Chapter 23

JASE

"She couldn't have orchestrated something that elaborate," Fricks argues, shaking his head as Aria slams her fist onto the table. It doesn't bend or bow, the steel table that is at least five inches thick snaps in half and clambers to the ground. She's dangerously close to fucking losing it, and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

We haven't learned much about her since I became her counter. Things could be different, or her savage could still be detached. All I do know is that I hate her ability to dematerialize and go wherever in the hell she wants so much quicker than me. I just got here moments ago after being abandoned by my wife.

I'm glad it took them a while to bring Fricks up from the prison, and I'm really glad she didn't know where he was being held. She would have went straight to him instead of following any sort of procedure. At least that gave me time to catch up.

"She did it, Captain Fricks! Just like us, you keep underestimating her. She's been damn good at making everyone think she's not the brilliant mind behind the veil. But she is. She's outsmarting us at every fucking turn, and she's playing everyone who doesn't realize she's a fucking maniacal genius. We're playing checkers, and she's playing chess. This is just her latest checkmate."

He sits back, muttering a few curses, and then he rubs his temples before mumbling, "I can't tell you. Not yet. You're not ready."

Aria growls at him, possibly plotting the ways to tear him limb from limb; a show I want to see.

"You may have turned into a traitor, but you know Simone. You knew Uncle Clay. He loved you as much as my father did. You've already betrayed them. For once in your selfish fucking life, do something for someone other than yourself!"

I've never seen Aria so worked up over anyone other than me. Simone is like her sister, though. She hasn't spoken hardly at all since we found that message. What few times I've been able to glimpse her mind, all I could hear was guilty thoughts. She's blaming herself for this, and that's killing me.

But what worries me is the fact that she's shutting me out. She's never blocked her thoughts from me this well for this long. And that means she's working really damn hard for me not to hear her thoughts. If she's planning something stupid, I might strangle her myself. I wish I knew how to keep her from dematerializing.

"Everything I've ever done has been for someone else!" he yells.

"No it hasn't," Aria says coldly, her fist clenching at her side. "Everything you do for Penelope is essentially for you, because you can't live without her. Because you want her with you. I've defended you, tried to empathize with you, but I swear right here, right now, if you don't tell me where to find Alice, I will let them tear you apart the way they've all wanted to since you tried to bleed me dry. Since you broke every vow you ever took. Since you betrayed the nation that gave you a second chance. Since you betrayed the damn memory of my father."

Fricks flinches while sitting back in his chair, slumping in defeat as tears fall from his eyes. I wish Aria would give the word to fucking tear him apart. We've kept him alive because of his usefulness. If he's not going to be of any use, what's the point in letting him taint the air we have to breathe?

"You're right," he says, his words breaking as he hangs his head in shame. Aria moves back away from the table and crosses her arms over her chest as he continues. "I'm a selfish bastard who has been so obsessed with saving Penelope that I have betrayed everyone. But right now, me not telling you where Alice is… that's me protecting you and doing your father's memory justice. If I tell you, you'll go straight to her and play into her trap. And you'll die, Aria."

My heartbeat stills, because that same fear has been coursing through me. Before Aria can light into him again, he adds, "If she's setting a trap, then the process of invincibility is complete. She's ready, and you're not. It's better to sacrifice two people, than to sacrifice this world's only hope. I'm not being selfish right now. You are. Because you'll sacrifice yourself to save them, when you know you're the only one who will be able to stop her. But you have to be ready in order to win."

Aria's body shakes with anger, and tears start falling from her eyes.

"You wanted to hand me over to the Scorpions to give you time with your beloved. You can't sit there and tell me you're doing this for my safety. You're doing this so we'll keep you alive, because you think you're smarter than me. You think that I'll let you live until you feel like I'm ready to take her on. Fine. We'll play this your way. You fight fucked up people by using fucked up methods. Tell me or I'll let you watch me rip Penelope into small pieces. It'll be slow, and you'll get to see it with your hands cuffed behind your back, your feet chained to the ground, and your eyes sewed open so that you can't shut it out."

Nausea hits me in a wave as I carefully gauge my girl. Her eyes are not dilated, but they are desperate and furious. I've never heard her say something so twisted while sober, and the sharp intake of air that Fricks gives her proves to me that it's just as surprising to him.

"Aria, the Scorpions wouldn't have stood a chance if Commander Ericson had sent in the United fleet, and I fully planned to tip him off. I couldn't say that in front of Hedin. He wanted you dead, and if he felt like I had turned on him, he would have done far worse than he did. I stepped in and kept him from hurting you. I wouldn't have left you to their mercy, but I had to say that at the time."

She snorts derisively while I watch, shaking her head as though she's disgusted. "A little convenient that you claim that now, isn't it?"

She has a point, but I really don't like the dark road she's taking at this moment. I'd rather shred him than have her shred an innocent woman that just got caught up in all of this. She may be in a medicated state of suspended animation, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't feel her body being savagely ripped apart.

"I didn't feel as though I deserved your forgiveness, so I didn't try to justify my actions or my empty threats. I fully intended to have you saved. This isn't you talking right now. You sound like—"

"Like someone who's sick of everyone wanting my blood? Like someone who is sick of being hunted like a trophy piece meant for their experimentation? Like someone who can't have a day of happiness because of all the sick and twisted bastards out there who feel like I'm a possession instead of a person? Like someone who is tired of watching the ones I love suffer because I exist? Yes, James , you're right. I sound exactly like that sort of person."

I swallow hard, slowly digesting her words. We've been worried about Araya committing suicide if she found out what Alice truly wanted from her, but right now, Aria sounds like she's the suicidal one. And that has my skin crawling and tingling with dread. An icy cold sensation shoots down my spine with an almost tangible force, and my scalp prickles.

