Chapter Six
“Moore?” Franklin whispered.
He wasn’t surprised when he had to wait a while before he got an answer. He knew that everyone was gathered at Moore’s house, waiting for Franklin to give them the go-ahead. Once he did, they’d all shimmer in. He just had to keep the door open, and thankfully, he’d planned for that.
“Franklin,” Moore’s voice came strong in Franklin’s ear. No one had noticed the tiny earbud, thankfully.
“Door’s open. I’ll keep it that way, but you need to act fast.” He’d put something into the lock to ensure that even if the door looked closed, it wouldn’t be, but someone might still notice it.
“We will. Go to work and behave as if nothing is happening. We’ll see you soon.”
Franklin wanted to ask about Reed, but he didn’t dare. After all, he did have work to do.
As much as he wanted to be involved in the raid because he wanted to get Garrett as quickly as possible, he wasn’t a fighter.
He’d trained with the mutants, but he was at a disadvantage.
That meant that when Moore had asked him to stay out of the way during the raid, he’d agreed, even though he hadn’t wanted to.
He’d be safer out here, doing his job and patrolling the area.
Reed would also be present, but he wouldn’t be involved, just like Franklin.
Franklin didn’t need to patrol the area.
He already knew the facility was about to be raided.
He just needed to stay out of the way, so instead of walking around the building as he was supposed to, he walked away from it.
He didn’t go too far because he wanted to be there when Garrett was released, but he was far enough away that nothing would happen to him.
He knew that Garrett would never forgive him if he got hurt while trying to help him.
Moore and the others had planned everything.
It only took them a few seconds to start appearing, just outside of the range of the anti-shimmering shield.
One of the mutants did something to the fence that ran around the facility, and the next thing Franklin knew, they were in.
No one stopped to talk to him. They made a beeline for the open door and started vanishing inside the facility.
Franklin was able to stay away until the screaming started, which came much later than he expected. It took almost twenty minutes. Hopefully, that gave the mutants and Moore enough time to protect the computers, any documents, and the prisoners.
Franklin knew it would be smarter for him to stay outside, but when he heard the first scream, he couldn’t stop thinking about Garrett getting hurt. What if his brother needed him? What if he was getting hurt right now, maybe by scientists or guards who wanted to use him against the mutants?
The thought made Franklin move before he could second-guess himself. His feet carried him back toward the facility as his heart hammered against his ribs and more screams echoed through the air, followed by the sound of something breaking.
He slipped through the same door he’d propped open, pulling it shut behind him. The hallway was empty, but he could hear shouting coming from deeper in the building. He pressed himself against the wall, moving as quietly as he could toward the sounds of fighting.
The facility was a maze of hallways, but Reed’s blueprints had been thorough.
Franklin knew that the holding cells were in the basement, accessible through the elevator, but also through a stairwell near the east wing.
He just had to get there without being spotted by any of the guards, who hopefully were too busy to notice him.
A guard rushed past the corner ahead, startling Franklin but not even glancing in his direction. The man was focused on something else, his radio crackling with frantic commands. Franklin waited until his footsteps faded before moving forward.
He found the stairwell and quickly went down. It was colder here, and the air felt heavy. By the time he reached the bottom, he was almost panting, but not in exhaustion. He was terrified, but that wouldn’t be enough to stop him.
The basement level was dimly lit, with harsh lights flickering overhead. Franklin could see rows of doors lining both sides of the corridor, each marked with a number. His stomach churned as he realized what was behind them. He supposed it was better than the cages he was used to, but not by much.
He started checking the doors, peering through the small openings into each one. Some of the cells were empty, hopefully because the prisoners had already been freed by Moore’s team, but since they were nowhere to be seen, Franklin doubted it.
He reached cell seventeen, and his breath caught.
Inside, pressed in the corner, was a man that Franklin would have recognized anywhere.
Garrett.
His brother looked nothing like the person Franklin remembered.
Garrett had always been strong and confident, quick to smile even in the worst situations.
The man in the cell was sickly thin. His cheekbones were sharp under his pale skin, and his dark hair was matted and overgrown.
He wore a thin hospital gown that hung on his frame, and there were bruises on his arms and legs, going from dark purple to yellow and all the stages in between.
