“I’ve been looking for you ever since I heard the commotion,” Tom said. “Are you all right?”
“What do you care?”
“I care a lot. Look, you were right. These people aren’t what they seem. I want to help you.”
“You expect me to believe that? After what you gave me in that needle?”
He frowned. “I guess not. But for what it’s worth, I thought I was protecting you from the Renegades.”
“The Emporium wants to use Chris and the kids to breed more Unbounded. They want to use me. Justine was wrong about everything. They’d never let us be together, not in your lifetime.” The words made him flinch.
“So we’ll get out of here. Go somewhere. Just the two of us.” He stepped toward me. “Put down the gun. I’m not the enemy here.”
“Turn out your pockets.” Holding the gun steady, I patted him down front and back to make sure he wasn’t hiding any nasty surprises. He was clean. I relaxed slightly. “I’m going to the roof.”
“There’ll be guards by the door.”
“I’ll shoot my way through.”
“I want to go with you.”
Did I dare trust him?
No. Not without confirmation. I cracked opened my shield, let my thoughts reach out to him. The link wasn’t strong enough to tell me much of anything, but the closer we got to the fifth floor, the more afraid I was of Delia finding me. I shoved my hand against his chest, my fingers splayed over his shirt. There, now I could feel his emotions.
He wanted to go with me.
I dropped my hand. “Fine. But if you betray me, I’ll shoot you. I swear it.”
He blinked and I felt sorrow emanating from him before I shut my mind. I told myself I didn’t care about his sorrow. He was too weak and pliable, and I didn’t want him back. Still, it hurt.
The elevator arrived, and I indicated for him to go first. No way would I turn my back on him.
He looked out. “No one’s here. But it’s a little alcove like downstairs so they might be out in the main hall.”
We exited the elevator, and I cringed at the sound it made as it shut.
“I’m not sure how far the roof stairs are from here,” Tom said.
“They were around the bend from the main elevator.”
He pointed right. “That way, then.”
Because his assumption matched my own, I nodded. No one was in the main hallway either, but we couldn’t see around the next bend. I felt a tremor of fear. Was Delia nearby? Why was I so afraid of her? Or did I simply dread going to the roof?
Why did it have to be the roof?
“Go slowly,” I warned Tom. My fingers holding the gun began to feel cramped and I loosened my grip slightly.
“They must have all gone to the genetics lab. A fire broke out there a little while ago. It spread to one of the nurseries above the lab.”
Keene had been more efficient than I’d imagined. “Maybe that means we’ll get lucky.”
“Why the roof anyway? Shouldn’t we try to get out downstairs?”
“Wait and see.” My trust didn’t extend far enough to confide in him. The only reason I didn’t crack him over the head and leave him in the elevator was the fear that I’d be discovered more quickly. It wasn’t because of our shared past.
Maybe.
We had arrived at a bend in the hallway. Tom peered around it, pulling back quickly. “I can see the door to the roof stairs, but two guards are in front of it. There’s another turn in the hallway after that. I can’t see what’s there.”
So much for luck.
Keeping space between us in case he acted against me, I peeked around the corner at the guards. Both were Unbounded. “If I don’t get them, you hit them with this when they come around the corner,” I told Tom, tossing him Ritter’s knife, still in the scabbard. “Don’t worry—they won’t really die.” I wondered if he heard the tremor in my voice. I desperately wished Ritter, or even Cort were with us. At least the gun Ritter had given me had a silencer, so we wouldn’t alert any other guards who might be around that other bend.
Tom nodded curtly.
When he didn’t try to attack me, I relaxed slightly and stepped into view. My first bullet slammed into the torso of a guard. He roared with pain but lunged toward us, his partner close behind. I fired a second shot, hitting the first Unbounded again—this time in the head. He went down. Horror washed over me, though I knew he’d survive.
My breath came fast. My pulse thundered in my ears. I fired once more, hitting the second guard in the chest. Before I could get off another shot, Tom dived for him. What if I shot Tom instead? It wasn’t as if he’d have another chance to live.
