Devil's Gold

by Julie Korzenko

  “Come on, Eddie. Let’s walk.”

  Edward stumbled. “Don’t be stupid, Jason. We can work out a new arrangement. I’ll add your name to the patent.”

  Jason bent forward, smacking his free hand against his thigh. “You don’t get it, man, do you? I don’t give a rat’s ass about the patent or saving humanity.” He shoved Edward in the back. “Pick up the pace, you stupid son of a bitch.”

  They reached the clearing around the incinerator. Jason pushed Edward hard and sent him flying forward. “Sorry, man. This is the end of the line.” Edward lay on the ground. Thoughts whirled and whirled in his head, but nothing jumped out to solve the situation. He stared back at Jason and felt himself cowering like a pitiful pound puppy. Clucking his tongue, Jason stared, his eyes glowing with maniacal pride, relishing the feeling of God-like power. He controlled Edward, and he knew it.

  Winking, Jason gave Edward one of those half-smiles that the kid thought made the ladies all hot and bothered. “Lights out.” He aimed and fired.

  The kid was a class-A screw up. Edward squeezed his eyes against the pain in the right side of his head. It felt ready to explode. He stifled a moan, his ear burning like he’d dipped it in molten lava. Fear still ran through Edward’s system, mimicking the dip and dive of the river rapids shooting past the front of the property.

  Jason hadn’t bothered to check whether or not the bullet hit home, assuming because of the amount of blood and lack of movement that he’d succeeded in striking a killing blow. Edward supposed he should be grateful that all the years of making Jason redo tests because he’d skipped a step or forgotten to write down pertinent data never sunk into the kid’s pot-damaged brain. Carelessness granted Edward an upper hand.

  He lifted his head, fighting a wave of nausea and dizziness. If he didn’t act fast, his system would shut down from shock. Edward spotted the gun lying about five feet from his leg. Jason opened the door to the incinerator, and Edward took advantage of the blast of heat that temporarily blinded the kid to move sideways and grab the gun. Edward quickly scooted back and braced himself against a tree, not trusting his legs.

  What was the idiot doing?

  At the sound of the chainsaw, Edward’s chest tightened. He had to give the kid a few points for creativity, not to mention guts. The mere thought of Jason hacking his body to pieces brought forth a conundrum of nightmares.

  As Jason turned in his direction, Edward pointed the gun at the kid’s chest and willed his hand to stop shaking. He could do this. It was a game of survival.

  Jason stopped short, pointing the chainsaw in Edward’s direction. “You gonna kill me, Eddie?” His voice rang loudly above the whirring of the power tool.

  Edward nodded.

  “Nah. I don’t think so. What would the scientific community say?”

  Edward frowned. Jason had a point. He couldn’t very well kill the boy and then call 911. He’d have to explain about the laboratory and then CPV-19 and then …

  “I don’t care.” Edward said, as convincingly as possible.

  Jason flipped the switch on the chainsaw and silence descended, creating a preternatural calm. “Of course you do. Your patent hasn’t been filed yet, man.”

  Edward narrowed his eyes. “How could you know that?”

  Jason dropped the chainsaw and lifted his hands as if in surrender. “Well, you see, I wasn’t bought off by another group wanting CPV-19. I was paid by New World Petroleum to watch you and filter back your process. They don’t care about the patent, and because of that you’re disposable. Besides…” The lab assistant shrugged, stepping forward. “CPV-19 is already running free.”

  Edward froze, his mind trying to sort through this last piece of news. “It couldn’t have spread so quickly.”

  “Well, see, that’s where we were wrong. According to my main man, it’s spreading—spreading real quick. Which means, Eddie …” Jason bent forward and dropped his voice to a soft whisper. “Yellowstone is about to have a few very bad weeks. And you are out one highly prized patent. They ain’t never gonna give you any awards for creating something this nasty. As a matter of fact, they’ll probably put you right in jail.”

  With a jolt, Edward realized Jason had moved too close. “Stop. Don’t take another step.”

  “Tsk tsk, Eddie. Afraid?” Edward’s eyes widened as Jason’s face transformed into a maniacal monster’s with only one item on the agenda. Murder.

  Edward felt as if he’d fallen down a rabbit hole. He had one clear thought: in order to survive, Jason must die.

  Before he chickened out, he fired the gun. His head snapped back against the tree as the shock of the weapon vibrated from his fingers through his arm. Sulfur tinged the crisp air, and the shot echoed through the valley, transforming the two-second episode into slow motion.

  Blood spread rapidly across Jason’s chest. He staggered then collapsed to the ground, pressing his hands against the mortal wound. Several gurgling gasps for air, and then all became still.

  Edward hurried over, holding the gun in front of him. The gun wobbled violently, and he tried to steady his hand as best he could. Bending, Edward checked for a pulse. Nothing.

