Rough Edges (18 page)

J
ordyn was so nervous she puked three times before she was able to leave her quarters. The shift change was almost over, and her window was closing quickly.

She hurried along the halls as fast as she dared, knowing every camera she passed was recording her movements. She couldn't give anyone who might be watching any indication that she was about to free Mother's prisoner.

It was hard not to break into a dead run. Only the sure knowledge that the motion would be seen held her in check.

She entered Gage's cell as she had before, with a key card attached to an employee that didn't exist. As compartmentalized as things were down here, it would take security weeks to realize that the person was a fake.

Gage lay in his bed, unmoving. For a second, she worried that the sleeping gas Mother used had filled the space. She'd already pulled in a breath, so if the room was drugged, she'd be sprawled on the floor in seconds.

“I'm awake,” he said, dispelling her fears.

Relief dragged at her weary limbs. She hadn't been sleeping well. She was exhausted all the time. Her nerves were getting the best of her, causing her to throw up nearly everything she ate. If this went on much longer, she wasn't going to be strong enough to escape Mother's clutches, much less help Gage to do the same.

She stepped in and shut the door silently. “I cut the camera to your cell. They can't see us for the next three minutes. It's time to go.”

He sat up, tossing the blanket aside. He was fully clothed, shoes on, as if he'd been expecting her arrival.

A surge of suspicion swept through her. She gripped the spare lab coat she carried hard enough to wrinkle it. “Did someone tell you I was coming?”

“No.” He crossed the space toward her, all smooth strength and flowing muscle.

Jordyn stepped to the side, out of his reach. “How did you know?”

“I didn't. I hoped.” He tilted his head to the side, studying her. “You look sick.”

She straightened her spine in an effort to hide her weakness. “I'm fine. Are you ready?”

He nodded. “The plan?”

“I've cleared us a timed path through the halls. We have to walk at exactly the right pace so that each camera deactivates as we enter the zone and reactivates as we pass. No hurrying. No running. Act like you're supposed to be there.” She handed him the lab coat. “Can you do that?”

“Yes.”

She checked her watch. “Two minutes left before it's time to leave the room.”

“You're nervous,” he said.

“Aren't you?”

His faded blue eyes twinkled with excitement. “Been caged too long.”

“I couldn't get you a weapon. I'm sorry. It would have drawn too much attention.”

He reached for her, his wide hand moving slowly as if to avoid scaring her. He plucked the pen holding up her hair in a bun. “This will work.”

Her hair slid over her shoulders and down her back. “You're going to use a pen as a weapon?”

“If necessary.”

“Let's hope it's not necessary. Most of the people down here are innocent. Many of them are here against their will. I'd prefer it if you wouldn't hurt anyone.”

“No promises.”

She understood. She really did. The people down here would kill him if he didn't defend himself, but that didn't mean the thought of violence didn't upset her.

Her stomach churned dangerously, and she had to swallow hard several times to keep from throwing up again.

Gage pressed his hand to her forehead. “No fever.”

“I'm not sick. I just know what will happen if we're caught. I promise, if you'd been to the White Room, you'd be a little queasy right now, too.”

His fingers cupped her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

His touch eased some of her anxiety and calmed her down. She took a few deep breaths, feeling better after each one. She was steady and centered now, but his hand remained in place, connecting them.

“We're heading to the elevators,” she said, “then to the surface. Once we get there, go right. I've acquired keys to one of the employee's vehicles.”

“Acquired?”

“Stole. From the employee locker room.”

His eyebrows lifted.

“Don't judge. I know it's wrong. But after the last car I stole, Mother had devices fitted in all the vehicles to stop the engine if they're stolen. This was the best I could do.”

“Not judging. Impressed. You're resourceful.”

“I'm determined. I will make it out this time. And when I do, I'm going to help take Mother's operation down for good.”

He glanced at her watch. “Ready?”

She nodded and started to leave, but he pulled her back from the door.

“I go first. Catch any stray bullets.”

She would have thought he was joking, but there was no hint of humor in his eyes. His game face was firmly in place as he opened the door and led the way out.

Jordyn gave him quiet directions as they went. A couple of times her nerves got the best of her and she started to hurry. Gage grabbed her hand each time, slowing her pace to match his own.

