Talent to Burn (Hidden Talent #1) (33 page)

Jamie was out in a flash, and striding down the hallway toward the airlock. I jabbed at the end buttons.

“Only the outer door is opening,” I said.

“It’s an airlock,” Eric pointed out. “You can only open one door at once.”

I unlocked the inner door, letting Jamie into the airlock. The seconds while it closed seemed endless, and then I punched the outer door button, repeatedly.

Suddenly Jamie was there, and I pushed myself away from the console and flung my arms around him.

“Oh God, Jamie,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not,” he said. “I’m out. Let’s get these other poor bastards out.”

We turned back toward the airlock, and at that moment the elevator doors slid open with a gentle, friendly, department store
ding!

“Good afternoon,” Major Hudson said, stepping out into the hallway. He had a small, sleek gun in one hand, and what looked like a remote control in the other. Ryder, his white hair glowing under the harsh neon lights, stepped out behind him.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“I think it’s time to break up this party,” the Major said. “Ryder, open the airlock.”

Ryder crunched over the broken glass to the still-smoking guardroom and activated the controls. The outer door opened.

“In you go,” the Major said, gesturing with the gun.

“No,” Jamie said.

“My dear boy, I’d rather not shoot anyone this evening. But if I have to, I will.”

Eric stepped in front of him. “You won’t shoot me,” he said, his voice low. “And you’ll have to get through me to get to him or my sister.”

“Mr. Wilson.” The Major paused. “I’m beginning to think you’re more trouble than you’re worth. I’m also trying to understand what you’re doing here. By my calculations, you should be without Talent for another six or so hours. I am curious how this fire got started. Especially in this area.”

Turning to me, he continued. “I can only conclude that our experiments have finally brought out your sister’s Talent, and that you have figured out some way around the cage. Congratulations, Catrina, you’re no longer useless to me. Now, please step into the airlock.”

If Jamie could stare down the barrel of a gun and say no, I could too. I shook my head. “I don’t think so.” I reached out and took Jamie’s hand for strength.

His palm was warm and dry against mine. I dared not look at him but he squeezed my fingers and that was enough for me.

“Fine.”

The report of the gun deafened me. Eric dropped like a stone, gasping and clutching at what had been his good shoulder.

“Eric,” I said, taking a step toward him, my stomach twisting.

“It’s fine,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

We were screwed. The Major meant business. I couldn’t see an easy way out of here. The only weapon we had was Eric’s Talent, under my control. Could I burn the Major while looking in his face? Could I burn anything with enough control not to kill us all? I needed to buy some time to think.

Turning back to the Major, I said, “Why did you arrange for Justine to drug Eric when he was on the outside?”

Jamie twitched beside me.

Major Hudson shrugged. “Eric was useful to us, and I didn’t want to lose him. I knew if he got into trouble out there, he’d come back eventually, and this is the only life he’s ever known. Justine did a lot of work to help with that, slipping him the drugs, setting fire to his hotel to draw the police’s attention, and giving us his location in West Virginia. Of course, most of you escaped from there. Then of course, you put him into our hands, which I appreciate.”

I wished I had a gun so I could shut him up.

“What’s he talking about, Catrina?” Jamie said in my ear.

“Oh, didn’t she tell you?” Major Hudson’s voice rose in triumph, a trickle of emotion showing through for the first time. “She and Ryder brought Eric in. They did work well together, and I hope will continue to do so.”

“Cat,” Jamie said, strain breaking his voice.

I couldn’t look at him, beaten and broken as he was. My fingers slipped from his. “It’s true,” I said. “I did it because I thought it was the only way to save his life.”

With a snarl, Jamie threw himself at the Major. He knocked him to the ground and they struggled among the debris and broken glass for a moment. My feet were frozen to the ground as I watched.

Major Hudson freed a hand. He made a small movement. Jamie opened his mouth to scream. At the same moment his spine arched so hard I thought it would snap. His limbs twitched spastically and his head beat a tattoo on the floor. Then he lay still. The scent of ozone filled the air.

The Major rolled over and got to his feet, dusting off his uniform. He waved the remote control at me. “The wristbands,” he said. “We put them on prisoners for a reason. Sometimes chemical restraints aren’t enough.”

I rushed over to Jamie’s side.

“He’ll live. It’s nothing he’s not used to, after all,” the Major said. “We’ve been using this as an inducement to get him to tell us where you were. Lucky you came in when you did—he was starting to break down. The good news is that I have wristbands ready for your brother, assuming he survives.” He shot a glance down at Eric, who was pale and conscious, sitting with his back against the wall. I hadn’t even noticed him dragging himself upright.

“Sir,” Ryder said from the still-smoldering control room. “We need to evacuate the building. The fire is spreading.”

I’d forgotten he was there.

Ryder stepped out from behind the console. “We need to escort these three out.”

Major Hudson shrugged. “Put them in the secure area. It’s relatively fireproof. We can deal with them later.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, reaching down a hand to help Eric to his feet. He half carried him to the airlock and put him down. Eric didn’t try to resist. His skin grew chalkier by the minute, and his forehead beaded with sweat as he went into shock.

Ryder came toward Jamie and me. “Into the airlock,” he said. “It’s the safest place right now. Can you help me carry him?”

I wanted to punch him in the mouth. Once we were in the airlock, we would be stuck. The Major had his gun ready, pointed at me. I’d have more chance of escaping alive than I would dead.

“All right,” I said. I’d get Ryder later.

We each put an arm around Jamie’s shoulders and lifted him together, his bare feet dragging behind us through the broken glass. We put him down next to Eric. He’d left a trail of blood in his wake.

