Another long hallway and one metal staircase later they arrived at a steel door. It had a retinal scan security lock. Derek placed his eye in the proper location and the tiny lasers scanned his eyeball.
With a loud KERCHUNK, the door opened.
Derek explained, “This is Turner’s private lab. Clifton leaves it alone so it’s safe for me. The exit to the surface is in here.”
Kala entered with the rest of them.
Her heart stopped.
Kala stood in the lab from her vision.
This was where she was supposed to destroy Fortski’s research and his cure for cancer.
“Okay. Really need to leave.” Kala gulped.
Chapter Fifteen
“What? Labs freak you out now?” Derek teased.
“Yes. Yes, they do.” Kala didn’t want to elaborate. She tried to hide the emotions she felt. From the tables to the computers to the experiments, it was identical to her vision. The only thing different was the fact that Fortski’s three computers were intact and not destroyed.
The place reminded Kala of the lab in Roberta and Turner’s house, where Fortski had injected her with a drug that allowed her to confront Atlas. Of course, it was this confrontation that led to Kala consuming the Titan, but that wasn’t Fortski’s fault.
As if thinking of the man made him appear, Fortski walked into view. He appeared to be the only person in the room. It had been the same at Roberta and Turner’s. Apparently, the guy liked to work alone.
Which was the key factor to making her mission easier. If Fortski was this private in his working environment, he was most likely even more private when sharing his research. Destroying his computers would be enough.
Just as her vision showed her.
A part of her wanted to do it now. Get it over with. This was only her second Atlas mission, but when she had been a soldier, her missions had never been given to her on a silver platter like now. Derek would think she was crazy, but Talan and Owen could hold him off.
But what would be next?
The clock would reset.
Kala glanced at the clock on one of the walls: 2d 03h 12m 43s
1:48 AM!
Almost to Day Three!
But maybe in those two days she could find Zeus and force him to take this curse away from her. Then she’d never have to ruin the research of the most brilliant man alive that would save millions of lives.
No. Kala couldn’t perform her task now.
Not when there was a shred of hope.
It might only be a shred, but it was enough.
Killing Jack had destroyed her in ways she couldn’t comprehend yet, and he was only one life.
Destroying the cure for cancer would kill so many innocent people. And she would be responsible. Maybe indirectly, but that was semantics to Kala. She’d feel the weight of every loss of life as if she had shot them herself.
Despite the fact that Jack was supposed to be Atlas’s surrogate and not her, Kala had to believe that he would want the universe to be in the hands of the universe. Not in one person. The curse shouldn’t exist. Zeus was an idiot.
And Kala was going to make the Olympian make amends.
Fortski seemed a little surprised at the unexpected guests, but when he saw Kala and Talan, he managed a friendly smile. “Ms. Hicks, Mr. Talan, good to see you again. I trust all your issues have been resolved?” he asked pointedly at Kala.
Fortski had a front row seat in the battle to integrate Atlas into Kala’s human form. As a scientist, he must have found the whole thing fascinating, but at the time, he was at a loss. Kala wasn’t even sure he truly understood what had happened. Even if he did, he may not believe it. His work was about curing diseases.
Or was it?
It suddenly occurred to Kala that she had no idea what Fortski’s work was about. Sure, she knew he had just found the cure for cancer, but had that been his goal? He was employed by a covert military general. Somehow cancer research didn’t seem a likely topic of interest for him.
But Kala could only go on what she knew. And what she knew was that, whether intentional or not, Fortski had found the cure for cancer and Kala’s job was to destroy it.
Kala responded to Fortski’s greeting with a smile of her own. “Dr. Fortski. Good to see you again. I’m doing fine, thank you.”
“Good. Good to hear it,” Fortski replied jovially.
There was something about Fortski that Kala really liked. He had an air of discovery about him that showed in his enthusiastic expression. It was almost painful for Kala to see, knowing what she might have to do…
“We really need to leave.” Kala’s patience was at an end. She couldn’t be in this lab a second longer.
