Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series Hayley Lawson (ebook reader play store .TXT) 📖

Terrier loomed over Peter and Mama Lou, frowning sadly at the sight of the pitiful woman within. He’d been wary of her advances, but he wouldn’t wish this fate on her. “What are we going to do with Vera?”

Mama Lou shook her head firmly. “Keep her locked up. There is nothing else we can do, and I’m not going to go in there to see if we can help her. She was crazy before she got the disease.” Mama Lou shuddered.

She really was, Terrier thought. He waited to hear what Mama Lou wanted to do next. He felt a little lost without Ryder there to make all the decisions.

Peter must have been feeling similarly shaken.” “What are we going to do now that the bunker is on lockdown?”

Mama Lou was used to giving orders and took the reins right away. “I want you two to double-check the tunnels for any men hiding down there. I don’t need any of them sneaky bastards coming out and causing mayhem while my back is turned. I’m sure one of those shifty shit-sacks is responsible for the last few ‘suicides’ down here.” Mama Lou placed her hands on her hips, the sudden motion set her bosom swaying.

Terrier nodded. He didn’t want a scolding from Mama Lou. He’d heard her go off many times before, and it wasn’t pretty for anyone on the wrong end of her sharp tongue.

The suicides were an expected part of life in the bunker. Not everyone could deal with the idea of living underground for the rest of their days. However, the suicides on level six had increased over the last few months. Then in the last few weeks, there had been more suicides than they would normally expect to see in a year.

The people on the other levels didn’t care. They were too institutionalized, and all but immune to the pain of captivity. Nobody cared about a few suicides.

Peter agreed with Mama Lou’s assessment. “I think your hunch about them being murders is right. I saw Katie the day before she killed herself, and she was her normal happy self.” He was annoyed at himself for not stopping the killer before he got to Katie. His job had been to protect all of the women, and he had failed her.

“You can’t blame yourself, Peter. I had the other girls on suicide watch. Whoever is doing this is planning it carefully.” Mama Lou took good care of her girls. It was easy to get depressed down here, but she did everything she could to save their lives. “None of those girls was showing any signs of trouble, none of them.”

“Why do you think it’s someone who works in the tunnels?” Terrier asked.

“Because I found grease stains on the dead girls’ clothing.” Mama Lou pursed her lips. “Every so often the girls get grease marks if the men try to paw at them. Every one of the dead girls had them. That’s all I have as evidence so far.”

Terrier hadn’t forgotten that he’d caught Shane trying to assault Natalie in one of the tunnels. It made him sick to think about what Shane might have done if he hadn’t been there to prevent it. Terrier wondered if Shane was the killer. He hoped he was, since that would mean that he would no longer be down here with the women.

Either way, Terrier was going to make sure there weren’t any other jerks down here. As long as they were all stuck down here, the women would be safe with him watching over them.

Terrier and Peter went around the tunnels with Mama Lou following close behind them, doing a headcount of all the men who worked in each tunnel. Mama Lou instructed them to sleep on the floors where they worked until the lockdown lifted and they could get back to their own levels.

The men argued against the restrictions, insisting they needed to get off level six. They’d all heard Afana’s announcement. Everybody wanted to know what was happening in the bunker.’

“Enough!” Mama Lou stamped an imperious foot, apoplectic. “There is nothing we can do until that door opens.” She pointed at Peter. “The guards will be happy to deal with anyone causing trouble. They are armed, and you are not.”

They soon settled down after that, Terrier chuckled to himself as he patrolled the first tunnel a few hours later. He counted the men off in his head as he made his way through, noting who was awake, and who still slept. They weren’t happy to see him, and the feeling was mutual.

Terrier examined the nooks and crannies of the tunnel, checking the shadows carefully to make sure he didn’t miss anyone who was hiding. He didn’t see anything, and all the men in the first tunnel were accounted for.

The second, third and fourth tunnel were much the same, but when he reached the fifth tunnel he counted twice, and then a third and fourth time before finally he accepted that he wasn’t mistaken.

One man was missing.

Advisor Robert paused outside the monitor room to collect himself before going inside. Not wanting to anger Afana, he quickly pressed numbers into the security panel next to the door and pushed. It opened with a soft whoosh.

“Afana, the test specimens are ready,” he called. “The lab is ready for you.”

Afana marched over to Robert. “At least one person in this place can do their job.” Afana was happy to get over to the lab. The scent of the cowardly advisor’s death still hung over the monitor room, and he was about ready to drain every single one of his advisors dry. What was the point of breeding and sustaining them? They couldn’t do the simplest tasks. When this was over, he needed to sort this shit out. He would send the generals out to find more people, train them to replace the morons, who he could then use as examples to the rest of