Going the Distance

by Mandy M. Roth

  “And the healing agents?” the other pressed. “Did you administer them to her? Was she bitten? Mickens will kill us for sure if she was bitten.”

  “I don’t think she was. I couldn’t find any signs of a bite mark.” The man sighed. “And I didn’t have a choice on whether or not to administer the meds. Her injuries were grave.”

  “Mickens will go apeshit if he finds out you injected her with medication specific to supernaturals. You know the government concluded use on humans wasn’t safe, that it could have lasting effects on them.” He lowered his voice. “Not only that but how many tweakers do we have running around out there, trying to score more. What if she becomes addicted to it like they are?”

  Something crashed. “Dammit, I know the risks. I’ve been on the research team from day one. Her body didn’t reject it. It’s odd, almost as though it wasn’t her first time being subjected to the agent. If it was going to shut her system down, it would have done so by now. I think she’s out of the woods.”

  “What about a possible addiction?”

  The other snorted. “You’ve seen what happens to humans who become addicted. She’s not scratching her skin open or going off half crazed, shouting about seeing demons. I think she’ll be fine. Like I said, I don’t think it’s her first time being exposed to it.”

  Carri groaned and touched the side of her aching head. Jumbled voices continued to cut through the fog around her and she blinked, opening her eyes slowly. She pushed off the cot. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest as if being used for the first time ever. She hissed, drawing the attention of the men in the room with her.

  They turned, their lab coats rustling slightly. “Ms. Strouse, you’re awake.”

  She stared blankly at them. “Do I know you?”

  They shared a look before schooling their faces. “You were injured and we treated you.”

  The man on the left cleared his throat. “Mr. Mickens will be here shortly. We called him as soon as we realized who you were.”

  The very mention of Jason made her stomach curl. She’d gone to meet with him, hoping to talk with him about some of the problems they’d been having in their relationship. He’d been distant, isolated and somewhat cold over the past few months. While she wasn’t able to locate him, she did manage to stumble upon something that sickened her.

  Deathmatches.

  Her thoughts went to the man she’d seen fighting in the ring. The one who had looked at her as if no one else in the world mattered. The one she’d seen before, in a darkened alley when she’d run out of hope of surviving. He’d been her saving grace. Her dark knight.

  Quinn Padgett. A legend in the world of Extreme Fighting. A legend thought to be dead after disappearing two years ago.

  “The man?” she muttered. “The one who was fighting. Is he okay?”

  The men in lab coats snorted. “He’s not a man,” one said.

  The other nodded. “He’s an animal.”

  She wanted to lash out verbally at them for their comments but a trickle of awareness crept over her. The urge to go forward beat out all else. She obliged, her feet stinging as they touched the floor. The men tried to assist her but she put a hand up, keeping them at bay as she made her way towards a large panel of glass.

  There, behind it lay a huddled mass. Chains secured it to the wall and upon closer examination, Carri realized the mass was actually a body and the body belonged to the man from the cage fight.

  Quinn.

  Her heart leapt to her throat and she swallowed down the lump. She eased her fingers over the glass, tracing his outline, wanting to ease his pain. A beeping noise from an intercom on the wall made her jump. The men with her responded, answering the call and agreeing to meet with someone.

  “Ms. Strouse,” one said. “We’ll be down the hall should you need anything. Mr. Mickens will be with you shortly.” He hedged. “It would be best if you stay here, in the lab.”

  She nodded, waiting for them to leave before turning her attention back to Quinn. She searched the room quickly, finding a steel door leading to the chamber. It took some work on her part but she managed to open it. The stench in the room was overpowering. She took a minute to collect herself before going towards Quinn. The closer she got, the sicker she became.

  He’d been beaten almost beyond recognition. There didn’t look to be a part of him left untouched. Tentatively, she reached out, her hand hovering just above his brow. She skimmed her finger over his temple lightly, afraid of hurting him but unable to resist the urge to make contact. His eyelids fluttered open and she stopped all movement, fearful he would turn on her.

