Sanctuary (the Affliction Trilogy #2)

Chapter 25

Twenty-Five

N othing—and I mean nothing has a way of stressing a person out like planning an escape from a self-proclaimed haven run by a tyrant. For the past week, we've lived a top-secret life of diligently conspiring while pretending to be loyal Sanctuary residents. It's nerve-wracking, to say the least.

On top of my new life as a traitor to the Sanctuary, I also must deal with its leader. Working for William has become the bane of my existence. Not that I'd believe him, but perhaps if my father tried to apologize for smacking me, things could be a little more tolerable between us. Instead, he's chosen to stay quiet on the matter and pretend it never happened.

Ridge has been the toughest part of all of this. Every day, he makes a stop in the office and tries his best to mend our relationship, but he can't. More than what William did, Ridge's lack of action is intolerable to me. He didn't stop William's abuse or even give a reprimanding word. He let it happen and apologized on William's behalf later. From the day I met him, I thought he was a force to be reckoned with, that he was a major player and not some pawn in the game. I was sadly wrong.

“Tomorrow.” Noah's voice breaks through my meandering thoughts.

“Did you say tomorrow?” My attention snaps to him and River on the other side of the couch.

“It's our best chance. Everyone will be where they need to be to pull it off.”

My heart races so fast that I swear my entire body shakes from it. I thought we'd have more time to plan this out once we had a date. As much as I want to get out of here, things are moving way too quickly for me.

“How is this going to work with such short notice?” I ask.

Noah loops River’s hand through his arm in a reassuring gesture and says, “Early tomorrow morning, I'll use your laptop to upload a virus that will override the locking mechanism on the main doors. We'll only have fifteen minutes once it’s in place. You, me, and River will meet outside the infirmary and use your key card to get us into the military facility.”

“What about Aiden, Ryland, and Wes?”

“Aiden and Wes will be on field duty. They believe they can get a truck's keys, so they'll meet us on the other side of the mountain.”

“And Ryland?”

Noah rubs the bridge of his nose between thumb and index finger. “He insists that we get word to the residents about what's happening. The people on the northern side are in jeopardy, so I've created a message that will play on every television. As crazy as it sounds, I could not hack into that system, so we will need to upload it through a direct port.”

Our plan to leave hasn’t sat well with me for weeks. Deep down, I know it was because we were only saving our own asses. It didn’t feel right to leave innocent people at the mercy of my father. Finding a way to help them too felt impossible. Thankfully, Ryland was putting something into motion for them the entire time, and that part of me is now fully at peace with what we’re doing.

I release a puff of air and sink into the chair. “I'll go with him, and we'll meet you two at the medical facility when it's time.”

Noah shakes his head and says, “Ryland knew you'd say that. He told me to tell you that it's too dangerous. He will be on shift and the servers that transmit the television signals are in the facility he'll be guarding. No one will give much thought to seeing him in that area, but the two of you may draw attention. You don't need to worry. We have it perfectly timed. He'll meet us before we get to the door.”

“We're going out the front door? How will we get past everyone who works in the booth?” I ask.

“Run really, really fast.”

I give my cousin's boyfriend a deadpan look. “Run really fast. That's a piss-poor plan.”

“No, run really, really fast,” River clarifies.

Noah laughs before saying, “No one inside of the Sanctuary is armed. They've been trained in hand-to-hand combat, so if we outrun them, we should be fine. We're hoping for the same element of surprise we had with the Oscuros border guards. They knew what to do when people wanted in, but they were clueless when they wanted out.”

“What time does this all go down?” I look at the ceiling, saying a silent prayer that this isn't the stupidest idea any of us have ever had.

“Six. Ryland thought it was best if most people around here were still preparing for their day when we did it. There will be fewer eyes on us.”

“What's the contingency plan if this doesn't work?” I ask, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my thighs.

“If this fails, Aiden and Wes are to take what they can and go without us. They'll wait at Grasser’s Dome, and if we don't arrive, carry on,” Noah says with a grim expression.

River chimes in saying, “At least two of us will have a chance.”

I cover my face with my palms and rub at the headache starting behind my eyes. I hate it. This plan is too easy, and I can shoot about a hundred holes in it. I can't believe Ryland is all right with this, but I have to trust him. “I guess I should be glad he’s finally agreed that killing William is a terrible idea. There's no way we'd be able to get to him,” I say.

