They took a few tentative steps forward, only to halt when Peter, Skull, and Phoenix came out into the light. Marco, Ryan, and the girls followed, masks covering their faces. Dozens more stayed hidden in the dark.
“This won’t do,” Peter said, pointing at the masked humans. “Considering how much you know about us, I shouldn’t be setting you free at all. The least you can do is show your faces, so if I ever come across you again, I’ll know who you are.”
The Commandos hesitated, exchanging glances and shuffling their feet.
“Take off the masks!” Skull barked. He took a step closer, and all the masks were off in a heartbeat.
Peter nodded slowly, taking in their faces, then turned to Phoenix. “Take a few photos, I want each face nice and clear.”
“Okay.”
The Commandos recoiled from the scarred fighter but stayed where they were. Only their angry whispers and the clicks of Phoenix’s phone camera disrupted the quiet.
When Phoenix was done and stepped back to Skull’s side, Peter looked over the group of humans before him. “One person who gives me a tour of the lab will return to the city safely in my car. The only person I won’t hold a grudge against. Who will it be?”
Awkward silence ensued. A few seconds later, a small Hispanic woman in her late thirties stepped forward. The others hissed behind her back, some grabbing her coat, but she shut them up.
“I’ll show you the lab,” she said, holding her head high.
“Good. The rest of you, get lost.” Peter took her arm and walked her to his SUV.
The humans shuffled awkwardly for a while, so he barked over his shoulder, “There’s a bunch of very angry Beasts just around the corner, so I suggest you hurry the fuck up. The highway’s that way.”
They disappeared in the dark in a second.
A moment later, the Black Eagles showed up from behind their cars, at least a dozen men.
“Wait here,” Peter told the woman and went to greet Martin, Skull close behind him.
She trembled in her thin coat, slouching against the car as she stared at Phoenix’s scarred face. Jane thought she should speak to her, distract her, but he’d already noticed and cocked his head, staring back at her.
“You like what you see?” he drawled.
She dropped her gaze, shrinking back. Phoenix moved suddenly, and Jane tensed, only to see him reach inside Marco’s car and pull out a heavy winter coat.
In one smooth motion, he stepped closer and wrapped it around the woman, the big coat swallowing her whole. “Kidding, sweetheart,” he said, his usual dead expression never changing. “Stay here with the girls.” And he walked away.
Jane’s jaw dropped underneath the mask, and she turned to find the same dumbstruck expression on her sister’s face.
“Our soulless boy has a soul, after all,” Pain murmured.
Jane jabbed an elbow in her side, then walked to the woman. “What’s your name?”
She blinked, looking Jane over. “D-Daniela.”
“How many of our people are down in that lab right now?”
“Forty… four? I think.”
Behind Jane, Pain whistled.
“There are two labs,” Daniela added.
Jane nodded. “And what was your role here?”
“Just an assistant,” she quickly said, her tone defensive. “I’m no scientist. I’m a nurse. That’s why they hired me. Got three kids and no husband. I didn’t know—”
“It’s okay,” Jane interrupted her, hearing Peter approach. She turned to him. “Forty-four Ghosts down there, two labs.”
“Jesus.” Peter cursed under his breath. “The buses are going to the storage—there are way more people, but they’re in better shape, probably. We should be all right here. I’m Peter,” he told the woman, and held out his hand so she’d have to step closer and make contact.
“Daniela,” she said, carefully taking his hand.
“You have nothing to worry about, Daniela. Show us the way.”
Chapter 48
They lined up before the entrance, Pain and Chad bringing up the rear as promised, with Peter and Daniela in the front. Between them, it was only a dozen men, plus Jane. Pain rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet to keep warm, watching Skull and Phoenix slip into the line before Peter.
Their boss nudged Daniela, and they finally disappeared through the doors.
Pain glanced over her shoulder, finding the Eagles and two dozen more men waiting for the all-clear to follow them and help carry anyone who couldn’t walk out of those labs.
She followed the others inside, tensing as the dark building closed in on her, only to remind herself it was safe. There was no reason for the humans to leave any booby traps. They’d let them go. And the woman wouldn’t have stayed otherwise.
Soon enough, she was descending the concrete stairs into the basement, Chad right behind her.
Like Jane and Ryan in the front, she paused, taking in the creepy, narrow corridor. The walls were gray concrete, the ceiling low, the lights dimmed. And up ahead, countless doors gaped open.
“This is…” She trailed off, unsure how to describe it.
“Bigger than you expected?” Jane asked, throwing a glance over her shoulder.
“Yeah.” Pain looked at Chad, who only shrugged.
She lowered her mask, the stink of bleach hitting her nose in full. Skull and Peter disappeared in a room to the right, while Daniela led Phoenix to the next room, speaking in her quiet, accented voice.
Peter came back out by the time Pain reached that room, and once Skull was out, shut the door before Pain could peek inside. “What’s in there?” she asked.
“Office.”
“We’re coming back to it?”
“No, we’re torching it. All of it.”
Pain opened her mouth to ask what he’d found
