38. Thirty-Eight Lakey
Thirty-Eight: Lakey
T he night air bit into my skin as we crouched behind a rusted dumpster, eyeing the facility. It had taken two hours to get here and another half to figure out how the fuck to get past the gates. This place could have been Area 51 for all the effort they went to in order to hide it. It looked like a hospital almost, big, boring walls with flood lights on the roof. Everything was dark except for some dim lighting that was visible from where we hid. Guess they were so confident that no one would know about this place, they didn’t have outside security. Amateurs.
Ants crawled up and down my legs as the blood flow slowed. I need to move, to stretch. Kyle had become head honcho and enjoyed telling me what to do. It was pissing me off and my knives were burning on my thighs, wanting to slice his tongue out of his mouth. I could almost taste the violence, sweet as cotton candy.
"Alright, listen up," Kyle whispered, as he rummaged around in his backpack. Camo designed, of course. I was just waiting for him to bust out an energy drink and punch a hole in a wall. "We've got motion sensors, infrared cameras, and a scheduled patrol, once every hour. One wrong move and we're fucked."
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Like I gave a shit about some rent-a-cop with a flashlight. But Cam was watching Kyle intently, so I forced myself to pay attention. I didn’t like the way we were deferring plans to someone else, but the way Cam was paying attention felt a hell of a lot like respect.
"Take these," he muttered, passing out gleaming pistols. The weight felt good in my hand, familiar. And yet I knew I wouldn’t use it unless I had no other choice. I wondered if Kyle knew how many people I'd killed with my knives. Probably not, judging by how casually he handed me a weapon capable of much more widespread damage.
As Kyle rattled on about security protocols, I scanned the perimeter. No movement, no signs of life. Almost too easy. My gut twisted with unease. Was Kyle leading us into a trap? I glanced at Cam, trying to gauge if he shared my suspicion. His jaw was clenched tight, eyes narrowed. He wasn’t suspicious about the older man’s leadership, —yet— no, that was the look of unease. Yeah, he felt off too. Almost like Chimera wanted us to find this place. If Janine was here, and if she was as important as they make her out to be, there’s no way she’d be left unguarded.
So why? Why was this all so fucking easy?
"Ready?" Kyle asked, pulling out a sleek laptop.
I nodded, cocking my pistol and checking the chamber. "Ready as a chicken for slaughter."
Kyle's fingers flew across the keys, lines of code reflecting in his eyes. I leaned in close, breathing down his neck. Not because I gave a damn about his hacking, but to watch for any tells, any sign he was about to screw us over. Only nothing happened. He just hit some buttons and hit the enter key when he was done, declaring it safe to enter the building.
"Once we're in, we'll have three minutes before the system resets," he murmured. "We need to disable the system from inside in order to prevent the reset. I’ve got the camera feedback on loop, so no issues there. I just need to grab the code to the inner lab doors, and we’re set. Just watch for guards that are out of place and anything that might look like a trap."
I finished with a grin. "Got it, darling. Now less yappin', more hackin'."
The air crackled with tension as Kyle finished the last bit of whatever the fuck he was doing. Once inside, wrong move and we'd be swarmed by guards, our bodies riddled with bullets before we could blink. The thought should have terrified me. Instead, it almost made me feel at peace. At least death would welcome me with open arms.
"We're in," Kyle breathed. "Remember, three minutes to the control panel. Don't fuck this up."
Sarah came to stand behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I love you,” she whispered before he crushed her mouth with a kiss.
“Don’t lag behind. Stay with the group.” He warned her before taking point.
As we slipped into the facility's gaping maw, my fingers curled around my pistol. Kyle might think he was calling the shots, but if push came to shove, I'd paint these walls with his brains without a second thought.
Nothing personal. Just business.
The moment we stepped inside, the facility's atmosphere assaulted my senses. Sterile white walls stretched endlessly, the smell of bodily fluids assaulting my nostril, but there was also something else—something rotten beneath the surface. The faint hum of machinery set my teeth on edge, reminding me of the lab below St. Mary’s Orphanage.
Why the fuck would Janine come here? This looked more like a private medical center than a safe house.
Kyle's hand signals guided us forward, his movements crisp and practiced. I had to admit, the bastard knew what he was doing. My eyes darted between Kyle's back and the security cameras lining the corridors, half-expecting alarms to start blaring at any moment. Sarah walked to the panel on the wall, opening it for Kyle before moving past it, motioning for Rose to walk. Then Kyle got to work, and a small beep indicated he’d done what he’d needed to do.
Step one: check.
Cam's presence at my side was a comforting constant, his towering frame a shield between me and potential danger. I could feel the brutality radiating off him, his muscles tense, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation.
"Two guards ahead," Kyle whispered, pressing himself against the wall. "Wait for my signal."
