Mila

She hesitated.

“Mila?” Director Burnatawiz called, turning to look back at where she was still in front of the cell. “You are coming, aren’t you?”

The guards came to a halt as he did, some of them on the inside of the heavy reinforced steel door, some on the outside. As they all paused, the door began to slide shut again.

“You’re dismissed,” the director said, ensuring that all the guards finally left.

Then he came back over to Mila, laying his hands on her shoulders. “Come, dear.”

She did her best not to shudder. Long ago he’d made it very clear to her that the highest levels of command were open to her. All she had to do was open her legs. Mila hated him for that. She had, of course, refused his offer rather vehemently. It amazed her that she’d survived his temper tantrum still in charge of her team. But even as he’d calmed down, it had become clear that the director hadn’t lost hope in his chances with her.

“I’ll be right along,” she told him. “I just need to take care of some business here. Y’know what I mean?” she said, chuckling evilly as her chin jerked in the direction of Pierce, who was glaring angrily at the hands on her shoulders.

When the director hesitated, Mila reached up and gently patted one of those wrinkly hands, almost making it into a caress. “Just let me do this, okay?”

She injected just the right amount of pleading into her voice, as if it would be a big favor to her if he agreed. It would be all in his mind that she might feel indebted to him because of it, but if it got her what she needed, then Mila didn’t care.

“You’re going to be nice, right? We need him on our side. Just like the others.”

“Of course, Director,” she said, practically purring as he gave her shoulder a squeeze and removed his hands slowly, letting one of them fall down her back.

Mila managed not to retch.

“I’m just going to apologize to him, tell him why it was necessary, and that he should really consider your offer. That sort of thing,” she said with a shrug. “I’m going to be nice, I promise.”

“The Institute thanks you, Mila.”

She smiled. “Maybe this way, he’ll only hate me, and not the Institute.”

“I’m right here,” Pierce said sarcastically. “I can hear everything you’re saying.”

“That would be going above and beyond your duty, Mila. I’ll make sure that it’s noted in your file if it works,” the director said, as if unaware that Pierce had just said anything.

“I’ll meet you in your office, sir,” she said demurely, hoping he would take the hint. His office was a private area after all. Why would she want to go there, except for…

Mila forced herself to smile at him. He gave her one last “evaluating” look, and then exited.

Mila stood in her spot, waiting for the slow-moving security door to fully close.

“What are you going to do now, gloat?” Pierce said. “Rub it in? Tell me how dumb I am that I fell for your little trick? How stupid you must think I am right now.”

“You’re the one in the cell, not me,” she said, irritated, watching the door.

“You fucking double-crossing traitorous bitch,” Pierce snarled the moment the doors closed. “Come a little fucking closer. I’m going to snap that shapely little neck of yours for what you did to me. But first I’m going to make you hurt. I’m going to—”

Mila interjected the moment he paused to inhale a breath. “Shut up,” she snapped. “There’s no time to waste.”

“No time?” Pierce barked. “No time? Bitch, I’m locked in a fucking cell. I have all the time I need!”

She rolled her eyes. “You aren’t going to be locked in there for long.”

Pierce’s tirade of threats of violence came to an abrupt halt. “I’m not?”

“Not if I can do anything about it,” she told him. “Although if you can’t promise not to kill me the instant the bars retract, then you may be stuck there for a while.”

The huge shifter stared at her, slack-jawed. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Are you really that dense?” she asked. “Seriously.”

“What am I supposed to think?” he said. “You betrayed me Mila. You warned them we were coming, and you came up with the plan on how to capture me, so that you could lock me up next to the others.”

“Pierce. Seriously, think through everything that has happened so far. Stop coming up with new ways to tell me you’ll hurt me and then kill me, and use your head for something else.”

The shifter glared at her sullenly.

“Is this the endgame that you think I wanted?”

“It seems pretty obvious now, doesn’t it?” he retorted.

