I took a deep breath and followed him, glancing back to Kurt who simply nodded. My fingers twitched with nervousness as the three of us crammed into the small elevator and began our ascent.
***
“This could all end fast and painlessly. All you have to do is turn over the formula,” Doctor Reynolds said.
“Noted.” I pursed my lips.
Reynolds clenched his teeth and began to walk a slow circle around the lab with his hands clasped behind his back. “Oblivious suited you better, Doctor Twofeathers,” he commented as he turned on one of the Bunsen burners. Kurt grabbed my elbow, firmly holding me in place. I jerked away from him.
“Failure suited you better,” I retorted.
“Well,” Reynolds said, “I imagine I owe my failures to you as well as my success.”
“That’s right.” I glanced at Kurt as I admitted to his sins. He stopped his pacing long enough to stare at me.
“Except for the most difficult task. What changed your mind about causing this one to fail?” he asked. It was unnerving the way Reynolds spoke as if we were conversing leisurely. He slipped a large, double-edged dagger from its sheath at his waist and held the blade over the fire of the burner. The handle was etched in black with an insignia that I couldn’t make out. When the blade was hot, he walked to me, and Kurt pressed me down to my knees.
“Tell me, Shawnee, how did you get the serum to be such an intense shade of orange?” He grinned and pressed the molten blade against the side of my neck. I screamed against the searing pain, and my stomach churned with disgust. With eyes watering, I forced myself to look at him. Flashes of faces grazed across my field of vision: Xany, Caden, Mal, Vanessa, the blue-eyed girl, the beast, Bailey.
“It must have been magic,” I croaked and then snickered.
“You’re a stupid bitch, Shawnee.” He grabbed me by the hair and thrust me to the floor before commanding Kurt, “Take her to the cells. Maybe watching will change her mind.” He then stormed out of the lab after tossing Kurt the Taser.
“Burning a human with a silver dagger… I must admire him for his symbolism at least.” Kurt helped me up.
I swatted his hands away. “Don’t touch me. Why haven’t you stopped him yet? Who sent you here?”
“I’m working with the Alliance, and frankly, it was you who I was sent to watch.” He nodded toward the door, indicating we should get moving.
“Me? Why me?” I frowned, ignoring my pain to gather as much information as possible. I tried to block out the thoughts of my pack, fearing that I might accidentally call them to me.
“We were watching Reynolds for a while. He’s a meddlesome, arrogant man who thought he could attract the Andrus attention through his innovative sciences. But we soon realized he was an imbecile who failed at most of his experiments. Then suddenly he starts becoming successful. We learn of this and put him on watch again only to find that he had a genius young doctor doing all his dirty work. And that’s where you came in.” He spoke in a furtive whisper as we entered the private elevator to descend into the basement. “So they sent me in. I was in medical school anyway so they rushed me through it. After a few weeks on the team with you and Reynolds, I realized that you were completely unaware of who you were working for so I started messing things up and made all the replications fail. I’m sorry, I’m speaking to you like you know what I’m talking about.”
“I do know what you’re talking about,” I said as the elevator came to a halt. “I know what the Alliance is too. How many does he have down here?”
“Just one. You knew?”
“Not at first. I quit when I finally realized it.” I rushed toward the aisles of boxes, afraid for whatever werecreature he had captive in the cells. I hoped to Gaia that he hadn’t found Bailey and brought him back.
“You know he’ll do anything for that formula. Do you know what it—”
“Yes. I know what it does,” I cut him off. Kurt opened the passage to the containment lair. “I found out today.”
“What does it do?” He grabbed my arm, now pretending he was holding me captive again.
I raised an eyebrow at his question. “He didn’t tell you?”
“No. All the glory for himself.” He completed the retinal scan.
I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t completely trust Kurt even though he seemed to know what he was talking about. He could be double-double agent for all I knew. When we entered the containment area, I held my breath as the distinct odor of death and bleach wafted toward us. Kurt swallowed a gag while holding the Taser pointed at me.
