Dark Lessons

by Julia Sykes

  “Tracker? Where?”

  “It’s in my shoulder.” I cringed when he scowled, but I carried on. “The Bureau can help me take it out. But we should be fine. Alex isn’t expecting a call from me for a few more days. I told him I’d cut off any unnecessary communication until I was ready to bring in backup.”

  “What were you supposed to be doing with Moreno’s associates?”

  “I was supposed to work my way up and assassinate Moreno,” I said. “I thought I was taking down his organization. But now that I know Division 9-C isn’t CIA, I don’t know what their agenda was in eliminating Moreno.” I shivered at the prospect that I’d been molded into a mindless assassin for a clandestine organization.

  I hugged Jason more tightly and pushed the worry aside. If I started thinking about all the terrible things I might have done, I’d break all over again. Possibly beyond repair this time.

  “I need you,” I said, clinging to him. “Please don’t leave me, no matter what.”

  “I won’t,” he swore. “Never again.”

  He held me for a while longer, petting and soothing me.

  “We should get dressed,” he finally said. “If Alex is expecting a call in the next few days, we need to arrange a protective detail before then. Let’s get you to the field office so Sam can get started tracking down the bastard.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. I didn’t want to leave the haven of his apartment, but I knew he spoke sense. “But I don’t have any clothes.”

  He had the grace to appear chagrined. “I suppose I did destroy your nightshirt and panties. You’ll have to wear something of mine.”

  I eyed him dubiously, but within minutes, he’d helped me into one of his huge t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. He drew the drawstring tight around my waist and rolled up the pant legs so I could walk without tripping. He touched his fingers to the buckle at the back of my collar.

  “No,” I refused softly. “I want to wear it.”

  He nodded his approval and planted a swift kiss on my forehead before quickly dressing himself. He was glorious naked, but there was something about Jason in a suit that exuded power and confidence. It made my core pulse and my cheeks heat.

  “Don’t look at me like that, or we’ll never leave,” he warned, but a small smile played around his mouth.

  He wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me out of the bedroom. We made it to the kitchen when pain shot through my body. All my muscles tensed, then turned to water.

  “Natalie!” Jason caught me as I dropped, falling to his knees so he could hold my boneless body.

  “Run,” I tried to say, fear for him twisting my insides. The word strangled in my throat as the door burst open, wood splintering as it gave way.

  I turned horrified eyes on the ruined doorway. Nate came in first, gun drawn. And trained directly on my heart.

  “Don’t move, or she’s dead.” My blood froze in my veins at the sound of Alex’s voice. He stepped in beside Nate, resting a hand on my friend’s shoulder, as one might idly touch a favorite pet. His golden eyes fixed on me. “You didn’t really think you could come to Agent Harper’s apartment without me knowing, did you?” he asked, his benign smile firmly in place. “It took me several hours to fly in the team, but it seems we’ve arrived in time.”

  Elena and Trent stepped in behind Alex, both holding guns trained at Jason’s head.

  “Don’t hurt him,” I begged, barely managing to form the words on my limp tongue.

  “What have you done to her?” Jason snarled, pulling me closer to his chest.

  Alex waved dismissively, but his keen eyes remained incisive. “Didn’t she tell you about how her implant works?” He withdrew the hated black device from his pocket. “I touch this, and she gets a nasty shock.”

  “Nate,” I pleaded with my friend, my mouth starting to function again even though my limbs were still useless. “You have to remember what he did. Stop him. He tortured you. How can you not remember?”

  The hard planes of Nate’s face remained impassive, as though he hadn’t heard me at all.

  Alex patted his shoulder. “Nathaniel and I are good friends. He’d never turn on me.”

  To my shock, Trent’s hand began to shake on his gun. I captured his hazel eyes in mine. I saw emotion there for the first time in years. Something flickered: fear, pain, hate.

  “Trent,” I gasped out. “Help me. You know what he did. You know he hurt you. Stop him.”

  Trent’s arm swung, his shaking gun shifting to point at Alex’s head.