  The blue of his eyes was like the color of a rare gem. It seemed to sparkle beneath the fluorescent lighting. Thick, long black lashes swept down and then up again, the blue of his eyes changing even more. Carri traced her way over his stubble-covered cheek to his chiseled jawline. She was mindful not to put any pressure on him to keep from causing him even more pain. When her fingers feathered over his full lips, his mouth parted. The desire to press her lips to his was immense and hard to defy. She bent, tears threatening to fall at the sight of how battered and bruised he was.

  “What did they do to you?” she asked softly.

  Something slammed behind her and she jolted, ripping her hand back from Quinn’s face. She remained in place, her body shielding his face from the view through the glass.

  “Carri!”

  “Jason?” she replied. “I’m in here. Hurry, he needs help. He needs a doctor. I think he’s Quinn Padgett. The man who helped me but then went missing.”

  Jason entered the room, his designer suit slightly rumpled which was out of the ordinary for him. His green eyes were wide. “Carri, Jesus, I got your message that you wanted to meet with me but you never showed.”

  She tipped her head, noticing his lack of surprise or concern with the conditions around him. He stepped in more, all the while staring at her. “I was so worried. I had my men canvassing the area, looking for you. All I could think about was something happening to you.”

  She stiffened, sliding closer to the man on the floor.

  “What in the hell were you thinking?” Jason asked. “Coming down into this section of town, after sunset, is suicidal! These things could have attacked you again. They could have finished what they started two years ago. Is that what you want? Huh? Do you want to wake up and find out you’re infected with what they have? That you’re one of them?”

  It took all she had to remain calm. “One of them?”

  He motioned to the man on the floor. She assumed the man was Quinn Padgett but Jason’s lack of any real surprise made her question if she was right. He’d been a fan of Quinn’s for many years and had seemed devastated when the news reported foul play was suspected in the fighting champion’s disappearance. He’d even gone so far as to aid in the city-wide search for Quinn. “An animal, Carri. Do you think it’s chained for no reason?”

  Her throat constricted. “You know about what’s going on here?”

  Jason came to a stop and tugged at his shirt collar. “Umm.”

  “Umm?” she countered, waiting for an answer.

  “It’s not what you think, Carri,” he pushed. “No people are ever hurt. It’s only the animals. Never a human.”

  Bile rose in her throat and she struggled to keep from being sick. “He needs medical attention, Jason.”

  The scientists returned, taking a stand behind Jason.

  Jason snorted. “I’ll call a vet the minute I get you out of here.” He put his hand out to her. Thoughts of the spider and the fly analogy played in her mind. She remained in place. Jason’s gaze narrowed. “Carri, come on. Let’s get you out of here, get you home and cleaned up. You’ll feel better after a hot bath and a glass of wine.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “Better? You think a bath and wine are going to fix how I feel right now? You think it will take away what I’ve seen?”

  The scientist on the left cleared his throat a
nd lifted a hand. “Uh, sir.”

  “What?” Jason asked, his voice unkind.

  “She shouldn’t be separated from him just yet.”

  “Why?”

  The other man glanced around nervously. “Because every time we tried to move her too far from him last night, her system crashed.”

  Carri remained still, unsure what to say or do. Her memories of the riot were sketchy, at best. What stuck in her mind vividly was the sight of Quinn, standing in the ring, his skin glistening and his expression hard, raw and unforgiving.

  Jason’s jaw dropped. “You gave her the healing agent, didn’t you?”

  Guilty expressions covered the men’s faces. They nodded in unison.

  With a surveying look, Jason stepped closer to her. “She’s standing. If she’s able to do that, she’ll be fine without him.”

  “But, sir, what if she shows signs of side effects?”

  “She won’t,” Jason said matter-of-factly.

  “How can you know?”

