Courage (Mark of Nexus) (31 page)

I lifted a steel support beam, and the wall braced on the other end groaned. “Can anyone hear me?”

I’d asked the question fifty times in the past half hour and had only gotten four replies.
Four.
Time was running out, and now that first responders were starting to get involved, I had to be careful.
But…

My stomach clenched.
Even with machines, this would take them forever.

When no one spoke up, I pried the beam out from under the wall and threw it off to the side—causing the earth to shudder on impact. Yes, it was risky, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Bodies littered the rubble, some even floated in what was left of the pool water. Despite the fact that rescue attempts were being made at the east end, the place was damn near silent. That wasn’t a good sign.

Flashes of Aiden assaulted my mind as I wiped another layer of bloodied dust onto my pants and hiked back into the wreckage. I hated myself for leaving Rena alone with his body. I could tell from the pain seeping through our bond that she realized what had happened—that I hadn’t been able to find a pulse on him—but how could I justify going back now?

Until the responders got to this side of the Rec, I
had
to keep checking. If I left, I’d be giving up what little humanity I—

Thump.

I froze.

Thump, thump.

The noise sounded hollow, like something banging into metal. “Hello?”

Thump.

I cocked my head to the side and carefully followed the sound. “I hear you. I’m coming.”

Thump, thump.

My gaze locked onto a crumpled duct, crushed beneath a bench press, and I jumped over what was left of a railing. “I’m here, I’m here!”

I jerked the equipment off before sliding my fingers over the duct’s metallic edge. There had to be a way to get this thing open. How did someone even get in there to begin with?

A muffled plea came from inside, but I couldn’t make it out. Whoever it was, they were working themselves into a panic. I had to act fast.

“Don’t freak, okay? I’m going to come in the far side.”

More muffled words.

I scanned the area to make sure no one was around, paced about seven feet down the shaft, and slammed my fist through the sheet metal. A jagged edge caught the side of my wrist and dragged up my forearm, but I barely felt it through the adrenaline. “Still with me?”

“Yes…”

“Good.” The metal screeched as I made an opening big enough for a person to get through. “Think you can climb out?”

“No.” A pause. “I-I’m hurt.”

Shit.
I bit the inside of my cheek and grabbed the edge. This would warrant some explanation afterward, but I’d have to cross that bridge when I came to it. “Okay, lie as flat as you can get. I’m going to pull this off.”

“Wallace?”

My hands froze, blood trailing down my arms. “Who’s there?”

Silence.

I made quick work of the duct, releasing my frustrations as I ripped the metal sheets back. It was dark—darker than any human could see through—but two realizations struck me at that moment. One, Gail Fraiser lay before me, glasses broken and her cheeks streaked with tears. And two…a bone jutted out of her leg.

She hissed as she struggled to reach for the sides. “Not so anxious to help me now, are you?”

No.
But I couldn’t leave her. Enemy or not, I’d vowed to get every living being out of this side while I still could. And besides, it brought a few more pieces of the puzzle together. Gail had been crawling through the ductwork because The Rec was their second release point. The storm must’ve gotten out of control and hit here by mistake. That meant Cole had gotten through to Jackie.

I crouched down, ignoring the pain in my ankle, and blew out a sigh. “So, you want a paramedic or…?”

“I’ll”—she shifted and winced—”make you a deal.”

Were deals their knee-jerk response to everything?
No love on that side of the family.

“I don’t want your deal. You’re hurt. I’m here. Just tell me what to do.” It was bad enough I had to waste time while she over-complicated matters. Two more seconds of this, and I’d knock her out.
Carefully.

Her brows knit.

“Come on, Gail,” I urged, finally starting to feel the fiery ribbons that seeped down my arms. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Fine.” She gritted her teeth. “Just get me…to them.”

Faye and Maverick? That’ll take some hunting.
“You really think I should move you like this?”

“You…have to.”

“I
have
to?” I was about to school her on the severity of her situation, when her eyes rolled back in her head. Unconscious.
Great.

