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“For now.” She flicked her long blonde hair behind her shoulder. “Besides, they trust me now, so I can do administrative work on weekends.”

“I hope to pay off my bills soon,” I said. “Thanks for the chat.”

“You can do it!” She smiled. “Just keep the vision of money in your mind.”

We entered the seminar room at the same time. She closed the door, and I heard a click. I turned to see if she had locked the door, but the lights dimmed.

“Nikki! Over here.” Ana waved at the table on the right.

“Thanks for saving me a seat.” I sat down.

A wide screen that took up half of the wall showed a video of Dr. Nico Messina addressing the group. He walked us through his lab, showing us the various parts of the programs.

The room suddenly grew extremely quiet, and someone snored. It was Stacy. I turned to look at the other tables, and they were all asleep too.

Ana yawned. “I don’t know why I’m so sleepy.”

Shit.Something was in the drinks or the appetizers. Josh and Eric were already out.

“I’m sleepy too.” I rested my head on my arm and closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. Staying still, I breathed in and out slowly for about five minutes.

Then I heard footsteps approaching, and someone said, “They’re out. Let’s get moving. The boat should be there now.”

“I’ll grab all their belongings,” Tiffany said.

The light flicked on, but I kept my eyes closed. A noise sounded from a nearby table. I cracked my eyes open. They were putting the people on rolling cots and covering them with a tarp.

Oh, my god.Fear escalated.

When Tiffany turned, I closed my eyes immediately.

“Where are we taking this group?” someone asked.

“To the warehouse down by the canal,” Tiffany said. “The boat should be ready.”

“The new research center is open now?” asked a man.

“Yeah. Suite 207. Dr. Messina has a new serum he wants to experiment with. He wants us to give it to Joshua first.”

Fear squirmed inside me.

“Why him?” asked the man.

“Something about him being a threat to our program.”

I heard more people enter the room. Terror rose in me, but I tried to focus on my breathing.Stay calm.

How could I escape them? I couldn’tjust get up and leave. They’d kill me on the spot. My mom’s face flashed across my mind. Then came Attikus. My heart sank as I thought about my loved ones. The fear increased, so I stopped thinking about them and focused on surviving.

Where was this new research center? I had to play this by ear.

Someone came and yanked my arms, shoving me into a cart. A tarp fell over me. I felt another warm body next to me. Feartightened my stomach and shoulders, but I concentrated on playing dead.

Breathing slowly, I tried not to panic as I was pushed away on the cart.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

ATTIKUS