Owen glanced at Kala with a look of worry. “There’s something here that scares you. What is it, Kala? Is it this man?”
Always the protective father, Owen was misreading Kala’s desire to save Fortski’s work as being wary of the scientist.
Kala was never very good at hiding her emotions from the people that knew her. “I’m fine. I just want to get away from this place and find Zeus.”
Fortski’s eyes widened. “As in the god Zeus?”
Kala grasped how ridiculous that would sound to someone like Fortski, but she was surprised to see that he was genuinely asking. Maybe he actually believed her infusion into a Titan god. Working for Turner and Roberta, the guy had to have seen some pretty crazy things.
“I know that sounds insane,” Kala began.
But Fortski shook his head. “Not at all. Geoffrey explained everything to me. Some of my research is based on the results we found in your brain scan, Ms. Hicks. That was before you completely integrated with the deity, of course, but the results were quite fascinating nonetheless.”
Owen didn’t let Kala change the subject. “I know that look, Kala. What’s wrong?”
Derek and Talan stared at Kala as well. The more scrutiny, the harder it was to keep up her poker face. “Just leave it alone.” To Derek, she pleaded, “Out. Now.”
It was Talan who spoke next. “Your mission. It’s in this room.”
“What!” Kala exclaimed a little too loudly. “You’re crazy.” To Derek she added urgently, “Seriously, Derek, let’s go.”
Kala walked ahead even though she had no idea where she was going. She just needed to move. The last thing she wanted to do was to have a blowout with two angels and Derek.
Fortski seemed intrigued by the suggestion. “Mission? In here? What kind of mission?”
Kala spun around, defensive. “There is no mission. Can we drop it, please?”
Owen stepped toward her. “Kala, we can help you. Just tell us what it is.”
“I said, drop it!” Kala’s temper got the best of her.
Derek knew better than to push Kala. He nodded toward the north side of the room. “This way.”
“Thank you!” Kala harrumphed.
Before Kala could follow Derek to the exit, she felt Owen’s hand on her arm. “Kala, stop.” His voice was calm and steady. “It might be easier with us here.”
Kala’s panic flared. “I can’t!”
“What are the odds that you’d be in the very spot of your mission? How do you expect to get back in here?”
Owen tried to be rational, but Kala didn’t want to hear it. “As we know, I can teleport in, I just can’t teleport out!” she said with the attitude of an unruly teenager.
Derek stepped in at this point. “I think we should go. She obviously doesn’t want to do whatever it is you guys are talking about.”
Fortski piped in, “Maybe I can help you?”
His words made Kala even more upset. All she could see was the look of anguish that would be in Fortski’s face when she destroyed all his work from her vision.
“You definitely can not help.” Kala needed space. She took a few steps back from everyone and ran her hand through her hair nervously.
“Kala…” Talan began.
She cut him off. “Talan, d
on’t.” Kala turned to Owen. “I still have two days. Two days to get out of this curse. Please, just give me those two days.”
“I’ll give you all the time you want. That’s not the issue. You have an opportunity to complete your task with people who love you. You’re not alone.” Owen looked like he wanted to hug her, but Kala kept her distance.
“If you knew what it was…” She shook her head.
“Tell us, then,” Owen prodded.
“NO! Just trust me. You don’t want me to do this. And if Zeus can release me of this curse, then it won’t need to happen and the universe can do its own damn work. Let the chips fall as they may.” Kala stared at Owen. “Please don’t make me.”
Owen nodded. He turned to Derek. “Let’s go.”
Fortski wasn’t ready for them to leave. “I really can help. Anything you need.”
Kala turned to the scientist and smiled sadly. “Hopefully, you’ll never see me again.”
Apparently, the way Kala said it made Fortski’s face turn white. “I see.”
Kala didn’t want to wait for another response from Fortski. She glanced at Derek. He may not know what was going on, but with everything he had seen over the last few days, Derek knew it was something big. And his first priority was to save his friend.
