A Changed Man (Altered Book 1) Read online

  Jordan barked out a laugh. "No, do I look like a thief to you?" He asked grabbing the wallet out of her hand.

  Tess watched as he flipped the small wallet open and took out her license. He read it aloud. Her address, she understood now; he was memorizing her address.

  He handed it back to her. "Take care of him." Jordan said to her. "If he dies, so do you."

  Jordan heard the shouts of more guards heading toward them. "I'll see you soon doctor."

  Tess watched as the man turned back into the black cloud she saw earlier, and disappeared with a speed she had never witnessed before. She looked back down at Rick. His face was pale, and once she noticed the hole in his leg she knew why. She saw that someone had wrapped a belt around his thigh. Smart, she thought. Without it he could be dead by now. Just then a group of guards came running toward her.

  "Dr. Morgan!" One of the guards shouted at her. "What are you doing here? What happened?" He asked looking down at Rick.

  "I, I don't know. I stayed late to catch up on some work and I was just leaving when I saw this man laying here. He's hurt; he needs blood. I need you to take him to the O.R." She said.

  The guard turned around to the group of men behind him. "Phillip, Dean, get this man to the operating room." He ordered.

  "Why should we worry about saving his sorry ass?" The one that was called Phillip asked. "He's one of THEM." He said with his lip turned up in disgust.

  Tess knew there was no love lost between the prisoners and guards here. She needed to think fast. "Mr. Smith is very interested in this one." She answered. "He had me put a rush on his lab work, he wanted to use him immediately. I don't think he would be very pleased if he knew you let one of his prize recipients die from a leg wound." She snapped.

  "Take him." The first guard ordered again. Phillip and Dean picked up Rick and disappeared down the hall with him.

  "I need to wash up before I operate." Tess said standing up.

  "Fine." The first guard said. "But don't go anywhere. There will have to be a full investigation before anyone leaves. There was another escape tonight and a lot of my men are dead."

  Tess mustered up the most surprised look she could. "Really? Another one? I saw your men. I'm so sorry."

  "I'm afraid so. My men are checking camera footage now and backup is on the way. We have to go over every inch of this place. Everyone will be interviewed."

  "I understand." Tess said. "When I'm done with the injured man I will be in my office."

  "I'll let Mr. Smith know." The guard said.

  Tess nodded and headed for the O.R.

  Chapter 20

  Jackie was pacing the floor. It was late and the guys had been gone for hours. She put on a fresh pot of coffee; hoping the scent would ease her. Then she went to the living room to sit on the sofa. A few minutes later, the coffee pot let out three small beeps letting her know it was done brewing. Jackie got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen to pour herself a cup when she heard scuffling outside the front door. She set her cup down and ran to the door pulling it open.

  "Remington!" She shouted. He had a young girl in his arms. He dropped to his knees, out of breath, and completely exhausted. It took him and Jordan a couple of hours to hike all the way to the den. It took Remington even longer getting back with the load he was carrying.

  Jackie went to her knees in front of Remington. She put her arms under the unconscious girl, trying to take some of the weight from Remington. "Oh my god, is she okay?"

  Remington took a second to catch his breath. "I don't know." He answered.

  "Are you okay?" She asked.

  Remington looked up at Jackie. He could see the worry in her eyes. "I'm okay." He assured her. "Let's get her inside."

  Jackie stood with Remington, still taking half the weight of the small-framed girl in his arms. They went in to the house and laid her on the sofa. Jackie then realized a couple of people were missing. "Where's Jordan? Rick?" She asked.

  "Jordan stayed to do some recon and cover our trail. Rick didn't make it out." Remington’s head dropped.

  "Oh Rem, I'm so sorry." Jackie moved quickly into his arms. "Is he?"

  "I don't know. He was shot in the leg. He lost a lot of blood. He passed out before we had to leave him, Jordan is going to try and help him." Remington tightened his arms around Jackie.

  Jackie turned her head and looked down at the beat up girl lying on her couch. "Who is she?" She asked.

