Page 123 of Wicked Nightmare

"We're talking years of data," Sarah continued. "Every test subject, every 'procedure' they've ever done. When they move subjects to different labs, they're scanned in and the doctors can see what's been done, and what is left to do."

I glanced at Rose. She was staring at her hands. Part of me wanted to wrap her in a hug. The other part whispered how fun it'd be to make her captors scream.

"And let me guess," Cam said, "if we don't move soon, they'll realize what they've lost, both her and Christian, and wipe her data?"

Kyle nodded. "A week, tops. They have software constantly scanning for broken links, but they'll try to find them first, try to reconnect. After that we won't have access to her files anymore."

"Right, but why does it matter? We all know the shit they've done to people like us." There was an itch under my skin. They were far too invested in Rose, and it felt wrong. Invasive, almost.

He sighed. "Because, in order to fix her brain, we need to know what was done. Sarah can keep helping on the trauma side of it, but to really deprogram her, we need to know what she was programmed for."

"Every one of the kids they took through the system was used for a purpose. The new gen all have neural chips, but they were all programmed for different purposes. Then there's the ones they bred in the lab, the first gen. The ones they didn't track."

Rage boiled under my skin. Not the fun kind. Not the kind that made me want to hunt and play and watch someone bleed. The ugly kind. The kind that had a target and a name.

I caught Cam's eye. The same fury lived there. We were in this now.

Sarah leaned forward. "We have to do this. Every second we wait, more people suffer. More lives are destroyed. They get closer and closer to their goal with each child they program."

I watched her carefully. The slight tremor in her hands. The tightness around her mouth. This wasn't just about saving the world. This was personal. But why? Because they used her? Or because of something else? Someone else?

Cam shifted beside me. "And what exactly do you get out of this, sweetheart?" His tone was light. His eyes were not.

Sarah's gaze snapped to him. "Justice. And the satisfaction of burning their whole fucking operation to the ground."

I didn't quite believe her, but even I could admit she had a poker face worth respecting.

The room fell silent. I glanced around. Kyle's nonchalant stance. Cam's calculating stare. And Rose.

Rose looked like she was about to come apart at the seams. Her eyes were wide, darting between all of us, searching for an escape route. I recognized that look. The same one she'd had when she woke up in our apartment.

"I... I don't know if I can do this," she whispered. “This is… a lot.”

"You just said you were ready, Rose, fucking pick a side." But watching her, I couldn't help but remember what it was to be small with the whole world bearing down on you. Granted, the last time I'd felt that way, I'd been about seven. Not twenty-something. "Do you wanna fucking kill them or not?"

Rose's eyes met mine and then they hardened as she took a deep breath. A spark of something hard flashed across her face. Whatever it was, it made her sit up straighter.

"Yes," she said, her voice stronger. "I need to do this. For everyone else they've hurt. For everyone they might hurt in the future."

I nodded. Maybe the little flower had some fight in her after all. It was strange, trying to reconcile the hellcat from Beaver's break-in with this meek version of herself. Maybe her programming was self-protective. Guess we'd find out.

"Well," Cam said, a dangerous smile on his lips. "Look at us. Just a fuckin' merry band of misfits ready to take on the big bad cult."

I snorted. "Misfits is right. A couple of psychos, an ex-soldier, a makeshift trauma counselor, and a former lab rat. What could possibly go wrong?"

But despite my sarcasm, I felt it too. That current of shared purpose humming through the room. We were in this now, for better or worse.

And honestly? I couldn't fucking wait to watch Chimera burn.

Sarah cleared her throat. "Listen, I know trust isn't exactly in abundant supply here. But Kyle and I have a safe house. Completely off the grid, untraceable."

I raised an eyebrow. Cam shifted beside me.

"We could use it to lay low, regroup. Come up with a solid plan of attack. Rest and train. Considering you don't have much time before Chimera finds you, I'd say it's your best bet."

I tried to read Cam's face. Neutral, but I could see the calculations behind his eyes.

"Sounds awful cozy," I kept my tone light. "What's the catch?"