“Yep. Totally. I wanted you locked up here in the same area next to your brothers from the start. Which is why, when you were unconscious, I totally dumped you in the forest and let you wake up, as opposed to bringing you here with the rest of them.”

Pierce frowned at that.

“I’m sure you had a reason,” he snapped.

“Of course I did, you big idiot!” she said, heaving a sigh of frustration. “I did it so that you would know who I am, that you might trust me.” She pursed her lips. “I never intended to fall in love with you though, I’ll give you that. That was unexpected.”

The shifter stepped back from the bars, rocking hard onto his heels. “I’m sorry. What did you just say?”

She stepped closer to the bars, within reach of him now. “I said I love you. Is that so hard to believe?”

“I…uhh,” Pierce shook his head. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Okay, so there was no way we were getting into the Institute undetected, and then getting down here to free your brothers, and then getting our way back out as well. We could do one, or the other. We could have gotten here—most likely. But we would never have gotten out. So instead, I chose another method to get us down here. One where they wouldn’t be alarmed to see us. Where they would drop their guard, thinking that everything is normal.”

Pierce just looked at her in complete disbelief. “So you want me to believe that you did all this on purpose?”

Mila nodded. “I did, Pierce.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, and she couldn’t fault him for the pain in his voice.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I really, really am. I just…it had to be genuine surprise on your part. The director is very good at picking that up. I didn’t want to risk it.”

“I don’t believe this,” Pierce said.

“I understand. I don’t really blame you for not wanting to trust me either,” she said. “I’ve lied to you at almost every step of the way, I betrayed you here, even though it was for a reason. You should probably hate me. It’ll be easier that way,” she told him.

Pierce was silent for several long moments.

“Are you serious about getting me and my brothers out of here?”

She nodded. “There’ll be a fight, I’m sure. He’ll dispatch my team at a minimum. Who knows what else he might have at his disposal. I just wasn’t high enough up to know everything.”

His eyes closed while his shoulders rose and fell in time to deep breaths.

“What is the plan, Mila?” he asked calmly. “No more bullshit.”

She nodded. “I’m done with that. No more double-, or triple-crossing. No more bullshit, no more lies and deception. I can’t handle that anymore.” She smiled sadly. “That’s one of the things I love about you, Pierce,” she said, trying not to let her heart shatter as he moved away from her slightly as she said those words. “You’re blunt and straightforward. You don’t hide anything or hold it back. You let it out and let it be known. That’s admirable.”

The shifter looked away, unwilling to meet her eye. “What’s the plan?’ he asked gruffly.

“There’s a master switch for all the cells. It’s out in the main area. If they haven’t changed any of my passcodes, I should have the access to it. I’ll open it.”

Pierce arched an eyebrow skeptically. “That’s it?”

She nodded. “Yes. All I ask is you keep your brothers from killing me.”

“If anyone is going to do that, it will be me,” he said seriously.

Mila swallowed hard. It was only fair. She’d brought so much harm to him and his family, yanking them forcefully from their homes in an attempt to please her boss.

Former boss. After what you’re about to do, I think it’s safe to assume you no longer have gainful employment with the Institute.

Good riddance. She was done with this hateful place, and their hideous ideas. The power that the Institute had managed to amass amongst the human government was unbelievable. It sickened her to see all the back room deals that went on.

“Then what?” Pierce pressed.

“Then we fight our way out. There’s roughly two dozen guards on duty at any given time. All human. They’ll be armed with tranqs and knives coated in it as well.”

“That doesn’t sound fun.”

“Small confines, and long straight corridors. It’s designed in their favor. But you’ll be moving fast, and it’s likely that right now they’re on stand-down. So many of them will be getting out of gear and going off duty. So it’s the best time to get it done now. Move fast, charge hard.”

Pierce nodded. “It seems straightforward.”

She shrugged. “Up to that point, it kind of is. After the guards are down though, then one of two things happens.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Pierce said suspiciously.

“Me neither. Either we make it home free…” she said.

“Or?”

“Or the director unleashes any special associates he may have with him right now.”

