Jeremiah strolled down the long hall in the basement level of the facility, with its pristine white walls, people walking around in white lab coats, and the subtle beeping noises in the background that gave the place an almost hospital feel to it. The only difference was the doctors in a hospital actually gave a shit about their patients. The scientists here were just as cold and unfeeling as the sterile environment they worked in. Here, the patients were called subjects and were shut in rooms behind thick layers of glass. Objects to be watched and studied. Just the thought of what the prisoners went through daily was enough to make him want to tear out the throat of every scientist in the place. Except for one, if she was still there.
Glancing into the rooms as he walked by, Jeremiah wasn’t surprised to see most of them empty. This level was primarily for the prisoners. The guards slept on the second floor, the scientists had their rooms on the top level. They were told it gave them some separation from where they worked, but really it was just another way to keep an eye on them. With the guards’ rooms on the second floor, and their base on the main level, no one went up or down the stairs without them knowing, which meant there was no one slipping out the back door and running. One of the scientists tried to leave one of the other facilities Jeremiah had worked at in the middle of the night after they couldn’t handle what was going on anymore. It didn’t end well for them. There were too many secrets within the walls of the facilities. Too many things the organization didn’t want to get out.
Jeremiah paused outside an occupied room, his gaze on the small, slender woman inside who sat huddled in a corner, her arms wrapped tightly around her raised knees. Her head was down, the long fall of dark auburn hair covering her face. Jasmine. He’d always wondered what her name was, but had never asked. He’d tried to keep his distance as much as possible, needing to appear as if his heart was as cold as the rest of the guards’.
Jasmine raised her head slowly, as if sensing his presence. Her eyes were full of misery, covered with a sheen of tears, but she didn’t cower. She bared her small teeth at him, hissing in anger. Good, she still had some fight left in her. She would need it. Resisting the urge to speak with her, to let her know that help was on the way, he turned and walked away. There were cameras everywhere, and he couldn’t afford to get caught sympathizing with the enemy. Not that it would matter soon.
“Jasmine is alive,” he muttered quietly, making sure he ducked his head when he walked past another camera. “I saw two new prisoners. A lynx and a wolf, both male. I…” Jeremiah paused, his eyes going to the room he’d stopped in front of. There, curled up in a little ball of fluff, was a wolf pup. Just a baby. Small, so tiny she would have fit in the palm of his hand. She turned to look at him, her dark eyes full of agony and despair. His heart broke. And then, rage hit him, harder than it ever had before. He was going to kill every fucking person in that building who had harmed this poor, sweet baby. His body trembled as he fought for control. His hands curled tightly into fists, his claws digging into his skin. A low growl built in his chest. The pup’s eyes widened, and she quickly buried her face in her paws. Jeremiah realized he was scaring her, but he couldn’t seem to control himself. The pup thought his aggression was toward her. Didn’t understand it was at everyone else in the facility. That he would never harm her. “Rikki,” he rasped, his voice low, head bowed, “I’m going to kill them all. Every last one of them.” His chest heaving with the effort it took not to let his bear take over, he muttered, “They have a pup in here. Just a baby. She can’t be more than a couple years old.” Gritting his teeth, he growled, “They are all dead. Everyone who touched her, who hurt her. Dead.”
“Jeremiah.” The voice was soft, quiet, and full of concern.
He stiffened, fighting to get control over his emotions. He didn’t want to hurt her. He knew she was one of the good ones. That she did everything within her power to keep the prisoners safe. She was the only scientist that he thought worthy of a free pass. But, right now, he was even questioning that.
“Dr. Wainright.”
“Jeremiah, are you all right?”
His gaze went to the small pup, who was cowering from them in the far corner of her room now, and he said the only thing he could. The truth. “No.”
Anya Wainright stepped up next to him, careful to keep a small distance between them, and murmured, “They brought her in a month ago. Murdered her parents right in front of her. She’s terrified, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. If I hold her, try to make her feel better, they’ll know.”
He knew who ‘they’ were. She was talking about the guards, Lenox Keaton, and everyone above them. She would be labeled as a sympathizer and be watched even more closely than she already was. They would dig into her background, her family and friends, anything and everything they could find to see if they’d missed anything when they first hired her. They would find everything they could on her, and then make the decision as to whether or not she was a traitor. More than likely, they would find her guilty and sentence her to death. He’d seen it happen before. They couldn’t afford to have their scientists become sympathizers to the prisoners, and couldn’t let them leave if they did. Not that anyone who ever worked for the organization ever just left. It wasn’t like a normal job. You didn’t sign a non-disclosure clause when you started. If you left, you left in a body bag. “She was in her wolf form when they brought her in and hasn’t shifted back since. I think she’s scared and feels safer. Her wolf protects her.” Leaning closer, she whispered, “She won’t last long in here. It’s a struggle to get her to eat or drink anything. It’s as if she has no will to live.”
