by Angel Lawson
To my surprise he gives me a soft smile and says, “Thank you, Alexandra. I knew you could do it.”
The truth is that I didn’t do it. I’m just the cog in a complicated wheel that involves my family, their genius and the future of society. My father is working from the inside. So is the best solider Jane has in her army. Like a cartoon character with a light bulb over my head, something in me clicks about a suggestion Erwin made when he rescued us.
Erwin frowns. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, you know, I think I am,” I say, standing up to leave. “After I take a really long shower and a really, really long nap, I have an idea I’d like to share with you and my team.”
He watches me carefully as though I’ve had a mental break. Not that something like that would ever stop Erwin, anyway. Unsurprisingly he replies with confidence, “Good. I’m eager to hear your plans.”
*
I take the long way back from Erwin’s office to hit the cafeteria. Armed with a piece of bread slathered in peanut butter, I pass by the gym on the way up to the dormitories.
Although it’s late, it’s not surprising to find people in the training room lifting weights or punching the sand bag. Tonight, though, it sounds more like a bull rampaging through a china shop and I pause at the door before I peek inside.
I’ve got peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth, but it doesn’t matter. I’m stunned speechless. Paul is running some kind of manic circuit. When I walk in, he’s zipping back and forth, doing suicide sprints on the short, indoor track. Barely out of breath, he moves to the weight rack and starts lifting the heaviest hand weights they have. Fifty pounds, I think. He does two reps and then moves to the punching bag. He goes into a full assault. Kicks and hits fly through the air, landing perfectly on the bag. The only sound in the room is the echo of his grunts as he goes through the workout. His biceps bulge and his chest heaves. It’s like he’s transforming in front of me.
When he stands at the back of the room, pacing behind a barbell resting on the floor, I know I should go get Davis. Maybe even Erwin, but I’m mesmerized. Five disks are stacked on each end, starting with the biggest. I can’t tell the total weight but it has to be triple Paul’s physical weight.
Rubbing his hands together, he bends and grips the bar. His face strains and the veins in his neck bulge, but with more ease than I thought possible, he dead lifts the bar, holding it for a count of ten.
“Holy cow, dude,” I shout, although I’m not sure how much he caught with my mouth full of food. He hears me though and drops the weight on the ground, where it bounces an inch off the mat.
“Alex,” he says, looking uncomfortably at the massive weight. “That’s not what it…uh…”
“Looks like?” I step over to the water fountain and wash down the bread. “I saw you. You lifted that.”
“I’ve been practicing.”
“I’m sure you have. But that’s not what’s going on, is it?” I walk over to him and lift up the hem of his shirt. Muscles that I’m sure weren’t there two weeks ago ladder up his stomach. I look in his eyes, terrified I’ll find the worst, but they’re clear, and other than redness and sweat from physical exertion, he looks fine. “They gave you something—not quite Hybrid, but something.”
“I don’t know what it was. It could have been any variation of the vaccines they tested—or maybe the cumulation of them all?” He wipes his hands on a rag he picks up off a bench. “Are you scared?”
“You saved me and you’re my friend.” I shake my head. “No, I’m not scared, although I do think we have to be careful.”
“I don’t have any urges to hurt anyone or any sense of following alternate directions. None of that hive mentality the Hybrids seem ruled by.”
“Something clicked it on that night, though. If it wasn’t the other Hybrids then what was it?” I’ve wanted to ask that question for weeks.
He tugs at his gloves and looks away. “You were in danger and I was scared.”
“Paul…”
He smiles at me. “You came back for me. It may have been a fluke but it counts with me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Thank you. I feel the same way.”
He looks around the room. “I don’t carry the rage, but I do have a huge amount of energy—like I’m bursting out of my skin sometimes, you know? I just want to get out there and do something. ”
“Good. You know, we should probably talk to Cole about this. Let him do some tests.”
He holds up his hands. “No tests. I can’t.”
