by Неизвестный
"So, where are these clothes I'm supposed to wear?" Nix asked.
Boone glanced up from what he was doing and pointed to a stack of black clothing on the chair by the bathroom wall. "Try those," he said. "They were the smallest we could find."
Nix grimaced as she picked the items up one by one, black pants, black shirt, black vest. She was starting to see a theme, and it wasn't one that would win any fashion shows. "Delightful," she said sarcastically as she started dressing.
"Oh, babe," Boone said, "just wait until we get you your boots. Then you'll really be gorgeous."
Cort laughed. "We haven't even told her about the stylish makeup that goes with the outfit."
Nix cocked an eyebrow. "Makeup? What sort of makeup?"
Boone reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a small container and held it up. "Black."
"Oh no," Nix said as she waved her hand at Boone. "You are not putting that shit on my face. I'll look ridiculous."
"Nix, it's part of the uniform," Cort insisted. "And you did agree to wear whatever was needed to go on the mission."
"You can't be serious?" Nix snapped.
"Very."
Nix glared, but when she saw that neither Boone nor Cort was going to give in, she heaved a huge sigh and rolled her eyes. "Fine, but if this shit gives me a rash, you're both going to be in deep shit."
Boone chuckled and brought the container over to her. The back of his hand caressed the side of Nix's face, sending shivers of delight down her body. "You'll be fine, baby, I promise. Cort and I have been using this stuff for years, and we've never had a single rash."
"We should braid her hair first," Cort said as he walked up behind Nix with a brush in his hand. "Keep it out of her face."
Nix groaned as the brush moved through her long hair. It had been years since someone brushed her hair, not since her nursemaid did when she was a small child. It felt wonderful. Even the way Cort's hand moved when he braided the long tresses felt wonderful.
The cold, gooey stuff Boone smeared over her face, however, did not. Nix grimaced. She wanted to wipe it away but supposed it was all part and parcel of going on a mission. And she needed to go on this mission. She needed to prove to Cort and Boone, and even Dane, that she was not some empty-headed Princess.
"Well, how do I look?" Nix asked as she stood back, her arms held out to her sides.
"Delicious," Cort said.
Nix rolled her eyes and pointed to the black stuff on her face. "This isn't marinade, you know."
"Honey, you could be knee-deep in shit, and you'd still look gorgeous." Cort chuckled.
Nix doubted Cort's words but decided they weren't worth arguing over. She needed to go on this mission with them, and if wearing all black, even on her face, meant she could go, she'd do it. And she'd hope for a long soak in the tub afterwards.
"So, how does this work?" Nix asked as she headed toward the bedroom door. "Are we just going to drive over there and walk in or what?"
"Uh, not exactly, Nix." Boone chuckled. He gestured to the black clothing and makeup they all wore. "This kind of means covert mission, you know? We really don't want them to see us coming."
Nix glared at Cort when he leaned down and winked at her, cupping his hand to the side of his face. "It's very hush-hush," he whispered.
Nix rolled her eyes and pushed away from him. She could hear Cort's laughter follow her all the way into the living room. Dane was waiting there dressed much as she was, only he had weapons. Nix frowned. She wanted a weapon.
"Do I get a gun?"
Dane snorted. "Not in this lifetime, Princess."
Nix lifted her hand to send Dane across the room, only to have it immediately grabbed by Boone. "Don't even think about it, Nix," he whispered into her ear.
Nix snickered at the alarmed look on Dane's face and leaned back into Boone's body. She might not have a weapon like Dane, but she had something, and that something made the big bad squad leader very nervous.
"Let's go," Dane said as he headed out the door.
Nix rolled her eyes at Dane's commanding tone and followed after him. Moments later she found herself buckled in between Cort and Boone in their truck and driving down the road toward the research facility. Dane sat in the back.
"Sal and Chance are going to be watching the facility, right?" Nix asked.
