At least until he knew the truth about Koda. That his life had been stolen so Echols and Reese could play god.
“We were stupid. I was stupid. Selfish.” Reese’s throat tightened, and he willed himself not to cry.
A door slammed nearby. An engine started up. Footsteps crossed the ceiling.
“I think one of them took him.” Vic swallowed several times. “One of those things. But I think they might have turned on each other? Or another one attacked the ones who came after us.”
“What makes you think they fought?”
“I could hear them. The whole world shook. I thought at first it was an earthquake or maybe the building about to fall in.” He scrubbed his face. “After I ran, I hid. I didn’t tell the cops I saw anything. I didn’t tell anyone. I wish I hadn’t.” The tears in Vic’s eyes threatened to spill over.
“How did you get the bruise and those scrapes?” Reese nodded at the arm Vic rubbed.
“I fell, I think. I don’t really remember other than running like hell back to my room. But, yeah.” He picked at the strings edging a hole in the knee of his jeans. “I think I slid down in that stuff. It was all black and slick. They weren’t monsters anymore, just people and….” He shuddered.
“Are you sure you won’t let me get you a ride to the hospital?”
“I’m fine. I just need some sleep.”
“Do you have something I can write on? I’d like to leave you my name and contact info just in case you need something.” Reese looked around for a pen. Vic walked over to the dresser and opened a drawer. He handed Reese a small pad with the motel logo and a pen.
“Thanks.” Reese wrote down his name, home phone number, then remembered he didn’t have his cell. “Uh, can I have the number to this room? I’ll need to get another phone and call and give you the number.”
“Sure.” Vic gave it to him.
Reese added his address, then handed everything back to Vic. He didn’t look at it before dropping it back into the drawer.
“I better go before they come looking for me.” Reese stood. “If you need anything before I call you, leave a message on my home phone. I’ll check the messages every time I get a chance, okay?”
Vic nodded again but kept his gaze down.
Reese went to the door. Could a person look any more destroyed? Reese wasn’t sure which bothered him more, Vic hurting or knowing that expression because Reese had worn it for years after leaving the Utah Facility.
He opened the door.
“Dr. Dante?” Vic wiped his eyes. “Will you let me know if you find him? I mean even if… Just let me know.”
Reese didn’t want to, but he would. “Yeah. I will.”
He headed back to the front of the motel where the TV vans had reproduced from one to half a dozen. Two more turned into the parking lot as Reese used the others for cover to get near the SUV.
“Where the hell have you been?” Harrington walked over.
“Uh, looking around to see if I could find anything.”
“And that’s not your job.”
“I thought we already had this talk. You know how I might recognize something everyone else wouldn’t even think to look at. Which I did.”
“What?”
“At least one of those Anubis didn’t purge the ichor.”
Harrington frowned. “And that means?”
“They were stuck in Phase.”
“I need more than that, Dr. Dante.”