What Remains_Mutation

by Kris Norris

  She thought back, rerunning what memories surfaced, trying to sort them into some kind of order. Killing infected. Three men surprising her. Lelin holding a knife. And hadn’t there been something about a vehicle…a kiss?

  “Shit!”

  Images merged together, making it impossible to decipher a clear pattern of events. But it didn’t matter. Her instincts knew what to do. She needed to get out of here. Harper eased off the bed, inhaling sharply when her legs threatened to drop her to the floor. Someone had replaced her clothes with a hospital-like gown, the hem riding just above her knees. Her bare feet skimmed the ground as she took a tentative step, testing out her balance. She glanced around, but they’d obviously taken her stuff, including every last weapon she’d had. The inklings of uncertainty clawed at her. Friends or not, she didn’t like being stripped down and left to rot. Just another reason to get the hell out, find Lelin and keep running.

  She moved across the room, stumbling against a counter when her equilibrium shifted. Damn. Her body felt as if it were encased in water, a strong current tugging against her with every step. Her reflexes were bound to be slowed, and she knew her strength was edgy at best. That decreased her chances of fighting her way out, especially with nothing more than her sharp wit as a weapon.

  Avoidance. That would be the key. She made a mental note to be more vigilant as she reached for the door, listening against the surface before easing it open. Bright light blinded her until her eyes adjusted to the glare. Dusty ground stretched out in front of her, intermixed with more of the buildings like the one she was in.

  Movement off to her right had her stumbling to the next building, her fingers closing around the handle. She twisted it open, nearly falling inside before closing it behind her. Pain added to the confusion swimming through her head, and she found it hard to remember what it was she’d been trying to do.

  A throat cleared behind her and she spun, staring at the man leaning against a counter. Tall, with lean muscles bunching his shirt, he looked ruggedly handsome in his kakis and T-shirt. An amused smile tilted his lips as he raised a brow at her, his gaze sweeping the length of her body.

  “I wasn’t expecting company, least of all a vision in white.” His smile widened. “You’re awake. That’s good, except I can tell by the paleness of your skin you shouldn’t be walking around just yet.” He took a step toward her. “Let me…”

  His voice trailed off when she lunged to her right, maintaining the distance between them. A scowl touched his mouth and he stopped, hand still extended, gaze pinned on her. She shifted her focus without taking it completely off of him, when her gaze lingered on a table pushed against the far wall. A sheet covered a large mass, a person’s hand just visible out the side of the cloth. She looked back at him, raising her brow in question.

  He sighed, once again leaning against the counter as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. The man you were with didn’t make it. Do you remember what happened?”

  Pain arced across her temples as a rush of images played in her mind, none solid enough to make sense of. She pressed her fingers against her head, hoping the pressure eased the pounding as she motioned to the body. “He’s dead? Completely?”

  The guy’s expression saddened. “You hit him square between the eyes with a knife. There’s no coming back from that.”

  “I…I killed…” She forced herself to swallow past the lump lodged in her throat. She’d killed the bastard? After watching over his ass for longer than she cared to admit? After suffering through endless days of nothing but his insane dribble? But why?

  “I really think you should lie down. You look like you’re about to pass out, and I know Abby would prefer not to have to re-stitch that shoulder.”

  She dragged her gaze back to the man. He hadn’t moved though he looked as if he was about to dart over at a moment’s notice.

  She shook her head, trying to clear it. “Who? Where…” The scenery shifted, but she braced a hand on the wall, managing to stay upright.

  She took a few more steps away when the guy walked to the center of the room. Though her gut told her he could have captured her by now, her instincts refused to back down, keeping her a safe distance away.

  She tugged at the gown. “Where’re my clothes? My stuff?”

  “Cogan has them.”

  “Cogan.” She said the name a few more times in her head, the familiar feel of it on her tongue soothing some of the tension. More images played in her head, filling in a few holes. Though she still didn’t remember what had happened, she remembered him. Them. Remembered that she’d trusted them before she’d even known their names. She met the man’s bewildered stare. “Tall, long brown hair. He was with two other men. Another brown-haired guy and a blond.”

  He chuckled. “Sully and Jake.”

  The names rang true in her head and she nodded, cursing when the small movement spun the room. God, maybe they’d drugged her. The notion jacked up her tension again when the door to the room opened, two men and a woman walking through. They stopped cold, their gazes alternating between her and the guy.

  The woman stepped forward, her palm lingering on the grip of a pistol poking out of her vest. “Kace? Everything okay?”

  “Our friend’s a bit…disoriented. Perhaps you’d do me a favor and go grab Cogan, Jake and Sully. I think she’d feel better with a few familiar faces around her.”

  The woman glanced toward her before darting out the door, one of the men at her side. The other stood there, watching her. Harper studied his face, noting the similar jaw line to the man called Kace. They were brothers.

  The guy cocked his head, easing his hands away from his weapons. “You look like you’re about to fall down. There’s a chair behind you. I suggest you sit.”

  “I’m fine.”

  She could tell by the amused tilt of his lips he didn’t believe her, but she’d be damned if she’d give up what small amount of defenses she had. Even in her current state, her instincts would ensure the guy got one hell of a beating before she finally collapsed.

