Hybrid Zone Recognition (39 page)

“Welcome to unforeseen circumstances,” I said quietly.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Without further discussion, I pivoted for the Colony. I heard Reynolds behind me quietly informing transport of our change of plans. Kenny, who knew the area better than I did, took point. His team flanked him, enclosing me in their center. Reynolds and two other cadets—I knew them as Smiley and Flash—joined our band as we sped to the Colony.

I leaned into the leopard part of me, letting it guide my body. The others were pulling on their hybrid DNA as well, and we ran faster than I thought possible.

The gravel road came into view, and I watched Kenny clear it in a single leap. He was quickly followed by several of the others doing the same. I’d never tried leaping before, but driven by my need to find Adam, I gave it a try. To my surprise, I overshot the road and landed in a crouch on the other side.

I looked back at the road. That had to be twenty, maybe thirty feet across, and yet, it felt like no more than three feet. I could get used to this, I thought before springing up and into a sprint again.

As I ran, I discovered that I could do all sorts of things that I never could before. It seemed that my body knew what to do without me having to think about it. Clearing obstacles with a single leap, weaving through the darkened woods, anticipating the movements of the others around me, it was as simple as breathing.

And, it was exhilarating. It was freedom in a way I’d never experienced before. I felt stretched, enlarged somehow. Like the moment just after you jump off the diving board, when you’re sort of suspended in midair, weightless. Only, there was no falling to the water below.

The leopard part of me was thrilled to be hunting. My desire to protect Adam battled with my desire to destroy anyone responsible for harming him. I wasn’t sure which one would win, but I transferred every bit of those needs into helping me find him.

We arrived at the fence that surrounded the compound. Kenny had led us to the one place where the woods met the fence. As a result, we remained hidden as we surveyed the sight before us.

Lights were out all over, and the guards were gone. There was no noise or movement of any kind. Not even the wind was blowing. The darkness and unnatural stillness only added to the feeling of dread building within me. I didn’t need the leopard to tell me something wasn’t right.

Kneeling next to me, Kenny leaned over and whispered, “The quickest way in is through here.” He indicated the way before us with a wave of his hand.

It also provided no cover whatsoever. “We need cover,” I said, shaking my head no. I didn’t want to walk straight into an ambush.

“Follow me,” he said.

He ran parallel to the fence, then turned away from the compound and headed back into the woods. I frowned at his decision, but didn’t question him. I knew I could depend on Kenny.

He halted in front of a man whole cover attached to a slight raised piece of ground. I wondered who thought that wouldn’t be suspicious in the middle of the woods.

With Reynolds’s help, Kenny pried the cover loose and slipped inside. The members of his team quickly followed, leaving me and the Organization cadets standing there. I gave Reynolds an apologetic look then lowered myself into the hole.

It was a long drop to the floor, but my stomach didn’t produce those little butterflies like it normally would have. I landed gracefully, yet another surprise, and looked up at Kenny. He smiled knowingly at me and then turned and ran down the tunnel.

Catching up to Kenny, I asked, “What is this?”

“It used to be an escape tunnel for people like you.”

“You mean scientists?” I clarified.

“Yeah. A few years ago, me and some friends disguised it.” He shrugged at the look I gave him. “I thought I should have an escape route of my own, should I need it.”

I had to hand it to him. His instincts at self-preservation were impressive. “Where does it lead?”

“Everywhere. I figure the safest entry point is through the kitchen.”

The kitchen was how they referred to the cafeteria. Normally, it was always crowded. What teenager didn’t like to hang out around food? It would probably camouflage our smell for a while, too.

When we reached a vertical shaft, Kenny leapt straight up and grabbed ahold of a ladder attached to the wall. I didn’t hesitate to follow Kenny this time.

The ladder terminated into a narrow crawl space. It was lit with some sort of weird blue lights. I watched the shadow that was Kenny pop open a panel and crawl through. I followed him and exited into the actual kitchen of the cafeteria.

The kitchen was empty of the normal hub bub that usually filled it, which made it seem extra creepy. I went to stand in the doorway that faced the dining hall. My heart sank as I observed the tables and chairs strewn haphazardly around.

