Avenged (Altered #2)(16)

One more thing to add to Luke’s guilt pile.

“That’s because they’re afraid, my boy. They’re afraid of what we could do.” The older man stood. “And they should be.”

Parker pushed away from the desk and headed for the door. Luke watched him go.

He didn’t like the sound of that.

It might be time he and Parker Sinclair parted ways.





Chapter Five


Nick kept watch.

Sitting on his cot, he stared at the cave ceiling, listening to Kitty breathe in the cot next to him. She was asleep—he’d heard her soft snoring earlier—so he could feel free to berate himself without her listening in.

He knew she wasn’t going to like the idea of going to the military and should have come up with a better way to prepare her. But what else could he have done to get her out? Martins offered the only way.

He gritted his teeth. She had to know he wouldn’t have gone to this trouble to get her away from here only to put her in more danger. Didn’t she? After everything he’d done to help, she still didn’t trust him?

He’d hoped he’d grow on her. He did that to his other friends, he knew. He could be overbearing, arrogant even. He couldn’t help it, really. It was in his nature to lead. He was the oldest of six children in an Italian family, for God’s sake. He’d had to take charge, had to be opinionated.

He didn’t let others lead when he knew he could do a better job. Once, when he first joined up, he’d been forced to follow some tool of an officer who’d made stupid fool choices. People had died. After that he decided he’d never be less than the best, and he’d never hesitate to speak when something could be done better. So far, he hadn’t met any true resistance or been called out on insubordination.

Knock on wood.

He knew that could be annoying. He only hoped that when they got out, Kitty would see he had good intentions, that he only wanted the best for her. He’d give her time. Let her get used to him.

He didn’t think too hard about why he wanted her to get used to him.

He tucked his arm behind his head and shifted, trying to get comfortable. But the faint sound of helicopter rotors had him checking his watch.

Only 5:05. Martins told him they’d be there at 5:45, closer to dawn.

The sound grew louder. He sat up, threw the blanket off, and slipped his feet into his boots. Leaning over, he shook Kitty awake. “A helicopter. They’re early.”

She jerked to her feet, and her eyes were as wide as coins in the faint lantern light. She wasn’t fully awake, but even half asleep, she was afraid. “It’s okay. It’s the helicopter. They’re early.” When she looked at his hand on her arm, he dropped it. In the awkwardness that followed, he glanced down. “There are the extra shoes.” He pointed to the corner. “There’s a small backpack. Can you carry that out? The rest of this stuff is disposable.”

She nodded, slipping her feet into the too-big boots, and clopped over to get the backpack. But as she slung it on her shoulder, her brows dropped.

“Martins, you said?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t sound like—” Then she turned frightened eyes to him. If she’d seemed afraid when he woke her, this was a new level of terror. “It’s not Martins, Nick. It’s Goldstone. They’re coming.”

“How?” It didn’t make sense. This was miles from Goldstone’s facility, in dense woods. It wasn’t even on their property. He’d been careful.

“They have someone. Someone like Seth.” Her hand shook as she covered her mouth. “The soldiers. They changed the soldiers.” Her eyes bounced around the cave, as if she was unable to focus in her fear.

Shit. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a group text to Seth and Martins. Goldstone found us. Soldiers have been drugged and changed. “How many, Kit?”

“At least five.”

Christ. At least five, he added to his text and hit send.

Then he turned to Kitty. “Run. As fast as you can.”

She didn’t wait. She tore out of the cave, and he followed behind her.

As soon as he hit the opening, he knew they wouldn’t escape.

There were already men on the ground. He made out their shadowed forms in the dying moonlight. Kitty was ahead of him, running toward the creek. Smart girl. If she got ahead of them, she could use the water to disguise her footprints.

But she wouldn’t get ahead of them. Because someone was running behind her, like he’d seen Seth and Jack run, so fast that she would never outrun him.

Changed.

Three other soldiers closed in on him, one at each of the compass points. He didn’t even bother to run. But maybe he could keep them busy.

It wasn’t in his nature to give up. So he set his feet in a wide stance, and he pulled out his knife.

Come and get me, assholes.

…

Kitty heard the soldier as he caught her.

His thoughts were cocky. Look at her run. Like a rabbit. She could see herself from his perspective, running and slipping on the wet rocks.

When he moved to grab her, it was easy to dodge. She’d seen his intention a moment before he’d moved. She rolled and swung out with her leg, tripping him. It surprised him. His head filled with curses as he fell.

He was only down for a moment, though. She didn’t run again. The drug had changed him, like it had changed Seth and Jack, making him faster, stronger. With that power from the drug, he had the physical advantage. But they were alone. If she could beat him, maybe she could go again. The other soldiers were still rappelling or dealing with Nick. To them, Nick posed the bigger threat.