The Storm That Is Sterling (20 page)

“We have the records and—” He motioned to the sink in the corner when she surveyed the blood staining her skin, remnants of the earlier incident with the tracking device. “You can clean up your arm there and bandage it.”

“Thanks,” she said and headed in that direction.

He kept talking behind her as she washed up. “We’ve tried to get the bodies, but the government won’t give them to us.”

Becca dried her arm and then grabbed a lab coat hanging on a coatrack, eager to get to work. “I don’t understand. Why give you the records and not the bodies?”

“They have their scientists working on the issue. We have ours. We get what they deem relevant.” He walked to a desk and powered up a laptop. “As I said, we have a tenuous relationship with them at best. We all want Adam to be brought to justice and humanity to be safe. Unfortunately, the government believes safety means all GTECHs, us included, have to be controlled or eradicated. And since they’ve tried control and it didn’t work, they’re leaning toward eradication.”

She shook her head. “Powell really created a mess with the GTECH program, didn’t he?”

“Welcome to a little slice of my life.” He motioned to the computer. “Let’s get you online with our scientific team.”

Becca closed the distance between them as he dialed the phone and set up the teleconference. Not long after, he offered her the chair in front of the desk and pulled another up to sit beside her. His finger hovered over a computer key.

“Ready to meet your new co-workers?”

She nodded, surprised at how ready she really was. For the first time since she’d found out about Adam and his evil plans, she might just have a chance to do something about it. To stop him.

Sterling punched a key. A pretty blonde woman appeared on the screen wearing a lab coat, her hair pulled back in a conservative knot.

“Becca,” Sterling said, a hand motioning to the screen. “Meet Kelly Patterson, director of science and medicine for the Renegades, and a royal pain in my ass. Nevertheless, damn good at what she does.”

“The only
ass
is Sterling,” Kelly retorted, but there was no mistaking the tease in her voice. “But I’m sure you’re figuring that out by now.”

Becca barely contained a smile as she noted Sterling’s grimace followed by a low grumble.

“Am I late?” came another female voice a second before yet another pretty blonde appeared on the screen. Her hair floated in silky strands around her shoulders as she murmured something to Kelly.

Sterling leaned closer to Becca. “That’s Cassandra,” he said, his voice low, for her ears only. “She’s the Lifebond of Michael. The king of dark and cranky.”

“I heard that, Sterling,” Cassandra said, pursing her lips at the camera. “Don’t be an asshole. Michael isn’t cranky. He’s protective and cautious. He’s also
your
friend
. And he’s waiting for you in the east wing of Neon with some of Becca’s personal items.”

Amazingly, Becca found herself laughing at Sterling’s exchanges with Cassandra, and it felt good. These people were friends who knew and loved each other, nothing like the stiff, cold existences inside Zodius. And the lead scientific director was a woman. Another something Adam would never have allowed.

Cassandra eyed Becca. “I wanted to let you to know that I went inside your house to pick up your things. I felt a bit like an intruder, but I tried to make up for it by picking out the things that seemed the most important to you.”

Even though Sterling had told her he was having some of her things picked up, she’d never written out her list. “Thank you,” Becca said quickly. “I don’t mind at all. I can’t wait to have some of my own things.”

“Anything I can do for you,” Cassandra said. “I’m here. I’ll leave you to Kelly for now.”

Sterling grabbed the tubes of blood and touched the small of her back. A gesture that spoke of a growing intimacy between them, that felt, well, right. It felt good. Confusing, but good. “I’ll do the same,” he said, before holding up the vials to the camera. “Michael will have Becca’s blood samples to bring back with him.” He eyed Becca. “Back in a bit.”

He waited for her acknowledgement, protective, as if he didn’t want to leave unless she said she’d be okay. It felt as nice as that hand on her back. Wonderful, in fact, and she dared to indulge in enjoying the feeling, if only this once. She didn’t remember the last time anyone had protected her, not since she’d lost her father and brother over a decade before. She nodded. “I’ll be here.” And for the first time in a long time, Becca realized she felt safe.

