When the time came to leave, Myrine addressed the team. “This is it. We’ve done everything we can to shift the odds in our favor, but this is still going to be risky. We don’t know what we don’t know, so be ready for anything. Are you all straight on your roles?” She looked at each person in turn until she got an affirmative answer. “Okay, let’s go meet the general.”
Chapter 32
The helicopter pilot was right on time and, although he wasn’t too happy about leaving his chopper in the care of strangers, the thick envelope of cash they handed over seemed to assuage his misgivings. A quick systems check by Steve, and they were on their way.
They didn’t expect the general to allow them to bring weapons into his facility, but on the off chance that they were able to slip some through, they spent the short flight time loading up. Their plan, however, only counted on them keeping the Amazon rings that Myrine, Mirissa, Asteria, and Greco wore.
When they reached the landing area, they were greeted by a group of six armed soldiers who escorted them to the camouflaged entrance. “Don’t try anything or your friends die.”
“Well, aren’t you friendly,” Carter mumbled under his breath.
One of the men entered the code to open the metal door, and everyone filed into the small space. Han, who wasn’t walking fast enough to please their welcoming committee, was shoved roughly from behind. He almost fell through the doorway but was able to catch himself on the metal frame before doing a face-plant. “Really? That’s how it’s going to be?” Han sent a warning glare to the man and then stepped forward, slowly. He never was one to follow orders.
Before entering the code to open the elevator doors, the guards encircled them with rifles raised. “Please remove your weapons. All of them.”
They’d known this was coming, so they didn’t bother to argue. Instead, they handed over all of their visible weapons and a few of the hidden ones for good measure. The soldiers weren’t so easily fooled. Four of them frisked the Omega Group team members while the other two kept watch. The rest of their weapons were quickly confiscated.
When the elevator doors opened, they shuffled in. Mirissa was the last to enter and had difficulty fitting into the already full boxcar. When the doors slid closed, they hit her feet and immediately reopened. The soldier closest to her grabbed her arm and jerked her back out of the way.
“Hey!” Steve yelled as he pushed forward and grabbed the man’s shirt. He was immediately rammed against the wall, a loud crash echoing off the metal, and warned to stay put. By the time they reached the underground cavern, hostilities were flaring.
The general, who stood ramrod straight with his hands clasped behind his back, looked more amused than sinister as he strode toward them. “Let me make this simple for you. If you come quietly and give me what I want, your lovely friends will go free. If you fight me in any way, well, I’m sure you can guess the rest.”
Myrine stepped forward. “And what is it, exactly, that you want?”
“The same thing I’ve always wanted, Ms. Colson. To keep this country safe from all threats, both foreign and domestic.”
“Seriously?” Han scowled. “You’re pulling the patriot card? Exactly how much of your mind have you already lost?”
A brief look of anger flashed across the general’s face. “Patriotism is not a card to be pulled. We don’t protect our country only when it’s convenient to do so.”
Myrine brought his focus back to her. “You still haven’t answered my question, General. What do you want with us?”
Persaud seemed to calm slightly. “I need your gifts. My soldiers need them.”
Carter glanced behind him to see Mirissa turn away from the elevator shaft and casually wipe sweat from her brow. “Can we get this show on the road? We’re here, just like you asked. Now, bring us to our friends. You won’t get anything from us until they’re safely back home.”
Persaud smiled. “I’m afraid that isn’t how this is going to go. I’ve seen what you people are capable of, so your friends will remain in my custody until we’re finished here. They will be unharmed, assuming you cooperate. It will only take a few days.”
“How do you expect to keep us here for a few days without anyone noticing? Director Finley will—”
“I’ve known your Director for many years. In fact, I consider him a friend. One of the reasons I’ve always liked him is that he knows his place. You see, he’s a bureaucrat, but he doesn’t pretend he’s anything more. He leaves the heavy lifting to the men and women under his command because they’re the ones trained for it. He won’t involve himself in this. Instead, he’ll wait patiently for you to report, which, of course, you’ll do very soon. As I said, you’ll only be here a few days.”
“You think you can find a way to synthesize our gifts and transfer them to your soldiers in only a few days?”
“Of course not. We’ve had the shape-shifters here for months and we’re just now beginning to scratch the surface of what makes them possible. No, you’ll be here for a few days so that we can convince you to return as needed. I have no doubt this project will take many months.”
Carter understood that when the general said convince he really meant use mind control. He glanced at his watch. “I want to see Gina and Kell before we go any further.”
The general motioned to the golf carts. “Of course.”
********
Mirissa spent the long ride fidgeting with the thumb drive in her pocket. So far, everything had gone as planned, but there were still too many variables. Her next, and perhaps most important, task was to eliminate some of those variables.
When the carts came to a stop, the team herded into a large room full of desks and computers. She could imagine the place brimming with scientists throughout the day, but at that time of night it was abandoned. Mirissa wandered a few steps forward, scanning the desks for a computer monitor showing a screensaver. Most were dark, which didn’t necessarily mean the computer itself was turned off, but she had to be sure.
