Gage (Contract Killers Book 1)

by Jenika Snow

  The doors opened to reveal a man no older than she was. He stood on the other side, the suit he wore all black. He didn’t even glance at her, just stepped aside to let them in. His light hair was brushed back from his face, and his expression was unmoving. The assholes on either side of her pushed her forward, causing Neeka to stumble. Sitting behind a large desk was Rye, his focus on the papers in front of him.

  “Leave us,” he barked out.

  She turned around and watched the three men follow Rye’s command. The door shut behind them, and she clenched her hands at her sides, her fear rising. Rye was not a man she knew anymore. Everything he’d ever told her, how he’d ever acted toward her, had been a lie.

  She faced him again and stared into his dark, emotionless gaze.

  “Have a seat, Neeka.”

  She straightened her shoulders and sat in the chair in front of his desk, not wanting to show him her fear, but it was damn hard.

  He steepled his fingers in front of his face and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the desk. “You are a rare treasure, Neeka. A very special girl.”

  For all of her twenty-seven years, Dr. Vincent had been there for her and her family. Hell, he’d delivered her when she was born, and had been a support system after her mother passed away when she was younger. But the man in front of her was not the man she looked as like a second father.

  “Do you understand any of this, Neeka?”

  She didn’t bother responding.

  “I knew your anomaly from the moment your blood was drawn after your birth.”

  “What anomaly are you talking about?” Neeka was confused, angry, but also hurt and betrayed by this man.

  “It was then that I realized you were the key to the Dark Haven Corporation.”

  “The Dark Haven Corporation? I don’t understand any of this. Why now? If you realized you needed me so badly why not just ask for blood, ask for my help?”

  “It takes time, money, and research to have this kind of corporation running smoothly. This has been my life’s work, what I was born to do. And even if I was researching and testing while you were growing up, I had a plan, one that was essential, but only with you involved.”

  She was shaking her head, the pain behind her eyes growing more intense with each passing second. “You kidnapped me, took me away from my father, who you know is sick and riddled with cancer.” She was crying now, her emotions so strong, consuming her to the point she couldn’t even focus.

  “Death is part of life, Neeka,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Truth is if I would have explained what I was doing, my plans, the search I work tirelessly on, neither you nor your father would have approved.”

  “You don’t know that,” she said through clenched teeth. “You were like a father to me. I would have helped you.”

  He shook his head and smiled. Rye leaned back in his chair, his hands placed on the desk in front of him. “It makes no difference now. You’re here, and that’s all that matters.”

  “You’re insane.”

  “No, Neeka, I’m far from insane. This is my empire. My research and accomplishments will make me a god. You’re the key I need, the missing element in all of this.”

  She angrily wiped her tears away.

  “It’s your rare blood type that will make my warriors invincible.”

  Warriors?

  She felt her brows knit in even more confusion.

  He stood and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window to the side of them, grasping his hands behind his back and becoming quiet. She glanced at the door, wanting to escape, but she knew there were probably guards stationed outside, and she had no clue how in the hell to get out of here … wherever here was.

  “They are right outside. You wouldn’t make it a foot outside of this room before they had you,” Rye stated with a hard, but bland voice. He still had his back to her, but she saw him watching her through the reflection in the glass.

  She thought about what he’d just revealed, still no closer to knowing what in the hell he was talking about. “How is my blood going to help you?” She looked down at the healing track marks that riddled her flesh, and the new bruises painting her skin black and blue from the restraints she’d been put in just this morning. She’d always been a fast healer, but with the frequent blood draws and the binding, it seemed like she’d never fully heal.

  “I know you’re aware of how fast you heal, something ‘normal’ people don’t experience. The fact your cuts take twenty-four hours to close and start knitting back together should have raised your curiosity.” Rye turned around and faced her.

  Yes, she’d always noticed she healed fast, but she never paid much attention to it, because it was her norm. Rye had also never said anything about this “anomaly”.

