Wolfen

by Alianne Donnelly

  “So that justifies torturing that poor woman?”

  Arik backed off, and ran a hand through his short brown hair. He sported a small scar bisecting his eyebrow; a pugilistic trophy he was quite proud of, considering what the other guy had gotten. “Hard times make for shitty choices, you know that. Like sneaking off to restricted areas when everyone else was otherwise occupied,” he added pointedly. “What were you doing down there with the Wolfen, anyway?”

  She glared.

  “You can tell me.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  He shrugged. “Wouldn’t blame you if you did try to make some kind of deal. We all gotta do what we gotta do, right?”

  There was something behind those words, something in his voice and the way his eyes turned bleak when he said it, that gave Desiree pause. Because it had nothing to do with Sarah back there, or with Desiree in the tunnels. This was as much of a tell as Arik was capable of, and she wasn’t sure whether he’d meant for her to see it at all.

  In a blink, he shifted his weight and his expression blanked to the signature aloof Arik who went about his life without a care in the world. “Kill or be killed, that’s the only choice worth making anymore.”

  “And what would your choice be?”

  His mouth twitched in an almost-smile. “Sharing hour’s over.” He steered her out of the shack.

  “Wait!” She pulled free of him.

  “Quit being difficult, will you? I’m gonna get shit if I don’t get you to Henry.”

  “Just one minute,” Desiree said, mind working overtime. A dozen decision trees grew and overlapped so fast, she could hardly keep them straight. One chance. One way out. Did she dare?

  Do I have a choice?

  She licked her lips nervously. “What if…” What if, what?

  Arik tapped his foot, waiting.

  If she miscalculated, it’d be over, and she could kiss her pulse good bye. But what if it worked? “What if there was another option?”

  He rolled his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  Desiree moved closer, lowered her voice, hyperaware of people going about their daily business on the other side of some very thin walls. “What if there was a way out.”

  Arik shook his head with haughty derision.

  “I’m serious. If I had the means to get both of us far from here, safely and quickly, would you go?”

  He chuckled. “Just the two of us?”

  “That’s the deal.”

  “That’s a shitty deal.”

  Desiree smiled. “You don’t know what I’m offering yet.”

  “Now you’re just wasting my time. Let’s go. Henry’s waiting.”

  “Wait!” Oh God, she’d have to do it. She had to give him something solid, or he’d walk. “Klaus has an escape protocol; an emergency exit strategy.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “It’s true. How do you think we got here? When everyone bugged out of the military base, they didn’t walk, they drove. Those cars and trucks are still there, stashed away and stocked up with supplies. Klaus wanted a backup plan in case he needed to make a quick getaway again.”

  Arik rubbed his chin. “All right, I’ll play. How do you know about it, when no one else does?”

  “I was there when he did it. He and three young soldiers drove those cars into hiding. Klaus shot them down in front of me and threatened to cut off my other leg if I ever told anyone. I know exactly where those vehicles are.”

  Arik huffed with annoyance. “And where is that, in the magical world of Neverland?”

  Desiree shook her head. “That’s not how we play this. You want those cars? You get me out of here with enough supplies to last me a week on my own. Once we’re free and clear, I’ll take you to them. Not a second before.”

  “Yeah? What if I go to Klaus right now and tell him what you told me?”

  She shrugged. “Then I lose my leg, and you get your head blown off. Klaus won’t kill me. He may hate me down to my DNA, but I’m still the closest thing he has to himself. What use does he have for a hired gun? You’re just one among many.”

  Klaus had dedicated his life to his research, and now that it was gone, he had nothing left but the cornucopia of notes preserved in Desiree’s memory.

  He’d spent years force-feeding her ledgers and manuals from the Chernobyl den trials; endless days after her amputation, when he’d sadistically withheld her painkillers until she could recite passages from memory. He’d seen the collapse coming, knew one day paper would turn to ash and computers would disintegrate, and he’d used her to preserve the knowledge in the only way he could.

