Page 25 of M.A.Y.A (After the End #4)

Chapter Sixteen

Isaiah was floored by the sheer devastation and loss of what was once New York.

He’d gone to the city with his parents when he was a child, and what he remembered from the trip was that it was loud, bustling, and crowded with tons of bright lights and excitement.

But in this dimension, he was met with rubble and ruin.

It was like walking onto the movie set of a superhero film, and he had to work hard to control his facial features.

Everything was covered in a layer of cement dust and spray-painted words of doomsday.

Overhead, the constant sound of helicopter blades slicing through the air echoed just as loudly as sirens and explosives.

There was no way in hell he was going to let these people into his dimension to take his pack’s resources.

They were toxic and had already done damage to their own world.

Isaiah knew that they’d ruin his too. He could easily kill all of them now by shifting and slicing their throats before they could have a chance to load their weapons, but Isaiah knew that his tiny warrior needed to close the portal, and if he acted too soon, she might not be able to succeed.

He followed silently with two guards in front and two in the back.

They walked through barren streets until they reached a nondescript building that looked like it was a strong wind away from crumbling.

He was then shoved into an elevator shaft that descended into a dark cavernous space through another door at the far end of the hall.

How had Maya escaped without getting caught?

Even with the scientist who she claimed helped her, she must have been so desperate, so brave to have risked it all.

After his escape, he was going to show her in every way he could how incredible she was as a woman and as a survivor.

He’d keep her safe and protected and make sure that she would only remember this place as a distant nightmare, as if it was a fleeting moment from a bad dream in childhood.

The man who had struck fear in Maya’s heart stopped in front of a set of double doors made of steel. His voice was irritating, nasally, and filled with a pompous arrogance that spoke of privilege. “Welcome to Dimension Zero,” he said to Isaiah.

“If you’ve raided multiple dimensions already, then why does yours still look like a shithole?” Isaiah asked casually. “What happened to all those precious resources you stole?”

The man’s eyes widened in surprise then narrowed. “I see that Unit 13 spoke about things that don’t concern her.”

“She’s smarter than you think.”

“Not smart enough to ever be rid of us,” the man said, his expression so smug that Isaiah was tempted to throw his plan out the window and tear out his throat.

The man turned to his guards. “Ask the good doctor to begin intake. We’ll start testing tonight.” He turned toward a corridor on the left and walked away without a backward glance.

Moments later, the double doors in front of him opened to a warehouse size room with steel-enforced beams and cement floors. A chill permeated the air. The barrel of a rifle shoved at the small of his back.

“Move it,” one of the guards said.

He cooperated, for now, and stepped into the room. Once the time was right, he’d tear off the cuffs and slice these guards in half.

They descended a zig zag of steel steps onto the ground floor of the cavernous warehouse.

That’s when he saw the glass boxes. There were at least twenty of them lined up one by one, next to each other.

Inside each of the boxes were a single bed, a toilet, a small square space with a showerhead, and a chair.

His heart filled with terror and fury. This was where his mate was forced to stay, was tortured for years.

No wonder she had nightmares. No wonder she was worried that her happiness would be stolen from her, and she’d end up in this hellhole again.

Across from the glass boxes was a long desk covered in monitors and medical equipment. Both glass boxes and desk chairs were empty.

“Move it,” one of the guards said behind him, and shoved him forward with the end of his rifle.

Isaiah barely suppressed his growl as he was led down a small walkway between the cages and the desk.

As they reached the last unit on the left, a short woman with bright red hair and vivid green eyes stepped out from a corridor.

She wore a white lab coat, a black uniform and frameless glasses.

“Do we have a new patient?” she said to the guards in front.

“Undetermined,” the one who stood closest to her said.

He adjusted his weapon, and the subtle movement was enough to indicate to Isaiah that this woman wasn’t exactly welcome either.

“This captive exchanged his life for Unit 13. Darwin has instructed that we lock him in Unit 13’s old cell for now, until they can secure her return. You are to begin intake.”

Isaiah’s senses were on high alert. For the first time since he’d stepped through the portal into this dystopian nightmare, he smelled something that didn’t fit with the emotions of those he’d been surrounded with.

Fear.

