Page 59 of Stryker

“You can’t leave me lockedin here,” a male voice said. “Don’t you know who I am?”

The guard laughed. “Yeah, a fuckingfreak of nature.”

“I’m a United Statessenator, asshole. I demand to speak to your superior.”

Was there a senator among them? WhenJohn thought about it, it made sense. No one would guess he’d beengenetically modified by looking at him. So, why not a senator or alawyer? Maybe even the damn president.

“Sorry, Mr. High andMighty, but you’re no one around here. Get used to it.” The guardlaughed harder and walked away.

Nobody was getting special treatment,that was clear, but more concerning was that even possiblelifesaving treatments, such as his inhaler, were being denied.Maybe they weren’t as important to the Noah Group as everyonethought because it appeared they were expendable now.

John concentrated on the walls andlooked into the cells on either side of him. He wasn’t strongenough to look farther than two walls or objects, at least not yet.On his right, a young boy sat curled up into a ball in the farthestcorner from the door. On his other side, an older woman with whitehair, glasses, and a cane sat in the chair, staring at the door,unmoving.

John walked over to the wallseparating him from the young boy. He wasn’t sure the kid couldhear him, but he had to try.

John placed his hand on the wall andsaid, “It’ll be all right. I’m here right beside you.”

The boy's head popped up, and heglanced directly at the wall as if he sensed him, though that wasimpossible because there was a wall between them.

“Can you hearme?”

The boy nodded his head.

“Good. My name’s John,we’re going to get out of this,” he whispered. “I promise.” Heplaced a hand against the wall as if he could send comfort throughthe concrete.

The boy looked at the door beforeunfolding himself and crawling over to the wall separating them. Heplaced his hand on the wall across from John’s hand, and Johnimmediately felt heat emanate from it.

“I can feel you,” he saidin wonder.

The boy smiled before curling backinto a ball in the corner closest to John’s cell. John slid down onthe ground and closed his eyes, thinking of Stryker and prayingthey’d find them all soon. He wasn’t sure what was planned forthem, but whatever it was wouldn’t be good, and the small boyalready looked fragile. He might not last long.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

John

John was meditating as he heard thelock to his cell slid open, followed by the door. He opened hiseyes to see two masked men enter, pointing their rifles at him. Herecognized them from before.

“Come with us,” the tallerman ordered.

John stood and pushed away from thewall. They didn’t bother cuffing or blindfolding him this time. Oneof the men led the way down the hall while the other followedbehind John, his gun pointed at his back.

“Don’t get any ideas,” hegrowled as he jammed the muzzle into John’s ribs.

He had many ideas of what he’d like todo to these two, but he’d play along.

“I’m not going to fightyou,” he said.Not yet.

“Smart, nowmove.”

They walked in the opposite directionthan they’d come in, and John discreetly scanned through the doorsand walls they walked by. He saw the cell he thought had housed thesenator. It was empty.

John didn’t have time to wonder wherethe man was as they walked into a much larger room containing adesk. Four men without masks, in lab coats, sat behind it. In thefar corner was a large cage, inside of which stood a middle-agedman who looked pissed.

“Let me out of here thisminute,” the guy yelled at the men behind the desk.

John recognized that voice as the manwho’d declared himself to be a senator, and the fancy suit he waswearing was more evidence he likely was.

“Put that one over there,”one of the lab coats said, pointing at a second cell.

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