Altered

by Marnee Blake

  “Please. Gentlemen. No need for that. I’m harmless, I promise.”

  “You are not permitted on this aircraft, Dr. Fields. Please stand down.” The man beside her knelt, his pistol still raised. I don’t want to shoot him. Please don’t make me shoot him. How odd. This man knew Dr. Fields personally.

  Curious now, she reached out to the doctor. She looks young. It does seem that the younger recipients managed the effects of the drug better. How interesting. I hadn’t considered that age would be a factor.

  So this was the scientist who’d done this to them. He was different than she’d expected. Less…maniacal-looking than she would have guessed. Maybe she’d watched too much Scooby-Doo.

  Why were the two guards pointing their guns at him, though, if they were all from Goldstone?

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve come to retrieve Ms. Laughton.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. I’m in need of your assistance, my girl. Will you please come with me?” he asked her kindly, as if she had any choice in where she went.

  “Stand down!” The guard on her other side was getting twitchy, his finger flicking on the trigger.

  “Now, Carl. You know you won’t shoot me,” Fields chided. “Why don’t you both put your weapons away, before someone gets hurt.”

  The two men glanced between themselves, and she could hear their confusion. Is Fields armed? That isn’t his style. And… Surely he wouldn’t risk hurting us.

  Kitty narrowed her eyes, trying desperately to catch up.

  “Ms. Laughton. Will you please accompany me?” Dr. Fields started down the stairs from the hatch. She wanted to call out to him, to tell him how serious her guards were, but the words got trapped in her throat.

  “Fields, stop!” And then Carl fired, one, two, three rounds.

  She cried out. But it wasn’t Fields who fell—he continued moving toward her as if unconcerned about the gunfire. Carl went down first, then her other guard. Carl clutched his calf; the other man groaned over his thigh. She stood, gasping, crying between them.

  Fields stopped in front of her. He held out his hand. “Please. If you will.”

  “You…” Her brain spun. “You’re like Blue. You can move things.”

  “Why, yes.” He smiled as if approving of her deduction. “There is another of you who has that capability?”

  She nodded, dumbly. Great. Now I’ve outed Blue. Think before you speak.

  “How extraordinary.” He took her arm. “We must go, though.”

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Why, we have research to do together, Kitty. May I call you Kitty? I feel as if I know you, having researched all the people in your town before choosing it for my experiment.” She only stared at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was. He smiled. “What are your new skills, if you don’t mind?”

  She didn’t want to tell him.

  “Now, now.” His hand tightened on her arm, almost becoming painful, and she gasped. “I will find out anyway. It would be more…pleasant if we could get along.” The pressure on her arm eased, but the message was clear in his mind. Do not cross me, little girl.

  “I can…read minds.”

  He smiled. A few minutes ago, she might have found it calming. But now the expression chilled her.

  “You don’t say? How…extraordinary.”

  She woke up with a headache.

  Again.

  Recent events were fuzzy, but even in the fog, she knew this wasn’t the first time she’d awakened with a headache lately. And she was certain it was getting old.

  She rubbed her temple, struggling to sit in the backseat of what looked to be a vintage Civic. This car and her Cavalier could have dated. “Ugh. What happened?”

  In the front seat, Nick turned, concern on his face. “Good. You’re awake. I was starting to worry.” He studied his watch and turned to Seth, who was driving. “Half an hour. Long enough for whatever they needed, I suppose.”

  Seth’s jaw clenched, and he nodded, but he said nothing, as if it didn’t matter to him at all. But his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.

  She furrowed her brows as things returned to her. Seth apologizing for kissing her, for letting them distract one another. The apartment. The chair. Losing control. The tranquilizer needle. “Oh.”

  Damn. She’d been so afraid, all she could think about was getting away. She hadn’t paused to think, or she would have frozen the soldiers in the room before she went out the window.

  That mistake had gotten her tranked.

  No wonder Seth seemed upset. She’d done exactly what he’d said she shouldn’t do. She’d been so worried about him, she’d jumped right to doing whatever it took to keep him safe and nearly gotten herself killed.

