Renegade's Run

by Brenna Lyons

  *

  Jonas stilled with his hand on the door. Something in Evan’s face scared him. “What is it?”

  “Close the door.” Evan’s voice held a cold edge.

  Jonas swung the door shut. He hesitated for just a moment before he crossed the room and sank to the couch. “Hit me.”

  “Baker called me.”

  Jonas closed his eyes. “I’m not leaving. I’ll resign.”

  “He doesn’t want you to leave.”

  “What does he want?”

  Evan didn’t answer. Something hit Jonas’ leg and thumped to the couch beside him. Jonas opened his eyes and picked up a hundred-count box of condoms. They were Trojan Specials, a textured version of the 2020 in a blue wrapper. It wasn’t a style he typically went for.

  “And?” he asked in confusion.

  Evan winced. “They want you to use these for a while.”

  “How long? Why? Evan, I don’t get it.”

  “They’re doctored to fail. They want her pregnant.”

  Jonas fumbled the box and watched its spiral to the floor. “Why?”

  Evan pushed off the chair and moved to the bedroom doorway, bracing his fist on the frame, his shoulders bunching. “The psych guys said they’ll all be easier to control that way. She’ll feel— Sarah will be apprehensive, and her family will do anything to protect her.”

  “She’d abort.” It hurt to consider it. Jonas wanted Sarah. He wanted children with her, but he’d rather see her abort than have them use her that way. If he repeated it to himself a few hundred times, he might start to believe it.

  Evan sighed. “The psych guys say there’s an eighty percent chance that she wouldn’t.”

  Jonas kicked the box of condoms across the room. “It’s time, Evan. They’ve gone too far.”

  “You’ll probably lose her.”

  “I know, but she’s too important to me to do this to her.”

  “They won’t like this. It will be all-out war when I send the file.”

  Jonas sighed. “Her family will protect her if she won’t let me.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I have to do this for her.”

  Evan nodded and pulled the recorder out of his jacket pocket. “Last chance to back out, Jonas.”

  Jonas walked to him and pulled the recorder from his hands. His fingers shook as he punched up the saved file. “Your last chance, Evan. I’ll record a new one without you, if you want. You’ll be out of the line of fire.”

  “No. Send it.”

  Jonas hit the send button and pushed the recorder into Evan’s hands. “I have to— I’m getting ready now. Sarah is expecting me.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” He paused in the bedroom doorway. “I’ll need my badge and ID, Evan.”

  “I’ll leave them on the coffee table.”

  *

  Sarah was no closer to an answer when Jonas used his key on the downstairs door. She opened the upper door for him, managing a weak smile in response to the kiss he planted on her cheek. He met her eyes, and she was struck by how guarded he was. Or was he simply reacting to her scattered state?

  She decided she couldn’t put this off. “I have to talk to you.”

  Jonas nodded and closed the door. “A lot of that going around, I think.”

  Sarah shook her head in confusion as he steered her to the couch. Sitting so he was facing her, he motioned for her to start in.

  She felt her heart speed. “No. You first.” Either Jonas came here to break it off or he came here to tell her he wanted more. If it was the former, she wouldn’t confuse the issue. If it was the latter, he might change his mind after she told him what she had to. Sarah promised herself to stick to that.

  Jonas took a deep breath. “Okay.” He took her hand. “Sarah, I told you I want more. I do. I want forever, but I haven’t been very honest with you.”

  Sarah laughed in relief. “You’re talent. I know that.”

  He blanched. “I’m more than a talent.” Jonas rubbed his free hand over his mouth. “I quit my job today. I quit, because I can’t keep doing the things they want me to do.”

  Her stomach rebelled. “Please tell me you’re not a renegade.”

  Jonas shook his head. “No. I’m not a renegade, but they may make me out to be one before this is over.”

  “I don’t—”

  He squeezed his eyes shut. “Promise me you’ll hear me out.”

  “Jonas?”

  “Promise me you won’t walk out on me. No matter what I say in the next few minutes, promise me you’ll let me explain everything before you make a decision.”