***

Some time later Becca found herself in deep conversation with Kelly, during which Kelly not only shared the history of the Renegades, she set up a secure email and sent Becca proof the Renegades were working for the government. Finally satisfied she was playing on the right team and liking Kelly quite a lot, it was time for Becca to vocalize her theories and how she thought she could help in the lab.

“I’m going to email you some data on the GTECHs,” Kelly said. “You can compare them to the ICE users. Some of the Zodius soldiers have what we call the X2 gene. It developed around fifteen months after conversion, and to put this in perspective, the lab rats that developed X2 all killed each other.” She held up a hand. “And let me assure you Sterling doesn’t have the X2 gene. None of the Renegades do… well… except Michael, but he’s different in all kinds of ways. I’ll send you his file as well. But please don’t tell him. He won’t like it.”

This was not good news to Becca. “My biggest fear has been what happens with long term use, rather than the few who have died in the midst of thousands. Not that I’m dismissing that problem, but we’re dealing with an alien component, and we have no idea how it will react or evolve in our environment.”

“Believe me, I know,” Kelly said. “Which brings us to the question I’ve been beating my head against the wall about. How do we keep that from happening? The ticking clock on that question is killing me.” She visibly cringed. “Oh God, Becca. I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me. You know, I’m pretty excited about what I see in your blood work. I don’t know if Sterling told you my thoughts on this, but if you really are cured then think what this could mean for cancer research when all of this is over.”

Becca absorbed that and found herself smiling inside, thinking of all the times she’d dared to ask, “Why me?” She realized it might just come back to here and now. She might be able to help people beyond just the immediate trouble with Adam. Even Adam, in an unintentional way, might be helping cancer patients. She opened her mouth to say as much, when a loud screeching sound ripped through her ears.

Becca grabbed her head. “Oh God! What is that? Make it stop!”

“Becca,” Kelly said. “I don’t hear anything. Tell me what’s going on.”

“How can you not hear it?” Becca screamed. The sound ripped through her, seemed to carve out her insides, and rip a path along her nerve endings.

“Caleb!” Kelly shouted. “Caleb, help! Get Sterling back into that room!” Then, “Hang in there, Becca. Sterling is coming. He’ll be right there.”

Becca fell to the ground. “It’s too late,” she whispered. Death had her attention again. It kept calling her name. And death, she realized, as she felt
him
in her mind, was named Dorian.

Sterling could hear Becca’s high-pitched scream even before he burst through the lab door, leaving Caleb and Michael in the hallway, adrenaline pumping through his body like white lightning. He felt that scream right to his soul, the terror in it, the pain, and the desperation to survive. Becca thought she was dying. That someone was trying to kill her. How he knew that, he didn’t know. But he knew.

The lab came into view in a whirlwind of flying debris that Sterling fought his way through as he spotted the computer and the overturned chair. Relief washed over him as he found Becca huddled beneath the desk, knees pulled to her chest, but no intruder.

He rushed to her, glass crunching beneath his boots as he squatted down in front of her. “Becca,” he said, his hands going to her knees. “Becca, sweetheart.”

She screamed again, clutching onto his arms, and then kicking and screaming. Hysterical… fighting for her life… scratching at him… wild. He backed away long enough to see her eyes. Wide… blank… as if she were blind.

“Get her out from under the desk,” Caleb said from behind.

Sterling looked over his shoulder. “Are you nuts? We have no idea what she might do to you.”

Caleb appeared above him. “I have mental shields other GTECHs do not. So does Becca. I can feel her energy, and if she doesn’t start using them and using them now, she’s going to die. She’s being attacked. So get her out now.”

Sterling didn’t need to hear another word. He reached for Becca, curling his fingers around her arm, and pulled her kicking and screaming from under that desk.

“Hold her still,” Caleb ordered.

