Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
“Creed has never been loyal to anyone but himself,” she says, her voice lacking the conviction I would have expected, considering her actions.
“Do you even know your own son?” I ask, accusation in my tone. “Creed chooses everyone over himself. Time and time again, he risks his life to save others.”
“Have you forgotten the blade he held to my neck?” my father demands.
I glare at him. “If he had wanted you dead, you would be dead. He saved you from Julian, and I think you know that. He was undercover with the Zodius, and he saved fifty captive women when he left that post. You’re out of control, Father. You’re going to crash and burn and take us all with you.”
“Enough,” he commands. “What is the number to reach Creed, Addie?”
“I don’t know how to reach Creed,” I say. “Even if I did, why in the world would I tell you?”
He motions to Chin and orders, “Hook her up to the electrical pads and shock her.”
Jocelyn and I gasp in unison. “You wouldn’t,” I hiss.
“Tell me the number,” he repeats.
I’m terrified, but I will not give up Creed. My chin lifts defiantly. “I don’t know how to reach Creed.”
He waves at Chin. “Do it.”
“She’s your daughter,” Jocelyn argues, grabbing his arm. “Don’t do this.”
He shakes her off. “And Creed is your son. We make sacrifices for the greater good, Jocelyn.” He walks to the monitors on the wall and yanks out a drawer, removing a walkie-talkie. “Get an electronic trace on Addie’s phone, or get me her phone records. I need one or the other now.”
Without making eye contact, Chin begins sticking electronic pads on my arm, reaching under my hair to attach a device there as well. It’s all I can do not to jump with the fear he will discover my lifebond mark.
The mark…
Can I even be shocked with my GTECH transition? Am I stronger now? Can I break the ropes on my wrists?
“We’re ready to go,” Dr. Chin announces.
The walkie-talkie sounds off. “Phone records coming to your email now.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
Creed
I pace the computer room inside Neonopolis as Jensen works the keyboard, Caleb leaning over his shoulder. “I never should have let her do this,” I voice. “What the hell was I thinking letting her go to the base alone?” I halt and eye Jensen impatiently. “Anything?” I demand. The wire signal disappeared fifteen minutes before, and that’s too long. “Either you find her exact location, or I’m going inside the base after her without it.”
“I’ve triangulated her cell phone ping.” He leans back in his chair. “It’s still in her office. She must have taken the wire off, afraid she’d be discovered. She knows you can get a basic read on her from your bond.”
“No,” I say. “She wouldn’t leave her phone and the wire.”
Caleb straightens. “She’s still in the building. If she’s with her father, she’s safe.”
“She called me,” I say. “I picked up on enough to know she’s been arrested. That’s not any version of safe.”
“Fucking with her head is not killing her,” Caleb reminds me. “He’s into mind games. You know that.”
“I’m going after her.” I head for the door, and by the time I’m on the roof, Caleb is by my side. I don’t wait for a discussion to take place. I fade and reappear on the outskirts of the base.
My cellphone rings, and I snatch it from my belt, the unknown caller ID alerting me to trouble. I hit answer on speaker without saying a word. In exchange, I hear, “Hello, Creed.”
I go deadly still at the sound of the general’s voice. He could only locate my number by way of Addie or her phone. “Addie is here with me,” he says. “You and I need to have a conversation. Alone. In person. You should know that not only do I have the ability to use Red Dart, but Red Dart has the ability to create excruciating pain in the infected GTECH. Anyone who comes with you will find out firsthand.”
Jensen appears next to Caleb, and I turn away from them both. “Put Addie on the phone.”
A second passes, and I hear, “Stay away, Creed! Do not—”
Fuck.
Lawrence is back on the line. “I have a little extra incentive,” he informs me. “Every fifteen minutes that you are not here, Addie will receive an electric jolt.” He speaks to someone else and orders, “Shock her.”
Addie’s scream of pain tears through me, and while I should feel it, I barely do. It’s nothing more than a ripple down my spine, but it must be torture for her.
Fuck, again. I’m gutted. What if the conversion isn’t complete? What if he kills her with the jolts? I pray it’s the extra chromosome. Maybe we don’t share pain or death.
“Damn you, Lawrence,” I bite out, anger tensing every muscle in my body.