Destiny's Shift (20 page)

The soldier picked them up and looked them over. “Everything seems to be in

order . . .”

It was close, but not perfect, and if this guy had any experience, he would catch

the inconsistencies.

Blake leaned his hands on the desk. “I’m really in a hurry,” he said in a quiet tone.

“And I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

The guard nodded and pushed a button. The wall to their right slid back, revealing

a hallway with a white floor and white walls. It almost looked like a path to heaven,

except Blake knew what really went on, and the actions that took place down that hall

didn’t exactly fall on the heavenly side.

“Go ahead,” the guard said.

Blake led the way.

There were a few doors open, most of them doctors’ offices.

“We’re in,” Jovan whispered into the headset.

Blake marched down the corridor with Rayner and Jovan behind him. He nodded

to a few people they passed as though he knew them. It was all about looking like he

belonged there.

“Twenty seconds until we need the door open, Jovan,” he whispered.

“On my go, Talin. Door number one.”

At the end of the corridor, he stopped in front of a white door.

“Go,” Jovan whispered, and Blake ran his hand over the side panel as he had done

at the entrance.

The door opened, and there was a body lying on a cot in the corner. Blake

recognized the being right away. “Jovan, I believe this is Annis. Stay here with her and

get her ready to go while I take Rayner into the next rooms, okay?”

“Here,” Jovan said, handing Rayner the headset. “You need this.”

Rayner strapped it on and followed Blake down the hall.

The same routine was replayed again, but this time the room was empty, as was

the third room.

On the fourth door, it popped open to reveal a man sitting on bed with his wrists

and ankles shackled. He stood to his six-foot-eight height as they entered and gave them a

long, hard stare.

Blake hadn’t seen him before. He was bigger than any of the Six Saviors, both in

height and girth. His brown hair hung to the collar of his snug, black t-shirt, and his legs

looked like they would burst the seams of his black sweatpants. The guy looked like he

could snap Blake in half with a flick of the wrist, and his dark eyes were menacing.

“Do not come near me, you piece of shit medical practitioner,” he hissed.

Rayner stepped around Blake. In a language Blake never heard before, Rayner

said something that made the man more enraged.

“Are you one of the Six Saviors? The ones who are responsible for the decimation

of our race, for our homeland being destroyed?”

“Look, asshole,” Rayner said quietly, stepping up to the man. “I’ve got orders

from Noah that all of our people are to be taken out of here. You, unfortunately, qualify.

You can either stay here and die, which you will do, or you can forget your inaccurate

bullshit for a few minutes and help us get you to safety. You have about two seconds to

choose before I decide to leave your big ass here to be sliced and diced in the name of

science.”

There was a pause.

“One. Two.”

Rayner turned and Blake was right on his heels.

“Wait!” the guy said.

Rayner and Blake turned around.

“All right. Get me out of here.”

Rayner nodded. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“It’s Micah.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Yes.” He pulled up his t-shirt to reveal a slew of white bandages.

Rayner nodded. “Fine. I get you out of here, and then you go your own way,

understand? I don’t like rude people.”

“And I would much rather be on my own than anywhere near your treacherous

soul.”

“Whatever.”

Rayner took out a small knife and went to work on the shackles. A minute later he

had the iron clasps free.

“Let’s go,” Blake said.

They went to the door and Blake peeked out.

Stepping into the hallway, he tapped on the door where they had left Jovan. It

opened, and Jovan stood with Annis.

“Her leg is still messed up,” Jovan whispered. “She’s not too steady on her feet.”

“I shall be fine, Warrior,” she stated.

Blake noticed how beautiful she was. She stood at about six feet tall with skin the

color of dark milk chocolate. Her hair fell to her shoulders in small braids, her mouth a

lovely red pillow. She looked thinner than the last time he saw her, but there was still that

spark of defiance in the way she carried herself that he had noted before. He remembered

her screams as they shoved needles into her eyes.

