My dad’s eyes were wild, his fangs dripping with saliva.
I touched his wrist. “Dad, I’m sorry.” I was. The last thing I would ever do was hurt my father. “You can’t just fly off the handle. Aren’t you the one who taught me and your men to think before you act? You always said anger wouldn’t get me anywhere. You’ve counseled Sam on his anger issues a hundred times.”
Dad sighed as he briefly closed his eyes. “Edmund will kill Rachel, Kraft, and Kodiak. I can’t let that happen.”
“Edmund has Rachel too?” Webb asked.
Tripp stuck his head in. “No answer on either Kraft or Kodiak’s phone.”
Dad’s phone rang. He plucked it from his pants pocket. After a swipe, he growled. Then he set the phone down on the table. “There’s your answer.”
Webb, Tripp, and I glanced at the screen.
I gasped. Tripp and Webb swore.
Kodiak was chained to a wall. Kraft was laid out on the floor, either dead or unconscious. The words under the photo read, We’ll be in touch.
“How did this happen?” Webb asked no one in particular. “They were tailing the CIA men. Surely, the humans didn’t capture them. They don’t have the strength.”
“They don’t need strength,” I said. “They just need the bullets filled with the sedative.” Dr. Vieira and I had no time left to tweak the antidote. We would have to make a batch no matter if the antidote worked for five minutes or an hour.
14
Webb
The CIA agents weren’t due to arrive for another hour. After Steven was calm, he and Jo went up to the mess hall to talk. When Tripp had called to tell me the commander and Jo were fighting in the weapons room, I hadn’t thought anything of it. Steven and Jo had had a tumultuous relationship; even Sam had fought with Steven on many occasions. But when I’d opened the door to the weapons room, they weren’t arguing. It had taken me a minute to react. Jo had had about ten daggers ready to stab her father. Granted, Steven was stubborn and hadn’t been listening to her, according to Tripp. Steven had to have been out of control for Jo to do something like stab her own father, although not one blade was pointing at his heart.
“That was weak,” Sam said from the other side of the punching bag.
I had to blow off some steam before I met with the agents. My mind was all over the place. My temper was teetering on the edge, much like Steven’s, and I itched to kill.
“Get on the mat,” Sam ordered, sweat dripping down his face as his five-o’clock shadow colored his angular jaw.
I glared, mainly out of sheer amazement that Sam had turned into a tall, imposing vampire overnight.
“What? I’m not afraid of you, London.”
I smoothed a hand over my head. “I am your superior officer.” It felt like yesterday that we’d rescued him from Edmund.
Rolling his eyes, Sam crossed the carpeted floor to the thick mat in the middle of the padded room. “In here, you’re my underling.”
I chuckled. The young vampire had grown some balls. Then again, Sam had always had the fortitude to take control.
“I know you’re dying to use your fists on bone and not a punching bag,” he said.
I grinned as I met him in the center. “Are you sure you can handle me?”
He let out a laugh.
Before I knew what was happening, Sam whirled around with a roundhouse kick to my jaw. My head went left then back. I touched my jaw before snapping it back into place.
For the next twenty minutes, we danced, punched, kicked, and wrestled. The entire session was freeing and energizing. I had to train more before we headed out to Alaska.
Sam snatched two towels off the chair near the door after we’d finished and threw me one. “So have you decided where the wedding will be?”
“Jo and I haven’t talked about it.” I wasn’t sure why, either. But I made a mental note to broach the topic when she and I were alone. “How is Matthew coming along, and Ben for that matter?”
Sam wiped his face. “Ben is doing great. Matthew has a long way to go.”
“We’ll need Ben for the upcoming mission. I was hoping we could use Matthew, too, now that Kraft and Kodiak have been captured.”
“Use his grandfather, Victor,” Sam said. “He helped you when you came to rescue Jo and me from the funeral home.”
I toweled the sweat off my neck. “Great idea.” Victor could wield a sword better than anyone.