“Trust me, it wasn't easy to change his mind. Ever since he laid his hands on you, Ry has been dead set on killing him.” Noah says.

He isn’t telling me anything I don’t already know. Every strategy that has been sent my way had one plan or another to kill my father. I understand Ryland’s need to punish him for hurting me. But getting vengeance will only increase our chances of getting caught. The only thing that is important is getting out of this place and letting others know about what is going on.

I get to my feet and look over at the couple cuddled together on the couch. “Noah should go home tonight. The two of you need your sleep and being in the same bed will be a distraction,” I say, walking away from them.

“You can hear us?” River asks, her voice an octave higher than normal.

I don't turn around but wave goodbye, saying, “Your bed squeaks.”

I shut the door to my room and gather the things I want to take with me. It's not a lot—a change of clothes, a bag of toiletries, and the photo album of my mother. I didn't come here with all the luxuries this room has to offer, and I definitely won't need them when I leave. Not only that, but I don’t want to think about my father once I leave this place. I wish I was still blissfully ignorant of who he is.

Removing Ryland's ring from the bottom of my underwear drawer, I hold it up to the light. The blue stone embedded in the center sparkles. It reminds me of the kind of star you can’t help but wish upon and ask for something better. I slip it into my backpack and crawl into bed.

It's another sleepless night as I fret over tomorrow. I get up and pace my room, playing Ryland’s plan on repeat in my mind. I sort through every detail, even the loopholes. It’s not perfect, but I have to believe that he has thought of all the things that can go wrong. Ryland doesn’t take a chance unless he knows we will all be okay.

Right before the artificial horizon outside my window changes colors, I get ready to go. I take a shower and dress in attire fitting for the Fumux Mountains winter. As I walk out into the hall, I'm greeted by my cousin, who has made the same preparations. The lighthearted demeanor she exhibited last night has vanished, and in its place is determination combined with fear.

We meet each other’s exhausted stares and give slight nods in greeting. It’s so casual. Too casual for what lies ahead.

I pull her to me by the collar of her jacket and hug her tight. “Stay close to Noah, and no matter what, keep running. Do you hear me?”

“Only if you are with me. We all leave together,” she says against my shoulder.

I place my hands on her cheeks and lift her head. We lean in, and I press my forehead to hers. “Okay. We leave together.”

“Yeah.”

For months, I've not felt the need to be the overbearing-pain-in-the-ass-cousin. Even in the face of William's atrocities, she's been safe by my side. Now, we must uproot ourselves and fight for our lives again.

“Let's get this over with,” I say, slinging my backpack over my shoulders.

We walk side by side to the medical facility. Both of us in total silence with our focus on the task at hand. It's freezing in the common area, but little beads of sweat form on the back of my neck, and my stomach feels queasy.

When we approach the sliding door with Medical Center etched into the glass, Noah sidles up next to us. He reaches for River's hand, and the three of us maneuver our way to the back of the building. Like I have every right to come and go as I please, I swipe my key card over the reader, and the door separating the medical and military facilities clicks open.

The military facility is quiet, other than the occasional early morning meeting happening behind closed doors. The sound of our boots ricochets off the walls, but it's not an abnormal sound here. We're nothing more than a few soldiers marching the hallways. It’s perfect, just the way Ryland pictured with minimal interference.

“Where is he?” I ask Noah, keeping my eyes straight ahead.

“He's here. He'll find us, just keep moving.”

The closer to the main entrance we get, the more worried I become. The minute we step around the booth overseeing the comings and goings of the Sanctuary, we'll have no choice but to run. Ryland has to catch up with us before then.

We turn the last corner, and our destination lies straight ahead. My palms sweat, and for the first time in months, I miss having a gun in my grip. I feel vulnerable without it, like we don't have the upper hand. We have zero leverage in this scenario, and our key player is M.I.A.

“Noah, we need to turn around,” I warn.

He shakes his head and pushes me forward. “You have to trust him. He knows what he's doing.”

“But we only have about ten more yards before we have to run.”

“The clock is ticking.” His gaze darts both ways as we meet the junction of the last hallway. “We don't have time to go back. As you come up to the booth, make a run for it. He'll be behind us. I know he will.”

