger.
He had no control anymore.
His love for Jade overpowered him.
It made him run for his life to get to her.
He reached the garage, and quickly opened the door, managed to go through it, and close it just seconds before Phoenix caught up with him. In the last second, he turned the lock.
Nightmare leaned forward to catch his breath. He needed a second before he continued.
Someone banged on the door. “Nightmare, please, don’t do this,” Celise’s voice came from the other side of the door.
He panted heavily as he looked for a vehicle. One of the motorcycles was missing. Had Jade taken it?
His grinned. She, who seemed like the sweetest thing with her adorable features and small frame had a strong and stubborn personality, and she could ride motorcycles as well,
apparently.
“I’m sorry, Celise”, he said, approaching another motorcycle. “I no longer have control over this. I must go to her.”
“They’ll catch you!” the doctor yelled.
“No, they won’t. I’ll be careful.” He put on a helmet and gloves before starting the bike.
The banging became louder.
“Nightmare!” Phoenix roared.
He opened the gate doors to the garage, and seconds later, was greeted with the long tunnel that would take him to the surface.
Nightmare turned the motorcycle and drove out.
He was being stupid, but his heart didn’t care.
CHAPTER 25
Jade scanned her office at MedAct. The room was wide, with big windows, allowing plenty of daylight to stream through. There wasn’t much in there, only her working table, a chair, a few plants, a shelf, and file cabinet storage for paperwork. The place had a clinical and sterile feel to it.
She’d spent years in here.
Now, it felt like she’d walked into a stranger’s room.
Getting from the Fighters’ headquarters to MedAct had been easy.
Jade had followed the GPS, and an hour later, she was in place. If the world knew where the Fighters resided, they’d be in danger, and despite that, Phoenix had just let her go.
He’d trusted her.
She wouldn’t betray that trust.
Finding her way back wouldn’t be a problem. The GPS had guided her here and she’d memorized the route before deleting it from the device, just in case.
She’d parked the motorcycle in the garage and chose a spot where it wouldn’t get too much attention amongst other motorcycles.
Hopefully, no one would notice a stolen bike. It was, without a doubt, stolen. Jade doubted the Fighters had bought it.
She chuckled. She was actually going to go back. This place didn’t feel right anymore, not after what she’d been through.
Besides, Nightmare wasn’t here.
The thought of him made her bite her bottom lip. He probably knew by now that she’d left, and there was only one way for him to react.
He’d be furious, disappointed, and heartbroken.
She could only hope he wouldn’t be foolish enough to follow her. Phoenix had said he’d handle Nightmare, and she could only hope he’d had.
Her gaze turned to the computer.
Jade had to get to work. There were many things to go through, but she wouldn’t find anything in her office.
The Fighters already had access to the main servers, and no one would even notice since she’d been the one to log in. The mainframe hadn’t been hacked, it’d been entered via her password.
What they were really after wasn’t available on the main servers. It was stored underground on a server that weren’t connected to the main ones. It was a safety precaution.
During all these years, she’d assumed the most important information was available on the mainframe, but she knew better now.
The Council sure tricked her. They’d literally lied when she asked, fifteen years ago, if everything she needed was available on the main systems.
She should’ve been suspicious when they, time after time, refused her access to the private mainframe. That should’ve been a warning sign, but she’d trusted them, trusted their words, that nothing of importance was available there.
Jade sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Idiot.” Could she have treated it more wrong?
Carolyn had done everything in her power to hide the truth about the bond, and she’d succeeded. No one knew about the poison. There wasn’t even anything suspicious in the code itself. Finding it wouldn’t be easy. It was, without a doubt, behind plenty of locked doors, and she was no computer genius.
Jade was a scientist who knew how to create cyborgs, so where would she find someone who could help her break into the private server?
Who could she trust?
There was a knock on the door.
A smiling and happy Olive entered the room. Her red-blonde hair with pink and blue strands was put up in a ponytail, and beneath her doctor’s coat, she was dressed in white pants and a pastel-colored shirt in pink and yellow. Even her socks and hair tie matched the outfit.
Before Jade got the chance to react, she received a tight hug that squeezed the air out of her lungs.
The tall and fit woman made her feel small, with her five feet four frame.
“Careful, before you break something I need later on.”
Olive chuckled. “Sorry, I’m just happy to see you again. You’ve been gone for over a week. No one knew you were going on vacation. You didn’t tell anyone.”