“Webb, can I sit in on your meeting with those human agents? I know I’m not an official SEAL yet, but I want to learn as much as I can.”
He did have strong empath abilities that could detect if the humans were lying or scared, although it was easy to detect fear in humans just by their scent.
“With Kraft and Kodiak out and Olivia guarding Abbey, I could use your help. But I don’t want to overwhelm the two agents with a room full of people. Let me check with your dad on how we want to handle the meeting.”
He nodded. “I’m going to head up to the apartment and clean up. Text me.”
He collected his bag, and we both left. I ran up to the men’s barracks on the third floor. After a quick shower, I dressed in a fresh uniform and sent Steven a text. Let’s talk before the agents arrive. I’ll be in my office.
I’ll be there in one minute, he responded.
We had ten minutes before the agents showed.
When I walked into my office, Steven was engrossed in his phone.
I skirted by him to sit in my chair. “Has Edmund sent another text?”
He set his phone in his lap. “No. And before you ask, my daughter is in the lab with Dr. Vieira, helping him with the antidote. She’ll not be joining us for the meeting.” His tone was resolute and laced with lingering anger.
I was always thinking of Jo, but she didn’t need to be in the meeting. “You’re still pissed, I see.” I didn’t need him to meet with the human agents while he was in a mood that would scare them into leaving. “We need to be even-tempered as we plan and keep the endgame in perspective. Kraft and Kodiak will be fine. Edmund isn’t going to do anything to them, not if he’s trading them for Abbey.”
“It’s Rachel I’m worried about,” Steven said.
“I am too.” Boy, was I. I didn’t want to see Abbey grow up without her mom.
Steven pinched the bridge of his nose. “I saw stars when Edmund said he had Kraft and Kodiak. But you’re right. Jo said the same thing to me when we were in the mess hall.”
“Did you two work things out?” I asked.
“Yeah. She was just trying to stop me from doing something stupid. I saw firsthand how powerful she really is.”
I thought for a second, trying to remember if Steven had ever seen Jo in action, and I couldn’t recall one time he had. I’d seen her power when she and Sam had worked together to stop the vampires from entering that cabin in Alaska.
“We have about two minutes before the agents are here,” Steven said. “How do you want to play this?”
“You and I will meet with them in the viewing room off the lobby that has the hidden cameras. Tripp and Sam will be positioned in the room next door, watching everything from the monitors.”
“Good plan. And their background?”
I’d told Tripp but hadn’t filled in the commander. “You’ll love this. Agent Thomas and your brother, Patrick, were fraternity brothers in college. In fact, Thomas studied genetics.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “This will be an interesting meeting for sure.” Steven’s phone buzzed. “Yes, Ruth? Make them comfortable in the viewing room. We’ll be right down.” He hung up. “Show time.”
Before we left, I texted Tripp and Sam to get settled into the computer room in the lobby. Then we made our way down. I prayed that Steven and I could keep our wits about us and not kill the humans. Given Steven’s outrage earlier, I had the better chance of not taking off the humans’ heads, but we were both ready to explode.
The lobby was cold and sterile, like always. A circular desk surrounded
Ruth, our receptionist, who appeared as though she was down in a hole with only her blond head visible.
I checked on Tripp and Sam. “You guys ready?”
Tripp pushed in a button on the twenty-inch computer screen that hung on the wall separating the computer room from the viewing room. “We will be in a second.”
Sam slid into a chair next to Tripp. “This should be fun.”
“If things get out of hand,” I said, “get in there.”
They both gave me a thumbs-up.
Steven waited for me before we entered the viewing room. When we did, both agents hopped up. With introductions out of the way, Agent Thomas, who had graying hair and yellow teeth, sat in one of the four chairs around the square table. Like the room Jo and I had spoken to Steven in at vampire headquarters, this room was bare bones with no windows.
Agent Wyman, who had slicked-back hair and black-as-night eyes, sat next to his partner, while Steven and I filled the remaining two chairs across from the humans.
“I understand,” Steven said, “that Agent Thomas has been here on base once already. You have questions?”
