When Raven retreated and opened her eyes, the commander was slumped back against the wall, out cold.
“What did you do?” Tuck sounded both suspicious and hopeful.
Raven gave him a tired smile, an ache growing behind her eyeballs, as if she’d strained too hard to hold the commander and his coyote. “I gave him a fighting chance.”
Tuck wasn’t appeased.
“After you were injected, when was the first time you sensed the creature inside you?”
“When the fever broke three days later.” Tuck didn’t even hesitate. One doesn’t forget when they wake up to find they’re sharing a body with a wild creature.
It makes an impression.
“Your creature was what enabled you to survive.” Raven sat, her body still aching from the blast. “I was able to coax his beast forward. If he’s able to keep the creature alive, they’ll both live, but I can’t promise anything.”
Tuck looked at the commander. The fever had dropped. While his breathing was a little rough, it remained deep and even. He glanced back at her. “I won’t forget that you tried to help.”
He said it like a vow, and Raven studied him for a moment. “And if it comes to a choice between keeping your men alive and killing the soldiers who took us, could you do it?”
“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate, his face hard with grim determination. “The commander’s men are loyal to him. They will help us. Tell me what you need.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Time stretched as they went over their plans and the temperature in the box gradually turned sweltering. By the time the truck slowed they were soaked in sweat. The truck went through a number of turns, as if going down some type of ramp, before the vehicle was switched into reverse, the piercing emergency beep echoing in the confined space.
The commander jerked awake.
“Sir!” Tuck and George leapt to his side, then glanced at her, relief on their faces. “Thank you.”
She shrugged it away, knowing they still had an uphill battle ahead of them.
The truck lurched to a stop, and everyone got to their feet, the shackles having long since been removed. London and Jackson maneuvered themselves in front of the door while Tuck and George stood on either side of the commander. The old man was still a little unsteady, the fever and transition leaving him weak.
“Watch for the signal. Get your people out of the compound.” Raven peered at Tuck from over her shoulder. “Anyone left behind will be considered the enemy.”
There was a click, the sounds of the charges being unhooked, then the door opened. Bright light blinded her for a few seconds, but the guys kept her sheltered, Durant remaining glued to her side.
“Out.” Laura barked, clearly enraged to see they were unshackled and the commander had survived.
The truck was backed up to a cinderblock passageway so narrow they were forced to walk single file. Laura led the way as they wound farther and farther into the underground hive. When they reached an air-locking door system, it confirmed Raven’s suspicions that they were in a government facility of some sort. Laura lifted her face up at the camera in the corner. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for the door to buzz and slowly crank open.
Inside, a command post with two dozen super soldiers were waited, their weapons in firing position, the guns no doubt loaded with silver bullets. She and her pack were guided up a set of stairs, winding higher and higher until they came to a stop at a cargo elevator. They were shoved inside, and Raven was surprised when the elevator shot up instead of down.
She’d become so used to being dragged into evil underground lairs, the change was a little jarring. The door opened to a wide hallway that resembled a sterile lab. Bright lights. White walls and floors. Doors coded to palm prints.
Not surprisingly, they were led to a large, empty room with one entire wall made of glass. She expected to see medical instruments, torture devices to tear them apart. Instead the room was stripped bare. The stark space raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
When Laura shut the door behind them, the exit disappeared, the paneling resting flush with the wall. The seams were barely noticeable, the handle nonexistent—not even the hinges were visible.
Tuck and George lowered the commander to the floor, the older man pale and sweating.
“Rest while you can. You’re still suffering the effects of the fever.” Raven crouched in front of him. “Find the circle we created. Stay in the light with your animal. You’ll heal faster together.”
The old man nodded and leaned back against the wall. “Why are you helping? You have to know that as soon as the humans find out I’ve been infected, they’ll no longer listen to a word I say.”
“I know.” She gave him a sad smile. “But we have to try and save those we can. You can still save the ones under your command. That has to be enough.”
“You have a plan.” He studied her with shrewd eyes.
“Your men will fill you in on the details.” Raven beckoned to Tuck to explain, then moved toward the window to give them privacy.
There appeared to be some kind of film on the glass, and she reached out hesitantly. A slight hum vibrated under her fingertips, her touch revealing dozens upon dozens of symbols etched into the glass, every inch of the surface covered with spells. If the static crackling up her arm was any indication, they had a nasty bite to them. London walked up next to her, then tugged her away.
She’d just turned away from the window when the smooth, smug voice torn right out of her nightmares slammed into her with devastating force. “Hello, Raven. I’ve missed you.”
Raven stiffened, then plastered on a fake smile before turning. “Frankenstein. Why am I not surprised?”
He hadn’t changed since she last saw him. Instead of looking like a monster, he resembled an affable professor with slightly thinning hair. His beard was tidily clipped, the dark color barely tinged with gray. He exuded calm and competence. A leader. But his wire rim glasses no longer hid his ruthlessness, his pale green eyes completely devoid of compassion.