  "Her name is Dillon. Rick made me promise to get her out of there and take care of her. She saved my life." He said.

  "She saved your life?" She asked, having a hard time imagining how this frail, bruised, and battered girl could have done that.

  "Yeah." Remington answered. "She stopped a bullet in mid air. It was the damndest thing I’ve ever seen."

  Jackie looked at Remington, her eyebrows shot up and her mouth open. "Holy shit. She's pretty banged up. Let me have a look at her." Jackie opened up the first aid bag that was on the coffee table and knelt down next to Dillon. She put her fingers to the girl’s neck. "There's a pulse. It's weak, but it's there." She said.

  "Her arm must be broken." Remington said pointing at the crude sling that was holding her right arm in place.

  Jackie gently lifted Dillon’s head and placed a pillow beneath her. She applied antiseptic to her wounds and bandaged the worst ones. "She's burning up." Jackie said, her hand on Dillon’s forehead. She placed a cold pack on the girl’s forehead and used a thermometer to check her temperature through her ear. "One hundred and two." She looked up at Remington. "Not severe, but we definitely need to keep an eye on it."

  "I'm worried about Jordan and Rick." Remington said. "I didn't want to leave Rick. He made me take Dillon and go. Said he promised her he would get her out of that place. I had to do what he asked."

  "And now you feel guilty." Jackie stated.

  "Yes. More guilt than I have ever felt in my life." He said.

  Jackie stood up and walked over to Remington; he was just standing there with his head hanging. He looked defeated. Her heart broke for him. She put a gentle hand under his chin and raised his face so his eyes would meet hers. "You did the right thing." She whispered. "It's what he wanted. We don't know that he's not okay. Lets save the worrying for when Jordan gets back. We'll know more then."

  "Okay." was all he said.

  Jackie cupped his face and pulled him down to her. She placed a soft kiss on his tight lips. "Why don't you go get cleaned up? I'll keep an eye on her." Remington nodded in agreement then turned and headed down the hallway.

  Tess was sitting in her office, waiting. It was getting close to dawn. She was trying to get her story straight so that she could convince her boss, Mr. Smith, why she had stayed late and how she hid under her desk when she started hearing gun shots. She was more worried about Rick. He barely pulled through. She had given him blood and she was able to rebuild his damaged knee with a new magnesium alloy that was both stronger and lighter than titanium. The technology this place was privy to amazed her. The downside was they experimented on human beings.

  Last time she had checked on Rick he was sleeping comfortable and pain free thanks to an IV drip. She had to figure out a way to get him out of here before they decided to alter him. She would have to worry about that later. Right now it was time to figure out how to save her own ass.

  Remington walked back into the living room, his hair was wet and he wore nothing but a pair of sweats that hung low on his hips. "How is she?" He asked Jackie.

  Jackie had just taken the girls temperature again. She looked up and saw Remington standing over her in all his muscled glory. Trying to stay focused, she cleared her throat. "One hundred and one." She said. "A small improvement but an improvement none the less. You must be starving, let me make you something to eat." She said.

  "That would be great, thanks." Remington sat down in the chair close to the sofa where he could watch Dillon.

  A few minutes later Jackie came out of the kitchen wi
th a huge roast beef sandwich, chips, and a bottle of beer. She handed it all over to Remington. She was headed back to the kitchen when she heard a soft knock at the door. Remington heard it too. He left the living room, setting his plate down on the dinner table, and met Jackie at the door.

  "Jordan!" Jackie said excitedly. She put her arms around him and gave him a welcoming hug. "Are you okay?"

  Jordan stepped back from Jackie when he saw Remington’s wide frame fill the doorway. "I'm fine." He smiled. "How’s the girl?" He asked.

  "Still unconscious, but stable." Remington answered stepping back. "Come in."

  They all three went back in the house and sat down at the dining room table. "I covered your tracks and stirred up the scent. If they try to follow again they won't have any idea which way to go. I also wiped the footage from the security cameras." Jordan said.

  "How did you stir up the scent?" Jackie asked.