Thomas nodded. “I do. Our office was brought in on the lab explosion case that happened last month on the Indian reservation. Our boss wanted to make sure the explosion was not terrorist-related. Anyway, the coroner found some abnormal bone structure on three of the victims.”
“And abnormalities on the victims scream terrorist?” I asked. “Also how did the trail lead you to us?”
Short of Edmund sending these two yahoos to us, there was no evidence to show that my unit had anything to do with the incident.
The agents gave each other a smug look.
Wyman leaned his elbows on the table. “We found a car at the scene that belonged to a Howell Gonzalez. He told us to check with the folks at the military base in town.”
I deadpanned, while inside I was ready to use whatever scare tactics I could to get them to come clean. Regardless, I didn’t believe for a second that Howell had sent these agents our way. The vampire wanted to help us, not start trouble. Besides, I’d saved his life. Surely, he didn’t want to die so soon.
“Let’s drop the bullshit,” I said. “What is it that you’re really after?” I flared my nostrils, sniffing the humans, but detected no signs of fear. Edmund had prepared them.
Thomas sat back as though he was the one who held all the cards. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at. We’re here doing our job. Nothing more.”
“I’ll be frank,” Steven said. “As the commander and officer in charge of this base and the SEAL teams, I have access to top-secret information. And I am not aware of any job by the CIA to investigate a local fire. I’m also aware, Agent Thomas, that you’re in possession of a collection of blood samples that were supposed to be sent to our lab in Boston. Now tell me, why would you need blood samples from this base? Because the way I see it, I can detain you for stealing top-secret data.”
Thomas arched his back. “I’ve done no such thing. Besides, you can’t prove that.”
I moved in my seat. “Are you that dumb to think that we don’t have proof?”
“Or that we don’t know, Agent Thomas, that you are working with my brother, Patrick?” Steven asked.
Silence whipped around like an icy wind on the North Atlantic in the dead of winter.
Agent Thomas kicked back his chair before he slapped his hand down on the table. The sound boomed, almost hurting my eardrums. “I know what you two are.” He wagged a finger between Steven and me.
Steven schooled his anger, which I could feel dripping off him. “And what is that?”
Wyman watched quietly as though he was enjoying the interaction.
Thomas leaned over slightly, his cigarette breath potent as he bared his yellow teeth. “You’re not human.”
Steven and I laughed.
“Don’t mock me,” Agent Thomas said.
“Wyman, do you agree with your partner?” I asked.
All eyes went to the dark-haired agent.
“I know that the bodies that were uncovered at the lab explosion weren’t normal.” He sounded like a robot.
“So are you also under orders from your CIA director to kidnap my men?” Steven asked.
Wyman and Thomas exchanged a surprised look.
I angled my head at both agents. “Yeah, you two are guilty.” I craned my neck up at the light. “Tripp, send in the guards.”
“Wait,” Wyman said. “You can’t arrest us. You’re not even the law.”
Steven rose as though a spirit had lifted him from the grave. He slowly pressed his hands on the table, swinging his gaze between the agents.
Agent Thomas inched back as a rancid smell of body odor permeated the stuffy air.
Steven bent over slightly. “You are stupid.” Each word was delivered with a precise tone devoid of feeling. “The minute you drive through my gate on government property, CIA or not, you abide by my rules. And if you don’t start talking, I’ll see to it that neither of you walk out of here.”
Wyman did a double take. Thomas gaped.
Sam and Tripp entered.
Wyman and Thomas paled as they laid eyes on Sam and Tripp.
We were all tall, broad, and scary compared to the agents, who were a good head shorter than us.
“We’ll take care of them.” Sam wet his lips as though he wanted to sink his fangs into them. I would guess he did. Human blood, no matter how rancid the scent of fear was, did taste good.
“You can count on us to get answers,” Tripp chimed in.
“Throw them in a cell,” Steven ordered.