I bit back a snarky comment, instead focusing on the steady rhythm of my breathing. In, out. In, out. The familiar calm of incoming violence settled over me like a second skin. As we waited, I wondered what kind of shit went on here. The pristine hallways felt like a facade, hiding horrors I could only imagine. Part of me itched to tear it all down, to expose the rot festering beneath the surface.
Kyle's hand shot up, signaling us to move. We darted across the intersection, our footsteps unnaturally loud in the oppressive silence. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of fear and exhilaration coursing through my veins. Had they heard us?
"How much further?" I hissed, my patience wearing thin.
Kyle's eyes narrowed. "Almost there. Just keep your shit together, alright?"
I tried to smile but I couldn’t make my lips move upwards. "Oh, don't you worry about me. I'm cool as a cucumber. Just focus on getting us further in without getting caught, yeah?"
Inside, my gut churned with unease. Something about this whole place felt off. It reminded me of some villain’s lair in a movie. Looking at Rose, I could see she was trying her best to put on a brave face as she walked, gun pointing to the ground. She looked cute, for lack of a better word. Definitely not like one of us. Though, she did know how to fight when push came to shove, so I’m sure that feral kitty was just hiding somewhere inside where she couldn’t reach.
We rounded the corner, and the world fell away.
My breath caught in my throat as I took in the nightmarish scene behind the glass in a closed off room. Rows upon rows of glass containment units lined the walls, each one housing a child in various stages of development. Some were barely more than clumps of cells, while others were fully formed infants, their tiny fists pressed against the glass.
"Holy fuck," I whispered, my eyes darting from one horrific sight to the next.
In the center of the room stood a massive, translucent bag filled with fluid. Inside, a fully formed baby floated, umbilical cord still attached. IV lines snaked into the bag, pumping God-knows-what into the poor kid.
My stomach lurched. I'd seen some fucked up shit in my life, but this... this was on another level.
Cam's hand found mine, squeezing tight. His face was flushed, eyes blazing with an untamed fury I rarely saw. Not like this. Not with this level of repulsion.
A choked sob drew my attention. Rose stood frozen; her eyes wide with horror as she stared at the rows of children. Sarah was at her side in an instant, trying to soothe her, a hand on her back stroking up and down in slow motions.
"Stay with me, Rose. We can't help them if we fall apart now. Go to the garden. The garden, Rose, go to it."
I watched as Sarah gently blocked Rose from the worst of it, walking her body in her line of vision, murmuring words of encouragement. Part of me wanted to mock their weakness, but something in Sarah's quiet strength gave me pause. Maybe there was more to her than I'd thought. We kept walking, on high alert for threats. Down the hall we walked, Kyle showing us to where we needed to go to gain entry to the room of horrors, unlocking the door with a code. The door hissed as it opened, and we rushed inside. Sarah sat Rose down and kept talking to her, helping her breathe through her feelings.
A sudden whirring sound had us all tensing. Kyle's voice cut through the silence, sharp and urgent.
"Drone! Everyone, hide! Now!"
We scrambled for cover, ducking into a darkened alcove. I pressed myself against the wall, Cam's solid presence at my back. As the drone buzzed past, I found myself holding my breath, every muscle coiled tight.
When it finally passed, Kyle pulled out some fancy gadget, scanning for heat signatures.
"Looks clear," he muttered, fiddling with the device. "But those cameras are still active. See that one in the corner? Must be on a different system in case of power failure. Can’t imagine anyone wanting to let this shit get out, so it would make sense. Guess it was an upgrade from the systems I could see. Give me a sec."
I watched him work, my mind racing. What the fuck is this place?
As Kyle disabled the cameras, putting them on a loop, I grabbed and then squeezed Cam’s hand. The question hung between us: How far were we willing to go to see this through? Growing babies in bags was pretty fucking out there. The small, almost non-existent maternal part of me wanted to save them. They were just babies. But what the fuck would I do with, like, fifteen infants?
I tore my gaze away from Cam, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. The experimental equipment scattered around the room made my skin crawl — not that I'd ever admit it. Sleek metal contraptions with sharp edges and cold, clinical designs. Damn special kind of sick fucks to come up with this shit.
"Well, well, well," I said, keeping my voice light despite the churning in my gut. "Looks like we've stumbled into a mad scientist's wet dream."
I snatched up a file from a nearby desk, flipping it open. My eyes widened as I scanned the contents, my practiced smirk faltering for a split second.
"Jesus fucking Christ. Kyle and Sarah were right," I muttered, unable to keep the shock from my voice. "They're not just breeding kids. They're... enhancing them. Genetic modifications, hormone treatments, cognitive rewiring. It's a whole damn assembly line of custom-built child soldiers. They… they’ve been growing them in ‘grow bags’ in order to hand pick their genetic material. These aren’t even babies… they’re… pieces of DNA spliced together."
