Sanctuary's Aggression Complete Collection Box Set: A Post-apocalyptic Survival Thriller Series

by Maira Dawn

  The assistant was there. Devon was not.

  Skye gasped.

  She ran into a stall and pushed her fist against her mouth to help stop the scream building in her.

  Was that room her fate? Kelsey’s?

  And where was Devon? Did he realize she’d strayed from the restroom? Was he out there looking for her right now?

  Skye tore a piece of toilet paper off the roll and mopped her forehead.

  Leather shoes tapped across the floor right outside the bathroom door.

  She froze.

  After gulping in a breath of air, Skye flushed the toilet. Somehow, she needed to make this look good.

  After rushing to the sink, she splashed cold water on her face and scrubbed it off with a hand towel. Perhaps now her eyes wouldn’t seem blotchier than the rest of her face.

  Devon strode in.

  Skye’s gaze met his in the mirror.

  His expression gave nothing away.

  Afraid to breathe, Skye willed herself to remain calm. If she wanted to survive, she needed to keep up the act.

  She gave a nervous laugh and put a hand to her middle. “So sorry. I’m afraid my stomach is giving me a little trouble.”

  Devon’s narrowed gaze swept the room. “You shouldn’t let your nerves upset you like that.”

  “Yes, of course. I’m sorry. You said I’d be okay, and I was. I’ll work on that.”

  “Make sure you do. Now come along.”

  Devon scanned the room again, then turned on his heel, expecting Skye to follow him.

  She did, dragging her reluctant feet.

  What other choice did she have?

  Twenty-Five

  You’ll Love It

  Devon led Skye back into the lab. After pulling a wooden straight chair away from the wall, he indicated she should sit in it.

  Skye dropped into it with no more emotion than a limp doll. But while her body obeyed, her mind rebelled, looking for any chance of escape.

  Devon stood over her for a moment, staring at her, before saying, “Your tests came back within normal ranges. There is no reason we can’t begin today.”

  Numbness washed over her. “Begin?”

  “Just something small.”

  Skye’s fingers curled around the edge of her chair.

  “Small?” She couldn’t keep the tremble from her voice as she thought about the dark room across the hall. She realized she was little more than an echo, but it was all she could manage.

  Devon put a hand to her chin and tipped her head back. With a clinical gaze, he looked from one of her eyes to the other. When satisfied, he moved his hand to her hair and stroked it as if she were some sort of pet. “Don’t worry, dear. It is only a small contagion—something you would pick up from the grocery store.”

  Devon’s patronizing manner angered her out of her stupor, and she barked at him. “You’re injecting me with a disease?”

  Devon gave her a dark look, but no answer.

  Skye eyed a pile of straps that had appeared on top of the counter during her restroom break. If she wasn’t careful, he’d use those on her.

  She was trying to earn trust, not lose more of it.

  Devon moved around the room, opening and shutting drawers as he got an injection ready.

  At one point, his back was turned, and she frantically scanned the lab.

  The assistant had left, but the guards were back and standing outside the door. There was no chance she’d get past them.

  Skye bit the inside of her lip as Devon walked toward her, needle in hand. She scooted as far back in the chair as it would allow.

  “Tell me why you do this?” she quickly asked.

  “Test subjects’ reactions to various diseases tell me a lot. I’m hoping to find the—well, I’ll keep it simple for you—the reason some are resistant to the AgFlu. And if there are common markers between it and other communicable illnesses.”

  “I see. How does this help your initial goal of finding a cure for the AgFlu? Shouldn’t you be focusing on that?”

  Devon’s face reddened. He stopped and folded his arms. “How dare you question me. A doctor of the mind knows nothing about my area of research.” He leaned over her. “Skye. Am I going to have a problem with you?”

  She gave a quick shake of her head. “Of course not. I would do anything to help sick people get better. I’m just confused over the reasoning behind this type of experimentation.”

