“What if they ask you details about the Colorado facility?”
“I studied the blueprints you gave me.I know the layout, I know the names of the supervisors, I know the protocols.I can answer their questions.”Franklin had spent hours memorizing everything Reed had provided about the Colorado facility since he’d been watching it, as well at whatever info Moore had.It had been tedious work, but necessary.
Reed pulled out a folder and slid it across the table.“These are the guards currently working at the facility where Garrett is being held.You need to know their faces, their names, their personalities, everything.Some of them are more dangerous than others.”
Franklin opened the folder and started going through the photos.Reed had notes on each person—who to avoid, who might be sympathetic, who would sell out their own mother for a promotion.He’d spent enough time with these people to know what he was talking about, but Franklin was impressed.
“This one,” Reed said, tapping a photo of a man with a severe face and cold eyes.“Marcus Webb.He’s the head of security.He doesn’t trust anyone, and he’s good at his job.If anyone’s going to see through your cover, it’ll be him.”
“How do I handle him?”
“You don’t.You stay out of his way as much as possible.Be competent.Do your job, follow orders, don’t ask questions.”Reed’s voice was tight.“He’s the kind of man who enjoys hurting people.If he thinks you’re weak or too sympathetic to the prisoners, he’ll test you.”
Franklin’s jaw clenched.“Test me how?”
“He’ll order you to do something cruel and watch how you react.If you hesitate, you’re done.”
The thought made Franklin’s skin crawl, but he nodded.He’d do whatever he had to do to maintain his cover.For Garrett.
“What about the scientists?”Franklin asked.“Will I have much interaction with them?”
“Hopefully not.Guards usually stay separated from the research staff.But you’ll see them around, and some of them like to give orders to the guards.”Reed’s expression darkened.“If Dr.Chen approaches you, be very careful.She’s the one in charge of Garrett’s case.She’s brilliant and absolutely ruthless.”
Franklin made a mental note of the name.Dr.Chen.The woman who’d been torturing his brother.
“How long do you think it’ll take before I can access Garrett’s wing?”Franklin asked.
“It depends on where they assign you.New guards usually start in the lower-security areas.It might take a week or two before you can get anywhere near the high-value prisoners, unless of course you manage to let the mutants in sooner.Hopefully, you won’t have to stay there more than a few hours.”
Franklin wasn’t sure he could stand being that close to Garrett without being able to help him for longer than a day, but he might not have a choice.
“Once I’m in,” Franklin said slowly, “what’s the plan?How do we actually get him out?”
Reed was quiet for a moment.“We’re still working on that part.Moore wants to coordinate with the council enforcers for the extraction.It’ll need to be fast and precise, and it depends on when you can get them in.”
“That’s not much of a plan.”
“I know.”Reed looked frustrated.“But we can’t plan the details until we know more about the current security situation.That’s why we need you inside.You’ll be our eyes and ears.You’ll report back on anything that might help and what you see.If you’re lucky, security will be a little lax, and you’ll be able to reach an outside door.”
Franklin nodded.He’d be gathering intelligence, but no one wanted to leave him in there longer than necessary.“What else do I need to know?”Franklin asked.
Reed pulled out another set of papers.“These are the facility’s emergency protocols.If something goes wrong, you need to know what will happen.Where the lockdown points are, how the alert system works, and what the evacuation procedures are.If anyone sees you sneaking around, you know what the reaction will be.”
They spent the next hour going over every detail Reed could think of.By the time they were done, Franklin’s head was spinning with information.He felt more prepared, which was what he’d needed, but there was something else nagging at him.“Can I ask you something?”Franklin said, surprising himself.“About your ability.”
Reed tensed.“What about it?”
“You said you made Garrett shift.What does that mean exactly?”
Reed was quiet for a long moment.“It’s complicated.”
Franklin frowned.Reed didn’t want to tell him.“You were forced to use it.You didn’t have a choice.”
“I had a choice.I could’ve refused and let them kill me.”
“And then someone else would’ve done it instead, and Garrett would still be suffering.”Franklin shook his head.“You survived.You escaped.And now you’re trying to make it right.That counts for something.”
Reed looked startled, as if he hadn’t expected Franklin to say anything like that.Franklin wasn’t sure why he’d said it either.Maybe because he was starting to understand that his mate wasn’t a monster.He was just a man who’d been put in an impossible situation and had done the best he could.