They had just reached the elevators when one of the guards came around the corner and saw them.

“No one is authorized to leave this floor at this time of night. What are you doing?” he asked.

“We were headed up to the lab to check on some test results. Mother is waiting for our report.”

The guard frowned as he studied Gage. “I don't know you.”

“He's new,” she said. “Just started this week.”

“No one is scheduled to start until we move. I need to call this in and check his status.” He held his hand out to Gage. “Badge?”

“I lost it,” he said, his tone embarrassed and apologetic.

“I was planning to help him get a new one in the morning,” said Jordyn.

The guard wasn't buying their story. He reached for his radio.

Gage was faster. He kicked the radio from the man's belt and spun around to land a second blow square in the center of his chest.

The guard let out a whoosh of air and flew back down the hall, sliding on his ass. He was shaken, but not so rattled that he didn't have the presence of mind to pull his weapon.

Gage grabbed Jordyn just as the gun went off, covering her with his body as he flung them around the corner.

He shoved her low to the ground and gave her a hard look. “Stay.” Then he took off.

She had no idea where he was going, but that pen was in his fist and a look of pure killing intent was on his face. He flew down the hallway toward the armed guard.

The guard fired again. A second later, she heard a heavy grunt of pain. A quick glance around the corner showed her that the guard's hand was bleeding. Pieces of gunmetal littered the hallway. The remains of the pen still protruded from the barrel.

Gage had the guard by the neck, strangling him from behind. After a few seconds, he went limp as he passed out.

The elevator doors slid open with a cheerful chime.

“Get in!” she shouted. “Before they lock us down.”

Only a few seconds had passed since the gun went off, but it was merely a matter of time before one of the guards reported the noise to the main office and they shut down the entire facility.

Gage sprinted for the elevator doors. Jordyn stepped inside and pushed the button to lift them to the ground floor.

He held the guard's radio in his hand. It let out a burst of static before a voice was clear. “Shots fired. Security breach. Initiating lockdown procedures.”

Jordyn pushed the ground-floor button over and over, silently willing the car to move faster. The last thing they needed was to be stuck in here, trapped and waiting for Mother to find them.

No way could she explain what she was doing in here with Gage in the middle of the night. There were no plausible explanations that wouldn't land both of them in the White Room by morning.

Her whole body broke out in a cold sweat. The need to puke surged in the back of her throat.

“Easy,” said Gage, his tone a low, crooning sound. “Almost there.” His wide hand slid down her spine, over and over, giving her the reassurance of physical touch.

“There is always at least one guard topside. I cut the security feed to the elevators, but they might still know we're coming.”

He took her by the shoulders and pressed her back into the corner. “I go first. You're too pretty for holes.”

“I don't want you blown full of holes, either.”

He shot her a cocky smile. “I got this.”

The elevator doors opened. He poked his head around for a quick look. The guard stationed there opened fire.

G
age used his bulk to cover Jordyn, pressing her hard into the elevator car wall. When the bullets stopped, he stuck out his hand, drawing another round of fire. He did it twice more, using different body parts each time.

She wasn't sure what he was waiting on, or what his strategy was until she realized that the walls were shiny. He could see the single guard drawing closer—almost within arm's reach.

The second the guard got close, Gage ducked under his aim and charged. He barreled into the guard's gut, taking control of the weapon in one hand as he went.

The elevator doors started to close. Jordyn shoved them back open and slipped out. As she ran toward their getaway vehicle, she saw the fight from the corner of her eye. Gage was taking a beating to his ribs as the guard tried to pummel him off. What he didn't realize was that he was being backed up into a wall with Gage serving as a human battering ram.

She didn't take the time to watch more. Instead she jumped in the car she'd stolen and tore out of the parking spot toward Gage. By the time she reached him, the guard was on the ground, unmoving.

Gage slid in the passenger side, holding his ribs.

“You're hurt,” she said.

“It's nothing. Drive.”

She did. She sped away from the only life she'd ever known. There weren't many signs that there was a large facility below ground. Just a tiny building big enough to house the elevators and a guard shack. There weren't even many cars here—not like there used to be when Mother had kept a full contingent of researchers on board. She'd pared way down for the big move, killing most of them so they couldn't talk.

