“Stop.” I shoved him away and quickly jumped to my feet. “Are you planting more bugs?”
“Nope,” he said, shaking his head.
“So what was that about?”
“Honey,” he drawled. “If I have to explain it, I’m not doing it right.”
Oh, but he was.
And I’d be dammed if he’d do it again.
Chapter 26
A mutant with at least eight extra arms called to Jake from the opposite side of the gate. “Hey Daniels,” he said, waving a row of arms. “Over here, Quinn. I got the info you wanted.”
Quinn? What the hell?
My eyes cut to Jake.
“Keep your mouth shut and I’ll explain everything.” Jake didn’t wait for my agreement, but dragged me toward the mutant once we cleared security. Shaking hands with the mutant in some fancy guy code handshake, Jake nodded in my direction, but didn’t introduce me. In fact, he tried to use his body to shield me from the mutant’s view. I hated that and made my point by stepping around him and introducing myself.
“Hi, I’m Indeara Adair.” I held out my hand, and the mutant stepped back as if I was diseased. Which I was, but he didn’t know that. My dislike for Jake’s eight-armed friend increased. “And you are?”
Jake answered for him. “This is Baker. He sells information.” Jake’s voice softened, a sure sign he was anything but pleased. “To either side.”
I dropped my hand and glared at the traitorous informant, but it didn’t seem to faze him.
“So Daniels, you want what I got or what?” asked Baker.
Hearing the mutant refer to Jake with Quinn’s name freaked me out more than I could explain. After all, Quinn was a body dweller. He could be anyone, anywhere.
Jake squeezed my hand, and I glanced into his clear blue eyes. Instantly, my suspicions vanished. Quinn couldn’t hide from me, not in any body. It was something about his stare, his smell. I’d know him anywhere.
Pulling a couple of twenties from his pocket, Jake passed them to the traitor. “Okay, give me what you got.”
The mutant smiled and counted the bills, his grin slipping a notch. “Know why the Resistance always loses? Because you don’t pay for shit.”
At the mention of the Resistance my ears perked up.
“Yeah, well, your intel’s usually crap anyway. So spill it or give me my money back and fuck off.” Jake cracked his knuckles. As an intimidation method it worked wonders. Even I cringed.
“That cyclops you’re looking for,” Baker said. “He was spotted yesterday. In Reptoe territory.”
I glanced at Jake, checking to see how he took the news. I prayed the mutant was lying, but I doubted it. He was too afraid of the hunter to lie.
“Where at?” Jake peeled off another twenty from the wad in his fist and waved it in the informant’s face.
“Underground.” He paused to lick his fat lips. “The sewers to be more precise.”
“Is he okay?” I grabbed the mutant’s jacket and gave him a small shake. Appearing too stunned by my bold move, he said nothing. So I shook him again. “Was he hurt?”
At my second shake the mutant reached for me, four out of eight of his fleshy hands making contact. His fingers dug into my skin, bruising my alloyed flesh. Internally I winced as they burrowed deeper, but I refused to give any outside indication of pain. Instead I went for my PM40. The traitorous mutant bastard would tell me what I wanted to know, or he’d lose an arm or two.
He could spare it.
Before my weapon cleared my bra holster, Jake punched the abusive mutant in the throat. With a small shriek Baker dropped to the ground gasping for breath. Since he still had numerous hands attached to me, I started to tumble with him but Jake caught me in time.
“You’re a disaster waiting to happen, you know that?” Jake shook his head. I couldn’t decide if he was truly angry or just annoyed with me. Well, that was until he shook me. “Because of your little trick I lost a prime informant. Why did I take this fucking job?”
His stance ignited my fight of flight response. Fight, of course, won out. I kicked him in the knee. My foot stung from impact. “I wondered the same thing. Who are you really?” I didn’t wait for his answer, but kicked him again. “You’re not any kind of hunter, that’s for sure. Can’t even find a 7 foot cyclops…”
“Enough.” Jake set me down and rubbed his knee. “I’ll tell you who I am, but you have to promise me something.”
“What?”
“That you won’t interfere.” His ice blue eyes turned colder. “No matter what.”
