Liberated

  I frown as I try to remember the faces of the people who helped Cole. They moved concrete blocks with him, piling them up until I was free. The memory sends shivers up my spine. Cole had talked me through one of my flashbacks to keep me from panicking while I was stuck and afterward, the Sinners who helped promised they wouldn’t hurt me. They easily could’ve turned me in and still could.

  “So you know my name,” I say in a low voice.

  “I do, Lexi. And I know you’re close to Sutton, and you’re worried about him.”

  My stomach drops. I run to the man and shake him with both hands. “Tell me everything. Is he alive? Is he okay?” The man blinks. “Start talking.” His shoulders slump, and I drop my hands, realizing I can’t force him to tell me anything.

  “He’s beaten often, but he’s alive.”

  The words give me hope while also filling me with dread.

  “He’s been forced to participate in perfecting the virus,” the man continues, “and Wilson had him experiment on certain Sinners they kept as prisoners. But that’s all I know.”

  “Did you ever talk to him? To Sutton?”

  “Only for a very brief time.”

  “Did he mention the records?”

  The man shifts uncomfortably under the weight of my stare. “Only to say he knew they were destroyed.” His very posture radiates hopelessness. “He was so worried about you, and I told him as far as I knew you were still alive and with your guard.”

  “He didn’t say anything else?”

  “He mentioned a name, asking if she had gotten in.”

  “Can you remember who it was?”

  “June, maybe?”

  I cock my head. “Jade?”

  “That’s it—Jade.”

  “My mom.” I run my hands through my tangled hair. I’m royally confused as to why Sutton would care about my mom being here with me. “Why’d he ask about her?”

  “Who knows,” the man says softly.

  I don’t have time to dwell on it, though. “How many prisoners is Wilson keeping?” I ask the stranger.

  “No clue. I never saw them. They’re kept in lockdown. It’s an area of the Commander’s headquarters I’m not cleared for.”

  “Do you know how to get in?”

  “Yes.” He pauses, twisting his shirt in his hands. “Look you gotta trust me on this. I’m only here to help.”

  “Hello?” Cole interrupts, coming into the room, his eyes darting from me to the man. “What’s going on here?”

  “It appears we’ve got a new recruit,” I say, stepping aside. “His name is …”

  “Gabe,” the man supplies. “Nice to see you again, Cole.” Gabe extends his hand, and Cole takes it tentatively.

  “You do look familiar,” he says.

  “He worked in the lab, and he wants to join us,” I say. I can hardly contain my excitement over recruiting someone who’s on the inside.

  “You wouldn’t happen to have any information on the training center, would you?” Cole asks.

  “A little,” Gabe replies.

  “Good,” Cole says. “Welcome to the resistance.”

  Gabe smokes a full pack of cigarettes before we even return to the cement block we call a base. When I ask him where he got them, he shrugs and says it was the one ration he requested from the guards.

  “I’m brilliant and irreplaceable,” he says with a sparkle in his eye. “They don’t have a choice but to give me the one thing I ask for because there’s hardly anyone one left in the lab.”

  “What about Stephen?”

  “He didn’t make it after they spotted him fighting when you tried to get the records out.” Gabe’s face sobers. “Some of my friends who worked with me were identified by the cameras at the gate when it went down. I was the only lucky one.”

  “Oh my gosh, Gabe. I’m so sorry,” I say in a low voice.

  “Revenge has its perks. We’ll make them pay,” Cole says.

  Gabe straightens his boulder-size shoulders and flicks an acknowledging glance Cole’s way. Then he proceeds to light up another cigarette. His long, red beard sticks out among the Sinners. Not to mention that he’s a foot taller than most of them—and smoking like a chimney.

  “Who’s this?” Bruno asks, coming over to us. His posture’s upright and tense. He squints while evaluating Gabe. I don’t blame him. Gabe’s almost as tall as Bruno—and about as wide.

  “A valuable recruit,” I say. “Bruno, meet Gabe.”

  “Nice to have you,” Bruno says, but he appears unconvinced. “Up for an interrogation, my man?”