  She wanted to ask how they’d saved her, but now probably wasn’t the time.

  With a pang in her stomach, she realized Seth might be right. Maybe what she felt for him was a distraction. Maybe it kept her from thinking clearly. But while he seemed to have no problem putting their kisses and talks aside, she couldn’t pretend she didn’t care about him. That she wasn’t falling for him.

  Correction. She’s already fallen. Hard.

  “Yeah.” Nick’s mouth tilted up. “Oh.” He nudged Seth and pointed. “Over there.”

  She followed his finger, still rubbing her head, to a car parked in the corner of what looked like a Home Depot parking lot. The car was a flashy red Tahoe.

  Jeremy.

  She shook her head but stopped when it started to throb. “No. Seeing Jeremy is a bad idea.”

  Seth turned the wheel. “We have to talk to him, Blue.”

  He was probably right, but there had to be a better way than this, out in the open, making them perfect targets.

  “He knew they were coming for us. How could he know that and still be free?” No way Jeremy got away from Goldstone. He was an ordinary guy. He didn’t have their skills. Goldstone would have picked him up, if only to cover their bases.

  If he was here, then he wasn’t safe. And Kitty… So help her, if he’d hurt Kitty in any way, he’d pray for mercy.

  Seth met her eyes in the rearview mirror, iron gray and full of understanding. “I know what you’re thinking. And I agree. But he contacted us. We need to know what he knows. Besides, we need to get Kitty back.” He seemed wary, too. Good, he should be. “Better a public place than a private one.”

  She wasn’t sure about that. At least somewhere private they could fight properly. There were so many people here. It wouldn’t be safe for anyone.

  “Besides,” Seth said with a sigh. “They’re shooting at us. Real bullets.” He motioned to the door beside him. Tiny holes peppered the interior of the door. “Best to meet somewhere public.”

  A rush filled her ears. Really shooting at them? Until now, she’d been able to shrug off Goldstone’s pursuit. They wanted to capture them. That was dangerous enough. But shooting? To kill? She couldn’t pretend they were safe any longer.

  This changed everything.

  She leaned around them to scan the area. She didn’t see any soldiers, but she saw Jeremy behind the wheel of the Tahoe. Alone.

  “No Kitty.” It was an obvious statement, but she had to make it anyway. And if Kitty wasn’t with him, she was with Goldstone.

  Her fist clenched. Why hadn’t she put up more of a fight this morning? If she’d been more forceful, maybe her friend would have listened to her. Maybe she would be safe now. If Kitty had been taken, it was partly Blue’s fault.

  Anger exploded in her. Damn Goldstone. What they’d done in Glory. Her gran. All these changes, these side effects. Now Kitty. She wouldn’t let them get away with this. She had no idea how, but she’d make sure they were stopped. Somehow.

  Seth pulled the Civic behind Jeremy’s car, leaving it in park with the motor running. Smart. In case they had to get out of here fast.

  Seth turned, then, and looked at her, holding her eyes. “No. No Kitty.” His brows dropped. The distance that had been in
his face faded a bit, and his eyes softened. “I’ll find her. I swear to you, I’ll find her.”

  He held her gaze, steady as a rock. As if they hadn’t had that conversation last night. And she wanted to believe him.

  He took a breath and held it. “I want you to stay here.”

  She jerked back to glare at him. What? “Absolutely not. If you’re going, I’m going.” Who else was going to keep him safe?

  “Right.” He sighed. “Because why would you listen to me?” He got out without letting her answer, slamming the door closed.

  Blue watched him step around the car, trying not to feel hurt. Why didn’t he see that she needed to protect him as much as he wanted to protect her? Why couldn’t he see how much she cared about him?

  The big jerk.

  Tired and wearier than she could ever remember, she unfolded herself from the car.

  As the driver’s door of the Tahoe opened and Jeremy climbed out, her anger at Seth refocused on him. This guy had something to do with all of this. Seth and Nick were right. They needed to know what he knew. If it helped get Kitty back, she’d stand by and hear him out.

