Kade gritted his teeth, knowing the State funded exactly what they wanted, with no regard for the population they were supposed to look after. “Do you see her much?”
“Once a week. In fact, I was due for a visit tomorrow.” Honor lifted her head. “I can’t let her down. I’ll have to go.”
“No visits. The State will know your movements.”
Honor’s eyes narrowed. “I have to see her. She’ll be expecting me.”
“No way. It’s too dangerous to go above ground. The State will be expecting you to show up for your regular visit, and they’ll be waiting.”
Honor frowned and pressed her lips together, but then nodded. “Fine. But at least let me get a message to her, let her know I can’t make it. She’s probably seen the newscast and will worry. Isla looks forward to the visits. I’m the only family she’s got.”
“We can arrange a message,” said Kade. “You’re good at sending encrypted messages through defunct systems. We can figure something out and make sure Isla doesn’t worry about you.”
Honor’s face softened, and she leaned against Kade again. “Thanks. I couldn’t resist using that system to reach you. I guessed you’d be one of the few people in this country to still use the mailer system.”
He loved the feel of her soft warmth against him. “You guessed right.”
“I always liked it, you know, when the tiny closed envelope pinged onto your screen, showing someone wanted to get in touch. Much more personal than the comms we have now.”
“And harder to trace.”
They sat in silence for a moment. Kade soaked up the heat of Honor’s leg as it brushed against his. It made him want to feel more of her. He forced himself to pull back and sit up straight. “I should let you rest.”
“Wait! You haven’t told me what you do here.”
Kade leaned his elbows on his knees, not meeting Honor’s gaze. “We work against the State.”
“Tell me more about that.”
Kade stood and shook his head. “You should get some rest.”
“I won’t be able to sleep until you tell me what you do here.”
He turned and shook his head wryly at the stubborn set of Honor’s jaw. “We want to bring back dragons.”
Honor blinked several times and her mouth slowly opened. “What do you mean, dragons? Is that a new ruling group?”
“Not a group, but a species.” Kade let out a breath. “The dragons who used to rule this planet.”
“You’re joking with me.”
“I’m serious,” said Kade. “It’s why we’re here.”
“You really believe dragons ruled this country?” Honor’s brow furrowed. “Big, scaly things with wings who breathe fire?”
“Yes. And they didn’t just rule this country, they ruled the planet.” Frustration bubbled upward to the surface in Kade, but he kept it in check. Honor couldn’t help the way she felt, she’d been brainwashed, just like the rest of them. He could see the disbelief in her eyes, and despite everything else, it still rankled.
“Actual fire-breathing, winged dragons. Like the mythological creatures? The things the State say aren’t real, and anyone who talks about them is insane?”
“Exactly those,” said Kade. “And I have a feeling you stumbled across dragon DNA in your research, which is why your data looks odd.”
Honor tilted her head to one side. “I remember you talking about dragons when we worked together. Isn’t Heath into them? Did some big study of them at Helstone University?”
“We all are,” said Kade. “It’s why we’re here.”
Honor looked down at her hands, but he didn’t miss the expression of disbelief on her face. “It’s good you’ve got a hobby, something to keep you interested. But you can’t believe this?”
Kade clenched his hands, hissing in pain as his right arm protested. He needed to get the laser wound treated. “Fit that theory in with your own research. It might surprise you how well they match.”
Honor shook her head and gave a nervous laugh. “Listen, Kade, I appreciate your help with the whole Intergen mess,” she said, clearly not interested in pursuing the dragon topic. “I’m not sure what I’d have done if you hadn’t come.”
“I know what would have happened,” said Kade. “You’d have gone through a fake trial, had your mind wiped, and then sent to prison. No one would ever see you again. Your life would be over.”
He watched as Honor frowned and tugged on her bottom lip. “I admit, I was worried. Clarice wanted the death penalty for my crimes, of all things. But that doesn’t mean I’m into the whole dragon thing.”
“It’s an extraordinary claim, which is why we’re searching for extraordinary proof. Bit by bit, we’re gathering it. And it sounds like you’ve found something to add to that.”
“My research?” Honor shook her head. “That won’t help you. Besides, the State will have confiscated all of that. And dragons! Get real, Kade. This is a test, isn’t it? It has to be. This is some way for you to make sure I can be trusted with whatever it is you’re really doing, here.”
The look of pity on Honor’s face tipped Kade over the edge. He had to leave before he’d say something he’d regret. “Get some sleep. I need to get my wound treated. I’ll find you later and show you the rest of the base. Then, we’ll figure out how to find you a safe place to stay until the State loses interest in you.”
“Oh. Well, okay. Thanks for the help.” Honor stood, as Kade opened the door and stepped out. He needed to get some distance from her.
The door slid shut behind him, and Kade stomped away along the corridor. Annoyance washed over him. He hated that Honor had been so brainwashed by the State, and the way she’d pitied him for his beliefs. He shook his head as an image of her full lips and dark eyes swam before him. She might be attractive, but she was no use to him, or anyone else, if she didn’t believe.
