Breed of Havoc (The Breed Chronicles #3) (2 page)

A guy in the middle row waved his hand. “Because of the treatments?”

“In a large part, yes. Not everyone will sign up for them, and not everyone who does will be given the opportunity to receive them. We must be certain those who remain in the program are up to the training required and the treatments themselves.”

“So when do we find out if we’ve made it?” Eric Reynolds asked, not bothering to hide his glare. He was about the same height as Linc, and before summer break, he’d been about the same build as him, too, but he’d bulked up a little since. His hair was dark blond and shaggy, and his eyes, a dark brown, were always narrowed in a glare—usually in my direction.

My jaws clamped together just hearing his voice. I didn’t feel bad silently hoping he was among those who wouldn’t make it. Not after the crap he pulled last Phase, or over summer break. He and Rachel Clarkson (who blamed me for Felecia’s expulsion over said vampire incident) were the new Banes Of My Existence. Systematically, they made my summer break miserable, like at the end of last Phase, and managed to get everyone else to join in on her Hate On Jade parade.

“You’ll either find out when you’re excused from training, or before the start of Phase Four.”

Eric snorted. “Bet the Demon Whisperer makes it,” he muttered under his breath as he shot a dirty look my way.

I knew Linc hadn’t heard him. I probably shouldn’t have been able to, but my senses had improved in the last year. They were better than almost anyone else here (except maybe some of the CGE agents), though what I saw or heard wasn’t always good. Like now. And it was, I thought bitterly, one of the main reasons he hated me. Because I already had demon DNA.

And it could do with the fact that you punched Rachel in the face last Phase.

But I was pretty sure it was mostly due to the DNA thing since everyone now thought of me as part demon.

Linc wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Ignore him.”

“What?” My eyebrows scrunched together. “You heard him?”

“No, but I didn’t need to. You’re staring at him like you hope his head will explode or catch on fire, so I’m assuming
you
heard something and it wasn’t nice.” He lifted a hand to my face and brushed aside stray strands of my hair. “What’d he say?”

“Nothing new,” I mumbled.

Linc’s expression hardened for an instant, but then he just pulled me closer, so I rested my head on his shoulder and listened as Greene continued on.

“Your classes will be more difficult than before, but I’m sure you’ve already surmised as much,” Greene said, almost smiling now. “Your weekly allowance will be raised by ten percent and you’ll participate in more real-life scenarios.”

“So it’s just like last Phase, only more fun,” someone snickered.

Greene heard the guy and shook his head. “Not quite. There will be some added perks, yes. But your weekends will be spent much as they were during your summer break, with three-hour training sessions three weekends a month beginning in November.”

There was a collective groan. “Isn’t that illegal or something?”

Greene didn’t say anything for a full minute, just raised an eyebrow and stared at the question asker—Natalie Pierce, my second Combat partner from last Phase. “No, it is not illegal, Miss Pierce. Most teenagers go to school and work part-time jobs. Consider the weekend training your part-time job.” There was another pause, and this time, he did smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course, if you feel you’re not up to the task, you can speak with me after I’m finished here. I’d be glad to make other arrangements that might suit you better.”

“In other words, deal with it or leave,” Linc muttered.

I elbowed him, even if I did agree with his interpretation. Natalie was nice enough. Not exactly friendly, but at least she didn’t actively hate me. Considering the number of people I could lump in that category, I wasn’t exactly anxious to see her go. The number of people who actually liked me now was very small.

Someone else raised their hand, but Greene waved them off.

“Let me make something perfectly clear, shall I? This phase won’t be easy, and next Phase will be even worse. If you’re selected for the genetic treatments, your schedules will change drastically. You’ll be expected to follow a strict diet, a daunting training program, and a minimum of twice-weekly checkups with one of the doctors on staff. One of those appointments will include getting an injection. Those who receive the treatments will not be permitted to leave the property for the first six months after receiving them.”

“What?” Eric jumped to his feet as P3s all around him went wide-eyed. “We’ll be stuck here, for six months, without being able to go
anywhere
else?”