Jordyn preferred to pretend that her friends were still alive, even though she knew it was a lie.

As the building became a speck in her rearview mirror, she knew she'd never again step foot underground. That was her old life. She had no idea what her new one would look like, but whatever its shape, it had to be better than what she'd always known.

At least she hoped so.

“What's the plan?” asked Gage.

She glanced at him. He was sweating and pale. Whatever had happened to him back there, he was still in pain. “Plan? We're out. What else matters?”

“I need to contact my people. Fast.”

Jordyn hadn't thought that far ahead. “I don't have a phone. We'll have to find one, but the nearest town is over an hour away.” After her last incident with making contact with locals, Mother had made sure that there were no locals around to offer help, support or protection.

It was dark out here. There were no streetlights or signs of inhabitants. It struck her just how alone she was with a man she barely knew.

“We'll stop first chance. Change vehicles.”

“You mean steal another one?”

He shrugged. The motion made him wince. “Desperate times.”

“How bad is it?” she asked. “Did you get shot?”

“A little.”

“How is any gunshot wound little?”

“I'm still walking.”

Her stomach swooped and spiraled at the thought of his pain. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Keep driving toward a phone.”

She kept looking out her rearview mirror, worried that Mother's goons would be on her tail. So far, so good.

Jordyn was so worried about what was behind them that she didn't see what was headed toward them until it was too late.

A truck cleared the top of the hill, barreling toward them, headlights off.

“Look out!” shouted Gage as he grabbed for the steering wheel.

Jordyn tried to turn the car out of harm's way. Gage did, too. There was simply no time to correct their course.

The truck slammed into them head-on and the whole world went dark.

V
ictor wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried that he'd forced Bella to let him tag along with her to Payton's secret holding facility. His presence hadn't been part of the plan, but when he'd insisted and reminded her that she might need backup to get out of that place, she'd been more than willing to let him escort her.

He hadn't seen anything before landing—both he and Bella had been blindfolded for the trip. After nearly an hour in the air—likely with some creative flying to mask the location—it was hard to tell where they were in the world.

The chopper landed. They were escorted into a building before their blindfolds were removed. The place was large, windowless. The metal and concrete walls rose up over twenty feet in the air. There were overhead doors large enough for any vehicle allowed on the highways and a few that weren't. Several armed guards stood alert, watching them.

Bella shook her head as the blindfold came off. Her dark hair was a mess from the trip, but she was still so damn beautiful it made his stomach ache to think he'd never have her again.

Don't go there. Not now.

With an effort of will, he redirected his attention away from her to his surroundings.

A single desk stood in a small room on the other side of a glass door. Behind the desk was Payton, suit pressed, hair perfect, looking for all the world as if he didn't have a single worry or care.

“He's waiting for you,” said the young man who removed their blindfolds. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five, but there was something about his eyes that made him seem much, much older. Victor had seen that look before.

The kid had been through hell at least twice. Maybe more.

He escorted them to the door and pressed a button. A light turned green and the glass shivered a little as the lock was released.

Bella walked through first. Victor followed, feeling naked without his weapons. They'd all been removed before he'd climbed on the chopper. He was capable in unarmed combat, but all the men here were armed, skewing the odds a bit too much for his peace of mind.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked Payton the second the door closed.

“You think I'd let you have run of the place without my supervision?”

“I don't need a babysitter. I'm only going to ask a few questions.”

“And I'm only going to be present when you do.” His gaze flicked to Victor. “We didn't agree he could come along.”

“And I didn't agree to letting you witness my interrogation,” Bella said.

“It's not happening any other way. Deal with it or leave empty-handed.”

She let out a low growl of frustration. “Where is he?”

“In the infirmary. He's was awake for a while, but refused to answer any of our questions.”

“How persuasive were you?” Victor asked.

“Apparently not persuasive enough,” Bella said.

Payton stood from his chair and buttoned his suit. “I won't let you hurt the man. The things he's done are not his fault.”

“I know that,” Bella said. “I also know that a lot of other people are going to get hurt if he doesn't talk.”

“Do you think I don't realize the risk?” asked Payton.

“Either lead me to him or step out of the way.”