  “As long as my fingernails remain intact,” Gabe says, “sure.”

  “Yes, Bruno’s intimidating,” Bill says, sidling up to us, “but it’s not him you have to worry about. It’s me.” His eyes hold an evil gleam. He punches Gabe in the shoulder and smiles crookedly. Gabe steps back, his eyebrows lowering into a guarded expression. “I’m kidding. I only like to drink.”

  Bruno gives Bill a quizzical look and pulls Gabe into a side room with Genesis. Just as he’s about to close the door, Gabe stops him. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an envelope.

  “For you,” he says, pushing the envelope into my hands and locking eyes with me. “From Sutton.”

  “But you said—”

  “I had to make sure you were trustworthy.” With that, he closes the door, leaving me standing alone with the crumpled envelope in my hands.

  As quickly as I can without damaging the letter, I rip open the envelope. It’s covered in stains, maybe coffee here, maybe blood dotted there. And it feels damp, probably with sweat from being in Gabe’s pocket. I pull the letter out slowly, so as not to tear it. Then I unfold it until Sutton’s neat handwriting stares me in the face.

  Lexi,

  By the time you get this, the virus may have already shipped. I’ve done as much as I can in order to make you safe, including sending Gabe to assist you. Wilson’s been using me to develop the virus further, and I fear it’s been perfected. Even worse, he’s planning to ship it worldwide. It’s not the like the experiments before, this time it’s live. If Wilson keeps me alive any longer, it’ll only be to find the cure, which has evaded him until now. He wants the cure for himself and his men, and he will stop at nothing until he and his men are safe from the virus.

  The entire next paragraph is smeared black ink, and I can’t make out any of the words. I reread the first paragraph, searching for hints about the blurred one. The next one is easier to piece together:

  There are things you should know. Things that are not safe to write. These are things I’ve only just learned. If your mother made it, maybe she knows something, maybe she doesn’t. But it wouldn’t hurt to ask

  Once again, the ink blurs, and I can’t finish the sentence. Confusion crawls through me, and I bite the inside of my cheek. How would he know my mom was even in the Hole? And what else did he discover that I need to know?

  Whatever you do, don’t let Wilson get his hands on you; I need to get to you first. If any of you get hurt, there’s nobody to help you out there. I’m the only doctor left in this place. Wilson executed the others.

  I’m not sure how much longer he will keep me alive. If he does, it’ll only be to find the cure.

  Stay safe, pray for our country, and fight for the greater good. Your father would be proud to know all you’ve accomplished.

  Until we meet again, this side or the next,

  Sutton

  For a moment, I stare the letter, not believing Gabe was able to get it through the lab or even to see Sutton. Fear and helplessness wash through me, welling up within my body, and my hands tremble with the knowledge of knowing Sutton’s being used and abused against his will.

  “What’s it say?” Cole asks. Without speaking, I hand him the paper, swallowing back my emotions. He reads it and then scans it repeatedly. “We have to get him out.” His voice comes out low and serious. “We need to get him out now.”

  “I know.” My chin shakes with
the thought of Wilson killing Sutton.

  “Why the hell does this asshole want you?” He hands the letter back to me.

  I shrug. “Trust me, I’ve tried to think of every possibility, but every time I come up blank.”

  “I want him dead.”

  “We all do. And we’ve got the only hope of stopping him. Once we get Sutton, he’ll give us the answers we so desperately need.” I put the letter in my pocket, patting it to make sure it’s in place. I shake out my arms and shuffle my feet. My nerves are jumpy, like the last few days tapering before a race. “How about one last training session?”

  Cole raises an eyebrow. “Not sure that’s a good idea. Remember your arm?”

  “I told you it’s fine. Please just let me work this out in my head, then we’ll tell Bruno.” I shove his shoulder and glance at the door where Bruno took Gabe. It’s still closed tight. “Okay?”

  “Okay,” Cole says reluctantly.

  We head into the next building, putting the tight space of the base behind us and stepping into the wide-open floor where we trained before. We leave our guns aside like before, but this time, they remain loaded. Zeus follows and takes up position by the door. Eventually, he lowers his head onto his paws to watch us.

