Brady frowns. “As much as I don’t want to talk to him, we can’t let Fiona’s mom die.”
Seth nods. “I’ll do the talking then. You can stay outside.”
“Sounds good,” Brady says.
“Okay, enough shitting around. Go kick some ass.” Lee Seol comes up to me, the big-screen map in front of her. “Get a good look at this layout, Fi. It’s not a huge place, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to find her.”
“Everyone, study this before we go. Lee Seol, you think you’ll be able to keep in contact with us from here?”
“Should be fine, since I have their network when you go underground. And I got fifteen hours of battery—you better be done by then.”
“Call Seth if I don’t answer. I’ll probably have to go invisible at some point.” Though the thought of having to be naked after I’ve seen what I really look like? I shudder.
“Yup. I’m watching Graham, too,” Lee Seol says. “So do your job and leave the worrying to me.”
Miles gives me a pat on the back. “Get going.”
The second we hit the edges of Madison, it’s clear this won’t be easy. The streets are crawling with Juan’s guys, and this time they aren’t pretending to mind their own business. They’re armed, and their eyes scan everything in search of intruders. Luckily, we have just the thing to throw them off.
Bea cups her hands around her mouth, looking positively excited that she gets to use her skills to their fullest tonight. Taking a deep breath, she sends some kind of sound out there. About six seconds later, a loud crash startles the patrollers, and they head into the darker depths of the nearby park.
“Better book it!” Bea takes off at a run, and we follow because she’s the only one who knows the sound’s direction.
We do this about five times—with a variety of sounds and three close calls—before we make it to Seth’s house. I should be worried about Mr. Mitchell, but all I can see is the damage to the Navarros’ place. The windows are smashed, and the door is torn off its hinges. There are horrible Spanish words spray-painted all over the stucco walls, and all I can think is thank goodness Miles got Rosa and Alejandro out before they joined Mom.
Seth’s house looks remarkably untouched in comparison, which now makes sickening sense. He glares at the lit window as he says, “You guys watch the perimeter—me and Fiona will go in.”
“Sounds good,” Hector replies. “Bea will yell if I hear anything out here.”
“Okay.” Seth takes my hand, and we walk up the path to his front door. Remembering the last time we faced his dad, my heart pounds as he pulls out his keys.
The house is quiet, save the humming of the refrigerator. We take cautious steps as we head for the kitchen. That’s when I hear the clink of glass on the counter. As we round the corner, Seth’s dad comes into view. He’s slumped over a bottle of hard liquor and a shot glass. Barely glancing at us, he says, “Don’t think I can’t take you out just because I’m drunk.”
Seth’s glare is cold. “Nice to see you, too.”
His dad points at Seth, his finger not swaying the littlest bit. Though judging by how little is left in the bottle, he must be hammered. “Don’t get smart with me, son. Because I’ve just about had it with all the trouble you and your little girlfriend have caused me—do you know how hard it is to cover your ass?”
Seth rolls his eyes. “Whatever. If you actually wanted to help, you would have told us what was up from the beginning.”
“And be executed?” Seth’s dad pours himself another shot and downs it. “Life’s shit, but it’s better than being dead.”
Seth balls his fists. If I don’t intervene, we’ll get nothing from this except broken bones. So I grab Seth’s arm and pull him back. “No offense, Mr. Mitchell, but I’m not here to talk life choices—you have to know The Phantom has my mother, and I need her back. Alejandro said you might have the codes to break into his base.”
“Oh?” Seth’s dad smirks. “So you’re here to convince me to hand them over?”
“Yes.”
He laughs as he pours yet another drink. “Did you not hear what I said? I prefer not dying. Who do you think he’ll assume gave you the codes?”
“There wouldn’t be any proof.”
“Proof.” Swig of liquor. “You’re a syndicate baby, dear Fiona, you know very well that proof is for courtrooms—and when was the last time any of these people saw one of those? I’d be dead just for being a suspect.”
I purse my lips, knowing he has me there.
