Rena stared at the picture. That’s our boy, but he doesn’t need to know that, she thought. “No. I’d remember him.” She leaned closer to him. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
He reached out and pulled her into his arms. She slid deeper into his mind, stunned by abhorrent images she found there. She felt bile rise in the back of her throat while she read his mind. Every memory, every image in those memories was dark, with hate and rage competing for dominance for Jack McClennan.
She could see the things in his past that he’d done to be rid of the field commander—his co-operation with George Fenmore and another shadowy figure who exuded a lot of power with others in the background.
She was vaguely aware of him trying to paw her body and restrained herself from breaking his fingers and wiping his mind. You’re a hero now, she reminded herself. You don’t destroy people because they’re mega ass-monkeys, no matter how much they deserve it.
She left him with a false memory of having a good time with the “maid” and retreated from his mind before she changed hers. When she was free from the scan, she practically pushed him out the door.
As soon as he was gone, Rena ran for the bathroom and threw up. She rinsed her mouth out and splashed water on her face then stared at herself in the mirror. “The glamorous life of a telepath,” she mumbled.
“You okay, Red? You don’t look so good.”
She turned and saw Misty standing there. “When people are so corrupt, it makes me sick. His mind was like walking through nuclear waste, except worse. I just need a minute.”
Rena went back to the couch as Misty grabbed two sodas from the refrigerator. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“So, what does Harrington know?” Misty asked.
“Everything.” Rena stared at the bottle in her hands. She trembled a little as she recalled the hate that filled the renegade ULTRA agent. “Harrington and Fenmore work together and they both report to something called the Council. I think it’s the same group that Captain Starblast is investigating. It ‘feels’ like it’s buried deep inside ULTRA. This Council is behind everything that’s happened to Jack and his team. They were the ones behind the black market deals, the information leaks, and Jack’s wife’s murder. They’re the real bad guys in this whole mess.
“And now, the only thing this Council really wants is Jack McClennan stopped and killed. He thinks the telepathic tracker they have is helping Jack stay one step ahead of them. He wants to kill her, too.”
“This clown seems a little trigger happy.” Misty draped her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “When you feel up to it, try to find Taylor. I mean Jack. I suppose I need to get used to his real name. He left here not too long ago, so he should still be close.”
Rena gave her a weak smile. “I’ll see if I can get him.”
Rena expanded her mindscan as she searched in a widening radius for the outlaw. After thirty minutes, there was still no trace. She stopped and rubbed her temples. “It’s amazing how completely he can disappear,” she said. “Personally, I think he’s just trying to aggravate me.”
Misty smiled. “Now you sound like yourself. You think that about everyone you can’t find telepathically. Rest for a bit. We’ll try again when you’re a little steadier.”
Chapter Seventeen
Checking all of the scanners and finding them clear, Jack motioned Cyber-X inside. “We haven’t been followed.”
The mercenary helped him to the couch and eased him down. Jack reached under the sofa, pulling out his repair kit. He clenched his teeth as he carefully pushed off his boot and dropped it to the floor. “Ow! Bloody hell.”
“That sounded painful. You want some help?”
Jack yanked off his other boot and slithered out of his jeans. “There’s a bottle of scotch on the kitchen counter and a pair of crutches under the bed. I’ll take both.” Popping open his shin panel, he groaned at the damage greeting him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Three of his metal bones had snapped, tangling in the wires laying within. Jack sighed and began pulling out the damaged pieces, flinching every time a piece touched something it shouldn’t. “Like playing a bloody children’s game,” he grumbled.
Cyber-X looked over Jack’s shoulder, handing him the bottle of liquor. “I’m surprised you aren’t howling with that mess staring at you. You don’t do things by halves, do you?”
Jack took the bottle with shaking hands. “Do you mind?” He turned back to his leg. “This is going to take forever.”
Cyber-X sat on the coffee table, swinging Jack’s leg over his knee and taking the tools. “I don’t mind in the least. You know, if you keep getting messed up like this, I’m going to have to start billing you for house calls.” He lowered his goggles to survey the damage.
“I can do it myself,” Jack said, his voice strained with the pain of the injury. “I have for years.”
“Right. Shut up and let me work.” Cyber-X used the fine nosed pliers to begin putting pieces back and moving wires into place.
“Where’s your partner? She hasn’t been with you the past couple of times we’ve met,” Jack said.
Cyber-X worked for another minute before answering. “She’s got her own assignment right now. One she really didn’t want.” He looked up when Jack didn’t say anything. He grinned. “She’s at a family reunion.”
“Ah.” Taking a healthy swallow from the bottle of scotch, Jack settled back on the couch, relieved to have someone else do the work for a change. “How did you find me? I don’t exactly advertise where I’m going.” He sucked air between his teeth as Cyber-X hit a sore spot. “Be careful. I feel all that.”
“Sorry. I’ve been following you for some time now. When I saw ULTRA converging on the building, I had a feeling you were a little preoccupied. You should’ve been able to pick them up and get out on your own.” He paused and stared at Jack. “You’ve got me confused. I’m told one thing, and you act in a completely different way.” He returned to what he was doing.
