“I know,” I said, exhaling slowly. “But it still doesn’t feel like enough.”
“You’re not going in alone this time. I’ll make sure you come back out.”
I swallowed. “That’s not all I’m worried about.” My voice dropped even lower. “I know these girls are as invested as I could hope for, but there’s still the very real possibility that they could turn on me. They’ve all proven they want to be here, but when they’re threatened by KATO they get skittish. I know I have to keep them from feeling that way. I’m responsible for them, but I can only be so prepared.”
“That sounds like it’s a job for the both of us,” he said, his eyebrows arched.
“Right. Sorry.” I cringed. I’d gotten too used to this being my problem. I didn’t mean to cut him out. “This just really needs to go well.”
“It will.” There was no trace of doubt in him.
“You are always way too sure when it comes to KATO,” I said, sitting back in my seat.
He shook his head. “It’s got nothing to do with them. I’m sure of you.”
“I thought I was too reckless,” I said, smirking.
“That’s sort of what I’m counting on,” he said, laughing. I shoved him and after a moment he got serious. “We both know you’ve come a long way. Although—” He cut himself off, eyeing me hesitantly.
I watched him questioningly, but he wasn’t forthcoming. “Travis, just tell me,” I said.
He debated for another beat before diving in. “I’ve told you a lot that you shouldn’t be reckless, but that doesn’t mean you should completely stifle yourself either.”
My forehead tightened. “What are you talking about?”
“You told me once that you didn’t want to get past your time at KATO because you wanted to use it against them. But you’re not using it anymore, you’re burying it. You have been ever since your dad showed up,” he said. “You can’t use that time as motivation if you’re too busy pushing it aside.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Just because I haven’t taken him through the deadly details doesn’t mean I’m holding back in the field.”
He eyed me, as if he knew something I didn’t. “I think you’re not being honest with him yet and that means you’re hiding a piece of yourself when he’s around. Which is an issue, because you are at your best when you’re confronting problems, not hiding from them.”
I didn’t completely see his point, but I nodded anyway. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He held my gaze for another beat, then shifted back, satisfied.
“You’ll keep an eye on Venom, right?” I asked a few minutes later. “I know you have issues with her being here—”
“I meant it when I said that I trust you,” he said, interrupting me. “I’ll have her back.”
I smiled lightly. “Thank you.”
He tipped his head in acknowledgement. “Get some rest while you can.”
I was too wired to sleep, but I closed my eyes anyway, doing my best to keep my nerves at bay.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
INSIDE
I ended up falling asleep halfway through the flight. I woke easily when the plane landed, though I found my eyes felt heavier than I would have liked. Fortunately, the adrenaline started to flood my system, kicking me into mission mode. Travis stood and looked back to me. “You good?”
I nodded. “Let me know if you need help with her,” I said, gesturing to Venom.
“I’ve got her,” he said. “But trust me, if she’s a problem, you’ll be the first to know.”
We headed for the front of the plane. I came to a stop briefly next to Centipede. She gave me a scrutinizing look, which then turned to surprise. “Were you asleep?” I didn’t know if she was jealous or appalled.
“Are you ready?” I asked. I rubbed any remnants of sleep out of my eyes.
She smirked. “I think the question is, are you?”
I rolled my eyes and stepped in front of her to disembark, pushing my comm into my ear, tugging the mask over my face, and flipping my hood up. The others followed my lead.
“Does everybody copy?” Sam asked when he saw all of our comms were online. We checked in, confirming the connection. “Magpie and Archer are inside Phantac. They should have access to the building within the next ten minutes. Once that happens, Magpie will have the cameras and be able to guide you.”
“Copy that, Command. We’ll wait for her word to move in.” I turned to the others. “We have fifteen minutes to reach our perimeter location starting now.” Travis and I set our watches so each team had a clock running. Then we separated, taking different routes to avoid being detected.
We’d landed on flat ground a couple miles away from the mountain in question. According to Sam, the electrical output in the area was coming exclusively from the mountain, which suggested perimeter security was lacking. It made sense. KATO didn’t have a ton of money. It paid for them to invest in internal security and trust that the mountain would keep them hidden.
The plan was to enter from the back of the mountain. We’d all be using the same door in and separating from there. We were moving in on foot, weaving between the smaller peaks as we closed in, using them as our cover for any unexpected guards. Centipede and I didn’t speak as we crept through the desert area surrounding the back of the facility. Her head scanned rapidly from one side to the other, like a predator. We were both light on our feet, moving quickly, but not running. We had to save our energy for when we made it inside.
We got to our destination seconds before Travis and Venom. I pushed my comm in. “We’re in position.”
“Stand by,” Sam said. We waited a few tense breaths before we heard his voice again. “Magpie, you’re on.”
“The cameras are looped and you’re clear to move in.”
The four of us acted at once. Venom had the door open in fifteen seconds and we stepped into a hallway that was quiet and empty, reaffirming that Misty had taken control.
