Page 92 of Lethal Weakness

I can’t stop looking at all of the hospital beds. The shackles.

“There’s no operating room,” the one who looked at Linden’s leg says. He’s medically trained, and that’s the only reason I allowed it.

“So?”

“That means they weren’t taking their victims anywhere to operate on.”

“Are you saying that they didn’t experiment on them here?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” He walks between the beds, lifting one of the clipboards left behind. “They operated on them right here, in front of everyone. So the others had to watch.”

I promised I wouldn’t lie to Linden anymore… But I don’t think she can know about this. It’ll kill her.

“Fucking monsters.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Linden

Idon’t know if I ever truly fell asleep. I closed my eyes when the shadows passing by the windows felt haunting, and I buried my head against Avery’s hair at every faint creak or sound from outside.

I tried to put my mind to bed, but I spent more time stuck in a state of paralysis with a racing heart than I did with my eyes closed.

I should be livid at Jack for locking us in this room, but I’m afraid that I wouldn’t feel safer anywhere else.

What if he doesn’t come back?

I need him to come back. More than that, I want him here with me, and that thought feels like a betrayal when he’s done so much to destroy my trust.

But he saved us.

Over and over, he’s saved us. All the times he promised he would keep us safe don’t seem like an embellishment anymore. He was never overstating his desire to protect us.

I know now that he has the skill set that makes his promises all the more sincere.

“Mommy?” Avery’s soft voice wakes just after the windows begin glowing with the rising sun.

“Hi, baby. I’m here.”

“Mommy!” She buries her head against my chest, and we hold each other tight for a long time.

I don’t want to let her go, but Jack said we were leaving at dawn, and I have to put on a brave face for her.

“Guess what we’re doing today?”

“What?”

“Going on a trip!” I say as excitedly as I can despite the gaping hollow feeling in my chest.

“Where?”

“I don’t know, but Jack will tell us soon.”

“Mr. Jack is coming?”

“Yeah, he is.”

“Yay! I love Mr. Jack,” she squeals. I know her growing brain is still learning to sort out all of her big emotions, but I imagine being rescued by our neighbor last night had a big impact on her.