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And that’s when I realize everything Zig saw that I missed, thanks to my worry about Salem.
The government isn’t the only team with a mole.
Apex has one too.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Salem
Iwatch the nurses around me. They don’t speak to me, which is just as well because I wouldn’t understand them anyway. Not that I understand a lot of what is happening right now. Everything seems to be moving at warp speed. It’s so dizzying that I wish I were back in the jungle with Oz and Zig.
I watch the woman Cooper introduced as Pika as she takes my arm, mumbling something before tapping the vein. Wrapping a piece of elastic around my bicep, she tugs it tight before tapping the vein again and nodding. Next, she pulls a syringe from the cart beside her and flips the little cap off the end with her thumb before gently easing the needle into my vein.
I wince at the sharp pinch. She says something to me, but I have no idea what, though her tone is soft, so I figure she is trying to soothe me.
Watching my blood pump into the little tube she attaches to the end of the syringe is making my heart beat wildly out of control. I’ve never been sick before, and I’ve never had to give blood, at least not as an adult. Though it’s not painful like I’d imagined it would be, I can’t say I’m comfortable with them having access to it. The only reason I’m not freaking out completely is because I know my mother had her blood taken a lot when she was pregnant with me due to complications, and nothing odd was ever flagged in the system. The only interesting thing they found was that, like me, her blood type was O-negative, meaning she was considered a universal donor.
I tune them out as they do what they have to do and keep a blank expression on my face while replaying Zig’s words and actions over and over in my head. The object Zig shoved in my back pocket is burning a hole in my skin, figuratively speaking. And although I didn’t see what it was, I can tell what it is just from the feel of it. A cell phone.
I’m sure nobody else would read into it. Hell, they’d take it as a comfort. It means they can call for help, right? Except this isn’t Zig’s cell; his was on the plane when it blew. That means he took it from one of the men who brought us here. The question is, why? Zig knows I won’t call the authorities. It’s far too dangerous for me to end up on their radar. He sure as hell knows I can’t call anyone else, not while I’m still so close to the cartel. And not when I don’t know anyone.
And what was with the cryptic message? I close my eyes, replaying his words as the two women talk around me. When one touches my hand, I look at her as she points to herself, the other nurse, and the door. I can only guess that she’s telling me that she’s leaving. I nod, hoping that a little alone time will help me figure out what Zig was trying to tell me.
Once they leave and I’m sure the two men guarding the room aren’t coming in, I lift my butt and pull the cell phone out of my pocket. I bend my knees and use them to hide the phone in case anyone comes in and catches me off guard. There is a generic picture on the home screen, one that comes standard with the newer versions of this phone. No photos give away who its owner might be, but when I think back to the way Zig moved and who he talked to, I’m convinced this has to be Cooper’s cell phone. He just wasn’t close enough to the others to have lifted it. Not just that, but I’m pretty sure that this is the same phone both Zig and Oz had, and I’m sure I remember him telling me once that all the Apex members have the same one.
I slide my finger over the screen but get no further when it asks me for the password. I drop it back into my lap and look up at the ceiling. If he knows this guy at all, he would know it would be password-protected. Hell, mine always was too, and I’m not nearly as connected as these people are. If I can’t get into it, it’s just a pretty brick. Useless unless I want to call emergency services, which of course, I don’t, or use the SOS function.
I pause; something inside me sitting up at that. Is that it? I don’t know much about the SOS function because I never bothered to set it up. If I remember correctly, it contacts the people in your emergency contact list. I frown, trying to remember the conversation the guys had with me after we found one of their phones. Something about how the SOS contacts all Apex team members, and if that was pushed, then everyone would know that the shit had hit the fan, and all available members would come running. Maybe I’m reading this wrong. Maybe he just gave me the phone for—
Scorpion Orange Scorpion
SOS? No, it can’t be. He’s a military man. I’ve heard him use the NATO alphabet before. He’d have said Sierra, Oscar, Sierra, right? Unless he didn’t think I’d know it. I freeze, all the air getting trapped in my lungs.
Or unless he knew the others around me would.
I hear a noise outside the door and the sound of footsteps approaching, making panic spiral wildly inside me. God, if I’m wrong, I could ruin everything. But if I’m right…
Fuck it. I listen to my gut and hold down the power button with the volume button until the SOS function pops up.
I jump when I hear the footsteps getting closer, my hand fumbling with the phone, which asks me if I want to send an SOS to all emergency contacts. I send up a silent prayer and hit yes before burying the phone underneath the pillow. Lying down, I turn my back to the door and pretend I’m asleep, concentrating on my breathing. I struggle to keep it nice and even as fear tries to force its way in.
I can hear one set of footsteps as the door opens and closes again. They walk over to the end of the bed and stop at the foot of it. I don’t think about them staring down at me like a creeper. I just focus on breathing nice and evenly. When the door opens a second time, I barely refrain from jumping out of my skin. I don’t hear the footsteps approaching, so I guess it might be one of the guards posted at the door.
“Sir. There is a message for you at reception.”
The other person doesn’t speak for so long, I wonder if they left. But just when I’m about to open my eyes and have a peek, I hear a sigh.
“Fine. Watch her. And keep a fucking eye on the locals. If they realize who she is, we might end up with a fucking fight on our hands, and that’s the last thing we need right now.”
“Do you know what time transport will be here to pick her up?”
“When I know, you’ll know. Right now, you keep her locked down and field any questions she might have. I’ll be back once I’m done. I’m curious to see what she can do.”
“Ifshe can do anything. I’m not sure I buy into any of this bullshit.”
The urge to vomit rushes up the back of my throat, but I swallow it down. The first thing that hits me is the sense of betrayal—that Zig and Oz have sold me out—but I dismiss it immediately. I’m not going to fall back into old habits. They deserve better than that, and so far, they’ve done everything to keep me safe.
“If you had seen the things I had, you wouldn’t question it. Do you really think she’s the only one with gifts like this? Of course not. She might be special, but she’s not unique. All that matters is that we have her on our side, no matter the costs.”