Now he looks panicked and I get it. “Okay, no tests, but you should start working out with Davis. He can help you control some of that energy. He’s good at training—one of the best.”
That idea pleases him. Probably more the idea of being strong now and not left at the mercy of Jane and her minions. I don’t blame him. Being vulnerable sucks.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” he asks. “No offense, but you look like crap.”
“Thanks a lot,” I laugh, punching him in the arm. It’s solid as a rock and I instantly regret it. “Yeah, I need to get to bed. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“We do?”
“Yep. Get ready.”
Chapter 7
“So you want us to become terrorists?”
Jude doesn’t sound completely opposed to the idea, even though everyone else looks at me with skepticism. Well, not Davis. He just has that stone-faced, soldier expression on. I’m sure it’s not the first time he’s been asked to do something like this.
“Terrorist is a strong word,” I argue. “Here’s the thing: Erwin suggested this to me weeks ago and I didn’t get it, but after everything we went through yesterday I realize he’s right. The only way to take Jane down is from the inside.”
“So you want us to go in and sabotage her holdings?” Jude asks, apparently the spokesperson for the group now. A quick glance at Cole makes me unsure he’s even listening.
“The clinics, the camps, her vehicles, her workers and soldiers. We’ll stop supply runs. Steal their food and ammunition. Cut the generators. If Jane’s facilities are no longer functioning we can get to survivors first. Vaccinate them. Get them away from Jane before she has a chance to turn them into Hybrids.”
“And the Fort?” Cole asks. Ah. Apparently he is listening.
I rest my elbows on the table. Erwin gave us use of a conference room with a large window that makes the room bright enough to see one another without the generated lights. “Eventually, yes.”
“I like it,” Davis says. “We go in fast and get out. A team diverts survivors and brings them back here. We create our own army.”
I smile, relieved to have someone understand. “Yes. Exactly.”
Paul raises his hand. “And Erwin has infrastructure to handle the inflow of survivors?”
“He’s working on it.”
“And you trust him?” he adds.
I lean back in my seat. It’s leather and rocks gently. “My father trusts him and right now that’s all I’ve got.”
“Your father?” Parker asks.
“He’s the one behind that ambush last night—well, the original one to get us there. He gave me enough samples for Erwin’s lab to work with to recreate the vaccine. He’s working against my sister from the inside. Now it’s our job to work against her from the outside.”
“So we’re forming a rebellion or a resistance or something,” Cole asks.
“Yes.” I look around the table. “Do we need to vote?”
Once again, Jude replies for the group. “Nope. When do we start?”
Chapter 8
We split into two teams. Three of us on each team with a force of Erwin’s soldiers backing us up. Erwin was already collecting data and had surveillance on Jane’s activities. That’s how he rescued us.
We meet. Plan. Strategize.
After a week of preparation we start small. Davis, Parker, and Jude are targeting a supply run heading out of
Cartersville back to Augusta. Erwin’s spies have watched the scouts come and go for a week from a canned goods distribution center. Load up and delivery day is in three hours. Just past nightfall.
“Your job is to stop the truck,” I remind them in Fort Arnold’s massive garage. “Take out the drivers. They should all be Hybrids.”
Parker rolls her eyes. She’s wearing enough body armor to go into battle. I hope it doesn’t come to that. “You say that like it will be easy.”
“You can handle it,” I say. “You’ve got thirty soldiers backing you up. Let them do the dirty work. Once clear, you’ll drive the truck to Erwin’s warehouse.”
Davis whistles, getting everyone’s attention. Cole, Paul, and I watch as they get in the vehicles and I shift nervously, bouncing on my feet.
“What’s going on?” Cole asks, observing my excess energy.
“I feel like I should be going with them,” I reply.
“Why? You think they can’t do it without you?” Paul asks. Bluntness seems to be a side-effect of his transition.
“No.” Yes, I want to say, but it’s stupid to think this whole thing hinges on me. “I just hate waiting around.”