“If you only care about yourself,” Seth’s voice is quiet, but still strong, “then why haven’t you told them all the stuff you really know? Should we tell The Phantom you forgot to mention the cave?”
Mr. Mitchell pauses. “You’d never give away that information.”
“But why didn’t you, Dad?” The pain on Seth’s face kills me. I can tell he wants his dad to say it’s because he cares. Maybe that’s all he’s ever wanted to hear from his father.
His dad’s eyes show no emotion when he replies, “Some information is worth more money than I get paid.”
“Liar,” I say before I can think better of it. “Tell yourself whatever you want—it’s obvious you’re protecting us. If you really wanted power and security in the syndicate, you’d rat us out because Juan would trust you forever if you sold out your own family.”
Mr. Mitchell raises an eyebrow. “Who says I haven’t?”
“What?” Seth says just as a piercing sound comes from outside. If it weren’t for the walls I’m sure my ears would be shot.
“Bea!” This could mean only one thing, and as I stare at Seth’s dad I can’t believe the smile he wears. “You knew we’d come here!”
“Of course you would. Crisis said your little Spud hadn’t gotten into the passwords yet. Alejandro got out.” He runs his finger around the lip of the shot glass. “It was only a matter of time. I waited up for you and everything.”
Seth swears. “Let’s get outta here. We’ll have to find another way.”
I nod, though I’m pretty sure his father has sentenced my mom to death. We head for the front door, but Mr. Mitchell lands in front of us, silent as a jaguar.
“Move!” Seth yells at him.
“Make me.”
Though I’m sure Seth knows he can’t beat his dad, he still throws a punch. Mr. Mitchell grabs his arm, pulls him closer, and then puts a hand around his neck. I jump in, trying to pry his fingers off, but he pushes me to the floor. As I watch Seth fight to get free, I feel helpless. Even if I strip down and try to surprise him, he could hurt Seth before I attack.
“I can crush his windpipe,” Mr. Mitchell says like it’s not his son he could murder. “So how about you tell your friends out there to surrender before that happens?”
He has me. And he knows it.
Pulling myself off the floor, I blink back tears. I look at my boyfriend’s pleading eyes, but I can’t do what he wants. I love him too much. “I’m sorry, Seth, I can’t let you get hurt.”
“That’s a good girl.” Seth’s dad nods toward the front door. “Now call off the attack.”
I head to the door, and they follow right behind me. Outside I’m met with a surprising amount of chaos. A half dozen of Juan’s men are down, clutching their heads from whatever Bea did to them. There is shrapnel everywhere, which doesn’t make sense until I realize Brady probably tried to destroy the guns instead of the people. That boy, good hearted even now. How did he come from such a twisted father?
The remaining thugs give Bea and Brady a wide berth while holding their hands to their ears. If it weren’t for Mr. Mitchell, we probably would have won this fight.
“Fiona! We’re kicking—” Carlos calls when he sees us on the porch, but then he realizes Seth’s dad has him by the throat and horror takes over.
Mr. Mitchell pulls a gun from his pocket and points it at me. This all feels way too familiar. “Tell them to come peacefully.”
I gulp, wishing I c
ould say anything else. “It’s over, guys.”
Chapter 42
After they cuff us, Juan’s men shove all of us but Seth in the back of an armored truck. I assume Seth gets to stay with his dad, so we know not to fight back if we want him to be alive when we get there.
Though there are no windows, I can only assume we’re headed for SuperMart and the secret underground base. The longer we drive, the louder the gunfire gets. I wish I could see what the hell is going on out there, because it sounds like we’re driving right through the middle of a battle.
“What are we gonna do now?” Carlos’ voice is panicky.
Hector shrugs. “This is where we wanted to go anyway, isn’t it?”
“But not as prisoners!” Bea says.
I wonder if Hector might be on to something. Mr. Mitchell couldn’t give us the code without being suspected of helping us. But capturing us is a different story—he looks like he’s doing his job. I hold on to this tiny shred of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll find a way to escape.