The little doctor who stood at barely five feet tall maintained a calm exterior, but her heartbeat had turned erratic, and she was radiating confusion and terror now as she met his gaze.

She knew something.

Was this the woman who protected his mate and who helped her escape?

“Very well,” the doctor said as she adjusted her frames again. “You can lead the patient into the cell. I ask that you take your breaks now, as I’ll need your assistance in two hours for a full physical workup.”

One of the guards behind him spoke up. “I don’t believe that’s necessary. We will wait here with you.”

The doctor cocked her head and looked at Isaiah as if he was a smear on a slide. “He is from the alternate dimension?”

The soldiers nodded.

“Then from what I’m told, they are not as evolved as we are. I will be safe with him locked inside.”

“I could use a nap too,” Isaiah said with a shrug. “I don’t mind waiting for your break to finish before sharing information. I’ll honor our negotiations.”

There was a snort and a huff of menacing laughter from one of the other guards.

Idiots.

“As you can see, my last patient was removed yesterday,” the doctor said. “This will at least give me something to do, and your presence isn’t necessary.” Her knuckles were bone white as they gripped the lapel of her lab coat.

“Very well,” the second soldier in front said. “We’ll lock him inside and return in two hours. We’ll also speak to Darwin about additional instructions.”

“Perfect,” she replied.

Isaiah was nudged through the glass door of the cell.

He pretended to stumble and then fell against the hard cot.

The space smelled like antiseptic and a cheap bleach solution, but there was a slight hint of crushed cranberries and a metallic sting, the scent that clung to his mate like a second skin.

It brought him purpose and peace.

“See you soon,” he said cheerfully to the guards who exited through the same doorway that the doctor had walked through.

Before he could address the scientist, she spoke first.

“If you try to escape now, you won’t make it. Everyone in the facility is currently on the second level, which you’d have to pass.”

That had Isaiah pausing. “And what do you recommend then?”

She glanced over her shoulder, then up at the walkway that was suspended across the lab before she looked back at him. “Wait the two-hour period until they come back. Take the small group of soldiers first. Then you can use their weapons to leave.”

Her words were confusing. A mix of logic and truth coated each syllable.

He turned his wolf eyes to the doctor. “I’m assuming there is surveillance in here?” he said as she watched him.

There was a noticeable tremble in her slender frame. The fear was breaking through her icy control. “Yes,” she said, the sound of her voice muffled from the enclosure. “But no audio.”

“And you’re sure of that?”

“I checked myself,” she said to his surprise.

Isaiah looked around the glass box and then back at the twin bed. “You knew my mate, didn’t you?”

“Your…mate?”

“Maya. Unit 13?”

Her eyes widened. “Y-yes. She was with you?”

He nodded. “She’s safe. I plan on returning to her soon.”

He could smell the doctor’s relief. “She didn’t belong here. She didn’t deserve what they did to her. Unlike the others, Darwin liked to be cruel to her. He wanted to crush her spirit, but she refused to let him.”

That’s my tiny warrior, Isaiah thought. “You have no loyalty to Darwin?”

“No,” she said. This time he saw fire in her eyes.

A similar fire to the one he’d come to love from his mate.

“I was also held captive, but instead of being subjected to testing, I was stuck running the experiments. I come from a dimension that is technologically advanced, and my special skills were needed. I was one of the few scientists that survived the invasion.”

“Did you hurt Maya?”

“No,” she replied. Her answer was immediate. “I patched her up.”

Isaiah closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He hated the thought of his mate coming back here, reliving her nightmares, but he was grateful there was at least one person on the inside who helped her. Since he couldn’t smell any deception in the woman’s voice, he relaxed against the cot.

There was a soft hitch of breath, and then in the smallest whisper, “Is she okay?”

Isaiah turned to look at the woman. “Who, Maya?”

“Yes. She was so strong, stronger than I’ve ever been. I’d hate if she didn’t make it.”

“She made it,” Isaiah said, his voice filled with pride. “And she’s already loved and respected by many.”

“That’s good,” the scientist whispered. “I’m glad she got out.”

“You can help me,” he said.

She glanced around again then tucked her fists in her pockets. “Help you with what?”