  The genetically flawed and otherwise useless Desiree was his time capsule. That was why Klaus kept her on a leash. He resented her for being flawed and for being here, while Helena, his perfect creation, was gone, and the fact that he needed her more and more as his eyesight worsened only made his hatred grow. It was the crux of their messed up father-daughter relationship.

  Arik stared for a moment, then swore, stalking to the other side of the shack and back again. “Those converts the other night… They’re getting bolder. Every time they push in on us…” He shook his head, and Desiree shivered, suddenly chilled. So he’d noticed, too. “You’re serious about this?”

  She nodded.

  After a long moment of silent deliberation, Arik rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “We’d probably die out there, real quick-like.”

  She shrugged. “We could die just as quick in here. You said it yourself: we won’t be able to keep the converts out much longer. Isn’t it better to take a chance out there? Two people move faster than a town, even if one of them’s missing a leg.”

  “If we get caught…”

  “Best not to do that, then. Don’t you think?”

  Another pause while the wheels turned in his head. He still had the option of ratting her out to Klaus. Kill or be killed, as he’d said. The fact that he was still standing there gave her hope.

  “What do you want from me?” he finally asked.

  Footsteps pounded outside; traffic was picking up. It wasn’t safe to discuss this further. “We’ll talk later,” she said. “For now, pretend nothing’s changed.”

  He scoffed. “Nothing has. And nothing will, until I see those cars.”

  “Fair enough,” she allowed, and let him lead her outside.

  As she’d thought, there was little Henry could do to repair her prosthesis. He heated the plastic enough to pop the joint back into its proper position, but the screw was trashed and he didn’t have anything else to perform the same function. He rambled on while he worked. “Strange goings-on between these old walls. Strange—very strange. Wolfen in cages, converts at our gates. Bit too lively for me, I’ll say. I like the peace and quiet…”

  Desiree glanced at Arik as he frowned into space.

  “I can nail it solid,” Henry said, “but that would be like having a peg leg.”

  “Better than no leg at all, I suppose,” she replied.

  “Is it?” Arik asked, watching Henry work. “Seems like a lot of useless weight to me.”

  Henry inspected the joint again. “Hmm… I might be able to…” His words trailed off into a mutter as he rummaged around his shop for something. Unless it was a magic wand to regrow her leg, Desiree really didn’t care. Her mind kept wandering back to her conversation with Arik, and she studied his profile, wondering whether she’d made a mistake in choosing him as an ally. Klaus trusted Arik; he was a loyal guard and able fighter. That alone made him a liability. If he turned on her, Klaus would not question him.

  But the same qualities that made him a threat also made him ideal for this plan. Arik was strong, armed, and most of all, smart enough to know when to stick to the plan and when to go rogue. Frank liked being Klaus’ right-hand man too much to give it up, and his men hung on Klaus’ every word. But Arik thought for himself. He was a survivor.

  She wasn’t. What had Alpha called her? A dependant who couldn’t fend for hersel
f. Desiree’s only redeeming quality was that she knew it. She had a fine head on her shoulders, true; give her a beaker and fire, and she could cook up anything from poisons to explosives. But that wouldn’t mean shit out there if she couldn’t physically defend herself. She was a liability in battle, and the world had become one big battle when the converts took over.

  Alpha had already washed his hands of her, and Arik would be an idiot to take her on. He could get so much farther, go so much faster on his own. But he might take her just far enough—if he needed her to get there.

  “Aha! Found it.” Henry returned with a triumphant grin and a metal stick on the end of a chain. He fiddled with the prosthesis for a few more minutes, then clapped and laughed. “This will work!”

  “Fantastic. Let’s see.”

  Henry held up the leg, and swung it back and forth. Yes, the lower part was securely attached to the socket, but it was too loose. She wouldn’t be able to put her weight on it without the joint bending and throwing her off balance. Disappointed, but not wanting to ruin his enthusiasm, she smiled weakly. “Nice job, Henry.”

