“What’s going on?” She yawned and fluttered her eyes closed as if she were having trouble coming to.
“We’re going to give you another immunization that will help you focus on what must be done. I hope you’ll accept my job opportunity.”
Olivia couldn’t see the other man, but his trepidation was as heavy as cheap cologne.
“Why? Don’t want it.” In her mind she screamed for Luke, but getting out of this was entirely up to her. She’d brought this upon herself by not listening to reason.
“I require your help. You have incredible skills, but you’re too compassionate. With this shot, you will no longer have those cursed, crazy things you can do, like start fires, but you won’t care about the injuries you inflict. You’ll only want to do it again. It’s turned my best soldiers into ultimate fighting machines, but they must be properly trained by someone skilled. You’re going to help me, just like you’ve always done. Only this time, we do it how I say we do it.” He put a hand on her cheek.
Letting the weight of Dan’s betrayal fall to the back of her mind to be dealt with later, she focused on the needle the doctor held near her arm. Seeing the shiny metal tube in her head, she collapsed the inner core to prevent the liquid from coming out. The needle stabbed into her skin, the pressure painful as he continued to try to force the drug into her.
“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” Dan demanded.
“Something’s wrong with the needle.” The doctor removed the sharp from her skin and inspected the tip while engaging the plunger.
“Don’t waste your time. I already told you what we’re up against.”
“I’ll be back immediately.”
Olivia heard the door close. She followed the doctor’s steps to the medication room and repeated her earlier sabotage on the new needle. Now, if she could just figure out a way to release herself from this trap.
So far none of her attempts worked. It was like the steel had formed around her. Maybe her mind was still somewhat muddied. Instead, she worked on the loop of metal that connected the shackle to the table. Between trying to discern Dan’s frame of mind and making sure the doctor didn’t check the needle again, her efforts were weak.
Dan patted her hand again. “There’s so much to do. I’d hoped to be much further with the restructuring by now.”
“Why are you forcing this on me?” She stared up at him, wishing he’d at least act crazy.
“I’m not forcing you. Your love of the martial arts makes this a logical choice. I wish you had completed the testing, but I think I have a good idea what would have been revealed. With your help, I can begin to make things right. People are suffering, and they shouldn’t be. I’ve failed in so many things. It’s time to change all of it and fulfill my dream for this sector.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek, his long hair brushing her hand.
The door handle jiggled as the doctor returned. Olivia took that moment to grab a handful of Dan’s hair. “Let me the fuck out of here, or I’ll rip it out.”
“You’re delirious.” She yanked, pulling hair out and Dan screamed “Give her the damned shot now.”
The needle was slammed into her arm with more force than necessary. She double-checked to make sure the damage held and used her healing skill to force the metal out of her body. The doctor pressed harder, but she was stronger. The needle flew into the wall behind him.
“Release me. Now.” She glared at the doctor, absorbing his insecurities, so she could use them against him.
“Do it, and you’re dead. I’m not kidding.” Dan continued to struggle in her grip, ripping more hair out.
“You’re dead anyway. Don’t listen to him. He’ll kill you as soon as you’re done ruining my life. Do you really want to die with his plans for me on your head? This situation isn’t what you thought. You believed in him, and he used that trust against you, just like he’s trying to do to me. Open these shackles. Now.” She gave Dan’s hair a vicious twist.
The doctor went to a cabinet behind the examining table and used a key to unlock a metal door. Dan tried to pull away, but she held him fast. She prepared for her escape. As the doctor turned another keyed lock inside the cabinet, the shackles released, and the door burst open.
Luke, bloody and battered, stepped through. She jumped off the table, releasing Dan, and getting caught against the stirrup-like metal arm at the end. Luke rushed to catch her as Dan ran out the door. The doctor raised his hands, backing away from Luke.
“Don’t hurt him. He let me out.” Olivia used Luke’s shoulder to steady herself as she rubbed a cramp in her leg.