Cort nodded from the passenger seat. "That's the plan. We want the people inside the facility to see them and not us."
"How much danger are they in?" Nix would never forgive herself if her idea got someone on the team hurt. She knew the guys were all close, even if she didn't know the others very well.
"Not any more than us, I would think," Boone said. "A mission always comes with some degree of danger, Nix, whether we are acting as a decoy or the team going in. It's what we are trained for."
Nix knew Cort and Boone were trained soldiers, didn't mean she had to like it. "Just be careful, please? For me?"
Nix turned her hand over and melded her fingers together with Boone's when he grabbed for her hand. She felt the small squeeze he gave her and knew he at least understood her fear. At least, she hoped he did.
"We'll be as careful as we can, Princess, swear."
Nix rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Boone at the word Princess, but she knew he didn't mean it in quite the same way that Dane did. Boone was just trying to make her feel better and not quite so freaked out. It wasn't working, but she could put on a brave face like everyone else. Inside, she was quaking.
The thought of losing either Cort or Boone now that she found them was one Nix didn't even want to consider. She felt more love and freedom in the few days with Cort and Boone than she had her entire life as a Princess at home. And she wasn't about to give that up now that she'd found it.
"Tell me what I need to know."
"This is basically a recon mission," Dane said from the backseat. "We need to go inside the facility and find out as much information as we can, then sneak back out again. Stealth and observation are the name of the game here, Princess."
"Stealth and observation?" she asked, ignoring the "Princess" remark.
"The quieter the better, for one," Boone replied. "The best case scenario says we sneak inside, gather what we need, and sneak out without being seen."
Nix grimaced. "And the worst case scenario?"
"We come out of it alive." Dane smirked. "And preferably uninjured."
"I think I prefer the first scenario."
"So would I, but the likelihood of that happening is pretty slim. You need to be prepared for that," Dane said. "Follow our lead, listen to our commands, even if you don't agree with them, and get the hell out when we tell you to."
* * * *
By the time they reached the facility, squad leader or not, Nix was ready to tear Dane's head off. Every time she asked a question, Dane snorted, laughed, or made some comment about how stupid it was to bring her.
"Maybe you should just wait in the car, Princess," Dane said for about the millionth time since they left.
"Enough, Dane," Cort growled from next to Nix. "She's coming in. Get over it. Nix has shown she can wipe the floor with any of us. She's valuable to this mission."
Nix caught Dane's glance in the rearview mirror and smirked at him. Ha! Dane might not see her value, but her mates did. And not just in the bedroom. Nix couldn't even begin to describe how happy it made her feel.
"Fine," Dane grumbled like a little schoolboy before recovering back to the man in charge. "So, everyone knows the plan, right?"
"Yeah, we got it," Boone said as they climbed out of the SUV. Once everyone was out and the men checked their weapons, Dane led the line of them toward the facility. Cort was next, with Nix, then Boone following closely behind.
"Do it," Dane hissed when they got to the side door.
Nix watched with awe as Boone slung his automatic rifle over his shoulder and pulled out a digital device that looked only slightly bigger than a PDA. She smiled with pride as
Boone clipped a few wires to the security panel by the door and the little light turned green.
Once the door opened, Cort went through. Nix's heart pounded when she heard him hiss, "Clear!"
They all proceeded to head inside after Dane. The first room they entered wasn't so bad. It looked like any other normal office building, lots of desks, copiers, fax machines, and even a break room off to one side.
The same couldn't be said about the next room.
"What the fuck…" a guard said as he turned and saw the four of them. He dropped his coffee to the floor and went for his gun. He was too slow. Dane was on the guard, putting a headlock on him before he got to finish pulling his gun free.
While Cort and Boone quickly scouted the rest of the area, Nix stood there and looked around. She felt kind of useless, what with Dane taking the guard out and her mates searching the rest of the small entry area.
Glancing toward an area off to her left, Nix noticed a staircase. A small movement above her caught Nix's attention. She looked up, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of two guards aiming guns in Dane's direction.
