The Change (Unbounded) (32 page)

Now it was my turn to grip his arms. “If I don’t do something to stop the Emporium, a lot of Unbounded are going to die tonight, including at least one of my friends—Stella. She’s supposed to be in New York today. I have to warn her somehow.”

His hands dropped to his sides. “I haven’t heard anything about an attack.”

“Remember Cort talking about a meeting with Halden? Well, he found out what they were negotiating—an identification program that will be able to track Unbounded. He didn’t know where the meeting would be, but he’s given them a location of a Renegade safe house. Delia’s sure to get the location of the meeting with Halden from one of the Renegades there—and right after, she’s going to slaughter everyone.”

Was I trusting Keene too much? I didn’t know. At this moment he was all I had. The idea of all those people dying made me desperate. Especially Stella, who’d been so kind to me.

“Cort usually keeps me in the loop.” Keene shook his head in disbelief, as repulsed at the idea as I was. “This isn’t like him.”

“Well, it’s happening. All those people will die and once the Emporium has the technology to track anyone anywhere, there’ll be no going back. You see that, don’t you? I need your help.”

He considered me for a moment. “There’s a back exit. I can take you there, get you out. Maybe you can find a way to warn them.”

“I need to take my brother and his kids, and Laurence, too. I can’t leave them for Delia or Stefan to use.”

“There’s no time.”

I hissed sharply, “We’ll make time.” A sharp pain flared in my mind and was gone.

He recoiled as if I’d slapped him, uttering an expression of astonishment. “What was that? I
felt
that. In my mind.”

What was he saying? Then I understood, and my anger melted away. I felt unsteady on my feet. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

He was looking at me with something else in his eyes now, something that made me uneasy. “No wonder Delia is interested in you. This changes everything. Stefan will never let you go once he knows.”

“Look, I don’t want to get you in trouble. I just need a way out—with the others. Chris could fly us, if there’s a helicopter.”

“Stefan and Justine took it out an hour ago.”

“An hour ago? Could they have taken it to New York?”

His eyes grew wide. “They did take a team and were heading for the airport. They didn’t tell me why.”

“Then it’s begun.”

Our gazes met and held. “Meet me by the front desk,” he said. “On the main level where we came in. In exactly thirty minutes I’ll make sure the way is clear.”

“What about the door to the apartment?”

He took something unidentifiable from his pocket. “It’s a glove. It has my prints.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded and kissed me again, long and slow. Warmth slithered through my body.

“What was that for?” I asked. The emotion coming from him now wasn’t the same as before, and it confused me. It spoke more of friendship than of desire of a man for a woman.

“That was goodbye.”

“You could come with us.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t belong.”

“Where do you belong?”

“I don’t know.” He started the elevator again.

Thoughts raced through me, but there was nothing I could say that would help him.

We were quiet until we reached the door to the apartment where Chris and Laurence waited. “Thirty minutes,” Keene reminded me.

“What time do you have now?”

He showed me his watch and I nodded. “You should keep your mind guarded,” he said. “Or she’ll be able to find you once she realizes something’s wrong. At least until we’re away from the building.”

I pulled my mental barriers back into place, berating myself for my laxity. A few pleasant kisses and I forgot everything. What kind of Unbounded was I?

I went into the apartment where my brother greeted me, relief etched on his face. “Thank God, you’re back,” he said, casting his gaze briefly heavenward. I wondered what he’d say if I told him Delia considered the Unbounded gods. “I’ve been so worried.”

“I’m fine,” I assured him. “But I need your watch.”

He gave it to me without explanation. I checked the time to make sure it was the same as Keene’s before strapping it around my own wrist, cinching the leather band as tightly as I could. It was still large on me but wouldn’t fall off.

Laurence and the children had come from the other room. Kathy’s eyes looked red and I wondered if Chris had told her about her mother, or if she’d finally began to understand that we weren’t on an impromptu vacation. There wasn’t time to worry about it now.

“Well?” Laurence asked.

“We have thirty minutes,” I said. “And then we’re getting out of here.”

T
HIRTY MINUTES AFTER
K
EENE LEFT
me, I put on the glove and used it to open the door. “We’ll take the stairs,” I said. “It’ll be quieter that way.”

“Are you sure this is wise?” Laurence whispered, his meaty hand coming to rest on my arm. “They might let us go eventually.”

I placed my hand over his and lowered my voice. “Laurence, the only way they’ll let you and me out of here is in three pieces. Besides, I’m not going to stand by and watch these kids be used by the Emporium.”

He nodded and removed his hand.

“What about the cameras?” Chris asked. “They have plenty of them.”

“We have to hope that Keene’s distraction has taken care of whoever’s watching, or maybe the equipment. I don’t know what he has planned.”

Only my nephew, Spencer, seemed to be enjoying himself as we hurried down the hall in search of the stairs. As Keene had promised, there were no guards near the elevators.

“Here,” Chris hissed. He opened the door to the stairs, and we hurried inside.

Only one flight up and we were on the ground floor where the receptionists had greeted us earlier. “The ladies at the desk aren’t there,” Chris said, opening the door an inch. “But the guards still are.”

“Give him a few more minutes.” I peeked through the doorway and saw Keene talking to the guards, gesturing with his hands. After the space of several more heartbeats, they entered the elevator and disappeared. “Let’s go,” I said to the others.

Keene smiled when he saw us. “Right on time. Come this way.” We were halfway down a corridor when we heard shouting behind us.

The guards were back, and they didn’t look happy.

Keene swore and pulled out his gun. “They must have checked their orders with the radio on the way up. Hurry. Follow me!”