She cleared her throat. “Well, it came suddenly. Celise suggested I needed time off for a few days.”
“Where did you go?”
Jade winced. She’d forgotten to ask Celise what she’d said about that. “Um … a little bit here, a little bit there.”
Olive only nodded.
She exhaled silently. Her colleague didn’t seem too interested in the answer, but it was obvious a question lingered on her mind.
“Did … Soul go with you?”
Jade blinked.
Soul.
She hadn’t thought of him for several days, and the sting of betrayal still sang in her heart, but she understood his actions better now. “No, why do you ask?”
Olive licked her lips. “He’s gone missing. No one can find him. We’ve been searching everywhere, but he’s not even responding to Janice’s calls, and that never happens with a cyborg soldier. They always come running when their bound one seeks them out.”
She held her breath, studying Olive. Soul was missing? He hadn’t returned?
The last time she’d seen him was at Wind’s and Celise’s place. He’d threatened her with a gun, and later shot her with a dart dipped in a drug that’d made her pass out.
When he’d switched sides, she couldn’t say, but it was obvious he’d been with the Fighters that day. Yet, she hadn’t seen him among them at headquarters.
Had he been locked up like some of the Fighters?
Or had something happened?
The worry in Olive’s eyes was obvious. “I kept searching when everyone else stopped. Janice doesn’t even seem to care if something happened to him, and she’s his bound one, for heaven's sake!” She sobbed, quickly drying away a tear before forcing a smile. “I hoped you’d know something.”
Jade swallowed as the pressure in her chest rose. “I’m sorry, but I have no information. This is the first I’m hearing of this.”
She’d have to ask Nightmare.
Olive exhaled, resignation shining in her eyes. “I just want to find him, you know. I loved working with him. He’s always been my favorite cyborg soldier.”
She placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder, meeting her gaze. “We’ll find him. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to find him, but I need your help first.”
Her colleague relaxed and smiled. “Anything.”
Her lips twitched. “Good.”
Was she trusting Olive too much?
Was Olive even trustworthy?
Jade nodded to herself. Yes, she could trust Olive. They’d had a good relationship over the ten years she’d worked for MedAct.
Everyone liked her, even the cyborg soldiers who usually were difficult to please. She had no issues being around them, while other doctors held their distance because of the cyborg soldiers’ powerful presences.
Olive was responsible for them for that reason, because few dared to do what she did. She took care of them, made sure everything functioned, and if it didn’t, she repaired them.
She was also a computer genius.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
Jade inhaled. If she’d misjudged Olive, this would turn ugly fast.
She doubted Olive knew what was going on, and if she didn’t, she wouldn’t believe easily.
There was no other place to start but with the truth
. “I need you to hack MedAct’s private server.”
CHAPTER 26
Nightmare’s heart thundered as he guided the motorcycle through the city. There was no other way but to go through to get to where he needed to go. The visor was down on his helmet, so the risk of anyone recognizing him was slim, but it still felt like everyone was staring. A shiver went down his spine when he made eye contact with an older man for a split-second.
What if someone recognized him by his body shape?
That would be a disaster.
He swallowed and continued down the road.
Nightmare hadn’t been on these streets in a long time. Last time was when he’d run from MedAct to save his life, to get away from Carolyn.
So much had changed since then. Barely anything looked the same.
When they’d gone after Shade, they’d used other roads, and everything had been planned.
Now, nothing was planned.
Yet, he couldn’t stop himself from doing this, even if his head told him he’d never been this stupid. His bound one wasn’t by his side. She was among the enemy, and it drove him forward.
He had to find her.
He had to make sure she was safe.
Later, he’d teach her a lesson for leaving him.
Only a mile away from the MedAct building, underground tunnels were located. They were there in case of emergency. If a fire happened, people could use them to get out, but now, he was going to use them to get in.
According to what he’d learned, they should lead him directly to the underground levels of MedAct, where he assumed he’d find Jade.
Phoenix had said Jade should be there, searching for Carolyn’s hidden files.
He’d studied the plans of the building for years. He knew them by heart, and his good memory would help him now.
With determination, Nightmare drove the bike forward, turning onto a side street. He followed the small alleyway for a short while before he ended up on a cemented, open space between several tall buildings.
He stopped and switched off the bike, scouting the area.
It was unusually quiet, and only the dying sounds from the motorcycle’s engine echoed. There was no fence, only an entrance in the middle of the open space, leading down into a tunnel.
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