Then I think of what Seth would say to my theories—he’d tell me not to hold my breath when it comes to trusting his dad. And he’s probably right.
“I can feel you thinking,” Brady says to me. “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
My stomach drops, which is the only way I can tell we’re going down. I imagine it’s some kind of steep ramp going under SuperMart. The truck skids to a stop, and our captors open the back door. Seth stands there with his dad, looking more furious than ever.
“This way,” Mr. Mitchell says as he points his gun at us. The other men seem to have gotten new rifles as well. “I wouldn’t try anything if you want to live.”
I tip my chin up. “Wasn’t planning on it. Right now at least.”
The smallest wisp of a smirk crosses his face, and I want to hope that means something good. We follow him to a fortified door I assume is the one on Lee Seol’s blueprints. Mr. Mitchell puts his hand to a security pad, and then it asks him to enter an I.D. code. He pushes Seth through first and the rest of us follow.
That would have been impossible to get through, I think as we walk down a stark hallway lined with doors. It looks more like a hospital than a den of criminals. Not that all dens are dirty, but this one seems overly clean. And then it clicks.
It’s a lab. Duh.
We round a few corners, and I try to keep track in my mind how the layout matches up with what we saw on the screen. It doesn’t work well. The only thing I know is who we’re headed for, and I’m not sure I’m ready for him. When Mr. Mitchell finally opens a door, I see The Phantom sitting at a folding table. His long hair is pulled back from his face, and he smiles as his thugs force us to sit in front of him. “Welcome.”
“Where’s my mother, asshole?” I know I should mind my words, but seeing him safe in his hole makes my blood burn.
He glares at me, but says nothing. Instead, he grabs a remote and points it at the TV on the nearest wall. When the image appears, my heart about stops.
It’s Mom.
She’s in a bed, weeping, and her arms are chained down so she can’t use her telekinesis. I can’t stop staring at the bandage over her forehead, which has dark spots of blood. Just how hard did he hit her? Must have been enough to knock her out so she couldn’t fight back.
“I would not throw insults if I were you,” The Phantom says. “Since I’m already this close to killing her. Must be hard to care about people.”
“Let her go,” I growl.
“I’d be glad to.” He holds out his hand. “Just give me the merinite first.”
In that moment, I wish I had it. Because I don’t know how else I’ll convince him and why does it matter now that Allie can reverse mutations? “I don’t have it.”
“You’re more foolish than I thought,” The Phantom snarls. “Did you honestly think you could save her—save this town—with your little band of greenie vigilantes?”
I don’t answer. In the silence my phone buzzes in my pocket, but I can’t exactly pick it up since I’m cuffed.
He stands, pounding the desk. “This is Juan’s town. It always has been. Are you so delusional you think you can take something from our syndicate? Let me make this clear—you’ve been allowed to live here by the grace of Juan. Not because we didn’t notice. Not because you’ve fooled us. And if you want to keep living here, you better start paying your dues.”
His words smack me across the face. How could I forget this world? How could I think getting free of Dad meant I could remain syndicate free forever? There’s no such thing as syndicate free, even when you think you are. The Pack is living proof of that.
I look down, a sense of defeat washing over me.
“It’s not Juan’s town,” Bea says in the silence. Everyone turns to look at her. “Does he live here? No. We do.”
This seems to spark something in Carlos. “Yeah! I don’t see his name on the sign. It’s just Madison. Not Madison: Property of Juan Torres.”
“Has he purchased the property deeds?” Hector adds. “Are any of his claims legal?”
The Phantom waves his hand, and each of them gets hit with the back of a gun. “You should not talk, otherwise I’ll have them pull the trigger next.”
The Pack tries to stay strong, but that threat makes an impact. We’re all one wrong move away from dead, whether or not what they said was true. The idea of The Pack dying…
My phone buzzes yet again, and I worry it’s something vital from Lee Seol. I wish I could grab it. The only thing I can do is buy some time and hope for an opening to answer.