  “Come at me,” Cole says.

  I lunge at him with the stick, wielding it like a knife. He steps back, lowering his body into a defensive stance. The stick nicks his knuckles. Already, my nervousness and energy are channeled into taking him out.

  “Just keep cutting off pieces of me,” he says, breathing hard. “With a knife, that’s all you need to do, until you’ve cut enough to bring them down.”

  I lunge at him again, grazing his arms. His eyes focus on the stick and the quick pace with which I dance.

  “In a knife fight, chances are”—he breathes fast as I jump toward him and he spins out of reach—“you’ll get slashed as well. The opponent with the worst injuries loses.”

  I bypass his hands and stick him in the ribs with my stick. “Gotcha.”

  “Exactly.” He shoves me backward. “Again. This is good practice for me too.”

  We stay at it for what feels like hours, taking turns with the stick and coming up with different scenarios. In some ways, it gives me confidence, and in others, it sobers me up to the reality of how likely it is that I’ll get hurt.

  Once done, I stretch my taut muscles, and Cole shares his water with me. Since I learned to forgive, it feels like a heavy weight has been lifted from my chest, allowing me to focus on what’s really important.

  Namely, getting weapons and rescuing Sutton.

  Cole slides down the wall between Zeus and I, taking his water bottle back from me and slurping it. I laugh, slapping him on the leg. “You sound like a cow.”

  “I’ve never seen a real cow,” he says. He smiles his crooked smile, and butterflies release in my stomach.

  “Well, you sound just like one.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. But only because beef’s delicious and their milk’s not so bad. And these muscles need protein and calcium.”

  I roll my eyes. “You’re so vain.”

  “Yeah, your point? I’ve worked hard for this bod.” Cole takes my hand and kisses it. “If I wasn’t this sexy, I wouldn’t of had a chance with you.” He winks, and I pull my hand away while shaking my head.

  “Wow. Got me there.” I take his water bottle back and reach over to Zeus, allowing him to drink the rest. His long tongue curls around it as he laps it up.

  “Ow! Come on,” Cole says. “Guess I’m not drinking from that one anymore.” I giggle and throw it at him, but he catches it. His face turns serious as he puts the bottle down.

  “Seriously, you let him lick your face.”

  “Uh-huh,” he says, looking at his hands. “Anyway, do you think Sutton knows what Wilson wants with you?”

  The question takes me off guard, and I turn to face him. “I’m hoping.”

  “Maybe it’s good?” Cole asks.

  I give him a funny look. “I find it amusing you’d think Wilson’s capable of anything good.”

  “Yeah, well, Sutton did say he needs a cure.”

  “Which has absolutely nothing to do with me.”

  “But what if it does? What if your dad knew something about it, and Wilson’s banking on it that you do too?”

  “Then he’s an idiot. My father never shared his work with me. Or with any of my family for that matter.” I gaze at him for a moment. “Why are you so stuck on this Wilson thing all of a sudden? It’s nothing new that he’s after me.”

  “Because I’m afraid. No, let me rephrase that. I’m petrified. Of losing you.” His eyes plead with me, and he grabs my hands, entwining our fingers. “The last two days have been the most surreal days of my life. I’ve loved you since the minute you showed up in the Hole, but now, without the dark secrets between us … I can be myself. You know the truth.” He lets out a long, slow breath. “I’ve never been afraid of meeting death, and in some ways, I feel like it’s owed to me for the things I’ve done. But the thought of losing you, especially now, literally makes me crazy …” He drops his eyes to where he twists the ring around my finger.

  “Every day, I love you more, but I think growing apart only brought us closer together. I’m happier and more weightless now than I’ve ever been. The guilt, that burden I’ve been carrying for so long has finally lifted off my shoulders. But I don’t want to think about what could become of tomorrow. All I want … is to live in this moment. Right here, right now … with you.” He raises his face to mine, and I give him a weak smile, even as my eyes tear up and his face becomes a blur.

  “I want to ask you something,” he says, his voice breaking. “And I need you to be one hundred percent honest with me.”