Images of partially dissected shifters flashed into her mind, their vacant, accusing stares slamming into her, blaming her for not rescuing them. Her mind flashed to Felix, a smart, courageous kid who never had a chance to live, thanks to Frankenstein’s freakish experiments. She’d sworn to protect him and failed. The doctor had shot the boy to distract her so he could escape, and she’d been too slow to save the kid.
Darkness shifted inside her as the need for vengeance simmered in her gut. “Do these people know you’ve been working both sides of the fence?”
Raven met Laura’s gaze, ignoring the two guards. “He’s been experimenting on shifters—”
“Of course.” Laura snorted and rolled her eyes, as if Raven was the fool. “How else are we to make any advances?”
“Advances?” Raven stalked toward the wall, pulling up short when energy buzzed off the barrier. “Tell me you don’t actually believe he’s looking for a cure.”
Raven dismissed Laura. The woman was a naive fool, so focused on what she wanted to hear that she didn’t look beyond the obvious.
“What do you mean?” Laura glanced between the two of them, the first suspicions darkening her eyes.
“He couldn’t figure out how to control the shifters, so he created a serum, hoping the humans would be more docile.” Raven turned her attention to Frankenstein. “But you couldn’t find a way to keep them alive and stable. What are you trying to achieve?”
Frankenstein puffed himself up “Do you know we’re all descended from the same master race? Over the millennia, small changes to our DNA occurred, creating the different species…humans, shifters, vampires, and whatnot.” He waved his hand, as if brushing away the details. “Each species carries a splice of that divine creature.”
“You’re trying to recreate it.” Raven gaped at him in disbelief. He was certifiably insane. “That’s just a myth.”
He smiled and wandered closer, ex
citement shining in his eyes. “But all truth has a basis in fact. Shifters’ basic urges are too wild to repress, their beast too impulsive to become domesticated. Those who can’t shift are more manageable, but that defect also limits their abilities.”
“So you’ve decided to experiment on humans.” Raven wanted to throw up, but she needed to keep him talking. If she wanted to stop him once and for all, she needed to find out what he was trying to accomplish.
“The government jumped at the chance to gain an army and rid itself of the filthy paranormals. Unfortunately, while humans are more obedient, they don’t have very strong constitutions. Their bodies are too fragile.” Frankenstein wandered closer, his eyes hungry as he studied her. “But you’re different from the shifters. Where they lack control over their baser instincts, you’re the opposite. Your only weakness is your pack.”
The darkness began to gather around her at the threat to her pack.
A chill invaded her soul and ice slid under her skin.
A divine being…like her ancestors.
“So you plan to dissect me like the others. You and I both know you won’t find anything.” Because she would kill him.
“Of course not.” He sounded appalled at the very idea. “You can work with me. The Egyptians managed to recreate these divine beings and worshiped them like gods, a perfect blend of all species. With your help, we could recreate the master species and rule the world.”
Dread curled through her as she imagined the abomination he wanted to create. The gods would destroy the world, just like her ancestors nearly did. No one would be safe. “And you think you can control them?”
He must have sensed her disbelief and scowled at her. “Every creature has a weakness. If we make them male, they will be vulnerable to their mates. We’ll create their perfect match, and they will do whatever we want.”
“And the cure?” Laura refused to look at Raven. “What about the cure?”
Frankenstein appeared surprised to find Laura still there and gave her a smarmy, distracted smile. “There is no cure for death, dear. Everyone knows it will come for them eventually.”
Laura blanched. “You son of a bitch.”
She threw herself at him, only to have two guards grab her arms and drag her away. “Not to worry, my dear. You can still be of help. Take her to the breeding center. We may be able to breed her genes with more stable DNA in hopes that her offspring will survive and be of use.”
Laura shrieked in rage while they dragged her down the hallway, kicking and fighting every step of the way, but she might as well have been an ant for all the attention the guards paid her.
Raven watched the guards, noting that they hadn’t seemed surprised in the least…then understanding hit. They weren’t military. They were hired thugs, mercenaries, like the people who’d been trying to kill her since the bounty was broadcast over the dark web. They took the serum willingly, and they obviously knew the risks, but didn’t care.
What did they know that she didn’t?
Frankenstein smiled at her as if they’d never been interrupted. “What do you say? Will you protect your men and join forces with me?”
The lights in the room flickered, the shadows thickening as they began to gather around her. Tiny glints of silver flashed in the darkness like glitter. The dragon etched into her side flexed and stretched, expanding as it began to swim under her skin. “Protect my men? You tried to blow us up. You even had your psycho stake one of them. You already sent soldiers to my house to kill my people. You sent people to the council.”
His smug smile faltered. “A small misunderstanding. I told them to bring you to me, whatever it took. She will be punished.”
“And the council?”
“Changes are coming. They will be the spark to start the revolution. When war breaks out, people will look for a solution, and we will give them one. The creatures we create will put a stop to the war. We will be heroes and worshiped like gods.”
Tuck and George hauled the commander to his feet, keeping their backs against the wall as they sidled toward the others, trying to avoid drawing her attention.
