As hungry as I was, it was like a four-star meal. How sad was that?
“Protein isn’t good for me right now,” Kat mumbled. “Makes my kidneys have to work too hard.”
“We’ll scrape off the peanut better and you can eat the crackers,” I replied, “because you’re eating something.” Words Cole had once spoken to me. I got it now.
Kat and Reeve fell asleep soon after they’d eaten, and I paced the cell, watching the clock. As the day wore on, the labs coats thinned out, just as before. By 2:00 a.m., there were only two people left in the lab. Again, just as before. By six, the others returned. Hello, pattern.
I’d have a four-hour window to act.
I wondered how many guards were stationed at the monitors at 2:00 a.m. One or two I could take. Any more than that, and I’d have big-time problems.
I’d have to risk it. Tonight.
Tomorrow, Kelly would try to use Kat against me.
The guards returned for me at 10:00 a.m.
“You two,” said the one who—pressed his thumb into a keypad. Crap! No actual key to steal. “Get against the back wall.” His attention moved to me. “You, stand in the middle.”
“Forget my plan,” I whispered to Reeve, and she blinked with surprise.
Her eyes were wide, her body quivering as I was cuffed and led out of the cell. I knew she wanted to help me in some way, any way, but I couldn’t cut off the guy’s thumb, so there wasn’t anything to do.
I was escorted into the torture chamber. Kelly was already there, sitting, waiting for me.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Gotta admit I’ve had better days.” As I looked him over, another plan took shape. It was dangerous. It was stupid. But there was no other way.
“I’m sure you have,” he said, and nodded to the guards.
Have to act now. The moment I was uncuffed, I lunged for Kelly, purposely slamming my body into the cart of syringes and scalpels along the way.
We hit the floor, and I grabbed the first thing my fingers found and shoved it into his neck. As the guards scrambled to catch me, I grabbed the second thing my fingers found and shoved it into my pocket.
Everything happened in two, maybe three seconds.
A hard fist slammed into my temple, throwing my body to the side. Stars. Pain. A heavy weight crashed into me, forcing me to my stomach. My arms were roughly twisted behind my back and the cuffs reapplied.
“Get her...out of here...” Kelly gasped.
As I was hauled to my feet, I watched him sit up and pull a syringe out of his neck. Only a syringe. Too bad.
The guard shoved me forward, and I tripped my way back to the cage. Once inside, I did the same thing I’d done yesterday. I threw myself into the far corner, hiding my face—and my actions. As stealthily as possible, I reached into my pocket. Felt...a scalpel.
Perfect.
Whatever’s necessary.
Reeve approached, placed a soft hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay? Your hand is bleeding.”
I looked down and realized the scalpel had sliced through my palm. My adrenaline must be riding high, because I didn’t feel it. “I’ll take care of it.” My shirt was already torn and easy to rip with my teeth. I tied a strip of material around the wound, applying pressure.
“Get some rest,” I told her. For what came next, she was going to need it.
As I paced the cage, watching the clock yet again, waiting, waiting, I felt as if my sanity...my emotions...my everything hung at the end of a horribly frayed rope. Any second the threads would snap, and I would fall, crack open and all the darkness inside me would spill out.
Death and destruction would ensue.
No one would be safe.
I just... I had to hold it together for Kat, Reeve and Jaclyn.
Fatigue rode me harder than ever, but I forced myself to look past the burning eyes, the quivering limbs and the aches and pangs. I could sleep when the girls were safe.
Finally 2:00 a.m. arrived. The moment of truth.
All but one lab coat had left. The straggler was a heavyset man around forty years old. I could take him in a fight, no problem. The only unknown was how many guards were monitoring the camera feeds.
Actually, no, that wasn’t true. I also didn’t know how many people were in the building. Or how many security clearances I’d have to go through to reach the front doors.
That wasn’t going to stop me. Whatever’s necessary.
I glanced back at the girls. Kat was asleep, though not at rest. Her eyes rolled behind her lids, and violent shivers racked her body.
Though Reeve was awake and watching me, she lay behind Kat, arms curled around her, offering warmth.
Jaclyn sat at the edge of her cot.
Now, I mouthed, then faced Lab Coat.
“Let us out,” I shrieked, the sound startling the guy enough that he actually glanced over at me. I rattled the bars with every bit of my strength. “My friend needs help. Where’s your heart? How can you leave us like this? To starve? To face torture?”
The shrillness of my voice awakened the zombies. Moans and groans erupted all around me.
Hungry.
Eat. Must eat.
Lab Coat pushed to his feet and stomped from the room. If he failed to bring back a guard...
The side door opened, and Lab Coat stalked inside with a tired-looking guard at his side.
I did my best to hide my relief.
Frowning, the guard pointed a finger at me. “Be quiet,” he barked.
Smells so good.
Him. Want him.
Must eat...drain...empty...
Zombie thoughts...or Z.A.’s?
“I’m through being quiet,” I shouted. Bang, bang, bang. I punched at the bars, unconcerned by the sting in my already sore hands. “I’ll never be quiet again. You’ll have to make me.”
Reeve rushed to my side, her voice harmonizing with mine. “We want out. Let us out. Let us out.”
I laughed, but it wasn’t a nice sound. “So brave out there, aren’t you?” I taunted the guard. “Doubt you’d be so confident in here. I could take you down in seconds.”
“This is your last chance to be quiet,” he snarled, hand curling around the stick hanging at his waist. Then his gaze landed on Reeve and narrowed. He licked his lips. “But please, do me a favor and refuse it. I’ll come in there and show you just how brave I can be.”
“Let us out. Let us out.” Reeve.
“Coward!” Me.
Grinning a terrible grin, he pressed his thumb against the lock. When he pulled the door open, I shoved Reeve behind me and backed her toward Kat, who had woken up and now leaned against the far wall. All the while, I gripped the scalpel I’d stolen, the blade hidden by my arm.
He stomped toward us, his eagerness to get his hands on Reeve making him stupid. He grabbed me, probably intending to toss me to the side, but I struck without hesitation, stabbing him in the neck.
Howling, eyes going wide, he stumbled away from me. His knees buckled before he could exit the cage, and he went down. Blood gushed from the wound, leaking through his knuckles as he applied pressure.
Whatever’s necessary, remember?
“Scalpel,” Jaclyn shouted, jerking me out of the daze.
I tossed it to her, wondering why she needed it, then rushed out of the cage, closing in on Lab Coat. He remained on his feet, as if frozen.
“Don’t hurt me,” he pleaded.
“Like you didn’t hurt me?” I punched him in the throat with a blood-covered hand, and he, too, went down. I tore the badge from around his neck before stalking to the glass case where the tranq guns were stored.