by Brenna Lyons
Jonas nodded. “They’ll act like she’s worthless to them. She’s not. Their guards will be ordered to lay down their lives for her.”
“But given the choice—”
“They will kill her.”
Steven fought for a decent breath.
Evan ignored his distress and turned on Griffin. “Your contacts are set?”
Griffin nodded. “As soon as they get word that we’ve won, every major media and talent-friendly government contact will have copies of my evidence in their hands. There will be nowhere the three of them can run.”
Steven nodded. “And if we fail?”
Jonas stared at him. “We won’t.”
“But—”
Evan squeezed Steven’s shoulder. “If we die, the evidence goes out anyway. As soon as the word of that goes out.”
“They’ll kill her.”
“If we fail, that’s her only hope. I added an incentive to keep her alive to the package. It’s the best I can do for her. She has nothing to lose—”
Steven shook off Evan’s hand. “We’re not failing. I won’t put her in that situation.”
Jonas pulled on his cap. “You’re right. We won’t leave her in their hands.”
“What are you planning?”
Jonas turned away. “I got her into this. I’ll get her out. If anything does go wrong—”
“You’re the bait.”
Jonas met his eyes. For an instant, fierce emotion burned in him then he was the operative again. “Yes. I am. And you’ll take care of them for me.”
*
Sarah paced the room, rubbing her hands in slow circles over her baby, promising him silently that Daddy and the rest of the family were coming to take them home. They were coming, and she was bait. Sarah was always bait. Worse, she was in lockdown while Baker set the trap for them.
The door opened, and Bill stepped in. He nodded to her. “Come on. They’re asking for you. Apparently, they’re close.”
“I know.” Sarah preceded him into the hall, willing herself not to shake. She kept her head high. The halls were empty. “Where are the children?”
“Locked in the two furthest wings.”
“Out of the line of fire,” she mused.
Bill nodded. “Yeah. No one is that stupid.”
Sarah managed a nervous laugh. “The bad press would be political suicide.”
“Yeah. It would.”
They didn’t speak for the rest of the trip. Sarah realized that they passed through a dormitory and the classrooms next to the rec room and caf before they entered the minimum-security lockdown wing. She held her breath as they passed the secondary bank of iso tanks, but Bill kept walking.
Sarah took a calming breath as Baker came into view. He smiled at her, but the two men with him reacted very differently.
A mousy-looking man with limp, dark hair and dark eyes looked at her in shock. “What the hell is this, Baker?”
The other man, a man with hair so gold it appeared white and cold, blue eyes, reacted in fury. “Shut it, Childress. It’s obvious Baker had his sights set on a bonus he didn’t let us in on.”
Sarah backed into Bill’s chest, as the angry man closed on her.
He grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from the guard. “Paige’s brat makes a handy bargaining chip.”
Baker darkened. “Don’t get any ideas, Bryant. That baby is more than a bargaining chip. He won’t be born with a silver spoon, but the keys to the oval office, in his mouth. Raised my way, he’ll be the ultimate tool to get us where we need to be.”
Bryant turned on her with a leer. “Don’t worry. Even if something does go wrong, we could bank sperm even from a dead Daddy and try again. As long as Mamma is intact, we can do it over and over. After all, Randalls are lethal at four or five, and we have more than a decade lead time.”
Sarah tried to pull her arm away in shock. He wanted to make her a baby factory, carrying Jonas’ test tube babies from his frozen sperm? “No. Let go of me.”
Childress shook his head. “That’s going too far.”
Bryant smiled, a smile that seemed to make the hallway go ten degrees colder, and Sarah shrank from him.
He leaned toward her, brushing his nose against hers. “One more thing, Princess.”
“W—what?” she stammered.
Bryant pulled his gun without taking his eyes from hers. His hand tightened on her wrist as he waved the barrel before Sarah’s face and brushed it over her cheek and throat.
Sarah swallowed hard and straightened her spine. He wanted her scared. She couldn’t let him see it.
Baker growled his displeasure. “That’s enough, Bryant,” he ordered.
