Was I totally against the idea of having kids with Kat one day? Other than breaking out in hives at the thought of that, the idea wasn’t too horrible. Of course, I wanted the white picket fence bullshit…if it occurred a good ten years from now, and the kids didn’t have weird bowl haircuts and couldn’t Jedi mind-screw people.
I didn’t think that was asking too much.
On the sixth day, when the third soldier was given LH-11, he made it through the rest of the day and well into the seventh day. He immediately began showing signs of a successful mutation. He passed the stress test with flying colors.
Nancy was so thrilled, I thought she was going to kiss me—and I thought I was actually going to have to hit a chick.
“You deserve a reward,” she said, and I thought I deserved to put my foot up her ass. “You may spend the night with Kat. No one will stop you from doing so.”
I said nothing. While I wasn’t going to turn that down, it was rather creepy hearing Nancy tell me I could spend the night with Kat while they watched us on video. I thought of those kids on the lower floors. Yeah, not going to happen.
Kat had been up to something, inching closer to the tray. She had stopped when Nancy made her announcement. Her nose wrinkled, and I was a bit insulted, although she was probably thinking the same thing I was.
They brought in another subject, this one another soldier, but I was distracted by whatever Kat was doing. She was way too close to the trays, practically standing in front of them.
A stabbing motion later, and I had blood on my hands and a very happy Nancy bouncing around the room.
Dr. Roth had placed the spent needle next to the unused ones. I saw Kat make grabby fingers, but something occurred to me.
“Does this mean I’m joined to them?” I asked, wiping my hands on a towel that had been all but thrown at me. “The ones who don’t face-plant a wall? If I die, they die?”
Nancy laughed.
My brows rose. “I don’t see how that’s a funny question.”
“It’s a very good, self-serving question.” She clasped her hands together, dark eyes glimmering. “No. The Prometheus serum that is given to the mutated subject breaks the bond.”
That was a relief. I didn’t like the idea of several Achilles’ heels running around. “How is that possible?”
A guard opened the door as Nancy crossed the room. “We’ve had many years to narrow down the interworking of the mutation and the consequences, Daemon. Just as we know that there needs to be a true want behind the mutation.” She turned to me, head tilted to the side. “Yes. We’ve known that. It’s not a magical or spiritual thing, but a mixture of ability, strength, and determination.”
Well, shit…
“Your brother was almost there.” Nancy’s voice lowered, and my body tensed. “It wasn’t lack of determination or ability. And trust me, he was motivated. We made sure of that. But he simply was not strong enough.”
I locked my jaw down. Anger slithered through my veins like venom.
“We don’t need him. Bethany, on the other hand, well, that’s yet to be seen. But you?” She placed a hand on my chest. “You’re a keeper, Daemon.”
Chapter 18
Katy
You’re a keeper, Daemon.
Oh my God, I almost stabbed the needle through Nancy’s eye. Good thing I didn’t, because that would defeat the whole purpose of what I’d done.
Crossing my arms, I folded my hands around the syringe and kept it hidden under my arm. I dutifully followed Daemon and Archer out, half expecting someone to tackle me from behind.
No one did.
In the excitement of a potentially successful mutation, no one was paying attention to me. No one besides Daemon ever did during these things, except Archer, and if he was peeping into my thoughts, he sure as hell hadn’t said anything.
I hadn’t really thought any of this through when I grabbed the serum, but as I held it in my hand, I knew that if I did get caught, I was probably going to regret it. So would Daemon. If Archer was peeking in my thoughts right now, and he wasn’t working with Luc, we were so screwed.
We went to the elevator, Nancy and the newly mutated hybrid heading in the other direction. We were alone—just the three of us—as the elevator doors slid shut. I almost couldn’t believe our luck. My heart was pounding with excitement and fear, like a drummer doing a solo.
Nudging Daemon in the arm, I got his attention. He glanced at me, and I looked down at my hand, carefully opening my fingers. Just the tip of the top of the syringe was visible. His eyes flicked up and widened, meeting mine.
In that instant, both of us knew what this meant. With the LH-11 in hand, we had no time. Someone would eventually realize it was missing, or they might’ve even caught me on the security tapes. Either way, it was do or die time.
The elevator doors slid shut, and Archer turned to us. Daemon shifted forward, but Archer’s hand shot out. My breath caught in my throat as his hand hit the control panel. The elevator didn’t move.
Archer’s gaze dropped to my hand, and his head tilted to the side. “You have the LH-11? Jesus. You two are… I didn’t think you’d do it. Luc said you would.” His eyes flicked to Daemon. “But I really didn’t think either of you would pull it off.”
My heart was pounding so fast my fingers tingled around the needle. “What are you going to do about it?”
“I know what you’re thinking.” Archer’s attention was on Daemon. “Why didn’t I get the serum for Luc? That’s not what I was here for, and we don’t have time to explain it. They’re going to know it’s missing very soon.” There was a quick pause, and he was back to me. “And the plan in your head is crazy.”
I had been thinking about the origins, but now I was thinking about Rainbow Brite doing the Electric Slide. Anything to keep Archer out of my head.
He made a face. “Seriously, guys?” he said, taking off his beret. He shoved it in his back pocket. “What exactly do you two hope to accomplish? Your plan has a hundred percent fail rate.”
“You’re a smart-ass,” Daemon said, shoulders stiffening. “And I don’t like you.”
“And I don’t care.” Archer turned to me. “Give me the LH-11.”
My fingers tightened around it. “Hell no.”
His eyes narrowed. “Okay. I know what you guys are about to do. Even though I warned you not to do it, you’re planning on letting the freak show out, and then what? Making a run for it? Besides the fact you don’t know how to get to that building, you’re going to need your hands, and you don’t want to stick yourself with that needle. Trust me.”
Indecision flooded me. “You don’t understand. Every time we’ve trusted someone, we’ve been burned. Handing this over…”
“Luc’s never betrayed you, has he?” When I shook my head, Archer grimaced. “And I would never betray Luc. Even I’m a bit scared of that little shit.”
I glanced at Daemon. “What do you think?”
There was a moment of silence, and then he said, “If you screw us over, I will not think twice about killing you in front of God and everyone. You got that?”
“But we need to get the LH-11 out of the compound,” I said.
“I’m going with you guys, like it or not.” Archer winked. “I hear the Olive Garden is a good restaurant to try out.”
I remembered our conversation about him having a normal life, and for some reason that made what I was about to do a little easier. I didn’t understand why he was helping us or Luc, or why he hadn’t gotten this before, but like he said, we were already in too deep. Swallowing hard, I handed over the syringe and felt like I was handing over my life, which in a way I was. He took it, grabbed his beret, and wrapped it around the syringe, then shoved the bundle in his front cargo pocket.