Without even thinking about it, Nix threw one hand up and put a shield around Dane and the guard he was trying to subdue. Shots went off around them. With her other hand, she pulled the guards off the balcony, launched them up toward the ceiling, and then let them fall to the ground.
She watched them for any signs of movement, but it was obvious the two guards were out cold. Nix lifted the shield around Dane and the now unconscious guard just as Cort and Boone came running back in and skidded to a stop.
The silence in the room was eerie and sent a shiver down Nix's back. She looked at everyone, confused at the stunned look on their face. Only then did Nix realize everyone was staring at the ground in front of Dane.
"Yeah, we should leave her in the car," Cort said in a mocking voice as he pointed to several bullets at Dane's feet. "She just saved your life, man. Her shield kept those bullets from being in your head and chest right now."
"All right, welcome to the club, Nix," Dane said solemnly as he looked at her and nodded.
"Cool, do I get a gun now?" Nix grinned and arched an eyebrow at the three men staring at her.
"No," all three men snapped at the same time. Nix was just about to pout when Cort pulled her into a kiss.
"Not until we have time to teach you how to use a gun properly and be safe with it," Cort whispered. "No one in the club gets to have guns until we know they won't shoot themselves or us. It's not personal on this one, baby."
"Okay, I can handle that," she replied, wishing there was more time to play right that moment. She really liked kissing Cort, Boone too, or maybe both at the same time. "As long as I'm still part of the Cool Kids Club."
"Oh yeah, you little vixen," Boone said, coming up behind her. "You're a part of every club we have."
"While I'm grateful, Nix"—Dane rolled his eyes—"make out after we’re done being ass-deep in alligators."
"Right," Cort said. He chuckled as he turned to follow Dane. Nix could hear Boone groaning as she followed after Cort. She knew exactly how he felt. Nix could think of several other things she'd rather be doing at the moment than searching a research facility, top of the list being go back to bed with her mates.
They slowly and carefully worked their way down the only corridor past the guard's desk. Dane was in lead position, Nix between Cort and Boone. Nix felt protected being between the two of them, even if they knew she could handle herself. That told her more than anything that they cared for her.
Nix bumped into Cort when he suddenly stopped. She scowled and started to ask him what he was doing when he held up his hand. Nix jumped when another hand suddenly covered her mouth until she felt Boone pressed up close behind her.
"Silence, Princess," he whispered so low she almost didn't hear him.
Nix nodded and waited anxiously to find out what was going on. She watched Cort carefully, knowing he would give her the signal when things were okay, or at least give Boone the signal and he'd fill her in.
What seemed like minutes later, Cort finally motioned with his hand for Nix and Boone to follow him. Nix's mouth felt like the Sahara Desert as she followed behind him to a large door that had obviously been jarred open by a small explosive of some sort. Burnt residue surrounded what had once been a lock.
Nix arched an eyebrow at Cort as she walked past him into the room. He just shrugged and grinned. Nix was really starting to wonder just what kind of security her mates were involved with. The things they came up with didn't seem like the normal boy toys.
Nix shook her head and turned to see what was in a room that was so important the lock needed to be blown. She gasped as she took in the machines and equipment filling the room. There was a line of three exam tables against the far wall. Arched metal bands held needles in them, right along where someone's spine would be if they lay down on the exam table.
"No, this can't be," Nix whispered as she ran toward the exam tables. She stopped when she got to the equipment in front of her. "I've seen this before, at home. Vasile was working on some secret project in one of the towers. No one was allowed in, and it was almost always guarded. I knew he was up to something, so I snuck in to see what I could find. Vasile found me and told me it was some rehabilitation equipment, but it's not, is it?"
"No, according to this," Dane said, walking toward her with a clipboard in his hand, "it's used to drain and bag the spinal fluid of Others. You're listed on here as their number one want, Nix. It looks like Vasile, or whoever funded this project, found a way to drain the powers we have and transplant them into someone else."