HONOR STOOD IN THE middle of the room, staring at the closed door. Kade couldn’t have been serious, talking about dragons as if they were real.
She did a slow turn, taking in her new surroundings a little more thoroughly. The room was basic, but clean, and had a warm feel to it. She felt safe here.
But Kade and his brothers had to be into something serious if it meant they’d had to disappear underground. It must be something the State disapproved of, like weapons smuggling, or drugs. If they were involved in anything like that, she wasn’t staying. She’d rather take her chances against Clarice, than get mixed up in something so dark.
Honor shook her head in frustration. Kade would never be involved in anything like that. He was honest and straight when they’d work together. She remembered one time, how they’d gone out to get lunch for the team and the server had given him too many credits back by accident. He’d walked three blocks to return the funds, not liking the idea of the server getting into trouble.
It had to be something else. Honor sat back on the edge of the bed and tried to relax. There was no point in trying to sleep, she was too wired after their escape from Intergen. Too hyped up from fighting guards, shooting someone, and fleeing with Kade on a bike.
She stood and walked to the door, hitting the access pad with her hand. She was surprised when the door slid open. Honor had half expected to be trapped inside. That was a good sign; Kade wasn’t holding her prisoner, so maybe she could leave any time she wanted.
Walking along the corridor, Honor passed the rest of the quarters, and found herself back in the main part of the bunker. There weren’t many people around, and she walked about with no one stopping her.
She wished she could find Kade and apologize for making fun of his dragon theories. She’d seen how he’d been holding his anger in check, and hadn’t meant to wind him up. But there had to be some other explanation for her research findings, and there had to be some other, legitimate, reason why Kade and his brothers were hiding out.
Honor paused by a closed door, labeled with the words Testing Archive, and tried the access panel. The
door slid open to reveal several tables covered in what looked like fragments of bone and egg shell, along with microscopes, petri dishes, and electro scanners.
She looked both ways along the corridor, but no one was around, so she stepped inside the room. As the door shut, chilled air floated around her. Honor walked along the rows of tables, studying the items arranged in specific order, some by fragment size, and some by color or type. Her curiosity took over, and she slipped on a pair of gloves from a box on the table, and picked up a fragment. Why would Kade and his brothers collect all of these biological samples, and what exactly were they? These were ideal sources to extract DNA from; she’d studied similar things herself. What were they doing here?
After a quick circuit of the room, Honor confirmed that it was empty. Drawn back to the table of finds, she lifted another sample and placed it under a microscope.
The next time Honor raised her head, her neck was aching, her throat was dry, and four hours had passed. She’d studied dozens of fragments. Some were in excellent condition, and she’d extracted a few fragments of DNA. After firing up a computer and plugging in her own synthetic DNA program using the data stick she carried around her neck, Honor had created a complete genome strand for an unknown creature.
She stared at the results on the screen again, idly scratching the top of her head as she puzzled through the information. Whatever was in this egg fragment had provided her with the genome for a new species. She grinned to herself. This was incredible. They might even name this new species after her. She wasn’t sure what the species was, but it was some kind of reptile. The Honor Lizard, or the Davenport Alligator. Both had a good ring to them.
Honor shook her head as her happiness faded. That would never happen if she couldn’t get her name cleared and show the State her research wasn’t a problem.
She rolled her shoulders and lifted another egg fragment from the table just as the door slid open.
Kade stepped into the room, his expression filled with shock. “What are you doing in here?”
Chapter 7
Kade hadn’t been able to sleep after his infuriating conversation with Honor about dragons, so he’d put his insomnia to work, adding new codes to his DNA sequencing system. He’d also re-checked the data chip Annie had obtained, to see if he could figure out what was corrupted, but he was still stuck, and that only frustrated him more.
He hadn’t been able to get Honor out of his thoughts no matter how hard he’d tried. The woman was wedged in his head like a bad country song. He needed to make things right between them, see if he could work out how to get her to believe in him.
On an impulse, he’d gone to check on her, and fear had gripped him when he found Honor’s quarters empty. Had she slipped out of the bunker? What if he’d driven her away with his words, making her think he was insane and that she didn’t want to waste any time on him?
His fear faded before it could latch on. There was no way she could get out. Honor wasn’t being kept a prisoner, but the entrances and exits to the bunker were concealed and often guarded, and you needed a code to get in or out. They needed this level of security to keep the State out, and their secrets safe.
He’d prowled the corridors, trying to find Honor, without success. The testing archive was a last resort, and Kade was surprised to discover her there, examining bone fragments, her cheeks flushed and excitement in her eyes.
Honor gestured him closer. “You’ll be amazed at what I’ve discovered. These finds are incredible. Where did you get them?”
Kade blinked. “Different places. I’d need to check the data to give you specifics.”
“Well, wherever you found these, they’re astonishing.” Honor grabbed his hand and led him to the computer screen. “I used my synthetic DNA sequencing program to experiment with the fragments.”
“You’ve been running tests on these fragments?”
“That’s right,” said Honor, her smile broadening. “And I found a new species. Take a look for yourself.”
