Ava

My feet thumped on solid ground, one floor down. Pebbles dug into my palms.

Though I twisted my ankle in the drop, I hadn’t sprained or broken it. But my shirt, wet with blood, clung to my back. I pushed the dull ache away. The wound on my back couldn’t be all that bad unless Helix numbed me to pain.

I yanked my mask halfway off my face and bolted toward the sounds of bullets, and Taser light beams streaming. Ducking behind wreckage, I searched for my team, but clouds of dust blocked my view.

For an underground tunnel, it wasn’t as dark as I’d expect. Electrical lights hung bright enough to see the surroundings.

I pulled up my map. There. In the darkness beyond lay the exit. Or so I hoped. Any compound with defined walls was easier to pull up than a half-collapsed tunnel. My map appeared distorted and hazy.

I still had thirty minutes of Helix left. Not that I worried about me, but I did about my team. I had to get them out of here. Mitch was here somewhere. Perhaps he would buy my team more time before he triggered the cyanide.

Bastard. How would he like it if I had that kind of power over him?

Where are you, Brooke?

I thought about yelling her name, but that would draw attention to myself. An idiot move I’d resort to if I got desperate.

I spotted ISAN guards to my left shooting at a group I didn’t recognize, and then another.

Rebels? ANS?

Stealthily, I moved from one pile of debris to the next. To my horror, I almost tripped over a body. I gasped and slapped a hand over my scream.

Vince’s team. They were bloodied and ... I reached to feel their pulses. Nothing. All five of them. ISAN guards wouldn’t have killed them. The ANS group had done this. It had to be them.

They had claimed to be on our side. Liars. They were all filthy, dirty liars. I didn’t trust any network. Not today, not ever.

Vince’s team should have been on the first level. What were they doing here? No time to analyze. Just get the hell out.

I crouched low and ran behind ruined concrete, trying to reach the section with battered trains. They were off the track, tipped over, windows shattered, and damaged beyond repair.

Almost there. Run faster.

I ran again, but I had to veer right and hide behind what had once been a pillar. Doubling over, I nearly vomited. Chelsea’s bloody body lay crooked in my path, with her arms and legs twisted and awkwardly bent.

Chelsea. No! What happened?

A few yards over lay the rest of her team, bloody and most likely dead.

I shivered and my heart squeezed as I trembled with rage and guilt. I really liked Chelsea. She was a good person, and her team had been good too. But right now, I couldn’t be grief-stricken. I had to find my team. The need to survive overrode any emotions.

Chelsea’s group should have stayed on the first level like Vince’s. Who had changed the plan? Chelsea’s face became Brooke’s, Tamara’s, Justine’s, and even Payton’s.

My team. It could have been them.

Pull yourself together, Ava. Find them and get out.

I raced to the pile of bricks and stone. To make matters worse, I spotted Rhett, Ozzie, and Reyna. Like me, their masks were off. I heaved a breath and blood roared in my ears. I’d told Rhett to leave and he hadn’t listened. He was going to hear a mouthful from me. Now I had to worry about them, too.

Rose-pink feathers peeped out from the wrecked trains, and a shuddering breath of relief escaped me.

Get down, Brooke.

At least I knew she was safe and well.

When Brooke popped up to fire at someone shooting at her, our eyes met. She flashed a smile and then dropped back down. Knowing Brooke, she would come to me. I wanted to tell her to stay there, but too late.

Brooke raced across the track and ducked behind a flipped train. Then to my surprise, Tamara did the same. As they both rushed to me, I fired blindly to give them cover. I didn’t care if I was shooting at ISAN guards.

“That was close.” Tamara crouched behind the boulder, panting, wiping her forehead and leaving a dusty smudge behind.

“I’m so glad I found you.” Brooke lowered to my other side. “It’s crazy. I don’t know who I’m shooting at or who’s shooting at us. For all I know, I could be shooting at Justine. I have no idea where she is. Can you find the exit? We need to get to our sub-glider.”

“I can.” I bit my tongue against telling them what had happened to Chelsea’s and Vince’s teams. Not a good time, especially when we were on the run, too. “We have to make it across there.” I pointed toward the darkness where there seemed to be less crossfire.

“Great. That’s not too far.” Tamara lowered her shoulders and inhaled a deep breath as if a brick had been lifted off her chest.

“First, let’s take these off.” I pulled off Brooke’s and Tamara’s masks and dropped them. “You don’t need those. Second, get ready to run.” I turned my back on them to peek around the side of my makeshift shelter. “We’re going the way you came. The trains will cover us. Ready?”

No answer.

I sighed and spun to see a weapon pointed at me. I crossed my arms and glared at Rhett. Even in the chaos, as mad as I was at him, his presence made me giddy. But I made sure my expression didn’t show.

