Authors: Joanne Brothwell
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
KALAN KANE
Adriana, Marcus and I crept toward the massive concrete fence, coming at it from the side where there would likely be fewer people on guard. We took a metal pole out of the top of a chain-link fence from an adjacent industrial yard. It reached what looked to be about twelve feet, which was more than enough to get over.
We leaned it against the fence, and Marcus went first. When he reached the top, he leaned over and surveyed the grounds surrounding the lab and other outbuildings. He nodded to me and Adriana.
I gestured for Adriana to go next so I could help her up. She scaled the pole with more difficulty but my hands provided a base to push from, and she managed to pull herself up and reach Marcus at the top. He helped her onto the ledge and held her forearm to lower her down to the ground. When she disappeared from my view, Marcus gestured for me to follow.
I was up and over in a flash. Marcus lowered the pole to the other side, and then jumped down. We crouched on the grass beside the retaining wall.
“While we were waiting, I looked up a few things about this building,” I said. “This side of Eros is built to meet certain environmental standards. It’s more spread out than the other buildings, with more nooks and crannies to use solar panels and for rainwater capture.” I pointed to the roof. “Grass is growing on the roof to insulate and keep the heat regulated, but it should also muffle our footsteps. And I’m guessing they don’t have motion sensors up there because the grass is always moving, blowing in the wind.”
“So we’ll go up to the roof to get in?” Adriana asked.
“Yes,” I said. “The fans on the top of the building are compact, but the exit ducts on the side are wider because they expel the airflow from the interior. Those exit ducts have vent panels. I’m certain we could easily pop them off.”
Marcus’s dark gaze raked the building. “And once in, how are we going to know where to get the embryos? And how are we going to keep the guards from taking us into custody?”
“That’s your job,” I said to Marcus. “Use the element of surprise. What the hell’s the advantage of mind control if you don’t use it in times like this?”
Marcus smiled. “Right.”
I rose from my crouched position and grasped the steel pole. “Follow me.”
I set the pace, Adriana and Marcus on either side of me. I half-carried, half-dragged the steel pole with one end tucked under my arm, the other end scoring the ground behind me. I was hit with a strange feeling. Like someone was right around the corner. I came to an immediate stop and held my hand up for Adriana and Marcus to freeze.
My gut instinct was correct. About two yards away, a guard came into view. I hit the ground and Adriana and Marcus did as well. Thankfully, a water fountain obscured the guard’s line of vision and he didn’t see us.
Was this intuition? Something deep inside told me something was wrong. This was at least the second time a deep-seated sense that
something is about to happen
proved correct. I continued on, this time heeding my instincts. I slowed every time I felt it, using the outbuildings to hide, or crouching alongside ornamental trees until they were gone.
We approached one side of the building, and as far as I could tell, there were no guards around. The grey concrete edifice was surrounded by hedges and a sidewalk. Inching closer alongside an outbuilding, I glanced around and closed my eyes to tune into my inner mind. No one was around. I was sure of it.
“We’ll climb to the top of the building first, and then we’ll pry off that vent there.” I pointed to an enormous outer vent only a couple of feet below the roof. Marcus and Adriana nodded in agreement. I hoisted the pole against the side of the building. Marcus held it steady at the top while Adriana kept it stable at the bottom.
This time we had to climb the pole all the way to the top. Marcus went first, his muscles and tendons flexing as he climbed, his shoes tight against the pole at the bottom to thrust him upward. Once Marcus was within two feet of the roof, Adriana shimmied up the pole after him. I helped push her up until she was high above my head, and Marcus grabbed hold of her arm and heaved her onto the roof.
A few moments later, I joined them on the grassy surface.
“Hold my ankles while I lean over and pull that vent lid off,” I said. I lay down on my belly, spread out, and with Marcus and Adriana holding my ankles, I grasped the metal pole. I hung over the edge, held on only by the weight of my lower half and their hold on my legs. I managed to grab a side of the metal vent cover where a bolt had come loose. I yanked using brute force, and tore it free. “Okay. I got it.”