“I have to check the rest of this side first,” I said, more to myself than anyone, as I stood. It wasn’t that I expected a miracle, but I’d be damned if I let ERA derail the search effort, too. They’d interfered enough tonight.

I picked my way through the debris and yelled until my voice was raw—but no one answered. Frustration stung my eyes, and I kicked the last standing pillar over. “Damn it!”

It smashed a couple of strewn treadmills and sent a tremor through the ground. Someone yelled in the distance, and a flashlight whipped in my direction, so I bolted. With no time to waste, I made my way back to Gail and slipped my hands beneath her body.

“Time to go,” I muttered, as I hoisted her mangled form into my arms and made for the grass. Even now, with her blood coating my hands, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d all been trapped in someone else’s dream. Nothing felt real—nothing connected. Our friends and classmates weren’t going to end up on a list of casualties. They’d wake up any minute now.
I
would wake up any minute now…

I just had to keep moving.

Rena’s emotions pulsed in a silent feed between us, shifting from despair to guarded hope within a matter of minutes. The closer I got, the more I was able to discern her from the chaos around me, but her feelings didn’t make sense. Gabby had gotten to her, and they were both kneeling at Aiden’s side…nervous.

“What happened?” I asked.

“He’s breathing,” Gabby announced with her back to me, not bothering to turn around. “I think this head trauma might’ve put him in a coma.”

A coma? I thought he was—

“Is that Gail?” Rena’s voice interrupted my thoughts as she pushed herself to her feet. “Baby, did you…?”

“Kill her? No, I found her in the wreckage.” I laid my so-called cousin’s body next to Aiden’s. “The Rec must’ve been the second release point. She got trapped in a mangled air duct.”

That turned Gabby’s head. “Wait.
That’s
Gail?”

Rena nodded, straight-faced, as her best friend scrambled back.

“And you saved her?” She rose and hiked her skirt down, clutching her stomach. “Isn’t she the enemy? You should’ve left the
pinche puta
there to die.”

“Then we’d be no better than they are,” I answered, sounding a hell of a lot more stable than I felt. Even though part of me agreed with her, I knew firsthand the poison vengeance left behind. There was no way I could let myself go back there.

“You’re right.” Rena blew out a breath and ran her hands back through her blown curls. Her gaze darted between Aiden and Gail a few times, and she shook her head. “Cole went to find Faye. I know it’s risky, but since we can’t take Aiden to a doctor, we’re hoping she can reverse the damage.”

“You think she’ll do it?” I asked.

Her lips pressed together in a line I recognized from our last run-in with Faye—an expression that epitomized the calm before the storm. “I think it’d be in her best interest.”

No arguments there.

“Change of plans,” Cole called out from the lot behind us, dragging Corynn by the hand. “Our Nullari friend snapped and stabbed ol’ one-eye in the chest, so I couldn’t ask about the smoke. We kinda adopted the G-T-F-O strategy and ran.”

I jerked my head toward Corynn. “You stabbed Faye?”

Her dark eyes shone in the light. “She used me, Wallace. She was going to
keep
using me. I thought it was over, but she threatened to burn my—”

Cole cut her off. “We get it. She’s evil. If I cancelled out her voodoo smoke, I’d take the opportunity to stab her, too. Repeatedly.”

“It won’t take her long to recover,” I said, rubbing my neck.
One more thing to contend with.
“You should probably get out of here.”

Corynn pulled back as if I’d hit her. “I don’t have anywhere to go. I’m staying at the clinic.”

“So, go home.”

No one said anything, though shouts and machines sounded behind us. Thank God we were out of the way. The last thing we needed was for someone to overhear this conversation.

“He’s right,” Rena finally spoke up, clearing her throat. “You could beat her to Cleveland, get your stuff, and then head to the airport.”

Corynn shook her head. “I had a hand in this mess, and I’m not going to leave you guys here to fight alone. Faye isn’t the endgame. I can’t leave until we find a way to stop ERA once and for all.”