Anya was placing her trust in him with the information she was handing over. He needed to give her something in return. “It won’t be a problem much longer.”
Anya was quiet for a long moment before she murmured, “Good.”
“How many other prisoners are in here?” RARE would need that information, and he needed to make sure he didn’t miss anyone.
“There are only four of them right now. The fox from before. They brought a wolf shifter in just after you left the last time, and there’s a lynx. He’s new. Only been here for a week or so.” Jeremiah could tell Anya was trying to distance herself from everything, but he knew it wasn’t working. He could smell the sorrow wafting off her. No matter what persona she gave off, she wasn’t cold and calculating like the other scientists. She cared. He’d seen her run a gentle hand over one of the shifters out of view of the cameras before when she was taking their blood. Bending her head to talk softly to them, so soft that no one else could hear. Once, she’d even lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against Jasmine’s, as if sensing she needed that close contact. He’d kept his mouth shut, knowing if anyone found out, they would kill her.
“Anya,” he paused, his eyes glued to where the wolf pup was now curled around itself, facing away from the window. So small and innocent. He would free her, if it was the last thing he did. “Can I trust you?”
“Yes.” Her response was immediate, her voice cool and calm. “I will give my life for any of them.”
He scented the truth on her, which reinforced his decision. Slowly, he turned from the pup to walk back down the hall in the direction he’d come from, indicating with a small jerk of his head for her to follow. Stopping in front of Jasmine’s cell, he said, “I need you to get word to all of them, except the pup, if you can. Ebony has placed kill orders on everyone in this facility, including me.”
He heard her soft gasp. “Ebony?”
He continued walking, as if he were doing his regular routine. Several times in the past, he and the doctor had walked these halls together, chatting, so it shouldn’t raise any red flags. And, if it did? Well, they were already marked for death, anyway. “The General was eliminated a few weeks ago. His daughter, Ebony, took over.”
“I hate that bitch.”
A short burst of laughter left his lips. He’d never heard the scientist curse before. Then, he focused on the one thing she hadn’t commented on. “You knew the General was dead?”
“Yes,” Anya admitted, “but that’s it. They don’t tell us anything down here.”
“How did you know he was gone, then?”
“I have my ways.”
Of course, she did. “They need to be ready to fight, to get the hell out of here when I say. I have a team coming in fast and heavy.”
“When?” That was one thing he liked about the woman. She didn’t ask a bunch of questions. Just the important one.
“Soon.” He didn’t have a set time, but he knew RARE was waiting for Keaton and his men to leave and Ebony’s to attack. They’d originally thought about taking the building while Keaton was still in it, but decided it was best they wait for dark. That was when they did their best work. “And, Anya?”
“Yeah?”
“Vixen’s on our side.”
They had just arrived back at Jasmine’s cell. Lifting a chart from a hook on the front of the door, Anya glanced over it. Then, taking out a keycard, she passed it over the small, black square by the door, grasping the handle to open it as a the tiny, almost inaudible click sounded. Her eyes going to his, she said, “I know,” before disappearing into the room. He followed her, standing just inside the small area, staying near the door. It was required that a guard be with her at all times when she entered a prisoner’s room. She was told it was for her safety, but they both knew the truth. It was to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid. The organization didn’t give a shit about her personal safety. Lucky for her, he did.
Anya’s heart beat wildly as she opened the door to the lynx’s room twenty minutes later. She’d spoken to the fox and the wolf already, her back to the camera, her voice low, letting them know what was happening. They’d been at the facility longer than the lynx. They knew her, knew her heart and soul were good. That she didn’t want to hurt them. The lynx was different. He was wild, crazy with anger. She didn’t blame him. He was trapped in a small cell, which had to be hard on his cat. Add to it the tests and experiments she was required to do. Hell, it drove her crazy. She could imagine what he was going through.
She was aware of Jeremiah’s presence behind her, and while it made her feel safer, she knew if the lynx went for her throat, no one would be able to stop him. For some reason, he hadn’t tried to hurt her, though. She hoped today wasn’t the day he changed his mind.