“See you on the other side,” Travis said. He and Venom headed to find the nearest staircase while Centipede and I moved just inside the door, ducking around a corner to keep ourselves out of sight. The plan was simple. Venom and Travis went to the top floor where they were sure to find the facility supervisor’s office, which would have access to developmental files. Meanwhile Centipede and I went hunting for the serum.
“The blueprints say this floor has all of the labs,” I said. If this serum was still in the developmental stages, this was the most likely place to find it.
“We need the biggest one first,” Centipede said.
“I have eyes on it,” Misty cut in. “It’s around the corner. The door has a long scratch above the window.”
Centipede made eye contact with me briefly and we took off down the hall, scanning each door we passed to be sure we didn’t miss anything. We’d reached the end of the hall before we heard Misty’s voice again. “Raven, Condor, you’ve got someone headed in your direction.”
We came to a sudden stop, pressing our backs against the wall.
“A guard?” I asked in a quiet hiss.
“Negative. A lab coat,” she said. I glanced at Centipede, who nodded, then stepped aside.
“Tell me when,” I said. It was already determined that if we had a choice, I would be the one seen by other KATO workers. Even as covered as we were, I didn’t want to risk Centipede’s identity. I waited for Misty’s cue, then whipped around the corner, using my elbow to strike the side of the researcher’s head. He hit the ground before he even knew I was there.
“Anyone else in our path?” I asked.
Misty went quiet and I imagined she was checking all the camera angles. “The rest of your floor looks clear.”
Centipede stepped out and joined me in the hallway. We made our way through the facility until we finally came to a stop in fron
t of the door with a scratch running directly above the small rectangular window.
“A guard just stepped out of the stairs on the opposite side of your floor,” Misty said. “He’s around the corner, but moving fast.” There weren’t any alarms sounding, so we couldn’t have been detected. But still, we needed to get out of the hall. I tried the door but it was locked. There was a keypad on the lock.
“Magpie,” I said. “I need that lab opened.”
“Give me a second.”
Centipede locked eyes with me, and I saw a touch of panic.
Then keypad beeped softly and Centipede and I pushed our way inside. I shut the door firmly behind us. We silently pressed ourselves against the wall on either side of the door, waiting for word from Misty.
The room darkened and my heart sped up. The guard had to be standing in front of the window between us, blocking the light from the hall. I looked to Centipede, whose eyes were squeezed shut. I caught a tremor in her hand before she tucked it behind her back. He lingered for a little too long. Almost as if he knew there was something here he should be looking for.
“He passed you,” Misty said as the light came back into the room. “He’ll clear the floor in the next ten seconds.” I met Centipede’s eyes briefly, neither of us moving an inch. Not until we were sure we were clear. Once we were, we didn’t waste another second.
I looked around the room. It was a large space, big enough for five tables of microscopes and machines. There was a table in the corner that appeared to be for patients. Wires hung from the ceiling and IVs ran along the back. It led me to believe that a fair amount of experimentation happened here.
Centipede moved quickly for a door on my left. She had her hand on the knob, and I grabbed her wrist.
She shot me a confused look. “What?”
“We both need to be ready,” I said. She grimaced in frustration. Her KATO mentality was showing and she knew it. We weren’t trained to pause for any reason.
I pulled my gun out and gave her a nod. She yanked the door open, leaving me to sweep the room. It was small and sterile white. There was a refrigerator on the countertop. Inside was a series of syringes.
I took a tray of them out and placed them on the counter before lifting one up to study the Korean writing on the label.
Project: 08562
Eliza’s file—the one we’d pulled from the director at her safe house—had said the same thing.
“This is it,” I said to Centipede. “This is what we came for.”
The excitement flashed in her eyes. We had two seconds to appreciate our success before a sound from the other room made us both freeze. The door to the main lab had opened, putting both of us on heightened alert. But there wasn’t anything we could do. My heart pounded and I worked to stay collected. We had no way out and nowhere to hide. Why hadn’t Misty warned us?
There wasn’t enough time to ask any questions. It took all of three seconds for the guard to reach us, yelling in Korean, ordering us to put our hands up and get on our knees. He had his gun on us, giving us no choice but to obey.
I felt my hands start to shake slightly as the blood pulsed in my veins. The only reason I had managed to keep my head clear was because there weren’t any agents in this room, but I knew how quickly that could change. Still, I couldn’t let my fear show. Because I was certain that next to me, Centipede was even more terrified. I had to get us out of this.
The guard yanked the syringe out of my hands, then disarmed both of us before ripping off our masks. If he recognized either of us, he didn’t say anything. I doubted he had a reason to know who Centipede was, but I was almost positive my face had to be on his radar.
He circled us before coming to a stop at our backs. I didn’t have to feel the gun to know it was floating between us.
I was surprised when a woman in a lab coat crossed the threshold.
“You should not be here!” the guard snapped at her.