One by one, I heard the rest of our group emerge from the cabinet. After verifying that everyone was accounted for, we crossed the expanse of the hall. I made sure my shields were wide open, but I still couldn’t sense Adam. I also sought to see our bond as Adam had when he was looking for me, but I had no success there either.

Arriving at the exit doors, there was a brief discussion about where to go from here. That resulted in Kenny dispatching two of his group to case the upper floors. The rest of us moved on, crossing the grounds to the medical clinic.

Three quarters of the way there, the air became thick with the smell of blood.

“Doc,” Kenny warned.

“I smell it,” I growled. To my horror, I recognized one of the scents as Adam’s.

My fear lent strength to my legs. Kenny beat me into the lobby by mere seconds. I skidded to a stop next to him where I remained, momentarily frozen in shock. I wasn’t sure that I could have imagined anything worse.

At our feet were arms from two separate individuals. The bright pink nail polish on one of them looked out of place amidst the carnage. Various other body parts were randomly distributed around the lobby, leaving blood trails crossing each other like some kind of sick painting.

I took in the score marks left by claws on the furniture and walls and the medical supplies oddly scattered everywhere. But mostly, I saw the blood coating everything.

I closed my eyes against the scene, my mind almost refusing to accept what I saw. Fear threatened to overwhelm me, but as I heard the rest of the group filter in and around us, I forced the fear away.

Opening my eyes, I regarded the teenage hybrids’ faces. They looked like something etched in stone. This wasn’t the first time they’d been subjected to this.

Feelings of failure coursed through me as I left the lobby on the trail of the one scent I recognized. It led me down the hall where I identified pieces of one of the team members that had been with Adam. I only remembered him because I had thought his freckles looked like a mask around his eyes.

Pressing my hand against my mouth, as if that would keep the panic that was rising in me at bay, I stepped over the torso at my feet and moved on. Behind me, I heard the quick intake of breath as Smiley made the same identification that I had.

The end of the hallway was in sight when I recognized a second scent, Millsap. Anger replaced the fear, and I rounded the corner at a run. Kenny followed close behind me.

I refused to entertain thoughts of Adam torn asunder like what we’d previously encountered. He was not dead. He couldn’t be dead. I would know if he was dead.

We slid to a stop at the set of double doors that framed the end of this hallway. I looked at Kenny, and he pressed the button. The doors whooshed open and the scent of Adam hit me head on as it escaped the room.

I stood perfectly still as I waited for the assault on my senses to pass. After the initial wave, I noted that Millsap’s scent was stronger here, too.

In the flicker of the orange emergency lights, I could tell that it was some kind of operating room. I stepped cautiously into the room, stopping when I saw the large pool of blood on the floor. It seemed like way too much blood for any one person to lose and still be alive.

Kenny walked up and stood so close to me that our arms were touching. Neither one of us wanted to confirm our fears.

My heart was pounding so hard that I could hear it in my ears, but I forced myself forward. Kneeling, I ran my fingertips through the blood. I knew before I brought it to my nose that it was Adam’s.

I closed my eyes and let my knees sink to the floor. There was so much blood. Was it too much? Could he still be alive? Tears rolled down my cheeks and dropped to the floor.

I knew the others had come in and that everyone was watching me. But I couldn’t meet their eyes yet. Unwilling to look further than the pool in front of me, I remained crouched where I was, rubbing Adam’s blood between my fingers. I just needed a moment to think, to recover.

I began to focus on the other scents in the room. I thought I recognized Julia’s scent, but I called to Reynolds for confirmation.

“Reynolds, do you recognize anyone’s scent?”

His voice quavered when he spoke. “Adam’s.”

I nodded. “Anyone else?”

“And Mrs. Latke, I think, though it’s weaker.”

Kenny approached and placed his hand on my shoulder. “We’re going to continue the search.”

I nodded my understanding, and he left with his team.

I couldn’t stand not knowing any longer. I stood and searched the room for any other signs of Adam. There were none. The only thing left of Adam here was his blood. I couldn’t even find a trail where he or Millsap had exited the room. Every smell associated with them ended at the pool of blood.

Frustrated, I began to circle the spot. “They couldn’t have just disappeared,” I snarled. Putting my hands on my hips, I looked angrily at the ceiling. Duh, I thought, feeling like an idiot. If they didn’t go out, they had to go up.