  Sarah nodded then realized that he couldn’t see her. “All right.”

  He opened his eyes, tortured eyes. Jonas changed his shield to a weak version of his inner shield, and Sarah felt the stark terror in him.

  “I love you, Sarah. Please never doubt that, but the people I— They won’t take this lying down. You’re only safe with me or your family until this blows over. I hope you’ll choose me, but that’s not likely. I know that.”

  “These people would hurt me because you quit?”

  Jonas nodded.

  “Can’t you go to the police?”

  “This is bigger than that. There are a lot of very important people involved in this.” He closed his eyes. “Very important talent, I mean.”

  “Then call—” She swallowed a sour lump. What a bit of irony this was? She couldn’t even say it. Sarah never thought she’d tell someone to go to them for help.

  “DoPT?”

  Sarah laughed weakly. “Stupid, huh? If you only knew—”

  He shook his head. “Oh, I know. I know better than you can imagine.”

  “Jonas, I’m getting really confused.” If he wasn’t a renegade, how would he know about the DoPT? Was he a refugee from the academy witch-hunts?

  “I can’t call the DoPT, because they are the DoPT.”

  Sarah wanted to say something, to ask something, but she couldn’t seem to breathe. She couldn’t think. Jonas pulled a leather billfold from his pocket and flipped it open to reveal a badge and ID. Sarah locked on the DoPT insignia in disbelief, shaking her head in mute denial of what he was telling her.

  “I was DoPT, Sarah. I quit. I can’t—”

  “I was just a job?”

  “No. I would never—”

  “Why are you here, Jonas? Why Pittsburgh?”

  He hesitated. She could feel his guilt and misery, the same reaction he had in the beginning every time we—

  “Sarah, hear me out, please.”

  “They ordered you here, didn’t they?”

  He nodded. “Let me—”

  “Did they order you to fuck me, too?”

  Jonas paled. For a long moment, they simply stared at each other. “It wasn’t like that, not for me.”

  Sarah stood and wandered across the room with her arms crossed under her breasts and her stomach twisting. “They did order it. Didn’t they, Jonas?”

  “Yes, but it was never about that. Not for me. If I hadn’t, they were going to send someone who wouldn’t give a damn—” He stopped, burying his head in his hands. “I always cared. I wanted to find a way to keep you safe. Please believe me.”

  “Why? Why me? I’m no weapon.”

  “Your family is. I need to talk to them, Sarah. I need to explain what’s going on, before this hits the fan.”

  She fought the urge to throw up. He used her to get to her family? As always, Sarah was the weak link.

  “No. I’ll explain it.” How could she explain it? It would take all of them including Mac to keep Steven from renegading this time. Was that their plan? Make him an outlaw so the rest of them would have to work a deal?

  “Sarah, I need to—”

  Sarah faced him, her hands in fists on her hips and fighting back tears. “Why? So you can prove to them how reckless and stupid I’ve been? Don’t you think I have enough proof of that already? Leave, Jonas. I’ll handle my
family my own way.”

  Jonas stood. He shook his head and edged toward her. “Please let me do this. It’s my fault. Let me—” He reached out to touch her cheek.

  Sarah felt the last of her patience fade away. She punched him in the solar plexus and was out the door before he dropped. She sprinted up Arlington to Eighteenth then slowed to a walk, tears streaming down her face and her knees shaking. Sarah was glad it was already dark, though she hadn’t grabbed her coat, and she’d be shivering by the time she reached her parents’ place with only the light knit sweater to protect her against the chill wind on the hilltop.

  She stuck to the shadows, hoping that Jonas wouldn’t follow her. Still, she didn’t start running again, even when she thought her legs could handle it. Sarah was in no hurry to explain to Steven that she fell for a DoPT operative and managed to get pregnant to him.

  She stopped, her mind working at top speed. “Oh, no.” Was that their plan? Was there a way to arrange it so the condoms would fail?

  Sarah started walking again, much faster than before. She needed to talk to Mom and Dad. Mom would be calmer than Steven would, and Dad would have the technical knowledge she needed. She’d handle Steven later.