The Unbounded heaved Tom against the wall with a loud crash. I pulled the trigger and the man fell.
Tom staggered toward me. “Are you sure he isn’t dead?”
“Yes. Come on. We have to hurry.” We ran. I felt sure we were going to make it.
When we were two feet from the door to the roof stairs, Delia rounded the far bend in the hallway— flanked by five Unbounded, all armed with machine guns.
She gave me a cold, triumphant smile. “Put down your weapons.”
WHEN I HESITATED IN GIVING up Ritter’s gun, Delia gestured to Tom. “Do you really want to sacrifice his life? He means nothing to me, and his fool of a sister isn’t here to protect him.”
I laid down the pistol, but I didn’t hand over the shiny compact. If they wanted that, they’d have to find it themselves. Thankfully, my snug outfit left little room for hiding weapons, and they didn’t deem a pat-down necessary. Tom set down his knife, slightly streaked with blood, hopefully the guard’s.
“Good choice,” Delia said, her voice disdainful all the same. “But know that you will pay for what you’ve done. I don’t know how you managed to start the fire or tamper with our equipment, but I will discover how. I will also find your brother and his children. They can’t have gone far.”
I struggled not to show the hope that flooded through me. Delia didn’t know about Cort and Ritter, and for the moment, Chris still had a chance. I sent a silent thank-you to Keene, wherever he was.
Delia’s eyes flicked to the Unbounded nearest her, a solid blonde with close-set eyes. “Put them in the conference room.”
Surprise lit the woman’s eyes. “Are you sure?”
Delia’s mouth curved in a smile. “I’m sure Erin will enjoy the company.”
I wasn’t as sure as she was, but I was relieved she wasn’t going to try to sense from me where Chris was. A good thing for her because I wouldn’t have let her in easily. I’d shoot myself before I’d let her know Ritter and Cort were here.
The conference room was only a few steps down the hall through a set of double doors. Inside, a large oval table made of beautiful carved cherry was outlined by floor-to-ceiling windows like those in Delia’s suite.
None of this held my attention. The only occupant of the room stood up from the table as we were thrust inside. He had a bleeding cut on his face, and a large patch of blood spilled over the left side of his chest, staining his white polo. I glared at him, but he met my gaze without flinching.
Laurence.
“Traitor!” I barked as the door closed.
Laurence sagged into one of the high-backed chairs. “How did you know?”
“Does it matter? All this time, I thought it was Cort, but it was you! You’re the reason my brother and his children were captured. You’re the reason our people are going to die today. The reason Stella’s going to die! How could you do that to her? To any of us?”
“For the greater good.” His voice was dull and lifeless. “It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”
“You expect me to believe that? How many others have you murdered?”
“None. I swear! This is the first time I’ve ever given the Emporium information.” He looked up at me where I stood over him, his eyes sincere and pleading.
I was trying not to cry, but I felt his betrayal dee
ply. I’d trusted Laurence. We’d had a connection from that first moment we’d met. It had been us against the rest in a playful but meaningful way.
“What about Chris?”
“He’s fine. The kids, too. Probably out by now.”
Could I believe him?
“Erin,” Tom tried to touch my shoulder, but I shrugged him off. He walked around the table and sat watching us.
“Coming here—it was the only thing I could do,” Laurence said. “Please believe me—I did it for you, and for all Unbounded.”
“How can you think murdering Renegades will help Unbounded?”
He was slow in answering. “The Emporium has resources. With their background into genetics, I’m sure my virus will be ready soon.”
“What virus?” Tom asked.
Laurence didn’t even look at him but kept his pleading gaze on me. “I’m further along in my research than I led you to believe. There’s this virus, you see. It—it only affects Unbounded.”
Goose bumps broke out over my skin. “It makes them age normally?”
“Not exactly. It kills the active Unbounded gene once it matures. It’s not quite finished, but I’m close. I just need to figure out a way to speed up the process so it’ll get all the genes before the body regenerates them.”