Bryant smiled as he dragged Sarah against his body and fired the gun behind her back, shielding her ear with his upper arm.
Sarah squeezed her jaw and eyes shut tight, refusing to scream. She turned, shaking. Bill lay crumpled in a pool of his own blood.
Bryant pulled her back to his body, his eyes glittering in amusement. “He was your last line of defense from me. You’re alone now.”
Before Sarah could form a response, he pushed her into the closest room and hit the lockdown panel. She made it to the bed on shaking legs and curled under the blankets, shivering.
*
Steven sank to the floor of the truck, trying to still the thundering of his heart. Sarah’s emotions were raw. Her shield weakened with the force of her fear then shattered completely. She wasn’t talking. It was more like a formless screaming and weeping in his mind. Nothing made sense.
“The academy is in sight,” one of Griffin’s men noted.
Evan squatted next to him, and met Steven’s eyes. “What is it?” he asked.
Steven stared at him, struggling to form words.
Jonas nodded. “It’s started. They’re using her to get to us.”
Steven groaned. “Oh, Christ. She’s a mess. I can’t even make out what they did to her.”
Jonas turned away then back again, an aimless movement that announced his upset when his face lied. “She’s not making much sense. They threatened her. They killed someone. I’m getting disjointed images. She’s terrified.”
“Terrified? She’s beyond terrified. I don’t think there’s a word for her state of mind.”
“Trauma.” Jonas got a faraway look.
Sarah’s mind eased. Her fear melted into a drowsy stupor.
“What are you doing?” Steven asked.
“Calming her. She needs help. She can’t go into this in that state.”
“They’ll know you’re doing it.”
“They can’t stop me. I won’t let them do this to her.”
Steven sighed. “She’s on the edges of sleep.”
Jonas nodded. “She’ll be able to face what comes next.”
Evan searched Jonas’ face. “Talk to me.”
“Bryant is off the deep end. He’s the one we have to take out first. He’s mine, now. Katie can have Baker. Steven is slowest at breaking shields. I’ll need Katie on Baker.”
The truck stopped. Jonas and Evan exited first, pulling down talents in psi wave shackles. Katie appeared next to them, her face grim. They were close enough to Sarah that their mother felt her pain as well. Evan whispered the new orders to Katie, and she nodded her agreement.
Griffin clapped a hand on Steven’s shoulder then snapped the shackles on himself. The shackles weren’t a problem. They were essentially modified E-shield protected mechanisms. Every talent on hand was capable of disengaging them when the moment was right.
Steven helped the last of the eight talent prisoners to the ground. He scanned his eyes over the academy and fisted his hand. He wouldn’t rub his ribs. Steven wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing that.
Evan cuffed him on the back of the head. “Down,” he grumbled. “You’re making yourself a target.”
Steven nodded and adjusted his cap. “Let’s move out.”
Steven and Jonas took the lead while Evan and Ka
tie took the rear. The main doors swung open before them, and they crossed the foyer. Jonas rolled his eyes as the inner doors also swung open without anyone keying them in.
“Nice of them to roll out the welcome mat,” Steven grumbled.
Jonas glanced left and right. “Maybe they’ll give us a clue soon.”
“Maybe they just intend to shoot us and save themselves the trouble.”
Jonas shook his head. “No. Baker has a huge ego. He’ll want to look me in the eye.”
The overhead speakers cracked to life. “Good afternoon, Paige,” Baker gloated. “I see you brought me my prey. If you’d be so kind, escort them to the minimum-security lockdown wing. I’m sure you can find it, though Max-Sec was your usual address.”
Jonas’ jaw tightened. He turned left and waved for Steven to follow him. Steven shivered. He’d never been to Clinton, but he’d been to Edison and Carver. The same lousy architect and builders had done all the academies. That much was clear. Steven didn’t need Jonas to lead him to Min-Sec or any other lockdown wing. He’d seen them all in the few months he’d spent at the academies.
Jonas stopped ten yards from the assembled men. Steven identified them from Evan’s descriptions. Unless the guards were hidden behind shields or psi waves somewhere, it seemed the men intended to face them alone. The only other person visible in the hallway was the dead man between the two groups.
