Del should play it safe, keep his head down and try to get as much information as he could.But he knew, miserably, that he’d made up his mind to escape ahead of schedule.
Now it was only a question ofhow.
The third mistake was almost imperceptible—Andrews didn’t immediately notice Del approaching.That meant two things: that Agent Breaker was temporarily not considered a threat, and that Andrews was severely distracted.
The skinny, shaven kid began to make a small moaning noise, though his fingers didn’t stop blurring over the keyboards.
“That’s enough,” the handler said.“He won’t be useful if you keep pushing him.Layoff, Andrews.”
Andrews’s upper lip pulled back.“He’s finished when Isayso.You’d better watch it, or I’ll have Breaker convince him.”
The handler seemed supremely unconcerned.She reached down, her fingers circling the boy’s wrist.
“Come on, Jarrod.”Her tone was kind; the boy stopped moaning and froze.“Let’s go get you something to eat.”
“I didn’t—” Andrews began, but two of the monitors began to flash red.“Aha!Fine, take him.”
Delgado watched as the boy made it to his feet and shambled away, grinning vacantly while his jaw worked, drool coating his chin.Everything burned out but psychic talent, harnessed to his handler’s voice.
I could have ended up like that.I still might.The thought he’d cherished ever since they’d recaptured him—I will do whatever I have to do to escape you—returned, circled his mind once, and vanished.Now he had to work.
His skin chilled slightly, Zed addiction kicking up a notch.
“You’re jonesing.”Andrews tossed a small black medical pouch; Delgado caught it reflexively.“Here.Have a ball, and make it last.Go back to your room.We won’t need you until we’ve brought her in.”
Del nodded.Are you insane?You’re giving me my own stock of Zed?“You’ve got her?”
“As good as.They’ve split into two—” Andrews glanced up as another monitor began to flash red.“Three—” Another.“What the hell?”
The rabbits have divided, or they’ve found a way to trip all the checkpoints at once.Good thinking.He weighed the bag, backing up while he looked at the monitors.More began to glow red.There’d be no reason for them to trip a bunch of checks unless they’re getting out.If they’re getting out, I could lose them.It’ll take me too much time to track them down again.
There would never be a better chance.
“What thehell—” Andrews was just a fraction of a second too slow.Agent Breaker was gone before he finished the sentence, slipping out of the command center and into the hallway beyond.
With any luck, the sadistic bastard would have his hands too full to notice Del’s absence, would assume he was holed up in his airless little room hyping on Zed.
Delgado unzipped the bag, moving down the hallway.Three hypos.Enough for six days, twelve if he stretched to the point of pain.He had a few weapons—two knives and two guns—and his talent for cracking minds.Plus his wits.
It would have to be enough to escape a full-scale appropriations team and track down the foes who slipped so smoothly through Sigma’s nets.
The first order of business was getting out of this building.He would have to take the stairs.
Chaos erupted behind him, Andrews barking orders.It wasn’t like him or the Colonel to let Del out of their sight without an armed guard, but Agent Breaker had his veins full of Zed and had shown none of his former defiance since recapture.
Besides, Andrews had lost sight of the mission.He was now emotionally invested in Rowan Price.
She seems to bring that out in a lot of people, Del thought, already mentally running over the building layout.There were some unfinished stairs on the east side, but they was chancy at best.
Del turned east, slipping the bag with the hypos into a small loop attached to his rig that would keep them safe.
“Rest easy, sweetheart,” he muttered, hardly aware he was speaking.“Agent Breaker’s coming to get you.”
CHAPTER7
The phone buzzed;Cath flipped it open.“Yeah?”Long pause.“Great.Great news.‘Kay, we’ll see you at home, baby.Tell Zeke I saidsmoochas.”Her fair young face broke into a grin as she hung up.The pixie cut suited her more than the mohawk had.
She shifted the blue Subaru into reverse.“Everyone got out okay.How you doing?”
