Page 63 of Ravage
“Kill the lab rat, or I’ll take this one out. He’s about as useful as a fan and hasn’t shown any progress in his training. All of your friends have been struggling with compliance, in fact. It’d be better for Gifted Enterprise to put them down before they age out. All except for the one who can mute gifts.” Gordon lifts a two-way radio to his lips. “Prepare to terminate subject 1-3-6-5 on my mark.”
A red dot appears on the side of Jack’s face.
“No!” I leap at Gordon, but fall through him when he activates his gift. I’ve tried attacking him before, but this is how it always ends. With his gift, he’s untouchable. And I can’t hurt him if I can’t touch him. “Please, wait.”
“Ready…” Gordon speaks into the radio again.
Jackson looks up. The red dot is now centered on his forehead, but that’s not what has Gordon and I stopping to stare. He’s looking directly at the camera, and what looks like the origin of the laser, and he smirks.
For the first time, Gordon looks surprised.
It brings a smile to my face, until Gordon sees that and his face darkens. His thumb compresses the radio button to talk, and I lunge for his arm.
“NO! I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Stop!”
He wrenches his arm away and pushes the button down again. “Hold for fifteen minutes. If you don’t hear from me by then, shoot him.” Gordon sets the tablet in the basket on the machine. “Do it. Now.”
I hurry over to the boy seated in the chair. His eyes are wide with fear as he tries to plead with me through the gag.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” I choke out and pull his gag down.
“He was going to kill me anyway. Please just…make it quick.”
I have no idea how to make it quick, but I hope he’s gone before he can feel my gift. “What’s your name?” I whisper as my hands encircle his arm.
“Caleb. Caleb Stone.”
My eyes blur with tears at what I have to do next. I really will be a killer after this. And once it starts, will it stop?
But it sounds like Gordon’s already done with my boys. If this can keep them alive and safe until Aiden can get them free…
“You’re a monster.” Gordon’s voice echoes in my head.
Yes. I am.
I shove all of my gift through my hands and into Caleb. He screams the second my gift touches him, and his screaming continues even as I push harder and harder to finish it.
I don’t stop until the screaming ends and the machine sounds on a single, low tone.
Gordon grabs my face and turns it up so he can inspect it. “For someone claiming not to be a monster, you sure took your time with that kill. Hands on the arm to start instead of somewhere vital too. Hmph.”
“Call them off.” My voice cracks, but I don’t care. All that matters is he tells whoever is on the other side of that radio not to shoot Jack.
He checks his watch. “This is cutting it close. I’m not entirely pleased with you, pet. I hate to be questioned. I hate to repeat myself.”
Panic builds in a paralyzing grip on my lungs as time ticks away and he makes no move to call off the hit.
“Consider this your last warning,” he continues, his voice cold and dark. The back of his hand caresses my cheek, and I flinch at the contact. “I can find better use for your mouth than talking back if it happens again.”
“Please,” I beg with my eyes downcast.
He scoffs, and finally, I hear the click of the radio. “Stand down.”
A tiny sob of relief bursts free involuntarily, and I drop my face against my hands to try to hide it.
Thank goodness. Jack…
The taste of smoke is thick on my tongue as I come to. My body coughs on instinct, trying to drive whatever smoke or gas it inhaled out of my lungs before my brain can come back online. Between the flavor in my mouth and the dark memory still clinging to my mind like thick cobwebs, my stomach turns and clenches in warning.