Griffin groaned and swore under his breath. “It’s Boyonton.”
Jonas raised his eyes to Baker. “I’ve completed my assignment.”
Baker smiled. “I see that.”
“You know that means my contract is void.”
“So I’ve heard. Sure you won’t reconsider. You could have full reinstatement.”
Jonas didn’t dignify that with an answer. “Where are your pit bulls?”
“Protecting the children.”
“From us?”
“Clinton is under attack by a run of renegades. Haven’t you heard? The military has been notified. It will take them over an hour to get here. Since there are so many powerful telekinetics, I told them not to use air support, so they are stuck with ground only, and we have to handle it until then.” He raised an eyebrow. “You could rescind your end of contract or run now. The choice is yours.”
“Or kill you for putting us through this,” Jonas suggested. He wouldn’t act yet. Childress and Bryant were norms, but Baker was talent. It had to be flawless. All three shields had to fall according to plan when Jonas gave the signal.
“You don’t want to do that,” Baker decided.
“Why not?”
“Couple of reasons. First—” His eyes glittered. “The sound is out of commission on the security system. Nothing we say is being recorded.”
Bryant laughed. “If you make a move against us, it will prove you a renegade on the video.”
Jonas nodded. “And?”
Bryant shrugged. “There is Sarah. You wouldn’t want to do anything to endanger her and your brat.”
Jonas laughed at that, a harsh laugh that held no humor. “Neither would you.”
Childress shuddered. “Don’t tempt him. You don’t—” He shuffled back several steps, as Bryant shot him a scathing look.
Bryant nodded. “I do what needs done.”
Baker scowled at them. “Enough.” He glanced back at Jonas. “What’s your choice, renegade?”
Jonas leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “You act like being called a renegade is a bad thing. Let’s see. I have the choice of killing you or being your slave. I think I’d enjoy being a renegade if you were dead in the bargain.”
Steven laughed heartily, joining in on the game. “After all, who would he send after us?”
Baker looked uncertain. “What’s your plan?”
Jonas tipped his hat further over his eyes. “If I stand here until the cavalry shows up, it’s my word against yours. Everyone will be arrested—well, except maybe you three, but you won’t exactly be shown the front door either. The problem so far has been that everyone has run from you. They never stuck around to defend themselves.
“If someone starts a fight here, it won’t be me. As long as I’m defending myself, I can hardly be called a renegade. The clock is ticking, Baker. When will the military be here?”
Childress shook his head in disbelief. “They’ll shoot first and ask questions later, Paige. They’ll be shielded—all in Eseries. Baker told them to do it that way.”
Jonas smiled a cold smile that rivaled Bryant. “Oh, I think we can handle that.”
Steven felt the air around him crackle with energy as all the talents lit at once, their psi wave shackles falling away in a thunderous wave. Steven took advantage of their confusion to take Childress. In a matter of seconds, the DoD desk jockey was completely under his control. Steven sucked in his breath at the rush of power that gave him. No wonder Ty got addicted to this. No wonder his mother refused to do it except when it was necessary.
Katie and Jonas were lit and working. In a flash of understanding, Baker tore the E-shield emitter from behind his ear and threw the micro-miniature assembly against the wall. His personal shield was already up in its place. It would take Katie time to break his personal shield, time they might not have depending on the weave of his net. They wanted Baker alive, but Steven realized that they might have to kill him.
Jonas screamed in frustration, as Bryant smiled and dodged toward a lock panel, his inoperative E-shield replaced with another shield. Talent? Christ, Bryant is talent, but there was no file in the DoPT database that listed him as talent.
His calm shattered, Jonas lunged toward Bryant. Griffin cursed wildly as Baker fired. Jonas crumpled to the wall, as Bryant launched into the room he’d unlocked.
Evan crouched to Jonas. “Kevlar worked. Let’s—”
Sarah’s scream shook Steven’s resolve. It was two parts fear and one part pain. Bryant slid back into the hall, a feral sort of glee etched on his face and Sarah locked in his arms.
