“Of course I mean them!” Landry yelled. “We catch them, the whole Deviant chain unravels.”
“But wouldn’t Vice Regent Benton have told you of his plan? Gotten your permission?”
“Not if he thought there was a Deviant spy among us.”
Kyle gulped. A spy? That didn’t make sense. “Why not just tell you at least?”
Several uncomfortable minutes passed, but Kyle didn’t dare say another word.
“I don’t know,” the regent said at last. “But I do know Thomas. He’s as loyal to the NWU as they come. More ambitious than I’ve ever seen. He would never risk all he’s achieved for a silly woman Deviant. No, he has a plan, and it has to be a plan that will increase his power and position. Now, that’s the Thomas I know.”
“So what do you want me to do?”
“Continue to track him. His face will show up on one of the cameras eventually, especially if he wants us to find him.”
“And when wedofind him?” Kyle made sure to use when and not if. He had grown confident in his skills at finding anyone, especially a Deviant lover.
“Hang back but keep an eye on him. Whether he is on our side or not, he’ll lead us right to the main Deviant hideout.” A hideous smile split the regent’s face. “And when he does, we’ll take down the whole lot of them.”
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Hebrews 11:37-38
Chapter 11
The place Tori found for them to “hole up” was a place Thomas would not have stepped a single foot inside of just ten hours ago. In fact, he wouldn’t have even stopped his car outside of the dilapidated, decaying five-story structure that must have been an office building at one time.
Tori pulled a flashlight from her sack and led him to one of the offices toward the back of the building on the ground floor. A rat, joined by two cockroaches, scattered as they entered, and Thomas wondered why she’d not chosen a better place higher up, away from the bugs and vermin. But then he saw the door that led to a back courtyard, and he knew why. They needed an escape route should the NWU troops find them.
And once again, he got a taste of what this incredible woman had been through these past years.
She plopped down on what was left of a leather couch, leaned her head back, and took a deep breath.
For the first time in his life, Thomas was at a loss for words. Shock. He must be in shock. Nothing made sense anymore. His thoughts spun like a cyclone, refusing to land. His heart felt as heavy as a concrete block. He sat beside her, listening to her breathing, the patter of rats, and sirens in the distance, and hoped beyond hope this was all a nightmare and he’d wake up soon.
But the electricity still buzzing through him from the taser screamed that this was his new reality.
After a few minutes, Tori opened her sack and pulled out two strips of beef jerky, handing him one.
Beef Jerky? Thomas held up a hand. “No thanks. Not hungry.”
“You should eat. We have a long way to travel tomorrow.” After a few minutes, she added, “Listen, I know it’s a far cry from what you’re used to.”
She must have sensed his disgust. Grabbing it, he ripped off a piece with his teeth and nearly choked at the taste. “What did you mean by nanotech in the vaccines?”
A few minutes passed before she responded. “There’s a lot you don’t know. Let’s just say the vaccines aren’t what you think they are.”
Thomas didn’t know what to make of that, but let it go. Instead, he asked, “So, that was your sister’s house?”
“Yup.”
“Why aren’t you still living there?”
“Are you kidding me?” She huffed. “That’s the first place they looked when I was labeled a Deviant Rebel.”
Thomas cursed under his breath. Of course. He glanced at her, wishing he could see her face, her expression, but she kept the flashlight off. “I’m sorry.”
“Are you?”