“That is what I said, yes.” Greene waited until Eric retook his seat. “Those first months are crucial. There are too many variables that must be watched for. The transition will not be as easy as it may sound, and any unknown contaminants could jeopardize the treatments’ effectiveness and your lives.”

A girl in the front row shook her head. “That stinks.”

“Perhaps. But you’d enjoy a six-month quarantine even less, which is what the protocol used to be before we made advancements in the treatments.”

“But it’s still basically quarantine. Only we’re stuck here.”

Personally, I wasn’t worried about that. We only went to New Orlando once a month as it was, and even then, I rarely went. I wasn’t a big shopper and I had everything I needed right here. Not that I had to worry about it either way. It wasn’t like I could get any more treatments. At least I didn’t think so.

“That is true. Again, I assume you’d much prefer being stuck here than being stuck in a small room for those six months. I also think it’s safe to assume you’d enjoy having your genetic treatments contaminated even less. That can be…painful and rather unpleasant from what I’ve seen first-hand. I’m sure your instructors would be happy to provide you with pictures, should you be interested in seeing them. Actually, I may suggest they do that.”

That seemed to shut everyone up, even though a few Prospects still seemed unhappy with the news.

“The treatments are dangerous,” Greene continued. “They’re not like a Christmas gift you can return if you don’t like what you’re given. You can’t exchange them for something better. For better or worse, they are something you’ll live with for the rest of your lives. This is one of the reasons we have four Phases. This is one of the reasons why our policy is so strict, and why we wait until you’re eighteen before you’re allowed to receive them. Not everyone can handle the treatments.”

Tasha raised her hand, and when Greene called on her, she said, “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is some take advantage of their new found strength. Some think they’re invincible and act reckless, doing something that harms themselves or others. Some have psychological issues. The transition is smooth more times than it’s not, but for some rare individuals, it can be dangerous, both physically and mentally. This is another reason the Prospects are kept under close observation for so long.”

I looked around me, judging the different expressions I saw on the Prospects’ faces. Greene took a moment to do the same thing.

“I know most of you must be sharing the same thought, thinking the treatments will only make your lives better. Nothing about the treatments is that easy. Nothing is that black and white.” Another pause. “Have any of you ever dreamed of, say, winning the lottery?”

More than a few people nodded.

“And have you ever actually researched those winners? Having your dreams come true can often bring your nightmares to life as well. Many lottery winners lose their fortune in a matter of years, due to bad decision making, over-spending, or simply not planning for the future. Some have had family members try to harm them for their money. Others said their friends and families grew to resent them and their fortune. The majority have people—strangers—showing up on their doorsteps, begging for money for various causes or reasons.”

“What’s your point?” Eric said.

“My point, Mr. Reynolds, is to be careful what you wish for. Sometimes, even the best things in life have a high price tag. My point is to remind you to look for the downsides to every upside, because they’re always there. The treatments are not the exception. It’s up to each of you to know if you can live with the decisions you make. That’s not something I, the scientists, or the other hunters can decide for you. None of us can know how it will affect you or your lives, especially once you leave the CGE.” Director Greene picked up his tablet. “I’m confident I’ve given you all more than enough information to consider. We’ll discuss this subject again at a later date. For now, I wish you all luck and hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

I was out of my seat before Greene fully turned around to leave. Linc grabbed my arm. “What’s going on?”

“I need to talk to Greene.”

His eyebrows shot up and the mocking in his steel-blue eyes was clear. “Willingly?”

“Yes, willingly.” I rolled my eyes. “I want to know if he found anything about…you know. Me.” More specifically, my crazy DNA that had demons either loving me or hating me more than usual. “He hasn’t said a word about it all summer except to tell me they were working on it.”

“Okay. I’ll stick around and wait for you.”

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then ran down the bleachers. Greene moved fast when he wanted to. He was nearly to the South Tower before I caught up with him. “Director Greene,” I half-shouted.

