She didn’t like the answer. “When did you last...see him?”
I had not dreamt during the brief time I slept on Nathan’s lap. The altered view of the car accident had filled my dreams the night before. “Two nights ago,” I said.
“You were sleeping when we came to get you,” Lillian pointed out.
“Not very long. I didn’t dream. I didn’t see him.”
Lillian studied me like she was trying to determine if I was telling the truth. “You say two nights ago?” She stood and paced the room, deep in thought. Finally, she turned back to me. She believed me. “Do you both have to be asleep to access him? Do not lie to me.”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve been asleep every time I’ve seen him.” Should I tell them that I’ve yet to find a way to communicate with him? Or see his face? Until I knew what they wanted, I decided to keep those tidbits to myself.
She tapped a red painted finger against her chin as she studied me and spoke to herself. “If he’s on the run, he may not sleep for a while, and even then, it may be at irregular times.” Her eyes shifted to the big guy in the doorway, who was alert and ready for his orders.
“Find Doc,” she told him and, with a curt nod, he left us. Lillian returned her cold gaze to me. “We’ll make sure you’re ready for him the next time he falls asleep. You find out where he is, give me his location, and I’ll consider letting Nathan live.”
I didn’t know if I should believe her. I certainly didn’t trust her. I also had no other options. I supposed I could pretend to get the information and give them a made up location, though it would only backfire when they returned empty-handed and killed Nathan anyway for my deception.
At least I had bought myself some time to think. Maybe something would come to me. Maybe I could learn how to communicate with the boy and we could figure something out together. Assuming I could convince him that I wasn’t just a dream, and then convince him to help me.
Yeah. Piece of cake.
At least Lillian was going to help me find him, though I was a little concerned about how she planned to make that happen. I found out a few minutes later, when the big guy returned with another Skotadi man, this one ganglier and older with salt and pepper hair and a white lab coat. He must have been Doc.
And Doc had a bottle of oval yellow pills, two of which he held out for me.
Lillian appeared over his shoulder. “We can make this easy or hard,” she threatened.
I plucked the pills out of his hand. “What are they?”
“Something to make you sleep, so that when the boy sleeps, you’ll be waiting,” Lillian answered.
“If I get what you want, you’ll leave Nathan alone?”
She shrugged noncommittally. “Sure.”
She was lying. But if I didn’t do what she asked, they would kill him now. If I did what she asked, I could buy us some time. Maybe, if I was lucky, I could see him once more before they killed us both.
Hoping for nothing short of a miracle, I popped the pills into my mouth.
CHAPTER 23
I didn’t see the boy in white. Really, I didn’t see much of anything. I drifted in and out of a drunken state. For how long, I had no idea. Time stopped. My thought process shut down. The few times I started to come around, the room I was in started to take shape and the memory found its way back to me.
When that happened, I got more pills shoved in my mouth. It was like when I had started development and Nathan had forced medicine on me—except it was nothing like that. I wanted—no, I needed—Nathan. But I had to do this for him, to save him. I had some recollection of that.
The dark haired girl knocked me around, demanded answers I didn’t have. I was so doped up I doubted I would have been able to communicate with her even if I had the answer she wanted. She scared me even more than the big ugly guy.
I preferred it when I woke up and no one was there. Then I could slip back into a semi-unconscious state before anyone had a chance to force more pills on me. That was when some of the fog would lift and I would start to remember where I was.
This time, I was startled awake by the sound of the door clicking open. I groaned as I came to. They were back to drug me again. Or worse.
How much longer before they grew tired of this game?
With my chin dropped to my chest, my eyes came into focus as a familiar pair of Sketchers stepped into view. I tried to raise my head to see their owner, but the ropes holding me to the chair gave way and I fell forward, nearly toppling off it. A strong pair of arms saved me from an inevitable face plant and guided me up in my seat. My head rolled back and I shifted my gaze to focus on the jade green eyes in front of me.
