by Chandra Ryan
“I heard you plan on reporting back to full duty by the end of the week.” Her words sounded more like an accusation than a statement. Still, he refused to fight with her.
“Yep.” Again he forced his arms to lift the weight and then allow it to slowly return to his chest.
She huffed at his simple answer. Damn if she wasn’t a stubborn little thing. Not that he had any shortage in the perseverance department. Just that he was here lifting weights in front of her was a testament to his own stubborn streak.
“Do you really think that’s wise?”
“My doctor cleared me.”
This time she snorted. He would’ve laughed at the undignified sound if paying attention to the weights currently held over his head wasn’t taking his entire attention. “If you can call that hack a doctor.”
“Which I do. He has all the credentials and experience needed. As a matter of fact, I do recall you praising him on his abilities up until the day I became his patient.”
“You could’ve just been my patient.”
He refused to be fooled by the sultry tone in her voice though. Being her patient would’ve been a nightmare for them both. “And I’d never be cleared to go back to work.”
She said something under her breath but he couldn’t quite make it out. Which probably was for the best. He rested the weight on the stand so he could sit up and look at her. “I’m a soldier. It’s my job to go rushing into danger. Sometimes I get hurt and that sucks. I know it does. But that I understand how difficult it must be for you doesn’t make it any less true. I am a soldier.”
She looked up at the ceiling so he put a hand under her chin to guide her attention back to him. “I need you to hear me when I say this. I am a soldier.”
Her delicate lips twisted into a sneer and she growled softly but then let out a sigh. “I hear you.”
“It’s one of the reasons you find me so irresistible.”
“Irritating is more like it.”
“Come on, sweetheart. We can fight about a lot of things, but not this. I can’t change who I am.”
She grumbled but then shrugged. “Fine.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m not overly crazy about the work you’re doing with those experiments of yours.”
Her chin shot up and she glared at him. “They’re people, not experiments. And they’re not mine.”
She’d grown very close to her experiments over the last week. He’d noted how, as she became more involved in finding the cure, she’d become overly protective of them as well. He didn’t like her being so invested in the lives of creatures that’d most likely been created to kill. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
He noted how tightly she gripped her hand into a fist. Yep. She’d lost all professional detachment, just as he’d feared. “I don’t think it’s such a great idea for you to be spending so much time alone with them. What if one of them wakes up when there’s no guard?”
“They can’t just wake up. They’re in stasis. And, even if they did, their muscles are so atrophied they wouldn’t pose a threat to me.”
“Don’t underestimate them.”
She tossed a towel at him, which he used to wipe the sweat off his face. “I won’t, I promise. If it’d make you happier, I’ll even request a guard when I’m working with them.” Her pause told him that she was plotting something he probably wouldn’t like. “Hey! I know.” He was pretty certain that this was the grand reveal. “Since you’ve got your heart set on returning to duty and you’re concerned about my safety, you could always ask to be put on my security detail. Problems solved.”
The idea had merit. Unfortunately Commander Wallace wouldn’t agree. With Dixie’s training and experience, he would see it as an inefficient use of manpower. “Would if I could. Not up to me, though.”
“Wallace won’t let you.” She rolled her eyes at him but didn’t appear to be overly surprised. “Figured as much. Well then, I guess we’re at an impasse. I’m just going to have to trust you to know what you’re doing and you’re going to have to return the favor.”
“Guess so. I’m holding you to requesting a guard, though.”
“Fine.” She stood gracefully and started to walk away only to turn back to him after a couple of steps. “Oh, I’m going to attempt another wakeup today.”
His heart stopped at her announcement. Nothing bad had happened with the first one. Well, nothing other than her slipping into a funk for days. But that didn’t guarantee that nothing would happen this time. “Don’t do it without a full guard detail.”
One of her eyebrows shot up as she braced her hands on her hips. “I said I’d have a guard. Where’s that trust we just talked about?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“Fine.” As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. She’d promised to have a guard so he’d just have to trust her. “Good luck.”
“And good luck to you. Dr. Antihway isn’t going to be easy to find.”
And yet find him they must. The scientist might be mad—dangerously so—but he was their best chance at gathering the evidence they needed. Thankfully they’d located one of the doctor’s assistants and had brought him in. Dixie was sure the man would talk to him. Given the right motivation. “I’ll see you tonight.”
She winked at him before saying, “You better believe it, soldier.” As she walked away she added a saucy sway to her hips. His cock started to harden just from the sight and he had to touch her.
He jumped up and made it to her within a couple of steps. “Don’t think you’re getting out of here without a kiss goodbye.” She gasped in surprise but then melded her body to his. Taking that as permission, he lowered his mouth to hers and took her in a kiss that couldn’t be disguised as anything other than the act of possession that it was. When they finally broke apart they were both breathing hard and his cock throbbed painfully with desire. If they were alone in their quarters, nothing in the universe would’ve stopped him from stripping her down and taking her against the wall. But they weren’t. He was going to have to wait until the evening to fulfill that fantasy. Which was going to make getting through the rest of the day difficult at best.