“Special associates?” Pierce echoed.

Mila nodded. “I heard rumors. Rumors that he had some special people working for him.”

“What, like assassins?” The shifter was frowning in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. It was all just rumor, nothing substantial.”

“Lovely. Any other amazing details you wish to share?”

Mila shook her head. “Just that I’m sorry. I don’t have anything else to share. You know the way we came in. It’s our best bet for an escape as well. I…” she stopped speaking. “I’m really sorry, Pierce. I know this has probably ruined any chance for us to explore what… what might have been.” She smiled wanly. “But I promised you I’d help get your brothers back. I didn’t lie about everything.”

She turned and headed toward the door, punching in her passcode to open it.

“Be ready,” she said over her shoulder.”

There was no response.

Mila walked into the semicircular room once more, half-expecting that Director Burnatawiz would still be hanging around there, waiting for her. But it seemed he’d taken her hint and gone to his office.

“Thank goodness for small miracles,” she muttered.

That only left the one guard seated at the desk, monitoring the cameras. He looked utterly bored. Mila didn’t blame him; the shifters were all locked up behind bars specifically designed to resist their strength. It would take a horrific accident for them to escape.

Or deliberate action.

“How did it go?’

Mila just sneered at the guard sitting behind the console as she approached. He wasn’t someone she recognized, which meant he was either new, or a transfer. Either way he was below her and she didn’t give a shit about who he was.

“Sorry I asked.”

“You should be,” she spat as she walked by him.

The guard’s head yanked around to look at her, his eyes making contact with her a split second before her booted foot slammed into his jaw. He cried out in pain, but to her disappointment didn’t go down.

Mila launched herself at the guard before he could slam his hand down on the alarm button. She hit him hard, knocking him out of his chair and onto the ground. The pair of them hit the ground hard and she felt one hand go slightly numb as her elbow bounced off the floor.

Mila tried to get around behind him, but he slammed his head back, the crown of his skull hitting her in the temple. She fell onto her back, and only a frantic kick blocked a destructive punch. Mila knew she couldn’t keep this up for long. The guard was much bigger than her. She was skilled, but eventually his strength was likely to win the day.

“Bitch!” the guard spat as she aimed a kick at his crotch.

“You know,” she said angrily, spinning to her feet as he danced back out of range. “I’m getting really sick and tired of people calling me that.”

The guard just laughed.

The noise died as Mila went on the attack, gliding in and delivering a fierce kicking combination that had the guard backpedaling as fast as he could. She didn’t relent, following it up with a wild right hook.

The guard frowned at the sloppiness of that move, but he reacted as she knew he would, and drove his left fist over and down, aimed at the back of her head. It would have worked.

If Mila had actually made such a careless mistake. But the move had given her the forward momentum she needed, and her legs didn’t stop her from falling. She fell out of range of his blow, yet ended up in a deep crouch.

Right at his knee level.

Her hand lashed out as hard as she could, right into his kneecap. Something gave. The guard yelped in agony and his wounded knee collapsed under him, sending him to the ground in a heap.

She slithered around quickly, locking his arm up and then wrenching it backward until the elbow popped.

The man screamed. She let go of his arm, forming her hand into a blade. His cry cut off as she chopped at his windpipe as hard as she could. Something gave way from her blow, and he suddenly began to gasp for breath.

Knowing that somewhere someone else might be seeing what was going on, Mila reached up and keyed in the command to open the doors.

Nothing happened.

She wanted to scream. They’d changed her passcodes! The director had to have known! They were fucked. She’d told them all they would get out okay, and now they were trapped and it was all her fault and Pierce was going to hate her and what was that blinking light?

Mila narrowed her eyes.

“You idiot,” she said, reaching down to mash the Enter button.

All six doors in the chamber began to slowly hiss open at once.

Now the only thing left to do was stand there and hope that Pierce would keep his word.

There was an angry roar from one of the other cells, and a huge shape flew out of the little hallway and came right at her without slowing down.