by Marnee Blake
“I gave you the wrong idea. We need to focus on getting to Bragg. That…” His hands fisted at his sides to keep from reaching for her. “Was inappropriate. I’m sorry. Stuff like that…it makes people lose perspective.” Like him. He was losing his grip.
“You’re sorry you kissed me.”
He gritted his teeth to stop himself from recanting and nodded, even as he wanted to pull her back into his arms. To tell her that he lied, that he wasn’t sorry at all, that he wanted to kiss her again even now.
He had to do this.
Betrayal swept across her face, and it struck him in the gut like a punch.
Better to hurt her now than get her killed later. “I’ll get you and Kitty to Bragg, if you’ll let me. I promise I’ll do whatever I can to keep you as safe as I can. There will be doctors there that can help us.”
“And no more kissy distractions.” The sarcasm wasn’t lost on him.
“No.” He said it even as a voice in his head screamed.
She nodded and avoided his eyes when she shrugged. “Fine. If that’s what you want.”
This was for the best. Keep telling yourself that.
She gathered her things as his fingers practically ached to reach for her. When she turned and walked into the room where Kitty and Jack already slept, her back was rigid. He immediately wanted to call out to her, to apologize. He wanted to tell her he was stupid and scared, but he forced himself to let her go.
The door closed softly behind her.
He didn’t know how long he stared at that door before Luke stuck his head out of Jeremy’s room and interrupted his thoughts. “Seth. I found him.”
About an hour ago, Luke had decided to jack into Goldstone’s infrastructure and see what he could find out. Seth hadn’t known if he’d be able to get in. Goldstone was an elite private security firm. They would have serious firewalls. But Luke found some back alleyway in. He’d also managed to transfer money from his father’s account to an offshore account in the Caymans with almost frightening ease. Seth would hate to see what the kid could do if he had malicious intentions. He followed him into the bedroom, sitting down heavily on the bed next to the computer.
Jeremy stretched out behind him, flipping channels on the television, as if none of this concerned him. Nick leaned against the wall at the door, his face unreadable.
He inhaled a steadying breath. “What’s up?”
“This has to be him. Dr. Fields. Lots of letters after his name.” Luke jabbed a finger at the screen, swiveling the desk chair a little to face him. “The guy’s a chemist in Goldstone’s R&D department. Or at least he was.” He glanced back, tapping away at the keys a bit more. “He was working on a compound to enhance agility.” He snorted. “‘Enhance.’ Great word.”
Yeah, great. After spending time with them, he could see how their new talents were enhancements. Kitty’s sensitivity and inherent intuition. Blue and Luke’s persuasiveness and force of will. Which meant he was like Jack in some way. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
“Good job.” He squinted at the screen. “What else can you tell?”
“Lemme see…” Some clicks and he scanned down. “Days before the drug was supposed to go to clinical trials, the funding was cut to his program. Two months ago.” His brow furrowed. “The official reason: too dangerous.”
Right.
“This Dr. Fields…he went missing. Over a month ago. There’s a police report, too, filed by his sister. Wait, two reports. One about him going missing, and another alleges he stole top-secret property from his employer, Goldstone.” Luke glanced up from the screen. “Stole property?”
Seth shook his head. Stole from Goldstone? He allowed that to twist in his mind. It put all the pieces together for him. “That has to be why it took so long for Goldstone to get to Glory, after our flu. They didn’t do this to us… Fields must have done this. He must have stolen the drug or research on it. He decided to continue with his clinical trial, funding and safety be damned. I bet Goldstone swept in to clean up the mess.”
“He worked under Pike, a retired major in the marines.” His face suddenly split into a smile. “Hey, now we’re talking. Look at this. One of the trials on the drug. Solvimine.” He paused, scanning, and his smile faded. “Oh.”
“What?”
“Rats. He tested it first on rats.” Luke pushed back from the computer, considerably paler.
When he didn’t continue, Seth jumped up, reading the report on the screen.