I drug a chair over and stood in it. The scent did travel up. I jumped and pushed aside the ceiling tile. With the next jump, I gripped the edge and hauled myself up. Using my feet to straddle the opening, I grasped the flashlight that suddenly appeared.

“Thanks,” I told Reynolds as I turned it on.

As expected, the blood trail went up. Stowing the flashlight in a pocket, I wedged myself in and began to ascend. I definitely smelled Adam and Millsap, but not Julia. I hoped someone was going to be able to tell me what that meant.

The duct opened into the night air, and I climbed out onto the roof of the building. I traced their scents to a spot about twenty feet away. Then they disappeared.

“They must have had transport off the roof,” Reynolds said from behind me.

I concurred with his conclusion, but I didn’t remember hearing anything. I looked up into the night sky. Surely they wouldn’t have bothered to take Adam if he weren’t still alive. The blood was probably a result of injuries sustained from Adam fighting them.

Then there was Julia. Though her scent was faint, she had been here. I couldn’t tell how long before Adam or how her scent was only in the operating room.

I roared in frustration. Where were they taking him? Back to Tennessee? I didn’t think so. Julia wouldn’t be stupid enough to go back to headquarters, either.

I crossed my arms over my chest and began to pace the roof. I didn’t know where to go from here. I didn’t have any leads connecting me to Adam.

A slight breeze began to blow, and I caught a new scent. Reynolds’ head popped up when mine did.

“Do you smell it?” I asked him.

“Yeah, but I don’t recognize it.”

“Smells like…old paper?” I walked forward, tracking the scent.

“It smells like the Capitol,” Flash offered as he made it to the roof. “I used to work as an intern during the summers,” he shrugged when we looked questioningly at him.

Millsap, Julia, and someone from the Capitol? What was going on?

Having politicians involved did increase my belief that Adam was alive. They never did anything fast. But I still had nothing concrete to go on. It would look really suspicious if I went around sniffing everyone in DC. My only hope was reestablishing contact with Adam.

I stopped pacing and closed my eyes. Focusing on Adam, I searched for our bond. At first, there was nothing. Then, I began to think about Adam. Those green eyes that could be so intense and hard. And the tenderness he’d shown when I’d essentially lost it. The way he was with Granny, and that relentless eyebrow.

It was just a glimmer. It would shimmer into view, but disappear quickly when I reached for it. In desperation, I flung myself at it the next time it appeared. Similar to what Adam had described, the image of various cords woven together began to solidify. Everyone on the roof faded away as I latched onto that image.

I flowed over and through the cords, searching for him. I moved faster and faster until an iron curtain materialized. It dissected our bond and extended in every direction as far as I could see.

Gingerly, I pushed against the curtain. Nothing happened. I pushed harder and still, nothing happened. I leaned against it using everything I had. I dropped to my knees, and tears streamed down my face as I strained towards Adam.

In my mind, I backed up and ran at the curtain. It seemed like I could feel the imprint of the mesh against my skin from thrusting myself against it. I tried again and again, searching for any way through.

The mesh suddenly gave way. One phrase flashed through my mind.
Find Granny,
Adam said. Then the curtain dissolved, and my connection with Adam was back to nothingness.

Adam!
I cried. But he was already gone. I tried several more times, but they were all to no avail. I came back to myself, realizing that Kenny was shaking me by the shoulders.

“Someone’s coming,” he said. “We have to leave.”

I heard what he said, but a strange sort of fog had descended over me. “I have to find Granny,” I heard myself say.

“We have to leave, Doc,” Kenny urged.

The urgency in his voice helped me to focus on the here and now. I looked into their faces. They were all waiting on me to make the call. The leopard part of me knew inaction would be equated with weakness. Adam’s blood, the same blood staining my fingers, now ran through my veins, and Adam was not weak. Neither was I.

The fog melted away as I stood. In its place was the predatory certainty of what I was going to do. I would follow the lead Adam had given me. I would find Granny. Then, I’d find Adam. And come hell or high water, I was going to hunt down Millsap, Julia and whoever else was involved and once and for all, put an end to this.

Looking back into their waiting faces, I nodded as my decision resolved into determination. I wasn’t alone in that decision. Reflected in each of their faces was an equal desire for retribution.

“To find Granny,” Kenny gritted through sharp teeth.