“What did they do to you?” Alec murmured in my ear as he pulled me to a stand. He held onto me as I swayed and tried to balance on my own two feet. “Can you walk? Preferably run?”
I nodded and nearly hurled from the motion. The room was spinning. Not good.
Alec frowned and slipped his arm around my waist to steady me. “Hold onto me. I’ll help you, but we need to hurry.”
His grip was tight around me, my arm draped limply around his neck, as he guided me into the hall. My steps were clumsy and forced faster than I was capable of on my own. It still wasn’t as fast as Alec wanted to go, I realized, and tried harder, concentrating exclusively on putting one foot in front of the other.
“You’re doing good, Kris,” Alec whispered. “We’re almost there.”
I was about to ask where we were going when the cell bars came into view and I saw Nathan—alive, gripping the bars, face pressed against them, eyes searching, and finally resting on me. His expression shifted from relief to elation to alarm as he took in the whole picture: me, beaten up, barely walking, and holding onto none other than Alec for support.
Alec let go of me and I grabbed the cell bars for support. Nathan was within reach on the other side, but it felt like an insurmountable distance between us. Our eyes locked briefly before Alec demanded his attention.
“Just so we’re clear,” Alec addressed Nathan coolly, “the only reason I’m breaking you out is because I know she’s going to need you.” I hadn’t realized until then that Alec had the key in his hand, poised over the lock. “I don’t like you, you don’t like me, but we both care about her, and that’s why I’m doing this.”
Alec slipped the key in the lock and clicked it open. Nathan brushed by Alec with a barely discernible nod and came to my side. He surveyed my face and my wobbly stance with visible concern.
He glanced at Alec. “What did they do to her?”
“I don’t know,” Alec answered solemnly. “Whatever they gave her, it’s wearing off fast enough. She’s better than she was.”
Say what? I glanced at Alec peculiarly. I was awake, at least, and standing, sort of. I supposed I was a little better than unconscious. Had he seen me at my worst, newly intoxicated, to know that this—knees knocking, eyes glazed, clinically dumb—was better? I intended to question him about that, but he had already turned to scope out the tunnel.
He looked at Nathan. “Stay behind me and help her. Don’t let anybody see either of you.”
Nathan hooked an arm around me and, together, we followed Alec through the dark corridor. Under any other circumstance, I doubted Nathan would have listened to a word Alec had to say. Stuck as we were now, he must have realized Alec was our best chance at escape. I figured there was probably a good deal of pride swallowing going on beside me.
“Hi buddy,” I whispered to him.
He looked down at me, the corners of his lips slanted into a small smile. I might have misinterpreted it, but I thought he squeezed me tighter, bringing me closer to him. I didn’t recall stumbling, so I allowed myself to think it had been done out of affection rather than necessity.
Alec led us through one tunnel after another. I was officially lost after about the third turn. Keeping a sense of direction would have been difficult enough sober. My bad hangover made it impossible.
I leaned into Nathan and pu
shed my legs as fast as I could. The more I ran and the harder my heart pumped, the more lucid I became. Either my body was pushing the drug out of my system or I was high on adrenaline.
Alec slowed at an intersection, looked both ways, and then darted to the left, edging up beside a gray door. Nathan and I hovered behind him as he tried the handle. When it didn’t open, he wasted no time in lifting the shirt over his head, wrapping it around his hand and putting his covered fist through the glass. Reaching inside to disengage the lock, he flashed me a quick grin, complete with a playful wink. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he was enjoying this.
He opened the door and ushered Nathan and I in ahead of him, straight into a gallery of weapons. I yelped when a buzzer sounded above my head, followed by a piercing siren that, from the sounds of it, was wailing throughout the entire complex. The lights surged and blinked off. We stood in complete darkness for only a second before red emergency lights flashed on in the tunnel.
“Real smooth,” Nathan growled at Alec.
“No, that’s not for us,” Alec shouted over the siren. “There’s an army of Kala attacking the compound. We need to hurry.”
