Page 98 of Land of Shadow

“Destroying the blood centers is high priority, but razing this lab to the ground is at the top of their list.”

“You’re the Army.” I shake my head. “There’s no way you can’t take them.”

He grimaces. “Maybe you’ve been shut up in here too long, Dr. Clark, but the Army isn’t what it used to be. The plague killed off a high percentage of our boots on the ground. Civil unrest has killed more. Even with that said, we’re still the strongest military in the world. We have the firepower. But when I ask my soldiers to turn that firepower on their fellow Americans, how long before the chain of command breaks down?”

Shit, he’s right. I rub my eyes. Maybe Ihavebeen in here too long, in this microcosm where things are a certain shade of normal. Three meals a day, a nice place to stay, friends. But out there, it’s bleak. Out there, it’s the underpass in Austin everywhere. People dying. Fear and paranoia growing. No wonder the Saints have risen up. And they aren’t entirely wrong. The blood camps—we still don’t know the full truth about them. Not on paper. But I know in my gut. The Saints probably feel it, too, even if they don’t have the particulars.

“So what are you saying?”

“I think it would be safer if you all moved your operation to Atlanta. I’ve already spoken with Director Hamberg and the president. Both are in favor, though the president did insist on you signing off on the plan.”

“I can’t leave.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Does it matter? Everything is here. My work.”My sister. Valen.

“We can recreate it in Atlanta, the director assured me of it.”

“Of course he did,” I say bitterly. “He’s been trying to hijack our research from day one.”

“I’m not following, Dr. Clark. We’re all on the same team here.”

No, I’m on the team that knows vampires walk among us and are looking to take over. Everyone outside of my lab is existing in blissful ignorance of those facts. Not to mention Gregor’s deadline is still bearing down on me. I have a little less than two weeks to meet his demand for a cure. After that, I don’t know what he’ll do. But I’m certain that simply running away to Atlanta won’t be enough to stop him from getting to me.

“You all right?” His face softens the slightest bit, concern creasing the skin next to his eyes. “You went pale.”

“I’m fine.” I wave away his question. “We can’t move to Atlanta. We’re right on the edge of something.” I chew my lip. “How long do you think we have?”

“Chatter suggests they’re planning an attack five days from now. But keep in mind they could be planning for sooner. We can’t be sure they aren’t feeding us disinformation to catch us unawares.”

I blink, unsure if I heard him correctly. “Five days or less? But they just lost so many people here. Why would they try again so soon?”

“Like I said, they have the numbers and enough anger to make a dent in my forces. They lost some lives, sure, but they have plenty more who want to stop the work you’re doing, who’ll gladly sacrifice their own lives to ensure this place is obliterated.”

“Can’t we make them understand? We’re trying tohelpthem. That’s all we’ve been trying to do from the moment we got here. Working to find a cure to save them all.”

“We can tell them that, sure. But they won’t believe it.” He shakes his head. “They say they’ve taken the red pill, whatever that means. They aren’t going to listen.”

Time is slipping away. The humans and the vampires have whittled down the narrow chances we had to find a cure with their demands, their paranoia. “What about Juno? Surely, they’re coming for her, too?”

“She’ll be safe. We have plenty of protocols for the president and other members of the Cabinet. But these outlying buildings, we can’t secure them in any meaningful way if we’re overrun.”

“Then we’ll go to the White House and wait it out with them.”

He clears his throat, his direct gaze leaving mine for the first time since we walked out here. “I’m afraid the president nixed that idea.”

I close my eyes, letting that sink in. I shouldn’t be hurt. Ishouldn’t. I know she’s keeping me away to keep me safe. Even so, I have to swallow down the ache. “Okay.” I must think clearly. It’s not just my life in danger here. “We only have five days?”

“When I told you I’d protect you, I meant it. I’ll die right here defending you if it comes to that. My soldiers will do the same.”

“God.” I take a deep breath. “I don’t want that. None of us want anyone to die.”

He clasps his hands behind his back and stares out the window. “I can tell you I know what it’s like to be responsible for other people’s lives. People who trust you implicitly. Friends, colleagues, even family. That trust can seem like a burden. It’s not. It’s a gift, given freely.” He finally looks at me again. “But wemusthonor that trust. The people in that lab—they’ve given you their trust. Don’t throw it away.”

I feel the weight of his words, like a stone tied to my ankle sinking me beneath cold waves. He’s right. I can’t let anyone die here. Their lives are worth more than this. Even if we were to discover the cure next week, I won’t sacrifice them to do it.

“We’d need to get more than just us out. All our samples, our work, our?—”

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