Everyone ran. Down the hallway, through a large room, and out again to another hallway. Keene rounded a corner, and I heard a whizzing from ahead that sounded like a shot from a silenced gun. I hurried faster to make sure he was okay—only to trip over a fallen man in my path. A pop sounded in my ankle, sending sharp pains up my leg.

“Aunt Erin!” shouted Kathy as I fell. Blood seeped from under the body, and she forgot me, staring in fascination. Spencer let out a sob.

“Keep running!” On my knees, I pushed her past the sprawled figure. She grabbed Spencer’s hand and pulled him down the hallway toward Keene.

Chris had bent to help me rise, but I slapped his hands away. “Go on. Take care of the kids. They aren’t safe here. I’ll be all right in a moment.” I gave him a confident smile I was far from feeling.

He stared at me, and then nodded once and ran after the children. I knew how much it cost him because I’d felt the same way leaving an unconscious Jace. But the children had to come first. There was no one else to save them.

Laurence yanked me to my feet, but my ankle gave out again as I stumbled after the others. “Run,” I told Laurence. “Help Chris and the kids get out. They won’t kill me.” We shared a glance that said more than words, both understanding that there were far worse things than dying. Nodding, he lumbered on, surprisingly quick for his massive bulk.

Stupid,
I thought. To come so close, only to fail. Already the pain in my swelling foot was lessening, but I could hear the guards approaching the turn in the hallway, and there was no way my ankle was going to hold up so soon. I could, however, buy Keene and the others more time. I leaned casually against the wall and waited, absorbing as rapidly as I could to help myself heal.

The guards did a double take as they rounded the corner, stumbling over the body as I had, though without such disastrous results. One guard was Unbounded, the other mortal, though he looked young so it was possible he hadn’t yet Changed. The Unbounded pointed his gun at me, while the mortal bent down to feel the pulse of the fallen man. “Alive,” he said under his breath.

I wasn’t sure whether to be glad Keene wasn’t a cold-blooded killer or depressed that the unconscious mortal would live to fight again.

“I couldn’t catch them,” I said with false brightness. “I tried. They had that big Renegade with them. They went in there.” I pointed to a door down the hallway. I had no idea how well-informed the Emporium guards were about my position here, but the bluff was worth a try.

“You stay with her,” the Unbounded barked at the mortal as he started down the hall. The misdirection wouldn’t buy much time unless the door I’d indicated led to a hallway or a suite with possible hiding places, and that meant I had to get rid of the mortal. Unfortunately, he probably had more training than I did.

“I tripped over him,” I said, indicating the sprawled man. “I hurt my ankle.” I tested it, moaning softly, though I thought it might now hold my weight.

“You going to be okay?” the guard asked.

“In a while. Maybe you can help me back to my rooms, or at least to the front desk.”

He holstered his gun and approached me cautiously. I tried another ginger step and this time let my leg collapse as though the pain was too much to bear. As I started to fall, he reached for me. I straightened suddenly and slammed my elbow down on his neck. He fell.

Even Ritter would have been proud.

I started down the hallway after Chris and the others. I hoped at some point they’d be able to wait for me.

Wishful thinking.

The Unbounded guard emerged from the room where I’d sent him, his gun ready. Confusion lit his face as I lunged toward him. The gun went off, the shot going wide. We struggled for the weapon, but he was stronger. Slowly, he brought the barrel to my stomach. I tensed for the pain I knew was coming.

A single silenced shot. But no pain.

The guard crumpled. Arms came around me—familiar arms.

I turned. Ritter stood there, looking angry and disheveled. My eyes fell greedily over his dark hair, his unshaven face, the black clothes that I knew hid more weapons than I’d ever begin to know what to do with.

For a moment I leaned against him, not wanting to appear weak, but craving more than anything the comfort of his solid presence. His arms tightened around my body, holding me to the wide expanse of his chest. I felt safe for the first time in days.

More than safe. Other emotions came through every bit as strong. Not his feelings this time, but my own, because my mental barriers were tight and impenetrable—in case Delia was searching for me.

Not good. I couldn’t fall for Ritter. Better the mortal Keene or Tom or anyone else. At least their hearts might be whole enough to be capable of real love. Ritter survived only to exact revenge.

I drew away and turned toward him. “I knew you couldn’t pass up this party.”

His eyes roamed my face, his expression fierce. “Can’t let the new people have all the fun.” An aura of danger emanated from him, in the hard lines of his chest and shoulders, the defined muscles of his legs. Or maybe it was in the fire in his eyes, that unending thirst for revenge. Even though I knew he was on my side, everything warned me to run.

He started down the hall and I followed as fast as I could, only limping slightly. “There’s something you should know. Cort’s a spy. He told them everything—about the technology from John Halden, the address of a safe house in New York, and probably more. He’s been working for the Emporium all along.”

“Impossible.”

“Why do you think I’m here? His brother was waiting for us at his house.”

“Cort’s loyal to the Renegades. He’s trying to knock out their systems now.”

I gaped, my horror complete. “You brought Cort?”

“He’s the one who tracked you here. Stella’s in New York and Dimitri’s still with your father.”

My father? I’d become so accustomed to everyone here talking about Stefan as my father that it took me a moment to understand what he meant. “How is he?”

“Dimitri says if he leaves him, he’ll die.”

Blood rushed from my face, leaving me momentarily lightheaded. “If my father’s dying, why would it matter if Dimitri stays with him?”

Ritter stopped moving, his eyes meeting mine. “I can’t explain it any more than I can explain what Ava does. It’s part of his ability. Still, in the end it may not matter. He may be able to keep your father alive, but he can’t make him another heart. Come on, we’ve got to get you out of here. Cort’s waiting.”

“He’s not waiting!” I gritted. “He’s the reason I’m in this mess. If he’s here, he’s plotting against us. Cort’s father runs this place.”