AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Breathing deeply, I gather my tools, don a pair of gloves, and get to work, letting instinct and muscle memory guide me. This has to be done, and I can’t afford to stop and think—can’t afford to let myself be overcome by the anxiety and concern roiling just beneath the surface. I’ve done operations like this before, dozens of times. My body knows the way, even when my brain is half-lost in the darkness of fear.
My palms are sweating under the latex and the nose guard of my surgical mask keeps shifting on my dewy face. My blade is in his meat, past the eggshell of his skull, carefully gliding into the gelatin of his brain matter to sever the connections between it and his chip. The pain is… I breathe slow and deep, forcing the stinging in my eyes back. I’m only feeling an echo of it, thanks to our bond, and it’s enough to soak my clothes with sweat. But the true anguish comes from knowing that this… This is what it’s been like every time I carved into him.
He makes a small movement then, and I hiss, “Hold still,” but then I realize what he’s doing. He’s tipped his head back just slightly so his eyes can meet mine.
For just a moment, I let myself fall into their green. Our bond hums as if someone has struck a chord, and the longer I gaze at him, the more harmonious the vibration becomes.
He’s checking on me, I realize with a start. It’s all I can do not to drop my scalpel inside his skull. Despite his pain, his main concern is for me. To reassure me. To comfort me.
I give a little shake of my head, shame flaming my cheeks. I don’t deserve this kind of tenderness. I don’t deservehim.
But his faith in me steadies my hands, and I get back to work.
A few minutes later, I free his chip using a small clamp and drop it into a nearby basin, then begin to close the wound on Jacob’s head. He doesn’t protest. In fact, the only one who speaks at all is AX1.
“Is it done?” he asks, searching my face for some hint of betrayal, some lie—some indication I somehow altered Jacob to serve me again. I can’t blame him, really. I’d be suspicious too.
Regardless, I nod, finishing up with the staples I’ve used to suture Jacob’s head. He gives a grunt then, the only sound he’s made since I began.
AX1 drops his gaze to Jacob, scrutinizing, assessing. But I’m the one who asks the question.
“Are you okay?”
Gradually Jacob tips his chin up to meet my eyes. I can tell something is going on behind him, some mental cataloging of his faculties, of whether the procedure worked. A tentative testing of boundaries. Then, at last, he nods.
“Yes,” he says, and tension I did not even know I was holding flees from my shoulders and neck. To AX1, he adds, “I’m free.”
AX1 nods in return, and I remove my gloves, turning away from the duo so that neither can see my hands are shaking.
* * *
Thanks to my father,Jacob and I aren’t hassled on our way to the White House. A quick look on the computer back at the lab revealed all the AX units are currently on the premises, giving us an opportunity to assassinate the false president, once I’ve removed everyones’ chips.
I plan to get to them under the guise of doing a recalibration, then remove the chips before anyone becomes suspicious. I’m more than a little worried about the outcome—It’s a delicate operation, and I’ve got to work fast in less than ideal surroundings—but every second we allow this coup to continue, more innocent people up and down the county will die.
AX1 and Welsh, however, can’t exactly waltz in behind us. We split up before any of the patrols can clock us. They’ll wait while Jacob’s and my arrival hopefully distracts the guards enough that they can find another way in.
There are quite a few security personnel gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue, especially near the fence where my father’s men have established a barricade and checkpoint. There aren’t many civilians on the streets, but there’s evidence a few conflicts sprang up in the aftermath of the government takeover. It’s going to take a while to wash all this blood off the sidewalks.
Jacob and I pause for only a moment, long enough that a guard can check over my ID and confirm via walkie-talkie that I’m supposed to be here. They give Jacob a long look, but they don’t so much as ask for ID. Apparently there is no hiding who—or what—he is.
I’m not anxious that they won’t let us in. All my life, my father’s rank has afforded me privileges. This will be no different, even if the world around me has changed drastically.
With Jacob’s big, warm hand on the small of my back, we walk up the path through the lawn, mount the stairs, and go inside.
“Addie. This is a surprise. Your father’s at Capitol Hill,” says a low, familiar voice.
I stop, blinking at General Smith. The entryway is well-lit, and he casts a long shadow toward us—yet somehow not as long as the one from the man standing next to him.
Colonel Sam Smith. His son.
The alpha who hurt me so bad, I became a monster just to survive.
My face flushes hot. Then cold. Clammy sweat gathers on my nape and throat. But I’m not alone.
Jacob’s hand on my back is a solid anchor, tethering my rapidly beating heart with the firm knowledge that no one will hurt me ever again. Not so long as he is by my side. However, the comfort of that knowledge is dulled by the seething burn ofragepounding through our bond. My protector, usually so entirely composed, is on the brink of losing it.
“O-oh,” I stammer, forcing my gaze from the general and his son to the alpha by my side. “Well, that’s all right, I’m not here for him. The AX units need recalibration. I’m here to take care of them.” Silently, I pray it’s enough of a reminder to my mate to keep it together. If he unleashes the violence I sense burning just underneath his skin, our cover is blown and the mission over before it’s begun.