“Follow me,” Derek directed. He led them across the room, leaving Fortski behind.
Kala hoped she wouldn’t have to come back there, but her mission-based side was comforted by the fact that at least she knew where to go if need be. She was less than two hours away from Day Three, but Kala was determined to find Zeus. Forty-eight hours had to be enough. She was running on no sleep, but adrenaline was keeping her alert. Not knowing how long that would last, she concentrated on leaving the Compound.
Derek ushered them out a door that in turn led them up a long staircase. Steps that kept going and going and going. Kala was surprised at the fact that she was hardly winded at all. Granted, she was as in-shape as an elite soldier could be, but even under ideal circumstances this many stairs would exhaust a marathon runner. Kala heard Derek panting, slightly out of breath, and he was the healthiest guy she knew.
Besides Jack.
The thought grabbed her chest and made it tighten.
Jack should be beside her, and he never would be.
Kala compartmentalized before she broke down. Swallowing up her emotions was second nature for her. Being an abandoned child, she learned this skill early on. Facing her feelings was completely new to her and Kala wasn’t very good at it. Shoving everything down felt natural, normal. It might be unhealthy, but it was what made her a good soldier.
Looking back at Talan and Owen, they hadn’t even broken a sweat. Evidently, Grigori were immune to exertion as well.
Derek informed them in the dark, “About a hundred feet to the surface.”
The last set of stairs went quickly. They came to a top hatch with another eye scanner. Derek placed his eye in front of it and the device lit up green. Pushing with his right shoulder, Derek lifted the round door and flopped it onto the concrete above.
Stepping into the early morning air felt more amazing than Kala could describe. From being stuck in the 5th for an entire day to being in the bellows of the Compound, Kala missed fresh air. It felt crisp and chilled her cheeks. She took in a deep breath as Talan and Owen exited the Compound to join her.
Kala knew where they were: about a mile from the main entrance point to the Compound. She could see the dilapidated warehouses in the distance, perfect cover for the military base. Since the underground facility was made of untraceable metal, any enemy flying overhead would see abandoned buildings, nothing more.
Derek shut the top hatch and it blended in perfectly with the ground. “We’re exposed out here. Behind that set of trees is my jeep.” Derek moved swiftly towards his car.
The landscape was cracked dirt and shrubbery with a few pockets of trees here and there. It had the appearance of a dump. But it was an exit, and that was all that mattered.
Within a few seconds they all arrived at Derek’s jeep. It was covered in a camouflage mesh tarp, which he quickly bundled up and tossed in the back.
Before Derek could enter his car, Talan put up his hand for him to halt. “We may not need to drive. Let’s see how far Clifton’s teleport-shield goes.” Talan reached over and touched Derek.
Nothing.
“That’s crazy.” Kala was shocked. “How can he restrict teleporting out, but not in? He’s not that smart. And if he had any scientists that were that smart, Turner would know about it!”
“He had help,” a voice sounded from behind them.
Kala knew that voice.
Turning around, she came face to face with Rotoph.
But what really made her furious was the person standing next to him.
Penny.
Chapter Sixteen
“We leave you behind and you turn to the enemy? Shocker,” Kala accused Penny. She had started to like the girl, but Rotoph? Was Penny really that stupid?
Penny kept her eyes on Kala. “Just listen. Rotoph is on our side.”
Before Kala could utter a hearty laugh, Owen moved faster than Kala would have thought possible. He had Rotoph in a chokehold before anyone could move.
Rotoph teleported out of Owen’s grasp, reappearing a few feet away. “Owen! I need to talk to you.”
Before Owen could attack a second time, Kala put her hand up to stop him. She pulled out the Grigori blade and nodded toward Rotoph. “Will you agree to let me take your powers away so we can talk?” She decided to be diplomatic since she suspected that Rotoph may have freed Zeus from the 5th. Plus, the sight of her foster father getting into a brawl with another Grigori wasn’t something Kala wanted to see.
