“It would be smart on her part if they were, but the last ones weren’t,” Peter whispers, raising his weapon and inching ahead.
I grip my gun, my finger poised on the trigger. I confirm the setting—max stun. I can’t handle any more death today.
“Let’s go in slowly,” I whisper. “See what we’re up aga—”
Peter’s feet are in the air. He rockets through the corridor, my heart almost leaping from my chest as I bolt after him. As I fly around the corner, I find Peter has them on the ground already, but one of the guards is on top of him, the second shaking his head, coming to.
I raise my gun before he has the chance to recover and shoot. The stun hits him right in the front and his head drops to the floor. I spin to see Peter flip the other guard over on his stomach and aim his rifle. Quick as a whip, I shoot the guard. He goes limp.
“Was yours on stun?”
Peter inspects his gun. “No.”
I suck in a deep breath. “Mine was. They’ll be out for at least twenty minutes.”
Peter eyes them, then the giant, metal shelter door. “Well, let’s get busy then.”
To the right of the door is a hand scanner. I look back to the guards on the floor, then to Peter. “Can you get into that using the tablet?”
“I think so. Smeid has a few codes in here.”
I glance at the guard again. “I’ll bet he can get in, too.”
Peter smiles and dashes over to the guard. “Help me get him up.”
I holster my weapon and reach for the guard’s arm. Peter and I drag him to the door and pull his palm up to the scanner.
Beep.
The door slides back with a whoosh. We release the guard and push him out of the way. Peter checks inside the door.
“I don’t see anything,” he whispers.
I let out several clicks and locate her immediately. “She’s three up, but she’s on the move.” I point the way, but Peter’s in the air and on the hunt.
My clicks send back her location, and I race past Peter, who went into the wrong room. “This way,” I say, gesturing him back to me. “She’s going to the escape pods.”
He follows me as I run, but Nerissa’s not as fast as we are, and she’s quickly losing ground. The shape of her body, bent and panting to get in air, materializes in my mind until she stands before my eyes. Something about her seems small, weak. In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve always seen Nerissa as powerful, but no more. Now she’s just a woman, and one who needs to be stopped.
Nerissa glances back, a look of terror in her eyes. I launch myself toward her and collide with her back, knocking her down with a thwack. She grunts and struggles to escape my grasp, pushing her palms against my face.
“Get off me!” she screams in my ear, but I don’t relent. Instead, I grab her wrists and pin her to the floor with as much force as my compact body will allow.
“No way, witch!” I yell back at her.
Peter grabs the back of my suit and pulls me from her.
“What are you doing?” I protest, but in a flash, he yanks Nerissa to her feet. She struggles to get away, but it’s no use. He has her grasped tight.
“Okay, lady,” Peter growls, lifting her off the tile. “You’re done. End of the line.”
Nerissa winces and shifts her face from Peter, saying nothing.
“We’re gonna take a little walk together, and you’re gonna inform all your guards that you’re surrendering to us. Then you’re going to release Lily—”
“And we’re going to destroy all your labs,” I add. “No more of this.”
“You won't destroy my work,” she hisses. “Humanity won’t survive if we can’t advance our civilization. The human race is dying out, you know. I’m the only one that can save it.”
“You’re a liar,” Peter growls. “You’re just a power-hungry witch trying to play god.”
“You may not like me and the way I do things,” she says, “but I am not a liar. Escort me to the central lab and I’ll show you myself. You can see for yourself that I’m right.”
Peter glances at me and I nod.
“Fine. We need to go there anyway.” Peter drops her and produces his gun from behind his back, the rifle strapped over his shoulder, and jabs it into her side. “Lead the way.”
Chapter 26
Peter
“Do that dolphin trick and make sure there aren’t any surprises,” I say to Arya.
“I’m not seeing anything,” she replies, concentrating on the stairwell.
Nerissa looks over her shoulder at me. “It’s called echolocation,” she says with a smug grin. “A world filled with water, and I gave Arya the gift of a sixth sense. I must be a monster?”
“I didn’t ask for it,” Arya snarls. “My father didn’t ask for you to steal children from Atlantis either.”