Neither Paul nor Cole look like they believe me. The enormous garage doors roll up, sounding like a freight train, and we watch the trucks roll out one after the other. Parker waves from the window and I say a silent prayer.
Paul tugs my arm. “Come on, we’ll be busy enough tomorrow. We should rest up.”
Just thinking about sleep makes me yawn. It’s been a long day—a long week. “Yeah, I’m ready to crash,” I say, linking my fingers with Cole’s. His hand is cool and I tighten my grip to warm him up. He and I could use a little alone time. I take a nerve-gathering breath. “It will be strange having a room to myself since Parker’s gone for the night, you know?”
Paul lifts an eyebrow but says nothing. Cole just…he just keeps walking like he didn’t hear me. Ouch.
The three of us walk back to the main building. When we get to the split off for the dormitories, Cole hesitates. Paul looks between us curiously but then heads down the hall.
“You okay?” I ask.
“I’m just not tired. I think I’m going to check on Josie before going to bed.”
“Is she feeling better?” I knew she’d gone through extensive testing to figure out what kind of chemical cocktail she’d been given at the camps. She was also severely dehydrated and close to starvation when she came in. I’m not sure how she and her group were even surviving out there.
“The doctors should release her in a few days and she’ll be ready to get to work. I just wanted to check on her progress. I think it makes her feel better to see someone familiar.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.” I feel a little bit like a jerk. I hadn’t gone down once since we’d arrived back at the base. “I can come with you if you want?”
“You sleep,” he says, reaching for me. He rubs his thumb along my neck and goosebumps rise on my arms.
“Okay,” I agree. “But come see me when you get finished.”
He nods. “I can do that.”
We separate and go opposite directions. When I turn the corner, I see Paul waiting outside my room. He looks a million times better than when we found him. His cheeks are filled out from getting some food and nourishment. His eyes brighter and the dark, sunken circles underneath gone. His disposition and attitude is better—he’s upbeat and happy to be part of the team. Davis and I watch him closely but neither of us has seen the single hint to the fighter from the night we got here. I’m starting to think I made it up.
“He seems weird,” he says when I get to him.
“Who?”
“Cole.”
I shake my head. “How would you know?”
He leans his lanky body against the wall. “I know you asked him back to your room and he declined. In my opinion, that’s weird.”
My cheeks flush. Was I that obvious? It’s not like I’ve done anything like this before. Paul watches me with an expression that is one of amusement and sympathy. Trying to save face I say, “I didn’t ask him back here. I was just making small talk. It’s not a big deal.”
“Enhanced hearing seems to be one of the benefits.” He touches his ear and gives me an apologetic smile. “I know you and Davis are keeping an eye on me. I know you think something’s wrong. There may be. I don’t know. But I’m not the only one acting strange, and that exchange between the two of you confirms it. It’s the apocalypse. No one turns down a chance to share a bed with a beautiful woman when given the opportunity.”
“Oh, God.” My face is so red I break out into a sweat. Paul shakes his head and fights a burst of laughter. The dorm is full of sleeping people. I reach for the door handle in an attempt to escape. “I wasn’t—that’s not what—”
Paul stops me and says. “I’m not trying to embarrass you, Alex. I really do think something may be wrong. Keep an eye on him.” He opens the door for me. “Goodnight. See you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Paul.”
I close the door and strip to my T-shirt and a pair of shorts before getting into bed. Under the thin, wool blanket I push to forget everything embarrassing thing that had just transpired and slip into a heavy sleep.
*
The light from the hall brightens the room for a brief, bold moment, waking me enough that I see the body slip into the room. My hand is on the knife I keep under my pillow but it’s unnecessary. A halo of shaggy, curled blonde hair catches the light before we’re swallowed in darkness.
“Hey,” I call in a groggy voice, and I feel his weight on the edge of the mattress.