  A man waiting at one of the PAT bus stops along Arlington smiled as she approached. “You have the time?” he asked.

  Sarah shook her head. “Sorry. No wa—”

  The spray hit her in the face, and Sarah sucked in her breath in shock at the icy sensation. The man caught Sarah as her legs crumpled under her. Her entire body tingled then went ice cold and leaden. She couldn’t feel. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. Panic settled in, and Sarah reached automatically for Steven. Her mind was trapped in the same shackles that had her body. She could think, but all conscious action was shut down.

  She watched helplessly as the man passed her into a dark panel van and closed the door behind them. There was a small lamp on, and Sarah could make out three faces hanging over hers.

  The first man nudged one of the other two inside the van. “Move it before she contacts the others.”

  “Relax. We have five minutes until the stun-spray wears off. More than enough time.” He raised a syringe and forced the air out of it.

  The third man was huddled over her arm, probably preparing an injection site. Anything that worked that quickly was probably going into a vein and not a muscle.

  Sarah wanted to scream. Failing that, she wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn’t manage that, either. She watched as the second man leaned over her, knowing he was giving her the injection but blissfully unable to feel it.

  The third man nodded, and something glinted in the lamplight but was gone before she could identify it. “Got the ring. I’ll hand it off. Glad I’m not the one telling him.”

  An image of Steven going renegade when someone handed him her ring made her want to cry. If Sarah was crying, she couldn’t feel it. She didn’t think she was. Her vision wasn’t blurred, as she would expect it would be.

  “No shit,” the first man agreed. “If there’s any talent I want to face less than her family, it’s Paige.”

  Jonas? Would Jonas renegade when they told him? They certainly seemed to think that telling him wasn’t something they wanted saddled with. Why didn’t she listen to him? He wanted Sarah to stay put and listen to him.

  The third man reappeared, hovering over her and reaching a hand out toward her face or neck. Sarah couldn’t feel where he touched and she couldn’t move her eyes to track the movement.

  His fingers pulled her eyelid further up. He seemed jumpy, worried. “This stuff won’t hurt her, right? I mean, we hurt her and Paige—”

  “Stow it,” the second man ordered. “We wouldn’t do anything to hurt this lovely lady. She and that baby of hers are gonna keep Daddy in line. As long as they’re healthy, Paige is gonna do exactly what we want him to do. That sucker’s actually in love with her.”

  Sarah’s vision blurred, but she didn’t think it was with tears. Everything seemed disjointed, hazy. She managed a strangled groan as her eyes fluttered shut.

  *

  Jonas sprinted to the street, still gasping for breath. There was no sign of Sarah, but he hadn’t expected that there would be. Sarah had four minutes lead-time on him, and she ran the dash in high school.

  He slid into his car and started up Arlington. She’d take the shortest route to her family. He cruised along, searching for her with his eyes until he reached the top of Sterling city steps. Jonas parked and sprinted down to Primrose and across to the Randall house. He pounded on the door, his breath coming in sharp gasps.

  Alex opened the door. His blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What are you doing?”

  “I need to talk to your parents.”

  Katie’s voice came from the other side of the living room, sounding calm. “Let him in, Alex.”

  Jonas bolted past him to where Katie sat curled under Keith’s arm. Jonas looked at their confusion in growing unease. They should be upset, angry. “Where’s Sarah? She’s here, right?”

  “No. Should she be?” Keith asked.

  Jonas found forming a response nearly impossible. She should be. He couldn’t have passed her. Her parting words filtered through his mind. Sarah ran from him, but she couldn’t have ignored what he said and run blindly. “Where else would she go? Where would she feel safe?”

  Steven stepped out of the dining room, looking murderous. “Why would she need to feel safe, Jonas? What have you done?”

  “Later. This is important.”

  The younger man’s eyes flashed in anger. “I knew whatever was upsetting her came back to you, but she denied it.”

  “You talked to her? When? Can you reach her now?”

  “A couple of hours ago. No. I can’t touch her when she’s shielded.”

  Jonas shook his head. It wasn’t him she was upset about two hours ago. He was wasting time. “Steven, where would she go?” he demanded.

