Viktis appeared in the doorway, arms raised. “Renna, we have a little problem.”
Major Larson stepped up behind him, blaster aimed directly at Viktis’s head.
THIRTY-ONE
“So nice to see you again, Renna.” Larson’s voice could have frozen lava. “Why don’t we all go inside?” He no longer wore the gray-and-gold MYTH uniform. Instead, a black jacket with a green lapel covered his lanky frame. He gestured with his gun. “Don’t try anything or your friend is dead.”
She glanced at Viktis, trying to keep her expression even and calm. He nodded slightly as if he could read her mind. But she couldn’t risk trying to take down Larson with Viktis in the line of fire.
Dammit. When had she lost her nerve?
She raised her hands. “Fine. I’ll behave. Leave him alone.” Renna backed up into the guardroom until she bumped into the wall.
Larson pushed Viktis into the room, the gun never wavering. “Against the wall, scum.”
Viktis stood beside Renna, frowning. “You had a shot at him. You should have taken it.”
“Shut up,” Larson snapped. He slammed the back door closed and reset the alarm with one hand. The other still pointed the gun at them.
“I didn’t think you’d fall for it, but Dr. Samil was sure you wouldn’t be able to resist coming here.” Larson’s lips twisted into a sneer. “You’re even more predictable than I thought. She’ll be so pleased to know you’re here. Just in time to start phase two.”
“Just in time to stop you, you mean.” Renna leaned casually back against the wall and crossed her arms. “We knew exactly what we were walking into, Major.”
“Of course you did.” His smirk deepened. “Always have to have the last word, don’t you? You really should learn when keeping your mouth shut is the smarter option.” He strode to the door on the other side of the room and pressed his index finger to a bioscanner, wincing as a small needle pricked his skin.
Godsdammit. A biolock. Almost impossible to hack, even if you did have a sample of the person’s blood. But it wouldn’t do to let Larson see her reaction. She kept her face expressionless as the door slid open and he motioned them to start moving.
“So does Dr. Samil pay well?” she asked. “I can’t think of any other reason someone like you would join up with an undisciplined mob like this.”
Larson let out a low chuckle. “You really are a thief, only concerned with money.” He forced them down a narrow hallway. “Do you want to know how well Samil pays?” he asked, pulling up the sleeve of his new uniform coat and pressing a finger to his wrist. The skin on his forearm pulled back, revealing a mess of wires and human nerves. Just like Myka’s.
Renna stared at the familiar panel, her whole body going icy.
“I was diagnosed with an incurable disease three years ago,” Larson said. “Samil offered to save me in return for my help. It was an easy decision. Even better, I just got an upgrade—state-of-the-art brain and nervous system. Bionic limb, even a shiny new implant, thanks to you.”
Renna blinked at him in dismay. Dr. Samil must have started shipping Renna’s test results out here as soon as Renna arrived at MYTH HQ. There was no way they could have developed this tech without her DNA.
Which meant that by turning herself in, Renna had actually helped create a whole new level of hybrid.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Even Larson shouldn’t have to go through something like that.
“Why? I’m alive because of Dr. Samil and better than I could have ever imagined. Of course, I believe in her and her cause. And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her,” he added with a growl.
Renna and Viktis exchanged horrified glances. She hadn’t thought there could be anything worse than humans being experimented on against their will, but this was it. What kind of insane person would choose that path?
“Enough talking. Inside, both of you.” Larson shoved Viktis through the door into a cavernous warehouse.
Renna gazed around the once-familiar space, jaw slack. She recognized it, and yet it was completely different. Back in her day, Blur had set up his desk at one end, out in the open so that everyone could see him. And so he could keep an eye on them.
Finn had had his own office area at the opposite end of the space, but he’d rarely been there, preferring to be down with the rest of the members in the central space. They’d had a dozen long tables scattered about, where gang members could play cards or work through jobs. They’d hung out in low couches in each corner, while a sparring ring was set up at one side for whoever wanted to use it.
Now, Samil had set up an open-air lab area where Blur’s desk had been, with machines and medical devices. The sparing ring was gone, along with the couches, but the tables were still there. A whole group of different faces turned to stare at her as she and Viktis entered the space. Renna bit back a gasp. Each one was in some stage of becoming a hybrid—a metal arm or robotic eye or other technological implant clearly visible on each person.
The people standing around the tables in the warehouse space wore neat, nondescript clothing, their skin clean and hair groomed. They were all still obviously human. But how much longer before they turned into the unthinking machines Renna had destroyed at Navang’s facility?
Did Samil have a neural network here, too? Once they connected to it and she controlled them, would they even know the difference?
Would Renna?
Viktis risked touching her arm when Larson turned to glance behind them. “You all right?”
She nodded, swallowing away the fear clogging her throat. “I’ll get us out of this. I promise.”
Before he could respond, a door opened at the back of the hall, and Dr. Samil walked out, dressed in a crisp black suit. The click of her heels against the floor resounded through the space as she approached, and a smile stretched her pretty face.
The hybrids followed her with their gazes, each one wearing the same identical expression of worship.
“Welcome, Renna. It must be strange to come back to your origins after all this time.” Samil’s tone was friendly, and Renna still had a hard time reconciling the woman who’d helped her back at MYTH with the monster trying to destroy them all.
Renna shrugged, faking boredom. “Not so strange. I escaped from here once. I can do it again.”
Samil frowned. “There’s no need to be so belligerent. I wish you’d realize that I want to help you.”