Chapter Forty-Four
Addie
I spend a good, long time sitting at a coffee shop and talking with Katie that afternoon. We talk about Creed, of course, and I’m just trying to digest what amounts to the meaning of life for me at this point. Creed has an extra chromosome, and I don’t know why that is anything but good news. He’s not like Julian. That’s what it tells us, but then I already knew that. We all knew that already, but Creed himself.
I have every intention of telling him as much, but as I return to his apartment, he’s not there. Katie has to get the door code for me, and that feels really bad. Does he not want me here? I almost ask Katie to find me another place to stay, but I remind myself that Creed is all over the board with me. He wants me. He wants to save me. He hates himself. He needs me to love him more than that hate.
But once Katie has left me inside alone for a while, at least until the next blood draw, with the scent of him permeating the air and the absence of him spearing my heart, the hours pass with excruciating slowness. I’m stuck with DVDs to watch, as there is no cable. I don’t know how Jensen gets phone service down here, but I assume it’s not by normal means. I know Creed loves me, but I just don’t know if he’ll ever allow us to be happy together.
A knock sounds on the door, and while it’s illogical that Creed would knock, he’s in a funky place right now. We’re in a funky place right now. With a little hope filling me, I race across the room anyway, hoping it’s him, and yank open the door, only to sag in disappointment when Katie stands in front of me.
“I take it you were hoping for Mr. Tall, Dark, and Incredibly Cranky instead of me?”
“Yes,” I admit dejectedly, stepping away from the door. “I would have welcomed his crankiness right about now.”
“I’m convinced that the extra chromosome I told you about earlier makes him incredibly stubborn,” she says, entering the room and shutting the door behind her. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear it’s time to give up more blood.”
I sit down at the table and offer her my arm. “Yes, please take my blood. I can’t wait.”
Katie laughs, sits down next to me, and places her bag on the table. “Sorry. I know being poked and prodded isn’t fun.”
“It’s fine,” I say, wishing something she discovers might offer Creed the peace he clearly needs, and I wonder how the other soldiers are managing their changes, which reminds me of Caleb. “When I was in the elevator yesterday,” I say. “Caleb seemed to read my mind. He responded to what I didn’t say out loud.”
“He reads human emotions,” she says nonchalantly, as if that’s no big deal. “It doesn’t work on GTECHs. He senses fear, worry, and happiness. He says it’s like seeing a color in his mind.”
“Does he have the extra chromosome? Is that what creates unique abilities?”
“He doesn’t have the extra chromosome. I check his blood regularly. As for Creed, his ability to communicate with the wind surfaced very early after his conversion to GTECH, as did Julian’s ability to communicate with wolves. Caleb’s ability is more recent. I really have nothing conclusive that indicates why certain GTECHs have special skills, though it would be interesting to know if Julian has that chromosome.”
“I’m glad we don’t know. That would be just one more reason for Creed to compare himself to Julian.”
“No matter how Creed demonizes this chromosome or himself, scientifically, I theorize it’s a sign of the GTECHs evolving and getting stronger. I’d like the chance to prove that. If you can influence Creed to allow me to do some more testing, that would be helpful. I plan to ask Caleb to talk to him as well, but I can’t catch up to him. He’s been behind closed doors for hours.” She studies me a moment. “Your eyes are almost back to normal.”
My hand presses to my cheek, and there’s a twist in my gut. “They are?” I ask, and already I feel Creed slipping away from me.
Katie’s expression softens. “You really don’t want to leave him, do you?”
“I love him.”
“He loves you too, or he wouldn’t be so worried about you. Just keep telling him you love him. You’ll get through to him.” She draws my blood and then packs up. “Let me get this to the lab and make sure I feel good about you heading out in the morning. I assume it’s going to be at the crack of dawn. I can’t release you until I review the results.”
With a nod, I stand up and follow Katie to the exit. “I’ll call you in a bit with the results.” Katie reaches for the knob, and awareness rushes over me. She opens the door, and Caleb is standing in the doorway, with Creed and Jensen on either side of him. Katie eyes me over her shoulder. “More soon,” she says, and disappears into the hallway.
I back into the room, allowing the men to enter, ever aware of Caleb in the lead, not Creed. “What’s wrong?” I ask, my gaze seeking Creed’s and colliding with the force of a freight train. He’s withdrawn and distant in a way that wrenches my heart.
“We need your help, Addie,” Caleb says as the three of them take positions inside the room, all in their black fatigues. Warriors preparing for battle , I think.
My gaze hangs on Creed a moment, and then jerks to Caleb. “Anything.”
He motions to the table, and the four of us sit, Creed to my left. Jensen plays the call from Brock. “Brock wants to kill me. Whatever he’s up to, it’s nothing good.”
