Knight Awakening

by Zanetti, Rebecca

  Larry Sowers came around the corner, clean clothes in his hands. He smiled at Atticus and then looked from Penny to Marcus. Dirt marred his white shirt and dark jeans along with some blood. Not a new sight in the world, and at least he’d brought clean clothing to wear after his shower. “Last night can’t happen again. No more nightmares in the middle of the fucking hallway. Some of us need sleep.”

  Penny stepped in front of Marcus before he could move. “We took care of it.”

  Larry’s blue gaze went right over her head to Marcus. “Not all of us are the little brother of the Vanguard leader, you know. Some of us actually have to be useful.”

  What a dick.

  Atticus tossed a smaller towel toward Larry. “Take the shower on the far left. It’s rationed, so you won’t have time for that fancy conditioner you like.”

  Penny pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

  Larry’s gaze narrowed on her, making him look like a surfer dude studying a wave. “If you join me, we could get twice the water.” His smirk hinted he knew where she’d spent the night.

  Marcus began to set her to the side, his hands on her shoulders.

  Atticus raised a hand. “One more word from either of you, one movement from either, and you both lose shower privileges for two weeks. Then see who’ll hang around you.”

  Marcus’s grip tightened as he obviously held himself back.

  Larry rolled his eyes and walked to the far left shower, quickly disappearing inside.

  Atticus lowered his chin. “Marcus, you can’t let guys like that get to you. He’s a chump.” His eyes twinkled. “He also went to the shower with the least amount of water. He’ll wear dried soap for three days.”

  Penelope snorted.

  Marcus captured Penny around the waist and lifted her toward the farthest shower on the end—about seven showers down. “That was a good idea. We should conserve water.”

  Penelope’s lungs seized, and she drew up. “Marcus,” she whispered, her face burning.

  “What?” He opened the door and planted her inside, right near the hooks for clothes and towels.

  She chuckled and smacked him in the ribs. “Knock it off.” Was he making a claim or what?

  Atticus cleared his voice. “Uh, kids? I have to watch the showers and can’t leave. Please don’t make me hear anything I don’t wanna.”

  Penelope dropped her head to Marcus’s chest. “Oh, I’m going to kill you,” she whispered, trying not to laugh.

  “It’d be a hell of a way to go,” Marcus said, reaching for her shirt. “Now. Let’s get clean.”

  A heavy fist pounded on the door. “Marcus? I need you.” Jax didn’t sound like he was willing to wait.

  Marcus sighed. “Guess you get this shower to yourself.” He hung her towel on the hook and slipped outside to talk to his brother.

  Penny quickly ditched the rest of her clothing, surprisingly sorry they couldn’t shower together, even though she’d been embarrassed.

  They were not a couple. Not a real couple, and she had to keep reminding herself of that fact. She’d gone into this with her eyes wide open and her brain fully engaged, and she knew who Marcus was and what he couldn’t give her.

  Or did she?

  17

  I like Penny.

  —Marcus Knight, Still Not a Journal

  Marcus sat on the shrink’s couch in her quiet office, relaxing into the supple leather. Vanguard must’ve been the first to gut the office this thing had come from.

  Vinnie sat in a matching chair next to him, a cup of steaming tea in her hands and her blue eyes bright. “You seem kind of cranky today,” she mused, blowing the steam toward him.

  Yeah. He didn’t get to shower with Penny that morning. “I’m fine.”

  “Ah. Not talking. That’s a great way to start therapy,” Vinnie mused, shoving blond hair away from her classic face.

  “I’m not in therapy. We’re looking to dig into my memories,” Marcus said, feeling overlarge next to yet another woman in this place.

  Vinnie chuckled, taking a sip. “What exactly do you think therapy is?”

  He frowned, sliding his hands along his clean jeans. He liked being clean, although the shower had been lonely. “I don’t know. What is therapy?”

  “Hell if I know,” Vinnie said. “I was a profiler and not a therapist, you know? But I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to talk about your feelings and all of that, and then I steer the topics with brilliant questions to engage your mind.”

  Okay. The shrink was cute in a ‘sister he’d never really wanted’ kind of way. So he told her so.