She rubbed her body against his one last time before nuzzling his neck and saying, “I do love the way you say goodbye.”
He moaned at the contact before forcing himself to take a step back. “Personally, I think you say it better.”
She smiled but didn’t say anything else as she turned away from him and then walked through the door. After she’d left, he took a few minutes to bring his hormones back into check and then finished his workout. It might be painful but it was necessary. It also helped him burn off some of the stress and tension that ate at him. Just because he had to accept that she had a job to do didn’t make it any less frightening for him. He hated to admit it but if he had his way, he’d lock her in their quarters and post a guard at their door whenever he or Ben couldn’t be there. Not that she’d go for that. He nearly laughed as he imagined her reaction.
He showered and changed and made it to the interrogation room almost exactly an hour later. And, as soon as he stepped through the door, his attention focused on the beady-eyed man sitting at the table. Even if his hands weren’t cuffed in front of him, everything from his well-developed gut to his pasty complexion screamed laboratory geek, especially when contrasted with the modified soldiers who surrounded him. “Dr. Isle, thank you so much for agreeing to meet with us.” Dixie sank into a chair on the opposite side of the table and smiled in what he hoped would appear to be a civilized manner.
Dr. Isle, however, didn’t seem to appreciate his token gesture of civility. The man sneered at him and then leaned back in his chair. “As if I had a choice. Your men showed up at my lab at two in the morning in full armor and carrying enough explosives to level the place.”
“We wanted to make sure you understood the magnitude of the situation.” Dixie placed a digital
readout of Dr. Antihway on the table and turned it so Isle would have ready access to it. “We’re looking for this man and we heard you knew where to find him.”
Dr. Isle leaned forward to look at the image but then turned it back to face Dixie as he pushed it away from him. “You heard wrong.”
“I don’t think so. You and Dr. Antihway have been pretty close over the last couple years. I’m sure you know where to send his birthday card.”
Dr. Isle chuckled. “You don’t send demons birthday cards. You run as fast as you can and hope they never come looking for you.”
That was interesting. Not overly surprising, but interesting. “So you and the good doctor didn’t part ways as friends?”
“Nobody who has ever met the doctor would consider him ‘good’. And those who manage to part ways with him consider themselves blessed if they do so with their sanity intact. That man is…” He shuddered and the look of fear that slid into his eyes seemed sincere enough that it caused the hairs on Dixie’s arm to stand on end. “Fucked up. And the things he makes his assistants do.” The man shook his head slowly. “They take a toll.”
As much as Dixie believed the man’s apparent unease, he still needed to know how to find Dr. Antihway. “So you found your conscience and moral compass right after the doctor made you a very rich man? Is that what you’re telling me?” He paused to allow the man to defend himself even though Dixie didn’t expect him to. “That makes for a good story, and an even better defense when the war tribunals come knocking at the door. But it doesn’t really solve the problem.”
“I don’t know what you expect me to do. I can’t give you information I don’t have.”
“I don’t believe you.”
The man squirmed a little in his chair as tiny beads of sweat broke out from his forehead. “Why would I lie to you?”
“Because you’re a coward? Because you’re afraid that we’ll find your fingerprints on some of the crazy creations we’ll find? Because you have a thing for cuffs and this is the stuff of your fantasies?” He shrugged as if the motivation didn’t matter. “Really, I don’t care why you’re lying. What I do care about is finding the crazy-ass doctor so we can see if he’s responsible for creating the next round of super-soldiers.”
Dixie didn’t think it was possible but the man went a shade paler. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the six stasis chambers that were conveniently left on our doorstep. All of which contained genetic experiments. Though I would recommend you not call them that in front of Dr. Colt. She’s grown attached to them.”
“Experiments?”
“Created and manipulated life forms.”
“There were six of them? And they were created? You’re sure?” The man knew something about the beings. That was interesting.
“I might not be a geneticist, but I can count to six. Of course now there are only five. One died when we woke it up.”
“You woke up one of the Subservients?” Dr. Isle clenched his hands in front of him and his eyes sparkled with what Dixie guessed was excitement. The man might not hold any love for Dr. Antihway, but he seemed to appreciate the doctor’s work. “Which one? What happened?”
As if he’d tell the sicko. “She died. Are you not listening to me?” That was all he’d give the man. Isle, however, still had so much more to offer him. And he’d make sure the scientist told him everything by the time they were done. “A Subservient, huh? Is that what you call them? Guess it only makes sense that you guys would give them a name. Wouldn’t want anyone to confuse them for human, now would we?”
“They aren’t human. They’re so much more.” Isle’s voice hit an almost fever-pitched note as he spoke. “When I left there were still kinks that needed to be worked out but, in theory, the things they could do were astounding. They’d revolutionize the industry.”
“Which industry would that be, genetics or weapons?”
The man laughed so hard his shoulders shook. “You’d be more of the expert in that philosophical debate. Which do you consider yourself? Are you person or a weapon?”
