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But when he burst from the soft skin of Noah’s inner wrist, he was met by the warmth of Neumann’s neck, and he ripped and burrowed into it without a moment’s pause. This time, he followed his instincts to find the conscious mind that used to inhabit this brain and crushed it between his claws, snuffing out the vile little mind as it screamed with terror.
When Sebastian opened his eyes, it was like he was in a different room. He blinked and looked around, letting all of the angles slowly align and make sense. Aside from the fact that he had done a one-eighty, the massive change in height made everything look different.
Then Noah’s muffled growls of pain reached him, and Sebastian quickly dropped to his knees. Noah was curled to the wall, holding his bleeding, torn-up wrist close to his chest. Sebastian looked around for the shirt Neumann had been holding and dropped in their struggles, then quickly grabbed Noah’s wrist and wrapped the cloth around it.
“That’s it.” He tightened the wrap and pushed it back to Noah’s chest. “Keep pressure on it. I didn’t tear anything vital. You’ll be okay.”
Noah looked up at him with narrowed, searching eyes. “Is he…still in there?”
“Nope.” Sebastian shook his head. “Not like it was with you. He’s dead for all intents and purposes.”
Noah smiled grimly. “I guess you’re not supposed to thank people for killing people, but…”
“But anyone who really thinks that never knew someone who really needed killing.”
Sebastian dug around in his pants pocket, smiled victoriously, and pulled out his prize.
“I believe these are yours.” He held out the small bag of pills and nodded to Noah’s left hip. “I will trade you for what’s in yours.”
Noah frowned and dug around in his pocket. He pulled out the data strip, looked at it for a moment, and then handed it to Sebastian. “I won’t ask.”
“You’ll know soon enough anyway.” Sebastian took it and passed him the pills. Then he stood and held his hand down to Noah. “Can you stand? Walk around?”
“Yeah.” Noah took his hand and heaved himself up. “I feel fine. Well, except for this.” He held up his wrist. “And my head kind of hurts. But it’s mostly fine too.”
“Good. The headache’s normal.” Sebastian turned toward the lockers and was relieved to see the one labeled S. Neumann standing open. He pulled out a new shirt and a uniform jacket. “I’ll escort you out. Move quickly.”
“Thank you.” Noah turned to him just before they went back out into the hall. “For not killing me. And for getting my daughters’ medicine back.”
Sebastian twisted his lips in the closest approximation of a smile he could manage at such a dismal sentiment. “I’ll say you’re welcome for the medicine. But it’s a shit world if you have to thank someone for not killing you.”
Noah shrugged. “It is a shit world.”
Sebastian didn’t have anything to say to that, so they went back into the hallway and hurried back the way they had come. Noah walked ahead, holding his wrist, hunched, and looking put-upon while Sebastian strode behind him with a cruel smirk that came a little too naturally to this face.
The alarm droned on around them, varying its pitch here and there, wriggling into the brain as sure as any torvar.
“How long until they up the severity of the alarm?” Sebastian stepped close and lowered his voice even though they were alone in the hall.
“Not long now. If they can’t find the threat or figure out that body, they won’t have a choice.”
The radio on Sebastian’s belt crackled. “Neumann. All the workers are accounted for, and none of them look suspicious.”
“Not all of them.” Sebastian gave Noah a shove to put him back farther in front of him again. “I found an extra. I’m bringing him now.”
They rounded the corner back into the factory line they’d entered and found all the workers on their stomachs with their hands over their heads and the guards standing among them holding rifles as though this was a hostage situation. Sebastian supposed it sort of was. He eyed the men’s long guns. Was he expected to have one of those as well? And would it stand out that he didn’t?
He shoved Noah into the room. “On your belly!”
One of the guards—short and squat, with a sad wispy mustache—aimed his rifle at Noah as he went down. “Where did he come from?”
“That’s a great fucking question,” Sebastian replied, already backing toward the door. “There might be more.”
“And where are you going?”
“To find them!” Sebastian yelled over his shoulder, already back out into the hall and heading toward the console he should have been heading for earlier. He didn’t like shoving Noah back into this situation, but there was no alternative. To be caught sneaking around would have been worse.
He hurried down to the console, wincing as the alarm hit a sudden high note and started drilling into his ears, and skidded to a stop in front of it. It was already on, so now he just needed to find a port. There had to be a port. Sebastian slid his hands frantically around its top, its sides, its bottom, fingers searching for an opening.