“Get out of here. Follow the yellow corridor to the blue, and then head through the gate. My brother’s out there. He’ll help you.” Luke watched the doctor retreat and then turned toward her to study her face. He gently placed his hands on her cheeks.
“How’d you know to come back?” She trembled, the ordeal catching up to her.
“I was thinking about how big of an idiot you are when the road in front of me caught fire. I heard your voice in my head. Matt was on his way to meet me, so we hightailed it back here. We took out the guards, and have been searching for you ever since. Seems like you had everything under control.” He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek and stepped back.
“He’s working on making super soldiers. He wanted me to train them. He believes he’s doing the right thing.” She told him about the antidote and the second injection, rubbing her bruised wrists.
“Let’s go. As much as I’d love to find Jenner and beat him to a bloody pulp, I’ll have to wait. We’ll see what kind of information the good doctor has for us and go from there.”
“Why? We’re here now.”
“But we’re not ready, and we’re grossly outnumbered. Can you walk?”
She was still a little unsteady on her feet, but she nodded and followed him into the corridor. “The medication room is right here.”
Luke nodded, quickly picking the lock and pulling her inside with him before shutting the door. He removed a nylon bag from his pocket and filled it with boxes of antidote. She raised her eyebrows when he grabbed the super soldier drug.
“If we can find out what’s in it, we can come up with an antidote of our own,” he said, tying the bag closed and hefting it over his shoulder.
The hall was still empty when they exited the medication room. This was too easy. Luke was worried, too. As they rounded the last corner, the hall filled with bulky bodies. The doctor stood in front, his arms folded across his chest.
“Fucking traitor.” Olivia rushed him, her fists raised.
She caught the glazed appearance of his eyes and dropped her hands. Maybe he hadn’t purposefully given them up. Most likely he’d been caught and injected to maintain his loyalty. He took a few steps back as the soldiers lined up, blocking their path. Olivia prepared to fight, glancing at Luke. He bounced a little, his hands fisted at his side. His adrenaline and strength filled her.
When the soldier closest to her stepped forward and swung, Olivia elbowed him in the stomach and smashed his nose with the heel of her hand. Bones cracked. He remained standing until she kicked, smashing into his chest over his heart.
Blood splattered on her cheek as she punched the next guard in the mouth. Her hit didn’t faze him, so she aimed for his ribs, hitting him hard and feeling his bones crack. Thankfully, nothing felt broken in her own hand. Yet, her body protested the activity after the poison’s effect, and he was still coming for her. Ducking his swing, she backed up. The urge to ignite the remaining soldiers was strong enough that she wondered if she’d gotten some of Dan’s super-soldier drug in her system despite her efforts. She took a deep breath, concentrating on the faces of the men. They were innocent, probably even more innocent than her. Somewhere they had families, loved ones. They didn’t deserve to die because they’d been tricked by Dan.
Focusing, she shoved Luke ahead and laid down a thick wall of intense heat and flames that would be impossible to cross, mindle
ss or not. One soldier separated them from the exit. He blocked the door, a menacing smile on his face. Olivia watched her fire, horrified when one of the guards stepped through the flames. He was already dead when his skeletal body appeared on their side. His charred remains hit the floor, breaking apart as brittle bones met cool concrete.
Olivia covered her mouth, gagging on the acrid odor of burning flesh and her own failure. When she turned back, Luke had the other guard in a headlock and was shoving him through the door.
“We’re taking him with us. He probably knows more than the doctor.” Luke unhooked the empty holster from the man’s waist and tossed it away.
Heavy footfalls echoed from the corridor. Doors slammed as the guards moved through the halls to the other exit. The guard Luke captured fell to his knees and grabbed a syringe from his boot. Before Luke could stop him, he plunged the needle into his chest and pumped light blue liquid into himself. He fell forward into the dirt.