  She stepped out, staying back while Seth and Nick moved forward. They stopped only a few feet from him, their legs apart. This wasn’t a conversation; it was a confrontation. Good. He had some explaining to do.

  She scanned the two exits, watching them both as she listened in. This part of the lot was secluded, tucked away from the more frequent traffic. It made her nervous.

  “Where’s Kitty?” Seth folded his arms over his chest.

  “Gone. With Goldstone.”

  The words echoed through Blue’s head. Gone. She’d suspected, but hearing it confirmed…

  Jeremy’s body language didn’t suggest guilt. His posture was loose, arms at his sides. She didn’t trust him one bit. “Where are the other two guys?”

  “Gone.” Seth didn’t elaborate. “What happened to you?”

  “They were waiting for us.”

  “Waiting for you? At the bagel shop?” Nick piped up, full of skepticism. He leaned against the Civic as if he didn’t give two shits what Jeremy had to say.

  “Yeah, they were there, at the bagel shop, when we got there.” He shrugged. “I think they followed us.”

  “Why would they follow you first and not come in to get us?” Seth didn’t give him a chance to answer. “How did they find us, then?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe Luke’s sleuthing around last night tipped them off.” It was a plausible explanation…if you didn’t know Luke. But there was no way Luke left any trail behind. He and his father were the go-to computer nerds in Glory. Hell, people came from across the state to talk to them about technology-related issues, and that didn’t include emailed or phoned-in issues. Blue had heard that Mr. Kincaid did secret work for the government. He was brilliant and so was his son.

  It didn’t matter. Bottom line? Luke hadn’t left a trail. Jeremy was full of shit.

  “Didn’t Kitty hear them? She didn’t say anything?”

  Jeremy shook his head. “Not that she said.”

  That was the part Blue didn’t understand. How had he fooled Kitty? If he’d been involved, if he’d had something to do with her capture, why hadn’t his thoughts tipped her off? It didn’t make sense. It was one of the main reasons she remained silent, listening.

  “So what happened, then?” She could hear Seth getting impatient.

  “They stopped us. Took her away. That was it.”

  “Just like that?” Nick remained leaning against the car, his ankles crossed. “What did you do? Stand there and let them?”

  “Listen.” Jeremy didn’t back down. “They had guns. I’m not going to get myself killed over some chick I just met. These people aren’t my people.”

  “They aren’t going to ask her questions and let her go, you asshole,” she gritted out. He had some nerve, with his blasé attitude, while who knew what was happening to her friend. But Seth was watching her, and she knew he expected her to fly off the handle. She gritted her teeth. If she was going to find Kitty, she needed to hear what this jerk had to say. “She deserved a fight,” she couldn’t help adding. “Watch the way you talk about her.”

  Jeremy sneered. Seth stepped forward, partially concealing her. “Why didn’t they take you?”

  This was the question, the most important question they’d asked. From Seth’s mouth, it sounded sweet. Exactly. Why didn’t they take him? Even to question him. It was why he was so damned in her mind.

  “I don’t know.”

  Complete bullshit. She turned sideways, to obscure her face.

  “I see.” Seth’s mouth pursed.

  “Why did you text me? Why didn’t you call?” Nick pushed away from the car, stalking toward his roommate. “Something as important as ‘get out while you can’ probably deserved a call, don’t you think?”

  Jeremy must have sensed he was running out of time. He took a couple steps back. “You guys got out, didn’t you? I wanted to give you some time. Come on. You know me.” He lifted his hands in the universal sign for innocence.

  Nick and Seth looked at each other. Nick nodded. Then Seth stepped forward, his voice low. “How much are they paying you?”

  “What are you talking about?” Jeremy didn’t sound as confident anymore.

  “Goldstone. Did you contact them or did they contact you? What do you get out of this?”

  Jeremy’s jaw worked. Bingo. Blue smiled.

  He stepped back farther, then, as if he was going to run, and his hand dropped into his pocket.

