“Damn it. This is the key I stole from Dr. Bowman and used to get in before. They must’ve changed the lock.” She tossed it aside in frustration.
“Here, let me help.”
Reaching up, he grabbed the handle and pulled with steady force. He was tempted to smile at her dubious expression, but his macho display was using the precious reserves of energy he still had left. The wood began to creak, groan . . . and then snapped with a sharp crack. He tossed the cabinet door onto the counter and gestured to the many containers inside.
“There you go. Have at it.”
“Wow. Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
Quickly, she set about sorting through the samples, discarding some and taking others. Soon her baggie was filled with more of the type of tissue she’d brought them before. “That should be enough,” she said, sealing the plastic. “Let’s go see if Zan is having any luck.”
In the small lab office, Zan was hunkered at the computer, frowning at the screen along with Ryon and Nick. The thumb drive was in place, downloads apparently progressing.
“What’s so interesting?” Jax asked. Kira moved to his side, pressing close.
“I can’t make much of this testing stuff—nothing at all, really—but I’ve noticed that each document has a number at the top. I think they’re using case file numbers instead of names to ID their test subjects.”
“That would be standard,” Kira said. “NewLife has to protect the identities of organ donors and their recipients.”
“Yeah, but even so, their corresponding names would be recorded somewhere, right?”
“They should be,” she told him. “Also, see how there’s a date at the top of each section of the document? That shows the date each test was done on the subject, with a description of what was done and how the subject reacted to whatever they did.”
Nick spoke up. “So what we’ve found is the doctors’ files on what’s being done to each person and when, whether they’re human or shifter.”
Kira nodded. “Looks like it. I’d feel better if Zan hurries and gets it all, like you said, so we can get the hell out of here and study this stuff later.”
“She’s right,” Jax said, a sense of urgency riding him harder than before. “And we’ve still got more poking around to do before we can go.”
Nick let out a breath. “There’s a stench permeating the very walls of this place. Blood, sweat, hunger, terror, death. We need to hurry, or more lives will be lost.”
Zan completed the transfer of data in a matter of minutes and pocketed the thumb drive. Jax prayed the proof they needed was on the device, because they’d never be able to get inside a NewLife property again without launching a full-blown attack.
When they were ready to move again, Nick glanced between Kira and A.J. “Where to now?”
“I found something interesting after Kira took off the other night,” A.J. said in a low voice. “This isn’t the only area restricted to regular staff.”
“You located another one? How? Where?” Kira asked anxiously.
“I was thinking about it—if they’re down here doing their mad scientist gig, then where are the lab rats?”
Kira’s eyes widened. “You found them?”
“Maybe. But we won’t know unless we can get past the big-assed solid steel vault-style door that’s standing smack in our way.”
“I’ve got an idea of how to take care of that,” Aric said with a grim smile. “You play tour guide and I’ll be the demolition man.”
Being back here was harder than Kira had anticipated. She’d barely escaped before, and now a sense of impending doom was closing bony fingers around her throat, urging her to get the hell out. Fast.
That wasn’t the worst of it, though. Jax was doing his best tough-guy routine, but she could tell he was hurting. His limp was more pronounced than ever, his face pale. He wasn’t scratching anymore, but she wasn’t entirely certain that was a positive sign. What if his body was giving up the ghost? Shutting down?
What if the choice to mate wasn’t hers anymore? If she’d waited too long, would he die?
Oh, God. It was more imperative than ever that they finish up and make tracks. Whatever was hidden in this building couldn’t be worth Jax’s life and the lives of his friends. Could it?
But she knew none of them could leave without knowing for sure whether there were people hidden here. Being sliced, experimented on, tortured beyond what any being should be forced to endure. And for what purpose? It was madness.
A.J. stuck his head out to check the corridor, then motioned for them to follow. She wasn’t surprised when he led them in the opposite direction from the service elevator that would ascend to the parking garage and to escape. Every step made her more and more uneasy. No, downright scared.
She tried reminding herself that she was with a team of badass shifters, ones with special Psy abilities to boot. But on the heels of that thought came another; if Dr. Mallory and the other researchers at the Institute were correct, then whoever was experimenting on humans and shifters clearly knew how to capture and hurt them. Endlessly. Until their bodies gave out.
By the time they reached the far end of the corridor, she was sweating, pushing back mind-numbing fear. It was an effort, but she couldn’t afford to let them down. If this went south she refused to be the square cog that upset the machine.
A.J. gestured to a door marked HIGH VOLTAGE—KEEP OUT! and produced a key. “Got hold of the master key ring a couple of days ago, and found the one that opened this lock. When I saw that the warning sign is either wrong or more likely a fake, and there’s not anything electrical in here, I went looking. After I discovered the hidden passage, I made a copy of the key and put the ring back.”
“Hidden passage?” Aric snorted. “Jeez, I’m starting to channel a little Indiana Jones.”
“As long as there are no flying poison spikes or boulders rigged to crush our asses, I’m good.” This from Zan, who was only half-joking. The other half was ready for anything.
Once inside the room, A.J. closed the door quietly and waved a hand at the space, which was filled with empty boxes, crates, and palettes. “As you can see, nothing much here but junk. When I first came in and looked around, I almost left right away. But then I was struck by how orderly this
“Strategically placed,” Nick observed. “There’s not much dirt or dust.”
“Right. So I looked around a little more. And I found this.” Picking his way between stacks, he left them to follow.
Single file, they did, careful not to upset any of the boxes or crates. On the far wall, in the corner, was another door. Her friend used the same key to unlock this one, and pushed it open. Well-oiled, it didn’t make a sound. As she moved closer to get a good look, she blinked at the sight of a staircase on the other side, descending into nothingness, it seemed.
“The vault, and whatever is inside, is at the bottom,” A.J. told them. “No regular key, just a security panel with card-key access—and sorry. I couldn’t lay hands on one. There’s also a number pad that I’m guessing is an override if the card doesn’t work, but I was afraid to try and hack it. Might set off an alarm. Plus, I wasn’t prepared to face by myself whatever I might find. I was damned glad when Kira called me and said you all were coming.”
“You did the right thing,” Nick assured him. “Let’s move.”
As they went into the bowels of the earth, Jax reached out and squeezed her hand, gave her a reassuring
