Folsom (End of Men, #1)(21)

“You take pills to…” Gwen’s voice cuts through my thoughts. She’s been so quiet I’d almost forgotten she was here.

“Yes,” I say.

“With me…?” She’s standing stiffly in front of my bed, and I get the feeling we’re in a showdown.

“With everyone,” I tell her.

She’s pressing her lips together so firmly it looks like she wants to be sick.

“Of course,” she says, finally. “Of course.” She looks over her shoulder then quickly back at me. “They’re bringing you dinner. I’ll be back to check on you in a while. There’s also something I need to talk to you about—” She’s cut off when the door opens and a nurse wheels in a cart. It looks like she wants to say more, but she clears out of the nurse’s way, wringing her hands near the door before she calls out “Later” and darts out of the room.

Later that evening I hear a commotion in the hallway outside my door. There is the crash of metal hitting the ground and then the door bursts open, followed by the booming of a familiar voice.

“Folsom, you son of a bitch. I’m out there working my ass off and you’re lying around on vacation.” Jackal strides into the room, his imposing presence immediately making me sit up in bed. A smile breaks over his face when he sees me and I think he’s going to hug me when Gwen charges into the room behind him.

“Don’t you dare!” she says.

He turns around suddenly, looking half-shocked and half-amused by the commanding tone in her voice.

“Tiny woman!” he says. “Are you this man’s bodyguard?”

Gwen looks around the room like she can’t tell if this is really happening. I smile from where I’m watching them and wait to see what she’ll do.

“He’s just had a massive heart attack…” She takes a step toward him and Jackal backs up. “If you stress him out, touch him, or upset him in any way I will throw you out of here myself.”

“Noted,” he says, this time more subdued. When she leaves the room, he turns to face me, an evil grin on his face.

“You fucked that one, didn’t you?”

“Why are you here?” I ask.

Jackal, used to my bluntness, takes a seat in the chair beside my bed. He makes a face like he can’t believe I’m asking that.

“Foley, you almost died.” Jackal runs a hand across the stubble on his face, suddenly looking very tired. He must have jumped on the jet right away when he heard.

“You’re my best friend,” he says. “Why wouldn’t I be here?”

I raise my eyebrows. He’s never used the words best friend before. When you are an End Man, you learn to not put labels on things. You will never have a girlfriend, or a wife, or be around somewhere long enough to make friends.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I say, honestly. “Do they know you’re here or did you jailbreak?”

His smile answers my question, and I laugh. Typical Jackal with no regard for the rules.

He suddenly grows serious. “I spoke to Kasper on the ride over,” he says quietly. “He wanted you to know something.”

I narrow my eyes. Kasper is the third End Man, joining just a year after me at barely nineteen. We’ve never seen eye-to-eye on issues and tend to stay out of each other’s way. There’s something about him that I don’t like.

“He’s in the Black Region right now,” Jackal said. He closes one eye and makes a face at me.

“What is it, Jackal? Just fucking say it.”

“He came across some information. Look man, I don’t know how to tell you this, but they took Laticus. They have him.”

“They have him where?” I bolt upright in bed and the sudden movement causes the machines behind me to go crazy. I’m forced to stop talking when three nurses come pounding into the room, panic in their eyes. Jackal keeps eye contact with me while they check my vitals, quizzing me on what happened. As soon as they’re gone, Gwen walks into the room, eyeing Jackal suspiciously.

“What happened?” she snaps.

Jackal smiles at her when he shrugs.

She lifts her chin defiantly when she looks at me and says, “I’ve been told that I have to stay in the room for the duration of your visit,” she says. “It appears Mr. Emerson didn’t let anyone know he was leaving the Green Region.” She glares at Jackal who winks at her. “His exit has caused quite a stir. The Statehouse has contacted us, and we’ve let them know he’s here.”

“You can say the rest of what you need to say in front of Gwen.”

Jackal turns his body back to face me, and I see Gwen’s face tighten over his shoulder.

“We don’t know where they’ve taken him. But, Folsom, there are only two Genome Y labs on the continent and you’re lying in one of them.”





TWELVE





GWEN


“Laticus,” I say. Both of their heads swivel toward me, and I can’t believe I blurted that out. I could be fired. Corinne distinctly said it was to remain a secret that he was here.

“He’s here?” There’s bite in his voice and I shrivel back, desperately wanting to rewind time by thirty seconds. Stupid, stupid Gwen.