Rotoph nodded his agreement.
Owen still looked like he was on the verge of pouncing, but he stayed where he was.
Kala carefully walked over to Rotoph with the blade in hand.
Rotoph gave her a small smile. “Not the throat this time.”
“If it weren’t for the fact that we need you to talk…” Kala gently sliced a nick on Rotoph’s wrist. “Okay. You’ve got five minutes.”
Owen went to Kala’s side. “We don’t need five minutes. Now that his powers are gone we can teleport out of here.”
Kala had never thought of that. They could leave right now before Clifton awoke from the Grigori-sleep-bomb and caused them more trouble. If Rotoph was the one helping Clifton, then teleportation was back on the table.
But there was something to the fact that Rotoph let himself be disarmed. Whatever he wanted to say, Rotoph thought they’d want to hear it. And if her suspicions were correct about Rotoph and Zeus...
“Let’s just listen,” Kala suggested cautiously.
Owen shook his head. “Kala you don’t know him. We listened to him before and he betrayed us. He engraved that knife you’re holding. A knife like that one that tore Talan into pieces. Trust me, Rotoph is our enemy.”
“Owen…” Rotoph began, but Kala stopped him.
“Don’t speak. You’re not helping your cause.” Kala turned to Owen. “You have a personal beef with this guy, I get that, but something tells me we should listen. If we don’t like what he has to say, we leave him here. Without his powers, he’s not going anywhere.”
Owen paused. After a few moments of thinking, he gave a slight nod.
Rotoph looked relieved. He focused his attention on Kala since she appeared to be the only one willing to listen. “I know my brothers will never believe me, but I’m trying to make amends for the mistake I made. I was power hungry, and Cronus offered me the world, and I took it. But he fooled me like he fooled the Olympians. I’ve been his slave for the past 2,000 years…”
Talan interrupted with anger, “Are we supposed to feel sorry for you? You’re not telling us anything we don’t already know.”
Talan had been so quiet during this whole confrontation Kala had almost forgotten he was there. But appare
ntly, hearing Rotoph complain about being Cronus’s bitch was too much for him.
Rotoph was annoyed. “Yeah, because the 5th Heaven was so horrible. I made sure you were banished in paradise!” he shouted the last part.
Kala had to agree. She had seen the Grigori prison and it was spectacularly beautiful. At this very moment though, she didn’t want to take Rotoph’s side in front of Talan and Owen. “Just continue, please,” she prodded Rotoph.
“Prison is prison!” Talan wasn’t letting it go. He turned to Owen. “Why are we still listening to him?”
Rotoph forced eye contact with Talan, then Owen. “Because I’m the one who freed you.”
Pin drop.
Rotoph took advantage of the silence to continue, “Didn’t you ever wonder how you were able to break out? Did you really think you were powerful enough to escape a prison that strips you of all your powers?” He looked at them as if they were ludicrous to even consider the notion.
His answer was more silence, which indicated to Kala that they hadn’t really considered that they’d had help from the outside.
Owen was the first to speak. “Only five of us were able to leave.”
Rotoph nodded. “The strongest. Yes, I know. I’ve kept tabs on all of you for the entire two hundred years you’ve been out. I need you to free our brothers and sisters, but it’s Talan’s skills I need most. Please. Help me.”
Talan started to soften. “I want to trust you, Rotoph.”
“What possible motivation would I have to trick you? There are only five of you. The Titans could crush you if they pooled their resources. I was a fool. Please. Let me prove myself to you,” Rotoph begged.
Kala had to admit that Rotoph seemed sincere.
Derek was on a time crunch because he said, “I may be the only human here, and I get that you guys could probably stop any military attack, but I really don’t want to be around to see it. Can we have this conversation somewhere else?” He air-quoted “human,” of course.
Grigori Returned (The Atlas Series Book 2) Page 10