The large cat paced around the small area, his muscles moving under the golden fur spotted with black. He was one of the most beautiful animals she’d ever seen, and Anya had to force herself not to reach out to touch him. Anya waited patiently for him to approach her, but instead, his eyes centered on Jeremiah, and a low growl built in his throat.
“No!” she whispered, when he crouched low, as if to spring. “You can’t! He’s here to help.”
The cat paused, his gaze going to her, his head cocked to the side as if he was listening to her.
“I need to take a sample.” When he began to growl again, she whispered, “Please. I need to talk.”
The great cat bared his teeth at her on a snarl.
Anya sent a quick glance to the camera in the far corner of the room. “Please.”
She watched as he began to pace around the small area again, looking over at them, his lips pulling back from his fangs in another snarl. She waited, praying he would let her near.
Suddenly, he stopped a distance away from them. He stared at her, as if waiting. Anya took a deep breath and stepped in his direction. When Jeremiah put a hand on her arm to stop her, the cat growled low and deep in his throat.
“It’s okay,” she said quietly, pulling away from him.
“He’s unstable,” Jeremiah growled. “He could hurt you.”
Anya looked at the lynx, her gaze going over the smooth, beautiful coat, and then back to those captivating golden eyes. “He has reason to be.”
“Anya.”
Anya sighed, her gaze skating around the room. “It doesn’t matter, Jeremiah.” And, it didn’t. She would give her life if it meant the lynx lived. She owed it to him, to all of them.
“Your life means something.”
“His means more.” To her, it was the truth.
Slowly, she crossed the room, closing the distance between herself and the cat. Kneeling beside him, she whispered, “Please, whatever you are going to do to me, let me talk first.” A shiver ran through her at the powerful growl that moved up his throat. Lowering her head, she uncapped the needle in her hand. “The man behind me can be trusted.” Another deep growl that sent her heartbeat into overdrive. “He has friends close by. They are going to break in tonight and free you and the others. You need to be ready to fight.” Placing the needle close to his skin, she stopped. She was so tired of hurting people. So tired of living the life she’d been living the past five years. “God, I can’t do this anymore. I just can’t.”
“Anya. You have to. They could be watching. Listening.”
Anya looked into the golden eyes that were staring back at her curiously, and she slowly shook her head. “I can’t, Jeremiah. I won’t hurt him anymore.”
“It’s a fucking needle, Anya. He will be fine.”
Lifting a shaking hand, she placed it gently on the lynx’s neck. He stiffened, but didn’t pull away. “He doesn’t like needles.”
“I don’t give a fuck what he likes.”
Anya’s fingers sank deeper into the lynx’s fur, and she whispered, “I do.”
“They will kill you.” She knew Jeremiah said it for the benefit of the cameras. Keeping up a role he was playing. She was tired of the act. Just plain tired.
“They were going to, anyway.”
“They will move up their timeline.”
“Let them.” Lowering her head, she whispered, “I am so sorry for everything you’ve been through. I hate this place. Hate the things they do. But if I have to choose between my life and yours, I choose you. I promise you, I will get you out of here tonight, or die trying.” Raising her head, knowing she was on dangerous ground, she ran her hand over his neck one last time. “Thank you, lynx, for allowing me near. For letting me touch your beautiful fur. I won’t forget you, even in death.”
Rising, she slipped the needle into her pocket and turned to the door, her back to the lynx. If he wanted to kill her, he would do it. She was walking the tightrope of life right now, anyway, and she knew she would fall soon. Squaring her shoulders, she began to walk toward the door. She waited for an attack that never came. Soon, she was in the hallway with Jeremiah at her side. Tears filled her eyes as she glanced through the large glass window that separated her from the cat. He was staring at her, tracking her movements.
“Stand strong for just a little while longer, Anya.”
“I don’t know that I can,” she admitted, raising a hand to rest it on the clear, cold glass. “All of the pain and suffering, it’s just too much. I can’t do it anymore.”
“You won’t have to,” Jeremiah promised, his hand going to her arm to gently pull her away from the window. “Our plan has been put into motion. It won’t be much longer.”
Anya sighed, and after one last look at the lynx, turned to walk away. She was on borrowed time. She felt it. She may not live through the night, but the others would. The ones who were being held like animals, poked and prodded, experimented on. They would all make it, because she would accept no less.