  Her smiled widened. “That’s so sweet. Although, you know you do have a sister now. Lynne and Jax are going to be married, so that will make her your sister.”

  He hadn’t considered that fact. “Huh. I don’t know how to have a sister.” He should probably do a better job of making sure Lynne was safe. It was a good thing that she and Penelope shared the clinic. He cocked his head to make sure he could hear Penny in her office next door, shuffling papers. Yep. He then listened for Lynne an office down, where she was conducting experiments on the Vitamin B vials taken from the inner hospital. She was muttering to herself, so she must be fine. His shoulders relaxed even more.

  Vinnie took another sip. “Do you remember anything about these other Bunkers?”

  He remembered what Georgia and the other scientists had done to him there. Each bone they’d broken to see how fast he’d heal; each burn they’d inflicted for the same reason. His healing abilities just got stronger each time. That was a pisser. “I remember the different door colors.” Then he told her about the nightmare the other night.

  She reached for a notepad and scribbled a couple of sentences. “Do you think the colors mean anything?”

  He cocked his head. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know.” She pursed her lips. “They were blue in Century City, which is kind of by the ocean? Only a couple hours away.”

  “Maybe,” he allowed. “The ones in Reno, the place that was blown up, were a deep green. Like cash?”

  She pursed her lips. “I don’t know. It’s a thought, or perhaps they just had different decorators at each one. Were you ever kept in the Reno Bunker?”

  “I don’t think so.” The place hadn’t felt familiar when he’d breached it with Jax in July. “I don’t think we ever travelled far, but I don’t remember.” He’d been thinking about this for a while, so why not bounce ideas off her? “Century City and Reno are just under five hundred miles apart. What if the other Bunkers are spaced equally? They shared resources, so it’d make sense they weren’t too far apart.”

  “That’s good pattern recognition, Marcus.” She tapped her silver pen on the paper and crossed her legs. Today she wore a black pencil skirt with a white blouse and blue heels. Raze always looked for outfits like that for her when out on raids, so the big soldier must like her in skirts like that. Another pattern recognized. “Thanks,” Marcus said. “We done?” He needed to get back to Penny.

  “No. I want you to take a deep breath and clear your mind.” Vinnie set down her cup.

  Marcus shook out his hands and kicked back, doing as she said.

  “Shut your eyes.”

  He did so, breathing evenly.

  “Is your mind clear?” she asked.

  “Mostly,” he said.

  She sighed. “I need it all the way clear. Can you do that?”

  “Yep.” He took another deep breath and then opened his eyes. “No.”

  Vinnie sat back. “Why not?”

  “Because Penny is a room away, and if I clear my mind, I may not hear her if she needs help.” There might still be two Rippers in inner territory, although it was doubtful. The last Ripper had looked for her, or for the drugs she protected, so maybe it could happen again. “I’m sorry, Vinnie.”

  Vinnie uncrossed her legs and kicked out of her shoes. “Penelope?” she bellowed. “Get in here, would you?”

  Marcus
straightened. The shrink had a serious set of lungs on her.

  The sound of Penny’s flip-flops preluded her opening the door. “What are you yelling about?”

  “We need you to join us,” Vinnie said, her voice cultured again. “Please.” She gestured to the chair opposite her.

  Penny faltered. “Marcus?”

  “I didn’t tell her we fucked last night. She just wants you here so I can clear my mind completely.” He’d rather she sat by him on the sofa, but Vinnie was in charge in the office, and she seemed to want Penny in the chair. That was okay, because Marcus would still be between Penny and the door.

  Vinnie clapped her hands together. “You guys had sex?”

  Penny’s mouth dropped open and she slipped inside, shutting the door quickly. “Marcus. You just told her.”

  “So?” There weren’t many secrets in Vanguard, and there were none among Jax’s top lieutenants, who gossiped like old men on porch swings. He waited for her to walk around the shrink and coffee table to sit before thinking it through. “You want to keep it a secret.” That made sense, considering she was the doctor and he was a thug. “Sorry.”

