Cam hated leaving Ria alone in Axel’s office, but the moment they got to the medical wing and spoke to Gage, he was glad she didn’t have to hear about it. Even the worst-case scenario of a crust-fish fever epidemic was better than an unknown pathogen on the loose. And as far as how the possible mutation might impact the human population traipsing through the Big Bang Truck Stop? Catastrophic-case scenario.
Gage met them at the entrance to the medical wing. “Cam, I’m glad you’re here. I wish I had better news.”
“Still no change?”
“Oh no. There have been lots of changes. Two members of Prudence’s family, her aunt, Virginia Westfall and one of her cousins, Claire, are exhibiting the same symptoms. The other cousin, Cindy has no symptoms whatsoever. And that’s the only good news.”
“And the bad?”
“The Westfall family’s next door neighbor, Mr. Barbour, an Alpha man our father’s age, has come down with the same thing.”
Axel sucked in an audible breath as they followed their brother through the entrance into the deserted reception area. “It’s spreading?”
Gage shrugged. “It must be. I don’t know what this illness is, but that is my first assumption based on all we know. And I use the word ‘all’ very loosely, since we don’t know much.”
“What about the cousin who isn’t sick?”
“At first, she had the same symptoms as the others. Over the course of a couple hours, she got better. She never lost consciousness, but she’s sound asleep now, clearly physically exhausted. It’s like her body needs to recharge. We could try to force her awake with meds, but the consensus is she should sleep until she wakes on her own. Unfortunately, that means I haven’t been able to question her.”
“Does Diesel know yet?” Axel asked the question, but Cam wanted to know the answer more.
“I called him. He’s on his way down.”
Cam’s first inclination was to get back to Ria and avoid a confrontation with Diesel in his capacity as Fearless Leader, but he planted his feet, prepared to answer for the consequences of this debacle of epic proportions.
Gage told Axel, “I caught him as he was leaving your office, so he should be here shortly.”
A line of icy fear ran down Cam’s spine. He and Axel exchanged a quick and intense death stare ofwhat in the space potato world of debaucherycould go more wrong?
As if conjured, Diesel appeared at the entryway.
“Gage, Axel.” He pinned his chief of security with an unbending gaze that shouted, “I know exactly what you’ve done,” and said, “Cam.”
Not one of the three younger brothers missed his tone.
“What’s going on down here, Gage? Why the urgent call?” He stared at Cam as he spoke.
Cam refused to be intimidated. He’d screwed up, but he wasn’t a child. “Were you just in Axel’s office?” He couldn’t help himself. The world was caving in around him, but he needed to know what, if any, interaction Diesel had had with Ria.
“Maybe. Why?”
“You know why.”
Diesel crossed his arms. Cam recognized his eldest brother’s stance. It was the one he used when preparing to deliver a lecture. “What if I told you I ran into someone unexpected in Axel’s office?”
Cam shrugged.
“And what if I told you I shot that person with a Defender?”
“Infantile revenge isn’t really your style, but whatever helps you get through the day.” Cam mirrored Diesel’s stance. He hoped Ria was okay. He was glad they’d talked about what she should do if someone pointed a Defender at her. Diesel wasn’t one for leaving loose ends, so he’d probably rounded up someone to move the “unconscious” Ria aboveground so she would “wake up” there without any memory of the underground facilities.
“Why would you shoot her with a Defender?” Axel asked. “She’s an Alpha.”
Cam shot Axel a glare.
“She is?” Diesel said with a sly smile. Axel’s revelation was obviously not news to him. “Where on Earth did she come from?”