Kade tore his gaze from Honor and stared at the sequencing streaming across the screen. “You’ve got a new strand.” He leaned closer, not believing what he saw. It had taken him weeks of work, and he hadn’t made it this far. And she’d accomplished this in a few hours.
“It’s a new species,” said Honor. “I’ve discovered a new species.”
“Technically, it’s an ancient species,” said Kade, recognizing some of the data that streamed in front of him.
“Are you sure?” Honor pulled off her gloves. “I ran the sequence through the known database of species and it came up blank.”
“It would.” Kade straightened and looked at Honor. “The State wiped all evidence of this species out.”
Honor’s nose wrinkled. “Why would they do that? The only logical answer is, it must be a new species.”
Kade pushed away his immediate retort, and smiled, instead, at the excitement on Honor’s face. A stir of hot attraction swirled through him. He looked back at the screen. “This program is incredible. You designed it yourself?”
“Of course,” said Honor. “I did it in my spare time. I’ve been running a similar program at Intergen, but they’re more interested in sequencing the DNA variations I’ve been studying. That was too limited for my liking. I wanted to replicate missing DNA to complete sequences. The possibilities are limitless when I get it fully functional.”
“You’d be able to find faulty DNA that cause disease,” said Kade, immediately understanding her excitement and feeling a fizz of energy. Her enthusiasm was infectious and only made her more beautiful.
“And once we know the problem, we can fix it. No children born with deformities, removing illnesses so everyone is healthy.” She clapped her hands together. “It would be amazing.”
“You get this program right, and it will be worth trillions of credits.”
Honor nodded. “I was preparing a report for Intergen with my recommendations.”
“But you didn’t submit it?”
“I wasn’t sure they’d appreciate it,” said Honor, her smile fading. “But a product like this would be the perfect springboard for my freelance work and get me out of Intergen.” Her expression fell. “Well, it would have been, before I was framed.”
“I’m glad you waited.” Kade smiled at her, his gaze drawn to her mouth. “We’ll be able to do so much with this program.”
“You mean I’m onto something?”
Kade grabbed Honor’s shoulders. “Your work is brilliant. So are you.” Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and kissed her, unable to resist the temptation any longer.
Honor’s eyes widened, a small gasp escaping her lips before she returned the kiss.
Kade wrapped an arm around Honor’s waist and pulled her to him, deepening their kiss as she tilted her head back. She was warm and soft under his touch, her full lips as responsive and sensitive as he’d imagined. Honor moaned softly into his open mouth, and Kade melded himself to her.
He must be insane. Now was not the time to make things messy with Honor. But her joy and delight, coupled with her seductive mouth and hot brain had made him blow a fuse, and he hadn’t been able to stop from crossing the line.
Using every molecule of his being, Kade forced himself to take a step back and let out a breath. He couldn’t get involved with Honor. He’d put her at enough risk by bringing her here and shoving her into this underground world, without telling her what was going on. He had to focus on the mission and couldn’t have Honor around, being a distraction, no matter how gorgeous and brilliant she was.
Honor’s lips were still parted, as Kade moved away. He turned his back, raking his hands through his hair, and giving himself a few seconds to fight his desire and will the hardness between his legs to recede.
“Guess you’re as excited about this as I am?” Honor’s words came out shaky.
Kade cleared his throat. “I was thinking, you should contact Intergen.”
“Why would I do
that?” Honor walked toward him and rested a hand on his back, her touch making him want to turn and kiss her again. “You told me they won’t listen to what I have to say.”
“Suggest a trade-off with them.” Kade kept his back to Honor. “Ask them to buy your silence.”
The tension in the room increased, and all Kade could hear was Honor’s shaky breath. “You think I’d do that?”
Kade shrugged, forcing himself to appear like he didn’t care. “It’s worth a try.”
“That’s not who I am.” Honor’s hand slid from Kade’s back and he instantly missed her touch. “And I wouldn’t be safe, even if they bought me off. I’d be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life, wondering when Intergen would create another trumped-up charge to have me arrested.”
“You should try it.” Kade hated the words that came out of his mouth. “And if you show them this program, they’ll want to do a deal with you. You could take the credits they offer and change your name, move to a different country, and vanish. You’d never have to work again and the State would lose interest in you.”
“I don’t want to vanish,” said Honor. “I love what I do. And I don’t want to waste my life on some sunny beach thanks to a giant payoff because I sold out.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” Kade forced himself to turn and took a step back when he saw the venom in Honor’s eyes. “I just thought, well, it was better for you. If you keep your distance from all of this, then you might be able to have a life.”
“I had a life,” said Honor. “Then Intergen lied about what I’d done and it fell apart. I have to do this. There’s no turning back.”
“I could say I abducted you,” said Kade. “If there’s footage of us together, you can claim I took you by force to get information. You could give Intergen stuff on me. They’ll look kindly on you for helping and the charges could go away.”
Another silence stretched out, filled with nothing other than the gentle whirring of the computers. Kade shifted his feet and looked around the room, growing hot under Honor’s glare.
Kade (sci-fi romance - The Ember Quest Book 2) Page 6