Doctor Reynolds’s voice echoed from somewhere beyond the containment cells. “Bring her down here.”
We passed the cells, and I scanned each as we walked by. Two were empty, and two contained decomposing bodies, one of which was a human female whose stomach was torn open from the inside out. She was surrounded by a pool of dry blood. It looked like something had clawed its way out of her. The other cell had what looked like a decomposing dog on the floor. The last cell on the right, the one that Bailey had been in, contained a young girl of about twelve, who was huddled in the corner hugging her knees. I tried hard not to look at her for too long. I didn’t want Reynolds to notice my fear for her.
We turned past the containment cells and into a short hallway. The end of the hall was dark and reeked of blood, both old and new. The walls at the end of the hall were stone, much like a bomb shelter would be, and the floor had a drain in the middle of it. There were chains of all sizes bolted deep into the concrete floor, ceiling, and walls. This room was open to allow the captor full view of the captive.
Reynolds grabbed me by the hair and tossed me into the room. I stumbled into the back wall, catching myself, and felt my hands slam into some grimy residue. Reynolds dragged me to the center of the room and grabbed a set of chains that hung from the ceiling. The chains were heavy, and I could tell that they were crafted out of pure silver. He clasped the shackles around my wrists and pulled on the floor chains, causing my arms to jerk above my head.
“Now, that’s better. Kurt, take the girl’s temperature again and bring me a notepad and pencil. Doctor Twofeathers will be sharing some information with us shortly.” He pulled a wooden stool over and sat down in front of me as if he were waiting for a show to begin.
I closed my eyes for a moment, deciding that no matter what he did to me, I wouldn’t tell him what he wanted to know. I had to protect the werecreatures from having their only defense against the Tainted Ones taken away. I moved my hands around in the shackles to see if there was any chance of slipping out of them. Of course there wasn’t.
Suddenly, I heard the whimpers of the little girl. She began to cry when I heard the glass lowering. I clenched my teeth and tried to block out the sounds of her terror.
“Don’t like hearing that, do you?” Reynolds asked.
When I didn’t respond, he stood and walked around the corner. After a short period of silence, I heard the little girl scream and the sound of shuffling feet. She shouted, “No! Please stop!” followed by anguished cries.
“Please, Gaia, help her,” I whispered, raising my eyes to the ceiling of my sarcophagus. My mind envisioned the horrors that Reynolds was inflicting on the girl. The hot stream of tears trickled down my face. A sudden haze washed over me, tangled with the sullenness of despair.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The little girl screamed and begged for mercy. I couldn’t see what was going on so my mind attempted to fill in the horrible images. I envisioned Reynolds torturing the girl, raping her, burning her with silver daggers. I pulled at the chains, lifting myself off the floor. I screamed in frustration at the same time as the little girl screamed. Then there was silence. Doctor Reynolds appeared in front of me again. He was sweating and had blood on the front of his lab coat. I heard the girl whimper from inside her cell. My heart leaped when I heard that she was still alive.
“Ready to tell yet?” He stepped closer to me, dagger in hand. He pressed the
bloody tip of it against my chest, caught my shirt, and violently tore it open.
“Let her go, then I’ll tell you.”
Reynolds made a tsk tsk sound as he walked in a circle around me. “Now, Shawnee, that would be very stupid of me to do. You see, I need a test subject, and she is just perfect. If you tell me, and it works, I’ll let you both leave together.” He pressed the tip of the cold blade against my abdomen hard enough to pierce my skin. I flinched, and the hot trickle of blood ran down past my bellybutton.
“You’ll have to do better than that. I’m used to pain.” I yanked myself up on the chains and used both feet to kick him in the gut, launching him backward over the stool.
Hearing the crash, Kurt came bolting around the corner.
Doctor Reynolds stood and rushed at me with the dagger. “You stupid bitch!”
I closed my eyes and hid my face against my arm, awaiting the impact and pain that I knew would follow his collision with my body.
“Don’t!” I heard Kurt shout.
