A Changed Man (Altered Book 1) (22 page)

"Can I help you?" He asked in a deep rich voice.        Tess didn't answer right away. She was noticing the lean muscle of his chest and forearms.

"Oh you must be the Dr.,” he said noticing her lab coat. "Come to take blood from the guinea pigs?"

Tess snapped her attention back to Ricks face. "Why don't you have a shirt on?" She asked sounding peeved.

"You woke us up." He answered pointing behind him to Dillon sitting up in the bed.

Tess was instantly disgusted. This grown man didn't waste any time did he? Seducing a nineteen-year-old child, probably with promises of keeping her safe and getting her out, yada yada. "You make me sick!" She loudly whispered to him through the bars not wanting Dillon to hear. "She's just a child!"

"What are you talking about lady?" Rick looked at her with his head cocked.

"Oh don't play with me you sick bastard. That poor girl has been through enough!"

It took Rick a minute to understand what she was insinuating. "You think," Rick was fuming and at a loss for words. He pulled the door open wider showing the pallet on the floor where he had made his bed. "I'll be waiting for your apology." Rick walked away from the door.

Tess felt the heat rushing through her face. She had apparently jumped to conclusions before collecting the facts, not what a good doctor should be doing. She waved the guard over to unlock the cell and stepped in the room pulling the door closed. "You wait here." She told the guard and pulled the wooden door that was used for privacy closed also.

Rick was standing at the foot of Dillon’s bed, like her own personal sentinel. He had put on a shirt and was staring at the Doctor as she came through the door. She was around five foot five; she had long, dark, chestnut brown hair. She wasn't stick thin. She had some meat on her, which he liked. She was wearing a cobalt blue dress covered mostly by her white lab coat and a pair of matching heels.

"Mr. Davis? I'm Doctor Morgan, I need to take some blood and run some tests on you." She said to Rick.

Rick walked quickly toward her. "What if I refuse and just snap your pretty little neck right now?" He said stopping right in front of her.

Tess wasn't fazed by his threat; she'd heard it all before. She was a practiced self-defense expert and could give any one of her patients a run for their money. "I press the panic button in my pocket and the guard comes in and kills you both." She answered head held high.

Rick stared in to her hazel eyes and realized she wasn't bluffing. If it was just him he had to worry about he would rush her and take his chances, but he had Dillon to think about. He had promised her he would get her out of here, and Rick kept his promises.

Rick let a toothy grin spread across his face. "Well why didn't you say so doc?"

Dillon sat in her bed watching the exchange between the two. Rick turned from the doctor and walked back toward the bed catching Dillon’s attention. He looked at her, then looked at the bathroom, then did it again.

Taking the hint Dillon crawled out of bed. "I'm going to take a long shower." She said and closed herself in the bathroom.

"Alone at last." Rick said looking at Tess. "Where do you want to examine me doc? The bed okay?" Rick started unbuttoning his jeans.

"Excuse me?" She said knowing full well what he was trying to do. Making her uncomfortable was his way of getting back at her. "You can leave your pants on for now, I just need to draw some blood."

Rick took his shirt off again and sat on the side of the bed. "Ready when you are doc."

"You didn't have to take your shirt off Mr. Davis. I just need an arm." Tess set her case on the bedside table and opened it up. She pulled out a band, a needle, and two small vials.

"Oh, well I figured I would give you clear access. Which arm would you like doc?" He asked.

He was being over-accommodating and it was getting annoying. "It's up to you Mr. Davis." She answered with a sigh.

He was getting to her. Good. If she wanted to think him some perverted asshole then that’s what she'd get. She was standing in front of him waiting for him to hold out an arm. "Wow you smell really good." He leaned in toward her chest and took in a deep breath through his nose.

Tess had had enough. "I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had a bed on the floor. I saw you with your shirt off and Dillon in the bed behind you and just assumed."

"Yeah well you know what they say about assuming." Rick cut in, all the flirting gone from his voice. "It makes an ass out of you."

"And me." She finished for him. "It makes an ass out of you and me."

"No,” Rick said seething. "Just you."

Tess took a step back, he was really pissed; it rolled off him in waves. She'd have to be careful with this one. He had a palpable temper. She didn't realize she had offended him so deeply. "You're right." She said softly. "I apologize."

Rick took a deep breath, calming himself down. He held out his left arm to her. "Lets just get this over with."

Tess wrapped the band around his arm and inserted the needle into his vein. She attached the vials one at a time and watched them fill up. Rick could see the speckling of light freckles across the bridge of her nose and high on her cheeks. "Why do you give a shit anyway?" Rick asked.

"What? What do you mean?" She asked surprised.

"I mean, we are all held prisoner here for you and your fucking buddies to experiment on. Why do you give two shits if I’m sleeping with Dillon?"

"Because she's just a child!" Tess pulled the needle from his arm and took the band off.

"Yeah, a child you won't help. A child that’s been altered, beat, and almost raped! Where were you when all that shit was happening? Turning a blind fucking eye, that’s where! Don't act like you give a damn about her or anyone else in this shit hole."

"I can't help why you're here. You murdered people and instead of going to prison you volunteered for this. You made your choice." Tess answered.

"Choice? We didn't have any fucking choice! We were kidnapped! I don't know what your fucked up bosses are telling you, but they’re lying to you!"

Tess has heard this all before. "They said you would say that. It's one of the first things we learn in training. You people will say anything to manipulate us and get your way. Anything to escape."

"Jesus they brainwashed you." Rick said looking at her like she was the experiment. "They really mind-fucked you."

"Would you please stop being so belligerent." She asked.

"Do you really think Dillon could have killed someone?" He asked. "Think about it. You’re a doctor for Christ’s sake. You have to be smarter than that."