One monitor, at the end of the first row, displayed the standard colored pipes, growing and moving, filling the screen and then disappearing, just to begin again.
Mirissa took a deep breath. She needed to use both her telekinesis and her heightened vision at the same time—something she’d never done before. She pulled the thumb drive out of her pocket and held it low. When she opened her hand, it rose up and floated down the aisle, finding a resting place on the floor by the computer’s hard drive. Now for the hard part.
Mirissa called upon her heightened senses until her vision expanded to a point where she could clearly see every fiber in the carpet around the drive. She found her target, a USB port at the top of the tower, and raised the thumb drive off the floor.
Immediately, her vision returned to normal. The computer hard drive was once again just a nondescript black box sitting on the floor. She could hear the others peppering the general with questions in an attempt to give her the time she needed, but it wouldn’t last much longer.
She raised the thumb drive off the floor to about where she remembered the port being, then sharpened her vision. As soon as she did, the drive fell back to the carpet. She tried again and again, with the same result.
A warm hand wrapped around hers and squeezed. She glanced back and saw Greco standing next to her. He gave a slight nod of his head and laced his fingers through hers.
Another deep breath and she raised the thumb drive. Her ring began tingling on her finger at the same time Greco’s did in her other hand. Slowly, she brought the computer into focus, holding the drive in place. A small smile crept up on her as she drove the thumb drive in place.
“What are you doing?” One of the soldiers marched toward them.
Mirissa’s ring began to grow, bringing out its blade to protect her.
“She’s just a little nervous. Give her a break,” Greco said as he placed himself in front of Mirissa, blocking the soldier’s view.
“It’s okay, Greco.
I’m fine.” Mirissa brought her ring back to standby mode. “Let’s get this over with.”
It’s up to you now, Julian.
Chapter 33
Gina paced the length of her and Kell’s cell. The ten-foot square space was enclosed by three walls and a row of iron bars, and had no windows. The view through the bars, a plain white hallway with a single door, shed no light on where they were being held. She’d awoken over an hour ago with a raging headache from whatever drug she’d been given and was quickly running out of patience. “Where the hell is everyone?”
Kell sat casually on the floor, leaning against the back wall. “I suspect they’re getting ready for company.”
Gina turned to face her roommate. “What are you talking about?”
Kell stood and stretched. “I don’t know about you, but I’m a nobody. There is absolutely nothing about me that would make me a target for kidnapping. The only logical explanation, then, is that we’re bait for whatever they’re really after. My guess would be Han and Carter and the rest of their group.”
“So, what do we do?”
Kell smiled. “We wait. Something tells me it won’t be long.”
She was right. The door to the hallway outside their cell opened a few minutes later, and everyone she’d been with earlier in the hotel room walked through, guarded by several soldiers with rifles. Carter pushed his way through the crowd to the other side of the bars.
“Are you guys okay?” he asked as he reached through the bars to grab her hand.
“We’re fine. You shouldn’t have come, Carter. It’s you and your friends that they wanted.”
He gave her a smile that melted her heart. “I know what they want, but I couldn’t just leave you. Not again. Seven years ago I was an idiot to walk away from you. But now those years feel like minutes. I have no excuse for what I did. I felt like my back was against the wall. I wasn’t ready then, but I am now. I only hope you are, too.”
Gina stared into the eyes of the man she’d never stopped loving. “I am.” She pulled him close and planted a long kiss on his lips through the bars.
“Be safe.” Carter’s gaze held hers for a moment more, before he turned and left the room with the others. Once again, Gina and Kell were on their own.
“That was kind of sweet,” Kell said with a grin. “You guys must have quite the history.”
“We do. I’ll tell you about it someday. For now, though, we need to get ready.”
Kell looked confused. “For what?”
“Something’s going to happen in exactly seven minutes. I’m not sure what, but I think we need to get our backs against the wall before it does.”
Chapter 34
Carter eyed his watch as they were herded into what looked like a procedure room. Dr. Powell, who was seated at a computer when they entered, jumped to his feet to greet them. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve got everything ready for you.” He gestured toward a row of examination tables and actually looked confused when they didn’t respond. “You have nothing to worry about. This is standard procedure.”
“You call this standard procedure? Kidnapping two of our friends and forcing us to be a part of your Frankenstein program?” Carter was angry and didn’t mind letting it show.
Dr. Powell glanced to the general, looking for support. When none was given, he continued. “I agree that the circumstances are unusual, but I think, over time, you’ll come to understand just how important the work we do here is. You’ll be providing an invaluable service to our soldiers.”
“You have got to be kidding. You don’t know the first thing about us, yet you expect us to allow you to do whatever it is you plan on doing? No way.” Carter looked at his watch, then at his team.