Since it was daytime, she was blind, so this would be a challenge. As if Jovan was

reading Blake’s thoughts, he took her arm and wrapped it around his neck, then put his

arm around her waist.

“So to get out of here, me and you, we’re like glue, okay?” he said with a slight

smile.

She grinned. “Very well.”

“Liberty wanted us to tell you that she’s waiting for you, Annis. Where are the

others?” Blake said, looking to Annis and Micah.

“There were four of us taken from the crash site. I believe two have passed on to

another life,” Annis said quietly.

“Oh, hell,” Rayner hissed.

Blake knew they had to get moving. “Annis, Micah, put your hands behind your

back like you’re in handcuffs. Rayner, Jovan, walk directly behind them, and I’ll lead.

Going out the same way we came in: like we own the place.”

“Got it,” Jovan said.

They walked down the hall and Blake could see the door out. They were so close.

“Hey!” someone yelled from behind. “Where are they going?”

Blake turned around to see the head of the facility.

God. Damn. It.

Jovan looked at him. “I take it this is not good.”

Blake shook his head.

“I fucking knew it,” Jovan bit out.

More people came out into the hall, and a few ran to the phones on the walls,

which were a direct line to security.

Taking a deep breath, Jovan turned around to face everyone. He looked over his

shoulder at Blake. “Get them out of here.”

Blake watched as people stopped what they were doing and looked over at the

group, as if they had been given a voltage by a stun gun.

Taking Annis’s hand, Blake took off for the door with Rayner and Micah trailing

him. He heard the pounding of boots behind him and briefly glanced back. Jovan was

doing hand-to-hand combat with a couple of security guards, and he was winning.

“C’mon!” Blake yelled.

The wall parted to reveal the security guard still sitting at his desk staring off into

space.

“Don’t you move a fucking muscle or I will make your brain a bigger pile of shit

than it already is,” Rayner growled while pointing his gun at him.

The security guard raised his hands above his head.

Blake turned around to see Jovan running toward them. It was like a slow-motion

movie. One minute Jovan was hauling ass, then a surprised look came over his face. He

turned and pulled some type of small arrow out of his shoulder, then stumbled. His back

arched as he was hit again. “Go!” he yelled.

Rayner looked back and took a dart to the neck and one to the chest.

Blake screamed at Micah to haul Rayner out of there as he watched two more

darts get shot into Jovan’s back. Jovan was now crawling on the floor, a look of

determination on his face.

Blake looked over at Annis, who was in a fighting stance, ready to take on

whatever was coming. He glanced back at Jovan.

“Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. Here!” Jovan yelled. His face then hit the floor.

Grabbing Annis’s hand, Blake ran out the front door into the sunshine.

Micah was in the backseat with Rayner, who was passed out. Blake panicked for a

moment thinking about who drove them there—Rayner—but when he opened the door he

was happy to see the guy had the foresight to leave the keys in the ignition. He pushed

Annis in, who clamored to the other side of the Hummer, and sunk down to the floor.

Blake got in, slammed on the gas, and took off through the pouring rain.

Chapter 39

Liberty paced Jovan’s bedroom, wanting to be close to his things. Tears streamed

down her face, and her body rattled with anger and sadness.

They left Jovan. How could they have done such a thing?

She swiped the tears and brought one of Jovan’s t-shirts to her face, inhaling the

masculine scent.

Waiting for all of them to get back to the mansion had been torture. Liberty paced

the top floor of the house, while Faith sat silently in the Solarium staring out the window.

They hadn’t said much to each other except a few words, but the worry was as thick as a

large ball of cotton.

The crunch of gravel let them know that a vehicle had pulled up outside, and both

ran to the front door. Blake got out of the truck and opened the back door where Rayner

sat with his eyes closed.

“Oh no,” Faith had muttered and ran over to him.

Liberty saw Annis in the front seat and ran over. “Annis, it’s Liberty,” she said as

she opened the door.

“Liberty. I’m so happy to hear your voice! Blake told me he knew of your

whereabouts!”