  Devon took a step back. “It isn’t for you to understand.”

  “How can we continue our sessions if I’m sick?”

  Devon rapped on the window and waved the guards in.

  Skye closed her eyes. She either allowed this and kept Devon’s trust or fought it and lost it.

  “Can you at least tell me what this disease is?”

  “A variant of the common cold. That is all.”

  Skye trembled as she pushed the sleeve of her shirt up. “Fine. Go ahead.”

  Devon laid the needle on her arm, and she instinctively jerked away. One of the guards stepped forward, and Skye forced her body to relax. Anything to avoid being held down again. “Just do it already,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Devon flashed her an excited look. He enjoyed her discomfort even though he claimed otherwise. “I promise this will only hurt a bit.”

  “Do you do this with everyone? Keep the hurt to a little bit?”

  Devon heaved a regretful sigh. “I try. Some don’t cooperate, and they—well, let’s just say they have a rougher time of it.”

  “But if I cooperate?”

  “The hurts are minimal, and the conditions good. Just like the patient I showed you.”

  Skye nodded. The woman in chains had said not to make him angry.

  Devon slid the needle into her arm. There was hardly a pinch.

  Once done, Devon cooed over her as he bandaged her arm. It reminded her of some of her client’s parents. More than one abused their child, then tenderly cared for the very wounds they inflicted.

  Even if Devon’s abuse was medical, the man was sick—so very sick.

  The moment he loosened his grip on her, Skye pulled her arm from his clinging fingers.

  Devon turned and threw the needle away in a small garbage can. “Okay, then, dear. We are done for the day.”

  The words were barely out of his mouth before Skye shot out of her chair and rushed to the door. After pushing through it, she turned left—back to her room.

  She couldn’t stop a sneaking glance at the recovery room doors.

  Perhaps it would have been better not to know what was in store for her and Kelsey.

  But now she did, and it was clear they needed to get out of here fast. Who knew what the next injection would be?

  Somehow, Skye needed to talk to Kelsey today, but how? She couldn’t think of a way until she and the guards stopped at her bedroom door.

  Sydney walked into Skye’s room and stepped toward the back of the room and everything changed.

  The female guard pulled a key out of her pocket and unlocked the large sliding glass door leading to the balcony. “The boss said you did well today and is rewarding you with balcony access for the rest of the day.” She pulled in a deep breath. “It’s nice out here—you’ll love it.”

  Skye beamed. “I sure will.”

  Skye waited until they brought dinner. After that—if this night was like the others—there would be no more visitors.

  She pushed the recliner chair against the front of her door. If someone tried to come in, it might buy her a moment or two.

  She stood there and listened, making sure she hadn’t alarmed anyone who may be guarding the hallway.

  After making sure she was safe, Skye sprinted through her room, grabbing a few DVDs as she went.

  After opening the slider door, she stepped out and surveyed the ground below. No guards.

  She studied the balcony next to hers.

  Kind of far, but doable—just—maybe.

  Skye eyed Kelse
y’s glass door and raised her arm, letting a DVD fly.

  It sailed across the drop between the balconies, tapped against the door, and fell to the tile floor with a small, plastic splat.

  When Kelsey didn’t appear, Skye tossed another one.

  The girl’s curtains were thrust to one side and Kelsey’s frowning face appeared. Her palms slapped against the glass, and her expression brightened.

  Kelsey slid her glass door open wide and stepped out onto her balcony.

  Twenty-Six

  The Plan

  Kelsey rushed across the patio, eyeing Skye’s pale face. “Skye! Are you all right?”

  “Are you? Were you injected?”

  “No,” Kelsey said, wishing she could reach out and hug her troubled friend. “I had an interview—of sorts. Then they stuck me back in my room.”

  “But how did you get access to the balcony?”

  “Oh, that!” Kelsey chuckled. “I had that lock picked five minutes after they locked me in. I’ve just been trying to figure out how to get to you.”