Like that would happen.
“I swear.” I held up three fingers in Mutant Scouts honor. I’d never been a Mutant Scout, but Nobody had, and he’d showed me the secret handshake along with how to help a old mutant across the street.
Jake rolled his eyes. “My name is Jake McClain. But you’re right, I’m not a hunter.”
Dramatic pause.
Enough of this crap, I thought. “So who the fuck are you?”
“The man you’ve been looking for all your life.” He grinned flashing stark white teeth. “The leader of the Resistance.”
Chapter 27
“Using, deceitful bastard,” I muttered for the third time in the last ten minutes. Not that Jake paid me any attention. He was too busy trying to coax Baker back into his informant stable. Every time I thought about Jake and his revelation, my blood heated, and I wanted to kick the snot out of him. He’d used me. Weaseled his way into my search for Nobody so he could keep an eye on me, all to protect his precious Resistance.
“Time to go,” Jake said from behind me. I didn’t want to go any where with the likes of him, but a kitty-rat curiosity got the better of me.
I followed Jake to a beat up minivan, and we climbed inside. It smelled of sweat and lemonade. Of summer days. Days spent watching tiny mutant kids play while their oblivious mutated parents watched on. I shook my head, saddened by the truth. The leader of the mutantity’s last hope drove a minivan. Was the mutant world even worth saving?
“So you wanna tell me what’s going on? Why that mutant called you Quinn? And why the leader of the Resistance is playing babysitter?” After each question, I jabbed my finger in his side. I stabbed harder and harder until he held up a hand in surrender.
“Okay,” he said.
“Well?”
Jake gave an eye roll I would’ve missed had he not emphasized it with a sigh. “First of all, you brought this on yourself. No matter how many times Ivan asked you to leave it,” he gestured to himself and the minivan, “to leave us alone, you had to find the Resistance.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me toward him. “Well, baby, you found us. I hope both of us live long enough to regret it.”
******
“We’re here.” Jake pulled the minivan to the curb outside of the HELLO MUTANT KITTY warehouse. It looked much the same as it had a few days ago with busted windows and boarded doorways, but somehow it was more ominous now. Above the doorway the statue of Mutant Kitty stared at me with wide black eyes.
I wasn’t sure I wanted the Resistance’s help anymore, but damn it, after my latest discovery at Resden, I sure as hell needed it. If Arthur had created the plague he could stop it. I hoped like hell he could or would for that matter.
But first I needed answers from Jake.
“Why the sudden Resistance interest in me?” I frowned. “A week ago the Resistance didn’t care enough to exist for the likes of me, and now, I’ve got my own personal bodyguard. Why?”
Jake grinned, a smile designed to devastate the female senses, and ultimately turn me into brainless mush. But I’d been with Quinn long enough to develop immunity to that sort of smile. After all, Quinn had mastered that grin at birth.
“We,” Jake nodded to the warehouse, “weren’t sure you could be trusted.”
“What?!” My voice rose to a screech. “My father was a rebel fighter. He killed for the mutant way.”
“True.” He shrugged his broad shou
lder. “But it doesn’t change the facts. You are Arthur Resden’s granddaughter, but even worse, you’re involved with Quinn Daniels.”
“Quinn and I are not involved.” My fists clenched as did my jaw at his implication. Again, Jake shrugged, as if my answer didn’t count. And it didn’t, not in the Resistance’s eyes. I’d slept with a traitor, had loved him, and would’ve given my life for him.
A thought occurred to me. “Is that why you kissed me? Was it some kind of sick revenge against Quinn’s perceived wrongs?” I shook my head. “Joke’s on you then. Quinn could care less about what happens to me.” Which wasn’t exactly true but I’d be dammed if I’d admit that to Jake.
“Perceived?” Jake leaned closer to me, his face inches from mine. He smelled of gunpowder and violence. “Let’s get something clear. Daniels list of crimes isn’t perceived. It’s very fucking real. You know that better than anyone.”
The anger radiating from him since Baker’s assault suddenly disappeared. “But as much as I hate Resden and Daniels I don’t fuck crazy mutant girls for revenge.”