"I have to go." Tess began to pack her case. Carefully and quickly wrapping the vials so they wouldn't break.

"You think this is some kind of alternative prison, you think that everyone in here did something terrible and it was this or death? That’s what they're telling you?"

"I'm just doing my job okay?" Tess grabbed her case and headed toward the door.

Rick stood up and ran to her, stopping in front of her, blocking her exit. "Please listen to me, it's not what they say it is. We're not what they say we are. I can't speak for everyone in here, but I can speak for Dillon and myself. We have military backgrounds. We had military careers. Did you know she had an IQ of one-fifty-five?"

"No, they said they don't have any previous records on the inmates."

Rick scoffed. "Inmates. You believe that? That the medical records of everyone in here just disappeared?"

"They said there was a fire. Please move out of my way."

"Think about it." Rick whispered. "Promise me you will think about it. When you go home tonight, remember what they told you. Think about what makes sense and what doesn't, do a little research. What they are doing here is against the laws of nature. These people don't deserve this."

Tess stepped around him and pulled open the wooden door. "Guard!" She shouted. The guard stepped in front of the cell door unlocking it. Tess quickly walked out and the guard slammed the door closed.

"See ya soon doc!" Rick yelled after her.

Remington and Jordan spent the day going through the logbooks Jordan had brought over. Discussing when they would go, how they would get in, and most importantly, how they would get out. They went outside for a while and showed each other what their powers could do; both equally impressed with the other. Jackie made dinner for all of them and while they ate they decided Jordan would ghost in one of the front entrances during shift change. He was extremely fast when using his new power, and with any luck, the guards wouldn't notice him zip by. Giving him time to take out a couple.

"What can I do?" Jackie asked. Remington and Jordan looked at each other, both silently hoping for the other to come up with good reasons she should stay home and out of harms way.

"I think it's best if you stay here." Remington answered.

Jackie straightened in her chair. Remington knew what was coming and hoped to stop it before it started. "Wait. Let me finish." He pleaded. "It's going to be dangerous. Getting Rick out is going to be hard enough. Jordan can mist himself out of there if all hell breaks loose and I can break the locks and bend the bars, but what if I have to carry Rick out? I can't protect both of you, and no offense to Jordan, but I don't know him enough to trust him with your life."

"Uh, I'm right here. No offense taken I guess." Jordan rolled his eyes but didn't defend himself. He knew it would be dangerous and didn't want Jackie at risk either.

Remington put his hand on Jackie’s shoulder and squeezed. "I don't know what I would do if you got hurt. I just found you."

Jackie understood his feelings; she was feeling them too. She didn't want him going back there but at the same time she understood why he had to. She didn't want to make this harder for him by acting like a petulant child. "Okay." she said. "What can I do from here?" Jackie could see Remington physically relax, his shoulders dropped as he let out a pent up breath.

"Thank you." He whispered to her.

Jackie gave him a sweet smile. "I'm serious. I want to help in some way, even if it's from here."

"You could get the house ready for another guest." Remington said. "I can't take Rick to a hospital. That’s the first place they'll look; we have to bring him back here. Get all of the medical supplies ready; make sure we have enough food and supplies to hold out here for a while. He'll need a place to sleep, maybe make up the couch for him."

"He can have the guest room, I'll change the sheets and get it cleaned up for him." Jackie said.

"Yeah, I can make a pallet on the floor or, oh." Remington caught Jackie smiling big at him. It took him a minute to realize what her plan was. She wanted him to stay in her room with her. He was fine with that, more than fine, he was thrilled.

"Oh jeeze! Maybe I should go so you two can get a room!" Jordan laughed standing up.

"Maybe you should." Remington answered not taking his eyes off Jackie.

"Okay, okay, I can take a hint." Jordan started gathering his books from the table.

"Wait!" Jackie Said. "Let me wrap up some leftovers for you to take home."

"That would be great, thanks." Jordan followed Jackie into the kitchen. "You know your grandmother made big plans for this place."

"Plans?" Jackie asked digging in a bottom cabinet for Tupperware.

"Yeah, we had made a plan that I would go in as soon as I found some help and start getting people out. She wanted to bring them all here, make this place a kind of refuge for them. She wanted small cabins like mine all over her land to house the people we rescue. She had a huge heart your grandmother."

"Sounds like her." Jackie said scooping spaghetti into a container.

"What do you think? About continuing with her wishes I mean?" Jordan was young, it showed as he dropped his head and stared at his feet waiting for her answer.

"Hm. I think I will have to think about it." She smiled at him and handed him the container of food.

Jackie and Remington walked Jordan out. "We'll see you tomorrow to finalize the details." Remington said.

"Okay, I'll see you then." Jordan disappeared into the dark woods.

Remington and Jackie went back into the house. Jackie walked to the kitchen and started cleaning up. Remington followed.

"I can get it." She said

"I can help." He started rinsing dishes and handed them to Jackie so she could load them into the dishwasher. He put away the leftovers as she wiped down the counter tops. Jackie stood at the sink rinsing out her rag when two huge muscular arms came around her waist. Remington leaned his head down, his lips barely brushing her ear. "So, you sure you want me in your room all night? What if I snore?"

His warm breath tickled her ear and sent a shiver through her. "Then I'll just have my way with you and send you to the couch."

"Oh yeah?" Remington bit down gently on Jackie’s earlobe and tightened his arms emitting a squeal from her. He turned her around to face him, dipping his head down so his lips were lined up with hers and crushed his mouth to hers. She immediately opened for him, their tongues entwined in a seductive dance. Remington slid his arm under Jackie’s knees, and without breaking the kiss, scooped her up into his arms.