Superior

Chapter 49

Chapter Forty-Nine

Caleb

I turned around slowly, gritting my teeth as Dr. Leary came into view. He tilted his head, leering at me in all his wild-eyed glory. He stood in front of a shrouded doorway—the same one we had just vacated—grinning in an unquestionably insane manner.

"Would you look at that," he purred, his teeth flashing in the fluorescent glow of the overhead lights, "we have the whole gang here: the anarchists, the traitor, and...oh, how fortuitous! It appears that you've found my missing candidate." His flickering gaze lingered for a brief moment on Jeanette. "Now it's really a party."

Rage mounted inside me at the sight of the scientist, and my hands closed into white-knuckled fists. Leary saw, and merely grinned.

"Do I anger you, Caleb?" He smirked. "Does seeing my face make you want to tear me limb from limb? Because, by all means, you're welcome to try. We'll see how you fare."

My entire body vibrated with white-hot fury. He was taunting me, now, provoking me: pushing my buttons to see how far they would go before I snapped. I was about half a second from lunging for him when Trai's voice halted me.

"Don't do it," he hissed quietly, his eyes boring into mine. "He's just baiting you."

I knew Trai was right, but that didn't stop my anger from swelling to a frightening crescendo. Anyway, I figured I could take Leary; he was thin and bony, without any visible sign of muscles. Against me, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"So?" I demanded, not looking at Trai. "He's alone; there's no one to stop me from killing him before he can speak."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught of a flash of horror pass over Jeanette's features. She was remembering the two Pro-Inferiors, as was I. But unlike her, rather than feeling fear at the memory, I only felt overwhelming exhilaration.

Dr. Leary cackled suddenly, startling me. He tilted his head and looked me straight in the eye. "Oh, silly boy," he murmured, "whoever said that I was alone?"

Delaney

Trai set me down as Dr. Leary continued to laugh, but I was unable to fully support my weight and had to lean heavily against his side. He squeezed my arm reassuringly. My vision swam in front of my eyes, a glimmering haze of kaleidoscopic faces. I screwed my eyes shut against the assault, determined not to open them unless something pivotal happened. I kept stealing peeks at the chortling scientist before us, nervous even though he was a good fifteen feet away. No distance was far enough from the deranged man who had forced poison into my veins.

Leary's humorous episode lasted for several long moments (the man seemed to find himself absolutely hilarious), but it eventually petered out into silence. I peeled my eyes open as he swiped at imaginary tears, saying, "Well, Malcolm, you might as well bring them all in."

Suddenly, the quiet, empty station became a cacophonous flurry of bodies in movement as dozens upon dozens of people filed into the space. Overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught, my mind twisted until my sight became a tight tunnel. On instinct, I tried to reach up and adjust my glasses, but my hand shivered and fell back to my side almost instantly. I could feel Trai's worried gaze on my face.

"What is this?" Caleb demanded. He had moved up in front of us all, and was now tense and bristling. "What the hell are you doing, Leary?"

The doctor smiled fiercely. "I'm saving the children."