Jack grinned. “Can’t stand an unsolved puzzle, eh?”
Cyber-X glanced up with a smile of his own. “You don’t know the half of it.”
“Why all the help recently? I’m supposed to be your current contract.”
The mercenary worked in silence for another few minutes before looking up. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age. Maybe I just feel sorry for you. Maybe I’m a chump for wounded cyborgs. It could be, I got screwed out of the second half of my contract fee. It might be because I’m starting to believe you. It even could be that I just don’t like any agency trying this hard to be rid of someone. Whatever my reasons are, my advice to you is don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. You’re not at ULTRA, and you’re getting fixed for free. Mazel Tov.”
Jack watched in silence as Cyber-X finished with the repairs to his leg, knowing he’d never have been able to fix it without passing out.
Cyber-X gathered his equipment and stood. “That does it. I’m done.” He grinned as he slung his rifle over his shoulder. “Again.” He took a step toward the door, stopping when Jack spoke.
“What’s it like, having a partner?”
“What do you mean?”
Jack slowly placed the tools back in their case. “What’s it like having someone with you? Someone you know will always be there? Does it make you softer than you should be?” He paused, staring at the floor. “It’s been so long since I’ve been close to anyone.”
“It feels pretty good, knowing someone’s there. And if anything, it makes you stronger, more determined to win your battles.” He laid his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Even if it does mean a tiny bit of vulnerability. Take it easy, renegade.”
He listened to the mercenary’s footsteps fade and, at that moment, was sick of being alone.
****
Jack woke from a short nap, stretched, and grabbed his crutches. He limped to the bedroom and carefully pulled on a pair of shorts. His leg still felt tender, and he could walk o
n it if he had to, but he wanted to make sure the repairs were holding.
He hobbled to his computer desk and eased himself down on the chair. He picked up the disk that Frank had said was so important. He sighed. Nothing to numb pain better than paperwork. He powered up the computer and froze as the warehouse door opened. His hand slid toward the gun that lay near the keyboard.
Amy walked in, heading straight for him. “Hey, Jack.” She frowned. “Frank was right. You look like hell.”
He relaxed, sitting back in the chair. “Thanks. You still okay at ULTRA?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. The higher-ups are starting to get suspicious. There’s been a lot of heroes in the file room recently and they’ve all asked to see me.”
He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t go back. Your time there is over.” He smiled at her. She still looked like a teenager. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Her shoulders sagged and she sat in the chair by the desk. “Thanks. I don’t want to go back.” She paused. “Phillip called the other day. He said you told him to be careful who he talked to, but he recognized me. He’s got some information for you.”
Jack flipped the disk in his hand. “What is it?”
Amy took a deep breath. “The telepath tracking you is female, roughly seventeen years old. Fenmore handed her over to Harrington and the girl keeps just missing you. She’s trying to give you time to escape. “
She leaned forward. “I don’t think Commander Frailer has any idea what they’re doing to her. I think she’s too afraid of them to tell him. Her code name is Mindspell, and she’s on loan from HelixCorp.” Amy looked at the disk in his hand. “That’s the data Frank gave you?”
Jack tossed it on the desk. “Yeah. I was just going to view it. He told me it’s information you found in ULTRA’s files.”
Amy stared at it. “So, you haven’t looked at it yet?” she said slowly.
“No. I had to go out for a little bit earlier. I just got back a couple of hours ago,” Jack said.
His mind was on Misty, and the way they’d spent the afternoon. He’d told her she’d never see him again, and he missed her already. Could he possibly be in love with her? He refused to consider the idea. She was a temporary distraction, nothing more.
Amy laid her hand on his. “Jack, don’t look at the disk. It’s not as important as I thought, and I need to talk to you first.”
Jack stared at her, searching her face for why she sounded so nervous. First Misty and now Amy. His gut told him the two were related.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to see her thoughts. “Talk to me. What’s up?”
Amy looked everywhere but at him. “I...met with some people who were asking questions about you.”
Dread crawled up his spine. Had his friend been forced? Did they hurt her? “Who, Amy?” He watched tears slip down her cheeks. “Listen to me. Whatever happened, we’ll get through it, all right? Just tell me.”
She began crying. “I’m sorry, Jack. They said they only had personal interest in you.”
“Who, Amy?” he said, his voice rising. Great. Now he was beginning to make himself shout. Pretty good ability when it works on you, too.
She wiped her eyes. “That girl you’re seeing and her friend. Frank told me who she was, and I thought it would be okay. All she wanted to know about were our days at ULTRA. She didn’t seem interested in what you were doing currently.”
Jack stood and pulled Amy into his arms, letting her cry. Misty knew about him. That must’ve been what she wanted to talk about and why she’d asked about his wife. Relief surged through him. No more lies, not to Misty. He could reclaim, at least, a small part of himself.
As Amy cried into his shirt, guilt niggled at him. The fact that she thought he’d be angry with her was brought her to this point. She’d never been meant for subterfuge. Amy had always led the frontal attack and always, always, took the direct approach to everything she did. Yet, he’d given her the worst of all possible assignments—sneaking files out of ULTRA.
