Therian Promise(22)
“I have Kyle’s sister.”
This was new information. “One of the test subjects is your rival’s sister? How did you get the backers to sign off on that?”
Spiteful pride curved his mouth into a thin-lipped smile. “They don’t know and you’re not going to tell them. She’s a contingency plan, nothing more.”
“If all else fails, you’ll offer to trade his sister for Ava?”
“Exactly.”
“Which one is—”
“I’m not a fool, Carly. You’ll know what I want you to know and nothing more.”
She nodded, but her gaze shifted to the double row of monitors. Which one was Klye’s sister? Osric had hidden his treasure in plain sight. Her attention gravitated toward Devon’s holding cell. Devon had been one of the first test subjects to be acquired. At present, she was curled up like a child, sound asleep. Relaxed and peaceful, her lovely features gave no hint of the fiery personality hidden within the compact package. Every moment Devon was awake was a challenge. Carly had often wondered why she hadn’t been scrubbed from the program. Devon’s body responded well to the formula, but she really was more trouble than she was worth.
But this new possibility explained so much. Osric was obsessed with Devon. He spent hours watching her, and more than once Ava had caught him pleasuring himself as he stared at images of Devon.
“Maybe they’re more telepathic than we realized,” Carly mused. She needed to pass on what she’d learned to General Milliner, but first she’d have to sneak away from Osric’s watchful eyes. “The sister could be sending out some sort of signal, guiding Kyle to her location.”
His gaze narrowed thoughtfully, but he didn’t seem convinced. “Then why’d they come on foot? They can’t execute a rescue without an escape vehicle. And why drag Ava along? This doesn’t make sense.”
He hadn’t rejected her hypothesis, nor had he confirmed it. Osric seldom shared specifics about the Therians with her or the other scientists. Anything he was willing to divulge was given to the backers and they determined who benefited most from each tidbit of information. It was a frustrating and counterproductive policy, but it kept anyone from learning too much about the mysterious Therians.
“We don’t know for certain it was Kyle.” She’d meant to soothe him with the thought, but his reaction was anything but pacified.
His lips pressed into a thin line as he glared at Devon’s monitor. “There’s only one person who can tell me for sure and this time she’s going to talk.”
* * * * *
“Finally!” Kyle’s hands shook so hard he could barely operate his phone. He’d never ached this badly in his life and he still wasn’t sure where he was.
“Can’t they use your phone to find us?” Ava glanced at him then looked back at the winding mountain road. They’d reached pavement about an hour ago, but they had yet to stumble across anything familiar. They were headed west on Frying Pan Road and they were forty-six miles away from Basalt. But those clues didn’t mean much to either of them.
“The phone’s disposable,” he told her. “That’s probably why it’s taken me so long to find a signal.”
“Who are you calling?”
“Jake. He’s lived all over the mountains. If he can’t point us back to civilization, we’re doomed.”
The call connected and a female said, “Toulouse Tavern,” over raucous music and overlapping conversations.
“Hey, Enya, is Jake around.”
“Kyle? Where the hell are you? Half of the network is out looking for your sorry ass.”
Leaning his head against the window, he smiled. Enya’s familiar feistiness was a welcome reprieve from hours of confusion and pain. “It’s a long story. We’re west of a town called Basalt. Any clue…”
He heard Enya’s muffled protest as someone ripped the phone out of her hand. “Have you passed Ruedi Reservoir?” The background noise diminished as Jake walked into an office or storeroom.
“Not yet. Last sign said we were forty-some miles from Basalt.”
“They found your truck at the cabin where you were supposed to nab the other twin. Is Ava with you?”
“Yeah, she’s here. We had to borrow a Jeep. Probably need to ditch it soon.” Another spasm rippled through his gut and he clenched his teeth to keep from moaning.
“I’ll meet you in Basalt with a couple of my guys. We’ll lay a false trail with the Jeep and get you two to safety.”
“Sounds perfect. We’re on Frying Pan Road. Will that take use all the way to Basalt?”