  “She only felt safe with us or you. You know that.”

  “Then she’s running blind. We have to find her.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the DoPT is going to crush her if we don’t.”

  The room was still and silent for several heartbeats.

  Steven paled, and the fight seemed to go out of him. “Why, Jonas?” His voice shook, and his hand rubbed at the phantom restraints.

  Jonas shook his head, tucking his hands in his back pockets. “I quit my job for her. I told them—” He sighed. “I told them to stuff my contract.”

  “You’re DoPT?” Katie whispered.

  Jonas didn’t meet her eyes, couldn’t meet her eyes. “I was.”

  Steven took two unsteady steps toward him. “What’s your designation, operative?”

  Jonas felt his face heat. “Alpha One.” He scowled as he said it, a foul taste flooding his mouth. “You see, they won’t be very happy to lose me. If she walks away from me, I can— No. I can’t deal with that, and I can’t let them hurt her by walking away. But, I can’t do what I’m ordered anymore, so I quit.”

  Steven launched at him. Jonas saw it coming and let him land the blow. It was the least he deserved for this.

  “Can’t you see what you’ve done?” Steven raged.

  Jonas nodded, wiping the blood from his split lip on the back of his hand. “Help me find her. Once Sarah’s safe, if she wants, I’ll—” He rubbed his hand over his own set of phantom bands. His ribs seemed constricted, and he fought to take a deep breath. “Let’s just find her.”

  Steven nodded and grabbed the coat Alex threw him. Keith and Katie’s coats were in his hand and ready to be tossed to them when a soft knock came at the door. Alex stopped in his tracks and turned toward it.

  Jonas held his breath. Maybe he beat her here. Maybe she took Eleanor or Eighteenth instead of Sterling. Maybe she sat down somewhere to cry or collect her thoughts. She could knock. If Sarah hadn’t grabbed her keys, she might have to knock.

  Alex pulled the door op
en then looked back at Jonas in confusion. Over his shoulder, Jonas could see Evan.

  Jonas felt his knees start shaking. He knelt heavily and leaned on the coffee table, pressing the heel of his hand against his ribs and gasping for breath. Keith made a move as if to help him, but Evan was there first.

  “Calm down, Paige. You’re the only shot she’s got. Don’t make me stun-spray you to stop you.”

  Jonas nodded and forced a single decent breath in. He forced a second then a third. “Baker, Bryant, or Childress?” he panted out.

  “Couple of Bryant’s boys herded by one of Baker’s goons. Those idiots went unshielded against me.” Evan cracked a half smile.

  Jonas managed a weak laugh that ended on a sob. He tried unsuccessfully to bite it back. “Where is she?”

  “En route to Clinton.” He checked his watch. “By the time we reach county, they’ll be in the air.”

  Jonas nodded and started to push to his feet, but Evan dragged him down.

  He shook his head. “They’re not screwing around, Paige.”

  Jonas threw his grip off. “Neither am I,” he growled.

  Evan pulled a small wooden pen box out of his coat pocket with shaking hands. He dragged Jonas’ hand up and closed his fist around it. Then he backed off, pushing to his feet, making sure he was well out of reach.

  Jonas met his eyes. “What the hell is this, Markham?”

  “A message. A warning. You know our assignment. I have the brief in the recorder. Just came in before I got here. You decide. You know what they’re capable of.”

  “She has no offensive—”

  “Can she prove that?”

  Jonas winced.

  “Open the box, Jonas. For the love of God, open the box.” Evan was pale and jittery.

  He thumbed open the little brass catch and forced himself to breathe. Her ring was inside, set on a thick band cut from her sweater. Jonas fingered the fabric, then pulled it back in confusion.

  His breathing became strangled again, and he fought back tears. Sarah was pregnant? She needed to talk to him. Steven said she was upset. She had wanted to tell him, but he announced that he had something to tell her. If he’d have let her talk—

  Jonas fisted the case in his hand, pressing it to his chest. He forced himself not to rock back and forth. He forced his lungs to work. He needed to think.