I look over my shoulder at River, and she nods. “It will be all right, Quinn.”

I want to argue with them. Something isn't right. My instincts scream for me to abort this mission and regroup, but Noah seems so sure. He has to be right and it’s just my anxiety is getting the best of me.

“Get ready to run,” Noah says from behind me.

I take a deep breath and ready my muscles to bound forward into a sprint, ignoring the tiny voice of doubt.

“Go!” Noah commands with a gentle shove to my back.

As fast as I can, I run past the front counter, keeping my eyes on the door ahead of me. My skin tingles with adrenaline as I bound forward, placing my hands in front of me to shove the unlocked door open. I squeeze my eyes shut, preparing for the impact of the two sets of doors we must blow through. My palms meet the metal barrier and my body slams against it.

It doesn't budge.

I look back and find that Noah and River have come to a dead stop. Both of them stand with their mouths gaping and eyes wide.

“You were planning on leaving without saying goodbye to your dear old dad? I'm so disappointed in you, Quinnten.”

I swallow the lump in my throat and turn around. My father stands off to the side, backed by armed soldiers. But it isn’t him that has my heart plummeting to my stomach. Two soldiers are restraining Ryland, one with a gun to his head—Ridge. The very last drop of hope I had for my brother evaporates into thin air.

William steps forward, walking closer to me. He raises his eyebrows and holds a small USB port in his hands. “I warned you not to cross me, and now, it is time for hard decisions to be made.” He drops the device on the floor and smashes it with his foot. I don’t need to ask what it is; I already know—our warning to the rest of the Sanctuary.

Scuffling and protests come from behind me, and I pull my gaze from William to see Noah and River being detained. Panic bubbles inside of me, threatening to release in a thunderous rage, but I know it's what my father wants from me. If I’m nothing but irrational outrage, he will continue to have the upper hand.

With a deep breath, I say, “You don't want them here, so let them go.”

“You're right—I don't want them here, and yet, here they are.” William locks his hands at his back and paces with long, carefree strides. “What I did for them was more than generous, and look how you repaid me, Quinnten.”

I hate the way he drags things out like he gets some sick pleasure from watching me squirm, but I refuse to give in. “Cut to the chase—what do you want from me?”

His cynical laughter booms through the lobby of the military facility. “You're my daughter. You belong here with your family, not off with this trash.” His face darkens, and he takes my jaw into a tight grip. His fingers dig into my skin, and I stifle the urge to cry out. Through clenched teeth, he hisses, “You think I do not know how you sneak out in the middle of the night to be with him because I do. Do you believe I am going to stand by and do nothing while my daughter fucks that scum?”

I look past my father's shoulder to see Ryland struggling to break free. “Don't touch her! I’ll fucking kill you.”

Ridge jolts the gun at Ryland's head, knocking it against his temple. He flinches with the impact, his green eyes burning with anger and his nostrils flaring.

“Tell me what you want me to do. I'll do anything, just let them go,” I beg.

William lets loose of my face and pats his hand against the healing bruise on my cheek. “I told you I would not lose another daughter, and I meant that, darling. So, let us negotiate the terms of their release.”

Every muscle in my body relaxes a bit at the possibility of talking my way out of this. “Name your price.”

He walks in a circle, looking at the four of us while tapping his finger on his chin. I know he already has the perimeters of his terms set. This is all a big show for him to pull strings and demonstrate his power. “It is you or him,” he declares. “I will let you leave with your cousin and her boyfriend in exchange for Shaw. Or, you can stay, and I will let the three of them go.”

“Quinn, look at me,” Ryland says, and I pull my gaze from William. “Go.”

I shake my head.

Once upon a time, I would have walked away with my cousin and not looked back. I would have sacrificed us for her. Not anymore. I know what the outcome will be for him if I leave. They will turn him into a test subject. I would rather spend my days alone than live in a world where Ryland Shaw no longer exists.

“Dammit, Quinn. Get the hell out of here and take them with you!” he yells.

Ridge punches Ryland in the ribs. “Don't raise your voice at her.”

Ryland slumps to the side, and the other soldier shoves him back to his feet.

I turn my attention back to William. “You promise you'll let them go?”

