Viking Warrior Rising

by Asa Maria Bradley

  New ones.

  They were still making people like her. She’d been naive to think she’d prevented that with one explosion. She swallowed hard. “How many of us are there?”

  “You’ll find out when we get back to headquarters.”

  “Are the new generation those black-eyed monsters?” She forced her tone to remain light as she pretended deeper interest in her cuticles. When he didn’t answer, she looked up.

  Eerie green eyes studied her coldly. “When did you see the wolverines?”

  “None of your business.” Ice spread through her veins. If he knew what they were, they must be linked to the lab.

  His smile was pure predator, shiny teeth and dead eyes. “Oh, but it is my business. They have orders to bring you back.”

  He stood abruptly, the gun still aimed at her. “My superiors will be very interested to hear about your run-in with our new creations.”

  So there it was. The program now experimented on nonhuman creatures. Bile rose in her throat, but she forced it down. “I’m still not going with you.”

  He pretended surprise, widening his eyes. “I thought the gun made a strong argument. As I said, I don’t really care which condition you are in when I drag you back.”

  She laughed bitterly. “I don’t really care if I live or die.”

  His eyes glittered. “Do you care if your brother lives or dies?”

  She clenched her hands. “You will never get to Scott.”

  “You’ll lead us to him if you want him to stay alive.” The handler sighed. “We both know the outcome of this situation.”

  “Do we?” she said, forcing calm into her voice.

  “Get your ass out of the chair. We’re going—now.”

  So, Mr. Nice Guy was gone. Shit. She was running out of options. “Can I at least put on shoes?” Maybe she could strike when she stood up after tying them.

  “You won’t need those.”

  She studied him for a moment. If they went outside, she’d have more room to maneuver. She’d kick the gun out of his hand then.

  As they stepped on the hot asphalt, she made a point of flinching when her bare feet touched the pavement.

  The agent gave her a hard push. He had taken off his jacket to cover the gun and had a loose grip on her arm.

  She pulled her arm back, positioning her feet to pivot and kick. Before she had a chance to execute, a dark sedan pulled up. A gun barrel glittered in the open passenger window.

  She couldn’t get into that car, but she also needed to stay alive for Scotty.

  Concentrating on the new threat, she prepared to get her one hit, and then she needed to make a run for it.

  The pinprick in her shoulder took her by surprise. She saw the satisfied grin on the agent’s face before her vision blurred. She snarled and lunged for him, but her legs and arms flopped like overcooked noodles.

  The handler looped her arm around his neck and half carried her to the car as the other man got out and held the door open.

  She slid down onto the floor in the backseat. She tried to speak, but her lips wouldn’t form words.

  In the front seat, the man from her apartment turned to look at her. “Just relax now, Ms. Brisbane. We have a couple of hours before it’s time for your next injection. I want you calm but conscious when we stop for the night.”

  Naya silently vowed he’d never get her calm enough for what he had in mind.

  Inertia propelled her backward as the car sped up. Her hand fell against the shape of her cell phone in her jeans pocket.

  Sweat broke out on her forehead as she forced muscles to cooperate. Finally, she slid the phone out. Mustering all her willpower, she turned to shield the phone from the handlers’ view.

  Squinting at the display, she scrolled down the numbers and pushed the dial button.

  Chapter 10

  Leif pinched the bridge of his nose as the chaos of his warriors arguing engulfed him. They had been discussing things fairly peacefully until Harald threw out, “Someone in here is passing information to the wolverine freaks. And I’m going to kill the bastard.” He’d then looked straight at Irja, who’d stared back, chin raised, while everyone else shouted at the top of their lungs.

  Irja stood in the farthest corner of the room, hugging herself tightly.

  Sten and Torvald took turns yelling at Harald.

  Leif bellowed, “Silence!” Quiet spread through the room as his troop one by one turned toward him. “We’re getting nowhere with baseless accusations. Rein in the tempers before your berserkers respond to the adrenaline rush.”