Alec shook the glass out of his shirt and slipped it on. He strapped on a thick black vest with a ton of pockets and tossed another to Nathan. “Trust me. We’re going to need them.”
Nathan left me to stand on my own, tilting to one side, in the middle of the room. I watched as the two of them filled their vests—bullet-proof vests I assumed—and pockets with ammunition and stocked up on guns.
I had to be missing something.
“Didn’t you say Kala?” I looked at Nathan excitedly. “They can help us.”
Nathan looked like there was something he didn’t want—or know how—to tell me. He avoided it by shoving a clip of bullets in his back pocket.
Alec wasn’t as shy. “The Kala want you dead, Kris.”
“What?” I spun my head around to Alec so fast I nearly toppled over.
Nathan nodded in agreement with Alec and walked over to me so he didn’t have to shout. “I think he’s right,” he said. “I think the guys that attacked us at the cabin were actually Kala. I don’t know why they’re here now, but we can’t trust them.”
“They’re here to kill her,” Alec chimed in impatiently. “Now, stock up.”
“Why would the Kala want to kill me?”
Nathan looked at Alec and I followed his gaze.
Alec slung a shot gun over his shoulder. “We’ll talk about that later. First, we have to get out of here alive.” Alec looked me up and down. “You okay to walk?”
“I think so.” No small thanks to the fear coursing through my veins.
He placed a small pistol in my hands. “You know how to shoot a gun?”
Nathan answered for me since my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. “She can manage.”
“It’s going to be close quarters,” Alec said as he slid a vest over my shoulders. “Stay between us. We’ll take care of everything.”
I ran a hand over the thick material. Definitely bullet-proof vests. Not a good sign. “Then why are you giving me a gun?”
Alec grinned and slid by me without an answer. I looked up at Nathan, who almost looked sorry for me. Almost. With a nod of his head, he motioned for me to follow Alec. I filed out the door on autopilot, feeling ridiculous. Thankfully, Nathan was right behind me.
I had barely regained dependable use of my legs, my vision was still a tad blurry, my head was spinning...and Alec had handed me a gun. What was he thinking? I held it awkwardly in both hands and kept it pointed at the ground, just in case. Bullet-proof vests or not, I didn’t want to shoot one of them. Or myself.
We glided a long way through the tunnels without incident. Behind us, I heard echoed shouting and the distant popping of gun shots. Alec couldn’t have timed the break out better. The Skotadi were probably too busy with the Kala to notice that Nathan and I were gone and, if they had, they wouldn’t be able to organize a recovery party while they were under attack. I grew more and more hopeful that we would get out as the sounds of battle faded behind us.
I was so focused on moving forward, toward freedom, that I plowed into Alec when he came to an abrupt stop in front of me. He turned and shoved me. I stumbled backwards, trying to regain my footing, and losing the fight, until I crashed into Nathan. He supported me as I got my feet under me and I shot him a grateful smile. I was about to holler a few choice words at Alec when I was cut off by another voice, ahead of us, and approaching.
“Alec, where you going?” a boy called. “The fight’s down at the other end.”
“I had to grab my gun,” Alec answered, shifting his body to block me and Nathan from view. “I’m on my way.”
Nathan’s arm hooked around my waist. He whipped me into the mouth of the closest side tunnel and pressed me against the wall, sandwiching me between him and the cold hard cement. We were bathed in shadows, with the nearest pulsing red light twenty yards away, but there was a chance we would be seen if the boy got close enough.
With my head rested in the nook at the base of Nathan’s neck, I felt his chest moving against me as he breathed and his heart thundering against my cheek. I tried to focus on anything but how our bodies were pressed enticingly together, but it was impossible. At least he couldn’t see how flushed I was.
The approaching footsteps stopped a few yards away. “It looks like you’ve got plenty,” the boy talking to Alec said. “Let’s go.”
“I’ll be right there.” I could hear the smile on Alec’s face. “I can’t wait to nab some Kala, but I have to do one more thing first.”