  He must have read the look on her face because he chuckled, walking over to join the other man. “Why is it the only females left alive are all ball-busting stubborn souls? God, you’d think there’d be one among them that didn’t have something to prove.”

  She smirked at him. “The same could be said about the men. Where the hell did all you alpha types come from?”

  “Guess the stork screwed up.”

  She squinted when his image blurred. She looked at the other guy again. “Cogan mentioned your name.”

  Kace raised a brow. “Did he?”

  Damn, they were good. Not giving too much away. They’d read her perfectly.

  “Something about a serum. I don’t really remember.” She grunted when pain thrummed through every muscle in her body, leaning over so she didn’t throw up, her gaze still locked on the two men. “Shit.”

  Kace’s expression changed. “You really don’t look too good.”

  He took a step forward when the door crashed open. A woman she hadn’t seen before rushed through, accompanied by an incredibly large man and a dog.

  The woman moved forward, halted by the guy who’d entered with her. He whistled and the dog pranced over to Harper, tail wagging as it brushed against her leg. She glanced at it, smiling despite herself. God, how long had it been since she’d seen a dog? And one that appeared to be a pet? She lowered her left hand, allowing it to sniff her fingers before she gave it a scratch. The animal licked her palm then sat at her feet.

  A chuckle drew her attention again. The woman smiled at her, giving the man a knowing look, before once again inching ahead. “Jack’s a pretty good judge of character. He seems to have taken a shine to you.”

  Harper snorted. Had they seriously just used the dog to help decide if she was a threat? She looked at the mutt again, tumbling against the wall when the shift in focus rolled the room. “Bloody hell.”

  The woman huffed. “You shoul
dn’t be up. You lost a lot of blood. Your body isn’t ready to go strolling around the compound.”

  Harper forced herself to straighten, praying she didn’t land on the damn dog when she finally passed out. “I don’t stroll.”

  The woman smirked. “No, you seem determined to fall. I’m Abby. And if you don’t mind, I’d rather not have to tend to more wounds.”

  Abby took another step inside when three men barged through the door, the familiar curve of their faces easing the tight feeling in Harper’s chest. God, she hadn’t realized how cornered she’d felt until they’d showed up.

  Jake shook his head, walking straight toward her. “Fuck, Harper. What the hell are you doing up? You’re going to give yourself a bloody concussion when you fall face-first onto the damn floor.”

  She didn’t resist when he tugged her into his chest, the steady beat of his heart further calming her. She didn’t know what it was about him or Cogan and Sully that made her forget common sense and trust them, but she wasn’t about to question it now. Not when she was a breath away from passing out.

  She rested her head against him. “Where am I?”

  He smoothed his hand down her hair. “Safe. Unless you start kicking everyone’s ass.”

  She chuckled, groaning when her legs gave out.

  He muttered under his breath, scooping her into his arms. “Damn, you’re stubborn. Let’s get you back to bed.”

  “My stuff…”

  “Don’t worry. Sully put your weapons in our quarters. For safekeeping. Call me crazy, but you armed with a blade or bow right now wouldn’t be a good idea.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “Trust me. No one’s going to hurt you or take your shit. Promise.”

  “Trust. Right.” She sighed, giving in to the ever-increasing fatigue. “Fine. I trust you three. Don’t disappoint me.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it, love.”

  Jake Gibson turned, holding Harper tight to his chest as he made his way over to the others. She’d simply passed out in his arms, her lashes resting against her pale skin. She looked a breath away from death, and his heart clenched at the thought. Damn, he barely knew her and already she seemed to have some sort of power over him.

  He stopped in front of Abby, concern arching his brow.

  The woman gave him a reassuring smile. “She’s fine. She just needs to rest. Give her body time to heal.”

  “I’ll take her back to our quarters—”

  “It might be best is she stays where we can watch her.” Darcy held up one hand. “Just to be safe.”

  “It’ll be safer if she doesn’t wake up alone again. And if she has people around she recognizes. Don’t worry. We’ll take turns watching her.” Jake chuckled. “Besides, I have a feeling simply ‘keeping an eye on her’ wouldn’t stop her from breaking out of here if she really wanted to.”

  Abby palmed her hips, mumbling under her breath as she gazed at the woman sleeping in his arms. “I don’t normally leave my patients unattended. But she shouldn’t have regained consciousness this soon. I can’t believe she made it out of the recovery room without passing out.” She narrowed her gaze. “She’s tough.”

  Darcy cupped Abby’s shoulders. “No. She’s been trained.”

  Jake looked at the man. “She doesn’t seem like Special Forces to me. She doesn’t move the way you guys do.”

  “Not Special Forces. Agency, maybe.”

  Cogan snorted as he moved in beside Jake. “CIA? Are you serious?”

  Darcy shrugged. “CIA. MI6. Interpol. Who knows. But her instincts had her searching for a way out, that much is clear. And I have no doubt she would have fought long and hard, even barely conscious.” He tilted his head. “Curious. Makes me wonder what that guy was the key for.”

  “We’re all curious, but I think it can wait until she’s stronger.”

