Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome #1)(37)

April wiped off her face and tucked her head against her chest. “I need to get out of my head for a minute. What about you? Before Scorpius, I mean. You were a bigwig at the CDC, right?”

Lynne stretched out on the floor, her back to the wall. Knots curved around her spine and her muscles pounded in pain. “Yeah. I was in charge.”

“Type A personality?” April lifted her chin.

“Definitely.” Lynne nodded. “Only child, enjoyed school, just loved science. The possibility of it . . . of what we could do.”

“Your parents?”

Lynne shook her head, hurt echoing in her chest. “No. Scorpius got them.”

“Mine, too.” April scratched her leg through a hole in her jeans. “What’s it like outside of Los Angeles? I mean, the world out there? Are we reorganizing civilization?”

Lynne took a deep breath and blew it out. “I don’t know. What I saw was more refugee camps outside of cities. I haven’t been into a city except here in three months, and even before that, I was pretty isolated and locked down.”

April bit her lip. “What about our government?”

Lynne swallowed. “I, ah, don’t know.” Hell, she really didn’t want to know, but she’d probably find out soon enough. “The military was regrouping and trying to secure vital areas, specifically with the creation of the Brigade, and since all troops were recalled six months ago, at least all our soldiers are here on our soil.” Not that the soldiers had fought Scorpius any better than the civilians. It killed without discrimination. She chose not to mention the creation of the Elite Force to April. Maybe word hadn’t spread this far.

“Oh.” April smoothed the ragged edges over the hole in her jeans. “So. Did you have a boyfriend or anything? I mean, I watched a television special on you when your heart first turned blue and you came out of the coma, but the show focused on your career and the hope of curing Scorpius. It showed your picture but didn’t talk about your life.”

Heat flared down Lynne’s torso. “No. No boyfriend. I guess I lived for my work.” She cut her eyes toward April, unwilling to trust that much.

“Hmm.” A frown settled between April’s eyes and then understanding lightened them. “Okay.”

For the next couple of hours, they kept the talk simple and impersonal. There were a couple of tense moments with Tace trying to escape his bonds, but Jax had tied them strong.

The night stormed outside, and in the midst of the inside quiet, a knock echoed on the door.

April lifted her head from where she’d laid it on Haylee’s bed. “Who’s there?”

“Red. Jax radioed in and said to bring you two some food.”

Lynne lifted her eyebrows at April.

April rubbed her chin. “He’s one of Jax’s. We can trust him.” Standing and stretching her back with a low groan, she limped to the door.

Lynne faltered. “Are you sure?”

April glanced back. “Well, pretty sure. Red has been with Jax for months.”

Lynne crossed and reached the woman to draw her away from the door. “Jax said to only let in Wyatt or himself, and I say we listen to the big guy. I’m not that hungry—are you?”

April glanced back to her too-quiet daughter. “No. Not at all.”

Good. Lynne raised her voice. “Red? Thanks for the offer, but we’re going to pass. We’re not hungry, and the two fighting the fever can’t eat.”

“Come on, let me in, Lynne. You can trust me, and I want to see Tace. I need to see my friend.” Red’s voice remained calm.

Not too long ago, she would’ve opened the door with an apology for waffling. But she’d been hunted, and she’d been terrorized. Now she went with instincts—screw manners. “Thanks, Red, but Jax ordered us to keep the door closed, and I’m sure you value his orders. I’d hate to cross the guy within a day of coming to camp.”

“April? You know me, sweetheart. Now I’m getting worried what’s going on in there. Are you all right?” Red asked, his voice muffled only slightly by the thick door.

“I’m fine.” April tucked the sheet more securely around Haylee. “I agree with Lynne that we should follow Jax’s orders. You know how he gets when defied.” She winked at Lynne and gave a mock shudder, whispering, “Actually, that’s kind of true. Not a lot of mercy lives in that man.”

Lynne turned away from the door. Sure, Jax was a hard man, but she’d seen plenty of mercy in him.

A boom echoed, and the door plowed open. The blast hit Lynne square in the back, and she flew across the room to crash between the beds and drop to the floor. Pain flared through her shoulder and the side of her face. Her ears rang, and her vision fuzzed.

April screamed and moved to partially cover her daughter.

Red stomped inside, silver semiautomatic glinting in the dim light. “April, I’m sorry, but we have to get rid of those infected. They’re a danger to us if they survive.”

April’s lips quivered, and she hunched over her daughter in a protective pose. “There are tons of carriers, Red. You can’t kill them all.”

“I can try,” he said grimly. “Next I’ll hit the three in the inner hospital.” A man aged fifty or so stood behind him, carrying a shotgun. “We’ve had a little vote, and this is the only way. I’ll give you a few minutes to say good-bye to your daughter, what’s left of her, while I take care of Blue Heart here.”