  “No. I’m not keeping secrets, but how about you word it differently?” She clasped her hands in her lap on her white jean capris.

  Well, they had fucked. “Okay,” he said, turning to Vinnie. “We had sex last night.”

  Penelope tried to keep from blushing as delight danced in Vinnie’s blue eyes. Shouldn’t one of her friends be the voice of reason with her? If so, Vinnie certainly wasn’t that friend. “You need me here?” she reminded Vinnie.

  “Oh. Yes.” Vinnie leaned over her shoulder and locked the door. “We’re all safe and secure, Marcus. Please shut your eyes and take several deep breaths, clearing your mind of everything.”

  He shut his eyes, his hands looking relaxed on his legs. His slow inhale and exhale dissipated the tension in the room, and Penny felt her own body calming and settling as she sat, her shoulders coming down from around her ears. She matched her breathing to his, and the silence around the clinic penetrated, giving her a moment to be present. Tears pricked her eyes, and she hid them from Vinnie.

  Of all the days to be in the moment, she couldn’t take this one.

  It was too late, and Marcus was calm. She needed the locations of those Bunkers to help Maureen and all the other pregnant women, and she’d just suck it up and deal later. Her chest hurt.

  “All right. Marcus? I’m going to count down from ten, and when I get to one, your body will relax along with your mind, and you’ll know you’re completely safe. Everyone you care about will be safe, so you can let your mind go,” Vinnie said, her voice soothing. She slowly counted down, her voice rhythmic.

  Even in a calm state, Marcus looked like a guy about to pounce. Penny busied herself with studying his rugged face, noting the faint scar lines along his jaw. She’d felt them the night before, but they were usually hidden in his scruff. The guy probably shaved every other day, and that shadow grew in quickly.

  Vinnie picked up a notebook and pen. “Marcus? Would you please describe your apartment for me?”

  Marcus, his voice thick, described his apartment perfectly.

  “How about Penny’s apartment?” Vinnie asked.

  This time, he went through each inch, stating the proximity to any threat from the hallway or the window. Penny’s heart hurt for him, but she remained quiet, storing that with the other pain for the day.

  Vinnie made a notation on the paper. “Very nice. Please describe your brother for me.”

  Marcus described Jax, head to toe, including his scar on his face.

  “Thank you,” Vinnie said quietly. “You’re still perfectly safe and will remain so. Can you please describe Jax to me as he was at fifteen years old?”

  Marcus remained quiet.

  Vinnie pressed on. “Anything about Jax as a child?”

  “No,” Marcus said. “It’s a black hole. There aren’t any pictures in there. All gone.”

  A tear leaked out of Penny’s eye, and she quickly rubbed it away.

  Vinnie made more notes. “All right. Let’s move forward. Please remember that you’re safe and so is Penny. Tell me about the last Bunker.”

  “When Penny was infected,” Marcus said.

  “Yes. You remember that day?” Vinnie asked.

  Marcus remained eerily still. “I remember everything from the time we met.” He grimaced as if his head hurt. “Wait. I remember a lot of time together, but there are blank spots. Dark spots that won’t come in clearly.”

  Considering the scientists had pumped him full of experimental drugs and then tortured him, it was a miracle he could remember anything at all. Penelope began to reach for his hand and a quick shake of Vinnie’s head had her drawing her hand back to her lap. Oops.

  Vinnie nodded. “Okay, Marcus. Let’s go back to the Bunker you lived in before you met Penny. What color were the doors at that place?”

  “Yellow,” he said, drawing the word out. “It was Georgia’s favorite color. I hope she’s dead.”

  Georgia? Who the heck was Georgia? Penny looked at Vinnie, who kept her attention solely on Marcus.

  “Did Georgia go with you to the Century City Bunker? The one with the blue doors?” Vinnie asked, the pen shiny in her hand.

  “No.” Marcus shuddered. “She would have at some point, though. She always came back when Ramirez gave up. To work with the code.”

  Vinnie sat up. “The code? What code?”

  “The one nobody can find,” he said, exhaling loudly.

  Thoughts scattered across Vinnie’s face. “Do you mean the code to decipher that thumb drive? The one that Greyson stole and gave to the president?”

