The Forbidden Trilogy(98)

The signal cut out before Lucy could retort. "Luke, did you catch all that?"

"Yeah."

"What do we do?"

"I'm not letting him hurt you. We find the scientist."

Lucy felt her stomach heave for the second time that day. When had doing what must be done to save everyone become such a murky line of evil?

"Dr. Koslov is still in the building. He's by the northwest exit."

Luke ran through the halls until he reached the group standing in line to evacuate. A guard had to inspect each person before they could leave.

"Luke, I'm going to make a way for you. Get your night vision goggles on."

Lucy killed the lights and lost all visual of her brother, but she could still hear him as he grabbed the scientist and pulled him into an empty room.

"We have to leave here together. Don't try to fight me, because if they don't think they can use you, they will kill you."

Lucy turned the lights back on, so everyone could evacuate safely. Luke popped his head through the wall to check the hall.

Dr. Koslov gasped. "You're one of them. From the Organization."

"Yeah, I'm one of them, and if you have any sense at all you'll do what I say. I wasn't kidding when I said they'd kill you. They'd kill us both. Now you and me are going to get out of here fast, got it?"

The scientist shook with fear. "I cannot go out there with you. There are snipers trained to shoot any threat to the security of this facility—especially during an evacuation. We cannot allow scientists to leave with sensitive research. They will kill us faster than your people will, sadly."

Luke looked into the nearest camera. "Can you get us out, Luce? And still get yourself out?"

"Easy as pie."

Lucy reviewed all the possible exits and gave them instructions about which one presented the fewest obstacles. Once they were at the door, Lucy instructed them to wait.

"Guard patrol. Give it a sec. Now, go!"

They ran.

Someone knocked on the door of Lucy's office. To answer or hide. Always the question in moments like these. Today, I'm in the mood to answer. No time to hide and wait.

She unlocked the door, swung it open, and before the guard knew what hit him, she hit him. Hard. And a lot. There was some kicking involved too. Like a ninja, Lucy rendered the guard unconscious and dragged him into the room before anyone noticed a thing.

At least that's how she imagined it happening. In reality, the guard got in a few lucky hits before she was able to knock him out. Still, same results.

She limped back over to the computer and found her brother and Dr. Koslov running from cover to cover on the path she'd given them.

The scientist kept looking behind him in panic. "They are going to catch us. We will never make it. You do not know. You cannot imagine what they are planning. It goes so far beyond what they have done with you kids. So much bigger than that. The virus—"

The scientist tripped and fell. A beam of light panned over them and stopped. The loud crack of a rifle sounded and the scientist slumped over, a pool of blood spreading in the snow around his head.

Luke launched himself past the gate and behind a wall. "Lucy, you need to get out of there. I'm looping myself into the cameras with my computer. I'll find my own way out and meet you at the helicopter. Hurry! And be careful."

"You too, Bro. And just for the record, this assignment sucks sweaty feet."

Lucy packed up her equipment, secured her pack on her back, and retraced the hallways to where she'd first come in. Dammit! I didn't send Sam the information she needed. Good thing I planned a backup. Her heart pounded with fear and adrenaline. Must make it out alive became her mantra.

As she passed the caged human mutants, one slammed his hand against the glass wall and sent her flying through her skin.

"I sorry to scare you. I do not mean to frighten. I can see into you. You are not like the others, with tests and experiments. Your soul is pure and you have power, like me. We are kin, you and I. Will you free me?"

"Um, yeah, I think I'll pass on that. Aren't you likely to kill me?" Dr. Koslov had said the mutants were dangerous.

"There are secrets I can get you, secrets only I can find, in the room with the bad lights. It will help you. I will help you. Please."

"Bad lights? You mean the radiation room?" Lucy pointed down the hall. "That room?"

"Yes. Bad room. But powerful toy they keep in there."

"Will you harm me in any way?"

He stared deep into her eyes. "No. I not harm you ever."

Lucy knew he spoke the truth, and she couldn't deny her own curiosity. This "toy" could be the key to what the Rent-A-Kid was up to, or it could help the Freedom Fighters in their quest. Either way, she had to know. She pulled out her computer and tapped into the security system, then located his cell and unlocked it remotely.