Victor wasn't sure how much longer this tension could go on without erupting. “Why don't I escort Bella to the man's room, and you can wait outside. I won't let her do anything to hurt him. I swear it.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don't need you babysitting me, either. I have enough self-control to perform one simple interrogation without resorting to violence.”

Payton let out an ugly bark of laughter. “Not likely. And the way you've been acting lately . . . let's just say that the last person I'd put this man alone in a room with is you.”

Her hand strayed to where she usually kept her weapon. If she hadn't already been stripped of it, she would have pulled it on Payton.

Victor stepped between them. “Can we get this show on the road?”

Payton gave a sharp nod, then turned and walked out through another door. His back was straight, his movements stiff as he led the way through a series of halls. There were guards posted at several doorways, acutely alert and ready for action.

No way were they getting out of this place unless Payton allowed it.

Victor memorized their path, hoping that there would be no need for him to fight his way free. While he and Bella were a formidable team, they were unarmed, and these men were the good guys. Hurting them had to be a last resort, done only if Payton tried to imprison them, and then only if all the other options were completely exhausted.

Payton stopped in front of a locked door flanked by two guards. Victor didn't recognize the uniforms they wore here, but their bearing was military, through and through. He'd bet his fortune that Norwood had supplied this place with only the best, because if even one of the people held here escaped, there was no end to the harm they could do. Stynger had made sure of that.

At Payton's nod, one of the guards unlocked the infirmary door and let them pass. Inside was another hall lined with small rooms. Each door was wide enough for wheelchair access. At the end of the hall was a door labeled
SURGERY
. In the center of the hall was a room larger than the rest, with reinforced glass windows. Inside were several desks where he presumed the medical staff worked. No one was inside, but there were more armed guards posted along the hallway.

“He's in here,” Payton said, pointing to room number three. He motioned to the nearest guard—a wiry man with dark skin and the kind of casual bearing that told Victor he had nothing to prove to anyone; he was a badass. “Please open the room.”

The guard considered them both with careful scrutiny before he complied.

Payton held out his hand for Bella to lead the way. She did.

Victor was right on her heels, well within reach of whatever danger might come flying her way. Sure, she could take care of herself in a fight, but that didn't mean he was going to let it come to that. Sex may not have changed anything for her, but it did for him. Maybe it was his upbringing or some deeply buried set of caveman instincts, but whatever it was, he couldn't just sit back and let a woman walk into danger when he'd had his cock buried in her only hours earlier.

He used the excuse of parting a privacy curtain to get between her and the man inside. The scrape of metal curtain rings was loud in the small space.

There were no windows. A dim light glowed over a locked cabinet and sink. Other than that and a few lighted pieces of medical equipment, the room was dark.

A man lay on his side on the bed. The back of his head was covered with a thick pad of gauze to cover the incision they'd made to remove Stynger's device. Most of the men who'd undergone the procedure had died. The lucky few who lived were still controlled by whatever remnants of Stynger's brainwashing remained, but at least the poison housed in the device could no longer kill them.

Bella stepped closer, reaching out her hand to shake the man awake.

Victor grabbed her wrist. “He's already awake, waiting for you to get close.”

The man's cheek lifted in a grin and he rolled onto his back. “I almost had her.”

Bella's expression changed from one of sympathy to a cold, hard mask. “You should thank him for stopping me. Trying to catch me off guard wouldn't have ended well for you.”

Payton stepped up behind them. “This is Aaron,” he said, as if making introductions at some charity gala. “Aaron, these two have some questions for you. It would be in your best interests to answer them.” He looked at Victor. “I'll be right outside the door if you need me.”

Payton left.

Aaron looked to be in his late twenties, with a heavy, muscular build and a body covered in thick black hair. His head had been recently shaved, leaving only the shadow of stubble beneath his olive skin. Dark brown eyes stayed fixed on Bella, completely ignoring Victor. A metal handcuff kept one of Aaron's wrists chained to the bed. He patted the mattress beside him with his free hand. “Have a seat, sugar.”

“No, thanks, pumpkin,” she replied. “I'll stand.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself, but it's been a long time since I've seen a woman as pretty as you. I could show you a really good time.”

Bella's body went fluid, moving with sinuous sex appeal. She leaned down close enough for Aaron to feel the warmth of her breath against his temple as she spoke. “Honey, with that hole in the back of your skull, your brains would come shooting out if I got my hands on you. We wouldn't want that now, would we?”