I didn’t know much about genetics, but killing genes didn’t sound healthy. “Wouldn’t that hurt the Unbounded?”
He hesitated. “Yes.”
“You mean we’d all be dead.”
Laurence nodded. “The madness would be over.”
“You’re crazy!” I backed a step away from him, not hiding my horror. No wonder he hadn’t cared about giving the addresses of the safe house. No wonder Stella’s life hadn’t been important. He planned on killing all Unbounded anyway. “That stuff you talked about downstairs—eliminating the Unbounded gene in future generations. That was all talk, wasn’t it? A smokescreen for this virus. For murder!”
He stood up from the table, a flush of color coming to his face. “It’s protecting humans! It’s making sure no one ever again has to endure what we’ve endured. You’ve seen how much Stella suffers with Bronson. I know how she feels losing a mortal loved one—and we’ve lost too many Unbounded in these senseless battles for power.” His voice was gruff and without even trying I sensed the pain in his mind. So much heartache and loss. But I’d been right about the madness, too. He was unbalanced.
Could I make him see reason? “Even if you can get it to work. The Unbounded gene may not show up for generations.”
“That is a problem. The gene doesn’t mutate into anything we can recognize until adulthood, but I believe I can make regular humans carriers. It won’t affect anyone until the gene actually mutates.”
“So someone would simply get sick and die? For no reason at all?” I could envision parents mourning children, and children their parents. Kindergarten teachers not finishing out the school year. A best friend at graveside services. All without explanation.
“We have unexpected deaths occurring all the time, so a few more in the beginning won’t be too unusual.” Laurence’s anger had died and now his expression begged me to understand. “After six or seven generations, the gene should be gone from the human population, except for the occasional throwback. I won’t take the virus myself until I’m sure it’s working the way it should.”
I put my hand on his arm. “Laurence, listen to what you’re saying. I can’t believe you’re actually considering this. We may be a tiny minority, but it’s still genocide.”
Though he towered over me, his bulky figure looked small and withdrawn. “Don’t look at it that way. Look at it as righting whatever wrong nature created. And you can help me, Erin. You probably have a talent for medicine, since Stefan isn’t really your father. This will be our gift to mankind.”
I stared at him. “What? Stefan’s not my father?”
His expression was half a wince, half apology. “They were too late getting back from the Emporium genetics lab. Ritter and Cort hurried to the clinic but by the time they arrived, the procedure had already taken place.”
I’d thought things couldn’t get worse. I was wrong. Very wrong. “Are you saying you’re my father?”
Laurence shook his head. “Dimitri is. You’re my fourth great-aunt, practically my sister in Unbounded terms.”
Dimitri? My father?
“Don’t be upset,” Laurence went on. “Only Ava, Dimitri, and I know what happened that day, and we never told anyone else. I was posing as a nurse at the clinic to help everything along. I tried to get your mother to wait, but she was impatient. Dimitri did what he had to do.”
“You’re lying!” Fury whipped through me. I took a step forward, reaching to place my hand on his arm. For a moment he was puzzled, but then understanding filled his eyes. Backing away from me, he hit a chair, which in turn pushed up against the table with a thump. My fingers touched his flesh. He put up a mental barrier, but it was a weak, hastily made thing, and I tossed it aside as though it were nothing more than tissue paper.
Perhaps I’d learned more from Delia than I realized.
In seconds I had my answer. Laurence was telling the truth. Dimitri was my father. I felt too stunned to react, though a part of me was relieved that Stefan and I weren’t related after all.
Laurence laid his hand over mine where it rested on his arm. “I’ll make sure you’re okay, Erin. I’ll take care of you. You won’t die. You can watch and wait with me.”
I jerked my hand from his and took two steps back. “You’re no relative of mine, and no credit to Dimitri. He would never sacrifice his people because he’s too weak to endure a little pain.”
Laurence’s bloated face darkened, and his voice rose in defense. “I watched my children die!”
“What about your little girl? Are you ready to kill her, too? Or her children?”