  “What are you doing?” Elena asked, alarmed. “Trent, stop it!”

  “Such a shame,” Alex said, looking at Trent with no more than mild interest. “You were always a disappointing subject, but you’ve proven a valuable asset. Nathaniel,” he said calmly. “Take care of the traitor.”

  “No!” I screamed as Nate briefly changed his aim from my heart to Trent’s head. Blood and brain splattered from the back of his skull when the bullet exited, and he dropped. Nate’s gun returned to my heart in the space of a second, resuming his target as though nothing had happened.

  Elena glanced down at Trent’s body. She blinked once. Then her ice blue eyes returned to me. Her gun never wavered from its aim on Jason.

  “I’ll come with you,” I said brokenly. “Just leave Jason alone. I won’t fight you.”

  “I know you won’t,” Alex said with an indulgent smile. He activated my implant, and pain jolted through me, rendering me helpless.

  Jason snarled and clutched me more tightly. I could feel his body coiling for attack.

  “Don’t move, or I’ll have Nathaniel dispatch her, too,” Alex warned him. “She’s always been my favorite, but I can’t have my agents going rogue. But I won’t cause her undue distress. Hand her over, and we’ll leave you in peace, Agent Harper. She’s always been so invested in your wellbeing.”

  “No,” he refused, his arms iron bands around me. “She’s not going anywhere without me.”

  Alex’s brows rose. “Are you offering to join her?”

  “I’m never leaving her again. I’ll come with you.”

  “No,” I moaned, horror washing over me. I couldn’t let Alex touch Jason. “Please, Alex.”

  He touched the black device, and speech became impossible as all my muscles went limp.

  “I’m talking to Agent Harper,” he chided.

  “Do that to her again, and I’ll snap your fucking neck,” Jason growled.

  Alex cocked his head at him, completely unconcerned by the threat. “This is an interesting proposition. She must have told you about the process. You’d be willing to give up your dignity, your identity, for her?”

  “I’d die for her,” Jason swore.

  Alex’s lips twisted up at the corners. “That’s not what I asked.” He continued to study Jason. “You love her,” he observed. “What if I told you I can make her love me, not you? Would you still want to come?”

  “I never loved you,” I forced out, the words garbled on my thick tongue.

  He glanced at me, still smiling. “I have some ideas on how to fix that little problem.” He looked back to Jason. “What if I told you I can make you love me? Would you still voluntarily come with me?”

  “I’m not letting you have her,” Jason ground out.

  Alex laughed, a soft sound of amusement. “That’s not up to you to decide.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe. “The only choice you get to make is if you’re coming with her.”

  Jason’s eyes narrowed, his jaw fixing in a stubborn line. “I’m coming with her.”

  “No,” I begged. “Jason, don’t.” I looked back to Alex, frantic. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying. Please leave him alone. I’ll be good. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  Alex took a step toward us, shaking his head at me. “You tried to run away from me, Natalie. I can’t allow that behavior to go unpunished. You’ll need to go through the process again before I can send you back into the field.”
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  Terror solidified in my gut, and my blood turned to ice in my veins. I couldn’t go through that again. I couldn’t survive it.

  “If I come with you, you have to swear never to hurt her again,” Jason demanded.

  “I’m afraid you don’t get to make demands,” Alex replied. “Now be a good boy and stay still, or Nathaniel will shoot her.”

  Jason’s corded muscles rippled around me, but he didn’t flinch as the needle slid into his neck. A low growl left his lips, and he pulled me tighter to him one last time before his arms began to ease as the drugs took effect.

  Alex caught my limp body before Jason dropped me. He fell to the floor beside me. I tried to reach for him, but my arms wouldn’t work.

  “Nathaniel, bring Agent Harper,” Alex ordered. “Elena, make sure the hall is clear before we move them.”

  He produced a second syringe. I tried to shrink away, but I couldn’t move.

  “Don’t,” I begged. “Please, leave him.”