  Glancing around, his gaze rested on the chainsaw. There was no way he’d be able chop the kid up. His stomach just wasn’t built for that type of thing.

  He’d leave him.

  Edward pressed his hand against his own wounds and staggered to his feet. He needed to act fast. With hesitant steps, he made his way toward the main house. Each movement forward sent slashes of pain searing through his head. Damn Jason. Damn him to hell.

  Entering the small half bath on the first floor of the house, he surveyed the damage to his head. The bullet grazed his temple but not before shattering the top of his ear. Actually, that was probably a lucky thing. The amount of the blood from the ear wound was what had convinced Jason his shot had been true. He reached beneath the vanity and searched blindly for the first-aid kit.

  Swearing, Edward bent down to locate what his fingers couldn’t find. Pain strangled his head, and he fought against the blackness that threatened. He spotted the white plastic box and with shaking hands went to work.

  He stitched the three-inch gash above his right eye, sucking sharp breaths in and out as the needled pierced his skin. Finished, he swabbed the wound clean and pasted a Band-Aid over the stitches.

  The ear was a mess.

  Edward splashed disinfectant on the shattered skin, then wrapped it as tightly and with as much gauze as he could.

  Finally done with first-aid, he retraced his steps back toward the incinerator. The case containing the CPV-19 vials and antidote lay propped against a tree. Edward retrieved it and made his way beyond the quaking aspens and into the log cabin. Each step required reaffirmation that everything would be all right. His head pounded, his hands shook. Life wasn’t looking so bright.

  Entering the lab, he gathered the data from the last test. Edward verified there was nothing else of importance he needed. The lab had been stripped down over the past twenty-four hours. There was nothing here that would reproduce the genetic mutation process or CPV-19.

  His patent was safe. But the suitcase he carried meant he stepped into the world of the hunted. Edward needed to reach New York and have his lawyer file the patent before NWP caught up with him.

  His stomach lurched. He felt sick. To be truthful, Edward didn’t know how far the board’s power spread. He’d accepted their money with gratitude, never once questioning their motivation.

  He’d allowed his greed for recognition to cloud his judgment. What a stupid man he’d been!

  Climbing the stairs out of the lab, Edward sealed the door and exited the cabin. Squinting against the brightness of the sun, he noticed a peculiar pattern flickering on the grass.

  Dark shadows moved in and out of his line of vision. Edward gazed upward and gasped at the tornado of vultures circling high in the sky. They’d smelled death.

  This wouldn’t do. It could draw attention
to the property. He didn’t know when and where Jason was supposed to hand over the virus; it could have been within the hour, or it could have been the next day. Everything needed to appear normal.

  He moved as quickly as possible toward the incinerator. Jason’s body was sprawled on the ground, the pool of blood bigger than when Edward had left.

  Glancing around in a panic, his gaze fell on the river. That would work. The rapids would carry the body downriver, and by the time it was discovered Edward would be long gone.

  He grabbed Jason under the arms and began dragging him across the grass to the riverbank. Don’t think about death. It’d been necessary. Still his heart felt heavy, and his head felt as if it’d been split in two. If he focused on remaining conscious, the guilt of his murderous actions faded to a soft whisper.

  The strain of using muscles he didn’t have forced blood to pump from the wound on his ear. Sweat poured from his forehead, blocking his vision.

  Murder was an uncomfortable thing.

  After an interminable amount of time, Edward reached the banks of Yellowstone River. The water sped past the loamy shore. He needed to drag the body past the row of kayaks piled to the left that Jason had collected over the past five years.

  He hauled the body into the river, inhaling sharply when the frosty bite of the river seeped into his clothes. Edward made certain he’d waded far enough offshore before releasing his hold on the lab assistant. He watched, mesmerized as the river tossed the remains of Jason from one icy wave to another. The choppy surface swallowed death in a matter of seconds.

  Edward headed back to shore, an unusual patch of white catching his attention. He frowned and squinted at the thing lying close to the edge of the embankment. As he approached it, a flash of fear caused his heart rate to increase and beads of sweat to form on his brow. His body alternated between shivers from the icy water of the river and shakes caused by the dead wolf at his feet.

  He knew what he had to do. Edward calculated the time it would take for him to retrieve his medical kit and obtain blood samples from the infected animal. It would be well worth it. This was an opportunity to study a live second-generation virus sample. The importance and impact on his research outweighed the half hour he’d expose himself to capture.

  CHAPTER 16

  “WHERE,” SAID JAKE, HALTING, HIS WORDS STRAINED FROM exhaustion, “have you been?”

  Cassidy gazed at him in shock and surprise. She couldn’t believe that he stood not more than ten feet from her. His face was flushed, and his nostrils flared with the joint effort of recapturing his breath and controlling his anger. She stood rooted, watching him bend over, inhale deeply, and gather his strength. A tremor ran through his body, and she responded on instinct. Sliding down the trail, she gently touched the side of his neck, checking his pulse.

