His hunter metabolism wakes him fully in an instant, but he takes his time opening his eyes. He can hear muttered conversation from far away, the hum of something electrical near his right side. There are people in the room, and all have taken dust. They have a particular feel to them, a heat and intensity that normal people lack.
He finds himself wondering what one of them would taste like.
“Awake at last? Come now, darling. I’m as aware of you as you are of me.”
He opens his eyes, spins sideways, sits up. Reid is a little surprised he isn’t in restraints. She’s insane, not stupid. Obviously she doesn’t consider him a threat.
The room is small, metal walls coated in old paint peeling in layers. It’s been converted to some kind of chemistry lab, a line of steel tables against the far wall full of beakers and trays and a small microscope. Dr. Lund leans her back against one of them, arms crossed over her chest, a smile on her face. Her skin looks sickly in the light of the blue toned bulbs overhead.
Reid glances to his right. Leila sits in a chair beside the slab he is perched on. And Joel, still in his new hunter form, stands guard in front of the pitted iron door.
“Good dog,” Reid says. Joel ignores him.
Dr. Lund laughs. “You boys.” She walks over to Joel, pats him on his cheek, squeezes his elongated muzzle. “Always fighting and squabbling among yourselves. I had to do something about that, didn’t I, dear?”
Joel remains frozen, chrome eyes locked on the far wall, absolutely still. It makes Reid shudder.
“What did you do to him?” As much as Reid wants to kill his rival, no one deserves to be turned into a mindless zombie.
“I perfected him,” she says. “At least, as far as I could take him with his limited mind and ability.” She pats his cheek again and looks at Reid. “I’ve finally figured out how to make it permanent. No more dust necessary. But there are those who must be the followers,” she steps away from Joel, “and do the dirty work, while there are those who are destined to lead.” She stops in front of him. “Like you, Reid.”
He holds in the obvious response and waits.
“You and dear Leila,” Dr. Lund wiggles her fingers at the girl, grinning like a child, “are who I’ve been looking for. Your genes are perfect. Your minds are ideal. Everything about you both screams potential. You will make the perfect mating pair for our new race.”
Reid actually blushes. He wasn’t expecting that. Dr. Lund laughs at him.
“Now, darling, don’t be so modest. All the good stuff will happen in test tubes and under very strict scientific oversight. You needn’t worry one bit.”
Reid glances at Joel. Those chrome eyes flicker to his but there is nothing behind his eyes, no personality, no animosity. Just pure animal calm. His silver gaze goes back to the far wall.
Reid can’t risk being turned into something like that. Dr. Lund is brilliant, but he wouldn’t put it past her to warp him into an automaton just to guarantee his compliance. And the thought of Leila becoming one of those… things. It’s almost more than he can stand.
He has one chance. It sits in his right front pocket. He’s carried the poison vial with him for just this purpose. For the chance to kill her and gain their freedom once and for all.
Never mind it will kill them all. Leila and himself included. He has no doubt using the thing indoors will be fatal for everyone in the room. But he has no choice and he knows without asking her that Leila agrees.
Still, he needs to know it will work before he risks it. “What about the failsafe?”
Dr. Lund’s golden eyes flicker over his face. “What about it?”
“General Aberdeen isn’t stupid,” Reid says. “Don’t you think he already knows there’s a way to kill us?”
She laughs. “Don’t you worry yourself about that,” she says. “It’s simply a mega dose of the dust. It overloads the system and reverts the body to human, killing it. But there are ways to counteract the affects.”
“Is it possible to go back to human without dying?” The idea is a sharp one, but Reid isn’t sure he wants the answer. As much as he hates to admit it to himself, he will never purposely return to being normal.
“Maybe,” Dr. Lund says. “But who would want to?”
His thoughts exactly.
Her eyes narrow, her brilliant, mad mind churning over as she finally follows his line of questions. “Don’t even think about suicide,” she snarls. “I have more males to choose from. I’ll go after those friends of yours if I have to. You may be perfect, but I’ll settle for less if necessary.”
Reid smiles at her. “I wasn’t planning on killing myself.”
And leaps straight at her.
***