Betrayal - Book 3 of Guardians Saga - EDITED

CH 9.1 What I've Done

Morgan's fingers tightened like a vice on Alex's arm, squeezing hard enough to bruise. His face twisted in ugly anter when they reached the dead end office.

"You tricked me." Morgan growled out his words as if trying to menace her into submission.

Alex struggled to break free but couldn't. "Relax," she pleaded. "Just watch."

She placed her free hand on the back wall, fingers tracing the cracks and crevices until they found a weak spot. Her fingernails dug into the crumbling wall to expose the outline of a large rectangle. "Help me push out this panel," she commanded. "It's covering an old access port."

Morgan released her arm reluctantly. "Hurry up. I won't like killing you quickly even if your freak lover's reaction is fun to watch."

Alex bit off her smart reply, knowing any further insults would only make things worse for both of them. It wouldn't do to give him another excuse to take action against them.

I hope I hear Gabe coming, but it sounds more like security men. I want even less to be captured by Hermann than Morgan. The stalkers will be in more danger from Hermann.

Alex focused instead on digging out the panel with her bare hands until it finally gave way, revealing sunlight. At least now if her friends managed to get through, Hermann's men wouldn't trap them in a dead end. Morgan kicked the rest of the blocks free. He stooped through the opening and pulled Alex with him.

"I have plans for us," Morgan said.

Alex moved so fast that he couldn't see what she had done, much less stop her. Then she showed him the empty syringe. "I have my own plans. Dr. Hermann's special potion, double dose. I'll be dead soon and with me dies your hopes of profit and revenge. Don't you know that my power is mainly biochemical in origin rather than anatomic? When I die, it dies with me and can never be traced. The implants are nothing more than useless pieces of tissue when I'm dead. The fission slipstream generator kills its host in a short time."

Shards of knowledge, dislodged by stress, came to the surface of Alex's brain and she used them. "You take my body to any lab and they'll slap you in prison so fast you won't be able to say the word 'million'. Or they'll kill you for what looks like a double cross. I've won again. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 and go directly to jail, Morgan."

She met the watery grey eyes that were the stuff of her nightmares. His face darkened and contorted in an ugly rage as he raised his hand to strike her, slapping her so hard that a sharp pain shot through her head and stars blurred her vision. She could hear the malice in his voice as he said, "I'll play with you while I can, Alex. It's going to be slow and painful."

***

Grange and the brothers were still at the force field, Grange still typing frantically.

"Company," Cale called out and swung his staff. The security men closed in like a pack of wolves, weapons at the ready. He planted himself firmly in front of Rile's motionless body.

Grange jabbed the last button on the console and yelled "Got the code!"

Gabe brandished his sword. "Too late now."

Cale stepped between them both. "Gabe, staff. We don't need any casualties in this laboratory."

"Allow me." Grange drew his pistol and fired over the heads of the approaching security guards. "Grab your brother. Now we run."

"We must follow Alex!" Gabe shouted, sheathing his sword and snatching Rile up from the ground.

Grange fired off a few more rounds in a battle of bullets, shots ricocheting off the walls in their wake. Gabe and Cale bounded through the now unshielded doorway, into the small office. They quickly spotted the crumbling access port. Gabe kneeled down, setting Rile on the ground before they both pushed him through the open portal, just as Grange called out for them to hurry.