When I opened my eyes, I saw him restraining Reynolds. “We need the formula before you kill her. Don’t be stupid.” He released Reynolds, who calmed down immediately.
“Right,” he said, straightening his coat. “Now where was I?” He went back toward the containment cells. Again the girl began to cry.
I glared at Kurt. I couldn’t understand why he was letting this continue, why he wasn’t putting a stop to that poor little girl’s abuse. “Stop him, damn it.”
Kurt looked sullen. I kicked at him as he disappeared around the corner after Reynolds. I cried out and struggled against the bindings that were digging into my flesh. There was no way for me to get free to help the little girl. Either I told him the formula and he used it on the girl, then killed us both, or he just killed us both. Either way, we died. I tried my hardest to block out thoughts of my packmates. My mind began to work in its usual manner, blocking out the screams of the girl and my own. I thought about Vanessa, and then just as my thoughts began to wander toward Mal, I heard his voice.
Shawnee, focus. Listen to me. Can you hear me?
I nodded, sobs catching in my throat.
I can feel you, answer me.
You’re imagining it. He’s not really here. You’re alone, and you’ll be responsible for the death of another girl. My thoughts began to batter me. I was suddenly weak and tired.
Shawnee, take me with you… Mal’s voice pierced through my thoughts, and I gasped.
“I can’t. I can’t,” I said aloud by accident. Doctor Reynolds shouted, and the girl screamed. The chaos inside me mirrored the chaos outside. There was little distinction between the screams, fear, and agony.
Think your words, Shawnee, focus. Mal’s voice rang through my body. I felt him all over. His presence in my arms and legs, inside my chest and heart. I was full and complete. His command gripped me, sobered me. I was forced to answer.
He’s hurting her. A little girl. He wants the formula.
We’re all here, Nee. Caden, Xany, Vanessa, and me. He won’t get away with this. Tell me where you are. Describe it like you do for Vanessa.
No, I can’t. He’ll hurt you, I can’t, I pleaded with him in my head.
Doctor Reynolds appeared more frustrated with me than he had in the beginning. I imagine my sobbing had something to do with it. He stormed back over to me, dragging the bloodied girl by the hair. She had burn marks all over her body from the silver dagger he kept pressing against her skin. The girl was crying, but her brown eyes flashed yellow. Silently I wished she would change right at that moment. The cub would kill me, but she’d also kill Reynolds and Kurt. It was another way to end this.
“Shut up!” he demanded. “The formula or she dies! I can get myself another test subject.” I shook my head no, and Reynolds seemed surprised. “I thought better of you, Shawnee, letting an innocent die for your cause.” With blazing eyes, he backhanded me across the face. My head jerked to the side, and I cracked my jaw back into place, spitting blood out at him.
“Let her go, and I’ll tell. Let Kurt take her away from here, then I’ll tell you.” I swallowed the metallic taste in my mouth.
The little girl stared at me with terrified yellow eyes, growing closer to her change. Doctor Reynolds remained still, grinding his teeth. “Fine. Kurt, take the kid away. Leave her outside in the street alone, then return. She can have her change up there and die like the others did.” He glared at me. “Shawnee would rather have the primed kid shift in the street and cause havoc.”
Kurt hesitated and assessed Reynolds as if checking to see whether the doctor was serious.
“Do it! You blathering fool. We’re running out of time,” he ordered, thrusting the girl at him.
Kurt tossed her over his shoulder and disappeared around the corner toward the cells. I heard the girl’s cries fade as the metal doors hissed and clicked shut. Then there was silence.
Mal? I swallowed. Even though I was thinking the words, it took a lot of effort.
I’m here, Shawnee. Describe it to me now, he ordered. It took every bit of strength I had to defy his order.
Wait. There’s a cub. Kurt works for the Alliance. He’s taking the cub to the street. She’s primed for Firsting. Find her. Keep her safe.
Reynolds moved closer to me, staring at me with eyes filled with hatred and rage. Hatred for me and for the world, I imagined.
“Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting them?” I blinked a few times. It was getting hard to focus.
