Travis popped around the corner, and Nick pretended to fumble with his belt. Travis’s lips parted into a demented smirk.
“Boss needs us. Uglies broke through part of the fence somewhere,” Travis said.
“I guess we’ll have to pick back up another time.” Nick directed his words to Kate, then turned to leave.
“In your dreams, asshole!” Kate shouted at Nick’s back.
“Whatever, bitch,” Nick retorted. Travis turned the corner, and just before Nick walked out the door, he turned to Kate, lifted the visor on his helmet, and winked at her.
Nick soaked up Kate’s vibrant smile just before closing her in and locking her away.
Finding the helmet had been a godsend. Concealing his face was vital. The guards that had been in the forest would have recognized him. Because his and Kate’s safety depended on it, obscuring everything about himself was requisite. His hair, his eyes, his voice. If one small thing stuck out to the guards, he was done for. If Kate had picked up on anything about him and they caught the slightest gleam in her eyes, death would follow.
The helmet was matte black with built-in night vision. The comms system was dead but provided the voice distortion. A mandible guard crossed over his mouth, and a ballistics visor dropped down to hide his eyes. With so many things integrated, the helmet was surprisingly lighter than Nick had expected. If he were an overlord commanding an army in space, he imagined the soldiers would wear something similar.
“I think that frisky little cunt likes you, dude.” Travis cut Nick a grin, and Nick envisioned pummeling his knuckles into thosecrusty, contemptible lips until the skin broke open and teeth jutted through bloody flesh.
“Shut the fuck up, Travis,” Nick replied, ignoring the ache of his fists to connect.
“Seriously, man. Since you got here, you’ve never shown an interest in the captives. I’ve been trying to pull you to the dark side since day one. Now, all of a sudden, you want to call dibs on the sexiest one here? You threatened to fucking kill me over some damn pussy.”
Nick’s chest tightened as his character came into question. Apparently, he was not being very Alex-like. What else had he done that stirred up suspicion? Nick forced information from Alex about the location of the warehouse but never considered it important enough to gain some insight about the person Nick would have to impersonate.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t know the dark side was going to have women like that.” Nick cringed at his own words. To fit into his new role, Nick slipped into the energy around him.
Every person had a price tag. Morals? What were those?
Travis clapped Nick’s shoulder and chuckled, which told Nick he had given a proper dirtbag answer.
Just say what you have to say to stay alive. It doesn’t define you.Nick reminded himself while Travis babbled on about women who had passed through previously. In great, unwanted detail, he placed them into categories based on appearance and then ranked them on performance.
It’s just a game. A horrible, twisted game. My life depends on this. Kate’s life depends on this. I can do this. I can pretend, just for a little while.
Chapter 36
“Hey, are you there?” a girl’s voice stirred Kate from an attempt at sleep. Though the forfeiture of modern conveniences had not allowed Kate a consistent place to sleep, an arm under her head against solid concrete was still something she was getting used to.
Kate lifted herself up and looked around. Her cell was empty. She would say nothing was out of place, but that would require the presence of items that were able to be disturbed. Assuming she must have dreamt the voice, Kate laid her head back on the wall and closed her eyes.
“Hello?” the muffled voice came through again.
“Who’s there?” Kate asked.
“I’m in the room next to you,” the voice answered. Kate pressed her ear to the wall as the girl’s voice came through almost inaudibly.
Kate had known, of course, that other people were being held inside these walls. Sometimes, she caught glimpses of someone being transported or heard the guards speaking with them.
“I’m Kate. What’s your name?”
“Avery.”
“How old are you, Avery?”
“Fifteen,” Avery said, and Kate’s face fell. Fifteen years old and locked away to be sold as a slave. All this time, the despair of isolation had clouded Kate’s mind. Not once had she stopped to think about the others here. Not in any empathetic capacity, at least. To find that not only were there others in Kate’s position, but mere children, brought a heaviness upon her.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Avery asked.
The question caused a stir of worry in Kate. Avery must have heard Nick and her talking. Moments passed before Kate decided how to answer.
