Chapter 51
Nick ran into the dining room, almost stepping on Margot’s body. The woman lay sprawled across the floor with a steak knife protruding from the thin, papery skin of her neck. He glanced down only a moment to ensure she was dead, then his eyes landed on Kate. She stood beside a chair with a pallor of fresh snow and her breathing erratic. Nick pulled off his helmet and set it on the table.
“Baby, hey! Look at me! Are you okay?” Nick approached her, turning her face toward his. Kate’s eyes rolled back in her head, and the veins in her temples were throbbing. Nick recognized what was taking place. He knew these symptoms well.
Kate’s eyes fluttered, and she opened her mouth to respond. Only weak, strenuous breaths left her lips. Her body crumpled in on itself. Nick caught her weight, setting her down in the chair in which she was once restrained. He noted the severed leather straps.
“Are you turning? Did they infect you?” Nick asked.
Kate eyed the plate of meat sitting on the table. At first, Nick assumed she could not reply until he followed her gaze.
“Shit,” Nick said as understanding settled over him. He stood and kissed her temple. “Please, don’t be afraid. It’s a difficult transformation, but I will bring you back. Stay strong.”
Nick set his pack on the table next to him and ripped it open. As he rummaged through it, footsteps approached from behind him. Expecting to see Marcus or one of his soldiers, Nick turned and stopped short. The barrel of a gun was aimed at his face, and the man behind it was unfamiliar.
Nick released his backpack and raised his arms in the air. The man, one of Margot’s guards, looked from Nick to Kate, and one eye squinted in question. Kate snarled in the man’s direction, hungry and predatory. Nick put a hand out to keep her in place, and raspy growls rumbled over her lips. The man turned his gun on her.
“No!” Nick shouted and stepped between the man’s pistol and Kate.
“What do you want with an Ugly?” The man’s confusion spread across his face, and there was a hint of delight that he had found something to wager with Nick.
“Listen, your boss is dead. This operation is shut down. You can just walk away. I have no fight with you. But if you pull that trigger, I will get to you before you can pull it again. And then I’m going to kill you.” Nick stared the man down until he lowered the gun.
“Whatever, I’m out of here.” The man backed out of the room, watching Nick with hesitation. When he reached the doorway of the dining room, Nick could hear him break into a sprint. Nick waited until he was certain the man was gone, then turned to his backpack on the table.
With the man gone, Kate settled in the chair. While she followed Nick’s movements, she seemed otherwise disinterested in him. He stuck a needle into a vial of the liquid given to him by Dr. Chamberlain and withdrew the appropriate amount.
When commotion inched toward the dining room, Nick did not wait to see who approached. He capped the needle and set it on the table, then pulled his pistol from his waistband and trained it on the doorway.
“Woah, hey man! It’s me!” Marcus’s arms shot up in the air, and he paused. The presence of a living being roused Kate, and Nick held her with one hand as he returned the gun to his holster.
“Shit, Nick, I’m so sorry, man.” Marcus gazed at Nick with apology. “I can, um, you know, do what needs to be done if you can’t.”
“Do not touch her,” Nick warned. A look of surprise crossed Marcus’s face. Nick picked up the syringe, positioned it at a vein in Kate’s arm, and jabbed the needle into her skin. After dispensing the liquid into her vein, Nick tossed the syringe on the table and gripped Kate’s hand as her body began to convulse in response.
“What did you just do?” Marcus asked.
Kate’s thrashing calmed slightly, and her ragged breathing grew inconsistent as though her body was fighting itself.
“It’s okay, baby. Take it slow. Just let it run its course and come back to me,” Nick soothed, ignoring Marcus’s presence as he shifted his attention to Kate in disbelief.
Kate calmed until her movements were slight, and she settled back into the chair. The dark cloud that had overtaken her eyes began to clear.
“There you go. You’re okay. I’m right here.” Nick touched a hand to her face, stroking her cheek. Kate’s body was still, and her breathing focused.
“Nick,” the word fell from Kate’s mouth in a whimper. Her eyes managed to meet his, until her body quivered, and her eyes fluttered shut. Her consciousness was swept away by the vigorous transformations occurring so rapidly.
“Did you just fucking cure her?” Marcus’s voice pitched in amazement. Nick closed up his pack and slung it around his shoulders. When he turned to face Marcus, soldiers from Fort Vanguard passed the dining room, escorting captives out of the building. Nick waited and watched.
“Avery!” Nick called as she came into view. She turned and smiled at the sight of him. Breaking away from the crowd, Avery rushed in and hugged Nick. He held her tight and sent up a silent prayer of thanks that he was able to deliver on his promise to her.
“Kate?” Avery’s gaze fixed on the woman slumped in the dining chair.
“She’ll be okay. Avery, this is Marcus. He leads the refuge you’re being taken to. It’s a good place with kind people. He’ll help you get settled in.” Avery nodded and rejoined the crowd of people making their exodus.
Nick turned to Marcus. “I can’t take her back like this. Take the hostages back to the base. We’ll meet up with you there when I can get her stabilized.”
“But what did you just—”
