She looked up into the light brown eyes of one of the largest soldiers she’d ever seen aside from Creed and Alik in hulk mode. His face was half shadowed as he spoke, causing the pupils of his eyes to pulse large and small as they tried to adjust. His face was near hers as he’d caught her before she fell to the ground from the drug. For a moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of concern cross his face before he locked his jaw.
“Williams has ordered me to bring you in.”
Meg narrowed her eyes, but the paralyzer forced her silent.
“I’ve given you a paralyzing agent that will take full effect within minutes, so you’d better listen while you can. I’m Gideon Niche—a metamonarch working for Dr. Kenneth Williams. I’ve been tracking you since the helicopter crash in Kentucky. I need you to know I’m not what I seem. I’m…”
Meg’s eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out.
“Damn it!” Gideon breathed, kicking himself for misjudging the dosage. He shook her, trying to see if she could be roused, but only watched as her hair moved loosely—her eyes never opening.
He carried her easily through the darkness of the foliage to the sedan parked just ten yards away. He placed her carefully in the back seat and hurried around to the driver’s side.
Meg’s body jostled with the movement of the truck as Gideon easily saw well enough in the dark to manage his way out of the woods and back onto the paved road leading away from the motel.
Chapter 33 They’re Coming
“Alik.” Evan’s raspy voice was just above a whisper.
“I’m here, Ev,” Alik dropped the phone in the chair he’d been occupying for the past thirty minutes waiting for his sister to come back and hurried to his brother’s side.
“We have to get out of here!” He enunciated each word as carefully as he could.
“No, little brother. You just need time to finish your evolution. We can take one night to let you rest before we get back on the road tomorrow.”
As Alik talked, Evan shook his head no.
“They’re coming. They’re coming, Alik. We have to leave now.”
“Who’s coming?”
“Federal agents—Arkdone’s men.”
Alik’s eyes widened. “What? How do you know?”
“I just know.”
“Meg is still out there.” Alik ran to the window to peek out again, desperately scanning the view for his sister’s silhouette.
“She’s already been captured, Alik.” Evan’s words resonated in the room. “We have to think about the others now. Get everyone in the van.” He struggled to push himself off the bed and patted around with his good hand looking for some clothes.
“Evan, what are you talking about? We’re not leaving Meg. We’re not leaving at all.”
“Listen to me, Alik,” Evan’s feverish body flushed with his effort to be understood by his brother. “Meg has already been captured and Arkdone’s men are coming for the rest of us. We can’t fight them off without Meg. We will be captured and imprisoned. Think of Danny, Alik. We have to get him and everyone else to safety. Then we can worry about getting our sister back. The rest of the family—they are our responsibility.”
“How do you know all this?” Alik had started pacing the room like a caged lion. His hands were clenching and unclenching, adrenaline starting to surge from frustration and panic. “Evan, answer me! Why should I believe you and not just chalk up this whole outburst as delirium brought on by the fever?”
“You’re going to have to trust me, Alik.” Evan’s voice was steady, solid and as lucid as ever.
Alik stared at his brother through rapidly changing eyes. Violet daggers pierced Evan’s feverish body.
All the shouting had gotten the attention of everyone in the next room. Maze growled deeply and moved to hobble protectively next to a wide-eyed Danny.
“What’s happening?” Theo asked, worry etching his aging face.
Alik and Evan were still locked in silent battle, staring at each other—communicating through years of shared memories.
“We’re leaving. Now.” Alik said the words, but even he couldn’t believe he was going along with this plan.
“What?” Creed called from over Theo’s shoulder.
“Pack up, we’re leaving now.”
“Wait, why?”
“We don’t have time to discuss this,” Evan said still looking at his brother and cradling his burned hand.
“We’re leaving now. Arkdone’s found us and we have to get out while we can.”
“But what about Meg? She’s still running, but she should be—”
“She’s been captured,” Evan called over the murmurs of confusion.
“WHAT do you mean ‘captured’?” Creed forced his way past the others in the doorway to get inside the room. He looked ready to strangle someone.
Evan finally let go of his brother’s gaze to look at Creed. “You must believe me when I say if there were any other way to do this, I would. We must leave right now. And we’re leaving without Meg.”
“Not again! We’re not leaving her behind again!” Creed roared.