“Damn. Stupid bastard. Let’s go.” Luke grabbed her uninjured hand and pulled her with him. His skin was hot, but his disappointment was even more intense.
They cleared the fence without encountering another guard and headed through the thick woods toward where Matt waited. Luke didn’t speak. Olivia couldn’t go home. She no longer had a home, and as far as anyone else knew, she was dead. For right now, she’d keep it that way.
She really didn’t want to go to The Farm, even if they’d take her as a hardship case. Despite not having to hide her abilities there, she’d still feel like a prisoner. No one left the farm once they were accepted. The place was for those who preferred to use their abilities collectively and followed the rules to the letter—more like a cult. That idea held no appeal for her, plus being there made her uncomfortable as hell. Besides, it wasn’t really a farm. Or maybe it was, but just for people. Luke stopped a few feet in front of her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, scanning the area.
“Nothing. I just wanted to say thank you, I guess. If you hadn’t put up those flames, we’d be dead. Those guys were unstoppable.” He shook his head, rubbing the already bruising spot on his chin.
She shook her head. “I killed a man. That’s no good.”
“You weren’t trying to kill anyone.” Luke cocked his head to the side and studied her.
“Maybe I could have found a different way. These gifts should be used for good—not evil. That’s why this sector’s in this position.” She paced, trying to hold back tears.
“I don’t see it that way. We’ll talk later. We have to get out of here.” Luke jogged ahead. She followed a little slower.
Her legs were sluggish, and her heart cried out at the life she’d taken. And here she thought she should join up with Luke’s protector network, instead of what she normally did. That probably wasn’t a good idea if those types of situations were what he dealt with when he made a rescue.
She got into Luke’s Corvette and buckled in. Matt drove out first in an older model truck. Luke followed behind for a few miles before they put some distance between them. Traveling in tandem was strictly forbidden. It was too risky, according to the new regulations that were only for their own good and wouldn’t impede their personal freedoms at all. Bastards. A hard edge of fury settled around her, taking her by surprise. Had she ended up with some of Dan’s drug in her system?
“Battle fatigue. You’ll be fine in a little while. The endorphins, adrenaline, and hormones create conflicting emotions as they subside. Add that to the ordeal of the antidote, and your guilt, and it’s no wonder you feel like crap. Let me just say this though. You didn’t set the fire to kill that guard. I’m the last person in the world who’d defend a firestarter, but the odds were stacked against us, Olivia, and you know it.” He glanced over at her with an unreadable expression. She couldn’t gather any emotion from him, either.
“I don’t want to think anymore. There’s so much in my brain. I don’t know what to do about any of it.” She rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes.
Luke touched her arm, but didn’t say anything else. She got out her bitterness at Dan’s betrayal and inspected it, wondering why she’d been so gullible. The signs were there—maybe even before he became governor. There was a time Dan had been worthy of her trust and admiration. Olivia had to remember he’d been corrupted and drugged. The Dan of society’s debacle was not her godfather. He may no longer be ill physically, but it was clear his mental faculties had taken a vacation.
Dan was still a problem to be dealt with. Despite his heartfelt thanks to Luke for everything the resistance was doing, he wasn’t on their side. He didn’t care about the people of this sector any more than the nameless person running things right now. People would go to Dan for help because they knew he had a soft spot for special abilities. And then he’d drug them to the point of becoming killing machines.
Luke downshifted, his hand brushing her leg. Sparks of awareness rushed back stronger than before, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Dan’s antidote had really eliminated all the poison from her system. She’d know if it hadn’t. She had full control over her abilities. Everything was clicked into place exactly as it should, so then why hadn’t the sexual fantasies about Luke stopped? Especially when she knew how it would end.
Not that she figured she’d turn him gay like Sandy—not that she truly believed she’d turned Sandy gay. Though sometimes she felt like her lack of intimacy skills hadn’t helped. Maybe if she’d been more passionate, more sexual, more adventurous, Sandy wouldn’t have been so inclined to explore his urge to try both sides. Her thoughts faded in and out as she tried to stay awake. She opened her eyes when the car stopped, surprised she’d slept with everything swirling around in her brain. Luke glanced at her, something she couldn’t quite figure out flashing across his expression.