  She froze him where he stood. She’d had enough of this. Seth and Nick couldn’t get any more out of him. Now it would be her turn.

  Seth laid his hand on her arm. “Don’t.” She could see his wariness. This was what he meant when he said that she didn’t listen to directions. So be it. Maybe she didn’t. But she had as much right to this guy as they did.

  “I’m fine. We’re going to talk, that’s all.” She stepped closer, removing the gun from his frozen hand. She handed it to Seth. Seth looked at it, surprised.

  So he hadn’t believed his friend would pull a weapon on him. She lifted her eyebrow at him. See? This was why they were better as a team.

  She smiled at Jeremy, her anger right below the surface. “Isn’t that right? I only have a few questions. Should be easy. First, I want to know exactly who you called.”

  She unfroze his head, but the rest of him remained paralyzed.

  “I’m not telling you anything.” He spat.

  “Then you don’t need to breathe.” She squeezed him, to illustrate her point, and then released his breathing. A flash of fear entered his eyes. There. Maybe they’d get somewhere. “Now. Who did you call?”

  He seemed to consider. He must have decided the information wasn’t that important. “Pike. He’s in charge of the Goldstone operation—”

  “We’re an operation, then.” How clinical.

  “He needs to round you guys up, and he’s trying to track down their doctor. The guy with the drug is AWOL.”

  They knew that already. “What did Pike promise you?”

  Again, a delay. “I’m going to work for him.”

  “Congratulations. Your parents must be proud. Where is Kitty?”

  “I don’t know.” She squeezed him again, but he shook his head. “I’m serious, I don’t know. They said they were going to take her somewhere she would be safe.”

  “If you believe that, you’re dumber than you look.” She stepped back. Only a couple more things. “I imagine they’re waiting for us.”

  “Watching right now.”

  She nodded, expecting that. “They’re shooting at us.”

  “Yes. You guys have killed five men. They’re through taking chances with you.”

  She wanted to defend them. Those deaths had been self-defense at best and accidents at worst. But she didn’t bother. “Do they know about Seth and Nick?”

  “Yes. Both.” Jeremy paused.r />
  She supposed it was a matter of time. But it still pissed her off.

  She glared at him, this piece of shit who’d turned on them all, on his own roommate, his friends. What kind of person did that to his friends? If it had only been her and the other kids from Glory, that would have been one thing. But this? Where was his loyalty?

  And Kitty… How could he have done that to Kitty? He’d used her. Blue wanted him to pay for the things he’d done. He didn’t deserve to have friends as nice as Seth and Nick. And Kitty had been way too good for him.

  A piece of garbage like this…he didn’t deserve to live.

  Her anger increased, becoming almost unbearable. She could do it. She could make him cease to live, if she wanted to. It was right here, inside her.

  A hand on her shoulder distracted her. “Blue?” Seth met her eyes. It was hot, noon, and the light made his gray eyes murky. “This isn’t what you want.”

  Staring at him, she realized her breath was coming fast, shallow, and her heart was pounding. But while her mouth worked—opened and closed—no words came out.

  He was right. She didn’t want to do this, whatever this would have been. With complete certainty, she could feel her future regrets. She might not know what she was now, but she knew for sure that she wasn’t a murderer.

  Three days ago, she never would have pictured herself cutting off someone’s oxygen. She didn’t believe in violence. She’d considered the Peace Corps, for Christ’s sake. She didn’t eat meat, had volunteered at the animal shelter throughout high school, until she started working too much to swing it.

  How had she come to this? Maybe Seth was right. How was he supposed to trust her if she couldn’t even trust herself?

  She held his eyes. There was no judgment, only his guarded concern and a tenderness that filled her with warmth. He believed in her.

  She backed away, dropping Jeremy on the ground. He scurried back, ran around the side of his car and dived inside. They could hear the locks catch. He was trapped, of course, unless he wanted to take his precious Tahoe off-roading. He cowered down in the front seat.

  She turned away, not wanting to look at him. “Can we please go?”