“You know just the right thing to say.” I pressed my hand to my forehead and fanned myself like a Southern Belle. “It’s a struggle to keep my panties on.”
“It’s a gift,” Jake said and laughed. “But I will tell you this,” his voice grew cold again, “throwing around Daniels name inside,” he cocked his head toward the warehouse, “won’t make you any friends. Many of the Resistance aren’t nearly as forgiving of a traitor as me.”
Forgiving of what? I wondered. What kind of mutated bridges had Quinn set fire to when he left? I’d find out soon enough, I thought as I took Jake’s hand and allowed him to escort me into the headquarters of the mutant Resistance.
Chapter 28
“Isn’t it great?” Caren tugged on my arm for perhaps the hundredth time since Jake had escorted me into the depths of mutant hell. Or Resistance HQ as he called it. The Resistance headquarters wasn’t what I expected. In fact it appeared more like an underground dungeon complete with metal barred cells and zombie-eyed mutants than a headquarters of an organization bent on the destruction of the HOA.
While the HOA had trained, skilled, mercenary agents with weapons built for one strategic purpose, killing mutants. The Resistance had Jake and his band of desperados, most, from the looks of them, were under the age of twelve.
None of the rebels carried weapons and all had the blank-eyed stare of kids who’d seen too much. I noticed the telltale red rash of plague victims too. The Resistance was much too young and sick to help anyone, let alone save the world.
“This is it?” I motioned around the room to the bunch of kids barely out of puberty. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “What’d you expect?”
“Their just kids.” My eyes swept across the mutant army. “You can’t expect them to win against the HOA. They’ll be slaughtered,” I said low enough that only Jake could hear me. Last thing I needed was to annoy a bunch of hormonal teenagers.
“Eric’s sixteen,” Caren said, again pulling on my arm. “He’s going to be a soldier soon. Jake says I can be a soldier too.”
I smiled down at her. After Nobody’s kidnapping I’d asked Ivan to watch over her, to keep her happy and safe. Giving her to the Resistance so they could brainwash her into some kind of kiddie weapon wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind. I glared at Jake.
He held up a hand. “Caren, I said when you grow up you can be a soldier. Until then, you’re to stay down here with the rest of the,” he paused, “kids.”
A girl younger than Caren held out a curly haired blonde doll to me. The doll, much to my chagrin, wore pink combat boots. “Her name’s Shirley.” She smiled showing off a row of missing front teeth. “What’s your name?”
“Indeara.” I motioned to Caren. “I’m a friend of Caren’s.”
This seemed to satisfy the child. “My daddy’s dead,” she offered with a nod.
It was my turn to nod. “Mine too.”
“My daddy died before I’twas born.”
“How old are you, sweetheart?” My eyes lifted to Jake’s. The coldness lurking inside his gaze scared me more than her answer. In that moment I knew the truth.
“Free. I’m free years old.” She shot me another toothless grin and held up three tiny, red rashed fingers. “Today.”
******
“It wasn’t Quinn. It couldn’t have been.” I grabbed Jake’s arm spinning him around to face me. We were standing in the hallway outside a room full of orphans. Children orphaned because of my family. Orphaned by the man I had once loved, and a plague created by my own flesh and blood.
“Three years ago the HOA located our headquarters. They killed every man, woman and child they could find.” Jake’s voice went flat. “Quinn survived, thrived actually, and now lives in the human world. What do you think happened?”
I didn’t know what to think. Quinn’s shooting me and walking away made a kind of sick sense. But his being responsible for the deaths of his fellow mutants, and the orphaning of hundreds of children. That wasn’t him. Not the Quinn I’d known. If he had that much blood on his hands, it would show, wouldn’t it?
“But you survived.” I tilted my head to the side. “You and some of the others.” I motioned to the men passing through the corridors. Older men. Warriors. Their battle scars and cold eyes told more stories of war and death than any words could.
“Yeah,” Jake scoffed. “I survived. Barely. See Quinn didn’t know about the underground elevator. So the HOA didn’t either. Once they breeched the perimeter we carried as many of the dying to the shaft as we could, and we hid. For days. Do you know how many children I watched die? How many lives your lover’s betrayal cost?”