Twenty rats injected with the drug. Twelve dead the next day after serious illness and seizures. Of the eight remaining, a variety of results. Two of the rats rearranged the objects in their cages with their minds, including an alarming incident in which one of the mice threw the other against the bars, fracturing its spine. Three of the mice exhibited no visual side effects, but there was unusual social behavior. The rat who’d been the pack leader suddenly became more docile. They stopped showing normal rat hierarchies and moved toward an egalitarian society. Their grooming patterns became more predictive and whole pack oriented, as did their eating patterns. The remaining three rats were the most bothersome. Their cages had to be reinforced in new and increasingly sophisticated ways in order to prevent the rats from escaping.
He scowled. That sounded about right.
But as he continued, his amusement faded. The next paragraph chilled him.
At the month mark, only three rats remained. As the animals’ behaviors became more pronounced and sophisticated, they suffered seizures, growing in intensity until some of the reactions actually killed the subjects, all deaths marked by blood from the nose and ears.
He looked at Luke. This was bad.
From across the room, Nick piped up. “What?”
Seth stood, pushing away from the computer desk, not sure what to make of all of this. The rats’ skills increased along with the side effects. Until it killed some of them? But those were rats, not humans. They were smarter than that. They could control their new talents, right? Most of the time, anyway.
Who was he kidding? None of them seemed to be able to control anything.
Was that their fate, then? Survivors destined to dwindle by another half or more over the next days or weeks? They already suffered nosebleeds, headaches. Would seizures be next? Would they be forced to watch one another die?
No. No way. There had to be something else. He refused to admit that there was nothing else.
Except he couldn’t think of anything.
He turned to Luke. “You know what this means, right? This means you guys should come to Bragg. With us.”
Still pale, Luke shook his head. “I don’t know, man.”
Luke was having a rough time, Seth got that. He didn’t push. “Think about it. Okay?”
Luke nodded, and Seth left him alone, going out to the living room to collect his thoughts.
As far as he knew, Jack and Luke hadn’t experienced any side effects. Yet. Though, with Jack, Seth didn’t put it past that kid to keep it to himself. He hoped they would both come to their senses.
But he’d had the one nosebleed. Kitty, too.
And Blue…
He squeezed his eyes closed.
No way could he have driven a wedge between them to keep her safe only to find that nothing would save them. He wouldn’t accept that.
They needed to get going, with or without Luke and Jack. First thing in the morning. They were running out of time.
Chapter Fifteen
Kitty woke full of optimism. Amazing what a full night sleep would do. Sure, her bed could have been more comfortable—the carpet in this apartment didn’t offer much barrier between her and the concrete floor—but at least she hadn’t slept in a cold tent or crammed in the back of a Toyota, catching a half an hour here or there on a long car ride. She’d take it.
She got up, went to the bathroom, and splashed water on her face. She brushed her teeth and felt like a million bucks.
When she stepped out into the livin
g room, she found Blue staring at a piece of paper. Her thoughts were stormy. Fools. Cowards. They said they were going, but they could have at least said good-bye. What if we’re sick? What if we’re dying? How are we going to help them in Mexico?
“What happened?” Kitty asked.
Blue turned over the paper she was holding. “See for yourself.”
She read: I’m so sorry. I know we should stay, get help, too, but we’re heading for Mexico. Wishing you both the best, but I can’t do this anymore. If you need me, email the address below. Please be careful.
Luke had signed it, including a generic Gmail address at the bottom.
“I see.”
“They’re stupid. I expected something like this out of Jack. But Luke? Don’t they know we’re stronger together?” Blue stormed into the kitchenette, took out a bottle of water, and slammed the fridge door shut. “How are they going to get out of the country without Goldstone finding out about it?”
Kitty didn’t know. But unlike Blue, she couldn’t work up the same level of outrage. Who was she to know what was best? When she listened to Luke or Jack talk about getting away, she couldn’t fault their reasoning. If she could escape this new power, she’d do it in a heartbeat. But for her, it wasn’t that easy.