“Help me prevent Darwin from taking over my dimension too. Help me stop him from continuing to hurt other people. That’s what you and Maya planned, isn’t it? Tell me, do you know where he would be right now?”

The woman tugged at the ends of her vibrant hair. “He must be giving his report to the government authorities that fund his lab if he just brought you back.”

“How long will he be gone?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, a few hours?”

Isaiah mulled the information over. Hopefully that was enough time for his pack to execute phase one of their plan to close the portal. If not, then he’d have to make an escape. He looked around the glass box, and then back at the scientist.

Motioning to her with a tilt of his chin, he said, “Get a tablet. Whatever you use for notes. Pull up a chair, doctor. We’ll find out how much you know, and if you’re useful.”

“I lead this lab,” she said, bristling. “If anyone has information that’s useful, it’s me—”

“Good.” He was Alpha, and his power resonated in every word he spoke.

“Tablet. Chair. We have two hours to waste, and in that time, you’re going to tell me what they did to my mate, what I need to know to take care of her, and if there is any other information you have about alternate realities so that I can protect my people. By then, reinforcements should arrive.”

He was tempted to pull his wrists apart to snap the cuffs, but he didn’t want to give away his trump card until he was ready to break out of this glass cage.

Instead, he looped his hands behind his head and laid back against the tiny bed. His feet hung clear off the edge, but that didn’t matter. To any onlooker, he was the picture of relaxation.

The doctor waited for another moment before wheeling a chair closer to the cell, a tablet tucked under one arm. She removed a stylus from a discrete pocket at the back of the tablet, and after settling in, ankles crossed and stylus poised, she spoke.

“If I help you, will you…will you take me with you?”

Isaiah smiled. “Your name?”

“M-my name?”

“Yes,” he said. “What do people call you?”

“I’m Doctor Margaret Sullivan,” she said. “Ah, nice to meet you?”

“Isaiah Star,” he replied. “You saved my mate. I’m in your debt. If you want to escape, I’ll help you make that happen. Now, let’s talk automatons. What are some of Maya’s limitations and some of her strengths? What can I do to help her maintain her computer chips?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “She’s human. She doesn’t need fine tuning like a car.”

“I knew I liked you.”

* * *

Margaret turned out to be a wealth of information. Whether or not she believed it, she was working on her own exit strategy by hoarding details that she could use in one way or another to buy her escape. She just didn’t know how all the pieces fit together.

After discussing Maya’s physicality and the automaton program, she walked him through lab schedules, bunker layouts, and exit strategies.

Some crucial information that he found handy was the mandatory blackout period for two hours that occurred at the same time every day.

During the black out, the service doors to the left of the lab desks remained unlocked.

Passed the service doors, at the end of the hallway, there was also a narrow stairwell that led to the street.

“When are your friends coming?” she said as she checked her wristwatch. “Our two hours are almost up.”

Isaiah was about to tell her to relax, that her anxiety would only raise questions if someone was watching them on the surveillance tapes. Then a loud explosion echoed overhead and the bunker shook. Sediment fell on top of his glass box like a light drizzle.

Doctor Sullivan jumped out of her chair. Her tablet hit the floor with a thud. “Oh my god! What was that?”

Isaiah yanked his wrists apart and snapped the cuffs as if it was laffy taffy instead of steel. “Backup,” he said.

Doctor Sullivan scrambled towards the door to his cell and keyed in the code. The door slid open. “W-what do I do?”

“Make your way through the service exit, Doctor. And whatever you do, don’t look back.” Isaiah could feel his canines elongate and the growl rumbling in his chest.

Doctor Sullivan didn’t wait to see his shift. She grabbed her tablet, her phone, and ran through the empty lab.

It was time to let the wolf out, Isaiah thought as he heard the alarm blare in the empty lab.

He let his beast take over, and his form grew, pausing only briefly as he hit the outer perimeter of the cage.

The prison shattered around him, raining shards of glass, as his wolf finished form got to his feet after the last shift.

When Isaiah was free, he tilted his head back all the way and let out an ear-piercing howl.

Seconds later, it was returned with six distinct howls that echoed through the bunker levels of a ruined New York City.

Isaiah began to hunt.