"Dear God," Boone said quietly from behind them. "If he's taking their power and adding it to his own…he's got to be one seriously powerful motherfucker by now."
"That might explain why he's got my father under his thumb," Nix replied as she reached out to touch the table. Cort grabbed her hand before she could touch the metal, shaking his head.
"Don't touch, baby. We don't want to leave too much evidence behind," Cort said as he clasped Nix's hand in his. "We'll figure this out, Nix, I promise."
"According to this, they've shipped the Others they kidnapped back to your home, Nix, the ones still alive at least," Dane explained, looking at Nix. For the first time since she'd met him, Cort's gaze held nothing but softness and concern. "According to this file, their first priority was to locate you and bring you to this facility to have all of your powers drained."
"What happens when all your power gets drained?" Boone asked, coming to look over Dane's shoulder at the clipboard in his hand. Nix already knew the answer.
"You die," she growled. "He's not just taking their powers. He's killing members of our race, people under our rule, that my father and I are supposed to protect. I'm going to kill the son of a bitch with my bare hands."
Cort tried to slip his arm around her shoulders, but Nix shrugged him off. Instead, she felt the full amount of her powers coursing through her body as she let go of her anger. Throwing her hands out in front of her, Nix sent all the tables, equipment, and monitors flying across the room.
Nix watched dispassionately as everything broke and ripped apart, her rage distancing her from the rest of her feeling and fogging her mind. Vasile had signed his death warrant. He just didn't know it yet. And Nix was looking forward to making sure he found out.
Chapter 12
The noise in the room was deafening. Boone's mouth dropped open in shock as he watched Nix have the meltdown of the century. He knew his mate was powerful. He just had no idea how strong she actually was. And to say he was a little stunned by her actions would have been an understatement.
Dane and Cort seemed to be just as shocked, staring at Nix like she had just sprouted another head. Boone hurried over to Nix and grabbed her by the arms, shaking her hard when she didn't immediately respond to his touch.
"Nix! Knock it off before you hurt someone."
Nix's head snapped ba
ck and forth for a moment. Then her dazed eyes blinked up at him. Nix's dark blonde eyebrows drew together as she blinked several times and her deep blue eyes slowly cleared.
"Wha-what?"
"Snap out of it, Nix!"
Boone glanced away from Nix's confused face when he saw Cort walk up behind her. Cort looked concerned and just as confused as Nix. Boone imagined it was for a totally different reason, though. Nix was not what any of them expected.
It was obvious that Nix was not someone to piss off.
"Baby, we need you to have your head screwed on straight if we're going to have any chance of stopping this guy," Cort said. "We know how upset you are, and rightly so, but Boone and I need you to come back to us."
"Can you do that, Nix?" Boone asked.
Nix slowly nodded, her eyes darting around the room. When they landed on the mess behind Boone, they widened. Nix's mouth dropped open, her face turning pale white. "Did I do that?" she asked as she pointed across the room.
"Yeah, baby, you did." Boone pulled her close to his chest, Cort bringing up the rear, pressing Nix in a protective circle between the two of them. "But I think you had reason."
"I've never done that before."
"You've—" Boone's eyebrows shot up as he glanced over his shoulder at the destruction then back down at Nix. Shock filled him. "You've never destroyed stuff before?"
Nix shook her head. "Not to that degree. I mean, sure, I've toyed around with the things I could do. Everyone does, right? But I've never lost it like that." Boone could feel Nix's chest expand as she drew in a deep breath. "I didn't know I was that strong."
Boone kissed the top of Nix's head, then chuckled. "Well, apparently, you are."
"You don't understand, Boone. The powers we receive are from the world around us."
Boone began to worry at the anxiety filling Nix's face.
"I've never had strength like this before."
"Receive from the world around you?" Boone asked. "And that means what?"