  “Can you blame us, min kung?” Astrid’s cheeks flamed red. “Your stallare just accused us of being traitors.” She threw Harald a dark look.

  “We’re all chosen by Odin and Freya,” Sten interjected. “The gods wouldn’t send a traitor to Midgard.” He looked around the room for support.

  “Maybe they can’t recognize a traitor,” Harald said, looking first at Astrid before addressing Sten. “They still allow Loki among the gods. That bastard’s evil schemes go unchecked. What makes you think they’d be able to spot dishonesty among our warriors?”

  “You would get away with a lot too, if you saved Odin’s wife,” Torvald spat at Harald.

  “Silence!” Leif shouted. “For once in your life, use what’s inside your thick skulls instead of just bashing them together.”

  After some scattered muttering, his warriors quieted down.

  He glanced at Irja. If possible she’d shrunk further into herself, staring at the floor.

  “Somehow, Loki’s creatures knew exactly where I would be when they attacked in the alley. They also knew exactly where Per would be when he went to collect the weapons.”

  “They could only know those locations if someone revealed the details,” Harald insisted, face flushed.

  “I was the only one at the house when Leif went out,” Irja said quietly.

  Everyone turned to look at her. She didn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

  Leif sighed. He knew she hadn’t betrayed him, but how he would prove her innocence he didn’t know.

  “So?” Astrid finally said. “That doesn’t mean it had to be you who told the wolverines. Any of us could have been watching the house and told them when Leif left.”

  Irja looked up, surprise clearly visible in her eyes.

  Astrid smiled encouragingly at Irja, and then threw Harald a dirty look.

  The big Viking’s face was red, but he kept quiet.

  “But that was one of the few nights we actually paired up for patrol,” Sten said.

  “Doesn’t mean you couldn’t have hired someone to watch the house,” Torvald countered. “Or maybe there are two traitors, working together.”

  “Anyone not a Norse warrior would have triggered the enchantments,” Irja interjected.

  Leif winced. Why would she make things worse for herself?

  “Not if they were watching the end of the road,” Torvald said stubbornly. “Someone devious enough to betray our king would be smart enough to delegate the dirty work.”

  Harald squared his shoulders. “Fine. But how would they find the road?”

  “You’re right. They wouldn’t.” Torvald frowned. “Even if they were outside the reach of the enchantments, we would still notice someone watching the road. The area is too isolated for anyone to set up a surveillance spot without calling attention to themselves.”

  And they were back to square one, unless there were two traitors. Leif didn’t want to contemplate the possibility.

  The warriors mumbled among each other again.

  Before he had a chance to add anything to the discussion, his cell phone rang. Puzzled, he pulled it out of his pocket. Unknown number.

  “Yes.”

  “Help… Please…”

  He strained his ears to make out the voice. “Naya? Where are you?” He tried to tap into the emotional connection he’d felt when she passed out in the lab. Nothing. Shit.

  He listened closely for a
ny sound that hinted where she might be. All he heard was humming. Engine noise? Voices spoke in the background. Male.

  The berserker’s fury rose in his chest. Someone had taken his woman. He met Harald’s worried gaze. “We need to find her,” Leif said.

  His stallare gave a short nod and turned to the others. “You heard the king. Find Naya.”

  Ulf stepped forward. “If you keep the line open, I can trace her.”

  Phone in hand, Leif quickly followed Ulf to the tech room.

  Ulf threw himself in front of the monitor and started typing. “Naya showed me how to trace cell phones using both GPS signals and cell phone tower connections before she left.”

  “Just do it,” Leif said.

  The younger warrior nodded and continued hitting the keyboard as window after window flitted on the screen. A few minutes later, Ulf stopped. A blinking red circle moved along the highway map, heading east out of town. “That’s her,” he said. “As long as the phone stays on, I’ll be able to trace the signal.”

  “Find Harald,” Leif said. “I’m going to go get her.”