They dragged me backward until I was once again secure on the roof. I sucked in some ragged breaths, my head pounding from the exertion and the pressure of hanging upside down for so long.
Adriana grasped my hand. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I squeezed her hand and glanced down to survey the grounds below, checking for any signs of trouble. Nothing looked out of place. “All right. Time to crawl.”
I wriggled into the ductwork on my elbows and knees. Marcus led, Adriana following behind. At six-foot-two, I felt claustrophobic as hell. Judging by the smell of sweat in the small, contained space, it was likely Adriana and Marcus felt the same way.
For what felt like twenty minutes we wormed our through the ventilation system, the ever-changing airflow adding yet another dimension of annoyance to the process. When the flow increased, my bangs tickled my forehead and poked my eyes, and when it stopped, I dripped sweat. Never in a million years did I think I would dominate the decision-making and planning without so much as a peep from Marcus. Prior to this, Marcus had always run the show, made the decisions, from which hotel to stay at to what route we should take driving. Now I was in charge.
I ran into Adriana’s foot when the heel of her shoe swiped my cheek. We came to an abrupt stop.
“I’m at the opening,” Marcus whispered. His voice reverberated inside the tin. “There’s a hallway, with a guard below. I’ll get him under control. Give me a minute.”
A moment later, Marcus removed the vent cover. We crawled out into the hallway from above. The armed guard stared straight ahead, unmoving, as if he wasn’t even aware of anyone else’s presence. Marcus went first, then Adriana, then me. I led us through the room. At the door that turned into the main hall, I stopped and closed my eyes. Then I glanced out into the hallway, and gestured for them to follow.
We entered a sterile, white-on-white hallway and picked up speed. Somehow, I knew where I was going. I’d long ago given up the concept of being able to comprehend the things that were happening when it came to my ever-expanding mutant abilities. It didn’t make sense. Coming to that realization made everything easier.
I came to an abrupt stop, held up my hand in a halt command and peeked around the corner of the hallway.
There were three guards around the bend. Mind to mind, I said,
Three of them,
and held up three fingers. Marcus and Adriana both responded,
Okay
, and a moment later, footsteps rang out, the sound growing smaller, as the person got further away from us.
Marcus grinned that cocky, arrogant smile, white teeth flashing. “Mind control,” he whispered. “So much fun.”
We took off into a lab with state-of-the-art scientific equipment and gadgets I couldn’t possibly identify. I strode directly to the far end of the room toward two closed steel doors. Beside the doors was a nameplate that read, “The Eve Project.” Marcus and Adriana were right behind me.
Beyond the steel doors was a refrigerator with five tanks, each one with its own spin-off lid. I opened the first one, and vapour emerged from the top. I reached in and pulled out a cylindrical container and opened it. Six beakers were arranged in a concentric circle inside. I held one up and looked at the fluid. An image flashed through my mind, of children, dark-haired, light-haired, male and female. Was this my imagination?
Jesus, what if it isn’t?
Stop it
.
Adriana brought a box over, took out one of the cylinders and placed it in the box. I followed suit, and soon, all six cylinders were inside. Without refrigeration, the embryos wouldn’t last long, but I knew Adriana wouldn’t have it any other way.
The steel doors slammed behind us with a thunderous bang. My eardrums compressed as the interior of the small space filled with enormous pressure. We were plunged into complete blackness
Adriana gasped, “No,”
The cooling system immediately kicked in the moment the door shut. I felt my way to the door, searching for an interior handle.
Adriana’s voice was breathless behind me. “Is this a refrigerator or a freezer?”
Marcus answered her. “Freezer.”
She cursed under her breath.
I continued to feel along the edge of the door in search of a handle. There was none. I shivered as the temperature dropped several degrees. “There’s no handle.”
“Fuck.” Marcus further accentuated his reaction with what sounded like kicking the wall.
Adriana wrapped her arms around my waist. Wild shudders wracked her frame. “It’s so cold in here. My fingertips are already numb.”
Marcus scraped his way to the door. “Now what? We probably have less than an hour before we hit a hypothermic state.”
“I don’t know… I need to think.” My body broke out in an icy sweat as my thoughts spun. Answers evaded me.
