For both of them.
“Andrews mentioned he’d seen you again.You’ve been a very naughty boy.”
Del searched for words.“Go fuck yourself,” he rasped, tongue thick and useless, slurred with the Zed.It was so hard to care about anything when the drug had its claws in you.But when they took the needle out, he’d only have a short time before he started to unravel without that fire.
Oldest trick in the book—get your unwilling operative hooked.A classic, really.
“Language.”Anton waved an admonishing finger.“We’re going to have a little talk about Miss Price.And then you’re going to go back into training.You’ve gone a bit soft.Then you’ll start a regular routine of work until your Talent or your body gives out.There is…” Here the Colonel paused for effect.“No hope for you.”
Del blinked at him again.I will do whatever I have to do to escape again.
The colonel settled, legs braced, leaning on his cane.“Where is Rowan Price?”
Delgado shook his head.Who?
“Do you want to be tortured?We can go that route again.”
He cleared his throat.“Whatever you’re asking me,” he said slowly, slurred with the drug, “makes no sense.I rememberpushingmyself to forget.”
Anton stared at him for a moment, then turned on his heel.His cane thumped against the floor.
Just before he reached the door, he paused.
“Training starts tomorrow, Agent Breaker.And the first thing you’ll be doing is hunting down whatever rats escaped our cleanup.”
Colonel Anton limped out of the room.
The door hissed shut.
Del closed his eyes.The Zed reached his head, and everything else faded away.
CHAPTERFORTY-TWO
The buried cache of weapons,rations, cash and clothes was undisturbed; Cath, Zeke, and Eleanor brought it back.There was even a plastic box holding car keys, Yoshi told Rowan the vehicles were at a warehouse in the city waiting for pickup.
The small house Henderson had the keys for was empty save for a few mattresses in each room, but Rowan didn’t care.She dropped onto one in the living room and was instantly asleep; she dreamed of blank white walls and something like icy lava eating through her arms and legs.
When she woke fourteen hours later, the house was transformed into an impromptu command center.Yoshi perched on a chair, looking a lot more comfortable now that he had a keyboard, screen, and hard drive.Cath handed Eleanor a cup of something that smelled an awful lot like coffee, and Bobby was busy sorting ammunition into different boxes.The others were probably out getting supplies or in other rooms, working away like busy little bees.
“Morning.”Henderson looked down at her, hunched over a table with a map and a cell phone on it.There were markers on the map, lead weights painted different colors.“Want some coffee?”
She opened her mouth to say yes, but nothing came out.Instead, she levered herself to her feet to find the bathroom, stumbling.It was a relief to close a door, and the sound of the flushing toilet covered the low sobbing noise she made.There were paper towels stacked near the sink; she washed her face with cold water and patted it dry.She ran her fingers through tangled hair, grimacing.
The hum of dampers was normal, now, and she was no longer a wildly-emitting distress beacon.Her eyes had giant dark circles underneath; her hands shook.
She walked like a robot down the hall, into the living room again.The shades were drawn tight, slivers of sunlight falling through the cracks.The house was warm; Rowan collapsed on the mattress again, staring fixedly at all the activity.
Cath brought a cup of coffee.“Drink.You drained yourself last night.You’ll need food too.Come on, Price.”
Rowan obediently drank.
Hot, and sweet.Rowan sighed as sugar and caffeine began to sink in.Henderson made more notations on the map, then rolled it up and turned to in her direction.
She met his steel-colored gaze squarely, and waited for condemnation.
“You saved lives last night, Price,” he said finally.“We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t done what you did.”
She cleared her throat, a sad little sound.“I cost you your best operative, General.I didn’t see the trap in time.”