General Persaud strode confidently to the doctor’s side. “You can stop looking at your watch, Mr. Mockta.” He gestured to a soldier who held up one of the explosives they’d planted. “Mr. Li, you are very talented, but my men were onto you. There will be no detonation, and there will be no escape. Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear earlier. If any of you put up any kind of resistance, one of your friends dies. If there’s any further trouble, the other one dies. I can keep bringing people that you care about here as long as I need to. Now, I know you all have abilities. I’ve seen some of them, but I’m aware that there are more that I haven’t. That’s why Captain Hancock is standing right outside your friends’ cell. He can hear everything that’s happening in this room and has orders to shoot if necessary. I do hope it won’t be necessary.” With that, the general walked out of the room, leaving his soldiers to guard them.
Carter clenched his jaw at the thought of a rifle pointed at Gina. Their plan had just acquired a new wrinkle.
********
Gina eyed the soldier standing outside their cell. He was tall and muscular, with blond hair and blue eyes that almost seemed friendly. He looked more like a man from a recruiting poster than someone that would kill two innocent women.
“You’re the guy from the falls yesterday. You saved our lives.” Kell took a step away from the wall as she spoke, then stopped, as though remembering Carter’s coded message. “How can you be involved in something like this?”
The soldier didn’t answer, but he did glance at Kell like he remembered her.
“Captain Hancock, right? I understand that you’re following orders, but we’re being held against our will by your boss. I don’t know what he wants with our friends, but it can’t be legal, or ethical. On some level, you have to know that.”
Still no answer, but Gina thought she caught a glimpse of something in the man’s eyes. Uncertainty? Confusion? Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, but they only had a few seconds left before whatever Carter had planned happened, and she didn’t want their escape to end with a bullet. “You wouldn’t really shoot us, would you? I’m sure you’ve been given orders to do that, but I can’t imagine a man like you following them. Do you have family? Do they know the kinds of things you’re being asked to do?”
Captain Hancock raised his gaze to meet Gina’s, then Kell’s. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a sudden explosion. The blast emanated from the lock on the iron gate to their cell and shot flames and molten metal in all directions.
Captain Hancock staggered backward as he was pelted by red-hot shards from the disfigured locking mechanism. The smell of burning flesh filled the room as his face and arms were torched by the shrapnel. His once kind eyes took on a terrifying look of fury as he swiped away the burning bits of metal, taking off small chunks of skin with each stroke.
Gina no longer saw the recruitment poster image. Instead, only a monster remained. When he raised his rifle she didn’t even try to talk him down. She simply closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.
Chapter 35
Carter once again looked at his watch. Although the general removed the explosive from the entrance, there was still a chance the other one remained intact. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing right now. With every passing second, all the things that could go wrong played out in his mind like some mini disaster movie. Over and over again, he imagined Gina being shot by Captain Hancock when the device he’d slipped into their cell’s lock detonated.
“Let’s get started, shall we?” Dr. Powell held up one of the needles and pointed to Mirissa. “Have a seat on the table, please.”
As she moved to the table, Steve stepped in front of her. “I’ll go first.”
One of the guards reacted to the unexpected movement and took his place beside the doctor. “No, our orders are for her to go first.”
Carter wasn’t surprised. The general knew she was capable of tearing the place apart without lifting a finger. He’d want Mirissa rendered unconscious first, given the choice.
But they weren’t planning on giving him the choice. They just needed to buy a little more time.
“What’s in that needle, Doc?” Carter asked.
Dr. Powell looked shocked at th
e question. “It’s not dangerous. Just something to help ease the process a little. You really needn’t worry. I’d never—”
The blast echoed down the hall, causing the delicate equipment in the room to topple to the floor. Glass vials holding indeterminate liquids shattered on their shelves, filling the room with a smell Carter didn’t recognize. Alarms blared through unseen speakers, and the doctor’s eyes widened as the gravity of the situation weighed down on him.
Mirissa raised her hands to unleash God-only-knew-what on their captors, but was interrupted by the guard jabbing the needle he’d taken from the doctor into her neck. Steve grabbed the man’s hand, but it was too late. The plunger was already down.
With one sweep of her arm, Mirissa ripped the rifles out of the soldiers’ grasps. Another sweep and the men were flung against the wall. The one who injected her seemed to hit exceptionally hard. With her hand raised, holding them in place, she turned to the doctor. “Where are the tranquilizer guns? I know you have some.”
Powell stammered through his answer, having to yell to be heard over the sirens. The team slung the hijacked rifles over their shoulders, and strapped the tranquilizer guns to their belts. With no explosion to open the entrance door, the tribes would be stranded outside. Carter and the rest of the team would have to deal with the super soldiers on their own.
Carter helped hogtie the men with zip ties to keep them out of the fight, then turned to Myrine. “Six down, twenty more to go. I’m going to get the girls.”
Myrine nodded. “Take Han and Jackie with you.” She grabbed the walkie-talkies from the soldiers and handed them out. “Turn these to channel four and keep in touch. We’ll find the general and his other captives.”
Carter inclined his head to their leader before heading down the hallway with Han and Jackie. He only hoped they weren’t too late.
********
Taking a deep breath, Mirissa leaned against the examination table. She was more winded than usual after using her telekinesis and needed a moment to regroup.
Rogue (Book 2) (The Omega Group) Page 15