“Well, good morning, handsome!” she said cheerily. “How are you feeling?”
The nurse was round, probably early-fifties, with auburn hair and bright blue eyes that made me think of Shannon.
Shannon.
I struggled to sit up. “I need to go. I have to get out of here. I have to–”
“Whoa, whoa, relax man.” Logan was suddenly there, gently urging me back down. “You’re in the hospital.”
“Shannon…” I blubbered. “Is she…?”
Logan cleared his throat and glanced cautiously at the nurse, then back at me. “Later,” he whispered. “I’ll tell you everything.”
“I understand it can be a bit overwhelming waking up in a hospital,” the nurse went on sympathetically, as she moved around my bed, lifting a clipboard. “It’s not uncommon to be disoriented at first. But your friends have stayed close, keeping an eye on you. You’re lucky to have such good friends. I see too many patients who have no one at all.”
She glanced at the monitors, then wrote something on her clipboard. “Looking good. You’re a very lucky young man. I’ll be back to check on you in a little while.” She left, humming as she went.
Logan grinned. “She’s cool. Says you remind her of her son.”
Nishi entered the room at that moment, carrying two Styrofoam cups of coffee. Her eyes widened on me, her mouth spreading into a smile. “Noah!” She hurried forward, handing Logan one of the coffees, then hugged me. “I’m so glad you’re awake.”
“Me, too.” I smiled back. How could anyone not be affected my Nishi’s sweetness? She had one of those infectious smiles that a person couldn’t help but smile back at. She was so good for Logan.
I glanced back at Logan. “What happened? Where’s Shannon?”
Logan looked me in the eye. “Luke spied her running across the yard, then being intercepted by the soldiers, who led her into the house. Not more than ten or fifteen minutes later, Mrs. Collins came out with Ellington and several soldiers, who were carrying an unconscious Shannon. They got into one of those black SUVs and drove off. Most of the soldiers stayed behind, searching through the maze, trying to find us. But we eluded them and got you out. We left Hughes’ body where you killed him. Ryan and Luke went back after everyone was gone and put new tires on your Jeep and picked up your trailer and your drone.”
Luke and Ryan were good guys. I could always count on them. I would have to tell them thanks when I saw them.
“Does anyone know where they took Shannon?” I wanted to believe that her mother wouldn’t hurt her, but who knew? That woman had been so cold. Like her husband. Like The General. Unease clenched at my gut.
“Negative,” Logan replied. “But I’ll bet they took her to the facility. Tracker called earlier and said they would all be here by nine o’clock tonight. When they get here, Tracker can try to get a feel for Shannon’s whereabouts, and we can go from there.”
Urgency swept through me. We needed to find Shannon before something terrible happened to her. If it hadn’t already. My chest squeezed thinking about her being alone, in pain, being tortured by The Company. Who knew what her mother and Ellington might do to her?
“I’m ready to get out of here. Did you bring me some clothes?”
Nishi moved over to a chair in the corner and came back with a grocery sack. “Logan grabbed some clothes out of your duffle bag that was in your Jeep.” She set it on the bed next to me.
“Thanks.” I turned to Logan. “I want out of here. Now.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, scrutinizing. “Can you walk? Because I’m not carrying you. If you can’t walk on your own, then you’re staying here until you can.”
Nishi sent me an apologetic look. “I agree with Logan. You have to be well before you leave.”
“My legs aren’t injured. He stabbed me in the torso, not the legs. Of course, I can walk.”
Logan grinned, then he grabbed Nishi’s hand and turned toward the door. “We’ll wait out in the hallway. Come out when you’re dressed, and we’ll get out of here.”
I nodded. “Thanks, man.”
He turned and met my gaze.
“You bet. Then we can go find your girl.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Shannon
I woke to grogginess, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of dread. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
I lay still for a moment, trying to remember what had happened.
Then everything came crashing back. Noah!
I bolted upright, my head spinning by the abrupt movement. Was he okay? Was he even alive?
