Beyond the Horizon

49. Escape Artist

Nezumi's army grew larger as it descended the floors, an ocean of white lab coats that soon became mixed with black uniforms and bullet-proof vests. One of the guards headed the procession, an AK-47 clutched in his hands.

          Nezumi had snared them all as he walked down the stairs. His army's varying assortment of dress shoes and combat boots sang out against the iron stairwell, a countdown that warmed Nezumi's heart when he realized it meant Horizon Laboratories was going down for good. His body buzzed with excitement, the effects of the serum twisting its way through his veins and adding renewed energy to his more dormant abilities.

          Shou had informed him that the effects weren't permanent. Nezumi's body would metabolize the foreign substance in a matter of minutes, the boost of power ebbing its way out of his system as he continued to sweat under the too-warm fabric of his jumpsuit. Would the effects last longer if he stripped his clothes off in the middle of the hall?

          The thought made him laugh. What would the Lab do if they saw him striding through the hall, naked as the day he was born, pulling them into his army like he was some manner of god come to punish them for all their corruption and bloodshed?

          He shook the thought away. The Lab's serum might have heightened his abilities, but that didn't mean Nezumi needed to be a slave to it.

          Nezumi glanced over at Shou. He'd kept him close to his side, his Influence a tight leash that kept Shou obedient and quiet. With the serum coursing through his veins, Shou's mind had crumpled to his will like a ball of wet tissue paper. Nezumi could still feel flutters of resistance beneath his Hand, but it felt no different than a fly attempting to break free of a sticky ribbon. Shou could flutter and pull with all his might; the only way he was breaking free was if he tore his wings off in the process.

         Nezumi paused in the stairwell, and his army halted without being told.

          It was intoxicating, how easy it was to make them obey. Nezumi felt it like an echo in his soul. An echo that quickly transformed into a ricochet. He'd Reached without much effort, and each mind had surged to obey him. Every headache that had plagued him when he Pushed too hard, every nosebleed and lie he'd struggled through crumbled away as Nezumi stood stockstill in the middle of his human barricade.

          He turned to Shou and said, "How close are we to Section P?"

          Shou looked over at him and blinked. His eyes were blank and listless; in this moment, he looked weak and pathetic, a man who'd fallen down on his luck and had been seduced into bigger and brighter things at the cost of his soul. And yet, Nezumi couldn't find it in his heart to feel sorry for him. Whatever darkness had plagued Shou's life before Horizon Laboratories swept into it, it didn't change the fact that Shou had chosen human experimentation over prolonged misery.

          Sour hatred festered in the pit of Nezumi's stomach. If Shou had ignored Horizon Laboratories' tempting offer, he would have suffered. Whatever disgusting things he'd needed to do in order to survive each day, at least he would have kept his pride. He might have spent the rest of his days scraping by, skipping meals to make ends meet, but he would have kept his integrity. He could have died knowing he hadn't been part of an organization that orphaned children and perverted human biology all in the name of "science."

          "How close are we to Section P?" Nezumi repeated, slower this time.

          "We're on level nine. Section P's on level..." Shou crossed his eyes and furrowed his brow. "Six? It's one level up from M and L."

          The thought of Section M made Nezumi's stomach twist. Rashi's furious face lanced through his mind's eye; Nezumi shoved the thought aside. He didn't know the sadistic officer's schedule. Perhaps this was one of those rare occurrences when Officer Rashi sat at home, doing whatever it was psychopaths did in their spare time.