The Virus Within: The Unranked (Book 4)

Ch. 2: When Handcuffs Walk

"I might have to walk around after dinner and reassess my escape plans," Nina murmured. "But in the meantime, I need your assistance."

"You just finished telling me I couldn't play in your lab," Nicky informed the scientist as she unknowingly lost yet another pair of handcuffs from the belt pouch, which was finally empty.

Nina walked over and handed a small bag to Nicky. "I'm sending you out of the lab for this errand." She held a similar bag out to me. "Can you also collect some yeast samples for me?"

"What am I doing?" I asked, glancing at the numerous plastic vials and cotton swabs inside.

As Nicky turned to see what I had, I spotted the glint of another set of handcuffs, but this time, in her side pocket.

"Just collect some samples. Yeast is commonly found on fruits, plants, in soil, and in sap," Nina replied, unaware that I had been de-arming Nicky this entire time. "I'm hoping to find a better strain for these insulin cultures."

When Nina walked back to where she had been standing, Nicky turned toward Jess, and I carefully eased the metal cuffs out of the pocket, then whisked them into my hoodie pouch. Despite carefully examining Nicky from behind my sunglasses, I didn't see any other glints of metal or suspicious bulges in her pockets.

"Can I help?" Jess asked eagerly, looking between Nina and us.

"Actually, I want your assistance in locating plant extracts to replace some chemicals I'm running out of. I'm sure we can improvise for at least a few." Nina opened a book with pictures of plants.

With Jess now engrossed in a conversation revolving around plants, their compounds, and how to extract them, I backed through the door. Nicky hadn't realized her stolen goods had been rehomed, so I decided it was a good time to leave. I silently retraced my steps.

Daniel must have been waiting for me to sneak away. "How did Nicky get out of her time-out cage? I just checked it, but it looks intact, and only you or I can twist the rebar lock. The only scents around it are from Nicky and a few kids, and there were no gaps big enough for her to squeeze through."

"Good question. Maybe the guards saw something." To change the subject, I held up the bag of plastic vials. "Did Nina ask you to collect yeast samples?"

He scratched his head and made a face. "I just wiped the tops of leaves and a few patches of moss during my last patrol, but that was about it. Yeast is more common in sugary stuff like fruit or fermenting things.."

"I assume she already commandeered samples from the winemakers and some of Jess's weird experiments?"

"Yes, and yes. So you'll have to use your imagination. Half of it involves luck, or so I've been told. Kind of like the guy who found penicillin in dirty petri dishes he forgot to wash."

I snorted. "If we need luck, I'm the wrong person to ask."

Daniel chuckled, knowing the statement to be far too true, then asked, "How was your vacation?"

"Blessedly Nicky-free, although I'm still halfway convinced she saw me in the distance and did that on purpose."

"Jess gave her the wrong tea by accident."

I gave him a look that should have had him questioning his source of information. "You need to use your nose more and not assume every rumor is true."

He growled faintly as his instincts reacted to my insolence. I barely even noticed the warning, too accustomed to the Terror's reactions for it to have any impact.

"This isn't the first time Nicky got into caffeinated tea. Why do you doubt it?" he asked in a fairly level tone.

"I think Nicky decided to run her own experiment and used the tea as an excuse. Also, from what I saw, people didn't take it seriously unless she was chasing them. Oh, that reminds me. Here you go." I pulled six handcuffs out of my pockets and held them out.

He stared at the pile of shiny objects, then shook his head and opened his hands for me to dump them into. "How did you convince Nicky to give these up?"

"I didn't. You might want to hide them before she sees them. Have fun with that." With a smirk, I walked past him as he grumbled and tried to rearrange the jingling metal into a more manageable pile.

As I climbed the stairs, I shifted the seventh set in my pocket so it wouldn't make noise. There was no telling when a pair of handcuffs would come in handy.

Nicky's voice echoed down the corridor. "Hey! Bring back my handcuffs!"

With a chuckle, I quickly jogged up the stairs, only for the cuffs to shift and clank ominously, as if warning me that Nicky was the least of our worries.