Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
I can’t get that meeting out of my head. He came here, he found Creed here, which means he knows about me and Creed, at least that we have been seeing each other. Creed went cold on me after Julian showed up, and it’s impossible not to believe it’s connected. Of course, it’s connected. I’m concerned Julian managed to get his hands on the same information I did from Ava. I fear he knows some of the GTECHs were locked up. And I believe they were. My father made that decision and then lied to me about it. Lie once. Lie again.
I need to get to the lab and my office, but I quickly discover I can’t find my keys. It’s strange. I always put them in the same place and it’s freaking me out. What is wrong with me? Has the mark affected my mind in some way? I’m just not right. Another ten minutes of searching for my keys and I give Katie a call.
“You lost your keys?” she says. “How very un-Addie-like of you.”
Ten minutes later, Katie pulls up in my driveway and shoves the passenger door open. Once I’m settled inside, she gives me a once over and says, “What’s wrong?”
“Ava cornered me last night in the parking lot as I was leaving the facility. She said my father locked up the bonded couples. She thinks he’s going to lock them all up. He told me he’d wait, but I’m afraid he’s already made up his mind.”
“After what you sent me, I have to agree, though the testing is wildly inconclusive. They’re focused on X2, so the only results are X2-positive related. And there has to be a trigger that set the violence off.”
“Agreed. One hundred percent.”
“Something is going on,” I say, but I don’t add to that because that would mean telling her about Creed and Julian, and even Creed and Caleb. Creed and me.
My cellphone pings with a work email, and I glance at it to find a memo from my father: Effective immediately a portion of the GTECHs will be relocated to another facility. If you’re to be relocated with them, you’ll be notified by noon today. Stand by.
“Oh my God,” I murmur, as Katie pulls us into the facility parking lot.
“What?” she says, sounding anxious, but my gaze is now on my father as he exits his SUV.
“Read your email,” I state, “I need to talk to my father.” I exit my side of the vehicle and start rushing toward him where he’s now speaking to one of the non-GTECH officers. “General Lawrence!” I shout, because while in uniform and in front of others, I give him that respect.
With a barely-there glance over his shoulder, he offers a short wave of acknowledgment and continues speaking to the other man. About the time I reach the two men, the officer salutes my father and heads across the parking lot.
“I’m on my way to a meeting,” he tells me the minute I’m by his side. “Whatever you need is going to have to wait.” He literally gives me his back and is on the move.
I double-step to catch up with him, firming my voice. “I just heard that some of the GTECHs in my studies have been reassigned. What are you doing? What is going on?”
“I heard what you said. I can’t lock them up. But I do have to seclude them in a place where I can lock down the entire facility with them inside if necessary.
“Did you single out the X2-positive soldiers?”
“Not now. The process is underway.”
Anger all but boils in my belly and I grab his arm, drawing him to a halt. “Don’t dismiss me like I’m one of your soldiers.” He’s apparently forgotten I can be as dogmatic as my mother when I want answers. “You brought me here to do a job. I need to know what’s going on to do it. I can quit. They can’t.”
“You try my nerves, Addie. You are my daughter, but you are also an employee of the base who will get the information as I deem necessary.”
“I can’t do my job without proper communication. I had expensive, specialized testing scheduled this morning that just got flushed down the drain.”
“Duty first, Addie,” he says, his tone a band of tension. “I’ve taken command of a secondary base that required immediate high-level security. You’ll find a list of the soldiers removed from evaluation status already in your inbox.”
“What about our research?”
“Dr. Chin left this morning to join the chosen soldiers. He’ll oversee the scientific monitoring and research of the GTECH program.”
My next statement is swallowed by a rush of dramatic wind pushing against us—unnatural, violent—a second before Julian Rain solidifies in front of us and drops a limp body onto the hood of the Jeep.