“I know. Who do you think is organizing the missions with Nolan?” Erik’s cold eyes inspect me for a beat before he tracks back to the meds. “You put yourself here, Cameron. Not me. You know that…as much as you know you’re killing yourself with these.” He lifts the pill bottle for emphasis.
My smile is small and defeated. “I’m different, lieutenant. They won’t kill me like the others.” A stream of blood trickles down my nose and over my lips. I wipe it away with my sleeve. Nose bleeds are a normal side effect of the drug, but so is murdering my partners, apparently.
He raises his brows like he pities me and mutters as he leaves, “No. You’re not different, Mori. No matter how much you crave to be special, you simply aren’t.”
His comment is a strike to the gut.
I stare at the gray walls of the arena, thinking about his words while I wait for Nolan to retrieve me for the injections.
Erik’s wrong. I am different.No one’s survived this long on the enhancement medication. I’m the only one who’s shown a positive response to them. The injections are supposed to be a huge improvement from the pills, especially when used together. Well, at least that’s the end goal. We’ll see how it actually starts off.
I’m going to be whatever the Dark Forces wants me to be, and with these stimulants I can become the ideal soldier they desire, able to kill more efficiently.
The ultimate weapon feels no pain.
Nolan doesn’t say a word when he sees me waiting for him. He keeps his hands tucked in his camo pant pockets and offers a short nod.
We pass the barracks and my eyes are drawn to a splash of soft pink.She’s already awake?
I stop, not really knowing why. All I know is that I want to observe her from afar as much as I do up close. There’s something about the way she holds herself that demands my attention. The red that rims her eyes and makes her skin look soft. The fierceness that radiates in her soul.
“Mori.” Nolan’s voice is sharp and pulls me from somewhere deep in my mind.
I break my trance on her and resume walking, trying to sort out the confusion she instills inside me.
I can’t remember the last time I didn’t want to hurt someone.
7
EMERY
Despite my pride,last night was probably one of the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time. I fix my hair into two braids and toss them over my shoulder. A few pink strands border my face, my bangs crest just over my brow.
Cameron wasn’t in bed when I woke up.
It’s early, so I’m surprised that he’s already awake. Everyone else is still either lightly snoring or tossing and turning in a fit of unrest. I quietly get dressed in my tactical gear, including the vest. If there’s anything I learned yesterday, it’s that I don’t trust anyone down here. They’re all practically feral and ready to fight at a moment’s notice. I pull a black hoodie with DF embroidered on the left sleeve corner on over everything.
Everything down here is cold.
I think of how close Cameron was pressed against me last night. His arm wrapped around my center and his lips buried in the crook of my neck. My cheeks burn and I shake my head to clear away the dark thoughts forming in my brain as I recall his boner against my ass at some point.
A flash of movement draws my attention to the door leading to the arena.Cameron?
My feet are quiet as I slink across the vast cement room and peek around the corner. The heel of a combat boot slips from view and down a different hallway. I glance over my shoulder to make sure no one has woken up before following the person.
I didn’t get to explore by myself last night, so curiosity keeps me moving forward. I don’t remember this path being on Cameron’s little tour.
A beeping sound around the corner makes me pause at the edge before peeking. Two men stand at a metal door with a keypad next to it, just like the one leading into the Under.
The shorter man in front is without a doubt General Nolan, I’d know that pristine haircut anywhere. The taller one behind him is harder to recognize since he’s wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled up. My eyes narrow as his head turns enough for me to see his dark brows and sharp jawline.
Cameron? Where is he going?
The two of them step through the door, and it shuts behind them. There are no windows to peek through or other ways to see where they went from this area. I even go as far as to search for a vent in hopes I can find a way to listen in and gain information, but this place is locked up tight.
What lies behind that door? If Cameron knew it existed, then why didn’t he include it on the tour yesterday?
Stop thinking about him, I tell myself as I pick through a bland bowl of cereal in the cafeteria. It’s been an hour and I still can’t get him off my mind.
