Arachna

Chapter 26: Can We Trust You?

The sight of the chief punched Lance in the stomach. Caleb mirrored Rotoya's smile, looking on from behind her police car. Her body was covered in burns, her face scorched, and her smile twisted.

"I thought you were—"

"Dead?" The chief laughed. "Well, I almost was. I'll admit, you pulled a fast one on me. I'm impressed." Her smile disappeared. "But I'm still not happy about this constant reminder." She gestured at her face. "I thought the drug would've healed it by now, but... go figure."

"Then maybe you should've left us alone," Lance challenged. The beast circled his stomach with a low growl.

Rotoya emitted a pleased hum. "You've gotten brave since I last saw you."

"Are you done?" Caleb interjected, rounding the police car. "Because I'm ready to get this over with."

The chief closed her eyes and sighed. Annoyance sparked in her tone. "You've taken nearly all my men from me. The least you can do is give me this."

"I did give you this," Caleb spat back. His voice faded as he guided her far enough away to hiss in her ear.

Lance couldn't make out the words, but Rotoya's glare said it all.

The soldiers surrounding Lance kept their guns trained on him. If he ran, he'd be dead before he could round the corner.

An idea popped into his head, and he suppressed a grin.

The beast cocked its head to the side, as if wondering why Lance would want to smile.

Caleb would have taken control of me by now if he could... and if Caleb can't control me... maybe my nanobots are the alpha ones. Which means...

The beast purred, and Lance closed his eyes, picturing the soldiers, all of them, guns pointed. The beast shifted within him, pacing back and forth.

Let me in.

Lance ignored it. He kept his eyes closed and chose a soldier standing next to Caleb. He focused on him—just him. He reached out and grabbed in the dark, clawing for a foothold. Then, in the darkness, Lance sensed them.

Dozens of energies, like fireworks, inhabiting the bodies of the soldiers and officers. He sensed them all, felt their breathing in his own chest. Their hearts pumped purple blood. They were all tense, all waiting for the kill order. Lance focused again on that single soldier next to Caleb.

The beast growled at the soldier, but Lance calmed it. It whined back.

Let me in.

With all the guns pointed at him, Lance resisted the urge to shake his head. At least two of the officers were itching to pull their triggers. Their anticipation was tangible. He homed in on that one soldier for the last time. He gritted his teeth and dug deep within him.

There it was. Not just the breathing of the soldier, calm and even, but the blood flow. The nanobots swam through his blood stream, reproducing by the hundreds.

Lance reached out into the dark again, and he could feel the soldier's heart and the blood traveling through it. With that came his emotions.

Fear—the soldier felt fear. Had he seen what Lance could do? It didn't matter. He held that heart within himself and focused on what he wanted to say.

Check the rounds in your gun.

Lance eased his head up, keeping his focus as he painted disinterest on his face.

The soldier looked down at his gun, and his hand reached for the magazine. Then he stopped, shook his head, and pointed the gun at Lance again.

Lance cursed himself, and the beast joined in.