He stopped, slowly turned around. “Yes, Miss Hall?”

“Have the scientists found anything yet? Can I still—”

“Miss Hall.” He held up a hand. “This isn’t basic research they’re doing. They are, pardon the cliché, in unchartered territory here. For the most part, your DNA is as confusing to them as I’m sure it is to you. As I’ve said before, you are the first known child of genetically enhanced parents. I know you’re anxious to have all your questions answered, but please remember we’re just as anxious ourselves. Your DNA is special, and as much as I’m sure we’d all enjoy speedy answers, we want accurate one, not simply guesses or theories.”

“So I might be wasting my time.” It wasn’t posed as a question, because it wasn’t one.

I had joined the CGE to train to hunt the demon that had killed my family. But after being bitten by the vampire, we discovered it’d played havoc on my already crazy DNA and that certain demons reacted to me weirdly. One tried killing me (which, if you asked me, wasn’t that different from most demons I came into contact with). Another time...well, that’d been a strange, strange occurrence since the demon had liked me. And I had kinda sorta liked it in return. (But only kinda, and only because it’d been a baby.)

“Miss Hall. Jade,” he added softly. “If you believe you’re wasting your time, then there isn’t a lot I can tell you to change your mind. Only you can decide that for yourself. Last Phase, I assured you we wouldn’t make any rash decisions about your ability to go on hunts and I haven’t changed my mind.”

I let out a sigh and relaxed my arms to my sides. “Sorry. I’m just…anxious. I don’t want to be stuck here, not being able to hunt because a demon may or may not react badly to me. They react badly to everyone.”

Fighting a laugh, Greene shook his head. “I know you’re anxious. I’ve known since the end of last Phase. You’ve tracked me down to ask me about this every day since. I assure you, again, that I have not forgotten about you. We want the same thing, Miss Hall. We want this matter resolved, possibly even more than you.”

So I might’ve gone a little overboard with the pestering over summer break. But could he blame me? The CGE was my best chance at finding the demon that killed my family. The training, the resources—I needed those things. But if they wouldn’t let me hunt because they were afraid of what could happen, would they let me use their resources to find the demon still? Or would they, if they found it, have another hunter take care of it? I wasn’t sure, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if it’d be enough.
I
needed to be the one to find and kill the demon. I didn’t want it to be someone else. “I guess I’ve been a little crazy.”

“Perhaps a little,” he said, one side of his mouth lifting. He stared at me for a minute, his gaze steady. He gave a little sigh. “If it will ease your mind, I may have some news for you soon regarding your situation. News,” he added quickly, seeing as I was about to pounce on his words, “not a definitive answer.”

“News? What kind?”

“I had a conversation with one of our scientists from another facility recently, and she may have an idea how to test your DNA in a more...practical manner.”

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Practical manner?”

“The scientists need to do more than simply test your DNA, because no matter what their tests determine, it would only be based on theory and speculation. I believe the scientist in question—Dr. Cherry—wants to see you in action, so to speak, to get a better handle of the affects your DNA seems to have on different species. It’s my understanding that she would like to put you in a room with a demon, or many different demons, to see for herself what is happening.”

My lips formed an ‘O’ but no sound came out.

“It would be in a controlled environment and every necessary precaution would be taken to ensure your safety. You would be in no danger, Miss Hall.”

“What about hunts or C&Cs?”

“Should there be any hunts or any other Capture and Contains, we’ll do our best to make sure you’re included. That is, after Dr. Cherry has had a chance to run a few tests beforehand to gauge any potential problems.”

Part of me was thrilled, of course, to have Greene’s word that I’d be included in demony stuff. Another part of me wasn’t so thrilled with the idea of these practical tests, of being in the same room as vicious demons. But he was trying, and that’s what I wanted, wasn’t it? Could I really ask or expect more? “Okay. Thanks.”

“We’ll keep working on the issue, Miss Hall, I promise.” He gave me a soft smile. “Is there anything else I can assist you with?”