  He frowned. “Well, wait. I’m not finished.” He picked up the metal stick on the chain attached to the socket, and threaded it through the knee joint. Once again, he held up the leg and swung it. The lower part didn’t move.

  “Nice!” Arik said, taking hold of it to test the joint. But even with force applied, it didn’t bend like a knee. “Or not.”

  “It’s like a safety pin,” Henry explained as he helped her strap the prosthesis on. “Walking, it stays set. To sit, you pull it out a little to bend the knee.” He eased the pin out a couple of inches. “See?” The leg bent, artificial foot touching down in a natural sitting position. “And you push it back in to secure.” He did so, and tried to straighten her leg. It held steady.

  “I suppose it’s as good as it can be,” Desiree said. No good thing could last forever. Henry had just bought her a little more time, that’s all. “Thank you, Henry.”

  He wrung his hands. “I wish I could do more.”

  She pulled the pin, stood up, and pushed it back in to test out the new knee while walking. Steady, like a peg leg. But at least it was there. She walked over to Henry without her crutch, no problem, and with a smile for the good-hearted carpenter, she kissed his cheek. “You’ve done plenty. I’m grateful.”

  “Ready to get to work?” Arik asked.

  “Are you?” she returned.

  In answer, Arik held her gaze, and if his face wasn’t so unreadable, Desiree might have taken that as a “yes.”

  Crutch in hand, she bid Henry good bye and walked out with Arik, headed for the lab.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Arik said when they were outside. “A game like yours is probably going to need some kind of distraction.”

  “No,” she said. They were not bringing anyone else in on it. No way.

  “Seems to me there’s a recently acquired asset that might prove useful in more ways than one.”

  Desiree scrutinized him. “What are you saying?” He couldn’t mean Alpha. Wolfen were unpredictable at best, homicidal at worst.

  “Nothing, really. Just thinking out loud. I’m going to go get those darts. Maybe pick up a couple more things while I’m there. You go straight to the lab, got it? No detours. We’ve got troops up on the walls, and there’s no one guarding the tunnels.”

  Desiree frowned.

  “Just saying, don’t go testing that leg on any inclines. I won’t be there to catch you if you fall.” With a wink, he turned away.

  “Wait,” she said.

  Arik faced her with a huff.

  “First tell me why you agreed.”

  Something dark passed through his eyes, shadows so deep, she couldn’t believe she’d never seen them before. “I have my reasons,” he said shortly, and headed toward the ammunition stores, leaving her alone with too many variables to consider.

  He wanted to use Alpha? That’d be like playing Russian roulette with one empty chamber. Besides, the Wolfen had already shot her down once.

  Then again, with Arik in the picture, the situation had changed. Could she make Alpha reconsider? Arik seemed to think so. Only one way to find out.

  Desiree walked.

  She made it almost to the tunnels, when Dare cut her off. “Where are you off to in such a hurry, all alone?” He grinned as if he’d caught her red-handed, and for a second, angry heat flushed through Desiree’s face.

  She scrambled for an explanation he might believe. “I was going to the lab.”

  “Without Arik?”

  “He went to get something I need.”

  “And he couldn’t do that after he dropped you off into safe hands?” Dare wriggled his fingers in front of her face.

  She slapped his hand away. “We’re on a tight schedule. And besides, it’s two minutes. I can handle being on my own for two freaking minutes.”

  “That’s not what I heard. Little birdie tells me you got a real hard-on for the Wolfen down there.” He jerked his chin toward the tunnels. “All Romeo and Juliet, and shit.”

  “What?”

  “You could’ve told me you’re into that freaky stuff. I can do freaky.” Dare gave her a nasty once-over. His gaze stuck on her prosthesis on the way back up. “I can do freaky real good.”

  “You’re disgusting.”

  Dare chuckled. “Like you can talk. What, you got offers lining up in the wings? Please. Any man worth his dick around here wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.”