“Alright, man. Don’t cry when you show up too late and they’re all dead.”
I didn’t breathe again until the footsteps moved away and Nathan stepped back, freeing me from the wall. A moment later, Alec appeared at the opening and motioned that the coast was clear. I locked eyes with him. He watched me curiously as I drew near.
“You are a Skotadi.” The accusation in my tone was loud and clear. The addition of my hands on my hips only made him grin.
He glanced at Nathan then back at me. “Yeah.” He said it like I should have already known that.
I glanced over my shoulder at Nathan like it was his fault.
“What?” he said defensively. “It wasn’t my doing.”
I stared at Alec, at a loss for words. How could I begin to describe how this revelation made me feel? Let down? Heartbroken? Deceived? Surprised, for one, considering all that he was doing for me and Nathan. Alec being a Skotadi just didn’t make any sense.
Besides, his rings were black. He still had a choice. He may have been raised among the Skotadi, but he could still choose Kala if he wanted to. I wouldn’t give up on him choosing right. Well, except for some reason, the right side wanted me dead. That was still a problem.
“I understand your concern for me, Kris. I’m touched, really, but right now we’ve got to move.” Alec grabbed my hand and pulled me after him. “We’re going to hit resistance up ahead. Keep your eyes open.”
Oh, great. And I had thought we were practically out of there. A panicky glance over my shoulder confirmed that Nathan was right behind me. He gave me a nod of encouragement, his equivalent of, you can do this. I hoped my limited training was enough to prepare me. I sure didn’t want to let him down now, when it mattered most.
Voices up ahead alerted us too late, only seconds before the gun shots followed. Nathan shoved me to the ground as Alec returned fire. I peeked up and saw bright flashes against a narrow black backdrop as a line of bullets were blasted our way.
Nathan dropped to one knee beside me and got off a few shots, and then together, the three of us scampered toward an intersecting tunnel a few feet away.
Alec shoved me into the mouth on the right and dove in behind me. Somehow, Nathan ended up in the tunnel across from us, submerged in shadows. I could barely see him, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like being separated from him, period.
“Stay back,” Alec told me before he stuck his head out for a look. He retreated quickly as a bullet whizzed past, hitting the wall behind him.
Nathan took the opportunity to fire. We all heard him hit his target. “How many more?” he yelled across the intersection to Alec.
“One for sure. Maybe two.” Alec peered anxiously in the direction we had come. “More will be coming. We’ve got to hurry.” He turned to me, nodded his head down the length of the hall behind me. “Make sure no one sneaks up on us, okay?”
I did as he said, though I doubted he was expecting any action from that direction. He was keeping me preoccupied while he and Nathan were doing whatever it was they were doing. I wasn’t an idiot.
I glanced over my shoulder in time to see them exchanging some goofy hand signals. Next thing I knew, Nathan darted out into the open. He dropped to his knees, drawing fire, as both he and Alec returned a continuous string of shots. Then, in one fluid motion, he dropped and rolled into the tunnel with Alec and me. As he did, Alec continued to fire.
“Got him,” Alec announced.
The crazy stunt had taken mere seconds and had resulted in us all being together again. For that, I was grateful, though I feared my face may be forever frozen in its horror-stricken expression.
My hand shook as I instinctively reached for Nathan. He got to his feet and I lowered it, fisted at my side, without touching him. His face was blank when he finally looked at me—like he didn’t even realize he could have been shot.
I tried to pull it together. I had to, because we were on the move again.
With me wedged between the two of them, our backs splayed against the wall, we inched forward, eyes and guns trained on the black canvas from where the shots had originated
My breaths were ragged. My heart thundered. My hands trembled. I couldn’t get past the vision of Nathan running out into the open with bullets whizzing by him.
He could have been shot.
I felt a hand touch mine and looked up as Nathan gave it a reassuring squeeze, as if he knew how traumatized I was by the whole thing. It helped, even if it made my heart race faster.
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