  “Where do you think the original basis for the latest test came from? Whose blood do you think we were trying to mimic the results of?” A maniacal laugh came from him. “I can’t achieve greatness without proof it works and who do you think is that proof?”

  Backing away, she shook her head. This wasn’t happening. It had to be a play of her mind. She was dreaming. That was it. There was no way this could be real.

  Sadly, she knew better.

  It was.

  “Honey,” he coaxed. “I never wanted you to see any of this. I know it’s too much for you. I know you want to think everything is right in the world, that you want to see the good in everyone but you of all people should know what you’re sitting next to doesn’t deserve your concern. Padgett is an animal, Carri. The same kind that attacked you. The same kind that would have killed you had my men not intervened.”

  Tipping her head to the side, she thought about his words. He’d called the man Padgett. She was right and Jason knew all along. It proved just how far gone he truly was. “Jason, I told you before that the man who came to help me—the man I identified as Quinn Padgett—didn’t attack me. He protected me. He helped me and you know I tried to find him at the hospital and even afterwards, that I wanted to thank him.”

  “A man didn’t come, Carri,” Jason bellowed. “An animal did. One who sniffs out scraps in dumpsters. That’s what he was doing that night, honey. He was looking for food and found you. The best meal of them all. And if he didn’t want to kill you, he would have turned you into one of them. He would have taken you from me.”

  She pushed to her feet, her body sore. Jason tried to assist her but she shook her head. “Don’t touch me! I’m done with this. With you. You shut yourself off from me for what? To lose your damn mind?”

  “Carri, honey.”

  She pointed at him. “Don’t honey me. This—” she motioned around the room, “—is sick, Jason. Fights to the death? Locking men away? Treating them like they’re disposable? Tell me, Jason.” She stared intensely at him. “Who is the real animal here? The man who looks like he was beaten by an army or the man who is standing before me trying to justify his actions?”

  A tic started under Jason’s right eye. “Carri, you’re upset right now. You’ve been through a lot. My men told me that you were caught up in the riot last night. That you were injured and that the thing behind you tried to attack you.”

  “Attack me?” She shook her head, not believing him. “No. He didn’t. He wouldn’t.”

  “You weren’t conscious, Carri. He tried to kill you. My men stopped him. They protected you and contacted me the minute they realized who you were.”

  There was no way she thought for a second the man behind her had attempted to harm her. “He needs medical attention. Either let your men help him or I’ll find someone who will.”

  Jason drew his face back. “Carri, you can’t go off talking about what happened here. There are too many sympathizers out there. Too many Padgett supporters. This cleanup project has to stay in house.”

  “Cleanup project?” she asked, her voice squeaking. She couldn’t believe her ears. She knew Jason was uneasy around supernaturals but she never knew he flat-out hated them. Never did she suspect he’d be a participant in something as heinous as what she’d witnessed, all the while lying to her face as to the whereabouts of Quinn.

  “Carri, honey,” he coaxed. “They’ll overrun us if we’re not careful. We have to maintain the upper hand. You have to know that. Deep down.” He centered his green gaze on her. “Do you want our children growing up in a world dominated by them?”

  The very thought of having a family with him turned her stomach. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him as much but he wasn’t stable. He couldn’t be. Not if he had a hand in all of this. She glanced fleetingly at Quinn, who was still on the floor behind her and then back at Jason. Schooling her face, she offered him her hand. “Jason, I want to go now. Can you check with the men who were here before to make sure I wasn’t bitten by him?” she asked, motioning to Quinn.

  Worry raced over Jason’s face. “Of course. You should wait in the lab. I don’t want him waking up and hurting you again.”

  She nodded. It wasn’t her first time in the labs. She used to frequent them often before the attack. It was why she’d come down to the theatre district. She knew Jason owned several of the warehouses and had converted many over to research facilities to further his work in innovative medicine. The last time she’d been in one was the day of the attack. Clearly, much had changed from that point until now. “I will. And thank you.”