Oh Noah, please be okay.
I drew in a deep breath and slowly took in my surroundings. I was on a small, thin mattress, in what looked like a jail cell.
Where was I? The same facility where Noah had been kept prisoner?
I rose from the bed and went over to the bars locking me in. “Hey!” I shouted out in the corridor. “Where’s my mother? Someone get me my mother! I want to talk to her.”
A snicker came from across the way, and a young man stepped up to the bars lining his cell, looking out at me. Dark hair shaved close to his scalp. Penetrating dark eyes. I got a sense of meanness from him, that if pushed too hard, he might react in dark, unpredictable ways. He sized me up, letting his gaze crawl down my body suggestively. “We all want our mommies, sweetheart, but do you think they care? You must be new. When did they start recruiting women? I gotta say, you’re the best looking recruit I’ve ever seen.”
I glowered at him. “I’m not a recruit. My mother works here. Or, at least, I thinks she does. Who are you?”
The man’s lips twisted into a cold smile. “I’m recruit number four-ten. I’m hoping we can get better acquainted a little later.” He leered at me, waggling his brows.
I rolled my eyes. “Dream on, buddy. I won’t be here later. And you’re not my type. You’re just a kid.”
He tutted and shook his head back and forth. “I may be young in age, babe, but I’m old in life’s experiences. And you’re wrong if you think you’ll be leaving soon. Once you’re in, there’s no way out. So you’d better get used to that cell.”
A door slammed from somewhere nearby. Then the click-click of heels echoed down the corridor, the sound growing louder and louder as someone approached. I pressed my face into the bars, trying to see down the hallway.
“Mom!” I shouted, my heart squeezing at the sight of her. “Let me out of here! Please!”
The man across the way—Recruit 410—sniggered. “She’s your mom? I thought I had it bad, but now I really feel sorry for you.”
“Shut it, Mateo!” My mother sent the young man a glare, her lip curling in distaste.
She paused outside of my cell, her sharp gaze taking me in.
“I’m glad you’re awake, Shannon. The blood test just came back. Your increased progesterone levels indicate you are ovulating right now. It’s the perfect time to harvest your egg.”
What? I stared at my mother in disbelief. She’d drawn blood from me while I was unconscious, testing to see if I was ovulating? And now she wanted to “harvest my egg”? No, just no.
Mateo blew me a kiss across the hallway. “Oooh, you’re one of those. A breeder. Maybe I’ll get to breed with you later.” He stuck his tongue out and waggled it in what could only be described as a lascivious way. Gross.
I shook my head. “You’re disgusting. Never will I let you or anyone else touch me without my permission.” I turned the force of my glare upon my mother. “And that includes you!”
My mother tsked. “Don’t be so dramatic, Shannon. It’s just a simple procedure. You’ll be under anesthesia, so you won’t feel a thing. It doesn’t take long at all. I’ve done it numerous times myself.”
“I don’t care! You wanted to do this. I don’t! You are not harvesting my eggs!”
My mother lifted her phone and swiped the screen, lifting it to her ear. “I’m going to need some help dealing with Shannon.” She paused, listening. �
��Yes, now is the perfect time. She’s ovulating.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My own mother wanted to use me in this sick “super soldier” program. It was so disgusting, I wanted to vomit all over her. I still couldn’t believe she’d been a part of it herself, donating her own eggs for the past twelve years.
“You’ll be glad to know Hughes is dead,” my mother informed me. “I never did like that man. Though physically he was the perfect super soldier, his mind was gone. He turned out to be a major disappointment. When he learned of my plans for you, he went AWOL because he didn’t want to share you with the other soldiers. He got greedy and decided he wanted you all to himself.”
I glared at her. “But you’re more than happy to share me with all your soldiers?”
“Not all of them. Just the superior ones. But that will come later. For now, I just need your egg.”
Two soldiers came down the corridor, pausing outside of my cell. My mother stepped back while they opened the cell and dragged me out.
