Forsaken Duty (Red Team #9)(27)

Addy felt miserable. Avoiding him all these years had been like avoiding the sun. She began and ended with him, from her first memory to now. Life without him had been terrifying. She wondered what things might have been like if she’d reached out to him right away. Or as soon as she could have. She still remembered his old cell phone number. There were times, torturous, dark seconds, when she’d chanted those digits to herself.

“Cecil knew about you,” she said, almost choking on the whispered words.

Owen’s whole body tightened like a fist. “I didn’t know about him until recently. The girlfriend of one of my team members was bred to be an initiate. He probably oversaw her ceremony. He ran everything in the tunnels.”

Addy was horrified. “Have you lost her in the system? They disappear, you know, the initiates.”

“We got her out before the ceremony was completed. We killed a major participant.” He watched her closely as he said this next bit of news. “The man was called a War Bringer. His job was her initiation. He’s dead, too.”

Addy gripped her throat. The War Bringer was dead. “Did you get Cecil?”

“No. He slipped away before we could.”



Owen didn’t tell her Edwards was responsible for his bruises—that would only scare her. “How long do I have with you?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“The doctors must have given you some prognosis.”

“The doctors have no idea what’s happening to me.”

“Is it months? Weeks? Years?” Her answer mattered—it would decide whether he should stay here and be with her, or if he had time to go find her son. That, at least, should be his priority. She should get to see Augie again before she died. If he could give her only that, it would be the most important thing he’d ever done.

“Owen, we’re all dying. As soon as we’re born, we begin dying.”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”

“I don’t have an answer for you. I don’t believe the doctors. I refuse to believe them.”

“Even if it’s only minutes, Laidy, I’ll take it. Tell me what they told you.”

“They said my immune system was attacking my organs, that at best I had six months. That was five months ago.”

The air left Owen’s lungs in a rush. “How do you feel? Better or worse, now than then?”

“I’m often tired. But things are happening to me that I don’t understand, things that I haven’t mentioned to my brother.”

“Like what?”

“Like how fast I heal. If I can heal a cut that fast, then how can my body be attacking itself? Or my hair. They said the chemo would make it so that it was months growing back. It’s only been weeks. And my vision…it’s changing.”

“How so?”

“I can see in the dark. Not colors, of course. But if there’s any ambient light at all, I can see quite clearly.”

“Do you remember when it started? What triggered it?”

They’d reached her brother’s hidden armory, which Owen opened. “It started about six months ago,” she said. “I don’t know what happened. I can’t think of anything unusual. I wasn’t sick. I didn’t get any shots of any sort. I don’t even remember having visitors around then, so it wasn’t something I caught from anyone.” She looked at him. “I don’t think I’m contagious. Wendell hasn’t gotten sick like this.”

“And Troy isn’t feeling any symptoms?”

“No. Nor are any of the staff. It’s just me. I don’t have cancer, but they don’t know what I do have.”

Cancer had been his biggest fear for her. “Addy, we feel certain the Omnis are working on a biological weapon of some sort. They have no morals about who they test things on. Is it possible you’re one of their test subjects?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember anything unusual. I was stung by a bee, but that’s not a big deal for me. I’m not allergic to them.”

“Did you see the bee?”

“Briefly, before I swatted it away.”

“And it looked like a regular bee?”

“Yeah. I had a bump for a little bit.” She frowned at him. “How could that have done this to me?”

“Did you tell the doctors who examined you about the sting?”

“No.”

They walked out of the armory and Owen locked it back up. “Would you consider leaving here, coming back with me to my team? We could run some more tests on you.”

“I don’t think so, Owen. I need to talk to Jax first. And I can’t leave before getting Augie back.”

While that wasn’t an immediate no, Owen didn’t like the fact that she hid behind Jax. He didn’t tell her the doubts he was having about which side her brother was on—or that he might be playing both sides. No point tainting their relationship until he had proof.

They’d made progress today. He felt he was beginning to connect with her. It was a start.





10





Three Years Ago

Saddle Notch Ridge, Wyoming



Bonnie set the breakfast tray on the table by the window. She pulled the heavy damask drapes open. “You’ve been in your room for a week. The doctor said you should get up and about soon. Why not come over here and have breakfast?”