“What a pity,” a familiar voice called from the darkness behind me. “And here I was, prepared to offer you a parting gift.”

“Faye,” I acknowledged, barely restraining my anger. “It’s not like you to eavesdrop.”

“And it’s not like you to conspire.” She made her way down the bank, clutching her phone with one hand and steadying herself on Maverick with the other “Or is it? Perhaps I was mistaken.”

The woman moved with a nobility she didn’t deserve. Chin lifted, face portraying no emotion. It was as if she’d stepped out of a castle to grace the commoners with her presence—not that she’d interrupted what could’ve easily been misconstrued as a coup.

“I knew it!” Maverick yelled, shoving between us to get to Gail. “What the hell did you do to her?”

“Saved her from the wreckage,” Wallace spat, his voice low and on edge. “Have any idea why she would be trapped in an air duct?”

“No…” Maverick dropped to his knees, not noticing Gabby a few feet behind him. “She…she would’ve heard it coming.”

“Ever been in one of those shafts?” Corynn asked him. “Not so easy to navigate.”

“She’s smarter than you,” he insisted. “There’s no way you got out and she didn’t.”

Faye broke through the circle and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s all right. I’ll take care of it.”

“A-Aiden got hurt during the storm, too…” My voice cracked, and I tightened my fists. Flashes of him, crazed and desperate, clawed the edge of my mind, filling me with adrenaline. “Could you…?”

Wallace reached over and took my hand. Both of our palms were stiff with blood, but his engulfed mine with warmth. I needed him for this.

Maverick stood up and toed Aiden’s body with his boot. “You sure he’s not already dead?”

Faye sighed and bunched her pants to crouch down. She turned his head to the side, assessing the wound with hard eyes. “A strong blow like this would’ve engaged the implant’s sensor and shut him down. Not to worry, though. He appears salvageable.”

Salvageable? Implant? Henry didn’t say anything about…

I turned to Wallace, and he shook his head. He hadn’t known, either.

“We haven’t had the best history with these experiments,” Faye went on, wiping the blood from her hands, “so we took measures to protect our investment, this time around. When Aiden’s body can’t fully absorb damage, the sensor acts as a kill switch—forcing his body into a comatose-like state while it recovers.”

“So, he’ll wake up?” Wallace asked. “When?”

Faye straightened with a shrug. “A couple of weeks, maybe. He might not wake up at all. It depends.”

“On what?”

“Me, mostly.” She crossed her arms. “As Rena suggested, I could use my ability to buy us some time—to reverse a small amount of that damage—but I’ve already exerted
so much
energy tonight. I believe you heard about the assault…”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Enough with the bullshit, Faye. What do you want?”

“You.” The answer came without hesitation. She’d been looking for leverage the past month, and she’d finally found it. I shouldn’t have been surprised. “Though, from the looks of things, you’re already taken.”

Wallace didn’t flinch. “You wanna fight me for her?”

For a woman whose granddaughter lay broken and bleeding a few feet away, she didn’t seem to be in any hurry. A slow smile stretched her lips. “No, but I expect an invitation to the wedding.”

Gabby choked on something. Air, probably. I made a quick slashing gesture at my neck, and she nodded. The discussion would have to wait.

“Once upon a time,” Wallace began, snatching Faye’s collar with one hand. “I was a patient man. I stayed quiet, kept to myself, and yet somehow, you’ve killed that. So, I suggest you get to the point. Now.”

Her smile didn’t wane. “Are you sure you’re not
my
grandson?”

“Quit stalling.” He jerked her toward him, and she stumbled. “You think, if we wait long enough, he’ll die on his own, right? Hell, you’re probably hoping the same thing happens to Gail. I’ve felt your dissension more than once. But guess what? I’m giving two minutes to produce a miracle, or you’re going back to ERA in a box.”

He wasn’t lying, either. Intent rolled off of him like heat on pavement.