  He rushed off and she followed behind slowly, waiting until he was gone to turn back. She moved quickly, dropping next to Quinn on the floor, struggling with the chains before finally managing to figure out how they were secured to him. She took a second glance at him, noting that his injuries already appeared to be healing. She’d heard supernaturals had accelerated healing abilities but she’d never witnessed it firsthand before.

  “I know you’re awake,” she said, tugging the chains from him. “Can you walk?”

  He grunted and shook her off as she tried to help him to his feet. He managed to stand, swaying slightly before gaining his balance. A slow burning fire lit in his eyes. “Won’t your boyfriend be pissed you’re helping an animal like me?”

  Carri stepped back, wondering if he would take his anger out on her. While he’d once helped her, he wasn’t the same man anymore. She’d laid witness to the conditions he’d had to endure. Hell had a way of changing even the best of men. “This isn’t right. I can’t let it happen.”

  “How sweet of you,” he said sardonically. “Giving back to the animals and all.”

  His words snapped her delicate control. She shook her head. “Don’t make me out to be like him. I didn’t do this. I had no idea it was even happening. I thought he kept the warehouses for his company. For medical supplies and chemicals needed to create medications.” She wanted to shake him. Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. He didn’t appear to hear her. How could he? His head had to be throbbing with pain.

  Pain Jason inflicted on him.

  “You know what they say,” he muttered, dragging a foot on his way towards the door. “You are what you sleep with.”

  He was off and moving before she could respond. Not that she would have. He was right. She’d aligned herself with a man capable of doing the unspeakable. A shudder wracked her body, bringing with it tears. The stench of the chamber forced her to exit. She made her way to the lab, still crying softly.

  Quinn pressed onward, his body sore and his temper high. Beyond the obvious hate of his keepers, he held another emotion close to the vest.

  Betrayal.

  Hearing that the beauty who had seemed so familiar to him, who his body recognized as his mate and who had sparked his primeval need to protect her was associated with a man who was a key player in the circle of fights was too much. He’d wanted to hurt her, even just with wor
ds and he’d done that. Unfortunately, as they fell from his lips, he found himself wishing he could take them back. Shock and horror such as she’d worn on her face when approaching him wasn’t something one could fake with ease, especially where a wolf was concerned. His ability to sense lies was greater than a human’s. Unable to hear everything Carri and Mickens had said as he swam in and out of consciousness, Quinn pieced together enough. There was little question in his mind that she hadn’t been aware of her significant other’s actions, but that did nothing to stop the blazing feeling of unfaithfulness.

  She was with them. She more than knew the head of the local district fight club—Mickens.

  He put a hand to the cool metal wall, inching his way down the darkened corridor. He knew no one was close. His heightened senses told him as much. He also knew something else, he’d left Carri to deal with the results of setting him free. A piece of him wanted to believe that Mickens would never harm her, but he’d laid witness to the man’s atrocities.

  Mickens had taken to forcing shifters into their animal form with various serums he’d perfected. Once in their animal state, he’d chain them without food and water for weeks before tossing in one of his enemies. It didn’t matter how good a person the shifter was before the torture—in animal form, baser needs won out. Their animal wouldn’t permit them to starve when fresh meat was near.

  Quinn had witnessed more than one occasion of a human being eaten alive by shifters left without choices. He’d also been there to try to ease the guilt the supernaturals had upon returning to human form and learning of what they’d done.

  Mickens had orchestrated that and so much more in the two years Quinn had spent under his thumb. The man’s cruelty knew no limits. How could someone like Carri, someone destined to be his mate, align herself with the likes of Mickens?

  He hesitated, debating on continuing or going back for her. He was in no condition to take on guards should they be called in. The scent of Mickens and his team of medics came to him. He faded into the shadows, watching as they entered the lab he had only just come from. There were shouts, sounds of things being overturned and then silence. He waited, his chest pounding with the thought of Carri being harmed. When nothing more occurred, he forced himself to put one foot in front of the other and move forward.