“Where are we?” she asked, staring out the window.
They were in front of a log cabin in the middle of a dense forest. She stretched her mind, checking for hostile thought patterns, but found none. The cabin was nice—clean and tidy with a wide porch and floor-to-ceiling windows.
“My place.” Luke opened his door and got out, grabbing her bag and his from the area behind his seat.
“How’d you get my bag?” She’d left it behind when Dan had taken her to get the antidote.
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer. Anticipation built, though she didn’t want it. He hadn’t brought her here to seduce her. She had no illusions he’d changed his mind about her or her skills. He didn’t want her around, despite rescuing her. He had no intentions of having his wild way with her. Her knees nearly buckled at the thought, though, and part of her brain laughed.
Luke opened the front door. “It’s not much, but we’re safe.”
The cabin had a homey, comfortable feel. Light brown couches with brightly colored throw pillows squatted in front of the huge windows. An enormous stone fireplace, flanked by bookshelves on either side, took up one end of the room. The kitchen opened into the living area and encompassed the other half of the bottom floor.
“This place is amazing,” She said. Then her stomach did a cartwheel when she noticed the dimple that appeared on Luke’s cheek.
“Thanks. I’d just finished building when the rumors of what was to come hit the underground at the end of Jenner’s first term. I outfitted it with all the extra stuff, but wondered if I was being a little paranoid. Now I’m glad I went the extra mile.”
“What extra stuff?” She’d meant to scoff at the rumors that had surfaced when Dan had barely taken office, but the bruises on her wrists reminded her what a fool she’d been. She could heal them, but she preferred to let them fade on their own—to remember.
“Bulletproof glass, special materials, like in the motel, to disperse heat signatures, a filtration and detection system on the water lines, and self-generated electricity. All from the technology that was halted. Can you imagine the advances if the progress hadn’t been hindered?” Luke shook his he
ad. “The buildings don’t show up on maps, and according to the records, the house burnt due to faulty wiring before I finished. There’s no way to see it, and there’s no way to get on the property without me knowing.” He went upstairs with their bags hooked over one shoulder.
“My room. The room Matt claimed.” Luke motioned to two doors on his left when she caught up.
Olivia glanced inside, the masculine décor of Luke’s room fueling her attraction. She was so busy in fantasyland she didn’t realize he’d stopped. He oofed when she bumped into his back. And then she came off like a total idiot with her clumsy apology.
“You’ll sleep in here.” He opened the door directly across from his and stepped inside.
A king-sized bed took up most of the space. The dark-blue carpeting and the nearly gray color of the walls drew her in, and her nervousness decreased.
“Bathroom’s through there. Sheets and towels are clean. Make yourself at home.” He put her bag on the bed. “You have to be exhausted. Why don’t you catch a nap? I’m going to.”
“What happened to Matt?”
“He’ll be here. Rumors are flying. He’s trying to figure out what’s going on. We’re not leaving until we know.” Luke sighed and went to the door. “Sleep as long as you want. We’re safe here. I’m going to lock up and crash myself.”
She heard him yawn as he went down the stairs. Her need for rest tugged at her, despite wanting to know what rumors he was talking about. By the time she emerged from the bathroom, Luke’s door was closed. She retreated into the room and crawled between the sheets, a bad feeling building inside her chest.
Chapter 5
When Olivia opened her eyes again, she smelled coffee. She stretched, feeling better than she had in ages. And hungry. After a quick shower, she made her way downstairs, planning to ask Luke about the rumors. He was frying bacon when she rounded the corner. His hair was wet and tousled, and the half-buttoned blue flannel hugged his chest in a fantastic way.
Into the Fire Page 6