  “So what does that make you?”

  Realizing what he’d said, Dare snarled. “You need to watch your mouth, Tripod. Before something bad happens to you.”

  Desiree seethed. The tunnels were right there.

  “We got a problem here?” Arik glanced from Dare to Desiree with a look that told them they’d better not piss him off. She’d never been so glad to see it.

  “Dare was just being his usual disgusting self,” Desiree said. “And wasting my time.”

  “That so, Dare?”

  The redhead liked to talk tough when no one was around, but he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against Arik. He backed up like a good little minion. “Just found her wandering around without an escort and figured she got lost, sir.” He glared at Desiree. “Lab’s that way. In case you forgot.”

  And Desiree knew Dare wouldn’t be straying from her side for the rest of the day. Not even for an instant.

  26: Aiden

  Drip, and drip, and fucking drip…

  ~

  Aiden had figured a few things out after his little chat with Desiree.

  One, she was a heartless, conniving bitch, just like her father. But she wanted something from him, which gave him the upper hand. Or had, when she’d been willing to compromise. He could have used it to his advantage and gotten the fuck out of here. So what if she wanted to tag along? As soon as they got out of here, he could have left her in the dust.

  But no. He had to be the tough guy, pretend none of this bothered him—like he was in here for fun and could walk out any damned time he pleased.

  Yeah, that was the second thing he’d figured out: he couldn’t. His cell walls were solid rock. How the hell Klaus and his minions had managed to dig holes into it, he didn’t know, but the crevices that allowed water to seep through were tiny flaws he couldn’t exploit. It was at least ten feet to the surface, and who the hell knew how thick the walls were?

  The door was the obvious weak spot. Except it was four inches of thick metal hung on seven sets of industrial-grade hinges drilled deep into the rock. Kind of like submarine doors; built to withstand incredible pressure.

  Three heavy locks—one ancient and two modern—and a couple of deadbolts at the top and the bottom. Good thing a two-inch gap along the base let in air. The claustrophobic little box was enough to test his sanity. Even back in Chernobyl, he’d never wanted for space or light as much as he did here. If he stayed much longer, he’d start clawing at the walls.


  To take his mind off of it, he listened to what went on aboveground.

  The converts had been taken care of that night, and the stench of charred flesh the next day told Aiden the humans had burned the bodies left behind. He wondered if it was for the people’s benefit, or some lame attempt to warn off the rest of the group.

  Either way, business as usual had resumed up there. The guards rotated. The market opened. Kids ran around and dared each other to go down into the tunnels. He waited quietly to see if they’d do it, ready to scare the shit out of whoever was brave enough, but none of them were. Punks. He and Bryce wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.

  Speaking of which, his brother ought to be halfway home by now. Aiden wondered how Bryce and Sinna were getting along on their own. He could imagine the long, tense silences, and shuddered. Sinna enjoyed a good rapport; she was a social creature like Aiden, if a little more subtle. Bryce was the direct opposite. Hell, he’d probably have enjoyed the peace and quiet here. God love him, but a conversationalist Bryce was not.

  Aiden’s stomach growled. They hadn’t fed him in two days. Naturally, since the door had no convenient slots, no one wanted to risk opening it to serve him gruel. It was more an annoyance than a discomfort. He’d weathered worse, and as long as that water kept dripping, he at least had a steady source of fluids to tide him over a while.

  What worried him more was whatever that witch was planning.

  “Where are you off to in such a hurry all alone?”

  Aiden’s ears perked up. He recognized that voice. One of the guards from the other night. The timbre was different, though—amused, in a condescending sort of way, but threatening at the same time. He strained to hear the answer, but it was too soft to make out. Aiden put his nose to the door’s bottom gap, and sucked in a deep breath to get a whiff of the speaker. Too many conflicting scents to make out a specific one. He picked up on temperaments, though: anger, aggression, arousal, fear.