Brooke’s cheeks glowed as her eyes stopped on Ozzie. Tamara stood stiff as the chunk of cement behind her, her lips tight.

“Really?” I pushed down Rhett’s Taser. He wanted me to go with him, but he wouldn’t Tase me, would he? “You wouldn’t dare.”

He quirked an eyebrow. His answer.

“What’s going on? You know them?” Tamara seemed confused, her gaze darting to Reyna, Rhett, and then Ozzie. “Isn’t he the guy Mitch brought in? Why are you talking to them like you know them?” She reached for her Taser.

Reyna bumped her gun against Tamara’s temple. “Easy. No one needs to get hurt. But if you shoot, I shoot. My gun hurts more than yours. Actually, mine will kill. You choose.”

I had no time to explain, and Tamara asking questions complicated things. She would no doubt demand answers if I asked her to go with them. Great. More lies to make up. More chances of ISAN finding out about Rhett and me, though it seemed like Mr. Novak already knew or assumed. So what did it matter anyhow?

“I have to go back. I already told you.” I couldn’t look into his eyes. I pivoted to my team. “Let’s go.”

They looked confused and kept glancing between us.

“No,” Rhett breathed.

One word had never been so soft and filled with so much pain.

I gauged the distance to the wrecked train and ran, assuming my team trailed me. Thumping footsteps confirmed it.

“Ava.” Rhett’s voice blended in with the gunshots.

My heart sank to my feet, despair taking over me. Despite myself, I cast a glance to Rhett. Why? Guilt, perhaps, for leaving him now that I recalled parts of our past. Or maybe to twist the dagger already in my gut.

My breath caught in my throat.

Behind you, Rhett. Watch out. No.

Words failed me. When they did, I took action.

My heart leaped out of my chest as I ran back to Rhett, pointing my Taser at him. His eyes grew wider. Shocked. He held out his Taser, looking baffled, but didn’t point at me.

“Duck.” I halted and positioned myself, ready to fire.

Rhett flashed a glance behind him and squatted at the same time. Why didn’t he defend himself?

I shouldn’t even think about harming my superior, but all I saw was Mitch’s smirk and him jabbing the butt of the Taser at my head when I’d tried to escape. The need for revenge replaced my better judgment.

I scowled and fired at Mitch, but he dodged every pellet. He moved incredibly fast. Too fast. Mitch had excellent reflexes, but they couldn’t have matched mine. I should have been faster than him, for he was merely human.

He had dosed himself with HelixB88.

In one swift move, Rhett lunged at me, stole my Taser, and pinned me under his arm with my back to him. I could have easily broken away, but I didn’t fight him when Tamara and Brooke pointed their weapons at Rhett. Ozzie and Reyna pressed weapons against Tamara’s and Brooke’s backs. A chain of confusion.

Then ... Click. Click.

Tamara and Brooke dropped to the ground, their bodies convulsing. Even knowing they’d only been Tased, the fact I had to see it made me furious.

How was I supposed to get them out now? Mitch was still here. He could help me, and hopefully he wouldn’t trigger the cyanide. But why the hell had he just Tased my team?

“Why?” I twisted and kicked to release myself.

Finally, Rhett let me go.

“Why?” My eyes burned into Mitch with hatred and the need to wipe him off the face of the Earth.

“They’re fine, Ava. Let me explain.” Mitch held out a hand, palm facing me, an offer of peace.

“Mitch tries to shoot you, and you grab me?” I socked Rhett’s arm, my breath heaving. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Let me explain.” Rhett raked his fingers through his hair.

“Fine.” I surrendered and relaxed my taut muscles, bewildered by Rhett’s action. I reached down to my friends to check their pulses and got back up. “What the hell is going on?”

Rhett could start with why Mitch stood beside him as if they were friends.

“Mitch isn’t going to shoot me. He’s my brother. Half-brother.”

“What?” Shock slammed into me. “Say that again, because I remember clearly you saying, ‘I was brought up by foster parents like you.’”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t until I knew you were on our side.”

I understood, but it still hurt he’d lied to me. I backed away when Rhett inched toward me. He didn’t get to think he would make things fine with a hug.

“You’re a fool to trust him.” I tapped my Taser against my leg, debating whether to shoot Mitch even after what Rhett had told me. Every word left my mouth with a venomous strike. “Not only did Mitch point a gun at me, he hit me with it on the day of our escape. He must be the one that squealed. He’s the traitor.”

“Traitor? He did what?” Rhett glared at Mitch. Then his tone softened, turning back to me. “You remember?”

“Yes.” I had never sounded so sure.

Rhett beamed a smile, too happy considering our situation, but his grin died when I leaped at Mitch like a wild beast.