“Come along, Shannon. It will be over before you know it.” My mother turned and headed back down the corridor.
Mateo stuck his hand through the bars of his cell, reaching for me as the soldiers pulled me out into the corridor. “Bye, sweetheart. See you when you get back.” His fingers grazed along my arm, making me jerk back. One of the soldiers smacked his baton at Mateo, hitting him in the arm. Mateo jerked back, cursing and cradling his arm. “Asshole.”
Mateo was lewd and crude. An asshole himself. I didn’t know his story, but I thought of Noah and all of the things he’d gone through at this facility. Poor Mateo was likely experiencing the same things. A part of me felt sorry for him.
The soldiers followed after my mother, dragging me between them. They led me into some type of lab that contained several hospital beds and a long table along the far wall that was filled with all types of microscopes and petri dishes and other lab-type things.
The soldiers tossed me onto one of the beds and strapped me down, while my mother went to the table and gathered some items, before turning and coming over to me.
“I hate you,” I hissed. “I will never, ever forgive you for this! When I get away, I’m taking you down, Mom! You will not get away with this!”
When she didn’t respond, I lashed out at her, trying to wound her. “Did Daddy know about your lover Ellington? You unfaithful bitch! Where is that pompous ass, anyway? Why isn’t he here?”
My mother sighed. “He’s home with his wife. He doesn’t like the medical side of things.” She turned those cold eyes on me. “And yes, your father knew of my affair with Ellington. You don’t think he’s had numerous affairs, too?”
I swallowed hard, the pain burrowing deep. Yes, I’d known my parents didn’t love each other. But hearing it now just made me realize how much they’d kept from me all these years. How much they’d lied.
My mother swiped an alcohol wipe across the inside of my wrist, tied one of those stretchy bands around my arm to stop the flow of blood, then stuck an IV needle into my arm. She removed the stretchy band and then attached a syringe to the needle and pressed the plunger.
“Sweet dreams, daughter. When you wake, it will all be over.”
“No!” I screamed, twisting and squirming on the bed. “No! You can’t do this!”
The tears came then, hard and fast. My mother truly was a monster. I didn’t know her at all.
My vision blurred as the drug took hold. But my last thought was of Noah.
Noah. My tender, caring dreg.
I now understood what he’d gone through. And I could totally sympathize.
Because I myself was going through the same thing.
At the hands of my own mother.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Noah
After I left the hospital with Logan and Nishi, they took me to our new temporary hideout, which Ryan and Luke had recently discovered. An old farmhouse at the end of a dirt road about fifteen miles west of Atlanta. The property was surrounded by an enormous pecan orchard. Since the pecan harvest had ended last month, the chances of us being discovered here were slim. But we were still alert, as was our nature, and prepared for anything.
As soon as we arrived, I hooked my computer up, and using my remote internet access beacon, I sent all the pertinent information I had so far on The Company over to Agent Browning, including all The Company documents Shannon had redacted. I also sent him the “Confidential” file from Ellington Pharmaceuticals that contained all those encrypted files. If he managed to find evidence in there before I could, then we could take down Ellington sooner. I told him I would continue to try to decrypt the files, but in the meantime, he could have his IT people at the FBI going through them as well, thus doubling our efforts to decrypt those files. Ellington and Shannon’s mother were going down.
Since the other dregs wouldn’t arrive for several more hours, I began looking over The Company files once again. If Shannon’s mother was involved, there had to be something in these files that proved it. I just had to find it.
I decided to do a complete background check on Shannon’s mother, pulling up everything I could find on her. I should have looked into her before this, but I’d figured Shannon’s father was the villain and hadn’t thought to check out her mother.
Caroline Ross had been born in Los Angeles. Her father was a successful television producer and her mother a homemaker. She had an older brother, Lucian, who was a plastic surgeon. Caroline was a geneticist who had attended Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
A memory nagged at me, but I couldn’t figure out what it was that bugged me so much.
