wrangle Bera into obedience most days. “Pull into the construction site. When the guard comes up to talk to you, give him this.” He unclipped his ID
badge from his jacket pocket. “Tell him I"m doing a random check, and I"ll be back with Mr. Sorenson when I"m done.”
“And who should I say I am if he asks?”
“My partner.” He pulled her into a brief kiss before he turned away to head back toward the warehouse.
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Chapter 12
Checking the street and lot for signs of additional guards, Brand walked with Alice back to the Bioden warehouse.
Halfway there, she asked, “What"s going on, Brand?”
“They"re doing some kind of experiments on Lucas.
They cut him open, and he"s hooked up to machines. I don"t know what they"re doing but there are tubes and wires everywhere.”
She seemed to huddle around herself, tucking her hands further into her coat pockets. “That"s monstrous.” He repressed a shudder. Monstrous didn"t even begin to cover the grotesque nature of the individual who had flayed Lucas open.
Following a long pause, she said, “I"m not sure I"ll be able to unplug him. It depends on what"s been done.”
“I was going to kill him until Erik mentioned you might be able to unhook him, and that"s still the backup plan.” The idea of opening the young male"s throat turned his stomach, but they couldn"t leave Lucas to that fate.
She shuddered. “At least he won"t suffer much longer either way.”
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“True.” The urge to run ahead and put the two guards through a wall almost overwhelmed him. He settled into a simmering silence instead of giving in to the need for violence.
Brand had expected Alice to fall apart when she entered the room, but her expression barely flickered. She stepped up to the bed with decisive strides and examined the machines.
Her forehead creased when she turned her attention to Lucas.
She traced the path of the tubing that drew fluid away from the open cavity of his torso. Pausing to put on latex gloves, she leaned over Lucas"s prone body. With steady hands, she probed his abdomen.
With each minute that passed, her expression grew darker. Finally, her eyes rose to meet Brand"s. “He won"t survive unplugging. They"ve removed his liver and kidneys. The blood is being filtered externally for a reason I can"t determine.
If the organs were only damaged, he might regenerate them given enough time, but they"re completely gone.” Brand"s chest tightened. The realization struck him hard. He"d been so sure she"d be able to save Lucas. “Wait outside, all of you.”
Erik picked up Gunni, who struggled in his arms. He made a soothing noise, and the wolf quieted. He walked out, holding Gunni to his chest. Out in the hallway, he softly spoke to the wolf in Norse.
When Alice didn"t move, Brand came up next to her and put a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring squeeze. “Go on, you don"t need to see this.”
She shrugged off his hand and faced him. “What I don"t need is for you to take on more guilt for something not your fault. This is my responsibility, and I"ll take care of it.”
“Alice, I don"t think you should—”
“I didn"t ask your permission.” Turning away, she spun a dial on one of the machines and pushed buttons on two others. She stripped off her gloves and put a hand on Lucas"s forehead, smoothing his hair. The soothing touch of her empathic power flooded the room.
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Brand took Lucas"s hand. Confusion and fear rushed into him from the contact. He concentrated on the moon, pulling the song into him and through him. He drew on the power of the wolves around him and sent their strength into Lucas, sharing the sense of kinship he felt. The fear melted away and the pain dwindled.
The rhythm of the machines slowed like a clock winding down. The wolf inside of Lucas struggled for one heart-wrenching moment, and then gave in with the body"s last breath. Alice leaned down to kiss his cheek, then whispered,
“Run into the night, the moon awaits.” Her tears fell onto his face, and she wiped them away.
From the hallway, two forlorn howls rose and fell in unison.
* * *
Brand spread several blankets on another gurney while Alice disconnected the hoses and closed up the large incision.
When she finished, he moved Lucas over onto the bed he"d prepared.
Alice tucked a corner of the blanket around Lucas"s feet. “What are we going to do now?” He"d sent Erik to check on their three captives in hope that it would keep his