  “Agreed. Just don’t let the woman out of your sight. Until we know what’s going on…” Darcy pointed at the dead body under the sheet. “Who that man was and why she was risking her life to stay with him, we can’t afford to lose her.”

  Sully pushed forward. “Is that your subtle way of saying she’s a prisoner?”

  “Guest.”

  Sully snorted. “A guest who can’t leave.”

  Darcy crossed his arms on his chest. “A guest who has information that might be vital to everyone’s survival. She was willing to die for that guy. That’s got to mean something.”

  “And she killed him without hesitation to save Cogan’s life, after taking a knife for him. I think that means even more.”

  Darcy hissed out a breath, shaking his head as he pushed a hand through his hair. “Just keep her safe. We’ll talk again once she wakes up.”

  Kace stepped into the misshapen circle. “I just hope her memory is more intact then. She didn’t seem to remember anything.” He winked at Jake. “Other than the three of you. Apparently you all made quite a lasting impression.”

  Jake flipped Kace off, focusing back on Abby.

  She grinned. “It’s too early to worry about memory loss. It’s common with this sort of trauma and generally short term.” Abby headed to the door with Darcy, whistling for Jack to follow. “I’m sure everything will come back to her once she’s properly rested. Come and get me if anything changes.”

  Jake nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Cogan sighed, brushing Harper’s hair back from her face as he smiled at Jake. “A new roommate, huh? Who’s sleeping on the floor?”

  Sully punched him in the shoulder. “We’ll take turns. As captain, it’s only proper you go first.”

  Cogan laughed. “Fine. The little minx can have my bunk. She’d just better not snore.”

  Rhys joined them at the door, eyeing the woman then the three of them. “Only you three could go on a crazy-ass mission to find Gunner—one against direct orders I might add—and come back with what could likely turn out to be a professional assassin. Well played.”

  Jake scoffed. “She’s not an assassin. Spy, maybe, but…”

  Rhys shrugged. “You didn’t see the way she looked at Kace and me. I thought she might actually challenge us even though she could barely stand up.”

  “Emersyn challenges you guys all the time, and she’s not an assassin. Tougher than shit, I’ll grant you, but still not an assassin.”

  Kace laughed. “The man has a point, bro.”

  Rhys nodded, smiling when Emersyn and Hunter appeared at the doorway. He welcomed the woman into his arms, motioning to the exit. “Just don’t piss the lady off. I wouldn’t want to see just how not an assassin she is.”

  Jake nudged Cogan, stopping to glance at Rhys as he breeched the threshold. “About Gunner…”

  Rhys held up his hand. “We all want them to be alive. And I still think they are. But if these infected you encountered are immune to Kace’s serum, and they’re displaying advanced cognitive abilities, it’s only prudent to wait until Kace can figure a few things out. And Gunner would be the first to agree, his ass on the line or not.” The man kicked at the floor. “Not that I want my genius brother’s head to swell any bigger than it already is, but…he’s pretty damn brilliant at what he does. Just give him a bit more time. If it comes down to it, we’ll go get the jerks back ourselves.”

  “You’ll have to beat us to the Hummer.” Cogan studied Jake and Sully. “Fine. A couple of days for Einstein here to get a handle on this. But we’re not giving up. Regardless of what Barrett and the others say, even if it means we have to break rank again.”

  “You won’t. I’ll see to that personally if it comes to it.” The guy winked at him. “But you might want to wait until your assassin wakes up before you make any decisions.”

  “Jackass.”

  Jake ignored the round of laughter that followed Cogan, Sully and him out, carefully making his way back to their barracks. They’d decided to share a unit several months ago, when others within the compound had begun pairing up…or should he say quadrupling up, Emersyn, Hunter, Rhys and Kace being the la
st to take the plunge, not that it was any surprise. Jake, Cogan and Sully had noticed the way the feisty redhead had looked at her partners, even if it’d taken Hunter months to figure it out. Either way, they seemed happy, which was more than the three of them could say. Sure, they couldn’t really complain, and any day they managed to make it through alive was a good one. But Jake couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to actually look forward to more than simply surviving. To live.

  Harper stirred slightly in his arms, her head rolling across his chest. A warm breath of air rustled his shirt, making his heart skip a beat. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the feel of her in his arms. How her gentle weight made him feel strong. Or how the brush of her hair across the skin on his neck and upper chest sent shivers racing down his spine. He’d barely been able to control his emotions when he’d barged into the room, seeing her small figure huddled against the wall, all of the color drained from her face. She’d looked ready to collapse yet Rhys had been right. Jake had seen the fire in her eyes. The steel-hard determination. She wouldn’t have gone down without a fight, and he’d bet his left nut she would have given both men the beating of their lives.

  Pride surged to the surface. Harper had turned the tables on the men, and he could tell by Rhys’ comments, the man wasn’t sure what to make of their visitor. Hell, Jake wasn’t sure, either. He didn’t understand the sudden pounding of his heart whenever she looked at him or graced him with a stunning smile. Or how the thought that she’d felt cornered, even if only in her mind, had burned hot in his gut. He’d half considered challenging Rhys himself until she’d leaned into him, allowing him to be strong for her.