And Seth’s concerns about their side effects were valid, no matter what any of the others said.
She wondered if Blue was aware of the fear that tinged her reactions. Probably not. She shied away from thinking of herself like that.
She looked at her friend. They’d been close in high school. But since they graduated, they’d drifted apart. Her parents had never liked guests, after all, and Blue worked long hours.
Her friend was vivacious, outgoing. She spoke her mind, didn’t care what other people thought. More naturally introverted, Kitty preferred to blend in. To her they’d always seemed a classic case of opposites attracting.
But now that she was privy to her thoughts, Kitty could see they weren’t all that different. At least, not in some important ways. Neither of them wanted to be alone. They didn’t think Goldstone should get away with what they’d done. And more importantly, they were afraid of what they would become. None of the guys thought about it, that this new normal could be dangerous, life threatening. But she and Blue thought about it. A lot.
Kitty put the letter down, shaking her head. “It’s not as easy as that.”
Blue huffed. Her mind filled with betrayal, and Kitty steeled herself against it. And when she inspected Blue’s emotions further, it wasn’t Luke and Jack that bothered her. She was thinking about Seth, and the pain there hurt Kitty more than she could handle. She tried to drag the conversation back to Luke and Jack. Easier that way.
“Luke needed to leave.” She wouldn’t explain Luke’s state of mind last night. It seemed too personal. He’d replayed the soldier in La Junta’s fall over and over, the man’s face becoming more and more gruesome with each mental retelling. He’d turned himself into a monster in his mind—that’s the word that screamed out over and over—and to him, he’d become someone unfit to be around others. How could she explain to Blue that he didn’t trust himself anymore?
“That’s idiotic.”
Kitty shrugged.
When she didn’t get any fight from Kitty, Blue’s anger faded, and she sighed. “Well, at least he left us an email. And a huge chunk of the cash he had. That’s something, I guess.”
“Yeah.”
Jeremy stepped out of his room, his hair still wet from his shower. In low-slung jeans, a tight gray T-shirt stretching over impressive muscles, he looked like any girl’s dream. He smiled at her, a charming smile, and she tucked her hair behind her ear, looking down. She could feel the heat on her face.
She really is hot. Hope she’ll come with me.
“I’m going to run out to get bagels. Anyone want to come?” he asked, looking directly at her, hope in his expression.
She watched visions of herself—a prettier version of her, a version she wished she could be—flash through his mind, and her face heated further. When that vision became more and more scantily clad, she looked away.
She shouldn’t go with him. Even his roommate had warned her against him. The memory of that conversation pricked at her, and she wasn’t sure why. So why was she even considering this? His thoughts were vulgar. She should do as her mother would advise: take the road of chastity and modesty and remain far from him. All she knew was his head was full of dirty—if vaguely flattering—thoughts.
So why wasn’t she declining?
When she didn’t answer, he stepped closer. “Come on, Kitty. Take a ride with me.”
I need to get her to go. Come on, cutie. Say you’ll go.
His green eyes bored into hers, and she found herself drawn to him. He really was incredibly attractive. And he was staring right at her—her!—with that hot look. Her stomach fluttered, and her gaze dropped to his mouth. He had a really strong jaw, a really nice mouth. With two perfectly shaped lips.
Blue stepped closer, shrugging, a fake smile on her face. “Kitty and I will hang out here. But thanks, Jeremy, for the offer.” Back off, pal. You’re not her type.
Kitty scowled at her. What exactly was her type? She’d never been permitted an opinion about boys. Always from her mother, how sexual fantasies were the work of Satan and led down the road to ruin. And her father? Please. If she wanted to leave her house at all, the topic of boys was never to cross her lips. Ever.
She stared at Jeremy’s muscles and enticing grin. Maybe she did have a type after all.
