Unleashed

Terrence’s throat is cut. The bloody grin gapes open grotesquely.

My fingers clench on Caden’s shoulder, and he flinches. I pull away only for a moment before lowering my hand down again, determined for him to know I’m here. He’s not alone. “I’m so sorry. . . .”

“I did this.”

“No, you—”

“I did this!” he shouts. “It was my plan, my idea!”

There’s nothing I can say. I know what it’s like to live with blood on your hands. Still, I hold on to his shoulder as if I can take away some of his guilt. As if I can ease his pain.

“Terrence! T! T!” Junie pushes past me and drops down beside Caden, her face bloodless. Even in the dim blue haze, I can see that all the color has been leached from her skin. “Oh! God! What, how— Caden, what happened?”

Others crowd the space. I’m shoved to the side as voices overlap, expressing their horror, demanding an explanation, and in the middle of it all is Caden. Looking lost and broken in a way I’ve never seen him before, and something shrinks and curls up inside me. The hope and faith that he has so painstakingly brought to life inside me begins to die.

The day passes in a blur. Caden addresses the compound. No one says much. Not even Marcus. Everyone is in shock. One of the captains is dead. Not by any outside threat. One of their own did it. Someone penned up in here with us. This place that is supposed to be a haven, a shelter . . . it’s not.

It’s no secret anymore. A traitor is among us, and everyone looks around at his and her neighbors with unease. Caden commands everyone to operate in groups. For the first time, he closets himself with Marcus and a few others, leaving me with Junie and Boyce.

Before he went, he pressed a kiss to my forehead and then looked sharply at Junie. “Don’t let her out of your sight. Go nowhere. Stay out here in the main room.”

Junie nods. Some of the color is back in her cheeks. “Nothing’s going to happen to her. Don’t worry.”

After several moments of silence, Boyce murmurs, “What do you think he’s going to do?”

Junie shakes her head. “I don’t know. What can he do?”

“He’ll catch him.” I nod doggedly. “Caden is smart.”

“He might be smart, but he’s not God.” Boyce shoots me a look like I’m an idiot thinking with my girly parts.

“Hey, have some faith.” Junie slaps his arm.

“We need the General,” Boyce mumbles, fingering the scar bisecting his cheek.

I stare at the door Caden and the others disappeared through. After an hour, the three of us move on to other tasks. I decide to help in the kitchen washing dishes. Mind-numbing work that can be done in relative silence, and I’m still technically in the main room in plain view.

Everyone is quieter than usual, eyeing one another warily. It’s one thing to know we all possess a kill gene. We’re all unified in that. But this upsets the balance. There’s someone among us actually killing, and we don’t know who he is. Suddenly we’re all hunted.

An hour slides into two, and Caden and the others don’t emerge for dinner. My heart races as the minutes tick by with no sight of him.

“I’m sure they’re fine in there,” Junie offers as she eats. She’s trying to be a comfort, but that hardly helps. For all I know, Marcus is the killer and he’s in there with Caden. Not a consoling thought.

Then I spot him. I half rise from my seat, waving him over. He doesn’t even glance my way. Just walks in a straight line past the main room. I frown, sinking back down. I glance from my half-eaten food to Junie, Boyce, and the others.

“Oh, go after him. You know you’re dying inside.” Junie makes a shooing motion with her hand, urging me to go.

I look up again at Caden’s retreating back heading down the corridor to his room.

“C’mon.” She stands and starts pulling me along, even though I’m taller and outweigh her by a good twenty pounds. “We won’t break his rules. I’ll keep an eye on you until you get inside the room.” True to her word, she stands at the end of the hall, watching me. The door isn’t locked, so I enter without knocking, wondering if I should have. Oddly, in this moment, I feel uncertain around him. He’s lost one of his best friends, his closest ally. He probably doesn’t want to see anyone right now. Even me.

And yet I can’t stay away.

“Caden?” My gaze lands on him on sitting on the edge of the bed, his head buried in his hands. I cross the room and sit beside him. “Are you okay?” I place a hand on his shoulder, not surprised to feel the tightly corded muscles there. He feels like he’s ready to snap apart.

His response is a heavy sigh. I smooth my hand over his shoulder in small circles. “I’m so sorry, Caden.” I hesitate and wet my lips. “Did you and Marcus come to a decision?” As the remaining two captains, it’s up to them where to go from here.

His hands tighten in his hair, and I wince, convinced he’s hurting himself. “There’s someone in here killing and plotting with our enemies on the outside. I don’t even know if they slipped out after killing Terrence and liaised with anyone and then slipped back inside.” He lifts his head and stares at me with anguished eyes. “I’ve promised to keep you safe here. You must not have a lot of faith in me at this point.”

My heart bleeds at the torment in his expression. “Caden, don’t—”