Page 85 of Land of Shadow

“Whathappened?” Aang stares around. “Are you a sleeper agent or something?”

I sit up and realize I’m still in the atrium lying on one of the blue couches. This one isn’t blue anymore, though. It’s soaked with blood. The rest of the atrium is, too. My gorge rises as I catch glimpses of severed arms, legs, entire torsos ripped apart. Bits of paramilitary fatigues and guns that have been shattered or folded in half litter the ground—all of it splattered with gore. A massacre.

“Oh my god.” I cover my mouth with my hand.

“We need to get out of here. Now,” Gretchen calls from somewhere farther away. “Up to Georgia’s room.”

“I want a goddamn explanation. Who did this? What the fuck happened?”

“Aang, now!” Gretchen yells.

Aang scowls and holds out his hand. “Can you walk?”

I look down at my ripped shirt, the blood on my stomach, the intestines that were shredded only moments ago. “What?—”

“Come on. We don’t know how bad the contamination is. If they fucked with the plague samples in the HCL, we’re all dead anyway.” Wyatt takes my arm and pulls me to my feet.

In a daze, I let them march me to the elevator and then up to my apartment.

“Where’s your laptop?” Wyatt calls. “I can check contaminant levels from there as long as you’re tapped into the—never mind, I found it. Password? Wait, you don’t evenhaveit password protected? What the hell?”

I run my hands along my stomach, disbelief settling over me like a cloud obscuring the sun, my skin going cold. I was dead. At least, I was at death’s door. I shouldn’t have survived. But as I run my fingers along my smooth stomach, I realize what happened. Juno’s Miracle. Now it’s mine. Valen saved my life.

“You look like you’re about to faint.” Evie guides me to the living room and helps me into the armchair. She kneels in front of me. “What happened?” She frowns at my soaked jeans, the blood on my shirt, in my hair. My blood.

I can’t tell her what happened. I need to, but I can’t. The words won’t come. I stare at her, tears hazing my vision. Those people wanted to kill me. Theyhadkilled me, or close enough. The same people I’ve been working so hard to save. It’s so fucking twisted. A sob tears from my chest.

“Oh, Georgia.” Evie pulls me into her arms. “Let it out. It’s all right.” She holds me as I struggle to get myself under control.

I press my forehead to her shoulder, her long hair tickling my nose. “It’s not all right,” I whisper.

She hugs me tighter. “I know.”

“Looks like they didn’t have the balls to fuck up the HCL.” Wyatt leans over my laptop at the kitchen island. “There are no live plague samples in the main lab, so we’re clear. They destroyed a ton of shit, but nothing escaped. The air is safe to?—”

“Dr. Clark?” a tinny voice.

“What was that?” Aang barks.

“There’s a um, a …” I can’t think of the word. Any words, really. I keep seeing the leader’s eyes while he plunged the knife into me. There was sick satisfaction and enjoyment—helikedhurting me. I shudder.

“Must be an intercom. It’s coming from the hallway.” Evie keeps her hold on me. “Go and see.”

“Got it,” Aang says and stomps away. “Who the fuck is this?” he says.

“Major Terrence Barker. I’m here to rescue you,” the stern voice comes back.

“It’s a little fucking late for that, Major.” For once I’m relieved to hear Aang’s snide tone. He’s turned it on someone else. Good.

“We’re coming up. Stay—” A loud boom cuts through his words, and then the apartment is filled with soldiers.

“Hands up!” one shouts and sweeps the room.

“We’re the scientists.” Wyatt puts his hands on top of his head and laces them together. Seems like he’s been in this situation before. “Not the guys cosplaying Army.”

“Is there anyone else here, Dr. Clark?” One of the soldiers peers at me.

How does he know my name?

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