Collide (Entangled Teen) (The Taking Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

and before long, I’m back in the interrogation room, the clock ticking on the desk, a hint of something floral in the air. I peer through the viewing window, and the door to the room beside mine opens, and once again Operatives drag Jackson inside. I expect Kelvin or Law to come question me. But then the door to Jackson’s room opens again, and Kelvin enters, followed by someone else. His back is to me, a hood up over his head so I can’t see his face. Then Kelvin says something I can’t hear and the Op beside Jackson yells in his face. I rush to the window, my heart hammering wildly in my chest. What are they doing? What are they asking him?
    Jackson stares at the man, his expression void of any emotions. Empty, like his eyes. And then the Op decks him. Jackson’s head snaps back from the blow, and now I’m pounding against the window, screaming for them to stop, but it’s no use.
    Kelvin speaks again and the Op pulls out a gun and presses the barrel to Jackson’s forehead. Still, Jackson doesn’t respond. The Op says something, and then the cloaked person leans into Kelvin, whispering, but this time the words are clear. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. They circle me, penetrating my brain. Kill him.
    The Op cocks the gun, and I watch, as if in slow motion, as he pulls the trigger.
    “No!” I scream, pounding on the glass to no avail.
    Then the cloaked man turns, pushing aside his hood to reveal long gray hair, a wicked smile on his wrinkled face as he mouths, “Soon.”
    I jerk up in bed and make it only to a small trashcan inside my room before vomiting until there is nothing left inside me but fear and anguish and tears.
    Zeus.
    I remember the dreams I had when Jackson first healed me and I became part Ancient. It was as though Zeus had a direct path to my mind and could screw around with it at will. A shudder moves through me at the thought. Where is he now? What is he doing? What does he have planned?
    It’s three in the morning, the Underground completely quiet as I open my door and pad down the hall. At first I thought I’d go to Gretchen’s room, then Vill’s, but my feet lead me somewhere else. On instinct I move through the halls, listening, feeling, reading the people behind closed doors. I know there are cameras here, and somewhere Kelvin could be watching me, but I don’t care. I need to feel like I have control again, like I can do and think without someone holding all the power over those thoughts and actions.
    Finally, I reach the elevators, and I step inside, remembering that I’d gone down two floors to the cafeteria and only one to where Kelvin had questioned me. But there are four levels, and I’m on level four. So everyone lives on level four, level three must be the business floor—where the Trinity operates—level two had the cafeteria and likely all other facilities to help the Underground function. But what about the first level?
    I hit the button for level one, curious if the elevator will even take me there, or if it’s protected and only authorized personnel can go there. But then the elevator drops, and when the doors open I’m staring out into a vast open area. It’s dark, the floor and walls cement-like, reminding me of the Landings apartments. A chemical scent hits my nose, burning, like machinery mixed with bleach. What is this place?
    I edge into the dimly lit area, my steps impossibly loud in the quiet. And then I feel them—first one, then another, then another. There are people down here—Ancients. I can feel their fear, their anger. Ancients, which means—
    And then I’m running past each cell of prisoners, some asleep, others watching me go, their bony hands waving for me to stop. But I can’t stop, because I feel it. I feel him.
    I skid to a stop in front of the last cell and peer through the bars to see Jackson asleep on a makeshift bed on the floor. My heart swells at the sight of him, at how close he is to me. “Jackson…” I whisper. “Please, wake up.