enough that their shoulders touched. Too close. “Give me a little space when nightfall comes.” She opened her mouth to argue and he held up a hand. “Please. It’s…intense. Having you this close on top of all that is too much.”
She studied him for a long moment and then nodded. “How far away should I be?”
He looked across the cell. “Sit in the chair. Just for a few minutes, right when it happens.”
Claire didn’t look happy about it, but she sighed and nodded again.
He put a hand on her thigh, flashing back to last night. The feel of her straddling him. The feel of her under him. Maybe tonight he’d be brave enough—crazy enough?—to try it without the chains. He drew a deep breath as the rim of the sun hovered on the horizon. The thing that had been born with the injection stirred, so close to the surface. “Now,” he said. “Over there.”
For once Claire didn’t argue. She got up and backed toward the chair, watching him. Seconds after she sat, full dark rushed through him. As he often did, he put his arms up and spread them wide, the creature inside him welcoming the night. Oh, it felt so good. Freedom humming in his blood. When the sensation faded a little, he opened his eyes and looked at Claire. He took a deep breath, drawing in her scent.
“Are you done?” she asked.
Victor laughed. “Mmm, just getting started.” He crossed the room in the space of a second and smiled at the way she flinched. She glared at him and he laughed again, running a hand down her arm. Claire stood, pushing him out of the way. “Do I have to remind you we have work to do?” Her face was set, but there was a glint in her eyes. Her scent spoke of desire and strength.
“I know. But we have fifteen minutes.” He buried his nose her hair.
“Victor—”
Then the alarms went off.
Claire’s heart jumped into her throat and she stumbled away from Victor. “What is it?” she asked as she turned to Berkstrom.
From the other side of the glass, his wide eyes looked back at her. “I don’t know.”
She fumbled for the earpiece to her com and put it in. Silence. Then she remembered she hadn’t turned it on yet. It was one of the last things she did before leaving base. She flicked it on.
“Escaping! I repeat, the alts are escaping. All guards to the holding cells. All scientists evacuate to the first floor. Use of deadly force is authorized.”
Berkstrom had a hand radio held to his ear, his eyes even wider as he looked at Claire. Then his gaze shifted past her. Claire turned to face Victor. He had his hands held to his ears, his face scrunched up in pain. The whooping alarm had to be hell on his sensitive ears.
“They’re escaping,” she shouted.
He looked like he hadn’t heard her, and he crouched down, backing toward the bed. Victor didn’t seem interested in escaping unless it was to get away from that sound. What had happened? How had one of the alts escaped, let alone several of them? Every time they left their cells they were escorted by guards and they didn’t move more than one at a time.
Then she heard noises over the alarm. Gunshots from out in the hall. “Holy shit,” Berkstrom said. “How am I supposed to get out of here? They’re coming this way.”
“Just stay calm,” she told him without taking her eyes off Victor. She went toward him as he kept backing away. “Victor, you need to calm down.”
The outer door opened and more sound rushed in. Gunfire, shouting, the inhuman sounds of nasties. She turned, wondering if the alts had gotten inside. Instead, she saw three guards rush in, guns ready. They closed and locked the door behind them. Berkstrom quickly shifted out of their way. The lead guard said, “Number Five is still in his cell. Proceeding with termination.”
Termination? That one word terrified her more than the other alts running amuck in the building. Claire had left her rifle upstairs, but she still had her handgun. She wasn’t thinking with her head
She studied him for a long moment and then nodded. “How far away should I be?”
He looked across the cell. “Sit in the chair. Just for a few minutes, right when it happens.”
Claire didn’t look happy about it, but she sighed and nodded again.
He put a hand on her thigh, flashing back to last night. The feel of her straddling him. The feel of her under him. Maybe tonight he’d be brave enough—crazy enough?—to try it without the chains. He drew a deep breath as the rim of the sun hovered on the horizon. The thing that had been born with the injection stirred, so close to the surface. “Now,” he said. “Over there.”
For once Claire didn’t argue. She got up and backed toward the chair, watching him. Seconds after she sat, full dark rushed through him. As he often did, he put his arms up and spread them wide, the creature inside him welcoming the night. Oh, it felt so good. Freedom humming in his blood. When the sensation faded a little, he opened his eyes and looked at Claire. He took a deep breath, drawing in her scent.
“Are you done?” she asked.
Victor laughed. “Mmm, just getting started.” He crossed the room in the space of a second and smiled at the way she flinched. She glared at him and he laughed again, running a hand down her arm. Claire stood, pushing him out of the way. “Do I have to remind you we have work to do?” Her face was set, but there was a glint in her eyes. Her scent spoke of desire and strength.
“I know. But we have fifteen minutes.” He buried his nose her hair.
“Victor—”
Then the alarms went off.
Claire’s heart jumped into her throat and she stumbled away from Victor. “What is it?” she asked as she turned to Berkstrom.
From the other side of the glass, his wide eyes looked back at her. “I don’t know.”
She fumbled for the earpiece to her com and put it in. Silence. Then she remembered she hadn’t turned it on yet. It was one of the last things she did before leaving base. She flicked it on.
“Escaping! I repeat, the alts are escaping. All guards to the holding cells. All scientists evacuate to the first floor. Use of deadly force is authorized.”
Berkstrom had a hand radio held to his ear, his eyes even wider as he looked at Claire. Then his gaze shifted past her. Claire turned to face Victor. He had his hands held to his ears, his face scrunched up in pain. The whooping alarm had to be hell on his sensitive ears.
“They’re escaping,” she shouted.
He looked like he hadn’t heard her, and he crouched down, backing toward the bed. Victor didn’t seem interested in escaping unless it was to get away from that sound. What had happened? How had one of the alts escaped, let alone several of them? Every time they left their cells they were escorted by guards and they didn’t move more than one at a time.
Then she heard noises over the alarm. Gunshots from out in the hall. “Holy shit,” Berkstrom said. “How am I supposed to get out of here? They’re coming this way.”
“Just stay calm,” she told him without taking her eyes off Victor. She went toward him as he kept backing away. “Victor, you need to calm down.”
The outer door opened and more sound rushed in. Gunfire, shouting, the inhuman sounds of nasties. She turned, wondering if the alts had gotten inside. Instead, she saw three guards rush in, guns ready. They closed and locked the door behind them. Berkstrom quickly shifted out of their way. The lead guard said, “Number Five is still in his cell. Proceeding with termination.”
Termination? That one word terrified her more than the other alts running amuck in the building. Claire had left her rifle upstairs, but she still had her handgun. She wasn’t thinking with her head
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