“My, my, what would Clara say?” She pried at his hand, but he didn’t budge. “Oh, fine. In exchange for the boy’s life, I want your—what? Girlfriend? Fiancée?”

“Why?”

“I need a boost, in case recruitment events go poorly with the other Dynari. Is that such a crime?”

His jaw tightened, and he bit the inside of his cheek. The way he always did when he weighed something. “Everything you do is a crime. Gail can’t manipulate them into joining your movement?”

“Not long term. Some may need…persuasion.”

“So, you intend on ruling with fear,” he retorted, and I had to do a double take. The guy who had angled himself between Faye and me wasn’t the Wallace I knew. He didn’t swallow or back down at her protests, even though it meant prolonged contact. He stood there, cool and collected, as if he’d grown up overnight without me. This man…would be my husband.

I stared.

“I intend on
leading
society into an evolved way of thinking.” Faye lifted her shoulders. “But I could go on and on about that. Who’s wasting time now?”

His nostrils flared, betraying a fraction of his frustration. “What’ll happen to Aiden after you reverse the damage?”

“Naturally, we’ll need to keep up the guise of his death.” She gestured dismissively at the chaos around us. “Fabricate some burnt remains, leave them near where that pole caught fire—it won’t be much trouble, really. Afterward, he’ll return with us to headquarters, where we’ll monitor his condition.”

“What about his family?” Corynn spoke up, reminding me we still had a captive audience. “They’ll be heartbroken for no reason.”

Faye didn’t try to turn around. “Regardless of what happens, the same boy won’t ever return to them. That’s done. The most
merciful
thing we can do at this point is grant them closure.” She paused and added in a softer voice, “Believe me.”

No one had a comeback for that, but I couldn’t stand the silence. Aiden needed help
now
. It was time to settle things.

“All right, here’s what’s on the table.” I gestured around us, including everyone in the conversation. “Because these run-ins have to stop. No one else is going to pay the price for our differences, understand? I’ll join ERA, and I’ll use my abilities to assist your deranged cause, but it’s going to be on
my
terms.”

She regarded me carefully for a moment. “Go on.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay, first, nothing happens to anyone I care about ever again. I’m talking these guys, their families—anyone. You touch a hair on their heads, and we’re done.”

“Reasonable,” she admitted.

“Right.” I pressed my lips together. “The second condition is that you send a check to Aiden’s family for his…his final expenses. All of them. I want the whole thing covered.”

“That can be arranged.”

“Third,” I went on. “Wherever I go, Wallace comes with. Nonnegotiable. I’m an independent contractor, and he is my bodyguard.”

“I can see that.” She tried to laugh, but I cut her off.

“Fourth, and this is an important one, no one else dies from this virus.”

She recoiled. “Don’t you think that’s a little out of my hands?”

Valid,
my brain tried to tell me, but I didn’t care. “So, stop releasing it places. Don’t you have enough people now?”

“Test subjects aren’t our only priority,
dear
. So, no, I can’t make that guarantee. Any other demands? Because I’ve come up with a few of my own.”

I swallowed and shook my head.

“In addition to being on call for our recruitment endeavors,” she began, “you will continue your monthly appointments and come in once a week for training modules. After all, you’ll be of little use to me unless you hone that ability.”

Which means I can learn to keep Wallace safe…

A second slipped by before she added, “Oh, and your little crackpot team must agree to not interfere with my work.”

Cole made a noise that sounded half-snort, half-grunt, but he didn’t say anything.

“Fine,” I said, matching her stance. “As long as you’re the one who trains me. I don’t trust your halfwit lackeys not to screw with me.”

“Very well.”

Sirens screamed in the distance, and I willed myself to keep standing.

“Then it’s settled.” I touched Wallace’s arm, and he released her. “And as someone who doesn’t officially work for you, Faye, I have one suggestion.”

“What’s that, dear?” she asked, leaning in with a raised brow.

“Heal these two, and then get the hell off my campus.”