We opened the door and I cringed when it squealed loudly in the silence. I saw 10 females laid up in beds. It reminded me of the films I watched of children in the orphanages, how they slept in rows on cots. They looked like they were sleeping. Some of them were obviously pregnant as well.
“Let’s get out of here,” I muttered. My uneasiness had only increased, even though everything seemed to be going off without a hitch.
Quad 4 ambled over to the first girl and ran his hands above them, hovering over them. “I don’t feel anything,” he said in confusion. He had the ability to detect foreign objects or disease in any living mammal.
Troy and I exchanged glances.
“Maybe he’s found a way to just inject them into submission, without installing those balls,” Rachel said hesitantly.
“Can you finish checking them and we’ll start carrying them out?” Troy looked over at Quad 4.
Quad 4 nodded, and Troy, Rachel, and I carefully picked up the females as they were cleared of any devices. Rachel and I decided to tag team it, despite my ability of strength.
“Heading out with our first patients,” I muttered into the headsets.
We had already loaded four females when the sense of unease still wouldn’t dissipate. Micah was acting like someone twice his age as he helped Quad 1 and 2 settle the females in comfortably. I was really proud of him as I smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder. He almost preened at my praise.
I hadn’t heard from Michael or Quad 3 in quite a while. Steven had reported the top two floors clear of any guards.
“Casper,” I whispered into the headset, using Michael’s call sign. “What’s your status?”
“All clear,” he stated quickly. It was too quickly. His voice sounded strained and we both heard it.
Troy and I exchanged a quick look. “Somethings not right,” Troy stated, his jaw tightening.
“Let’s get out of here,” I had to repress the shudder coursing through my body.
I could sense Rachel’s uneasiness. I wish I could explain to her how I felt. She must have seen it in my gaze, because she nodded. Troy nodded as well, and we ran back throu
gh the darkened parking lot. We ran into the little room housing the women, and Quad 4 looked at us with confusion.
“We need to get out of here,” Troy stated. “Let’s get them out of here and leave.”
“This one’s the only one with anything,” Quad 4 stated as he put a bracelet on her arm. We had been told to tag them as we located the implants.
Rachel and I lifted the only girl with an implant that we could find and started to carry her out. As we hit the frigid air, the girl gasped, and blinked at me. “It’s a trap,” her large brown eyes blinked at me. I froze for a moment as I realized she was in the drawing Ella had given us.
She was the unknown girl in the picture with me, Micah, Rachel, Troy in the diner.
I heard Rachel’s gasp echo mine. “She’s the girl in the picture,” she said awestruck.
I turned to look at Troy, and from his look, he had heard her, too. “Everyone report to rendezvous,” he bit out as shouts and gun shots began to ring out.
Micah appeared next to me, his face ghost white. “The woman,” he gasped. “They used their gifts to kill Lyle and Dave,” he looked at me wildly.
I guiltily realized that Quad 1 and Quad 2’s names were Lyle and Dave. My brother had taken the time to remember their names and I had not.
I set the girl down on shaking and weak knees, “Hide and take her,” I told him urgently. I shoved my phone in his hand. “I’ll call you when we’re okay.”
I knew she had to go. There was a reason she was in the picture.
He looked like he wanted to argue with me.
“Micah,” Troy said firmly.
Micah nodded before he disappeared with the girl. We took off towards the shouting and gun shots. As we went in the building, all went silent. We cautiously walked towards the room. I took a deep breath and tried to feel the people around me. I could feel Troy’s quiet, strong determination. He was worried, but not for himself. I squeezed his hand in reassurance.
I continued to use my empath gift as we got closer to the door and felt the nervous, excited, feelings exuding from the room. I got another feeling of fear and anger, before it was snuffed out. I grabbed Troy’s arm and shook my head.