  “It isn’t just your blood that will unlock all of my life’s work, but also the very makeup of your DNA will help in unleashing exactly what this world needs.” His expression was hard, concentrated.

  She had her hands twisted in her lap, felt her throat tighten, and knew her chances of getting out were zero. Her father wouldn’t know where she was, and he sure as hell would never think Rye could have done this to her. No, she was alone, and if she didn’t think of some way to escape, she’d die here.

  That wasn’t going to happen.

  “Have you ever wondered why you never became ill?” He continued speaking about this, but Neeka just wanted out of his presence. He disgusted her.

  “You’ve never wondered why you never broke a bone?” He pulled out a plain manila envelope from his desk and spilled its contents on the desk.

  She glanced at the paperwork, hating she had to be in the same room with him, but she needed more answers.

  “The Dark Haven project is my life’s work. It’s because of you that I was able to create Adaym.” He slid papers toward her, and she slowly leaned forward.

  Create Adaym?

  She looked down at the photos of a hardened, fierce, and severe looking man. She noticed a chain and manacle were attached to his ankle, and there was a pallet of blankets in the corner.

  “Oh my God, what in the hell are you doing?” The words rushed out of her, and she covered her mouth. He was keeping other people prisoner here? Chaining them up?

  She looked at the image again. The man’s face was slightly away from the camera, and the lighting was dark, but she could still see the muscles and strength in his body. He didn’t look much older than in his early thirties, but whatever he was going through had to age someone to the point their life faded away.

  She looked at Rye again. “Why tell me this?”

  He smirked, and dread filled her stomach. “Because I want you to know what you’re contributing to, what you’re helping to unlock.”

  No, he’s telling me because he has no plans of letting me go.

  “You can’t do this, Rye. You have to release me, have to let anyone you’re holding prisoner go.” She slid the photo back to him. “You want my blood, fine, I can donate whatever you need, but using people as specimens, doing whatever crazy and barbaric experiments on them, is wrong.”

  “Have you not listened to anything I’ve said?” Rye’s voice was rising, his anger becoming clear.

  “You’re insane.” Her voice was rising as well.

  “I know you want to go home, to be with Edward, but you and I both know if I were to let you go, you wouldn’t cooperate.” He shook his head. “No, I need you accessible to me at any costs. It’s the only way this will work. My research and plan are more important, Neeka.”

  “I just don’t understand any of this,” she said more to herself than to him. “Why not just ask me for blood samples? You’re my doctor, and I wouldn’t have questioned you. You’ve taken my blood many other times…” That realization had her stomach roiling. God, he’s been taking my blood for his insane experiments.

  “Yes, it’s true, I have been taking samples while you were growing up, but it’s not enough, Neeka. I need bone marrow samples, tiss
ue samples, and anything else from you that will further unlock my research. Already I’ve made so much progress.”

  His betrayal was painful, like a harsh slap in her face, but it hurt most in her heart. Neeka knew her face must have had a look of hatred on it. She could not believe what she was hearing. Not only had her father trusted this man, but she had trusted him. He had betrayed them both. She looked down again at her bruised and battered arms. The marks would heal by tomorrow, but the wounds Rye had caused on the inside would never fade.

  “I am sorry for that. Although I cannot let you leave, not yet, and not on your own. I can make your stay here more comfortable, lavish even, if you don’t fight me, Neeka. A few bruises here and there are a small sacrifice on your part.”

  She clenched her teeth but didn’t respond.

  “You’re very important to me, and I want you comfortable.”

  “I’m far from comfortable,” she gritted out. “You truly are insane, and I’ll be no help to you. I will fight you kicking and screaming the whole way.” She was about to stand, but the dark look that crossed his face had her staying in her seat. Never had she seen such a foreboding and evil look on him.