“Garrett,” Franklin whispered.
He fumbled with the lock, swiping his key card until the light turned green and the door clicked open. He pushed inside in seconds, his gaze never leaving his brother. He couldn’t look away.
“Garrett, it’s me. It’s Franklin.”
Garrett didn’t move. His eyes were dull and unfocused. His gaze stopped on Franklin for a moment, but there was no recognition in them.
Franklin’s heart shattered.
“Garrett, please. Look at me. It’s your brother.” He took a step forward, his hands raised in a gesture he hoped was reassuring.
Garrett flinched away, pressing harder against the wall. A low sound escaped his throat—not quite a growl, but Franklin suspected it would turn into one if he pushed.
“No, no, it’s okay,” he said quickly, keeping his voice soft. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. I’m here to get you out.”
Garrett wasn’t listening. His gaze darted around the cell, looking everywhere except at Franklin. It was as if he couldn’t see him at all, or worse, as if Franklin was just another threat.
Franklin felt tears burn his eyes. He’d known it would be bad. He’d prepared himself for the worst, or so he’d thought. Nothing could have prepared him for seeing his brother so lost and destroyed by what they’d done to him.
Before he could try again, footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. Franklin’s head snapped toward the door, his body tensing. Someone was coming.
A man in a white lab coat appeared in the doorway, his eyes widening when he saw Franklin. “What the hell are you doing in here?”
Franklin didn’t answer. He moved quickly, putting himself between the scientist and Garrett.
The scientist’s expression turned from shock to calculation, probably because Franklin was set to protect Garrett even though he wore a guard’s uniform. His hand moved to his pocket, and Franklin saw the glint of something metal.
“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” the scientist said. “One of the mutants.”
He didn’t wait for an answer. He lunged forward, the syringe in his hand aimed at Franklin’s neck.
Franklin dodged to the side, barely avoiding the needle.
The scientist was faster than he looked, already moving to strike again.
Franklin grabbed the man’s wrist, struggling to keep the syringe away from his body.
“Let go!” the scientist snarled, trying to pull his arm free.
Franklin held on. He wasn’t a fighter, but he wasn’t about to let this man hurt him when Garrett was right there, watching with those terrified eyes.
The scientist kicked out, catching Franklin in the shin. Pain shot through his leg, and his grip loosened. The scientist used the advantage to shove Franklin back, sending him stumbling into the wall.
Franklin’s head hit the concrete, and stars burst across his vision. He slid to the floor as the scientist advanced on him again.
“You shouldn’t have come in,” the scientist said, raising the syringe.
Franklin braced himself, but the blow never came. Instead, there was a blur of movement, and suddenly the scientist was on the ground, clutching his arm and screaming, the syringe a few feet away.
Franklin blinked, trying to clear his vision. Garrett was standing over the scientist, panting, his hands clenched into fists. His gaze met Franklin’s. There was still no recognition in it, but there was something else that told Franklin that Garrett would protect him, no matter what.
“Garrett,” Franklin whispered.
Garrett’s gaze went blank again, and he retreated back to his corner, curling in on himself as if trying to disappear.
Franklin pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the throbbing in his head. He stepped over the groaning scientist and moved toward Garrett carefully.
“It’s okay,” he said softly. “I’m going to get you out of here. I promise.”
Garrett didn’t respond, but he didn’t flinch away this time. It was a small victory, but Franklin would take it.
He heard more footsteps in the hallway, and he hoped it was the mutants because he didn’t think he could fight, considering the throbbing in his head.
Moore appeared a moment later, his expression grim.
He took in the scene in the cell, from the unconscious scientist to Franklin’s state, to Garrett huddled in the corner.
“Can he walk?” Moore sked.
Franklin looked at his brother. “I don’t know.” Maybe the most important question was whether or not Garrett would want to walk.
Moore stepped into the cell, moving slowly. “Hey,” he said gently. “We’re getting you out of here. You’re safe now.”
Garrett’s gaze flickered to Moore, then back to Franklin. There was still no recognition, but Garrett relaxed just slightly, as if he was giving up. Franklin didn’t want him to feel that desperate, but it would make things easier on him and Moore.