Tripp handcuffed Thomas, while Sam did the same to Wyman. Both agents jerked and kicked, but they were no match for the strength of Sam and Tripp.
“You’ll pay for this,” Thomas said.
“I got a family,” Wyman whined, a distinct change from his earlier cocky tone. “Can I at least call them?”
I have an idea, I said to Steven via a telepathic connection.
Steven dipped his chin.
“Tripp,” I said. “Take Agent Thomas. Sam will follow with Wyman in a second.”
Thomas struggled to get free. “Wyman, keep your mouth shut.”
Tripp shoved Thomas out of the door.
I pushed to my feet, staring at Wyman. “I’ll make you a deal. You tell us what we want to know, and we’ll let you call your family.” It was time to unleash our supernatural powers, vampire laws be damned. I was tired of dancing around.
Wyman considered all of us in the room.
Sam, who had a death grip on Wyman’s arm, let go. “Dude, you have a choice here. Make the right one.”
Wyman bowed his head. “I’ll cooperate, provided I can walk out of here.”
I opened a telepathic connection to Steven. If we let him walk, then we’ll need to erase his memories of everything he knows about us. It goes against your by-the-book rule, but we don’t have time to dick around.
I agree, he responded.
“It’s a deal,” I said. “Start from the beginning.”
Wyman dropped into the chair. “Agent Thomas has been working with his buddy from college, Patrick Mason, your brother.” He regarded Steven. “Patrick wants to sell his genetic research to the government. He claims he can build super soldiers, as in people who can take out our enemies. At first, Thomas and I didn’t believe Patrick until he showed us a video of a man’s ability before he injected him with some type of serum and after. But we were still skeptical. So Patrick invited us to his research facility in Anchorage. It was there that we couldn’t believe our eyes. He’s got a warehouse full of recruits who are amazingly strong and incredibly scary.”
Steven sighed. “And what’s your purpose for snooping around here?”
“Patrick wanted us to find a little girl and bring her to him. If we did, he would show us more of his research.”
Steven pressed his lips tightly together. Sam had a blank expression on his face as he stood guard next to
Wyman.
“And my men?” I asked.
Lines creased Wyman’s forehead. “I don’t know anything about your men. I swear.”
“Does Patrick have any men in the city?” Sam asked.
“We met with a man earlier today named Dyson. He said he was with a government office in Boston and working with Patrick.”
Son of a bitch. Dyson was also Elder Dyson, as in Hollings’s colleague.
I gave Steven a sidelong glance. “That explains a lot.” More than a lot. I wondered if Hollings knew, and I was also curious what Dyson’s motivation could be. If I had to guess, I would say money. Greed and power were strong incentives to go against the law.
Steven didn’t show any signs of rage. Instead, he spoke in a calm voice. “Does Dyson have dark hair with a gray streak that stands out on his left side?”
Wyman nodded.
I gripped the back of the chair. “Two more questions. Who else within your organization knows about Patrick’s research? And what did Thomas do with the blood samples that he took from here?”
Wyman rubbed his thumbs together, a nervous tick no doubt. “Since Patrick isn’t ready to roll out his entire research, Thomas and I haven’t taken the info up our chain of command. We have to have more than some strong men and women to prove that they pass as super soldiers. As far as the blood samples, we gave them to Dyson.”
I blew out a quiet breath, knowing our DNA hadn’t fallen into the hands of the human government.
Steven popped off the wall. “Here’s what you’re going to do. When you leave here, you’ll take your family and disappear. No contact with your employer or Agent Thomas or anyone other than your family. Is that understood?”
Wyman nodded vigorously.
I eyed Sam as I spoke to him telepathically. Erase his memories of this conversation and everything he’s seen with Patrick. Then compel him to get out of town with his family and not to speak to anyone within the CIA, Edmund’s organization, or Dyson.
Sam blinked.
I moved toward the door. “Agent Wyman, Sam will escort you out. Thank you for cooperating. What you’ve told us will save lives.”
On the Edge of Infinity (A Vampire SEAL Novel Book 5) Page 12