Unremarkable (Anything But) (9 page)

His eyes searched for and found Honor, and next to her, stood Christian Turner, his hand firmly wrapped around her bicep. Ryder's feet were moving before it registered in his head. “Get your hands off her.”

Christian’s eyes narrowed on him, his jaw tight. “I should have known you would be responsible for this.”

“For
what
?”

He didn’t speak, his gaze moving along the fallen UDs dumb enough to try to take down Ryder in an enraged state. When Christian looked at him, one dark eyebrow was lifted. “You beat up six men. We’re supposed to be stronger and faster than you, and yet you took down six UDs.”

Ryder rolled his shoulders. “I can add one more to that list.”

“
Ryder,” Honor said warningly.

Christian took a step toward him. “The last time the three of us were together, I recall you shooting Honor. Why would I
ever
give her up to you?”

Honor chose that moment to yank her arm out of Christian’s grasp. Glaring at the two of them, she put distance between them. “I am not an object. I don’t belong to either one of you.”

“How did the two of you come to be here?”

“
We found them,” the brown-haired woman told Christian.

“
Together?”

“
She was ahead of him. I don’t know if they were together or not. He attacked Seth in Lodi. Hank saw it happen and knocked him out, then tossed him in the tunnels some ways back. Lodi is compromised. We have to warn others they need to move on. Who knows how soon more UDKs will show up and take over where he left off?”

“
I didn’t
attack
him,” he cried in exasperation.

Christian looked at Honor thoughtfully. “Were you with him or trying to get away from him?”

“You know, it doesn’t really matter,” she replied conversationally.

“
Why is that?”

“
Because more UDKs are in these tunnels, and sooner or later, they’re going to find us all.”

Stiff-jawed, Christian turned his attention away. “We need to move.
Now
.”

“
How did they find us here?”

“
I don’t know if they found us, Juli, or if they’re tracking
them
.” He jerked his head in the direction of Ryder and Honor. “Either way, we need to
move
. Jax, Dominic, tie Ryder up.”

Two men approached Ryder and he braced himself. “Try it and you’ll regret it,” he promised as they advanced.

Christian stormed toward him, stopping when their faces were inches away. “Would you rather stay here, not knowing who will find you next?”

He cocked his head, his gray eyes studying him. “Maybe you would.” Turning away, he said, “Tie him up, but he stays. His UDK buddies can decide what to do with him. Honor goes with us.”

“I don’t—” Juli began.

“
I decide where I go, not
you
,” Honor interrupted.

Incredulity flashed across Christian’s angular face. “You want to stay here? With the person who
shot
you?”

“
I didn’t mean to shoot her. I was aiming for
you
.”

He snorted. “Even better. You want to stay with the person who can’t aim worth shit?”

Ryder snapped his teeth together, wanting so badly to bash Christian’s face in.

“
You can’t leave Ryder here. If other UDs find him, they might kill him!” Natasha burst out.

He looked at her and noted how pale she was. He’d forgotten she was even with them.

“So?” Christian cast a baleful look her way.

“
You want me to train you? Ryder’s ten times better than I am. Bring him too,” Natasha stated, her quivering lower lip giving away her nervousness.

“
He’s more trouble than he’s worth. Be glad he’s being tied up and that’s
all
we’re doing to him.”

Natasha didn’t respond, going tight-lipped.

“We need to stop arguing about what we’re going to do and just
do
it. I’m leaving. I hope you don’t wait too long to follow, Christian.” Juli started toward a dark chamber, Natasha’s arm firmly in her grasp as she ushered her forward. Others were following behind her.

Ryder wondered what the hell Natasha was doing in the tunnels anyway, but as far as her safety was concerned, he wasn’t especially worried. She could handle herself, and the UDs may be fugitives, but they weren’t savages; at least, he didn’t think those particular ones were anyway. He told himself she would be okay, but it didn’t really make him feel any better. Were any of them really okay?

Soon only Christian, Ryder, and Honor were left.

Christian beckoned with his hand, impatience hardening his sharp features. “Honor. Come. We need to go.”

She resolutely shook her head. “No. I want to go my own way.”

He hesitated.

“She said she’s not going with you,” Ryder snapped.

Honor glanced at him, and then turned to Christian. “Someone is looking for me. I can’t go with you.”

“Let me guess: Nealon?”

She didn’t answer, briefly looking down. Ryder frowned, watching the way Honor pressed her lips together, her stance defensive. What the hell was that?
Nealon?
Nealon was
old
, at least in his mid-twenties. What was going on between the two of them?

Christian’s voice was low as he said, “You did me a favor once. I’m inclined to do the same for you. It is clear you are on the run for some reason. If you go with me, I can offer protection.”

“Maybe someday I’ll take you up on that, but not today,” Honor said with a dim smile.

“
Fine. Just…try not to get yourself killed.” He looked pointedly at him. “Again.”

Ryder smirked, but it wasn’t a pleasant one.

Christian glared at him. “Stay out of my way, Delagrave, and I’ll stay out of yours.”

“
Same to you. I thought you were tying me up?” he called after his retreating back.

“
Not my problem anymore,” the UD said over his shoulder

“
Wait! Why wasn't there anyone in that town? In Lodi? It seemed deserted.” He needed to understand
something
. Nothing was making sense.

Christian paused long enough to say, “Because the UDKs came and wiped the town out. It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last.” He disappeared into the darkness of the passageway.