My fingers tightened on the file, crumpling the edges. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if I'd been through something similar. Is that why I was the way I was? Is that why I don’t remember ever having a family? I shook off the thought, burying it deep. No time for that shit now.
"Hey, guys," I called out to Cam and Kyle who were looking at one of the bag babies with curiosity. To hide my irritation at this growing bromance, I forced a teasing lilt into my voice. "Any sign of our girl, Janine in this clusterfuck?"
"Nothing yet," Kyle replied, his voice tight as he turned and started to rifle through a cabinet. "But there's gotta be a relocation log somewhere. The map said this was the central laboratory, which means most everything will be kept here."
I nodded before turning back to my filing cabinet, slowly pulling out files. Some were labelled with a different letter. Some had numerous numbers, like Rose’s brand. There were four with single number, single letter identifiers, and then two folders labelled X and Y with nothing in them.
“Ugh, mother fuck—”
As if on cue, Cam's voice cut through my rising anger. "Found it," he said, holding up a thick binder labeled 'Relocation Schedule.'
I was at his side in an instant, peering over his shoulder as he flipped through the pages. My eyes narrowed as I spotted a familiar name.
"There," I breathed, tapping the page. "Janine Almine. Transferred to... fuck me, they've got her in some place called 'The Crucible.' What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
A chill ran down my spine as I read the details. Whatever this 'Crucible' was, it didn't sound like a fucking day spa. I glanced at Cam, seeing my own unease reflected in his eyes. Another buzz sounded nearby.
"We need to move," I said quietly, all pretense of playfulness gone from my voice. "Something tells me that we don't want to stick around long enough to find out what happens if we get caught here."
The air grew heavy with tension as we all hastily shoved documents into our bags. My skin prickled, that familiar sensation of danger closing in. I caught Cam's attention, and he nodded, holding a finger up by his side to indicate to wait. His jaw was set, muscles taut beneath his shirt. He felt it too.
"We need to bounce," I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Like, five minutes ago."
Kyle was still fiddling with some computer, his fingers flying over the keys. I wanted to grab him by the collar and drag his ass out of there, but something held me back. Probably the fact that he was three times my weight and could throw me into the ceiling like a ragdoll.
"Almost done," he muttered, sweat beading on his forehead.
I paced the room, my nerves singing with each step. Every shadow seemed to hide a threat, every distant sound a harbinger of discovery. Cam stood by the door, his massive frame blocking most of the view into the hallway. His presence was reassuring, but even he couldn't fight off an entire security team if we got caught.
Just as I was about to lose my shit and start dragging people out by their hair, a sharp beep cut through the silence. Kyle's head snapped up; eyes narrowed on Sarah.
"Fuck," he breathed. "We triggered something. Fuck, fuck, I just need ten more seconds, and I’ll have their entire hard drive on my phone.” He looked towards Cam who was now watching out the windows, gun drawn.
The lights above us flickered ominously, casting eerie shadows across the sterile walls. My heart leapt into my throat, adrenaline surging through my veins.
"Time to go," I snarled, grabbing Kyle by the arm just as a small beep sounded, yanking his arm hard enough that he had no choice, but to let go of the keyboard.
We burst into the hallway, Cam taking point as Kyle barked directions. The corridors all looked the same — stark white and unnervingly clean. It was like being trapped in a fucked-up maze designed by some sadistic asshole with a hard-on for minimalism. Fuck, how had we gone this far down?
"Left here," Kyle gasped as we approached an intersection. "Then two rights and—"
He was cut off by the sudden wail of an alarm. Red lights began flashing, turning the pristine hallways into something out of a nightmare.
"Fuck me sideways," I growled, picking up the pace. My mind raced, trying to recall the way back. But in the chaos and flashing lights, everything seemed distorted.
Kyle led us down another hall when I heard Rose yelp. Looking back, Sarah was helping her up and motioning for us to keep going. Heavy footsteps echoed behind us, growing closer with each passing second. My chest constricted, a mix of fear and exhilaration coursing through me. This was it — the moment where everything could go spectacularly right or catastrophically wrong.
And honestly? I wasn't sure which outcome I was rooting for. As I was readying my gun, Rose flew by me, running like a bat outta hell.
Suddenly, she skidded to a halt in front of me, her eyes wide with panic. Fuck. Of all the times to have a meltdown, she had to pick now.
"I can't... I can't do this," she whimpered, her whole-body trembling like a leaf.
I was about to grab her by the scruff and drag her ass along when Sarah stepped in, her voice surprisingly steady despite the chaos around us.
"Rose, look at me," she said, gripping the girl's shoulders. "You've made it this far. You're stronger than you think. We need you with us, okay? Don’t falter now. Remember the garden? Go back there and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You are doing so well, Rose. Come on, back to the garden."