Liberty took her hand and helped her out of the car. She couldn’t see in the

backseat through the heavily tinted windows, and she hoped Jovan would be getting out

quickly.

As she helped Annis inside, she had heard Faith talking to Blake, her voice

threaded with fear. “What’s wrong with him? Is he hurt? Why is he unconscious?”

“He was hit with a tranquilizer gun. Jesus, he’s heavy.”

Liberty got inside and guided Annis to the Solarium. “I’ll be right back, Annis.”

Running back to the front door, she almost collided with Blake and Rayner.

“Where’s Jovan?” she asked, looking around them to see only Faith.

Blake stopped and met her eyes. They were sad, and he shook his head. “I’m

sorry, Liberty.”

A punch to her stomach wouldn’t have hurt so bad. “He’s . . . dead?”

“He was alive when we left, but they have him. We couldn’t get everyone out, and

Jovan pretty much sacrificed himself for us.”

Liberty felt faint. “Well, go back and get him!”

“Look. Let me get Rayner to bed and then we can talk.”

Blake had lugged Rayner to the suite, and Liberty heard him say how glad he was

he didn’t have to go down any stairs.

A minute later, he came out. “Let’s sit down and talk, okay?”

She had nodded. “Talk quickly, Blake, we have to go get him.”

They went to the kitchen, and Blake got a bottle of water, then sat down in the

stool next to her, exactly as her and Jovan had sat the night they first met.

She listened as he explained what had happened in the facility, and how once they

had been on the road, the trooper called Micah had requested to be turned loose. They

stopped at a gas station and he got out. Blake took off and didn’t look back.

Standing, she had said, “Well, let’s go, Blake. We have to get Jovan back.”

Blake shook his head. “We can’t, Liberty. The place will be on lockdown until

they move him, which will probably be either tonight or tomorrow night. My guess is

tomorrow night, as arrangements will need to be made.”

“Then plans need to be set in place to rescue him.”

“Liberty, I can’t go in alone.”

“Annis and I will go with you.” She knew Annis wouldn’t care if she offered up

her services.

“No, Liberty. It’s too dangerous. Jovan would have my ass if I showed up there

with you.”

“Then take Rayner back with you!”

“Rayner is going to be out for a while, and then probably not feeling well.”

“Call Noah!”

“I plan to Liberty. You need to relax.”

Relax? How could she relax?

She held Jovan’s shirt up to her nose again, and there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

“Hi, Liberty.” Annis limped in, her eyes gold. Liberty hadn’t realized the sun had

gone down.

“Annis, hello.”

Annis limped over and gave her a quick hug. “Come sit with me.” She took her

hand and led Liberty to the bed.

“You are crying, Liberty. Is it because of the male we left at the facility?”

Liberty nodded, swiping at her tears again. “Yes. His name is Jovan, and he is a

good male, Annis. One that I care for deeply.”

Annis’s eyebrows arched. “Are you mated to him?”

Liberty studied the shirt in her lap. “No.”

Annis nodded. “I’m afraid I’m not much help to you, Liberty. I would go in after

him, but my leg is still injured and I don’t know the first thing about driving the vehicles

here.”

Liberty smiled at her friend and put her hand over Annis’s. “I know, Annis. Thank

you. Your friendship means so much to me.”

There was a beat of silence. “How have you been faring, Liberty?”

“I am well.” Liberty looked down at the shirt again. “I’m so sorry I left you alone,

Annis. I can’t imagine what . . . what you have been through.”

Annis put her hand under Liberty’s chin. “My worry was for you. I am glad to see

that you are fine. What they did to me was not pleasant, but I am tough. Physical tortures

cannot kill a true Warrior soul.”

“I’m so very worried for Jovan, Annis, as you were worried for me.”

“Blake said there is another Warrior on his way down with the name of Noah. Is

that the same male The Platoon wants to kill?”

Liberty nodded. She explained that Noah was considered her family, her brother,