  “My king,” Ulf interjected, “you should remain safe by using your warriors for this mission.” Heat flushed his cheeks. “You could keep an eye on the signal for us.”

  Leif silenced him with one look. His woman. His fight. His berserker howled.

  Without looking at Ulf again, Leif strode out the door. In the hallway, Harald held out a Glock. Leif holstered the weapon and nodded at his friend. Walking side by side, they left the fortress through the main door.

  Dressed in black leather, helmets in hand, Sten and Astrid waited beside two black Kawasaki ZX-14Rs and a silver Porsche Boxster-S.

  Leif stopped by the motorcycles, but Harald nudged him on.

  “I understand you want in on the action, but the front line is too dangerous.” He glared at Leif.

  Leif refrained from arguing only because it would take up time. Nodding to the other two warriors, he slid into the passenger seat of the silver sports car.

  As Harald took the driver seat, Astrid and Sten mounted their motorcycles, and then shot down the driveway at full speed.

  “I’ve linked the car’s cell communications and the motorcyclists’ helmets with me on this four-way call,” Ulf’s voice said through the car speakers.

  Harald started the car and they accelerated out the gates behind the two Kawasakis.

  * * *

  “Not so tough now, are you, kitten?” The man with the broken nose laughed at Naya from the passenger seat. “The boss isn’t going to believe how easy you were to capture.”

  On the floor, Naya ignored him and concentrated on staying conscious. She really couldn’t move. Every attempt to crawl up on the backseat ended in a painful slide back down. But she’d get the bastard when he tried to inject her again. Eventually they would have to stop for something. Gas or food, she didn’t care, but she’d get away then.

  “The boss won’t like that she met the wolverines and managed to get away,” the driver said.

  “Shut up,” the first handler barked. “We’ll talk about that later.”

  “I’m just saying that Dr. Trousil’s client is going to be pissed. We promised him the wolverines would capture her. He’s paid a lot of money for them.”

  The man in the passenger seat slapped the driver in the back of the head. “Shut your mouth, or I will shut it for you.”

  Naya lost track of their argument. She tried to lift her head and keep her attention on the men, but her eyes refused to focus. The seat bulged in and out, as if reflected in a fun-house mirror.

  “We’ll have some fun with you tonight.” Broken Nose leered at her.

  She shut out the man’s voice. Had to stay focused. The phone she’d shoved under the backseat glinted in a beam of sunlight streaming through the back window. Leif. She’d called Leif. She’d never asked for help before.

  Naya smiled bitterly. She could use a warrior king right now, even a delusional one.

  * * *

  Leif stared straight ahead as Harald weaved the Porsche in and out of the traffic on the interstate.

  In a synchronized dance, Astrid and Sten streaked well ahead of the sports car, switching lanes back and forth as they zipped past the cars and followed Ulf’s directions.

  It sucked not being in the lead.

  “You should be close now,” Ulf said through the car’s speakerphone. “Your signal is almost on top of hers.”

  “Car’s in sight,” Astrid’s voice crackled over the line. “I see a dark sedan with government plates up ahead.” She read them the license plate number.

  Ulf’s voice transmitted clearly across the line. “That’s the same car that picked up the guy at the bus stop after Naya broke his nose.”

  “Moving in for a closer look,” Astrid said as one of the motorcycles peeled ahead, gaining on the sedan.

  * * *

  Angry voices argued in the front seat. Naya tuned in to see what had changed.

  “Just outrun them for God’s sake.”

  “I’m flooring this car as fast as it will go. Those bike engines can outrun this car.”

  “They’re on two crotch-rockets, just run them off the road.”

  “Shut up.”

  The whining of motorcycle engines approaching reached Naya’s ears. Cops?

  She craned her neck to look through the window. An alien with a disproportionately big head peered back at her. She shook her head to clear her vision.

  The alien raised a hand in greeting.

  She tried to wave back, but managed only a weak flop.