  “Okay …”

  “If we get out of here … If we make it out alive, do you see yourself staying with me?” His eyes burn into my very soul, his hands tightening around mine, almost cutting off my circulation.

  At first, I have to overcome the shock of his words. My chest tightens the way it does when I’m about to lose myself. Keep it together, Lexi. Those words—they represent everything I’ve fought against since he told me the truth about his past and his involvement with my father. But I’m finally, finally breaking free of that.

  “Of course I do, Cole Veneti. You are mine, and I am yours, forever.” My voice breaks.

  He leans in and our lips meet, warm and dry. He pulls back, and a smile stretches across his face. “Forever? You’re sure about that?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Okay, good. Because I have one more question.”

  “Wait a second!” I sit back, eyeing him with shock and hope. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

  He gives me a sheepish, happy grin. “In my own awkward way, yeah, I suppose I am.”

  “A proposal in the Hole … how romantic.”

  He leans forward, grasping my hands harder and rushing his words. “Don’t you worry, I’ll make up for that. I’ll get you any ring you want. Even a white dress if you want.”

  I laugh, throwing my head back. “I don’t know about the dress, but turning down a big, fat diamond. I don’t think so.” It’s his turn to crack up. We kiss, and it’s like sparks explode around us. In my heart of hearts, I know he’s the one for me. Regardless of the past, he will be forever the man I want and need.

  “So … is that a yes?” he asks.

  “Yes, definitely yes.”

  Sensing our joy, Zeus climbs into our laps and kisses us both, his tail whapping our bodies. We laugh, and Cole playfully smacks him. My cheeks hurt from the smile that won’t leave my face. Even here, with Cole and Zeus, it feels like home. Getting Sutton back would just complete the picture.

  Just then, the back door slams open, and Zeus barks sharply. Cole and I are on our feet before anyone can step into the room. A head pops in, and Bruno waves.

  “Is it safe to come in?” he asks.

 
“Sure,” Cole answers as I breathe a sigh of relief. Cole lets the tension out of his shoulders as Bruno steps into our training area. He looks between the two of us and winks.

  “I hate to break up the party, but—”

  “What?” Cole asks.

  “The decision’s made,” he informs us. “The assault starts at dawn.”

  All the blood drains from my face as Cole wraps me in his arms.

  “Guys, where are we hiding Owen?” I ask as Bruno holds the door open for us.

  Owen’s standing with two adults, one male and one female. They’re clothed in rags, but smiles stretch across their faces as the female places a hand on Owen’s shoulder. “I’m Owen’s Aunt Leisel,” she says, stepping forward and offering me her hand. I shake it, and Owen watches us carefully, his face beaming.

  “Imagine our surprise when we found him alive!” The man laughs, and his belly jiggles. “I’m his Uncle Mathias, and we’ve been waiting for you.” He gives my hand a hearty shake and then scoops Owen into his arms. Owen smiles. “We can’t thank you enough for what you did for him.”

  I smile, but I know what I have to tell them. “His parents—”

  “We know, dear,” Liesel interrupts, patting my arm. “We lived with them. And the one night we separated for only a few hours, our lives changed forever. They were good people …” Her voice cracks. “But we rejoice in finding Owen. A true miracle.” She turns to face me, her smile vanishing and her tone suddenly serious. “We’d like to take him with us.” I nod and she relaxes.

  I rub Owen’s head. “Buddy, I’m so happy for you.”

  He nods and smiles, the first I’ve seen on him in a long time.

  “You’ll be missed, little man,” Cole says. “But you listen here. Family is precious, so don’t ever take them for granted, okay?”

  “I wish there was a way we could keep in touch,” I say.

  “Where there is hope, there’s always a way,” his aunt says.

  Owen leans forward, and I embrace him and kiss his cheeks. Cole and Bill also take turns rubbing his head affectionately. As the family turns to leave, Owen waves and blows me a kiss, melting my heart. Before they leave, he wiggles out of his uncle’s grasp and runs into my arms. I scoop him up, and he clears his throat.