“It’s better than seeing them cut into pieces. Or watching them mourn their children. It isn’t natural.” He squared his shoulders. “Someone has to put a stop to it.”
He was a monster. “You have no right to play God!” I shouted.
“Why not? That’s practically what we are.” He gave a short, mirthless laugh. “Think of it. I’m killing gods to protect mankind. What irony.”
I snorted. “Do you really think the Emporium is going to sit back and let you kill them? As soon as they realize what you’re really doing, if they haven’t already, they’ll take your virus and use it against any Unbounded who doesn’t serve them. Make no mistake, Laurence, the Renegades are the only ones who’ll die from your virus. Except for you.” My voice was calmer now, though inside my thoughts still churned erratically. “The Emporium will kill you the minute they have what they need, and then the world will see what true suffering is. The Emporium is using you like they do everyone. If I can break through to your mind, you can bet Delia Vesey already has.”
His flaccid cheeks paled as understanding fell over him. He slumped back into his chair. “Oh, God,” he whispered. “What have I done?”
God didn’t answer.
I stalked to the window to prevent myself from venting more anger. He was a beaten, broken, sad man, and nothing I could fling at him would change the situation. I had to focus on how I could warn the Renegades.
Later I would deal with my parentage—if I survived long enough.
“I’m sorry,” Tom said softly, coming up behind me. “You must feel like a yo-yo, bouncing around from one father to the next. Unfortunately, I know exactly how you feel, finding out your entire life is a lie.”
I managed a bitter half smile. “You can’t begin to know how relieved I am that I don’t share any blood with Stefan.” I was tempted to tell him that Justine was his mother, but I couldn’t do it. Not yet. “We have to do something,” I said instead.
“It’ll be okay. Let’s just wait.”
“How can you say that?” He either had no clue of what was really going on, or he wanted the Emporium to succe
ed. Was that why he seemed so different to me? Was he hiding something? Maybe he was giving me only partial truths like Delia. Could I even trust my senses?
Tom opened his mouth to reply, but the sounds of a scuffle outside in the hall drew our attention. The door opened and Ritter was flung into the room, landing in a beaten, bloody mess on the carpet.
I ran to his side, but he was already pushing to his feet. “Chris?” I asked.
“Thanks, I’m okay.”
“I can see that much.” I wondered how many Emporium Unbounded he’d dispatched before they’d overwhelmed him with sheer numbers. “What about my brother?”
“He and the kids got out.”
“And Cort?”
“I left him talking to his brother.”
So Keene hadn’t escaped with Chris. I wondered what kind of repercussions he might suffer because of us.
“Cort was planning to look for Laurence.” Ritter’s gaze went over my shoulder to where Laurence sat slumped at the table, apparently unseeing. “Looks like I beat him to it.” Rage filled his voice. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Forget Laurence,” I said. “We have to find a way out of here.” Our imprisonment was my fault. If I’d been able to trust Keene instead of sending Ritter after him, we might be on the roof right now with Cort. “Do you have any weapons left?” My eyes ran over his body, pausing on his pants. Given the heroic proportions, I was pretty sure something there didn’t belong.
“They were thorough.” He rubbed his hand over his chest and waist and hips, feeling for weapons.
“What’s that?” I pointed.
His hands stopped, his eyes locking onto mine. A flare of emotion that battered against even my reinforced walls. “Well, gee, Erin,” he drawled, “You want me to show you? Right here? Now? I’m not at all sure this is the right time, but if you insist.”
I rolled my eyes. “I mean the grenade. You still have it, don’t you?”
He brought it out and set it in my hand. “Fools them every time.” The weapon was warm from his body and oddly reassuring.
“Isn’t that too dangerous to use in here?” Tom had come up behind us, and I wondered how much he’d heard. The men stared at each other. Tom’s eyes were hard and accusing, Ritter’s like icy granite. Tom’s boy-next-door good looks paled considerably next to Ritter’s smoldering danger.
The Change (Unbounded) Page 26