“Humans are quickly losing power over this world. If I can’t stop it, I’m sure as hell going to benefit from it,” he said. “Now, the formula, my dear. If it works, I’ll let you choose the way you die.” A cold grin spread across his cracked lips.
We see her, Shawnee. Caden has her. Tell me where you are, guide us like you do Vanessa. Mal’s voice burst into my head, his tone was softer and a little distracted.
Don’t let Kurt back in.
We won’t. Describe it.
“The way you’re going about it was wrong,” I croaked to Doctor Reynolds. “Stopping it won’t work.”
“Go on.”
“You…you have to prevent it.” I swallowed my tears as I tried to buy some time. “Like a vaccine.”
Reynolds paused to think about what I was saying. “Brilliant!” His voice was filled with excitement. “You’re cleverer than I thought.”
Underground. Containment cells. Six of them, I thought to Mal before answering Reynolds. I did not want them down here with me, and Mal knew it.
More, Shawnee. He’s human, let us in. We’ll handle it.
There are dangers here, Mal. All the walls are white. There’s strong glass stuff used to contain the cells. There’s a dead body. A woman. Something clawed its way out of her stomach. Blood. Her blood…and mine. Silver chains. Big refrigerator. A large gurney…
I wanted to be with my pack. I wanted to see them so badly.
You don’t deserve them.
Part of me didn’t want them here. There was too much silver and who knew what else Reynolds was hiding. As far as I could tell, he had no idea I was a Breeder, but the fact that he spoke to me so candidly led me to believe otherwise.
“A vaccine,” Reynolds said, taking quick notes on a small pad of paper he pulled from his pocket. “How?”
Good, Shawnee, more. Mal persisted inside my head while Reynolds persisted outside.
The pressure was making me tremble. It was getting harder to hold myself up. My shoulders ached with the stress of my position, and my head throbbed in response to the dual demands.
“The gene…” I swallowed; my throat was parched. “The gene causes the fever. The fever is the catalyst. Prevent the fever, prevent the change in cell structure,” I told Reynolds. His eyes gleamed with lust for more information.
The doors hiss, I told Mal. There’s a retinal scan to get in like a sci-fi movie. There’s death here and silver. It smells like death and bleach. I won’t let him hurt you. Make it
stop. My thoughts began to churn and bleed into what I was describing to Mal, leaving me feeling very disorganized.
It’s okay, Shawnee, hold on. Don’t let go. Mal’s connection with me faded.
I sensed a shift in his presence. It scared me.
“You will show me how you created it. There are samples in the lab.” He moved toward me, reaching for my shackled hands. With his face in front of mine, his breath was putrid, reeking of tooth decay. He held the dagger against my throat.
“Don’t you dare kick me again. You’re one brilliant bitch, Doctor Twofeathers. I’ll never let you go,” he whispered.
I shuddered in disgust. Suddenly there was a loud bang from somewhere near the containment cells. Silence followed. Reynolds froze. “Kurt, quiet is not your forte.”
When no answer came, Reynolds face was stone still. He put the blade of the dagger over my lips, warning me to keep quiet. The metallic scent of the blood filled my nose, causing me to gag. He went back toward the cells.
There was another bang from somewhere at the same time that a warm hand clasped my mouth. I struggled until Vanessa stepped in front of me. Her pupils were dilated into full, catlike slits surrounded by intense yellow irises. Tears slipped down my cheeks immediately, and I wanted to reach for her. She let go of my mouth and reached for the shackles. The color drained from her face when she realized my bindings were silver. I mouthed the word “silver” to her, and she nodded. She turned suddenly when Reynolds’s shuffling footsteps scuttled back down the hall. In the blink of an eye, she was gone. I tried my hardest not to scream for her.
Reynolds reappeared, and judging from the look on his face, he was livid. “What did you do?”
“Fuck off,” I spat, and as if rehearsed, Vanessa dropped from the ceiling with the silent grace of an acrobat. She landed on Reynolds, trapping him in a roll, and tumbled down the hall.
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