That sick bastard is enjoying this. Alik thought with venom.
They reached the end of the hallway and found another set of stairs heading back down. With the only other option being stand and fight the two dozen Monarchs on their heels, they leaped straight down the staircase, landing gracefully and kept running.
This area of the building looked like administration offices. Alik yanked a cart in the way of their pursuers. Then he tossed an entire vending machine over to slow them down. Farrow kept running just ahead of Alik, opening doors and shooting the handles of those that were locked with her Glock.
Scientists and engineers were behind these doors. Some were in the middle of grotesque experiments and others were in the midst of programming a candidate in some depraved way. It was like running though the levels of hell and being forced to witness the most despicable demons at work.
But behind none of these doors did they find their family. Alik grabbed a glass beaker off the counter of one room and smashed off the top, leaving a thick jagged edge.
Farrow was in trouble.
Her Glock had run out of bullets and a bodybuilder-looking guy had knocked her to the ground.
Alik turned around and kicked the asshole off her. He was so full of righteous fury the huge attacker flew off Farrow and hit the cement wall three feet off the ground, knocking a hole through it. Alik reached down and helped Farrow up so they could keep running together. From his waistband, he yanked one of the hand grenades he’d stashed there for dire emergencies. He glanced behind him only to see the corridor wall to wall with Monarchs.
“Get ready.”
Alik showed her what he was holding in his hand. She was running full speed down the hall, her neck bleeding from the knife her attacker had just begun pressing into her throat when Alik stopped him.
She nodded once and tried the next door.
It opened easily.
She yanked it wide and used the doorframe to fling herself into the room and landed flat on her stomach. Behind her Alik pulled the clip and threw the grenade into the Monarch crowd.
He dove into the room just as the explosion ripped apart some two dozen mind-controlled slaves in the cement hallway behind him.
With his foot, he kicked the door shut and rolled over to look at Farrow.
The look on her face stopped him cold.
She was staring around the room, jaw dropped.
A cold sweat slipped across his spine like a razor made of ice.
Dr. Bjorn.
Alik recognized him from the video.
He was holding a gun to Evan’s head.
Chapter 62 Reunion
“Dr. Williams, what an unexpected surprise.”
“I am sure it couldn’t have been completely unexpected after our last conversation. I thought it prudent to come have a one-on-one talk with you.” Williams stood in his standard black on black three-pieced suit. His fedora was angled stylishly on his bloody head and in his hand he was rolling his usual heavy metal orbs. Behind him stood two metasoldiers dressed for war. Gideon Niche, the last of the Perficio Rez chose Joshua Marshall as his second for this task. Dr. Chaunders sat in an inconspicuous chair as far from Dr. Williams as possible.
“Well, please, come have a seat. Would you care for some tea? Coffee? Oh, wait. I remember.” Senator Arkdone snapped his fingers and in strode a pristinely dressed older gentleman. “Sir?”
“Twelve-year-old Scotch, Charles.”
“Yes, sir,”
“I really believe we can dispense with the pleasantries, Donovan.”
“Life is too full of the vulgar and vile. Never dispense with pleasantries. Sometimes pleasantries are all you’ve got.” Arkdone nodded at his butler who brought his drink on a silver platter. Charles offered Kenneth his drink, which the doctor waived away tersely.
“Tell me what I can do for you, old friend,” Donovan began.
“You can start by giving me back my Winters.”
“Oh, good. You’re already aware that they are in my custody.”
“Most of them, yes,” Kenneth corrected.
“Just a matter of time, really.” He raised his finger close to his ear and waited. Faintly gunfire could be heard. “Yes, I’d say just a matter of minutes.” Arkdone smiled smugly.
“Give them back to me.”
“You know what’s fascinating to me, Kenneth? I found where they lived, flew to their location and collected them in one day. One day, my old friend! I don’t know what you’ve been doing all these years, but as you can see, they are now in much more capable hands.”
Kenneth tried hard not to let his colleague’s comments get to him, but it wasn’t working. Through gritted teeth he had to ask, “What are you planning for them?”