Caroline Ross had married Jack Collins while she was obtaining her Master’s Degree, and Shannon had been born two years later.
Ross. Ross. Why did that name seem familiar?
Ross.
Dr. C. Ross.
Oh shit.
I quickly pulled up the employment contract between Dr. C. Ross and Super Soldiers, LLC, rereading it. I had assumed that Dr. C. Ross was a man. But I had been wrong. Dr. C. Ross was Shannon’s mother. And she’d been working for The Company ever since the Collins family had moved to Georgia.
I sat back and rubbed a hand over my face. Shannon had been fooled by not just one parent, but two. This would hurt her so badly.
“What’d you find?” Logan asked, coming up behind me.
Nishi was napping downstairs. Ryan and Luke were in the other room playing foosball. They’d pulled the table out of my trailer after we arrived and were now going at it. Their excited shouts and banging of feet on the hardwood floor as they jumped around in their competitive excitement easily carried into the kitchen where I had set my computer up on the countertop. Since the house was old and vacant, it had no furniture. Ryan and Luke had gone into Wal-Mart late yesterday while I’d been in the hospital and had picked up a bunch of blow-up mattresses so we’d have beds to sleep on. They’d also purchased several canvas “camping” chairs that folded easily for carrying and storage, along with enough non-perishable food items to get us by for a few days.
“I just found Shannon’s mother’s involvement in the Company. She’s Dr. Ross, the geneticist.”
“No shit?” Logan ran a hand through his longish hair and shook his head sadly.
I sighed. “Yeah. I can only imagine what her mother is doing to her right now.”
Logan held my gaze. “We’ll find her, man. You know I’ve got your back, no matter what.”
“I know. Thanks.”
Why didn’t I recognize her mother from the facility? She must have remained in the background, working out of the lab the entire time, not showing her face.
The rest of the dregs arrived around nine that evening. All of us were here now. Tracker, Jacob, Nate, Tony, Logan, Ryan, Luke, and me. We all gathered in the kitchen and I filled them in on everything that had happened and everything I’d learned.
Then I handed Tracker a picture of Shannon that I’d printed ou
t from the internet. While we all waited, he clutched the printout and closed his eyes, focusing in on her whereabouts.
“Shit.” He opened his eyes and handed the paper back to me. “She’s at the facility. In the lab, it looks like. I don’t know what they’re doing to her, but it obviously isn’t good.”
My heart pounded. We knew where she was. It was time to go get her.
We all gathered weapons to prepare for the task at hand.
Since it was already dark out, there was no need to wait. We were going in now.
“Let’s move out!” Nate shouted, and we all hurried to our vehicles.
I’m coming, Shannon. Hang in there. I’ll be there soon.
But would we make it in time? I prayed her mother didn’t hurt her before we got there.
Because I would kill anyone who harmed Shannon.
Even Dr. C. Ross.
Her mother.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Shannon
When I woke the second time, I was back in the cell, lying on the thin bed.
“Hey, sweetheart, you awake?” It was Mateo from across the hall.
I groaned, clutching my head. Nausea threatened. I gagged, rushing to the toilet in the corner. I heaved, and heaved again, sitting on the cold floor for a long time, until the aftereffects of anesthesia finally wore off. I moaned again, then moved back to the bed, curling up into a ball and hugging myself.
“Hey!” Mateo called again. “You okay? What’d that bitch do to you? You don’t look so hot.”
“Leave me alone.” I shivered, hugging myself tighter. I had no doubt my mother had done what she’d threatened. She’d harvested my egg without my consent. And I had a good idea what she planned to do with that egg. Hell, she’d probably already fertilized it with donor sperm from one of her super soldiers. The resulting offspring—if it took—would be my child.
An overwhelming sense of betrayal washed over me, the pain sinking deep. My own mother had done this to me. Would she keep me locked up in here forever, harvesting my egg each month? How many of my eggs would be fertilized? How many offspring would result from my mother’s efforts?
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