Page 22

Even though Jensen told me he was having some of my things picked up, I never wrote out my list. “Thank you,” I offer quickly. “I don’t mind at all. I can’t wait to have some of my own things.”

“Anything I can do for you,” Addie promises, “I’m here. I’ll leave you to Katie for now.”

Jensen grabs the tubes of blood and touches the small of my back. A gesture that speaks of a growing intimacy between us, that feels, well, right. It feels good. Confusing, but good. “I’ll do the same,” he says, before holding up the vials to the camera. “Creed will have Layla’s blood samples to bring back with him.” His eyes reach for mine. “Back in a bit.”

He waits for my acknowledgement, a protective quality to the action, as if he doesn’t want to leave unless I confirm I’ll be okay. It feels as nice as that hand on my back. Wonderful, in fact, and I dare to indulge in enjoying the feeling, if only this once. I don’t remember the last time anyone protected me, not since I lost my father and brother over a decade before. I nod. “I’ll be here.” And for the first time in a long time, I realize I feel safe.

Sometime later, I find myself in deep conversation with Katie, during which she not only shares the history of the Renegades, she sets up a secure email and sends me proof the Renegades are working for the government. Finally satisfied I’m playing on the right team and liking Katie quite a lot, it’s time for me to vocalize my theories and how I think I can help in the lab.

“I’m going to email you some data on the GTECHs,” Katie says. “You can compare them to the ICE users. Some of the Zodius soldiers have what we call the X2 gene. It developed around fifteen months after conversion, and to put this in perspective, the lab rats that developed X2 all killed each other.” She holds up a hand. “And let me assure you Jensen doesn’t have the X2 gene. None of the Renegades do…well…except Creed, but he’s different in all kinds of ways. I’ll send you his file as well. But please don’t tell him. He won’t like it.”

This is not good news to me. “My biggest fear has been what happens with long term use, rather than the few who have died in the midst of thousands. Not that I’m dismissing that problem, but we’re dealing with an alien component, and we have no idea how it will react or evolve in our environment.”

“Believe me, I know. Which brings us to the question I’ve been beating my head against the wall about. How do we keep that from happening? The ticking clock on that question is killing me.” She visibly cringes. “Oh God, Layla. I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me. You know, I’m pretty excited about what I see in your bloodwork. I don’t know if Jensen told you my thoughts on this, but if you really are cured then think what this could mean for cancer research when all of this is over.”

I absorb that and find myself smiling inside, thinking of all the times I dared to ask, “Why me?” I realize it might just come back to here and now. I might be able to help people beyond just the immediate trouble with Julian. Even Julian, in an unintentional way, might be helping cancer patients. I open my mouth to say as much, when a loud screeching sound rips through my ears.

I grab my head. “Oh God! What is that? Make it stop!”

“Layla,” Katie says. “I don’t hear anything. Tell me what’s going on.”

“How can you not hear it?” I scream. The sound rips through me, seems to carve out my insides, and rip a path along my nerve endings.

“Caleb!” Katie shouts. “Caleb, help! Get Jensen back into that room!” Then, “Hang in there, Layla. Jensen is coming. He’ll be right there.”

I fall to the ground. “It’s too late,” I whisper. Death has my attention again. It keeps calling my name. And death, I realize, as I feel him in my mind, is named Dorian.

Chapter sixteen

Jensen

Ican hear Layla’s high-pitched scream even before I burst through the lab door, leaving Caleb and Creed in the hallway, adrenaline pumping through my body like white lightning. I feel that scream right to my soul, the terror in it, the pain, and the desperation to survive. Layla thinks she’s dying. That someone is trying to kill her. How I know that, I don’t know. But I know.

The lab comes into view in a whirlwind of flying debris that I fight my way through as I spot the computer and the overturned chair. Relief washes over me as I find Layla huddled beneath the desk, knees pulled to her chest, but no intruder.

I rush to her, glass crunching beneath my boots as I squat down in front of her. “Layla,” I say, my hands going to her knees. “Layla, baby.”

She screams again, clutching onto my arms, and then kicking and screaming. Hysterical…fighting for her life…scratching at me…wild. I back away long enough to see her eyes. Wide…blank…as if she’s blind.

“Get her out from under the desk,” Caleb orders from behind me.

I glance over my shoulder. “Are you nuts? We have no idea what she might do to you.”

Caleb appears above me. “I have mental shields other GTECHs do not. So does Layla. I can feel her energy, and if she doesn’t start using them and using them now, she’s going to die. She’s being attacked. So get her out now.”

I don’t need to hear another word. I reach for Layla, curl my fingers around her arm, and pull her kicking and screaming from under that desk.

“Hold her still,” Caleb orders.

“Right,” I mutter, sitting down on the floor and positioning Layla in front of me, pinning her arms to her sides from behind, her back against my chest. Still, she kicks wildly. “That’s as good as it gets.”

Caleb kneels at our side, out of the range of her feet, and presses his hand to her forehead.

She lets out one sharp final scream and then gasps. Her head falls forward. “Oh my God,” she whispers. “Oh my—God.”

I have no idea what Caleb just did to her, but I’m thankful. Quickly I turn Layla in my arms, my hand sliding over her hair. “You’re okay.”

“Jensen,” she whispers a moment before she stiffens and presses into me, and I know instantly, she’s present enough to see the similarities in Caleb to Julian. .