He held her tightly. “I’m sorry, Amy. You weren’t meant for this, and I knew it. I was with her this afternoon. I told her I can’t see her any more. Don’t worry. You’ve done me no harm.” He wiped her eyes with the bottom of his T-shirt. “No more tears?”
She smiled. “No more tears. You’re really not mad about me talking to her? Frank said you’d have a fit.”
Jack kissed the top of her head. “I could no more be mad at you than Frank could. Go on home and don’t worry. Everything’s fine.”
She cleaned her glasses with her shirt. “I’ll call you when I get to the country house. I’ve got to stop by my apartment first and get a few things. I should be at the house by dinner time.”
He nodded, glad she was leaving the city. “Sounds good. If Frank is there, tell him I’ll call him later.”
“I will. See you.”
****
Jack pushed the disk into the waiting computer. “Might as well see what’s got everyone so upset.”
The file name came up and he frowned, leaning closer to the screen. It read simply, “Angels.” He’d heard of them. An all-female band of heroes, their legal status still under hot debate amongst law enforcement agencies. Why would his people think this was important enough to show him? He knew about this team.
Pictures and information began popping up on the screen. He skipped over the first few pictures. He’d seen pictures of the Angels before and knew all their code names. A redhead wearing a gold headband stopped him. The name under the picture read Charm a.k.a. Rena Kalamus. This was Misty’s friend who always looked like she didn’t trust him. Rena, he continued reading, was one of the stronger telepaths in the city.
The last picture commanded his attention. Mist. Her paranormal ability is to pass out of the real world and into a desolid state, like a ghost. He enlarged the picture, using the computer to remove the white domino mask she wore, knowing who he’d find beneath. Misty, his beautiful Misty, stared back at him. She was one of them. One of the untrustworthy. A hero.
Jack paced the length of the warehouse several times, his crutches, his pain, forgotten. No wonder her home was called Angel Haven. It truly was a haven for the Angels, a safe place for the team to recover and regroup. Dismay fled, leaving only anger and betrayal in its wake. He had no more questions now about how ULTRA kept finding him. Her file listed her as an ULTRA liaison. She was tight with the people hunting him. What lies had she told Amy to get her to open up?
He stomped into the bedroom, banging open the footlocker to grab his gear and caught sight of his reflection in the breastplate, thinking he looked older than he should. “What’s happened to me?” He lowered the armor, then, remembering what he learned, raised it again.
His anger clawed its way to the surface, this time directed at himself. He, the mighty, untouchable Scavenger, had finally been snared in one of ULTRA’s traps. All it took was a pretty face.
He marched to the door. “Well, my girl, you won’t catch me so easily.”
****
Amy shut the door to her apartment and threw her keys on the table. The lights came on and she swung around, seeing four of Fenmore’s squad there. She caught the man nearest her with a solid punch to his throat and kicked out at the other man behind her. She caught the arm of a third and twisted it behind him, pushing it up. The last agent clubbed her, making her drop her hold on the man before falling to her knees. She was grabbed and taken to Fenmore, who was lounging in her recliner.
“Good evening, Agent Rogers,” he said, watching her closely.
Amy glared at him, her hands curled into fists. “What do you want?”
He stood. “Information. Take her to the interrogation site. I’ll be along directly.”
Amy struggled, making the guards work to drag her up the roof stairs. She knew people wouldn’t be looking for her right away. She pressed her lips tightly together.
I won’t let the team down. E
ven if I don’t make it, they’ll never learn anything from me.
Her only regret as the ULTRA shuttle took off was that Jack would never know how close their enemies were getting.
Chapter Eighteen
Jack’s surveillance equipment told him Misty was still home. He frowned. How much did she know? And what should he do with her afterwards? That was the real question.
He dropped a thin cable over the side of the building, checked to make sure it was anchored and paused. What was he doing here? Misty had completely, in every way, given herself to him. Maybe there was a simple explanation for her involvement with ULTRA. Maybe she was trying to help him. He closed his eyes and hung his head.
“And now you question your own actions,” he muttered. “You’re a bloody mess, hero.”
Misty was a special woman and, without question, had done what he’d asked. But that was the whole point, wasn’t it? She’d been extremely calm in the face of severe emergencies. She hadn’t panicked when Cyber-X burst into her apartment, but had been terrified for his safety when he climbed the building.
He shook his head. No. He was right. As an ULTRA liaison, she had an obligation to bring him in. He ignored the little voice that said he was as big a liar as Misty, because if he listened, that little voice would be his undoing.
He dropped silently to the bedroom floor, listening to her move around in the living room. He walked out, carrying his rifle.
“Hello, hero,” he sneered.
Misty spun around, dropping the clippings she’d carried out from her bedroom. She started toward him, stopping when he raised the rifle a little higher.
“Taylor, I...”
He held up a hand, stopping her. “There is no Taylor Tremain. There’s only ever been Jack McClennan. So you may as well get used to my real name. How long have you known who I am?”
She backed up as he moved toward her, only stopping when she hit the wall. “Only for a couple of weeks. I tried to tell you the last time you were here. You need to know how many people are on your side, trying to help you and your team.”
Bedeviled Angel Page 11