Take me to Building B, I ordered Rai when we exited the elevator.
He smiled condescendingly at me, then walked toward to the same door I had entered earlier. “My creator will kill you,” he said in warning.
“I don’t think so.” I had something she wanted. I ran my fingers along the outside of my pocket, where I could feel the velvet pouch tucked away.
As we crossed the courtyard separating the two buildings, the sound of an approaching helicopter thumped overhead. Rai looked at me with wide eyes. “That’s my cue,” he said. “I have to go.” The distraction had caused me to lose control of his mind for just an instant, but it was enough. He vanished into thin air. I searched around me for his mind, but came up empty.
No! Without Rai, I had no way to get into Building B. Even if I went back to the main facility and controlled someone’s mind, they’d be unlikely to have access.
While I considered my options, two helicopters came over the main facility and drifted down toward the courtyard where I was standing. I considered running, but where? They’d already seen me. So I held my ground.
The choppers landed, and a dozen men dressed in black combat gear poured out, carrying assault rifles. Too many minds for me to control at once, I thought as they ran toward me. But to my surprise, they didn’t even look my way. They ran straight for Building B.
And then two more men exited the helicopters: Dr. Howard, and a man in a suit. Dr. Howard gave me a wave, and the two men ran right up to me.
“Jonas Whitmeyer,” Dr. Howard said. “I want you to meet Agent Buroker of the International Intelligence Agency.”
I tensed, but reached out and shook Agent Buroker’s hand.
“Where is Briana?” Dr. Howard asked.
I jerked my thumb toward Building B. “In there, I think.”
“I was afraid of that. We have to hurry.” He jogged to the door, where the armed men were waiting, and pressed his eye up to the retina scanner. I started to follow, but the agent held out an arm to block my advance.
“Mr. Whitmeyer,” the agent said. “I need you to stay outside. Let my team do their job.”
Dr. Howard opened the door, and the agents filed inside, their rifles held at eye level, ready to shoot. Dr. Howard followed. Only Agent Buroker stayed back with me.
I entered the agent’s mind and immediately heard his thoughts. The team had been instructed to take down whatever operation was going on inside this building—and capture Briana Howard alive. This was an ambush.
I couldn’t figure it out. Why would Dr. Howard knowingly allow the IIA to enter his highest-security labs? I had no idea what kind of agreement he’d worked out with this Agent Buroker, but I had a feeling it wasn’t anything Bree and I would agree to.
As Agent Buroker spoke into a handheld radio, I reached out to Bree. I hadn’t been able to get through to her since she was taken from me at Janice’s house. But since I was closer now…
Bree, I mindspoke.
Jonas?
Where are you? IIA has entered Building B. I don’t know what kind of deal your father worked out with them, but they’re coming for you.
I need your help. I’m in the BSL-4 lab. There are two deathly ill clones in here, but my head is throbbing. And I’ve never healed before.
Show me what you’re seeing. I’m on my way.
This was a disaster. And I had no idea who we could trust.
I searched for a path into Bree’s beautiful mind, and found it almost immediately. The fiery red neurons fired at a rapid pace, and the nerves and blood vessels inside the brain appeared inflamed and angry. Red, I need you to try to calm down. I can see why your head hurts so badly. She looked to be suffering a horrible migraine. Maybe she’d had a migraine ever since she diagnosed Tamati and Tane.
Calm down? Mom is with me. She had Vance and Lora killed. I’ve got her convinced I’m on her side, but I have no idea what she’s capable of. Bree opened up her mind for me, and I was now looking at her mother’s back as she led her down a hallway. Bree turned, showing me that two security guards followed her closely.
Just hang on, okay? I’m coming.
I left Bree and slipped inside Agent Buroker’s mind. You’re going to lead me inside this building, and you’re going to follow my every order. Do you understand?
Agent Buroker attached his radio to his belt and smiled. “Your mindspeak doesn’t work on me, Jonas. I was trained by your mother.”
Well, crap. “In that case,” I started, but before I finished the sentence, I jabbed the heel of my palm upward into his nose. Blood spewed. He was thrown off balance just enough that I was able to knee him in the gut. When he bent forward, I brought an elbow down hard on his back and flattened him. Reaching down, I took his gun from his holster. With a sharp blow to the back of his head, I laid him out unconscious.
“Nice job,” Dr. Howard said, walking toward me from the entrance. “Now, let’s go get my daughter before these crooked goons get to her first.”