  Skye’s shoulders sagged in relief. “So, no shots?”

  “No shots.”

  “What about you, Skye?”

  The woman looked out to sea and nodded her head. “He injected me with something. He says only the common cold. But how can I know for sure?” She wiped a finger over the corner of her eye. “Crying won’t help anything.”

  “I think you were the one who said we have to allow ourselves to feel.” Kelsey frowned. Something else was wrong. The tension seemed to radiate from Skye. “Skye? What happened?”

  “I snuck around a little today. I walked into one of their recovery rooms. It was—it was bad.” Skye shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. “So very bad. They were—Well, I’ll just say dying will be a blessing for them.”

  Kelsey’s gaze sunk to the tiled floor. “When they take me, I’ll try to look around too.”

  “No.” Skye put out a hand. “We need to leave tonight. Now.”

  “How?”

  Skye looked over the railing to the ground below.

  Kelsey did the same. The soil was sandy, but rocks were scattered throughout it. And the way down seemed endless. Kelsey felt dizzy and pulled back.

  “We have to,” Skye explained. “Anything—anything is better than what I saw. I have a plan. We may have to drop the last few feet, but we can make it.”

  Kelsey set her shoulders. “You know I hate heights, but if it means getting out of here, I’ll try.”

  Skye’s fingers whitened as she gripped the rail, studying the lower levels of the building. Windows lined the bottom floor.

  “Hopefully, those rooms with windows are empty. If not, we’ll be caught right away.”

  Kelsey nodded. “We must be careful. But the sooner we get out of here, the better. This place resonates evil.” The girl tried to shake off some of her tension. When was the last time she’d felt safe?

  Cole’s Mountain.

  Kelsey let the memory envelop her—allowed safety’s warm comfort to wrap around her like a thick blanket. Remembering would give her the strength to get from here to the ground far below.

  They would make it home. She had made it out of Fenton, and she’d make it out of this place.

  “Okay, what’s the plan?” Kelsey asked.

  “We are going old school,” Skye replied. “Strip the sheets off of your bed. Then drag your mattress out here and push it off the balcony.”

  “Okay.” It wasn’t an original plan, but it just might work. Especially if she could maneuver the mattress to fall so it would protect her from that large rock below.

  The girl ran inside and pulled the covers off her bed. She tipped the mattress onto its side and wrestled it over to the sliding door.

  After getting it there, she tipped it up against the wall and took a moment to pull her hair off her sweaty neck. She also threw a change of clothes, some leftover dinner, and a bottle of water into a pillowcase. She threw that out onto the patio and took up the battle with the mattress again.

  Once she reached the railing, she closed her eyes and prayed no one on the lower floors would see the thing go sailing by, and that it would land where she needed it.

  A sudden rush of wind off the ocean almost blew the mattress out of her grip and back toward the room, but Kelsey managed to hold on to it.

  She pushed at the top half, trying to tip it over the railing. The bed fought her, but in the end, its own weight worked against it.

  The mattress landed against the rocky sand with a dull smack. Dirt bounced up around the sides and settled back to earth again.

  Kelsey sent Skye a triumphant look. It had landed in the perfect spot.

  “Okay. Good!” Skye said, “Now let’s tie all our sheets together.”

  Kelsey rushed back into her room.

  Skye held out a hand and said, “Wait!”

  The girl spun around.

  “Kelsey.” Skye ran a hand over her face, then looked up, drilling Kelsey with her gaze. “If something happens . . . if we get separated . . . you must go on without me.”

  Kelsey shook her head.

  “Listen,” Skye continued, “you have to. You can’t fight these people alone, but if you can get back to Dylan—back to the mountain—you can get help. But whatever you do, never, ever come back here. Do you hear me? Even dying out there is better than anything here. Promise me, you will run and never come back.”

  An icy chill ran up Kelsey’s spine. Whatever was going on here had Skye petrified.

  But leaving her?