“I want to see who is stealing from my lab,” she said. She wasn’t an agent—her eyes didn’t have the harsh dead look that came with that job. She also didn’t seem nearly afraid enough to be a prisoner like my mom or Dr. Foster had been. She had to be a Korean native. I didn’t see another explanation.
She studied me and Centipede closely, her face etched with fury. She didn’t seem to know me either, though that would make sense if she wasn’t an agent. The guard passed the syringe off to the woman, and her lips formed a thin line.
Her eyes snapped to us and she leaned over so her face was inches from the both of us. “Did you think you would get away with this?” Centipede and I both stared straight ahead silently. “Taking my hard work? My chance at pride and honor?”
I turned my head as if I couldn’t bear the shame, but really I was trying to get a better look at the guard positioned between us. He was centered with one foot behind each of us. I could work with that.
“I would not let you be taken away without seeing my face.” Again, neither of us responded. “You have failed. My work will continue.” Her lips twisted in a smile. “And you will be faced with harsh punishments.”
That was all it took to set Centipede off. The reminder of the punishments KATO would deal out pushed away the small amount of control she’d been able to hold on to. She punched the woman in the face then jumped to her feet. I dove for Centipede, wrapping my arms around her legs and bringing her to the ground just as the guard fired off three shots.
I rolled away, hooking my legs around the guard’s knees and tugging sharply until he fell. It was enough to jar him, giving me the opportunity to disarm him. I leapt up and whacked the side of his head with the butt of the gun, effectively knocking him out.
Then I rounded back on the woman, who was not looking nearly as confident as she was a minute ago. She backed away from me, spinning the syringe in her hand. I moved in slowly, debating the quickest and quietest way to take her down.
Then I heard gunshots from behind me. I turned sharply, afraid the guard had already woken up. Instead I found Centipede standing over him, gun in hand, and three bullets in the guard’s chest. Her silencer quieted the shots, but it didn’t eliminate the sound completely. We needed to get out of here. If backup came looking and found this guy dead, none of us would escape.
I opened my mouth to tell Centipede, but I never got the words out. I’d taken my eye off the scientist for too long and she took her chance. She charged at my back, and I felt something jab into my neck. I went cold. It was the needle. I knew it was. I just prayed she hadn’t pushed down on the plunger. I elbowed her in the stomach, stunning her briefly.
Centipede reacted, coming in from behind and twisting the woman’s neck until it snapped. She dropped cold. I pulled the syringe out of my neck. It was empty. The serum was in me.
My heart hammered and I fought to clear my head. This wasn’t like the Gerex. There didn’t seem to be an immediate response. Did that mean it didn’t work? She had stabbed me out of self-defense. She wasn’t a fighter. The needle with the serum was just a convenient weapon. She hadn’t drilled a hole in my skull or aimed for a vein. Maybe that mattered. Maybe it wouldn’t affect me. I didn’t feel any different.
Centipede watched me wide-eyed. I shook my head—attempting to shake myself out of the shock—then moved toward the serum tray on the table—as if this was a problem that would disappear with enough activity.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know.” I grabbed a full syringe, closed it in the case Dr. March had given me, and tucked it in my jacket pocket. “We need to go.”
Centipede was hunched over the dead guard, rooting through his pockets until she had come up with our masks. She tossed mine to me and we covered up again.
I picked up my gun from the floor before following Centipede into the hall and pushing my comm in. “Is anyone there?”
“Yes!” Misty sounded relieved. “They’re onto us. They jammed our comm system but Command was able to override it.”
“We were just ambushed,” I said. The injection had me rattled and my patience was short.
“Are you both okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, my voice cracking over the lie. “We have the serum. We just need to get out.”
“Did they get control of anything else?” Centipede asked. “The cameras?”
“No,” Misty said. “They seem to know the building has been compromised, but they haven’t been able to take the system back from us.” That’s why they resorted to jamming our signal. They hoped to slow us down enough to find us.
“Can you get us a clean exit?” Whatever was in Eliza was now in me. I had no way of knowing how long it would be before I saw side effects, but I was sure I didn’t want to be in a KATO building when it happened.
“Go back down the hall and out the way you came in,” she directed. “No one’s on your floor at the moment, but you have about seven guards sweeping the building.”
“Copy,” I said to her. “Scorpion, Vulture, where are you guys at?”
The line stayed quiet. I tried again, and still didn’t get a response. My heart dropped. Now that we were out of immediate danger, I realized that it had been a while since I had heard from either of them.
I had a terrible feeling churning in my stomach. “Magpie, where are the others?”
“Give me a second.” The line went quiet. “They’re in the supervisor’s office,” she said. “It looks like there are about five guards outside that door.”
“Are they okay otherwise?” I asked. Centipede and I could handle five guards—especially if we got the jump on them.
“I don’t know,” she said. My heart pounded as my fear found a way to heighten. “There aren’t any cameras in that office. All I know is that they made it inside.”
They weren’t okay. I knew they weren’t. If they were, one of them would have responded. I ground my teeth together, my adrenaline elevating and giving me new life.
Enemy Exposure Page 24