Dixie had to fight against the urge to punch the man. His arrogance and complete lack of ethics were incomprehensible. And, who knows, maybe a blow to the head might be enough to straighten the scientist out. At least, it might if it were hard enough. Dixie couldn’t help but smile at the thought. All levity left him, though, as the interrogation room door was thrown open.
“What the hell?” Dixie stood and turned to face the threat. But when he looked up to see one of Lisa’s assistants rushing into the room, his irritation faded into fear. A thin line of blood stained the man’s skin from his temple to his cheekbone but the injury was old enough that the blood had dried and crusted there.
“I’m so sorry.” The assistant’s words were halted and his voice shaky as he spoke.
The interrogation forgotten, Dixie turned his full attention to the man standing in front of him. “What happened?” He needed to know that Lisa was okay but the possibility that she wasn’t made him freeze with fear.
“We were assisting Dr. Colt when a team of men breached the lab.”
The room fell into a silence so profound that Dixie could hear the hiss of his blood as it rushed through his head. For one moment the world blurred around him and black dots swam through his field of vision as panic consumed him. “Is Dr. Colt…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the question. He couldn’t use the word “dead” in the same sentence as her name. Just the thought made his stomach cramp painfully and his eyes burn with the threat of tears.
“She’s gone, sir.”
No. Surely the man was wrong. He had to be wrong. Dixie sank back into his chair. “What do you mean she’s gone?”
“Five men infiltrated the lab. They were dressed in black fatigues and their faces were concealed under heavy paint so I immediately went to hit the alarm.”
“And?” If the man planned on dragging this out, Dixie might have to resort to violence.
“Before I could get to the alarm, one of them hit me.” His fingers fluttered toward the injury but he stilled his hand before he reached it. “Everything went black. When I woke up, Dr. Colt and the life form were both missing and the rest of our team were dead.”
“Missing? As in abducted?” He allowed his body to relax with the wave of relief that swept through him. Abducted might not be ideal but it was so much better than dead.
“Yes. Though we don’t know why.”
“What were you doing just before the breach?” If there was any shot of getting Lisa back, Dixie needed as many details as possible.
“We’d completed the surgery and Dr. Colt had brought the life form out of stasis.”
“She’d done that once before, though,” Dixie pressed.
“Yes, but this time Dr. Colt gave the life form mood stabilizers. She appeared confused upon waking, but not suicidal as the first one had been.”
“She solved it?” Isle’s words grabbed Dixie’s attention and reminded him of the scientist’s existence once more. “She really woke a Subservient and it lived? Is there a recording? Can I watch it?”
“I’m sorry but I think you’ve mistaken our intentions with you. The only thing you should be asking right now is if we’re going to let you live.” Dixie turned to the guards standing next to Isle and said, “Get him the hell out of my sight.”
“Yes sir.” They helped the scientist stand before leading him through the room. “He’ll be in detention block C if you have further need of him.”
Dixie nodded but didn’t comment as the guards led Isle out of the room. He was certain he’d have further need of the man. But only after he’d gotten control of his emotions. Right now he wanted to choke the truth out of him. But a dead witness couldn’t give up his secrets. “Is there a recording of the abduction?”
The assistant nodded slightly. “We document everything. It’s part of the procedure.”
“Where can I access the recording?”
“Dr. Colt’s office.”
That was the last place Dixie wanted to be right now. Being surrounded by her things, her notes, her smell, would be torture. But he would endure that pain happily on the off chance that the video would give them some answers. He wouldn’t do it alone though. Dixie turned to one of the other guards still waiting in the interrogation room. “Find Ben Mincer and have him meet me there.”
“Yes sir.” The man saluted stiffly before he left.
Dixie turned back to Lisa’s assistant and gestured at the door. “Lead the way.”
When they got to Lisa’s office, Dixie insisted they wait for Ben before they viewed the tape. He’d have to be the one to tell Ben why they were there and what’d happened. He didn’t relish the idea, but it would be better coming from him than from a stranger.
“What’s up?” Ben’s voice pulled Dixie from his troubled thoughts immediately. He took a second before turning to face the man, however. This had to be done and Dixie should be the one to do it, but he really didn’t want to.
“There’s been an incident.” The opening might be lame but it was the best he could come up with. “As far as we can tell Lisa is alive, but she and one of the life forms have been abducted.”
Ben sank into one of the chairs near Lisa’s desk. “By who and where did they take her?”
Dixie caught Ben up as much as possible and gave him a few minutes to process the information before pulling the video up on Lisa’s computer. “I don’t know what’s on here. Whatever it is, I’m sure it doesn’t end pleasantly. If you don’t want to watch it, I’d understand.”
Ben turned to face the monitor squarely. “I don’t want to watch it. But I need to.” Dixie could relate to the sentiment. “Let’s get this over with so we can find our girl.”
With one keystroke the video started to play. He knew it’d be difficult, but seeing Lisa on the screen made it all the more real. He wanted to reach out and touch her, pull her to him and hold her so tightly she’d never slip away. But all he could do was watch as the events played out before him.