  “Oh, no,” Alex replied with a small smile. “This is far too interesting. He’s managed to undo all of my hard work with you. I’ll have to come up with more creative ways of keeping you in line.”

  The needle sank into my neck, a horribly familiar sensation. The world around me disappeared, until I was left in stark fear and darkness.

  Then, even that faded away, and I slipped into nothingness.

  I knew where I was before I came back to full consciousness. The cuffs around my ankles and wrists; the exposing angle of my spread thighs; the sterile, clinical smell.

  My eyes snapped open on a gasp.

  No. No no no…

  I squeezed them closed again, willing the horrible scene to change. I couldn’t be back here. I’d been with Jason. We were going to get help. Until…

  Alex. Alex has Jason.

  “Where is he?” I demanded, my eyes focusing on Alex’s white-clad figure where he sat on the stool beside me.

  He finished applying the wires to my naked body before answering.

  “Agent Harper?” he asked, as though little more than mildly curious. “I’m sure he’s making himself at home in his new cell. Why? Did you want him to come and watch?”

  “Let him go.” I didn’t care that I was groveling. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just let him go.”

  “Oh, no. I don’t think so. I’ve never worked with an older agent before. I’ve only ever been given new recruits. And considering your history with him, this gives me the opportunity to experiment. I want to see how he reacts when you come to love me, not him.”

  “You’re insane,” I flung out, finding my anger. It was so much less terrifying than facing the knowledge of my helplessness. “I’ll never love you. I didn’t before, and I won’t now.”

  He stood so he could lean over me. “That’s because I wasn’t allowed before. Our relationship had to remain professional. However, in light of your lapse, I’ve been granted more freedom in your conditioning.”

  A block of ice solidified in my gut. “What are you talking about?”

  He stroked his crotch, pushing his long white coat aside so I could see his erection straining against his slacks. “Did you really never notice? Or did you just not want to notice? All that time, I got to touch you, but you didn’t touch me. You received pleasure over and over again, and I was denied.”

  Bile rose in the back of my throat. “Stay away from me,” I warned shakily.

  He leaned in close, so his hot breath washed over my face. “You’re going to love me, Natalie. You used to love when I held you after our sessions. This will be even better. You’re going to—”

  Whatever vile thing he was going to say was cut off when my head snapped forward. Pain sliced through my forehead as his nose cracked beneath the impact. He jerked back with a muffled curse, blood running through his fingers as he clutched at his face.

  Grim satisfaction settled over me at the sight of him, bloodied and hurting. For once, his perfectly placid façade was torn away.

  A hysterical laugh bubbled up my throat. He snarled, then cursed when the vibrations hurt his ruined nose.

  Glowering at me, he unzipped his slacks and fisted his flaccid penis. He pumped up and down. It didn’t get hard.

  I laughed again, the insane sound seizing my lungs and making my insides ache as tears dripped from the corners of my eyes.

  He released himself and reached for a syringe on the metal table beside him.

  “Very well,” he said, his voice rough with anger. “I can see you’re not ready for pleasure. You want to start the session with pain. That’s easy enough.”

  I was still cackling when the needle slid into the crook of my arm and the drugs raced into my veins with stinging heat. This pain was familiar, but that didn’t make it easier to bear. It started out slow, like someone punching their way through the inside of my body. Soon, it would feel like they were trying to claw their way out, ripping me to shreds.

  At first, it was manageable. I gritted my teeth and sucked in deep breaths, willing my mind to deal with the pain. I knew that no harm was coming to my physical body. I could endure this.

  Alex touched his bloody fingers to the collar that still encircled my throat. I snapped at him, a feral act of defense.

  He smiled a red smile. “Is this Jason’s?” he asked.

  “Don’t touch it,” I hissed.

  Ignoring me, he dodged my snapping teeth and managed to unbuckle the collar, pulling it away from my throat. I cried out at the loss.

  “It’s mine now, Natalie,” he told me, darkly triumphant. “You have nothing of his. Nothing of your own. You belong to me. Both of you.”

