Page 77 of Captured Immune

“Mm-hmm.” Ruby turns around to face the front. “That’s what the zovernment says they do because that’s what they want you tothink. In reality, they just take those babies away and pop them into an incinerator.”

Katie slaps a hand over her heart. “Oh god.”

“Sorry for the visual, but that’s exactly what happens. It’s easier, faster, and it’s the most effective way of preventing that baby from ever being a danger to people in the future.”

Kill one to save the others. Seems like the zovernment has adopted that ideal too. Am I the only one who doesn’t think that’s okay? Isn’t there another way?

Ruby continues, “Now, let’s say you work for the zovernment and you know that’s where those babies end up. No zovernment official in their right mind would ever register their own child with a gift on the Extinction List, knowing it’s a death sentence for their baby, so people lie. They cover it up. They go into hiding. Whatever it takes to save their kid. According to the zovernment, my sister can look at any animal to hear its thoughts—you know, something completely harmless and not life-threatening at all, and most importantly, hard to prove.”

“Honestly,” Dash says from behind me, “if it was my kid, I’d do the same.”

“Me too,” Carlos says.

Me three.I’d kill a hundred people before I let anyone take my child away from me. I guess that doesn’t make me any better than the zovernment.

I glance at the woman in my arms with my shirt still tied around her knife wound. The man who threw that knife at her is now lying either sedated or lifeless in a pool of his own blood, and I have no regrets. I’d do it again if it meant saving her, and I feel the same for the unborn child growing inside her belly. This baby isn’t mine, but it’s Arella’s. That means it’s a part of her, which means I’ll stop at nothing to make sure it’s safe too.

“Does anyone know of a good place I can take Arella once we get outta here?” I ask.

“Our ZIRDA base in New York might take you in,” Ruby says. “And I promise, our CEO isnotan undercover Royal.”

“I dunno,” Pixie says. “The boss would need some convincing. You know how she is about bringing in outsiders.”

“But Trey’s not an outsider. He’s a fellow ZIRDA agent.”

“Who is related to Victor. She won’t trust him. She might think it’s a trick Victor came up with to get him into our base.”

Being associated with that monster by blood disgusts me. What would my dad say if he knew his older brother ended up joining the group of criminals who ended his life? Suddenly, it hits me: What if Victor’s the one behind the murder of my parents? His neck was slashed on the same night that my parents were blown to bits. What if that was just a cover-up to make it seem like he wasn’t involved?

The story Victor told me was that the Royals showed up at his house, demanding he take them to Shadow Ridge, and when he refused, they slashed his neck and left him for dead. If the Royals had really wanted him dead, wouldn’t they have slashed him enough to make sure he couldn’t survive?

“I can take you to ZIRDA Minnesota,” Katie says. “My CEO will take care of you two in a heartbeat.”

That sounds amazing.“How are we gonna get there?”

“Any way we can. Walk. Steal a car. Ride a bus. Stow away on a plane. Whatever it takes.”

The idea of having an entire ZIRDA base, arealone, protecting Arella makes my heart swell. With them, no Royal will be able to get within twenty steps of my girl.

Eventually, we arrive at a long set of narrow wooden stairs leading upward.

“This is the end of the tunnel,” Dash says. “It’s just up these stairs, then we come out of a tree. Let me go first again to make sure it’s all clear.” With awhoosh!and a slight gust of air, Dash disappears. At the top of the stairs, some moonlight shines through a small door. The rest of us climb the stairs in silence.

When Dash doesn’t come back right away, I stop and project my empath power upward. Like how Trackers can’t trace people who are underground, my empath powers can’t sense anyone above ground while I’m under it, so I get nothing.

Pixie pauses a few stairs ahead of me. “You okay?”

“Something’s not right.” My heart rate kicks up a notch. “It’s been at least ten seconds, and Dash isn’t back yet.”

“Roobs?”

“On it.” In an instant, Ruby runs up the stairs.

The rest of us stay where we are while she heads to the surface. Just as she exits the top, she screams. Then come the wails of a bunch of men.

“Help!” Ruby shouts. “I can’t fight them all myself!”

Without wasting a second, Pixie, Katie, and Carlos race up the stairs.

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