He reached for her in a move so fast there was no way he was still suffering from the effects of anesthesia. His fingers closed around her wrist in a brutal grip. In a move just as fast, she slammed the heel of her other hand into his nose, breaking it with a snap.

Aaron instantly let go, covering his nose while he gurgled in pain.

Bella grabbed a few paper towels from the sink and tossed them at him. “Clean up. You're leaking blood and tears everywhere.”

He held the paper to his nose and gave her a look that promised revenge.

“Now that I have your attention,” she said, “let's start with a few simple questions. Where is Dr. Stynger?”

Aaron stared straight ahead, silent.

“Don't know that one? Gage Dallas seemed to think you'd know. And that you'd rat her out.”

“That asshole doesn't know a damn thing. He was kept in isolation.”

Victor was impressed at the clever way she got him to answer. He'd always known she was smart, but interrogations were a fine art, and he'd always seen her as more of a force of nature than an artist.

There was a flicker of excitement in Bella's eyes before she covered it. At least now they knew that Gage was alive the last time this man saw him. And that he was a prisoner. That alone was more information than they'd found in the weeks since he'd gone missing.

“Not anymore,” she said. “He's ours now. Just like you are.”

“I won't be here long,” Aaron said.

“No?” she asked. “Why's that?”

“Because she'll come for me. I'm too important for her to not take me with her.”

“She's not taking you anywhere. We found out all about her plan. She's on the run now, and there's no way in hell she's worried about a peon like you.”

“I'm no fucking peon. I'm one of her generals. She needs me.”

“For what? Cleaning toilets? She has other men far more skilled than you,
general
.”

“You're wrong. I've been specially selected. She told me so herself.”

“To do what?” asked Bella, disbelief hanging on every word.

“I'm in charge of upkeep at the new facility.”

Victor chimed in. “It's just like you thought. Upkeep is a fancy name for cleaning toilets.”

Aaron's face turned red. “Her new facility won't run without me. She knows that. And when she comes here to rescue me, every one of you is going to be mowed down like weeds.”

Bella ignored him and turned to Victor. “There's no way she's going to the new facility now. Everything will fall apart without General Plunger here. If we kill him, her whole operation will fail.”

Aaron wadded the bloody paper towels in his fist. “You're not going to kill me. That's not the way you people work. I know the rules. You'll hold me here until I die of old age or until I'm rescued, whichever comes first.”

Bella crossed her arms over her chest. “That's for people the world knows exist. You, pumpkin, are a ghost. No one knows where you are. I could strangle you with my bare hands and no one would ever know or care. We'll incinerate your body and throw the ashes out with the rest of the trash.”

“You won't,” he said, but his tone screamed that he no longer believed his original stance quite so deeply.

She shrugged. “We might. We
have
kept a few helpful resources alive here. The stubborn ones end up in the landfill, but you could get lucky. You might know enough for us to keep you alive for a while.”

He shook his head. “Interrogation techniques. You're lying.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. The question is, do you want to risk finding out which it is?”

Aaron stared at the wall, looking past her. “I'll take my chances. Stynger is far more dangerous than you could ever hope to be. My money's on her.”

“We're done here,” Victor said, taking Bella's arm. “Either he doesn't know enough to be useful, or he does and he won't tell us. Either way this is a waste of time. We have others to question.”

She played along, following his lead. “If you think of anything you want to tell us, let the guards know. We'll be here for another hour. After that, you're on your own.”

They left the room to find Payton waiting in the hall. “What he said confirms my suspicions. Stynger is getting ready to make a move—one that will put her out of our reach.”

“You heard?” Bella asked.

“Of course,” Payton said. “You think I'd let you go in there without monitoring what was going on? You should know better.”

She let out a sound of frustration worthy of any enraged teenage girl. “I can't believe you were spying on us.”

“I can't believe you'd think I wouldn't.”

Before this got out of hand, Victor stepped between them. “We give Aaron a few minutes to digest what we said, then we go in and try again.”

“It won't work,” Payton said. “Believe me, I've tried. You can't force these men to say a word. The best you can do is trick them into saying something they don't realize is important, just like you did.”

“Is his implant removed?” Victor asked.

“It is.”