  “You will stay here and give me what I need, because you have no choice. I would much prefer if you were willing, but it doesn’t matter if you’re not, Neeka.” His voice had dropped to a deadly whisper that sent chills down her spine. He pushed the other papers toward her. “I want you to read what work I am accomplishing. You are what is making all this possible, and I won’t let anything ruin that, not even you.” His jaw was hard as he stared at her, the muscles under his skin flexing.

  She didn’t even look at the papers, and Rye’s face got red from his anger.

  “Read them,” he said harder, more adamantly.

  She took the papers, her hands shaking as she looked down at the documents. Shock resonated through her at what she read. If she was reading correctly, Dr. Rye Vincent believed that her blood was the key in making indestructible warriors. He’d created a serum with her blood as the main component because he believed it made a person invincible. Once he injected the blood-serum mixture into the human body, the recipient would become immune to both biochemical warfare and injury, heal instantly, and have superior strength and senses.

  She shook her head as she read through the material again. “This is fiction. My blood can’t make people indestructible. That’s not possible, not realistic.”

  He really was insane.

  “No, your blood alone can’t make anyone superior, but coupled with a formula I’ve been working on my entire professional life, it can.” He was grinning now, and it was a ghastly sight. “You have a blood type that isn’t even categorized, Neeka. Once I watched you heal quicker than what was humanly possible, I took that initial sample, ran tests, and realized it was the missing ingredient in my serum. I have been trying for years to get the mixture right, but everything I tried wasn’t compatible with the human recipient.”

  This is insanity.

  “I’ve been watching over you for your whole life, keeping you under my care at all costs, because I couldn’t risk anyone finding out about your blood type. I couldn’t risk them taking you away from me or my work.”

  She shook her head, not sure what to say.

  “We needed the most powerful men, physically and mentally, as the recipients in order for the serum to truly work.”

  She shook her head, the pain in her eyes becoming unbearable now.

  “As with all experiments, we had our trials and tribulations, but once I found the missing ingredient—your rare blood type—corrected the levels and properties of the serum, and found a compatible human match, it was then that I created Adaym.” He pointed to the picture of the chained young man.

  “You’re a monster,” she whispered. “So what, you plan on injecting people with this experimental drug, using them as guinea pigs as you harvest my blood? You truly are a sick man.” Disgust dripped from her voice as she stood.

  “Sit down.” He all but shouted the command, and she sat, fear spiking within her at the rage reflected in his features. His face was red, and the muscles in his forearms clenched and unclenched as he made fists and relaxed them on top of the desk. “You will not undermine my breakthrough. I have worked decades on this, and there you sit, calling me a monster when everything I am doing is to better this world.”

  “Better this world?" Stupefaction laced her voice as she stared at him with disbelief. “You’re testing your drugs on innocent people, using their lives like they were nothing. I will not condone any of this. You can keep me here, but you can never make me a willing participant in your sick fantasy world.”

  He suddenly became calm as he leaned back in his chair again. “Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, Neeka. You will help me and give me what I need, or I’ll dispose of everyone and everything you hold dear.”

  She covered her mouth, tears threatening to spill free.

  “You don’t get it, do you? I am creating super humans. Men who can fight in war with super strength, and can be injured, but heal instantaneously. Warriors who can’t be affected by biochemical warfareweapons.” He smiled triumphantly. “I will be the most powerful man in the world. I’ve already succeeded in creating the first indestructible killing machine.”

  She clenched her hands in her lap, not knowing what to do. She felt defeated as she glanced back down at the photo of the man. His dark hair was unkempt and shaggy, his eyes fierce, but not broken. His chest was bare and riddled with scars.

  God, I’m so sorry they did this to you.

  Who was he really? Was his name even Adaym? Did he have a family somewhere, a wife, kids? She put her head in her hands and breathed out. How would her father ever find her? She would never see him again. She couldn’t help but feel the need to cry, her anger mounting more and more. Sorrow also filled her at the thought of the lives that would soon be used and discarded with no thought or consideration.

