“What’s Ken doing?”
“There are other people working in the building. He’s setting off the alarms.” Jack was already running as he gave her the information, Ryland across his back. Logan stumbled after him with Lily in his arms.
Mari hesitated, torn between running to join her team and getting them all away safely, or going after Ken. Ken won. She dove back into the building, landing in a roll and getting up on her feet, sprinting through the room to the hall. She heard shouting and the sound of people running. Lab techs and researchers hurried to get outside. She couldn’t see Ken anywhere, and she started down the hall, ignoring a man who caught at her shirt and tried to tug her toward a door.
The shriek of a siren cut through the air, a loud alarm that drove the tension up significantly. Doors opened and more people spilled into the hall, rushing toward the nearest exit. Ken! Where are you? What if he was still groggy and he’d passed out? What if Whitney’s man on the inside had already found him and stuck a knife in his back? For a moment she couldn’t breathe, utter terror consuming her, the sensation one she’d never known before.
Mari, are you clear? Get the hell out of the building. Where are you? Ken’s voice penetrated her mind.
Relief was instantaneous, sweeping through her so that for a moment her legs went rubbery. She leaned against the wall for support, feeling sick, her fist closing around the cross Ken had given her, holding it tightly, as if she could thus somehow keep him close to her.
“Mari!” Sean’s voice startled her. She turned to see him running toward her, gesturing toward the exit a few yards ahead of her. “Run.”
She whirled around and ran right into someone, bounced off and slid to the floor. Sean reached her. Without breaking stride, he grabbed her by the shirt and yanked her after him. “Run! Come on, Mari, run.”
They sprinted for the exit, using blurring enhanced speed, diving out the door and racing across the ground. She knew she was on the opposite side of the laboratory from the other GhostWalker team. She still didn’t know where Ken was, but her people were covering them and anyone trying to stop them was going to be shot. She had to go back with them to the compound. No matter what, she had to go. It was the only way to protect her sisters—and Ken. Nothing could happen to Ken.
She kept pace beside Sean, staying to the hedges for as much cover as possible. Sean handed her a gun as they ran, signaling her to go up and over the security fence. She shoved the gun in the waistband of her jeans and leapt to catch the top of the high fence, flip over, and drop to the other side.
Ken would try to follow them. The moment he knew they were gone, he would come after her. And he’d remember that she’d knocked him out. Ken Norton wasn’t a man to forget such things. Her breath came out in a little sob, and Sean shot her a sharp glance and fell back to protect her.
The blast was thunderous, debris shooting up and out as the building exploded. The fence burst outward toward them. The concussion blew both of them into the air and sent them flying across a small open expanse of grass to land hard on the ground. The air left her lungs in one awful rush, leaving Mari gasping and wheezing.
Sean crawled to her side. “Can you move? We’ve got to keep going.”
She nodded. Everything hurt. She couldn’t hear very well, but it didn’t matter. She had to get out of there and she had to get out fast. She climbed unsteadily to her feet, using Sean as a crutch. Her arm was bleeding.
Instead of running, Sean retained his hold on her, inspecting her for damage. He took in the bruises on her wrists and face, the marks on her neck, and the too-big pair of jeans. He stepped closer and inhaled. “Some son of a bitch f**ked you. I can smell his stench all over you,” he snarled.
It was the last thing she’d expected him to say. “What? No sympathy? No how did they treat you? No wow, you were shot, it’s a miracle you’re alive?” Mari scowled at him. “Nice of you to get so upset on my behalf, Sean. Too bad you don’t feel the same way when Brett comes to my room and you let him in. You’re a hypocrite.”
“That’s bullshit. It isn’t the same.”
“Why? Because you didn’t get to have your usual vicarious experience? What do you do? Stand there and listen while he beats the crap out of me and then gets what he wants? Don’t pretend to get all bent because some man touched me. You give the key to Brett whenever he gets a little horny.”
“I do my job. You’re in a special program. Get pregnant and the visits will stop. I know you’re doing something to prevent it. Whitney knows your cycle. You should be knocked up by now, and then he wouldn’t let Brett near you again.”
Sean slapped her across the face. Without hesitation, Mari punched him hard, turning into it, pushing off with her right foot to use every bit of strength she possessed. Sean dropped like a stone when her fist smashed into his cheekbone. Simultaneously, a bullet whined just over him, right where his head had been.
Don’t you dare shoot him, Ken. She should have known the man would never let anyone walk away with her. I have to go back.
Bullshit.
She detested the implacable resolve in his voice—in his mind. You know the way you feel about Jack? That’s the way I feel about my sisters. I’m not taking a chance with their lives. So you’re not shooting him.
Sean climbed unsteadily to his feet. Mari didn’t back up or even flinch, staring him straight in the eye. “I can see you’re very torn up about my appearance. The gunshot wound, the broken leg and hand, and by the way, Zenith kills if it’s in your system too long—but maybe you knew that already. I died and had to be revived.”
“Zenith saved your life.” Sean rubbed his face, glaring at her. He inhaled her scent and scowled, still obviously furious over the idea that she’d been with a man. “Some man treated you like a camp whore and you’re thinking you might give birth to his baby? No chance, Mari. When you get back, you’re going to make damn sure you’re not pregnant.”
“How do you know how he treated me, Sean? Maybe I jumped him. You just never know with me. After Brett, a monkey might look good.”
“I’ve known you for years, Mari. Why do you think I stay in that hellhole and put up with Whitney’s insanity?”
“Because you care? Is that what you’re going to say? Save it. You pimp me out to that jerk and then have the gall to pretend we’re still friends. No thanks, Sean. You killed that a long time ago. You’ve been brainwashed by Whitney’s ‘take one for the good of mankind’ speech, but you know, it seems I’m always the one taking it, not you.” She stepped close to him, her fingers balled into two tight fists. “And if you ever hit me again, you’d better make damn certain I can’t ever get up, because I’ll kill you.”
She turned away from him and began to jog toward the tree-line, head up, shaking with fury. Sean had been her friend, someone she cared a great deal about. Whatever had gotten into him sickened her. Her vision blurred and she stumbled, realized she was crying, and wiped the tears with the back of her hand.
Ken. Can you hear me? She reached out to him, needing someone. She never needed anyone, but she was shaken and angry and terrified that something could have happened to him.