“What? Why?” There was no answer that time. Why would they do that? Confusion tightened his features.

Honor said quietly, “Don't try to understand it. Chaos is forming. That's all you need to know.”

He turned to face her, reaching for her. “It doesn't matter right now. We have to get out of here.”

She brushed him off, moving away. “I’m going now, Ryder.”

“I know. Let’s go.” He was purposely being obtrusive, but what other option did he have?
None.
She would not be leaving without him. It was as simple as that.

Her gaze roved over him, pausing on his eyebrow and halting on his shoulder. Muttering, Honor quickly tore off the sleeve of her shirt, ripping it into a strip and wrapping it under his armpit and over his shoulder, tightening it with more exuberance than was warranted. Ryder grunted at the pain, but said nothing.

“You’re not going with me,” she told him, meeting his eyes.

“
The hell I’m not. You don’t even have a gun anymore! Who’s going to protect you?”

“
You know, I actually feel better around you without a gun in the equation.”

“
Will
no one ever
forget that?” he demanded of the cracked wall.

“
It’s kind of a big deal, Ryder.”

“
Honor…I’m not—I can’t…” He swallowed, desperation clutching his heart and squeezing. “You don’t know what it’s been like…the months since you’ve been gone, thinking I’d…thinking you were dead. Please. Let me go with you. I know I’ve been an ass to you and I thought I had reason to be, but I was wrong, so wrong. Let me make it up to you. You can trust me. Please trust me. I am not the same person you met a few years ago. Let me prove it.”

Honor blinked, her expression saying she didn’t know what she was looking at. “Ryder Delagrave…begging and stumbling over his words. I never thought I’d witness such a phenomenon.”

“Now you’ve seen everything.” He tried to grin, but knew it came off twisted.

Sighing, she said, “I do think you’ve changed, that you are different from the person I knew before all this, but I can’t chance that you’re not. I am sorry. And I have to go. You can tell them I attacked you and got away. Then no blame will come to you. Okay? You belong with the UDKs. I don’t. I never did.”

“No. I don’t. I don’t belong there. I thought I did, but—” he croaked, grabbing her hand and squeezing.

She was right. He knew she was right. Ryder had to go back, even though the thought of reentering that sterile facility full of lies and deception made him physically ill. He didn’t even understand all that was going on, but he knew it all had to be stopped. He had to finish what he’d put into motion. He had to stop August, somehow, or die trying. Dying didn’t seem so bad, not anymore. If he couldn’t have what he wanted, maybe he could at least have justice.

Mind made up, he nodded grimly. “Fine. I’ll go back. But only because I have something I have to do. And Honor? One day, you will be mine,” Ryder said with quiet conviction, her fingers cool within his palm. She had to be. It was the only thing that made sense to him in the midst of all the pandemonium.

A faint smile flittered over her lips, those luminous blue eyes of hers locked on his as Honor squeezed his fingers before tugging away.

“Be seeing you, Ryder,” she said, tossing back words he’d said to her in a different reality so many months ago as she strode down the only other opening available.

He hung his head, breathing heavily at the loss of her light. Honor had barely melded into the underground world when he heard them. He dropped to his stomach, quickly yanking the homemade tourniquet from his shoulder, grimacing at the burn, and shoving it into the pocket of his shorts. He groaned for effect as three UDKs swarmed around him, shouting and making enough noise to ensure any near knew they were not alone.

“Delagrave? What happened to you?” Gina Howard, a tall blond, asked, dropping to the ground next to him. She was an officer like him, but she was a few years older. Most didn’t advance as quickly as Ryder. Most didn’t have a vendetta like he did.

“
I don’t know. I was attacked in Lodi and somehow ended up down here. How did you find me?” He sat up and held his head, keeping his eyes down.

“
Agent Medina told us to find you, said you were gone much too long. Something about a cut off phone call on the emergency line.”

“
How did you know to look in the tunnels?” He allowed her to help him stand, wincing as the skin around his wound pulled when he moved.

“
You need stitches,” Zach Moran stated, looking at the sliced flesh of Ryder’s upper arm.

Zach was tall with brown wavy hair and brown eyes. Lifting weights was his favorite pastime and his rippling muscles were proof of that. He had this act of being nice, but he wasn’t. At least in his case people
knew
he was a jerk. He had gone through training around the same time as Honor had and Ryder had seen him around the Anderson Junction facility, but they’d never been social, not because Zach hadn’t tried.

“
It’s fine,” he said, slowly bracing a hand against the wall for show.

“
How many where there? Which way did they go?”

“
How did you know to look in the tunnels?” he repeated, staring him down.

Zach wouldn’t answer, turning his attention to the doorways.

“Chip,” Gina whispered.

His green eyes flew to her blue ones. “What did you say?”

“Gina, shut up,” Tim Beck hissed, his eyes darting around but never touching on Ryder.

Tim was short with red hair and acne. He was a suck-up, a year older than Ryder. He tried too hard, always.

“We need to find the UDs! Let’s
go
.” Zach started for the chamber Honor had passed through and Ryder unconsciously lurched forward to thwart him.

“
Are you okay?” Gina asked, lightly touching his elbow.

Ryder shook his head, deciding to play the wounded victim to his full extent. “No. I think I lost too much blood. I feel sick, dizzy.” He swayed on his feet. “We should probably head back.”

“What?
No
.” Zach shook his head, staring at the dark opening with longing. “We need to find the UDs.”