“You have my word.”

Ryland thrashes against the men holding him. “Quinn, don't do this. Please don't do this,” he says, his voice cracking on each word.

It tears me apart to see him like this—abused, restrained, begging me to listen. But I also can't ignore a chance to get him out of here, no matter how much of a risk it may be. He needs a fighting chance to live, and I can give him that. My love for him has no boundaries.

“I'll stay,” I announce. A soldier moves behind me and cuffs my hands behind my back.

The two soldiers holding Noah and River drag them to the door, and my cousin's shrieks fill the room. “Quinn! No, no, let me say goodbye. Please. Quinn!”

I close my eyes at the sounds of her cries as she's escorted out of the Sanctuary. My heart tightens in my chest, grasping to whatever it can to keep from breaking. I may never see my cousin—no—my sister again.

Ryland isn't so easy to contain as they pull him toward the door. He digs his heels into the ground and fights with all his might. His jaw flexes with pure defiance as he tries to stay with me.

With Noah and River out of the room, the heavy metal door slams shut, and my father's voice carries over the commotion. “Stop.”

Everyone freezes in place.

William turns toward Ryland, pure disdain emanating between them. “Treason was committed here today. I cannot let a guilty man walk away without any consequences. I am a leader, and a good leader ensures that justice is served.” Looking straight at me, he says, “Do not forget my good graces, Quinnten. I let the others go when I could have easily punished them and you.”

My eyes widen, and I kick my legs to break free from the soldier holding me. “William, please. You promised to let him go.”

“You're old enough to know a politician will say whatever needs to be said to get what they want.”

“William, please don't kill him,” I say, my voice not sounding like my own, hindered by the fear building inside of me.

He looks back at me and with a sinister smile says, “As you wish, darling.” He holds out his hand, and a soldier places a syringe filled with dark purple liquid in his palm. I've come in contact with the substance more times than I care to recall.

Z blood.

“Please, Ridge, don't let him do this. Please stop him,” I plead, but he takes a fistful of Ryland's hair and jerks his head to the side, giving an unobstructed view of his neck. I watch in horror as incoherent words pour from my mouth.

Ryland stares at the needle and jerks around, but he's subdued when the burly soldier at his side administers several precise blows to his abdomen. His body slumps, and my father viciously stabs the needle into his neck. Ryland screams as the virus-riddled blood empties from the vial.

My need to fight is replaced with hysterical cries.

The man I love is now one of the Afflicted.

My stomach somersaults and I fall to my knees, heaving until the contents from my breakfast empty onto the floor.

William steps over my vomit and again grips my face. “Open your eyes, Quinnten. I want you to burn this into your memory. And for the rest of your life, remember the results of your defying me.”

Ryland's cries die down as the virus merges with his blood, making him its new home. His captors have moved away, leaving him to convulse on the ground. His gaze locks onto mine as reality sets. In a few days' time, his green irises will haze over with a white film, and he will go blind. He'll lose his ability to speak within the next week, and by tonight, the craving for flesh will have him gnawing on his own fingers. The beautiful brave boy I love with all my heart is dying right before my eyes.

“I'm sorry,” I tell him through sobs. “I'm so sorry.”

His voice quivers as he says, “I love you, Quinnten Ellery. Forever.”

“Get him out of here,” my father bellows.

“No. Wait. Let me say goodbye.” I crawl toward him, but lose my balance and crash to my stomach, unable to get up.

Nobody stops. They lift Ryland's torso off the ground and drag him away.

“No, please. Ryland, I love you! Please don't take him away! Bring him back. Let me say goodbye.”

“Take her back to her quarters and lock her inside,” William spits and leaves the lobby.

I don't remember walking through the Sanctuary or arriving at my house. I’m too lost in a perpetual nightmare playing in my head. Ryland trembling in pain as the Z virus courses through his bloodstream. His eyes glassy from tears, staring up at me like he's memorizing the way I look before he's consumed with hunger. My worthless screams ringing in my ears.

It feels like my entire world is crumbling, slipping through my fingers speck by speck. No matter how hard I try to hold on, it’s snatched away from me. My cousin. Wes. Noah. Aiden. It will only take a matter of days, and the man who was my foundation… my rock will be obliterated into specks of dust until he is completely gone too.