Nerissa brushes the tips of her fingers over her eyebrows, then reaches up to smooth her tightly arranged hair. “Your father is not so innocent, my dear.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Arya snaps.
“Not now, Arya,” I insist. “She’s just trying to get in your head. She’s stalling.”
“Oh, Peter,” Nerissa says. “We had such high hopes for you. I never understood why you fought us for all those years. I basically gifted you with immortality … and you can fly! The way you’ve shown gratitude has truly hurt my feelings.”
“You sure were nurturing,” I sneer. “Ripping me from my bed and my family when I was a kid was great. Then the experiments, oh those were super fun. Can you lock me in that holding cage again for old times’ sake?”
“Always the funny one. I never had a fix for that. Should have, though.”
“Let’s move,” I say, gesturing for Nerissa to lead the way down the stairs.
Everyone’s quiet as we work our way down several flights, footsteps echoing off the metal walls as we descend until we reach the main docking level for the west side of the settlement. I never came here too often when the Lost Boys and I controlled Neverland. We didn’t have enough vessels to use all the docks. There wasn’t a Syndicate problem here back then.
Pulling around the corner, we jolt to a stop. Four guards stand with rifles trained at us. I grab Nerissa’s wrist and dig my rifle into the small of her back. Arya tucks in closer to me.
“It’s OK, gentlemen,” Nerissa tells the encroaching fighters. “You can stand down. I have information these two should see.”
I know she’s playing us here, but she’s the only one who knows where Lily is, and killing her won’t reunite us.
“Ma’am, are you sure?” the man in front asks.
“Do what I say,” Nerissa hisses, “and have our forces start evacuation procedures. It appears we’ve worn out our welcome.
Without hesitation, the guards lower their weapons and clear a path for us to pass. Nerissa winces and glares at me as I squeeze her bicep tighter. Slowly, we slide past and further down the hall before we stop at the docking gate marked G77. A steel, rivet-lined double door towers at least ten feet over us.
“May I?” Nerissa asks as she points at the access panel to the right.
“Hold on.” I turn to Arya. “You see anyone beyond this entrance?”
She pauses for a beat and stares at me. “No. There’s something blocking my sonar.”
“The docks were fortified to protect our vessels,” Nerissa says to Arya. “Even you can’t see through these thick, lead walls. Not to worry. I told you I have information to show you.”
I grip tight onto Nerissa’s forearm and look at Arya. She shrugs. What choice do we have? Releasing Nerissa’s arm, I push her a bit closer to the panel. She glares at me and glances down, placing her palm on the scanner. A cool white light emits, and a loud pop comes from inside the door handle.
Nerissa steps back and gestures for us to go forward, amping up the fake sweetness in her voice. “Would you be a dear, Peter, and pull that heavy door open?”
I roll my eyes at her, lower my
weapon, and grab the handle of the door. Arya puts a hand on my arm to stay me.
“You sure this isn’t a trap?”
“I’m sure it is,” I say. “But nothing will keep me from tearing that boat apart and finding Lily—even if I have to torture Nerissa to get her location.”
Arya moves back to Nerissa’s side and seizes her wrist. I tug on the door, creaking open slowly. A bright light spills out from inside, forcing me to shield my eyes. Before I can adjust, someone grabs my shoulder and chucks me in. I’m thrown several feet, smashing into a wall. My shoulder throbs. I lose my grip on the rifle as it flies far down the interior corridor, clanking as it skips away from me. The lights dim, and my vision adjusts.
A hulking man lumbers toward me; black hair closely buzzed, eyes lifeless, unlike his thick, agitated frame. A form-fitting suit similar to Arya’s nearly bursts at the seams from his hulking muscles.
“Peter!” Arya calls from outside the door.
I lift off the ground and rocket toward her, but the beast latches onto me by the neck and slams me back against the wall. I pound my fists on his forearms, trying to break free, but he’s not flinching. Just in back of my attacker, another freak of nature charges to the door. I try to warn Arya, but with this guy’s tight grip on my neck, the words stick in my throat.