  "Small tornado." Jordan laughed. "Those dumb dogs won't know which way to turn. It's in every direction. Up in the trees, down by the river. Whichever way they follow the scent will end within a half mile.”

  Jackie gave him a big smile. "That is so cool."

  "Did you see Rick when you went back in?" Remington asked nervously.

  "Yeah, he's fine." Jordan said. "I found a lady doctor. Not sure where she was while everything was going on, but her being there was perfect timing."

  Jackie watched Remington’s shoulders drop as the tension left his body. He was relieved. "Where is he?" She asked.

  "The doctor lady operated on him. Hey, is anybody gonna eat that?" He asked pointing to Remington’s large sandwich. "I'm starving."

  "It's yours." Remington said pushing the plate in front of Jordan, then dragging it away again. "As soon as you finish telling me about Rick."

  "He's fine! She rebuilt his knee. It looks awesome, like he's bionic or something. Last I saw he was sleeping in the recovery room."

  "Thank god." Remington said sliding the plate back to Jordan.

  Jordan took a huge bite. "She knows him." He said around the pile of food in his mouth.

  "Knows him?" Jackie asked before Remington could open his mouth.

  "I took her to him, and she ran up to him saying his name. I could tell she worried for him. Said he was her patient." Remington and Jackie looked at each other.

  "Don't worry." Jordan said. "I told her if he dies so does she. I have her address." He said tapping the side of his head and taking another bite of Remington’s sandwich.

  "Wait, what?" Remington asked. "You know where she lives?"

  "Yep." Jordan answered finishing off his last bite.

  "We could use her." Jackie said.

  "Just what I was thinking." Remington agreed. "If she does care for him, even a little, maybe we could convince her to help us get him out."

  "If not, we threaten her life." Jackie said resolute.

  "What else did you find out?" Remington asked.

  "I went through most of the floor we were on; a lot of cells, at least half of them had people in them. I found an elevator but I couldn't get down to the basement floors; you need a key. I'm guessing that’s where they keep all the shit they don't want anyone knowing about. I'm going back. I need to see what they’re keeping down there."

  Just then a moan came from the living room. Jackie and Remington jumped up and ran over to the couch. Dillon was waking up. She began to open her eyes when she caught sight of Jackie and tried to sit up fast.

  "Shh, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you. You're safe." She said.

  "Where am I?" She noticed Remington then. "You. You got me out." She said.

  "Yes. You helped." He smiled at her.

  "Where's Rick?" She asked her eyes starting to fill with tears.

  "It’s okay, shh." Jackie said trying to soothe her. "He's okay. He's still there, but he's alive."

  "How do you know?" Dillon asked looking between the two of them.

  "Jordan?" Remington called.

  Dillon saw a younger man appear from behind Remington. "It's true." Jordan said. "I just left there not long ago. He's been treated by a lady doctor, he's fine."

  "Dr. Morgan." Dillon whispered.

  "That’s right." Jordan answered. "You know her?"

  "She comes in to take our vitals a couple times a week." Dillon answered. "Rick liked her. I think he had her convinced we weren’t there by our own choosing."

  "We're going back for him." Remington said assuredly.

  "We can't go in now." Jordan cut in. "That place is swarming with military. We need to wait till it calms down a bit."

  "I'm going with you." Dillon said. "I'll heal completely in a week or so. Everything will be back to normal by then."

  "I don't think that’s such a great idea." Jordan said.

  "I don't give a shit what you think!" Dillon snapped. "Rick saved my life. I won't leave him in that hell hole!"

  "No one said anything about leaving him." Jordan reiterated. "Just that, you just got out. Maybe it's not such a great idea for you to go running back in."

  "I can help!" Dillon was starting to get aggravated. "I know my way around a lot of that place! I've already been altered, and there will be even more guards next time. I can help you fight them."

  Jackie looked at Remington then back at Dillon. "Altered?"

  "Yes. They call it alterations. When they change you, they've altered you." Dillon answered looking at Remington. "You can bend metal. I watched you bend that guards gun right before he blew his own hand off."

  "And what can you do?" Remington asked.

