Avenged (The Altered Series) (15 page)

Confusion passed his features, but he spun from her and trudged toward the helicopter.

She would have liked if he went faster, but she didn’t watch him. She didn’t want to see Nick walk away from her. It hurt too much.

Her stomach sick, she ran across the field to the sedans. The door to one opened, and a burly man stepped out. She slipped into the door he’d left open, sliding across the seat.

“We leave. Now,” she yelled out to him.

Around her, the men resisted. They were to bring both her and Nick back. Their orders were explicit. She and Nick knew too much. They needed to be neutralized.

That wasn’t going to happen.

She closed her eyes.
Leave Nick behind. Leave now. Leave now
. Her desperation laced her thoughts, making them stronger, more adamant. She wouldn’t accept “no.” They would leave. She would make them.

They did, screeching as they turned around.

Walkie-talkies buzzed, and an irate voice crackled over the line.
What are you doing? The man—you’re leaving the man.

But the driver hit the gas, accelerating out of the parking lot. “We leave now.”

Kitty continued the litany, and they obeyed her. As the sedans sped from the parking lot, the helicopter followed. While she continued to push the driver, she reached into the sky, to the pilot.

She’d never split this part of her gift between two people. But it felt easier. She could
hear
so far, could feel them around her.

They were hers to control.

She told the driver to go faster, and she told the pilot to leave her behind.

The helicopter fell back. As they sped away, she watched the rearview mirror until the aircraft dropped out of her sight.

Chapter Sixteen

She left him.

Kitty had forced him to walk away from her and convinced his pilot that he shouldn’t recover her. He’d bet she persuaded the sedans to leave without him, too.

Nick gritted his teeth as he hopped out of the Black Hawk, the propellers slowing over his head.

When he’d taught Kitty to fight, he’d made her promise to protect herself, too. But she hadn’t. This was everything he’d feared.

If he wasn’t so pissed and so scared for her, he might be proud. His mom always said that loving people made them strong. Kitty had become strong. So strong she’d decided she didn’t need him. It stung like a bitch.

Inside the helicopter, after his head had cleared from her demands, he’d urged the pilot to follow the retreating sedans. He’d told him that Kitty was fucking with his head. He’d said he needed to follow orders, to bring them both in.

Nothing he said mattered. Kitty’s will reigned supreme, and the pilot had been unable to resist her.

He could sympathize.

The copilot had struggled with him the best he could, but that had only added to the confusion. By the time the pilot resurfaced and the dust had settled they’d lost the sedans, which had undoubtedly been Kitty’s plan.

Now, a half an hour later, Nick trudged after the Black Hawk’s pilots and crew into a hangar at Camp Guernsey. They fell in before Major Martins. He looked like someone had taken a shit on his morning paper.

“What the ever-loving fuck happened out there? I told you to bring the girl home.” He scowled at the pilot. “Hamilton. Go.”

“Sir, she forced me to leave her behind, sir.” The words rang through the hangar.

“Forced you? She beat you up, lieutenant?” Martins glanced at a clipboard. “Says she’s about a buck twenty-five. You not eating your Wheaties?”

Martins inhaled, ready to launch into a proper chewing-out. Nick spoke up before he could get going. “Sir, permission to speak freely, sir.”

Martins stopped with a snap in front of him. “Enlighten me, Degrassi.”

“Sir, I told you. Miss Laughton can control minds, sir. A lot of minds at once.”

The major’s eyes widened. After a long pause, he addressed the rest of them without losing eye contact with Nick. “Everyone but Degrassi, dismissed.”

There was a chorus of “Yes, sirs” before they trooped out.

“At ease, Degrassi.” Martins sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “What the hell is going on?”

The story spilled out. How he’d tried to save Kitty, how Fields tested the drug on the private soldiers who had overpowered Nick and taken them both back in. He told Martins that he got a hold of some Solvimine, that he was a mover, too. He explained how Fields had been cut off from Goldstone, and that he planned to turn the drug and Kitty over to a Middle Eastern terrorist.

He ended with Kitty forcing them to leave her behind while she went back to Ahmed.

At the end of his narrative, Nick waited in silence. Kitty’s demand rang in his head.

Come for me.

Come for her? Why the hell had she left him? She had to have known how bad that would hurt. Even thinking about it made him want to cry out, to yank on his hair. She was back there. Again. This time, because she’d chosen to go. And he had no idea why.

She hadn’t bothered to tell him.

That stung. A lot. But the part that scared him absolutely shitless was that he might not get there to save her this time.

“Sir, may I speak candidly?”

Martins cocked an eyebrow. “That whole story wasn’t candid enough?”

“Sir, we need to go get Miss Laughton. Immediately.” He cringed. After all these years, doing his best to follow directions even when he didn’t want to, he was finally going to get himself reprimanded for insubordination.