When he didn’t move to leave, Blue tucked her arm around Kitty’s waist and her thoughts turned darker. “Scurry along now.” You douche. Leave the innocent alone.
That was enough. Kitty shrugged out of Blue’s hold. Was that what she thought of her? That she was some innocent who needed protection? Well, she’d been protected her entire life. She was eighteen years old. She’d always let everyone push her around, make decisions for her. Blue was overreacting, afraid again, that was all. She needed to calm down.
She looked at Jeremy, considering. What harm could come of it? It was a quick trip out. For bagels, for pete’s sake. He seemed good-natured enough. A little arrogant, but look at him. Besides, he was Seth’s friend. They could trust him, right?
Come on, baby.
Why not? “To the bagel store, right?”
His face split into a grin. Awesome. “Yep, down the street. I’ll even let you pick the music station. You strike me as the country music kind of girl.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Too much twang. Jazz?”
“Deal.”
“Kitty.” Blue’s concern washed over her. He sees her as an easy target. He’ll take advantage.
Was it too much to consider that he might really want to get to know her? Did it have to be that he meant to take advantage? And how much advantage could he take at the bagel store, for goodness’ sake? She wasn’t a child. “It’s fine. We’re going for bagels. You like bagels, right?”
“Sure.”
“Great.”
Jeremy swept the door open and ushered her out. When he stepped in front of her, leaving her to follow, she experienced a moment of doubt. But he opened the front car door, helping her in, before he went around. The show of manners made her feel a little better. Her mother used to say that good manners were the mark of good raising.
Only a couple blocks away. Not far. The thought flitted quickly and then was gone. Wonder what that meant. But when he turned the car on and smiled at her, she forgot about it. She really is a cute girl. “Radio’s all yours.”
“Thanks.” She twisted the volume knob. “And thanks for asking me along.”
He chuckled. “No problem.” None at all.
She felt her face flush again. His appreciation was incredibly flattering. “So what kind of music do you like?”
“Whatever you like, baby.” Just something to listen to on the way.
She pushed the seek button, sto
pping when she found a suitable jazz station. He smiled encouragingly but didn’t say anything. For someone who’d wanted her to come so badly, he was being awfully quiet. Oh, well. There were worse ways to spend an early morning than seated next to a handsome guy who thought you were pretty.
As he pulled the Tahoe into the parking lot of a small strip mall, he searched the cars parked there, taking note of their make and model. How strange. He must really like cars.
They pulled into a spot directly in front of the bagel store, and she let herself out, jumping down from the high SUV. He opened the door to the store for her, and she listened as he appreciated her rear end. Seriously, so cute. Such a shame.
A shame? What did he mean?
Then a hand was on her arm. Confused, she shook at it, turning to find a man in a dark suit and sunglasses. “Excuse me, sir.”
He didn’t let go. Only tightening his grip. Another man, dressed similarly, appeared on the other side. “Ms. Laughton. I’m going to have to ask you to come with us.” We are armed, ma’am. Please do not resist. There are innocent people here. His thoughts sounded as if they were spoken directly to her. My name is Agent Poole. I work for Goldstone.
His thoughts were directed at her, then.
Fear sliced through her. How had they found her? She jerked her head, meeting Jeremy’s eyes. He shrugged, his smile only vaguely apologetic. “Sorry, love.”
Then all of it crashed down on her. Jeremy’s call to the former colonel at Goldstone, who had offered him a golden career opportunity. How he’d focused on her to keep her from seeing his true intentions. She’d listened to his eagerness to go without searching for an ulterior motive. A huge mistake.
Sickness settled in her stomach. He’d set her up. And she’d fallen for it, completely and totally. Like a naive child.
She glared at him, continuing to fix her eyes on him as she allowed the two men to turn her and lead her outside. He followed, standing on the sidewalk as they escorted her along. His half smile mocked her, but she wouldn’t turn away, even craning her neck to find him. She wanted to remember this moment. To embrace it, to breathe it in.