Looking around the massive frame of this determined man, I lock my gaze at the door. A weapon discharge followed by a blue haze glows from outside the entrance. A low grunt, followed by Arya’s scream freezes me. The heavy door is flung forward, and the other guy drags Arya in by her hair. She kicks and claws at him, but he doesn’t bat an eye. Smoke wafts from his shoulder. Arya shot him, but it didn’t even slow him.
Nerissa strolls in behind them, a satisfied smirk on her face and Arya’s gun delicately held between two fingers. The man securing Arya picks her up and pins her back to the wall next to me, cringing as she’s locks her in place. The mutant gripping me loosens his meaty paws just enough, so I can breathe.
“Well, well, well,” Nerissa sings and stuffs the pistol into her inside coat pocket. “I suppose we dropped the ball on enhancing your intelligence, wouldn’t you say?”
“Always tricks up your sleeve?” Arya growls. “Evil can’t be trusted.”
Nerissa inches closer to her. “Oh, sweet Arya, I didn’t lie. I do have something to show you, and it will change the world. Meet Subject Twelve and Subject Thirteen. Or, as I like to call them, Gene and Nome.”
I release a forced laugh that hurts my strained neck. “Wow, that was dumb. For someone who’s supposed to be smart, you have no imagination. You should get out of the lab more often.”
Nerissa scoffs. “What I’m trying to get across is that these two beautiful specimens will save humanity. All those experiments we did on the two of you, as well as the others, have led to this.”
“What? Mindless monsters to do your bidding?” Arya asks.
The two beasts don’t even react to her insult. Their beady green eyes remain locked on us, glazed over, not even blinking.
Nerissa paces a few feet back and forth in front of us then she returns to Arya. “This mutation is just the first step to creating the perfect replacement to inferior humans. Just think of the possibilities. Where is young James? I only gave him a booster shot of the formula, enough to give you an idea of what’s to come.”
Arya thrashes about, unsuccessfully attempting to break free. Apparently, Nerissa is unaware of what happened to him as well.
“You drove him insane with rage,” I snarl. “How is that an improvement on humanity? He turned on us and I had to take him out.”
“What do you mean, you took him out?” Nerissa insists. “His father will be furious.”
She doesn’t know about Thacher, either. She’s out of the loop. Hopefully Arya can keep that to herself. We don’t need Nerissa enraged. Arya looks at me and I can see in her expression she must be thinking the same thing.
“Where is my son?” Nerissa hisses.
“He’s not your son!” Arya shouts. “He hates you! He wants nothing to do with you. He’s long gone from Neverland, safe from you!”
“We’ll see about that,” Nerissa says, folding her arms.
“What’s your plan here?” I ask. “I’m kind of done with the long-winded, evil queen routine.”
“I’m glad you asked, Peter. You two have forever been my biggest regrets. You both were such huge successes for the program, only to abandon us like you did. With our advancements, I figured it was time to bring you home, so we could perfect the mutation. What better test subjects than you two?”
“Nope, I’m good. I’ll pass,” I say.
“We will fight you with our dying breath,” Arya vows.
“Well, as long as we get some good data. Then you can stop breathing,” Nerissa says. “Win-win.”
A guard enters the room from outside the docking ramp. The short woman stares at us for a moment before leaning in to whisper to Nerissa. A few seconds pass then Nerissa pulls back and looks at her. “Are you sure about this?” she asks, her brow furrowing.
The woman nods and lowers her gaze. Nerissa shoos her away, insisting she leave. She turns and quickly walks out without another peep.
Nerissa pivots toward us, her eyes brimming with venom, her lips now pursed. She stares at us for too longs, not saying anything.
“You shot Edward,” Nerissa says at last in a low tone, now avoiding us.
“Who?” I ask.
“EDWARD … Edward Thacher. Commander Thacher—my husband!”
A chill washes through my core at her words. A vicious person losing the love of her life can only make what’s to come so much worse.
“What did you expect to happen?” Arya asks. “You controlled him for so long. Turned him against his son at every corner. This is on you, not us.”