Jonas pushed to his feet slowly and painfully, gasping for breath and rubbing the heel of his hand over his ribs. Whether he was subconsciously revisiting old wounds or examining his bruised ribs was uncertain. His eyes flicked to Sarah, as she tried to push out of Bryant’s grasp.
Bryant grabbed her braid in one fist and crushed her to his chest, holding his gun to her neck in mute warning to the assembled talents. For a moment, everyone stilled. Steven took in the ragged breathing of all the combatants. All eyes were on Bryant, both sides watching him warily.
Bryant spoke first. “I hold the cards, Paige. I’m not Baker. I won’t think twice. Despite her impressive lineage, Sarah isn’t much of a talent. I can arrange a whole army of Paige-model super babies with willing female talents who are much more powerful than she is. This one is expendable to me.”
Katie’s hand tightened on Steven’s shoulder. “Sarah,” she called.
“I’m—” She grunted as Bryant tightened his grip on her. “I’m here.”
Bryant scanned his eyes over them. “Don’t try it.”
Baker shifted nervously. He couldn’t do anything. None of them could, while Bryant had Sarah in that hold. Even if they carried conventional weapons, they couldn’t risk moving now.”
Jonas met Bryant’s eyes. “You hold the cards,” he conceded. “What’s your plan?”
“I’m leaving.”
“The country?”
“Possibly. There are places much more friendly to talent than the good ole U S of A.”
“Be sure to leave Sarah at the border. If you don’t, I will never stop tracking you, renegade.”
Bryant laughed harshly. “You won’t. Will you?”
Jonas shook his head, his expression fierce and determined.
Bryant pulled back on Sarah’s braid, forcing her eyes up to his. “Can’t have that,” he mused.
Sarah tried to pull her head away from his grasp. “What—” She swallowed hard and shook her head, her eyes goi
ng wide.
“You know.” Bryant’s hand came up, swinging the gun to Jonas without taking his eyes from hers.
Sarah brought both hands up into his chin with all the force she could muster. “Not this time,” she promised.
Bryant staggered back under the force of her blow, his shot going wild and hitting the bulb over Steven’s head. Bryant pushed Sarah into the wall with a furious curse and turned the gun on her.
Baker’s eyes widened. “No,” he shouted, suddenly panicked. His gun, still trained on Jonas, swung toward Bryant.
Steven had already issued his own order. Childress heeded his command before Baker moved a muscle. The puppet Childress put a bullet in the shoulder of Bryant’s gun arm. Sarah shrank back, watching as Bryant fell around her, between her and safety. Bryant reached for his gun with his opposite hand, and Baker took a head shot to stop him. Sarah backed further away, shaking.
Steven tried to touch her mind, but her shield was shut tight. Unlike Jonas, Steven had never tried to break her shield. He was paying for it now.
Steven snapped his head around as Baker lunged for Sarah. He ordered Childress into Baker’s path, as Sarah looked at the movement fearfully. Jonas vaulted toward them. Childress collided with Baker. Sarah took one look at Baker’s fury and turned, running for the central corridor to the rec room and caf. Baker growled his displeasure, throwing Childress toward Jonas and ending his interference with a well-placed bullet.
Jonas crumpled under the force of Childress’ motion; Steven crumpled in the backwash of the fatal injury to the man he was connected to. Steven shook off the sensation, pushing to his feet, as Baker disappeared into the main corridor. Jonas shoved Childress off of him and passed Steven as they hit a dead run.
Steven shuddered, as Sarah screamed in a mixture of anger and frustration. Hundred-yard dash be damned! She was more than six months pregnant, and Baker was ticked off.
*
Jonas rounded the corner and stopped short. Baker was using Sarah as his shield, one arm wrapped below her breasts, pinning her arms to her sides. His other hand cupped her face in a vice-like grip.
Jonas touched the net of Baker’s shield, but Baker had at least a clue of what he was doing. He shifted his shield, constantly remodulating the signal net. No wonder Katie didn’t break through.