  Pain ripped into me, my anguish layering over the agony inflicted by the drugs. My back arched with the force of my scream, and the sound of my despair echoed throughout the room.

  Chapter 25

  Jason

  I opened my eyes. Blinked.

  Nothing.

  Darkness surrounded me in a silent shroud. I lay on something lumpy that smelled vaguely of mildew.

  I reached out my hand, holding it in front of my face. I couldn’t even see the silhouette of my fingers against the faintest light.

  Where am I?

  Instinctively, I knew I wasn’t blind. I was somewhere light couldn’t reach.

  I cast my mind back.

  I’d been with Natalie. We were going to the Bureau. Then…

  “Natalie!” I shouted out her name, sitting bolt upright. I became aware of cool air on my skin.

  I was naked.

  Natalie didn’t answer me.

  Silence.

  I was alone in the dark.

  “Natalie!” I called out again, as though I could summon her if I just yelled loud enough.

  That fucker Alex had her. He’d said he would punish her for running to me. I understood now why she’d tried to escape me from the beginning. He’d hurt her, was probably hurting her right now.

  And I was naked and blind, powerless to help her.

  I swung my legs over the edge of whatever I’d been lying on. My feet touched cool concrete. I groped the air around me, searching. My right hand hit a rough wall, scraping my palm. I pressed against the surface, using it to steady me as I stood in the inky darkness. I took a cautious step, my toes searching for obstructions before I inched forward. My hand touched a corner. I paused and felt in front of me. The rough wall smoothed into cold metal. I banged on it.

  “Natalie!” I shouted. My fingers frantically searched for a door handle, but they only met smooth metal. “Natalie!” I pounded harder, making as much noise as possible. They had to take me to her. I couldn’t bear the thought of Alex hurting her. I’d seen the way he looked at her. There was more than just clinical interest in his eyes, although that had been chilling enough. If he touched her…

  I roared out my rage and slammed my body against the metal, bruising my flesh as I mindlessly tried to break the door down.

  A small beep sounded, and a mechanical lock cl
icked back. My body coiled, prepared to destroy whoever stood between me and Natalie.

  Light seared my eyes, but I didn’t allow that to slow my attack. I launched myself forward. A small, slight body gave way, falling to the floor beneath me. On instinct, my forearm went to their throat, ready to crush their windpipe.

  “Jesus, Jason. It’s me. It’s Sam.” If she hadn’t been using her rapid-fire pattern of speech, I might have killed her before I realized who she was. “Get off me. Oh my god, you’re naked. That’s your penis. That’s your penis on my chest. Holy fuck, that’s big. Okay. Okay. We’re good. That’s fine. But you’re kind of crushing me. Can you get off, please?” Her freckled cheeks turned red as my vision returned. “I mean, not like get off. You know? Just… Jesus, that’s big.”

  “Where’s Natalie?” I ground out.

  “I don’t know,” she said, her pale blue eyes wide and a little frightened. “Dex is right behind me. I called in for backup when I found this place. You didn’t call me to check in, and the tracking device in your jacket moved here. Only, when I got here, I found the jacket. Not you. Obviously, you weren’t wearing it. Because you’re… Well, yeah. I heard you beating down that door and came running.”

  “Tell me the schematics,” I ordered, still not easing up. “Where are we? How many guards are here? How do I get Natalie out once I find her?”

  “We’re underneath the warehouse district. This is a subfloor level that’s not on any of the blueprints I found of this place. And there don’t seem to be many guards. I saw two people—a short blonde and a huge black guy—but I hit them with tranq darts and they dropped. I haven’t seen anyone else. I didn’t even hear anyone else until you started trying to break the door down.” She held up her phone. “Lucky for you, I have an app for everything. Even unlocking super-secret electronic locks.” She glanced down at her chest again. “Now, could you please get your dick off my boobs? It’s making me feel really weird. And not in a good way.”

  A distant scream ripped through my consciousness. It was faint, but I knew it immediately.