Fricks wisely refrains from saying anything in response to that. She'd consider any answer he gave to be goading. He's actually sounding believable for once. And somewhat reasonable in logic. Then again, maybe I just want him to be telling the truth because I really don't want to lose Aria, and he seems to keep confirming my worst fears.

"You have exactly twenty seconds to tell me where she is. Otherwise, I'll prove I'm just as fucked up as you, and your reason for living will be deduced to dismantled pieces right in front of your eyes."

He takes a deep breath, finally lifting his head so that his eyes meet hers. I've never seen her like this, and it has me worried that her savage is bleeding in without warning us. Or else she really is going mad. The weight of the world is crushing down on her and leaving everyone with deafening silence.

"Ten seconds," she says.

His eyes shift to meet mine, possibly pleading with me to interfere. I couldn't stop her from doing this. No one could. She's stronger than all of us. It's never scared me until this minute, because I'm worried I've already lost her to the power inside her small body.

"Five seconds," she warns.

His mind clears a path for me for the first time since I met him, and the defeated sound I hear is enough to roil my stomach.

"I'm sorry. Come speak to me when she goes."

I really want to question that, but I can't. He's apparently about to lie to her, and I sure as hell can't let her know that. Not when it means she could die.

"I'll tell you," he says aloud, moving his eyes back to meet Aria's just after she delivers the one second warning. After taking another steadying breath, he names the three locations Alice would go to set a trap. He names off how many she'll have guarding the doors, how many she'll have to get through just to find Alice.

"She'll want you weakened by the time she has to face you," he says, close to being finished. "She doesn't just want the upper hand, she wants total domination. She likes very little resistance, because she hates a challenge."

Aria turns to head for the door, and I follow as she says, "She better be ready for a challenge, because I'm about to fuck her world up."

The door slams behind us as we leave, and I grab her hand in mine, only to have her jerk free and recoil.

"You're not going after her alone."

"After I free Kellan and Simone, I won't be alone."

Panic sinks into my bones, but I try to be calm so that I can reason with the unreasonable hybrid woman that loves driving me out of my motherfucking mind.

"Kellan and Simone won't be enough. You saw those people."

An eerie smile forms on her lips, and she looks around to see if anyone is close.

"Simone is a hell of a lot stronger than people know. She only uses her gift as an offensive weapon when she has to. With Kellan being in danger, if shit hits the roof, she'll go savage. I'll have backup."

Shit. Christ. Fucking hell. It's like talking to a brick wall. She never budges. Simone is strong and unique, but she's nowhere nearly as powerful as Araya, and these things are so much stronger.

"She's never gone savage before, Aria. It's pretty fucking unlikely that she'll suddenly go savage right when we need her to the most."

Again, she smiles as though she has a dark secret.

"Let me worry about that. My main goal is to get them out alive, and I'll do what I have to in order to make that happen."

"And they'll have a better chance of living if you have backup, Aria. You can't rush in there with no one covering your ass.

I really don't like that damn look in her eyes, and I'm fairly sure my savage is going to break free as well if she keeps doing this.

"She has had them for several hours now, Jase. I'm the only one who can reach them fast enough. I'm sorry."

She leans over and kisses me hard, and I grab her, holding her in place and refusing to let go, but she dematerializes in my hands, leaving me with nothing but empty air in my embrace when my eyes open.

Fuck!

I kick open the door to the interrogation room, and Fricks looks up with burdened eyes.

"Where is Alice really at?"

His smile is small, but he motions to his cuffs. "Get them off. You're going to need me to get there. It's hidden beneath the earth, and you'll never find it before her. Those locations are real, and she'll come across enough clues to figure out where Alice really is."

He must think I'm fucking stupid. When I don't respond, he adds, "I can't go anywhere, and I have every intention of surviving and saving Aria. You know as well as I do that I can't save Penelope without her."

Simone's last email to me rattles around in my mind.

"Penelope rejected Aria's blood. The cure didn't work," I tell him, knowing he'll change his mind about going and just give me the instructions to get there.

Tears fill up in his eyes, and he drops his head when they start to fall. His hope just got crushed, and to my utter disgust, I actually feel sorry for him.

After several silent and precious minutes tick by, he finally looks up and clears his throat. "There will be another way. One day. Evolution happens, and new blood changes the course of the past scars and future dreams. I can't lose hope. I want to save my wife as much as you want to save yours. And I owe it to Hale Banner to save Aria right now, regardless of the fact she can't save my wife. Not to mention, no one will survive if Alice kills Aria. She's our only hope. You really won't find it in time. Aria is probably already close to one location by now. Rumors of her new gifts have spread, and she could already be gathering information from one site if any of those said rumors are true. You need me, and I need to do something right for once."

I'm probably the biggest fucking idiot in the world, but with a few muttered curses, I grab the keys to the cuffs, and I unshackle him from his place on the chair.

"One wrong move and I put a bullet through your head," I warn.

He rubs his wrists once he's free and he nods in acknowledgement. "You need to call Araya. I've heard the new hybrids were stronger, but she's going to be our best hope of getting in. Never underestimate a protective mother with her adrenaline pumping as she goes to save her young. It might be the edge we need."

Even in prison he knows as much as we do. Apparently people talk too damn much if he's hearing the things we just learned.

"Where should I tell them to meet us?"

Everyone was resting when Aria turned to vapor and left me. I drove like a maniac to catch up, and I didn't even think to call the others and have them follow us.

"Canterbury crossroads will be a good spot if they're not too far out."

Ah, hell. That's at least a four hour drive from here.

"Let's go."