Freak of Nature - By Julia Crane Page 0,38
saw a flashlight swoop over her.
“How long are they going to do this nonsense?” Lucas asked, distracting the guard.
“Who knows. They said it would be random.” The door slammed shut.
“Can I go now?” Lucas asked.
“Yeah, man. See you tomorrow. Just following orders.”
“I hear you. It’s just annoying. I’ve been here twelve hours and ready to call it a night.” Lucas shut his door and started the engine.
“Take it easy,” the guard yelled as the Jeep rolled forward.
Close call. Kaitlyn let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She was jostled when they rolled over a speed bump. Lucas had put himself at risk for her. What did this mean? Was she really escaping? Her body revved up at the prospect.
They drove for a short while before Kaitlyn felt the vehicle’s gears shift and begin to slow. They came to a stop, and the back door swung open.
Kaitlyn launched herself at Lucas, her arms wrapping around his neck. “I can’t believe you got me off the compound.”
His face seemed paler than usual. “We got lucky. Of all the days to do a stupid vehicle check. If it had been anyone other than me, he would have gone over the Jeep with a fine-toothed comb.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“What now? Where are we going to go?”
Lucas’s face fell, and his shoulders slumped. “It’s not like that, Kate. We’re not leaving forever. They’d hunt us down, and I’d go to prison, and then they would probably shut down your system.”
“Oh.” Kaitlyn stepped away from him, suddenly sad. This wasn’t an escape; she would be going back to the compound. She would be sold as a top secret super soldier. She focused on the fact that she was alone with Lucas, and that would have to be enough for now. And he thought she was worth losing his job over. That alone spoke volumes.
“Why did you do this? You could lose your job or worse.”
“I wanted to spend some time alone with you. Tomorrow, you might be leaving for good.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Reluctantly, he pulled away. “You’re worth the risk.”
“Won’t they realize we’re off the property?”
“We’ll only have a couple of hours. If anyone checks the tapes, they’ll see you leave with Quess, and they’ll expect you’ve been with her the whole time. I also put a glitch in your GPS to make it appear as if you haven’t left.”
Kaitlyn thought about this information. She could knock Lucas out and take off, leaving the compound for good. But as soon as he put the GPS back online they would be able to find her. Lucas would lose his job, and potentially worse.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his warm lips once more. “Thank you. Where are we going?”
“We can’t go too far away, I’m afraid.”
“I don’t care, as long as I’m with you.”
Lucas grabbed her hand and led her over to the passenger side. She slid into the front seat. Once Lucas was in the driver side, he placed his hand on Kaitlyn’s lap. His warm hand against her cool skin sent shivers through her. Being around him made her feel like a woman, not a thing. Her body responded to his touch in ways that sent her mind spinning. She never wanted to leave his side.
They drove five miles, then Lucas flicked on his blinker and turned down a narrow, unpaved side road. The area was remote—not a house in sight. The Jeep was surrounded on all sides by towering trees. It seemed like all she saw was trees.
“I come here sometimes,” he said, “to think.”
Kaitlyn tilted her head to the side. “You have a place you go to think?” she asked, bewildered.
Lucas squeezed her hand. “It’s relaxing. You’ll see.”
He continued driving. The road got narrower and steeper. The sun had set long ago, and the sky was pitch dark this deep in the woods. Finally, Lucas pulled the Jeep to a halt at the top of what appeared to be a ledge. He left the lights on and hurried around to open her door, but Kaitlyn had already climbed out.
“One minute. I have to grab something from the back.”
He returned with the blanket in his arms. Anticipation coursed through Kaitlyn’s body.
“I’m sorry I can’t take you out on a proper date, but time is limited and the compound is away from civilization. It takes ages to anywhere. I was going to pack a picnic, but I