Wisps of black smoke began to curl around her. Energy bubbled up from her bones and bled through her skin. When she reached out and slammed her hand against the barrier, a shadowy paw landed on the glass. The spells shattered, the sound like breaking glass, and the barricade bowed, as if under a great weight.
Claws longer than her hand thunked into the glass, and little chips of glass ricocheted in the hallway at the impact. She raked her hand down, scoring deep grooves in the inch-thick glass. Heat built under her hand, and she watched the glass melt into thick globs.
The guards backed away from the cell, the stench of their fear easily detected through the barrier. Frankenstein seemed fascinated, watching avidly as tiny specks of silver began to form along the shadowy shape.
“Don’t shift. You can’t shift here.” Durant curled himself around her back, wrapping his arms around her, tucking his face against her neck as he tugged her away from the barrier.
It hurt to pull back. Everything inside her felt ragged and torn. Putting the beast back was like trying to pack a box full of foam one teaspoon at a time.
Jackson and London backed up, then charged the glass. They jumped, twisted mid-air and slammed their shoulders against the wall.
The barrier shattered in a hail of shards. Even before the guards could raise their guns, London and Jackson knocked their weapons aside, snapping the guard’s necks in an awesome display of strength and coordination. One guard managed to throw a couple of swings, but it was no contest. In seconds, five guards were put down.
Raven waved the commander and his men toward the gaping opening. “Now. Go.”
They didn’t hesitate or even pause as they stepped over the dead guards and hauled ass down the hall.
Frankenstein scowled at the retreating threesome, making no move to stop them, not even flinching when London turned toward him with the promise of death in his eyes, and fear gripped her throat like a vise. “Stop! Something’s wrong.”
When London ignored her, she fought against Durant’s grip, jamming her elbow into his injured side, sickened by his grunt of pain, but the damned fool refused to release her. Panic threatened to consumer her when she finally slipped free from his hold. She bolted for the opening when Jackson grabbed London’s arm, the big man dragging him for a few steps before shaking him off.
“It’s a trap!”
But even as she spoke, London drew back his arm and threw a punch. The instant the blow landed, magic rippled in the air, and London went flying backwards. Jackson made a grab for him, slowed his momentum, but the big bear was going too fast and was ripped away from Jackson’s hold. London landed so hard the thump reverberated up her feet before he came to a stop and lay disturbingly still.
She had just launched herself through the opening, glass crunching under her boots as she raced toward London, when the man who plagued her nightmares spoke.
“You ruin my fun.” Frankenstein huffed out a disappointed breath. Apparently he didn’t like it when her attention wasn’t centered on him. “What gave away that I was protected?”
Raven froze, watching Jackson scramble after London while Durant positioned himself protectively at her side.
“He’s not breathing.” Jackson’s voice was low and hard.
Her heart cracked and broke. Lights up and down the hallway brightened, then dimmed. Electricity crackled down the hall, blowing out the bulbs as the current surged. Static hummed in the air, growing louder as it rushed toward her. Locked doors popped open as the electricity fizzed out.
The power was so strong, her hair began to float, as if lifted by the wind. The windows on the whole floor shattered, glass flying in the hallway, peppering her as electricity picked up the tiny shards.
Everyone ducked, but Raven knew there was no escaping the pain. Despite knowing that the electricity could tear their beasts free, Raven couldn’t stop the pu
ll.
Cold metal burned her palm, and she gripped the ancient sword gratefully, just one goal in mind as she stalked down the hall toward the man who’d caused everyone so much grief and devastation. For the first time, true emotions broke through his apathy…both excitement and a thread of doubt.
“You had the power all along. You’re one of the divine ones,” he accused, sounding betrayed.
The current struck the sword, the deep purple flame crackling down the handle. Tiny cinders floated to the ground, where they hit the tile like lava and ate through the floor.
She followed Frankenstein down the hall as he began to retreat. “Not a divine one. We’re called ancients, and we were destroyed for a reason—we eventually go bat-shit crazy with power.”
“I can help.” He straightened and held out his hands beseechingly. “I can stop the effects.”
“My pack was keeping me sane.” When Raven smiled, her fangs lengthened and cut into her lip. “But you keep killing them.”
“The soldiers will return soon.” He backed up a step for every one she took toward him. “If I don’t check in with them every thirty minutes the building will go into lockdown. I’m expecting their call any minute. I’m their only chance at survival. If you kill me, you’ll never get out of here alive.” He sounded gleeful, some of his smug confidence leaking back into him.
“I’ll take my chances.”
His eyes widened with true fear right before he turned to flee. Raven leapt after him, the world around her blurring, until she came to a halt facing him.
He noticed her too late to avoid slamming into her. He backpedaled, falling on his ass, and she brought down the sword, piercing his sternum, and pinning him to the floor like a bug.
The way he’d done to so many others in his quest to create the perfect creature.
He screamed in pain, clutching the sword, the wickedly sharp blade slicing his hands. The stench of sizzling flesh thickened the air. He appeared shocked and even a bit hurt that she’d stabbed him, and blood began to bubble out of his mouth. “How?”
Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet Page 85