As much as CJ hated to admit it, Julius was right. The best way to find Kendra was to take down the Ouroboros agents. They wouldn’t kill her there. They needed Vestals. It was a thin, dark thread to hang his hopes on, but he’d take it.
Chapter Twenty
Kendra groaned and blinked her eyes open. She tried to move her arms from behind her back, but plastic cuffs stopped her. Her throat was sore, and it didn’t help that a thin metal collar lay around her neck. She could only see the edge of it when she looked straight down, but the cool touch was unmistakable.
So much for her big ball-kicking plan. She should have taken CJ’s threats more seriously, but she didn’t believe anyone would be so crazy as to kidnap a woman in the middle of thousands of other people.
Kendra could at least move her head, but there wasn’t much to see other than a wall in the dimly lit room. The room was small, barely more than a closet.
She didn’t know how long she’d been out, but she felt like it couldn’t have been that long. Her head didn’t throb, only her throat. Michael probably hadn’t drugged her.
Heels clacked nearby on hardened cement, and Kendra shimmied and scooted to face the source. A tall pale woman in a white suit dress stood in front of the now open door. Her platinum blond hair was pulled up in an elaborate chignon. She folded her gloved hands in front of her. Despite the lighting situation, she wore sunglasses.
“Who are you?” Kendra asked, her voice hoarse. “Who was that guy with purple eyes? Are you like him?”
The woman offered a condescending smile. “You really have no idea?” She pulled off the sunglasses to reveal blue eyes. “Surprised?”
“Why…?”
The woman reached up and pulled out contacts from both eyes with a laugh. She had bright purple eyes just like Michael.
“The hybrids aren’t the only ones who can come up with an easy solution to standing out,” the woman replied. “And unlike them, we don’t have to be huge.”
“You’re some sort of hybrid?” Kendra asked. “Michael is too?”
“We’re better than those creatures,” the woman replied, her nose wrinkling. “We’re not hybrids. We’re… enhanced. We’re NextGens.”
“Who are you?” Kendra asked. “Besides a NextGen?”
The woman smiled. “You can call me Helen. I’m sure we’ll be spending a lot of time together.”
“No offense, but I’d rather not. You kidnapped me, you crazy bitch.”
Kendra thought about spitting in her face but decided against it until she at least had her hands free and could fight back. She didn’t know if Helen was as strong as a hybrid, but she had to have some weaknesses.
Helen clucked her tongue. “Unfortunately, my dear, that’s not up to you. As a Vestal, you have unusual usefulness to our research. But don’t worry. Soon the injection will kick in, and you’ll stop caring.”
Kendra gasped. “Injection? You drugged me?” The crook of her right arm was sorer than she’d realized before, but the cuffs made it impossible to inspect. “What have you done?”
“Nothing that will hurt you too badly,” the woman replied. “You’ll be woozy at first, but then you won’t care. It’s a strange though not altogether unpleasant sensation, or so I’ve been told. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, Kendra, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for some more field tests with additional subjects, especially one who already has superior physical capabilities. It’ll be perfect.”
“You’re with them, aren’t you?” Kendra scooted backward until her back hit a wall. “You’re with Ouroboros.”
“Oh? You already know that?” Helen kept the same placid smile. “Excellent. That simplifies things. It’s annoying that the hybrids tracked us here, but it’s interesting they’ve already told you so much.” A flash of annoyance danced in her eyes. “Or have you known from the beginning? Were you part of their plan? Was this some sort of feeble attempt to bait us?”
“You think I’d walk into a trap?” Kendra rolled her eyes. The motion churned her stomach. Vertigo struck her. She took a deep breath, determined not to show any weakness.
Helen walked over and crouched in front of Kendra. “Oh, your pupils are dilating. It’s beginning.” She smiled. “I apologize for any discomfort. There remain some problems with the formulation, but that will pass, too. Don’t worry, though. You won’t remember any of it. That’s a useful little side effect. It allows multiple experiments without too much detritus building up from the previous ones.”
“You’re crazy.” Kendra swallowed. “You can’t just kidnap me. People are expecting me. My cameraman is probably calling me right now wondering where I am. And you already know my boyfriend is a hybrid. He’s not alone, you know. They’re going to come and mess you up.”
Helen offered a sickening smile. “And we’re hoping to take advantage of that. Eliminating some hybrids will ensure the continued superiority of our organization.” She sighed. “Dr. Quinen was a useful asset, but his sloppiness has brought our enemies to us. But, like many unfortunate occurrences, this could prove useful.”
“You don’t stand a chance against CJ,” Kendra shouted.
Helen’s delicate brows lifted. “CJ? That’s amusing. Are the little hybrids finally adjusting to the human world? No matter. Their presence also allows a field test of different assets. Fortune has smiled on his operation, and thus far we’ve lost nothing.” She leaned over to sneer at Kendra. “By the way, you’re going to leave soon and go run the race. That’ll solve the suspicion problem you mentioned.”
“Are you like completely stupid?” Kendra scoffed. “I’m going to scream bloody murder the minute I get out of here. You’re going down. The hybrids will raid this place. And the cops! By the time it’s over, I wouldn’t be surprised if the National Guard is here.”
“Nobody else will be coming.” Helen straightened to her full height. “Because very soon, you’re going to do everything I say without a