He wasn’t surprised.

He didn’t have time to be tactful. Kitty needed him. He pushed on. “Fields is going to complete this transaction and jump ship as fast as possible. If we want to stop him, to catch him and make him stand trial for his crimes, we need to raid his camp. Now.”

“I see.” Martins clasped his hands behind his back. “That’s a very interesting perspective.”

Nick knew enough about commanding officers to know when one wasn’t pleased. He remained still, staring ahead.

“Tell me, specialist. What does this matter to you?”

“Sir?”

“You insisted on being part of the operation to recover Miss Laughton. If I remember, you were adamant about it. You subjected yourself to this drug to save her.” Martins lifted an eyebrow. “What is your interest in Miss Laughton?”

Nick knew where this was going. As he stared into Martins’s shrewd eyes, he knew that he was sunk. Martins wouldn’t let him go retrieve Kitty, not if he believed Nick was emotionally compromised.

And he was certainly emotional compromised.

But he needed to go. Staying behind would kill him.

“I love her, sir.” He could have explained. How he’d felt connected to her instantly, but over the past two weeks he’d discovered a million reasons why she was the perfect girl for him. How he couldn’t imagine leaving her or what his life would be like without her.

Even though she’d left him behind.

Fuck.

Not that Martins wanted to hear any of that. It wouldn’t help his cause. He remained silent.

After a long moment studying him, Martins finally spoke. “I’ve always liked you, Degrassi.”

Okay… Nick had no idea what to say to that. “Thank you, sir.”

“That’s why I’m going to ask you to sit this one out.”

“No.” Nick didn’t need to think about it. There was no way. He wasn’t going to stay behind. No way. He had no idea how he’d get to her without Martins, but he wasn’t going to stop.

It was Kitty.

Martins sighed. “I won’t expand on the obvious reasons you should steer clear. Like that you’re too close. Too involved. Or that you should be cleared by a medical professional before you do anything else.” He grimaced. “What you should think about is that your girl—this girl that you believe you love—left you behind. She looked right at you, told you to stay like a damn poodle, and then she did what she wanted to do, your wishes be damned.”

Nick’s throat worked. Damn that hurt—worse, because it was true. That’s exactly what happened. He glanced over Martins’s shoulder and scowled.

“I know that’s hard to accept, but you need to think about how you’ll feel if she pulls some stunt like that when we go to get her.” Martins lowered his voice. “This girl can control people, in the most basic way. I have no idea what happened between you two, and I don’t want to know. It’ll piss me off that you’ve broken about a hundred basic rules. But you need to consider that some of what you’re feeling has been manipulated by her.”

“You think she’s made me love her?” His hands clenched at his side. “You think she’s forced me to care about her?” He wouldn’t even consider that if he knew Kitty.

Then again, he wouldn’t have thought she’d use her power on him, either. He squeezed his mouth shut. She had her reasons.

In the moment, her reasons didn’t matter. Whatever she was thinking, whether she loved him or not, he loved her. He was going to get her out.

Martins lifted his hands. “I think you shouldn’t underestimate her. She left you behind. She forced you to do something you didn’t want to do. That isn’t the mark of someone who loves you back.” His gaze became sympathetic. “You need to keep that in mind. I’m about to undermine my superiors to authorize her extraction. I’m already risking a lot. I need to know you’re solid.”

They were going to get her. Nick couldn’t help the grin on his face. “Thank you, sir. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Martins snorted. “You’re right. Goldstone cut Fields off. Fields is erratic, unpredictable. Pike, the man who had been in charge of the operation, came to us to cover their asses. I’ve made it clear that if he doesn’t help us contain this mess, he’ll take full responsibility. He’s been quite cooperative.”

“I bet.”

“He’ll get us to Fields. But even with the few drugged soldiers he brought with him, we’re going to need help.” Martins’s mouth thinned. “Let’s call your friends.”

…

Seth returned to the living area in their barracks at Fort Bragg. Not much of one—looked more like a hospital waiting room to Luke.

Seth ran a hand over his buzz cut. “They’re in Wyoming. Martins sent his people to get them.”

Luke sat up from where he’d been slouched in an uncomfortable military-issue chair, flipping channels. “We got them?”

“Thank God.” Blue breathed. She threw herself into Seth’s arms, and Seth folded her against him. Luke glanced away from the cozy scene.

Oh, he was happy for them. He’d watched Blue and Seth dance around each other four months ago. He was glad to see that they’d found some happiness in the middle of this insanity.

They’d spent the last few months with Blue’s mother on some commune somewhere, and even though their coziness made him uncomfortable, Luke was relieved to see them. After being the third wheel to Parker and Jack for the past months, it was nice to feel less like an outsider.