  “That thumb drive. Georgia had it, too.” Marcus rolled his head. “So much pain. Want to kill her. Shouldn’t kill a woman, but she’s not. She’s the devil.” His hands curled into fists on his jeans.

  Vinnie’s gaze dropped to his hands. “All right, Marcus. Remember that you are still safe. I’m going to count— “

  “No,” he burst out, kicking the table. “No counting. No pain.” His face contorted and he growled, the sound anguished. “Have to kill. Don’t want to die. Not yet.” Sweat beaded on his upper lip. He lifted his boot and smashed it down on the table, breaking it right in the middle. The two sides fell apart, forming a sharp looking V.

  Vinnie cleared her throat, perching on the edge of her seat. “You’re still safe. Here in Vanguard with me and with Penny.”

  He stilled. “Penny?”

  “Yes.” Vinnie’s voice remained calm, although panic filled her eyes. “Penny is here, and she’s ready for you to come out. I’m going to count— “

  Marcus’s eyes opened and he turned his head, zeroing in on Penny. His eyes were an equal mix of green and brown, looking like pure moss on the side of a pine tree. “Are you okay?”

  She couldn’t speak and only nodded. Her heart felt like it had climbed right into her throat, and she couldn’t even swallow. Her hands shook, so she gripped them tightly in her lap, her nails digging into her palms and grounding her for the moment.

  “How are you?” Vinnie asked, tilting her head to the side.

  “My head hurts,” Marcus said, eyeing the broken table. “I did that.”

  Vinnie nodded. “You did. Should we talk about what you were feeling? I’m new at this, and I probably did something wrong. You brought yourself out.”

  He looked over at Penny again. “I think I remember the place with the yellow doors.”

  “Do you know where?” Penny finally found her voice.

  He shook his head. “Not yet. Let’s go again, Doc.”

  “No,” Vinnie said. “The books all say we have to let your brain rest. Although, since you’ve been dreaming about the place, it might come back to you sooner than we think.”

  “Great.” Marcus stood and held out his hand for Penny, no expression on his face. Yet a muscle ticked beneath his jaw. “Let’s get you to work, Do
c Penelope.”

  Should she ask him about Georgia? Maybe later when his eyes weren’t looking so raw. She took his hand and let him escort her to work, trying to hold herself together as long as possible and not think about the past or her family or even what day it was.

  She nearly walked into the petite teenager waiting patiently by the examination room, tears streaming down her pretty skin. The girl had just turned seventeen, and the baby bump on her petite frame showed her approximate five months of pregnancy. They’d never been able to figure out exactly when she’d become pregnant. “Jill? What’s wrong?” Penelope asked, reaching for her.

  “I’m spotting,” Jill whispered, her black eyes stark.

  “It’s okay.” Penelope kept her voice calm, when she wanted to scream. “Let’s check you out.”

  18

  The shrink has insisted I keep a journal, so I’m keeping this one since I don’t want to make her mad. I like that I’m not the craziest person in the room when I work with her.

  —Marcus Knight, I Guess This is a Journal

  Marcus waited outside the examination room while Penny took the girl inside. Then he paced. Finally, he walked down and poked his head into Lynne’s lab, where she sat at a table, writing furiously on a purple sheet of paper. Her blue heart glowed through her pink shirt, making the purple look even deeper, and her blond hair was back in a ponytail. It was interesting that he and his brother were both with very intelligent women who were doctors. Sounded way different from their biological mother. “How’s it going?” he asked.

  Lynne started and looked up, her eyes focusing. “Not good. Really not good.”

  He straightened in the doorway. “What does that mean?”

  She set the pen down. “The vials from the inner hospital and the vials from here were basically full of water. No Vitamin B concoction.”

  Marcus paused, running through the possible scenarios. “We obtained bad vials from somewhere? Which batch?”

  “No.” Lynne shook her head. “All of the Vitamin B concoction vials that were on hand and not secured in the safes are bad. Every single one of them is full of useless and perfectly tainted to the right color, no matter where we obtained the vial. It’s just water.”