Rhett caught me before I tore Mitch into dust. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sometimes I want to kill him, too, but you need to know all the facts.”

I swung my arms as if swimming for dear life, my fingers clawing to reach Mitch. “Let me go, Rhett. Let me go.”

I wanted to break Mitch, destroy him, shatter him to tiny pieces so I could grind his ashes into the ground as if he were nothing, worthless.

“I’m going to kill you,” I spat at Mitch, shoving Rhett away to no avail. “You’re a traitor. You’re a monster. You made me do what I had to do. I had to ... You made me forget Rhett. Forget Ozzie. Forget Reyna. This is all your fault. My father. My sister. My mother ...” My lips quivered as the words died on my tongue, and I couldn’t hold it any longer. I choked on my words and sobbed.

Tears streamed down my face as the memory of Rhett jumping into the trash chute replayed in my mind and the pain latched onto me—clinging and heavy. As if the ache was an entity of its own.

I pulled myself together and locked up my emotions. I had no room to crumble. ISAN couldn’t find out what I knew and how I felt. Losing my memory of Rhett, finding out I had a twin, my own father experimenting on his children, and then my mother possibly being murdered was too much. It was all too much to bear.

I finally settled when Rhett’s face came in to focus and his soothing voice told me to calm down. My body simply could no longer sustain the rage.

“He’s on our side, Ava.” He didn’t sound so sure.

I found myself again in Rhett’s arms, but tender this time.

“We couldn’t all leave. Mitch volunteered to stay behind. He played the role of double agent. You knew this. It may seem otherwise, but I wouldn’t have been able to kidnap you at the Leviathan Hotel if it hadn’t been for him. He was the one who erased all of our conversations via the TAB. Mitch has been trying to find your father since I got the word to him. We keep communication as minimal as possible.”

Ozzie and Reyna left the conversation to keep an eye out, watching our backs.

I recalled Brooke stating Mitch had told everyone he searched for me in the restroom, found my dress was on the floor and that I was gone. He’d thought I’d gone down to our meeting point without letting him know. I would have never done such a thing due to ISAN protocol.

My intuition told me not to trust Mitch when I’d first met him. Perhaps in the back of my mind I knew the game he had to play. But he was a good actor and performed his role perfectly.

I reeled back my memory to the times he’d scrutinized me and tried to intimidate me. All an act. Or maybe not. Who else was acting? Who else was a double agent? Russ? My team? No, Brooke and Tamara weren’t hiding anything from me, or Mitch wouldn’t have Tased them.

I had to stop thinking.

Mitch gave me a slight nod to confirm Rhett’s words. For once, he kept his lips sealed.

Regardless, my nostrils flared, and I scowled at him. “Is that why you Tased Brooke and Tamara?”

Mitch’s charming personality prevailed. He dusted the dirt off his sleeve, rolled back his shoulders, and closed the space between us. His ever-so-cocky true face emerged.

“I wanted to tell you, but my little half-brother wanted me to wait.” He emphasized the word half-brother with a sneer.

“And you think I’ll be nicer to you now?” I glared back. Why were Mitch and I bickering right on the battlefield as if no danger existed?

“You two can argue later. It’s time to go. Ava, come with me.” Rhett tugged my arm.

“If you go, you can’t come back.” Mitch locked his eyes on mine. “Getting taken twice will increase suspicion. Kidnapping Ozzie last time was a good ploy to get Ava back in ISAN, thanks to my genius, but I do recommend you go. Novak knows you shot at ISAN guards.”

“Mr. Novak can kiss my ass. He needs me—that’s why he hasn’t killed me yet.” I shook my head, peering down at Brooke and Tamara. I had promised Brooke we would leave together. “I can’t leave unless I take Brooke with me.”

“Brooke stays.” Mitch took a quick look at her. “I can’t let two escape. That would make me look bad.”

“I don’t care.” I jabbed a finger against his chest.

“Hurry,” Ozzie said without looking back at us. “The guards have moved closer.”

Mitch twisted to Rhett, disregarding me. “Is Ava going with you or not? This might be her only chance.”

“I’m not,” I said.

“She is,” Rhett said at the same time.

Then Mitch raised his Taser. “Sorry, Ava, but Rhett is my half-brother. Family comes first.” He smirked.

I quirked an eyebrow and scoffed. “Really? My suit is Taser proof, remember?”

Mitch curled his lips mischievously. “Oh, I do remember, darling. But I’m just a distraction.”

“What?”

Something cold pressed on the back of my shoulder. Not a Taser. The ground tilted under my feet and the world slowly began to fade.

“Sorry. I’m doing this for your own good.”

“Ozzie, no.” Rhett’s voice.

Ozzie?