“You done?”

  “They’re all safe, and the complex looks empty.”

  “You don’t sound sure.”

  “This basement wasn’t on the schematics. Who knows what else there is.”

  He nodded.

  “We need you to unlock the doors in this corridor.”

  “All at once, or incrementally?”

  “All at once. Kids won’t be going anywhere.”

  “Kids are terrified,” I warned him, and closed my eyes as I swallowed bile.

  I rolled to my feet, wondering how I could ditch the soldier and go do what I’d promised Mack I’d do. I also wondered if the kid was meant to be returned to Odyssey, or if… I froze as Mack spoke in my head.

  “We’ve got this. Just get to her.”

  Riiight.

  I took a look at the soldier who’d been keeping an eye on me.

  “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

  He looked at me, nonplussed.

  “I’ve been told to keep an eye on you.”

  “Uh huh.”

  I looked around, and placed a hand on the wall. It didn’t take me long to go back into the system, and unlock the doors.

  “Doors are unlocked,” I said, and started walking away down the corridor.

  The heavy hand that landed on my shoulder took a firm hold and squeezed tight. I stopped, looked down at it, and then followed the guy’s arm up to his face. When I caught his eye, I smiled brightly at him, and added, “All the doors are unlocked. You might want to let someone know.”

  From the look on his face, he didn’t get it, and then, just as suddenly, he did.

  “Of all the goat-fucking, lizard-sucking….”

  “Someone needs to know,” I said, twisting out of his grasp, sidestepping round the first team to emerge from a cell, and sliding past the second team as they stumbled back out to have the child inside slam the door in their faces.

  I skated past a third team, and made it to the clear space beyond, not looking back as I heard the soldier shout in consternation. I guess there were disadvantages to being built like a brick shit-house on steroids. As soon as I was around the corner, I broke into a sprint, taking the next turn I needed before any form of pursuit sounded behind me.

  Doors cracked cautiously open as I sped past. Some were slammed hastily closed, but others opened a little wider. It looked like some of the kids were bent, but not broken, and the thought lifted my heart. Maybe the future was brighter for them than I’d thought.

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  “There’s always hope, girl,” Mack said, over the comms. “You should know that.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant, and I didn’t want to work it out for myself. I didn’t want him to explain it, either, and, for once, he obliged.

  “Just get to her before Delight does.”

  Well, that was intriguing.

  He didn’t answer, and I took another turn, skidding to a halt before the door I needed. I slowed down, and looked over my shoulder, listening to the sounds behind me, but not hearing any pursuit… Well, not of me, at least.

  The kids, on the other hand, weren’t convinced of their rescuers’ intentions, and the ones that weren’t huddled in corners were bolting in all directions.

  Not my problem. I opened the door, and slid inside, closing it behind me. I’d found the girl—and, from what I could see, the company had had something pretty special lined up for her. Bastards! The only thing was, I couldn’t work out why they’d have been setting up a conference call in front of a big screen, and where they’d all gone.

  “I made them run away,” said the child-like voice in my head.

  In my head. Not in my implant.

  Oh crap.

  “Why?”

  “Mack, you didn’t tell me she was psi.”

  “And what’s wrong with that?” she demanded.

  It felt like she was standing right beside me, except I knew she wasn’t—and I knew she wasn’t because I’d seen just how thoroughly she’d been tied down. My stomach rolled.

  “I’ve got to get you out of there,” I told her, moving around to where I could reach her.

  She watched me, her blue eyes going from almost calm to wary, her small body tensing. I stopped.

  “Your mother’s worried.”

  Wariness turned to hostility, and I wondered why. The expression vanished, to be replaced by one of curiosity.

  “Do you work for my mother?” At least she was speaking out loud, now.

  I shook my head, figuring a psi would see the truth, anyway.

  “Nah. I work for Mack.”

  “Does he work for my mother?”

  I shook my head, again. “He’s on a contract with Odyssey.”

  “I’m a contract?”

  I eyed the child, and wondered how much a ten-year-old would understand of contracts.

  “Why don’t you try me?” Again in my head…as if that wasn’t as creepy as all Hell. That didn’t deter her, one bit. “So, whose creature are you?”

  For some reason, that made me angry.

  “I’m no one’s creature!”

  She smiled, like she knew she’d gotten under my skin.

  Little brat.

  Suddenly, all I wanted to do was get her free and get the job done as fast as I could—and then I wanted her to be somewhere else. Somewhere safe, sure, but somewhere a long, long way away from me.

  Her smile faded, as I took a step toward her, and she tensed. I stopped, trying to study the set-up she was trapped in, while ignoring the fact she was there. It wasn’t easy. I could feel her watching me. I worked out what I needed to in order to get her out of there, and started moving in the direction of the computer station set up alongside.

  The only problem was, the moment I stepped toward it, she spoke.

  “What are you going to do, when you get me free?”

  I heard the near-panic in her voice and figured I didn’t blame her. If the mongrels operating this place had told her what they were going to do when that screen had gone live, she had good reason to panic. I forced myself to keep moving…and to keep my voice calm.

  “We’re going to take you home.”

  “Wrong answer,” she told me, and I dropped to the floor, screaming.

  When the pain let up, I stayed on my knees, and managed a pained whisper.

  “Why?”

  “Because momma’s the whole reason I’m in here.”

  “Tell her we’re taking her to her father.”

  Mack. In the implant.

  “But…”

  And now he sounded exasperated.

  “Just do it.”

  “We’re taking you to your father.”

  I tensed up, steeling myself against the next wave of pain.

  “Really?” she asked, out loud to my relief.

  “Tell her I promised,” Mack added, and the girl gave an exasperated sigh.

  “I can hear you, you know,” she told him. “Psi. Remember?”

  I got slowly to my feet, feeling like I’d been run over by a tram.

  “Get her out of that chair, and grab hold of her,” Mack told me, not seeming to care that she was privy to every word.

  I figured there had to be a very good reason for the sudden anxiety I heard in his voice, and that there probably wasn’t any time for me to ask any stupid questions.

  “Lock the door, first,” the child ordered, and I paused to slip quickly into the system and do exactly that—which was when I realized I didn’t need to get to the computer console, after all.

  Stupid me.