God…four months. Had it only been four months? It felt like another lifetime.

As Seth held Blue, his face remained grim. That wasn’t the face of a conquering hero. Luke stood, his stomach sinking. “What happened?”

“They didn’t get Kitty.” Seth met his eyes over Blue’s head. “The chopper arrived to pick them up, and Kitty went back.”

“What?” Blue bristled. “What the hell? How could they leave her behind?” It had never been a secret that she didn’t trust the military. Apparently that remained true.

“They didn’t leave her. She went back.” Seth glanced down into her face, still holding her against him.

She shook her head, confused. “Nick… He said he would get her…”

“She made him leave her.” The words hovered into the air, like the smell of burned eggs.

“No. That’s impossible…” Blue looked stricken.

“She can control people’s minds,” Seth said, his mouth a thin line.

Blue tensed. Luke could only stare.

Control minds.

“No way. It’s Kitty. No way.” Luke stood and began pacing. Kitty Laughton had to be the most passive person he’d ever met. Luke had never even seen her angry. She didn’t swear, didn’t raise her voice.

It didn’t make sense.

“Some super smart research person Martins has talked to”—Seth snorted, making his opinion of smart researchers clear—“thinks Kitty’s powers are about controlling neurological pathways. This research person thinks that Kitty can hear what passes through those pathways. And she can put things along those pathways, too. Controlling the thoughts others have.”

“Can she?” The new voice cut through the air like a gunshot, stopping their conversation.

Seth, Blue, and Luke turned to the door. Parker and Jack stood there, takeout containers in hand. They’d gone to the cafeteria to get food over an hour ago. The place had to have been closed. It was almost midnight. The pair had been using any excuse to slink off together since they’d arrived at Fort Bragg yesterday.

In Mexico, Luke had felt like an outsider. He’d thought it was because he didn’t like Solvimine, and Parker clearly had no problem with what had been done to them. But here, there was no way for him to pretend that Parker wasn’t up to something or that Jack wasn’t involved somehow.

He didn’t know what it was, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d find out too late.

Seth’s gaze closed. He didn’t trust Parker, either. “Yes. She can.”

“That’s interesting.” Parker stared above them, the way Luke had seen Parker do before, when he was trapped in his head and the rest of them had become invisible to him. Jack watched Parker, one side of his mouth turned up.

Not good.

Seth didn’t seem happy about it, either. “Martins wants us there. In Wyoming.”

“Why?” Blue’s forehead crinkled.

“Fields. He’s still there.” Seth held her eyes. “He’s planning to sell the drug to a Middle Eastern terrorist.”

“What?” Luke dug a hand in his hair, the other propped on his hip. If the drug hit the black market, there was no telling where the research could go. “That can’t happen.”

“No shit.” Seth went on. “And, Fields has used the drug on a whole bunch of soldiers already. There are at least ten.” He smirked
.
“We’re going to even the odds.”

“Like to fight? With the Army?”Luke laughed. “No way. We aren’t enlisted. We aren’t even cleared medically yet. They don’t trust us.” Hell, he didn’t even trust them. He’d already proven that he couldn’t be trusted with his new gifts, hadn’t he? He’d accidentally killed a guy because he couldn’t hack this new power.

“Not technically with the Army. Our part of the extraction isn’t authorized.”

“Wait.” Blue lifted her hands. “Martins wants us to go without permission?”

“Yes. Fields is going to transfer the drug and his research to this terrorist tonight. Martins knows the Army won’t approve our involvement, but he thinks we’re the best chance to stop the transaction and get Kitty away from there. Personally, I agree. I don’t think that the military is prepared to fight against a battalion of changed soldiers. I also think they’re going to sit around arguing about it so long that it’ll be too late.” Seth rubbed his jaw. “If we want to save Kitty and stop this exchange, we need to go.”

“I agree,” Parker piped in from the door. He set his takeout down and tucked his hands behind his back.

This wasn’t good. Luke stepped next to Seth. In the middle of the living area, with the television playing some stupid reality show, the battle lines were drawn. Him, Seth, and Blue versus Jack and Parker.

“You should stay here,” he told Parker. He didn’t expand. In fact, if Parker was on their side, he’d be a great asset. But if he wasn’t, he’d make a formidable opponent. He was telekinetic and shared Kitty’s mind-reading ability. Jack tensed, his fists flexing.

“Why is that, Mr. Kincaid?”

“You know why.” Luke inhaled. “Because I don’t trust you
.
”

“Touché.” Parker smiled. “But I know Fields. I spent time with him, remember? That’s the reason you have been able to study Solvimine. I know how Fields thinks. In fact, I know more about him than any of you do. I also possess the same gift as Miss Laughton. I’d imagine my experience would help Major Martins immensely.”