He faded into his memories, his eyes growing bleak under long-eye lashed lids. I fought my own dark demons, faces of people I loved and lost to this war. Jake shuddered, his mind returning from whatever hellish memory he’d suppressed. “Never again, Indeara.” He leaned in close to me, so close his breath tickled my cheek. “I won’t let it happen ever again. I’ll burn the place to cinders first.”
“I’m sorry.” I meant every word of it. Too many mutants had died. And for what? We were still trapped behind the wall, used as guinea pigs for vaccines and plague causing agents. Right then I vowed to stop Resden. Never again would a mutant die by my blood’s hands.
“So you see why I use Daniels name whenever I can.” His voice was hard.
“You want the HOA to believe Quinn is the leader of the Resistance so if they ever capture him, he’ll pay for his crimes against you.” I started to laugh. “That’s your revenge. The stupid part is, it’s working. The HOA believes Quinn’s the leader.”
Jake grinned. “Yeah, Ivan told me.”
“What now, Jake?” I gestured to the orphans, sick with plague, and the other mutants who relied on the Resistance for survival. “I need to find Nobody.” And destroy Resden, the vaccine, the plague, and maybe the HOA while I was at it. But I didn’t want to upset him so I remained quiet on the minor details.
“I’ve got an idea about that.”
From the look in his eyes, I knew whatever his grand idea was I wasn’t going to like it.
Chapter 29
“Are you kidding me?” I glared down at the black dress clinging to way too many of my curves, and up at Jake McClain, a man whose eyes noted every single on of them. “I look like a nightcrawler.” Again, I silently added.
“Naw.” Jake shook his stupid, blond head. “You look good.” I raised my overly plucked eyebrow. He quickly added, “Really. You do.”
“Just shut up and tell me where we’re going.” I shoved on a pair of slim, black heels and teetered down the concrete corridor of the HQ and into the murky sunlight. Jake followed behind me, his hands outstretched as if to catch me, when, inevitably, I fell on my ass.
Unlocking the passenger side door of the mutant minivan he motioned for me to enter. This was surprisingly ha
rd to do without flashing my bare assets to any mutant on this side of the wall. Jake watched my struggle, his grin widening as seconds ticked by. Finally I’d had enough, lifted the dress above my waist, modeling pink panties borrowed from a much younger mutant girl, and climbed aboard.
When Jake didn’t respond I wondered if he was already intimately familiar with the panties in question. It wouldn’t surprise me. After all, he had the right qualifications to make a mutant girl swoon.
Thankfully I was immune to his charms.
Or that’s what I told myself when his hand brushed the side of my breast as he hefted himself into the vehicle. I had to repeat it a few times to my traitorous libido, but after a few seconds, my blood returned to my head and my brain began functioning once again.
“No more silent tough guy impersonation.” I poked him in the side causing him to swerve into the other lane. “Tell me where we’re going or let me out right here.”
Right here seemed like a poor choice of words considering we were driving through Fey-sucking territory and I was dressed like a Fey-Burger. A rare Fey-Burger in pink panties.
Jake sighed. Something he did a lot around me. “The reptoes are holding a…party tonight.”
Not good.
Jake continued, “And we’re going to crash it.”
Even worse.
“So why am I dressed up like a hooker?” I frowned. I needed guns and plenty of ammo, not clingy silk and lace. Hell, the heels on my shoes weren’t even sharp enough to cause any real damage. What I wouldn’t give for a pair of stilettos right now, I thought. Preferably black ones with a good six-inch tip.
Apparently Jake didn’t feel my question deserved an answer, so he kept quiet and continued to drive us across the city and into Reptoe territory. I watched out of the mini-mutant-van window counting the number of fast food and Liquor store signs. When the number reached four to every block we reached our destination.
“Here’s the plan.” Jake motioned to a brick building a block from our vehicle. “We slip inside, do a quick search for your friend, and get the hell out of their before anyone recognizes you.”
The Body Dwellers Page 10