“Well, it looks like plans have changed for you two,” Nerissa says, ignoring Arya. “I must go. I can’t be here now. Boys, I no longer want these failed experiments. Break their necks and dispose of them out the sewage vents.”
Her commands light a fire in me. No way I’m dying here.
I don’t wait for the freaks to act. I raise my legs from the floor and curl them in close to my chest. All in one motion, I plant the soles of my boots directly on the man’s midsection, pushing him with all my strength. He flies back into Nerissa, knocking her to the far wall. She whacks her head and crumples to the ground. I throw an elbow into the jaw of the other mutant, a cracking coming from his mouth, followed by two teeth bouncing a few feet away. He slowly rounds toward me, an intense scowl over his face. I back up a step, expecting the worse, but Arya drives her foot into his kneecap, a blood-curdling howl echoing from him.
I grab Arya’s tiny wrist and haul her deeper down the corridor. We make it five feet before one of the men tackles me to the floor, landing on me, forcing the air from my lungs. He wraps his massive arms around me and squeezes until it feels as if my ribs are going to snap.
Bang!
The man’s grip loosens, and he rolls off me. I swallow a large gulp of oxygen and gather myself, looking up to find Arya standing in the walkway, my rifle in her grasp, her eyes wide. Smoke drifts from the barrel.
“Are you alright?” she asks, staring at the man’s lifeless body.
I don’t have a chance to answer since the other freak rushes Arya. Backpedaling, she fires a few rounds, but misses. He yanks the rifle from her hands, nearly pulling her arms off at the same time. I struggle to get up, still weak from the bear hug. The mutant locks onto her wrist and throws her past where I lay. She slides several feet before stopping ahead of the dock entrance. Grabbing her head, she struggles to get back up.
The man lumbers my way, his sights firmly trained on Arya. He’s about to stomp over me when I grasp his ankle. He loses his balance and falls palms down, the floor vibrating with the impact. Before he can turn on me, I’m on top of him, my knee driven into his spine. With both hands, I push his massive head to the flo
or, pinning it as he’s trying to lift up.
I look up to see if Arya is alright only to find Nerissa choking her from behind. Blood runs down Nerissa’s forehead.
“Arya!” I shout, but she’s too dazed from being thrown across the hall like a ragdoll to answer.
I can’t let go of this freak or he’ll over-power me. All I can do is watch Arya grimace in pain. Frantically, I scan around, trying to spot something to take this guy out with. I spot Arya’s pistol, which must’ve fallen out of Nerissa’s coat pocket when she fell. It’s no more than four feet in front of me, but can I snag it before he tears me apart?
I leap from his body and dive for the gun, grabbing it mid-slide. Rolling over, I blast the man in the face. His head jerks back he drops heavily to the floor. Arya’s gun is set to stun, but a shot to the head must have been more than he could handle. Laying on my back, I’m frozen, the gun pointed at him. I flick the stun option off and grip the gun, prepared to kill him. A second or two passes and he’s not getting up.
I flip over. Nerissa’s gone and Arya’s on the floor, not moving. I race to her, stuffing the pistol in the back of my pants’ waistline. Her neck still has Nerissa’s handprints wrapping it.
“No, no, no,” I plead. “Arya? Arya, come on, wake up.”
I reach to feel for a pulse. It’s weak, but it’s there. I lean over to see if she’s breathing and a slight wisp of air tickles my ear. It’s shallow, but there.
Not knowing what to do, I race to the entrance Nerissa fled through. I look out, but she’s nowhere in sight. There’s a tug on my heart. Nerissa is my only way to find my Lily, but Arya needs me now. I exhale and return to her. Pulling her head up, I slide my legs under her neck, giving her a soft place to lie.
I lean my back against the cool wall, keeping an eye on Nerissa’s experiment, even though I don’t think he’s going to wake anytime soon. His brain's probably fried.
“Peter,” Arya whispers, so softly that I don’t know how long she’s been calling me for.
“Arya? Arya, yes, I’m here. What can I do?”
Her lids are closed, her breathing labored. “Nerissa?” she asks, the name barely escaping her lips.
NeverSea: Echoes of the Lost (Book One) Page 18