“Sorry I woke you. It took longer than I thought but…”
“It’s fine.” I scoot over further and again, I sense the slightest hesitation before he kicks off his boots and fills the empty space beside me. He lifts his arm to move around my neck, cradling me to his side.
“How’s Josie?”
“Good. Stronger, I think. She went through a lot out there.”
I think about the young woman surrounded by semi-feral men. They protected her—but at what cost?
“It’s good that you’re helping her,” I say, resting a hand on his stomach. He’s too thin, we all are, but I feel the muscles beneath his shirt contract at my touch. “Things could have ended differently for me out there. You know, back in the beginning. I don’t think I would have made it far without having help.”
“I’ve never said this, but I should have been there for you in barn, you know, with your mother. Chloe and I got hung up with some Eaters and we lost track of you for about twenty-four hours.” His voice is quiet. Heavy with sadness.
“Wyatt was there. I wasn’t alone.”
He winces and I realize that was not the comment he needed to hear. “Yeah, he was.”
I want to tell him Wyatt is playing a game I can’t quite keep up with. Someone we can’t exactly trust, even though my gut tells me something different. I haven’t told anyone he was in the house with my father. I’m not exactly sure why, although one look at Cole’s pained expression gives me a good idea. I hate that he feels this way—like he’s never enough.
I can barely make Cole out in the dark, but I roll on my side and ask, “Did I ever thank you for saving me that day on the boat? Properly?”
“Properly?” he asks in the dark, I hear the insinuation in his voice.
I don’t need light to find his mouth. I use my hands to stroke his cheeks, my fingers to discover his lips. I kiss him, sharing my warmth. This time there’s no hesitation on his part and he kisses me in return, robbing me of my breath and my senses. His lips trail down my jaw, down my neck to the edge of my shirt. I run my hand over his side, dipping my fingers under the fabric, feeling the hot skin just out of reach. He shifts quickly and I’m beneath him.
“Thank you for saving me that day,” I whisper in his ear. I can sense it’s something he needs to hear. “Thank you for having my back.”
&nbs
p; He shudders and kisses me harder, mouth crashing into mine. His hips are heavy, his biceps tense. An incredible need rushes through me to touch and taste him. I push his sleeve up to his shoulder, kissing the inside of his arms. He breathes deeply, chest rising and falling.
“Alex,” he mumbles, like he has something to tell me, but he pushes me back gently, lifting up my shirt before pressing his face in my belly. His lips sear against my skin, moving hip to hip, and I’ve decided there’s no better day and no better person than the one with me right now. Like Paul said, it’s the apocalypse. You take the chances you get.
But he seems to have other ideas because he lowers my shirt and smooths out the fabric. Keeping me close, he rolls to his side and groans into my hair.
“Why’d you stop?” I ask quietly.
“My body is here with you, but my head is all over the place. With the team on their mission. With the lab.” He swallows and I feel his Adam’s apple bob up and down. There’s something else.
“Chloe?” I ask.
“Always. I’m so afraid of what’s happening to her. What—” He pauses. “What I’m going to have to do.”
My heart breaks for Cole and everything clicks into place. The disconnect. The sadness. I’d been too busy with my plans and drive to take out my sister that I’d forgotten about his. Chloe isn’t just his sibling, they’re twins, and I’ve watched the sacrifice and devotion they have to one another. It nearly destroyed him when she was shot in our attempt to get away from Erwin and to the Fort. He didn’t want to leave her but he followed me anyway to the vaccine center, warning us of trouble heading our way.
“We’re going to figure something out. No one here expects you to hurt your sister,” I reassure him. “She’s a victim of Jane’s manipulations as much as everyone else.”
“I’ve been trying to come up with a solution. Down in the lab and studying Josie’s results, but I’ve also talked to Davis. There’s no way to get her out of this alive.”
Paul flashes to mind and I wonder if there’s something we’re missing. Another link in the chain. I grip his shirt. “Listen—” I start, but a loud banging on the door stops me. I hear my name called out and I scramble from bed, opening the door to find Paul outside.
