Dark Vengeance

Chapter 2

Two

Justice scooted to the side of the corridor to allow a warden carrying a large box of supplies to pass. Once the way was clear, she continued up the stairs that led to the level where wardens of higher rank were roomed. Her thighs burned, muscles trembled, breath came in puffs by the time she reached the landing. No one was about as she made her way to her and Jackson’s room and slipped inside.

Jackson had declined the use of the captain’s suite, and the room they’d originally shared had been damaged during the first attack on the headquarters. He and Justice were using a smaller suite set aside for visiting wardens, giving them a measure of privacy in a crowded space. All Brimfield wardens were now housed at the headquarters, the garrisons abandoned, as well as over two hundred half-breeds. It made for a tight squeeze, but the desire to stay close outweighed the discomfort.

Not that any of them had time to lounge around in their rooms. With so much to be done to get headquarters operational again, before she and Jackson led a team to Harlington to spread Hannah’s vaccine, everyone was doing their best to help out.

Justice flicked on the light switch, waiting a moment for the flickering to settle before scanning the room. Her gaze fell on the neatly made double bed and she quickly turned her head to ward off the temptation of a moment’s rest. She moved over to the utilitarian dresser on the wall opposite and scooped up the folder containing the neat notes Jackson had made regarding the supplies they would need for the next stage of the repairs.

With the folder in hand she headed back to the ground floor, her legs finding the downhill motion much easier to handle. Stifling a yawn with her free hand, she gave the folder to Sergeant Casey Saunders. ‘Here you go.’

The auburn-haired warden looked her up and down, a frown creasing her brow. ‘Looks like you need a break.’

Justice shook her head, a second yawn making her eyes water. ‘I promised Hannah I’d help her in the lab.’

‘You’re not going to be any use to her if you’re falling asleep on your feet.’ Casey’s frown deepened, green eyes narrowing.

‘I’ll rest when everyone else does.’

‘Captain Kyle won’t be happy if you collapse from exhaustion. You’re human. No one expects you to work as hard as the rest of us.’

Justice stiffened. ‘I do.’ She spun around and stormed off before the warden could say anything else, and this time the water in her eyes was not caused by tiredness.

She might be human, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t work just as hard as any of the wardens or half-breeds. She might not have the extra strength or stamina that came from their enhanced genetics, but she could still do her part. She didn’t need to be coddled. Just over a week ago she had been impervious to harm, secure in her role as the living embodiment of Gaea’s justice. She’d given her life so the power of Gaea’s judgement could be channelled through Jackson’s body, curing him of the freak virus. Her sacrifice had given the world hope of a future free of the freak virus, and after her resurrection she had been filled with joy.

Now, that joy seemed like a distant memory. Being human meant being vulnerable. But she would not let the frailties of her body stop her from doing everything she could to ensure the future she had died for came to fruition.

By the time she reached the lab, Justice had dried her eyes and calmed down enough to give Hannah a genuine smile. Her friend was seated at a gleaming silver bench, with a tray containing empty glass vials sitting in front of her. A second tray with vials that had already been filled with the precious vaccine sat to one side, ready to be transferred to a secure container for storage and transport. The first step to a better future relied on spreading the vaccine Hannah had created using antibodies formed in Jackson’s blood when he’d been cured.

Justice joined Hannah at the bench and began placing the full vials into the slots inside the storage container, while her friend continued the laborious task of filling the empty ones. They couldn’t afford to waste a single drop of the vaccine, needing as many doses as possible to take with them to Harlington.

‘You look tired,’ Hannah said, casting a glance her way.

‘Don’t you start. I’m fine. Let’s just get this done.’

Another yawn loomed, but Justice did her best to not let it show as she continued to place the vials into the container.

She would not let Jackson and her friends down.