I watched, fascinated, as Rose's eyes cleared, a flicker of determination replacing the fear. It was like watching a switch flip in real-time. Huh. Maybe there was more to this trauma shit than I'd given her credit for.
We pressed on, the sound of pursuit growing louder. Kyle motioned us towards a thin door, opening it and ushering us in before quietly closing it. We huddled there, barely daring to breathe as a group of guards thundered past, shouting in a language I didn’t recognize.
Cam's body was tense beside me, his eyes constantly scanning for threats. I could practically feel the protective energy radiating off him in waves before he relaxed once the footsteps outside had gone silent. He looked down at me and smirked before bending and kissing me, pulling my bottom lip with his teeth. If we weren’t in front of an audience, I’d have fucked him right then. Probably would have let him have his way with me— even with an audience— it was just a bit too cramped. Also, the guards… they were probably more of an issue, really.
"Clear," Kyle whispered after a moment. "Let's move."
The exit opened ahead, promising freedom. Sarah grabbed Rose and they made a break for it, with Cam and I hot on their heels. Kyle brought up the rear just like a good soldier would.
The stale, antiseptic air of the facility gave way to the crisp night breeze as we burst through the exit. My lungs burned, greedily sucking in the fresh air. Freedom never tasted so fucking good.
"Move your asses!" Kyle hissed, already sprinting towards the treeline where we'd stashed our rides. “Everyone in the SUV, fuck the sedan.”
I didn't need to be told twice. My feet pounded against the damp earth, adrenaline coursing through my veins like liquid fire. The weight of my bag full of stolen files pressed against my chest, a reminder of why we were here. For Janine. For answers.
As we ran, I kept Cam in my peripheral vision. His jaw was set, eyes focused ahead, but I knew he was hyper-aware of every movement around us. The sight of my sexy demon warmed me from the inside out. He grounded me, making me push hard, go faster. He could be so ruthlessly efficient and alert at the same time. He could anticipate before anything ever happened, keeping us both out of harms way. Unfortunately, his skills in the ‘evil-medical-lab’ department weren’t quite up to par with his ‘murdering and killing for fun’ senses.
We’d work on that.
We reached the SUV, piling in with all the grace of a herd of drunk elephants. Kyle gunned the engine, tires squealing as we peeled away. Once we were a safe distance away, he pulled over into a secluded spot. The silence in the car was deafening, broken only by our ragged breathing.
I held onto my backpack, my fingers trembling slightly, turning white from the force of my grip. Not from fear, but from the weight of what we'd just done. What we'd seen.
"Jesus Christ," Sarah muttered, breaking the silence. "Those kids... those babies..."
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the images of tiny bodies floating in tanks. It was fucked up, even by my standards. And that was saying something.
"We got what we came for," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Now we find Janine and do what we gotta do."
Kyle's eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. There was something in his gaze I couldn't quite read. Respect? Wariness? Whatever it was, I knew we weren't done dancing around each other yet. As the others started discussing our next move, I leaned into Cam, drawing strength from his solid presence. His arm came to wrap around me, his lips pressing against my head.
I turned my face upwards slightly so I could ask him a question. "What's your read on Kyle? He didn’t seem phased by the bag babies. Doesn’t feel like I trust him, yet.”
Cam's dark eyes glittered in the dim light, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Trust? That's a strong word, sweetheart. But he's smart, resourceful and hasn’t done anything to show us he doesn’t deserve it. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Afterall, he got us in and got us out. Probably saw some fucked shit in his lifetime. Bag babies might just be another thing, ya know?"
I nodded, my fingers absently tracing the 'C.A.' tattoo on my wrist. Kyle was an unknown, and I fucking hated unknowns. They had a nasty habit of blowing up in your face when you least expected it. I’d lived a life of variables and that’s why we had kept to ourselves— until now. Sure, he made good on one promise, but would he on the rest? Sarah was alright, as pissed as I was at her, she had tried. Rose was basically a sparrow with a broken wing. But Kyle… Either Kyle is genuine, and time would tell, or he was in deep undercover mode, trying to stir shit up with us, and with his wife.
"We need to stay on our toes," I murmured, watching Kyle's reflection in the side mirror. He was talking to Sarah, his expression intense. "One wrong move, or he stands in our way..."
Cam chuckled, biting at the top of my earlobe. "Yep." He ran his fingertip lightly over my throat before grabbing my hand and pressing a kiss into my palm.
“Everyone feeling good? Can we head out now?” Rose asked as she fiddled with her gun. “I really just want to get out of here. Anywhere. Just far, far from this place.”
I leaned across, taking it from her and pushing the safety on. “Yeah, Kyle, let’s hit the road. I’m starvin’.”