Avenged (Altered #2)(31)

She shrugged, but the guy in front of her, the one who was changed, didn’t like being labeled. He cast a glance at his colleague, his jaw tight.

Behind her, she could hear Nick and Kenny murmuring, though she kept focus on the guards in front of her, in case they got suspicious and she needed to twist their thoughts. They were hissing back and forth. She hoped Nick hurried. She had no idea how long she could distract these two.

…

“The drug. It’s the best shot.”

Nick’s pulse thundered in his ears. Even as he mentally flinched from the idea, he knew Kenny was right. Unchanged, he was a liability, one more prisoner to get to safety. If he was like them, he could be of more help. He nodded.

Kenny slipped the vial of Solvimine into Nick’s pocket. “That’s enough for you.”

“Thanks, man.” Maybe thanks weren’t appropriate. After all, this was Solvimine. The drug killed almost as many as it had changed.

“If you live, you’ll be sick tonight and tomorrow morning. Take it now, and I’ll make sure I’m the one to get your laundry in two days. We’ll leave then. There aren’t cameras or microphones here so no one should notice.” He gathered the remaining sheets on the floor.

“Roger.” Nick slipped his hand in his pocket, unstoppered the vial with a flick of his thumb, and he brought it to his mouth. He tossed the contents back without hesitation.

It was tart and bitter. He wrinkled his nose as he slid the vial back into Kenny’s pocket.

It was done.

“Hope you live, man.”

Nick snorted. Leave it to an Army Ranger to joke about something like this.

He hadn’t been able to think of any alternative. Lord knew he’d tried. There was no other escape from this room. At least, no escape that would work. Kenny told him they were in the middle of a courtyard with no easy getaway. He’d been over it and over it, turning over in his mind everything he knew, thinking through the possibilities. He had no chance against the other changed soldiers. There had been two casualties from the first phase of Fields’s Solvimine soldier testing. With Kenny and Brian as allies, that still left eight hostile guards. Even if he could get out and meet up with Kenny and Brian, the chances of failure were too high.

He could see Kenny’s thought process. If Nick was changed, that would be eight against three, or four, if he counted Kitty. Those were better odds. Not good, but better.

The one bright spot was that administration of Solvimine had been halted after the two deaths. He’d learned that while Fields had interrogated him. Not that the mortality rate bothered Dr. Fields, but it had spooked Goldstone’s higher-ups and also the soldiers, especially the ones slated for the next phase of testing. Kenny said there had been some managerial changes, but he hadn’t elaborated.

What he did know was that Fields had grudgingly agreed to do additional screening on the next batch of subjects, to account for factors that might put them at higher risk of death.

That delay would give Nick time to get changed himself. There were already enough damn drug-enhanced guards around. They would never be able to manage to escape ten more.

Beside him, Kenny stood. Their gazes held for a moment, and then Kenny nodded, as if he’d found what he needed on Nick’s face. “Good luck. Be prepared to leave in two days.”

Nick nodded back and followed him to the door.

The two guards at the door looked pissed. Kitty’s mouth had thinned to a straight line. What the hell was going on?

Kenny passed through the door first and the other two filed out behind him. As the door closed, Nick heard the two other guards arguing in low voices as they walked down the hall.

“What’d you say to them?” Nick asked.

“Nothing.” Kitty shrugged. “More importantly, what did Kenny say?”

As he studied her, he remembered the feel of her against him, the taste of her mouth. He wanted more, to take her into his arms again. Most of all, he wanted that away from this godforsaken compound, somewhere he could find out if there might really be something between them besides dire circumstances and too-close proximity. The urgency of the moment pressed on him.

He wondered what to say. What could he say? He probably only had a few minutes before he started to get sick.

The importance of the next minutes hit him.

He might not live through the next day.

“I need to tell you that I’m sorry.” He held her icy blue gaze.

She scowled at him. “I told you not to apologize for that.”

“I’m not sorry I kissed you.” He laughed, the idea was so preposterous. “God, that’s the last thing I’m sorry about.”

Her brow dropped. “What are you talking about, then?”

“I’m sorry for the next day or so. Whatever happens”—he took her hands—“I need you to know that this was all I could think of to get us out. Please don’t be angry.” He shook his head. “No. You can be angry. That’s not right. You can be mad, but I needed to try.”

“What are you…?” Understanding dawned. “Oh no. You took it. He gave you Solvimine.”

He had no idea if she’d heard that in his head or if she’d put it together on her own. He didn’t take the time to find out. “There was nothing else.”

Fear registered on her features first, followed closely by outrage. She threw herself at him, her fists beating against his chest. “You arrogant, stupid idiot.”