“You located another one? How? Where?” Kira asked anxiously.

“I was thinking about it—if they’re down here doing their mad scientist gig, then where are the lab rats?”

Kira’s eyes widened. “You found them?”

“Maybe. But we won’t know unless we can get past the big-assed solid steel vault-style door that’s standing smack in our way.”

“I’ve got an idea of how to take care of that,” Aric said with a grim smile. “You play tour guide and I’ll be the demolition man.”

Thirteen

Being back here was harder than Kira had anticipated. She’d barely escaped before, and now a sense of impending doom was closing bony fingers around her throat, urging her to get the hell out. Fast.

That wasn’t the worst of it, though. Jax was doing his best tough-guy routine, but she could tell he was hurting. His limp was more pronounced than ever, his face pale. He wasn’t scratching anymore, but she wasn’t entirely certain that was a positive sign. What if his body was giving up the ghost? Shutting down?

What if the choice to mate wasn’t hers anymore? If she’d waited too long, would he die?

Oh, God. It was more imperative than ever that they finish up and make tracks. Whatever was hidden in this building couldn’t be worth Jax’s life and the lives of his friends. Could it?

But she knew none of them could leave without knowing for sure whether there were people hidden here. Being sliced, experimented on, tortured beyond what any being should be forced to endure. And for what purpose? It was madness.

A.J. stuck his head out to check the corridor, then motioned for them to follow. She wasn’t surprised when he led them in the opposite direction from the service elevator that would ascend to the parking garage and to escape. Every step made her more and more uneasy. No, downright scared.

She tried reminding herself that she was with a team of badass shifters, ones with special Psy abilities to boot. But on the heels of that thought came another; if Dr. Mallory and the other researchers at the Institute were correct, then whoever was experimenting on humans and shifters clearly knew how to capture and hurt them. Endlessly. Until their bodies gave out.

Stop it!

By the time they reached the far end of the corridor, she was sweating, pushing back mind-numbing fear. It was an effort, but she couldn’t afford to let them down. If this went south she refused to be the square cog that upset the machine.

A.J. gestured to a door marked HIGH VOLTAGE—KEEP OUT! and produced a key. “Got hold of the master key ring a couple of days ago, and found the one that opened this lock. When I saw that the warning sign is either wrong or more likely a fake, and there’s not anything electrical in here, I went looking. After I discovered the hidden passage, I made a copy of the key and put the ring back.”

“Hidden passage?” Aric snorted. “Jeez, I’m starting to channel a little Indiana Jones.”

“As long as there are no flying poison spikes or boulders rigged to crush our asses, I’m good.” This from Zan, who was only half-joking. The other half was ready for anything.

Once inside the room, A.J. closed the door quietly and waved a hand at the space, which was filled with empty boxes, crates, and palettes. “As you can see, nothing much here but junk. When I first came in and looked around, I almost left right away. But then I was struck by how orderly this junk is. Almost too neat.”

“Strategically placed,” Nick observed. “There’s not much dirt or dust.”

“Right. So I looked around a little more. And I found this.” Picking his way between stacks, he left them to follow.

Single file, they did, careful not to upset any of the boxes or crates. On the far wall, in the corner, was another door. Her friend used the same key to unlock this one, and pushed it open. Well-oiled, it didn’t make a sound. As she moved closer to get a good look, she blinked at the sight of a staircase on the other side, descending into nothingness, it seemed.

“The vault, and whatever is inside, is at the bottom,” A.J. told them. “No regular key, just a security panel with card-key access—and sorry. I couldn’t lay hands on one. There’s also a number pad that I’m guessing is an override if the card doesn’t work, but I was afraid to try and hack it. Might set off an alarm. Plus, I wasn’t prepared to face by myself whatever I might find. I was damned glad when Kira called me and said you all were coming.”

“You did the right thing,” Nick assured him. “Let’s move.”

As they went into the bowels of the earth, Jax reached out and squeezed her hand, gave her a reassuring smile that made her heart trip. Damn, could it be love between them?

At the bottom, the group closed the remaining distance to the steel vault, which did indeed appear to be impenetrable. Aric walked right up, laid a palm on the smooth surface, and nodded.

“Piece of cake. Stand back, guys.”

They gave him space and he closed his eyes, keeping his hand flat against the center of the door, leaning his body into the touch. At first nothing happened, and then after one long minute, the metal around his hand began to glow. Fascinated, she remained silent, guessing that he intended to blow up the entire barrier or perhaps make the vault slide open.

Wrong on both counts. As the metal glowed red and began to melt away from his palm, spreading outward, she stifled a gasp. She had no idea a Firestarter could use heat energy to manipulate metal—or at least this one could.

When at last he staggered backward, panting, sweat trickling down his temples, auburn hair sticking to his face, a man-sized hole had been torched in the middle. Jax caught his friend, steadied him.

“Gotcha. You okay?”

“Yeah,” he said quietly, none of his usual snarky bravado in evidence. “Thanks.”

“You need to stay here, catch your breath?”

“Nah, man, I’m gold. Let’s do this.”

“Holy shit,” A.J. breathed, gingerly touching a finger to the edge of the melted steel. “Who the fuck are you people?”

“Told you explanations wouldn’t do us justice,” Nick said, clapping him on the shoulder. “You just have to watch and learn.”

“Apparently so.”

Their boss gestured to the newly made entrance. “I’ll go in first. Wait for me to make sure it’s clear.”

Nick ducked slightly and stepped through the hole, vanishing. Tension rose as the seconds ticked by, his team antsy, not liking their boss and friend in uncharted territory without them at his back. Kira didn’t blame them. As her eyes adjusted and senses heightened, she saw a dim glow in the room beyond, and smelled something really . . . putrid.

Nick appeared, his expression stony. “We have three dead and a couple of captives in bad shape. Got to free them and get out of here. Right fucking now.”

As the others started after him, Jax took her arm in a gentle grip. “I don’t want you in there.”

“Any more than I want to go, but I’m not staying here by myself. So forget it.”

Reluctantly he let her go. “All right, just stick close.”

She snorted. “Like that’ll be a problem.”

She was practically glued to his back as they climbed through the hole and surveyed the gloomy prison.

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “Jax . . .”

“Jesus Christ.” He tried to block her view with his body. “Baby, don’t look.”

Too late. Stepping around him, she stared in horror, her brain struggling to comprehend such depraved cruelty. The stench took her breath away, a close second only to the awful sight before them.

One corner of a large chamber was taken up by what could have been nothing else but a place to torture the captives. A vinyl dentist chair was coated in dark stains and surrounded by tables of instruments—pliers, rope, saws, knives, drain cleaner, funnels, and other tools. More than she could name.