“There’s a whole lot of no good going on,” Caleb replies. “Which is why we’re ending this, all of this, once and for all tomorrow night.”
My eyes rocket to Creed’s. “What does that mean?” I ask, willing him to answer.
Caleb replies before Creed has the chance. “The bloodshed has to end, and frankly, the world as we know it is at risk and has been for far too long.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Take your father and his close allies into custody. They’ll come here to Sunrise City. We hope that means we find Red Dart, but if we don’t, we’re hopeful your father will talk. We hope you’ll aid in that effort.”
I swallow hard, emotions ping-ponging inside me, but I know this has to happen. I do. The truth is, my father has been out of control for far too long. But what kills me right now—what really hurts me—is that Creed understands how tormented I am over this, no matter how wrong my father is in his actions. And he still allowed me to find out from Caleb. I don’t even look at Creed anymore. I focus on Caleb and Caleb alone. “I promise I’d do anything to help. I meant it. He had a chance to show me he’d do right by us all, most importantly the GTECHs, and he has not. Tell me what to do.”
“We’d like you to return that phone call. Make him feel everything is as it should be. Convince him you’re returning tomorrow.”
“You say that like I’m not returning,” I observe, surveying their faces and realizing that was their intention. “I have to go back. You say my father knows Creed is involved, that he most likely knows I’ve had contact with Creed. If I don’t go back and convince him everything is okay, he’ll disappear with Red Dart before you can get to him.”
“No,” Creed says, his voice steel. “I will not allow you to take that risk.”
I level him with a sharp stare. “This is my decision. You do not get a say in what happens to me. Not anymore.” My gaze burns into him a moment before it returns to Caleb. “Let’s make that phone call.”
Caleb eyes Creed. “We’ll protect her, Creed.”
The room ticks with thick silence before Creed fixes me in a penetrating stare. “You’ll wear a wire and do exactly as I tell you.”
“Fine,” is all I say.
Jensen hands me the phone, and everyone at the table puts some sort of earbud in to listen to my conversation. The phone rings, and I end up in Brock’s voicemail, which makes my job easy. When it beeps, I say, “Brock, it’s Addie. I got your message. I’ll be in tomorrow, but I need to sleep the rest of this headache off. Just catch up with me early in the morning. As for my father letting me in on Red Dart, I’ll believe it when I see it, and I’m not sure why he would tell you and not me.” I disconnect and explain. “If I didn’t act skeptical, he’d be skeptical.”
“Makes sense,” Caleb says, and when I go to hand the phone back, Caleb adds, “One more call. We’re concerned that a lot of people saw you with Creed. We believe they were all with Julian, not your father, but just in case. We think you telling him you had a run-in with Creed is a good idea. It will offset any stories he might be told and buy us some time.”
“I was seen with Creed,” I say, my gaze shifting to Creed’s. “I don’t know how I didn’t think of that.”
“I did,” he says. “Which is why this is a dangerous endeavor, Addie.”
I draw in a breath. “But necessary. I’m going to have to be fast about what I do, though.” I shift my gaze to Caleb. “And so are you.”
“We will be,” Caleb assures me. “Think of a story and tell us when you’re ready.”
“Just make the call,” I say to Jensen. “I got it.”
He nods, and a moment later, the phone is ringing again. My father answers quickly, and I teasingly say, “Hello, General,” trying not to sound strained.
“Addie, sweetheart,” he says. “How do you feel?”
“My headache is better, but there’s something else. A problem.”
He pauses for a mere second, but it was there, rich with tension. “What is it?”
“I went out to the pharmacy for meds, and Creed approached me. He says he’s working for the Renegades now.”
“You saw Creed?” His voice is incredulous.
“Yes,” I say. “I agreed to have coffee with him because a public place felt safest. But it was horrible. I was a nervous wreck. And I tried to get information from him, but I failed.”
“What did he want?”
“Me,” I say, my eyes meeting Creed’s, and the punch of emotion between us is palpable.
“Over my dead body, quite literally,” my father replies. “Don’t you worry, little one. I’ll handle this with Caleb and make it clear that Creed is not to be allowed near you. He will not hurt you.”
We exchange a few more words and then disconnect. I hand the phone back to Jensen, my hand unsteady. Pitting the man I love against my father is a no-win situation, and it’s killing me.
“That was damn convincing,” Jensen says approvingly. “That bought us time. I know it did.”
“Thank you, Addie,” Caleb adds.
Creed says nothing.
He won’t even look at me.
Caleb stands, and we all follow him to our feet. He offers me a nod and starts for the door, and when Jensen and Creed follow, I’m in disbelief. Is Creed really going to be this shitty to me? I think he is, and my restraint snaps. “Don’t you dare walk out that door, Creed.”
He freezes, and the other two men are smart enough to make a fast exit, shutting the door behind them.