I tightened my hold on Adriana to keep her warm, but it didn’t help. Within seconds, the temperature dropped several more degrees and now her body quaked from uncontrollable shivers. The tip of my nose tingled and my toes ached.
Marcus kicked the door and a series of knocks responded from outside. Someone was out there.
“Can’t you use mind control on them?” I asked.
Marcus’s voice was so close to my face I could feel my brother’s hot breath on my cheeks. “Obviously not. I have to be in the same room as the person before I can turn them into puppets.”
My fists curled and I ground my teeth together.
I really hate you, brother
. I took a deep breath. There was no point in lashing out at Marcus. Doing so would be useless. Instead, I focused on trying to think of a solution. With each passing moment I grew more aware of my bodily discomfort, and less able to concentrate on finding an answer.
Adriana let go of me and slid down to the ground at my side, her icy hand slipping from my grasp. I sat down beside her and put my arm around her. She was so much smaller than me. It was obvious she was far less able to tolerate the cold than me and Marcus. Shivers ran up and down my spine, up my scalp. My feet were no longer numb. Now they were burning. Panic clawed and shredded my nerves.
Think!
I pressed my thumb and forefinger against the bridge of my nose and concentrated on imagining the cooling system of the refrigeration structure. In my minds’ eye I saw the coolants boiling on the inside, the pressure building and expanding until they exploded from the heat.
At that moment, the refrigeration door popped open.
A tiny slash of light was visible along the side of the door, and then the door opened wide and Marcus charged out. Three guards flew back from the impact of the door. Marcus focused his intention on them with a menacing glare.
Adriana’s lips were blue, and she had dark purple rings below her eyes, her skin blanched white. She blinked at the brightness and then pushed herself off the floor and accepted my hand. I pulled her to standing. We jumped over the pile of guards and ran toward the lab door when the alarm sounded.
Marcus and I ran out, not nearly as affected by the cold as Adriana, who stumbled on her feet. I swept her up into my arms and continued to run at top speed, Marcus and I neck-in-neck. We left the box behind.
I skidded around a corner. Shouts emanated from the other end of the long hall. “Distract them,” I yelled to Marcus.
Marcus did as he was told, and I watched in amazement as he stealthily moved toward where the voices originated. Yelling broke out, followed by the sound of footsteps and orders shouted by frantic voices.
Adriana and I went toward the ruckus. When I saw Marcus reach the final turn before the lobby, I whistled to attract his attention. He turned around, his eyebrows knit together.
“They have the weapon out and are ready for you,” I said. Not something I saw with my eyes, but something I was absolutely certain of, nonetheless.
Immediately Marcus’s expression changed, his eyes flashing. He turned back and pressed himself flush against the wall. Then he leapt out and disappeared from view. I raced after him and rounded the corner in time to see one guard down, Marcus’s hands around his neck. A sudden movement caught my eye.
I glanced over. My temple met the tip of a handgun.
Shots rang out and I dropped to my knees. The compression sent a red-hot spike of pain through my ears and my heart momentarily stuttered. Time slowed down, like an old movie reel, sounds overlapping and meshing together. Someone yelled my name. The guard who held the gun to my head made a strange squeak and hit the ground. He clutched his right leg as blood pooled beneath him, his face set in a grimace. I grabbed his gun and stuck it in the waistband of my pants.
Marcus yelled out and twisted the other guard’s neck with his bare hands. The man went limp and his body buckled. His knees hit the floor first, followed by his torso. Marcus pulled the weapon from the guard’s gun belt and handed it to Adriana.
“Let’s blow this place up,” Adriana said, her voice calm. She set the box with the embryos down.
I gaped at her. She’d been so adamant. “But what about all of these people? What about the embryos?”
She pointed to the lab right near the front entrance. “Come on.” She went in and, without hesitating, turned on a Bunsen burner and snuffed the flame out. She grabbed a latex glove from a box on top of the counter, tied it to the burner, and secured it around the base with another glove as a tie. It slowly began to fill. I watched in amazement as she went to a different burner and turned it on full blast, the flame reaching about a foot into the air.