  She didn’t doubt Dr. Rye Vincent was a genius. The very idea of men being able to heal on the battlefield would benefit many people, but the way he was going on about it was wrong. He was hurting people, keeping them as prisoners, and experimenting on them as if they were lab rats. She knew that even though this looked like a dead end for her, she wouldn’t let herself break. She would keep fighting until she drew her last breath.

  Chapter Four

  Gage had ended up finding out the name of the man that owned the van when Neeka was abducted—Kevin Kraybold. Now he had an address to go off of, and some questions that needed answers.

  He parked his SUV on the side of the street, right across the street from a rundown bar. On the corners were a few prostitutes, and lo and behold, the man in question was outside soliciting one of the prostitutes. Gage cut the engine and sat in the car, watching the exchange. The woman said something to Kraybold, and then the little asshole backhanded the woman. Gage got out of the SUV before the woman’s pimp came out and kicked Kraybold’s ass. Gage needed answers first. After that he didn’t give a fuck what happened to the piece of shit.

  “Hey, motherfucker,” Gage said right before he clocked Kraybold in the face. The man stumbled back, holding his nose, and blood dripping down his chin.

  “What the hell,” Kraybold said without looking at Gage. When he finally locked gazes with him Kraybold’s eyes widened, maybe from the size of Gage, or because he knew this wasn’t going to end well for him.

  Gage wrapped his hand around the asshole’s neck, and walked him backward and into the adjoining alley. Once hidden by the shadows he pressed Kraybold against the brick wall.

  “What the fuck you want, man?” Kraybold wheezed out.

  Gage could have given him the benefit of the doubt, assumed maybe his van was stolen, but the air about this asshole, the fact he’d slapped a woman out in the middle of the street, told Gage this piece of shit wasn’t innocent.

  “I’m only going to ask you once, so you better make sure you tell me
the honest answer.” Gage leaned in so he was nose to nose with Kraybold, staring him deep in the eyes, and slightly tightening his hold on the other man’s neck. Kraybold’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out, only a sickening gurgling sound. Gage loosened his hold but didn’t lower him from the wall. Gage didn’t fuck around when it came to getting answers.

  Kraybold sucked in air, his eyes starting to water.

  “You have anything to do with the kidnapping of a young woman a few weeks back?”

  Gage tightened his hold again when the man didn’t answer. Kraybold’s eyes went wide as he started shaking his head. Gage loosened his hold once more.

  “Okay, okay. Yeah, I was hired. I was instructed to drop her off at a rundown motel off of Interstate 61. The money was already there when I got there. I took it, and left her in the room.”

  “What was the motel’s name? Who hired you?”

  “I didn’t know his name. Some guy contacted me and offered a thousand dollars to bring the girl to the Dew Oaks Motel. I don’t know any names. I swear that’s all I know.”

  Gage stared at the fucker, really looked at him. The man was panicking, and by the way he pleaded Gage could tell he wasn’t lying. But that didn’t stop the darkness already rising inside of him, or the feel of this anger over this entire thing take root. Gage tightened his grip on the other man’s neck, his eyes going wide as he tried to pry Gage’s fingers from around his throat. Gage knew Kraybold thought he was about to die, but in all actuality, Gage had no intention of killing him. Collateral damage was always a possibility in these situations, but he’d let the little fucker live.

  Gage released the man, and Kraybold slid to the ground, taking desperate breaths of air. Instead of killing the asshole, Gage pulled his cell out, knowing Kraybold had one hell of a rap sheet on his ass. Gage’s phone was a burner, and therefore untraceable, so he placed an anonymous call to the police.

  Leaving the little prick gasping for air on the ground, Gage got back in his SUV and switched on the dashboard computer that was directly linked to the compound. The female robotic voice welcomed him, and he entered in his code, typed in The Dew Oaks Motel, and immediately got the coordinates and the history of the piece of shit place. It was eight hours from Shyloh, which was where he currently was located, and from where Neeka had been taken. He had a lead, and things were about to get fucking messy. He could feel it.