  * * *

  Leif willed the sports car to go faster.

  “She’s in the back!” Astrid shouted. “On the floor and looks to be okay. She just waved.”

  Leif let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He turned to Harald. “I want these bastards.”

  Harald responded by pressing down on the gas pedal. The car shot forward, engine thrusting harder.

  “They’re exiting,” Sten said. “They’re trying to shake us.”

  Astrid’s war cry echoed through the car’s speakers. She was always the first to catch battle fever.

  Leif’s berserker needed to see Naya alive and he needed to fight—to kill—those who had taken her.

  “What exit?” Harald shouted. “Never mind, I see you.” He switched lanes and followed the two motorcycles down the exit ramp.

  They bounced down a barely paved country road. Astrid and Sten zigzagged behind the car, each switch bringing them closer to their prey. Finally, they both shot up on opposite sides of the car.

  The sedan swerved, but before long, the bikes forced the car to the shoulder. The back wheels lost traction in the gravel and the sedan fishtailed.

  Astrid and Sten whizzed back and forth like maniacal bees.

  Astrid’s laughter crackled over the line.

  Sten whooped a happy war cry.

  “Careful!” Leif shouted. “Naya is in the back.” He watched in horror as the car swerved again, and then careened off the road.

  It skipped through a bumpy field before hitting a large boulder. Metal groaned as the hood scrunched up like an accordion. Astrid and Sten pulled up just behind the crashed car and dismounted their bikes.

  Leif threw himself out the door before Harald had completely stopped the Porsche. He ran across the field, reaching the driver’s side first.

  The door opened. A man staggered out. Leif didn’t bother asking any questions. With a quick twist, he broke the man’s neck and shoved the lifeless body out of the way without a second look.

  Blind to anything but reaching Naya, Leif tore open the backseat door. She lay on the floor, her eyes closed. He reached for her. Before his hands touched her sweet skin, her limp body was pulled through to the front seat.

  A man with bruises under his eyes held her in a choke hold, a gun pressed to her temple. “Slow down, big guy. The lady and I haven’t finished our conversation.”

/>   Leif cursed his berserker for reacting on instinct and not noticing the second person in the car. He forced his body still, focusing on the arm around Naya’s neck. Battle fever surged like hot lava through his veins.

  “Stay the fuck away from me.” The man kept the gun pressed to Naya’s head while he reached behind and opened the door. Repositioning his grip, he slid out of the car, dragging Naya with him. “Call off the others or I blow her brains out.”

  Leif slid across the mangled hood. “Why do you want her?” He held up his hands as the other Vikings advanced.

  They stopped but bounced on the balls of their feet, arms hanging loosely by their sides. A dagger glinted in Astrid’s hand.

  The man smirked. “She belongs to us. We made her.” He shook her.

  Astrid took a step forward, raising her weapon.

  The man twisted around and shouted, “Stay back or I terminate this bitch permanently.” He edged toward the Porsche. “Who has the keys?”

  Nobody answered him.

  “Give me the fucking keys!” he shouted, hysteria creeping into his voice.

  Harald held up his key ring. “These what you want?” He threw them on the ground, away from Naya and the man.

  “That was stupid.” His finger tightened on the trigger.

  “No!” Leif shouted. “I’ll give you the keys.” Holding up his hands, he walked over and carefully picked up the keys. “See, here they are.”

  “Nice and steady, walk them over to me,” the man said.

  Leif kept his eyes on Naya as he approached. She opened her eyes, looked straight at him, and closed them again. He kept the surprise from his expression as he held out the keys. “Don’t hurt her.”

  The man frowned. To grab the keys, he would have to let go of Naya or the gun. “Start the car,” he finally said.

  Against every instinct, Leif did as he was told. His body shook with the effort of controlling the berserker.

  “Get out.”

  Leif exited the car, breathing deeply to hold back the battle fever. His inner warrior wanted to tear the enemy into pieces. Tiny, tiny, bloody pieces.