  "You don't remember?" Dillon asked with a smirk. "You don't think that bullet just got tired and stopped short do you?"

  "No, I suppose not." Remington said trying not to smile.

  "I can put up a shield in front of myself. It's just your luck you were the one carrying me when we were fired at."

  "Thanks for that by the way." Remington said smiling now.

  "You’re welcome. Thanks for getting me out of that place." Dillon returned his smile. "But I am going back in with you. Rick's not the only one stuck in there. Maybe we can get someone else out."

  "We'll talk about it later." Remington said firmly. "You need to rest. We have a room made up for you; let's get you settled and we'll get you some food."

  Jackie helped Dillon up and into the guest room she had made up for Rick. "Do I need to call anyone for you?" Jackie asked.

  "No, I only have a sister, but I haven’t seen her in years. We're not close. Besides her phone is probably already tapped by now."

  "Oh. Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry." Jackie said sympathetically. "You're welcome here as long as you want."

  "Thank you. That’s really great of you." Dillon said.

  "Well, get settled; the bathroom is right across the hall and I'll bring you a change of clothes and some food in a bit." Jackie said and walked out of the bedroom. Jackie walked back in to the dining room where Remington and Jordan had returned. She heard them making plans to go back for Rick.

  "I thought you said it was too dangerous right now?" Jackie said taking her seat at the table.

  "It is." Said Remington. "But we also need to think about getting back in there before they do something to Rick."

  "I think we should give it at least a week." Jordan cut in. "Two at the most."

  Remington let out a frustrated sigh. "I know you're probably right Jordan; I just want him out before they do anything to him. Before they change him. I owe him that much."

  "Surely they won’t try to change him right now." Jackie said. "He almost died and was just operated on."

  "She's right." Jordan said. "They need him at full strength before they try and alter him. He's still a hundred percent human; it's going to take him a while to heal. I think he's safe for now."

  "I hope you're right." Remington said.

  "You two need to get some sleep; you both look exhausted." Jackie said. "Jordan why don't you come back tonight? We'll talk
about it some more and I'll make dinner for all of us."

  "That sounds great." Jordan said getting up. "Try not to worry." He looked at Remington. "I'll see you guys tonight."

  Jackie walked Jordan out than returned to where Remington was still sitting at the table. He had his head down on his folded arms that rested on the table. "You want me to fix you something else to eat?" Jackie asked him. "I was going to make Dillon something too."

  "No, that's okay. I think I'm just gonna get some sleep." Remington stood and faced Jackie; he gently put his hands on her face and pulled her toward him. He placed a soft kiss on her lips then headed down the hall toward her bedroom.

  "I'll be in shortly." She said as he walked away.

  Jackie prepared another roast beef sandwich and added some chips to the plate. She grabbed a coke from the fridge and headed to the guest room. She gently knocked on the door.

  "Come in." Dillon answered in a low, raspy voice.

  Jackie pushed the door open. "I brought you some food."

  "Thanks." Dillon said taking the plate Jackie offered her.

  "I'll get you something to change into. You look about the same size as me, a little taller." Jackie smiled at the girl. "How's your arm?"

  "It only hurts when I try to move it." Dillon answered, then took a bite of her sandwich. She leaned her head back on the propped up pillows and let out a satisfied sigh. "This is so good."

  "I'm glad you like it. I'll go get those clothes."

  Jackie left Dillon and went into her room. She saw Remington lying in her bed. He was on his back; his eyes closed with his hands tucked behind his head. She could picture him laying like this under the warm sun on a sandy beach somewhere; he just looked so content. He was uncovered from the waist up. She watched his beautiful muscled chest slowly rise and fall with his quiet breaths.

  Snapping herself back to her task she quietly went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans, an old Broncos t-shirt, and a pair of warm socks and went back to Dillon’s room. "Here's something that might fit..." She stopped talking when she realized Dillon had fallen asleep. Jackie laid the clothes at the foot of the bed and picked up the plate with the half eaten sandwich from Dillon’s lap and set it on the bedside table. She left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.