“Just stop, okay?” I say, grasping for something that might distract The Phantom from his goals. “Look, I don’t have the element, which means I can’t give it to you even if I wanted to. I know Juan’s probably breathing down your neck about that, but can’t we strike some other deal?”
His eyes narrow. “Like what?”
I glance at Mr. Mitchell, who is as emotionless as ever. Despite that, I know why he did what he did. He’s just like Graham—happy to do the dirty work if that means the people he cares about are safe.
“Me.” It’s a lie, but maybe he’ll go for it.
“Excuse me?” The Phantom says at the same time Seth yells, “No!”
“You heard me. I’ll give you my dad’s secrets, even do work for you. Just let my mom and everyone else go.”
He snorts. “You think that’s enough? Not even close.”
“What about me, too?” Brady asks, and I try not to curse.
Seth’s eyes about pop from his head. “What is wrong with you guys? Stop offering yourselves up like martyrs!”
The Phantom shakes his head. “It’s sad that you think this would be enough to tempt me. The only thing you can do to fix this is to hand over the merinite—then we might let you live here in peace for awhile. Why is that so hard? You gave it to the Army. Surely you know they’re just another syndicate.”
I purse my lips, searching for anything else. My phone rings this time, though I know it shouldn’t be able to turn off vibrate on its own. The whole room stares at me as the pop tune repeats. “Sorry?”
The Phantom seems more curious than angry. “Your phone should be disabled down here.”
“What?” There’s too much worry in my voice. He definitely picks up on it.
“Who is able to call you down—?”
“Fiona! Where the hell are you?” A muffled voice comes from my pocket, but I can tell it’s Lee Seol. “We have a HUGE problem! You have to abort your mission now.”
“Get the phone,” The Phantom commands. A guard pulls it from my dress pocket and hands it to him. “Who’s this? How did you make this phone work?”
“Psh, you hired the wrong hacker, bitch,” Lee Seol says. “Is Fiona there?”
“I’m here!” I call. “But I’m kind of a prisoner right now.”
“Kind of?” The Phantom says incredulously.
“It doesn’t matter, since whoever has you m
ight want to hear this too.” Lee Seol clears her throat. “We just got a distress call from Graham. His so-called girlfriend knocked him out at a certain location, took the merinite, and ran.”
“What?” I stand, only to be shoved down by my guard. “Why?”
“I don’t know, but I did a statewide sweep of my networks to see if anything weird came up.” There’s a long pause. “It’s bad, Fi. Someone sent an old-school coded radio message to your dad’s headquarters in Vegas, and I think it’s Allie.”
My eyes go wide, unable to wrap my head around it. “No. What did it say?”
Lee Seol sighs. “Have cure. On my way.”
I slump into my seat, unable to say anything but, “Shit.”
Chapter 43
Everyone’s talking at once, and I think they’re demanding answers from me or Lee Seol but I can’t process anything except Allie is very likely taking the cure to my dad. So he did have a girl here; she was just so deep in none of us saw it coming. And she used us, her ex-syndicate members, so well.
Seth’s words about how a cure could be used just as badly as Radiasure swirl in my head. Dad could neutralize anyone who stood in his way and produce his own Radiasure. He’d be unstoppable.
What have I done?
This is all my fault. I knew what could happen, but I cared more about what I wanted than what it could do to everyone else.
“Cure? What do you mean by that?” The Phantom demands as I sit there in a daze. “And are you saying the Army’s scientist is really with the O’Connells?”
Lee Seol groans. “Look, dude, I don’t work for you. I’m trying to talk to Fiona, and you’re hearing this because it can’t wait. Once Allie’s over the Nevada border we’re all screwed. So if you know what’s best for you let the girl talk—otherwise I’m sure Juan’ll have your heart on a platter this time tomorrow.”
The Phantom grimaces, but then looks to the guards. “Uncuff them.”
They do as he says, and then he begrudgingly hands the phone over to me. It still takes me a second to find my voice. “H-how did she lie? The Major trusted her completely—and he’s a flipping lie detector.”
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