“Right,” Sterling muttered, sitting down on the floor and positioning Becca in front of him, pinning her arms to her sides from behind, her back against his chest. Still, she kicked wildly. “That’s as good as it gets.”

Caleb kneeled at their side, out of the range of her kicks, and pressed his hand to her forehead.

She let out one sharp final scream and then gasped. Her head fell forward. “What just happened?” she panted.

Sterling had no idea what Caleb had just done, but he was thankful. Quickly he turned Becca in his arms, his hand sliding over her hair. “You’re okay.”

“Sterling,” she whispered a moment before her eyes went wide on Caleb.

“She won’t be,” Caleb said. “Not if we don’t act now.”

“Adam!” Becca yelled, trying to pull back, shifting to her knees.

“Caleb,” Sterling and Caleb said at the same moment.

“Becca, listen to me,” Caleb insisted. “Someone attacked your mind. They’re going to attack you again. You have the ability to shield yourself. I need you to focus with me, and let me teach you how.”

“I can’t,” she said. “I don’t have any idea how to do that.”

“You do,” Caleb insisted. “Relax, and let it happen.” He eyed Sterling with a keen glance, before returning his attention to Becca. “Do you trust Sterling?”

“I…” She cut a look at Sterling. “I…”

“Good,” Caleb said, as if she’d admitted trust. “Let him help you. Let him be your anchor. Find him in your mind first, and when you start to lose focus, you go back to him.”

Sterling had never been anyone’s anchor and never thought he wanted to be. Nor was he sure he was made of the right stuff for such a task. But he’d do just about anything for Becca. He took her hand. “I’m all yours, sweetheart,” he teased. “Take me when you’re ready.”

She laughed. It didn’t matter that there were tears welling in her eyes. That sound was like honey on a hot sunny day. Sticky sweet in all the right ways.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she challenged, her voice hoarse, but not without a playful twang.

“I would,” he said, shifting his weight to one knee. “So do it.”

Caleb reached out and pressed his palms to both their forearms. “Close your eyes.”

To Sterling’s shock, warmth spread up his arm, energy almost like electricity, moving through him into Becca… or maybe through her into him. “Find his mind, Becca,” Caleb ordered.

Seconds ticked by. That warm energy flowed through him, getting hotter, more pronounced, until Becca’s mind was there. Sterling could feel Becca in his head.

He wouldn’t be able to explain that feeling to anyone if he had to; he didn’t understand it himself. But it rocked his world, the intimacy of her inside his head. For just a moment, the idea that she might read his past, know his weaknesses, almost made him jerk away. Caleb’s hand tightened on Sterling’s arm, as if he knew what Sterling was feeling, what he was about to do.

Then, suddenly, someone else was there, in his head—no, in Becca’s head. She gasped at the malevolent touch. In his mind’s eyes, Sterling saw a boy—young, strong, evil. Then a flash of himself cutting open Becca’s arm. Pain wrenched through him as he felt what Becca had felt when he’d cut her shoulder.

“Find Sterling in your mind, Becca,” Caleb said. “Find that anchor, and center yourself in that place. Then fight back. Seal out the pain. Block the intruder. This is your mind. Not his. Get angry. Fight!”

“Fight,” Sterling whispered, out loud, or maybe it was in his mind, in hers. He didn’t know exactly, but he felt Becca shaking. Sterling was shaking with her. That energy that had drawn him closer to her was pushing him away. He could almost feel the pressure on his chest like a hand.

“Don’t let him win, Sterling,” Caleb said softly. “Be her anchor. Reach for her mind.”

Anchor. He was supposed to be her anchor. Sterling tightened his grip on Becca’s hands as Caleb had on his arm. “Becca,” he said. “I’m here.”

Her fingers curled around his, and he could hear her breathing rasping out faster… more shallow. Long moments passed. She pressed hard against his mind, pulled him toward her, and wrapped him inside out with her presence. The pain faded in a sudden rush of awareness.

“He’s gone,” Becca said, her shoulders slumping. “He’s gone! I did it!”