Ryder patted each of us down, taking the keycard I’d removed from the guard and showing it to the Major. We had little else of use.

“I’ll see you later,” he said, and closed the airlock door. He was smiling, the cold bastard.

I checked Jamie’s pulse and pupils. He was out but breathing fine and his heartbeat was strong and regular. As the Major said, it looked like he would live. I shoved my guilt down inside.

“How’s that bleeding?” I said to Eric, stepping over. His eyes were closed, his teeth chattering.

“It’s slowing,” he said. “I’m trying to keep some pressure on it, but it’s only a graze.”

“Good plan. I wish I had a bandage, or even a useful shirt.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said.

“Wish I could say the same,” Jamie said, startling me.

I rushed back to his side. “You’re awake. What hurts?”

His gaze slid off mine. “Just a headache.”

The conversation petered out there, and we all three sat still for a long minute, listening to the sirens above us.

“Do you think the fire will spread down here?” My voice shook, making me flush with heat.

“I doubt it,” Jamie said. “I don’t think anything will get in or out. Worst case, the building might come down on top of us, depending how bad the fire is.”

The drug still coursed through my veins, making me twitchy with energy, but when I felt for my Talent there was nothing there. The cage still worked, despite the damage we’d done breaking in. I was fully contained inside the cage.

I moved over to the outer airlock door and ran my hands down the seams. No hinges on this side. The small window, made of heavy, reinforced glass, glinted with the silvery lines running through it. A bullet might go through it, or a crowbar, but I had neither.

Next to the door was a swipe card station, the light stubbornly red.

Stepping over Eric and Jamie, I walked to the other end of the airlock. Here, too, was a card reader, which also didn’t magically open for me. Through this window lay the hallway full of cells.

I checked the floor—white, hospital-grade vinyl—and the ceiling—no convenient grilles or hatches. As far as I could tell, we were pretty thoroughly trapped.

“I don’t suppose either of you has a pick axe, or a shotgun.”

Eric shook his head, slowly.

Jamie turned the pockets of his jeans out one by one. “No pick axes on my right and—” Something plastic flipped out of the lining of his pocket and skittered across the floor. He got to his feet, staggering, but quickly snatched up the card. “And a key card on my left. Where the hell did that come from?”

“Try it,” I said, breathless.

He limped to the door and swiped the card. The light switched to a soft, welcoming green. His hands fumbled at the door, and it was open.

“Let’s go,” he said.

I helped Eric up and through the door, and we had our freedom. Jamie’s feet were still bleeding a little, and the floor was covered in glass and debris.

“Here,” I said, kicking off my shoes.

“They won’t fit me,” he said.

“The socks will. It’s better than nothing.”

Nodding assent, he put on the white sports socks the Institute had given me. While he pulled them on, I retraced the events of the last half hour in my head.

“Ryder.”

“Is a cold prick and I’m going to kill him.” His eyes were black with fury.

“No, I mean the card must have come from Ryder. He carried you into the airlock. He must have slipped it into your pocket.”

“Why on earth would he do that?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. But it’s the only way I can think of that you could have ended up with the card, unless you had it all along and didn’t tell us.”

Jamie rolled his eyes. “Can we stop over-analyzing and get out of here? There’ll be time to ask him about it later, when I’m done beating the shit out of him.” He headed to the elevator.

“Is it safe to use the elevator in a fire?”

He swore under his breath. “It’s worth a try.” He nodded in Eric’s direction. “You up to the stairs?”

Eric said, “Let’s try the elevator.” He still held his hand pressed close to his shoulder. Jamie had a point.

Jamie jabbed the call button and we stood waiting. The adrenaline was back, and I wanted to run, or fight. I itched to be gone from here.

“I don’t suppose either of you has a knife,” he said.

“No, why? Won’t they all have guns?”

“I want to get these damn things off before somebody shocks me again.” He lifted his wrists.

“Probably get through them with a decent pair of scissors,” Eric said.

“Do you have scissors?”

“No, but we might have a better chance of finding those.”

“Show me the wristbands?” I asked.

Wordlessly, he extended his hands. I tugged at one of them. There was no way it would fit over his hand, and I was sure he’d already tried. The material didn’t stretch or tear in my hands, and the fastener looked like you needed some kind of tool to open it.

The elevator arrived with a ding, making us all jump.

“Sorry,” I said, “I guess we’ll keep our eyes open for something sharp.” I squeezed Jamie’s hands. “Let’s get out of here.”

He shot me a penetrating look. I wondered what he thought of me. There was no time for angst, so I stepped into the elevator and hit the ground floor button. I would deal with recriminations and consequences later.

“I hope it’s this easy,” Eric said, as the doors closed and we began to rise. Beneath the distant fire sirens, the elevator music played a jaunty tune. We rose through the levels, dirty, bleeding and ready for a fight.

As the status display passed L5, the elevator car shuddered to a stop.

“I don’t think that’s a good thing,” Jamie said. He stepped up to the panel and punched the ground floor button a few more times. Nothing happened.

I looked around, and spotted the camera in the corner. “Shit,” I said. “Do you think they saw us on the security camera?”

“I don’t know. I’m assuming security evacuated with everybody else.” He pushed the door open button, and the doors opened an inch and then stopped. Through the crack, there was only darkness. “Eric,” he started, then with a glance at my brother, he turned to me, “Cat, can you help me force the doors?”

I took a look at Eric before I stepped forward. He was pale, and slumped back against the wall of the elevator. How much longer could he go on without medical treatment?

Putting my fingers into the crack between the doors, I braced myself and nodded to Jamie. He took up a similar position on the other side.