Page 106 of One More Chance

Ramon darted out into the hall, and she heard running footsteps, followed by a quick double shot from his gun.

She went to the door, but Nicola shuffled in front of her out into the hallway.

The hall had filled with patients in their white scrubs, all shuffling along in the same direction. What had Buzard done to them to make them like this? A lobotomy was a terrifying idea. No one was allowed to perform that procedure on another person, right? Not anymore.

But it wouldn’t produce this kind of uniform behavior, would it?

Kenna joined the stream of patients, keeping an eye on the older man behind her as she made her way to Ramon.

He stood up with blood on the front leg of his pants. A man lay dead by his feet. “What now?”

“We’re seeing where they go.” She tugged his shirtsleeve, and he moved with her. Down endless halls, through a wide room with long metal tables and scientific equipment. One wall held cabinets with environmental controls, rows and rows of test tubes in little racks inside. Beakers with lids containing liquid in all colors. Containers with hazard signs on them.

“Maizie?” Kenna said, low into her phone. “Any idea what he’s doing here?”

“I have his whole computer system up. It’s all his research going back decades, and there’s a lot of it.”

Ramon leaned over. “Just dump it on the internet. Let the people see what’s going on here.”

The patients all turned another corner and walked through a set of doors into an open expanse. It looked like a school gym with paneled wood flooring. They stopped in the center, huddled together in a group.

Dominatuswasn’t going to like it if the world suddenly found out what was happening here.

“Here it is,” Maizie said. “I found the security system.” She paused for a second. “I can see you. There have to be cameras all throughout. Even in the private rooms. I can see all of it.”

Kenna looked up at the rafters in this ceiling but didn’t see any cameras.

“Smile,” Maizie said. “You’re now live on Banbury Investigations social media accounts. All of them. I also sent a link to Special Agent Herron, so she can get to the feeds. They’ll have all the intel they need if they can see in every room in the entire facility.”

Ramon lifted his hood, covering his face. Trying to shield himself from view?

She rolled her eyes, lifted her hand and waved. “Everyone, say hi.”

The group of patients around her all lifted one hand and waved. “Hi,” murmured across the group.

“Whoa.” Ramon turned one way, then the other. “I think we should get out of here before?—”

Doors opened at the far end.

“Everyone, down!” Kenna yelled the command.

The crowd around her ducked simultaneously, and she swung the rifle up, squeezed the trigger, and slammed the three men who entered with a volley of bullets. They had guns of their own, and at least a few shots whizzed across the air above her. One knocked out a light fixture, spraying glass on the group.

Nicola screamed.

Kenna fired at the man, who ducked back into the hallway. The other two men were now lying on the ground where they’d fallen. She looked at Nicola, who stared at her hand. Blood coated the doctor’s fingers.

She looked up at Kenna. “What’s happening?”

“You tell me.” But that wasn’t their most pressing issue. “We need a way out of here.” Was the woman lucid enough to understand that? Or was this only a temporary stay in her situation? Just a moment where she was jogged out of the stupor and able to talk for a second. Any moment now she could descend back into that walking automaton way of being.

It certainly didn’t count as living.

Nicola straightened and her gaze settled on Kenna. “I know you.” She shook her head. “I can’t think from where.”

“What do you know? Like your name, or what this place is?” Kenna looked around. It felt too much like they were waiting for something.

She grasped the elbow of a man near to her, lifting gently. “Come on. Please. We have to go, everyone.”

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