  Skye must have seen the doubt on her face because she continued.

  “There is nothing but a slow, painful death here. You have to go and get help. Promise.”

  As much as Kelsey would like to take on the whole place, Skye was right. “I will. I promise.”

  “Okay.” Skye gave a sharp nod. “Go get your escape sheets ready.”

  Kelsey grabbed the sheets and pulled them, trailing a long tail behind her. It reminded her of the one and only time she’d snuck out of her room before the AgFlu had gotten bad. That had been one floor, and she’d panicked and fallen most of the way—this was three.

  At the balcony, she looked down and bit her lip.

  She had to do it. She had to.

  Kelsey wound one end of the sheet around the railing, tying it in a secure knot. She braced her legs and pulled, testing it. It held without slipping.

  As Kelsey waited for Skye to return, she tested the makeshift rope one more time, then threw it over the railing. It unfurled, ending sooner than Kelsey would’ve liked. It would be a long drop to the mattress. But at least it was something soft to land on.

  Kelsey glanced up as Skye rushed through her sliding door, dragging her bedding behind her. She saw Kelsey’s packed pillowcase and turned back for her room. “Start down while I get a couple of things.”

  Kelsey glanced at Skye, the sheet, and the ground. Her stomach seemed as knotted as the bedding. She’d rather wait until Skye came back.

  But every minute would count. And there was nothing Skye could do to help her climb.

  Kelsey heaved a breath and grabbed the railing, throwing a leg over.

  Then froze.

  After a few panicked gasps, she hardened her jaw and squared her shoulders. She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans, grabbed the railing, and swung her other leg over before she could think too much about it.

  After a bit of fumbling, she had her arms and legs around the dangling sheets, her hand clenching the material with everything she had.

  A sharp burst of wind off the open ocean caused her to sway. She gasped and looked down.

  Bad idea.

  Skye’s gentle voice came from the balcony. “You can do it, Kelsey. Loosen one hand a little, let it slide down, then do the same with the next. You’ll be off this in no time.”

  It took Kelsey a minute to work up the courage to move anything, but once she did she set a pace.

  Skye’s con
tinual cheering helped. “You’re doing great, Kelsey! This is nothing. You’ve done harder things, survived worse.”

  Skye was right. This was nothing.

  Kelsey was more than halfway down when she heard a distant knocking.

  Her gaze darted to the windows before looking up at a pale Skye leaning over the railing. “Go, Kelsey. Run far!”

  “Skye!”

  “Do you hear me?”

  Kelsey gave a quick nod, tears springing to her eyes.

  Skye glanced at her room. “I may be able to get rid of them. Leave a note at—at that pawn shop we saw on our way here, if you can. Saving yourself will save me. Remember that!”

  The knock sounded again, louder this time. Skye ran a hand over her hair. “I love you, girl, but you need to go.” She gave Kelsey a wobbly smile and disappeared from view.

  Kelsey clung to the twisting sheets. She allowed one sob before pushing the fear away.

  At the end of the material, she hung for only a second or two before working up the courage to drop to the mattress below.

  Her landing was softer than she’d imagined, except for one large stone that pushed its way through the bedding and into her hip.

  She rubbed it as she stood and grabbed her pillowcase, then rushed toward the building. As she crouched below the windows, she looked up. Her sheets seemed like flags announcing her escape, but there was no way to get rid of them.

  Kelsey stared, willing Skye to swing a leg over the railing and join her, but she didn’t.

  With an angry hand, she scrubbed at the tears trailing down her cheek.

  She had no time for this. She needed to save Skye. And to do that, she had to move. Now.

  Kelsey scanned the length of the building. Did they patrol here?

  She picked her way across the rocky soil to the corner of the building and peeked around the side.

  It was the same parking lot they’d used when Zane had brought them here—the one that led straight up the hill to town.

  This time of day, the sun was low, setting over the storm-ravaged town. Soon, she’d have all the cover she needed.