The Black Tide (Outcast 3)

Personally, I doubted she would want to flee with us, if only because her actions at Chaos spoke volumes of where her loyalty now lay. “And if she doesn’t want assistance or help? What will you do?”

“I don’t know.” He looked away. “I honestly don’t know.”

I squeezed his arm and then let my hand fall. And hoped, with everything I had, that he would not be forced to make a decision similar to the one I’d been faced with in the sand base. Where are they being kept, Bear?

In the secure bunkhouse at the far end of the corridor.

All seven are awake and aware, Cat added. In fact, one of the boys spoke to us.

I blinked as Jonas opened the storeroom door. What did he say?

He wanted to know who we were, Bear said. And why we were there.

What did you tell them?

That we were exploring, Cat said. I think he thought we were real.

I frowned. Meaning he saw you as flesh and blood?

I think so.

That was interesting if true, because even with my ability to both sense ghosts and communicate with them, I rarely saw my little ones as anything more than a shimmering sparkle. Only when they were playing in dust did they momentarily gain human shape.

And the other laboratories? I asked. Anything—anyone—in them?

Scientists. Bear hesitated. And embryos.

I briefly closed my eyes. I’d been hoping against hope that we wouldn’t find another creations lab in this place, but I guess it wasn’t surprising that the evil trio had stretched their developments across all facilities. It made it easier to keep projects going if one or more of the labs got hit—which they certainly had.

There is no one in the intrauterine pods, Cat said. And the cots and restraint cribs are also empty.

Relief surged. That, at least, was going to make things a little easier. What sort of security have the labs and the bunkroom got?

Two guards remain at the door up ahead, which is scanner locked. There are five in the corridor behind that, positioned at regular intervals between the labs.

The bunkhouse is also scanner locked, and there is video monitoring, Cat added.

How far is the first guard from the main door? Jonas asked.

It took me a moment to realize he hadn't said that out loud. Obviously, the on and off nature of our communications were currently on—and it would certainly make things easier if it continued to be so, even though we could still communicate through the ghosts if it didn’t.

He's not in the sightline of the door guards, Cat said. But there’s a body scanner in the door.

Meaning no matter what we did now, the alarm would be raised the minute we went through it.

We stepped into the storeroom and let the door close again. “Best move behind the rear shelves,” Jonas said. “Just in case they do a quick check of every room on their way to the med center.”

They are close, Cat said. Their guns are drawn.

Jonas responded by drawing his. I shoved the bloody bit of flesh holding the RFID chip into the coat’s pocket, then moved to the opposite end of the shelving and peered around. The door opened and a man stepped through. I pulled back, my breath catching in my throat as I waited, body tense, for any indication that they sensed our presence. Footsteps echoed as he moved cautiously into the room.

Should we knock them out? I asked.

Jonas didn't reply. I glanced over my shoulder and saw his frustrated expression.

He says it's a toss-up, Cat said. Because alarms are going to be raised regardless once you both go through that door.

All of which was going to make it even more difficult to get those kids out. And that, above everything else, had to be our priority right now. As the guard took another cautious step into the room, I said, Cat, Bear, can you go see if there's another way out of this place? Perhaps check the roof, and see what's up there?