  His arm snaked out of nowhere, pinning her to his chest. Cassidy struggled, but there was no lessening of the pressure.

  “Jake, let me go.”

  “In just a moment.” His voice, husky with lack of oxygen, sent shivers down her spine. “I don’t want to fall down. That damn trail is steep.”

  She felt his breath on her hair, hot and fast. She moved her head to see his face. Blue eyes, dark and dangerous, gazed back. An edge of familiarity sparked in her brain, then quickly faded beneath the heat their bodies ignited. A lump formed in her throat, and swallowing became difficult.

  Time slammed on the brakes.

  It felt as if nature’s force surged from the ground, twisting her heart and ringing in a vision of the future different from any she’d ever imagined.

  Cassidy shoved at his chest, jumped back, and fell flat on her ass.

  Jake reached down and hauled her to her feet, brushing dirt from her behind. She swatted at his hands and glared at him.

  “Do you have your phone?” He spoke very softly and enunciated each word with great determination.

  “Yes. You know I do. Why?”

  “Ever consider answering my message?” His patient words rang warning bells in her head. Cassidy, once more, cursed her own stupidity for not replying to his text. Smiling shyly, she tried to lighten the mood with a joke.

  “And why would I do that, when I have you to run them up the mountain? Besides, if it’d been important, you would’ve called.”

  Jake swiped his hand through his hair, sweat making it slick against his head. “Because I was running up the mountain, signal was limited. I thought a text would reach you better.”

  Cassidy gazed at his face, chewing the edge of her bottom lip. “Oh.”

  “You,” he said, clenching his jaw, “just cost me ten years of my life.” Jake walked to the side of the trail. “I was worried.” His voice remained soft.

  “Why? What happened?” He appeared to be scouting for something. “What are you looking for?”

  He didn’t bother to glance back. “Tracks.”

  Cassidy glanced around and shook her head. “No. You won’t find any here. I don’t believe the wolves have crossed this area in the past month.”

  Jake crouched down and pointed to a spot off the main trail. “Human tracks.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Bloody human tracks.” He turned and faced her. “There’s a body.” His jaw tight with emotion, he pointed down the trail. “There.”

  She followed his gesture and sat down suddenly as understanding swamped her. He’d thought she’d been in danger. “What?”

  “In addition to the body, there’s a trail of blood that runs down toward where it was discovered.”

  Cassidy swallowed. “I’m sorry about the phone.” She brushed her hair out of her face. She’d allowed personal feelings to affect her judgment. Damn. “It was wrong of me not to answer.” She took a deep breath, and words spilled from her mouth. “But I assure you I was not in the least bit of danger. Whatever happened didn’t occur anywhere near me.” His tense stance and white-knuckled fists signaled exactly how in control his temper remained. Cassidy smiled hesitantly. “So you see? No worries, mate.”

  “We’re a team” is all he said.

  She counted herself lucky that he didn’t let loose the torrent of angry words she deserved. “I understand.” She’d broken a ZEBRA cardinal rule, removing herself from contact.

  He nodded and examined the side of the trail.

  Straightening, Cassidy started to stand, then sat with a thump when another man stepped into the clearing.

  Jake ran through several mental exercises that released his fear and worry. Cassidy thought he was angry. Good.

  He wasn’t.

  He’d been certain that what lay at the top of this trail was another mangled and lifeless body. The past hours of hiking up a trail laden with footprints and blood splatters caused disconcerting thoughts.

  The panic that seized his insides and froze his mind began to dissipate. Goose bumps spread across his skin.

  He wanted her in his arms.

  He’d better find a way to forget that last thought.

  Kicking an invisible rock, he swore. If this wasn’t a tangled nest of irritated rattlers, he didn’t know what was.

  “Ethan,” he called and headed over to the park ranger. Cassidy sat on the side of the trail, eyeing the other man with consternation. “There’s another set of prints over there.” Jake pointed behind him and nodded in satisfaction when the chief went to measure and mark. He’d called him the second the trail of blood had led him to a body.

  Jake hadn’t been more than a mile up the trail when he’d heard the sirens and voices of the park rangers. The high altitude had worked against Jake, and it hadn’t been long before Ethan Connor was only a click behind him.

  “Sunshine,” Jake said softly. “Snap out of it.” He crouched in front of her and touched her shoulder lightly.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Okay. It’s over, and I’m almost sorry to say that it’s good to see you alive and well.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, Betty Boop.
Let’s get down this mountain and grab some coffee.”

  The small clearing suddenly filled with people as a multitude of officials arrived. Chief Connor directed everyone to the other prints and dismissed Jake and Cassidy with a nod. This wasn’t ZEBRA territory yet. He’d make sure Ethan Connor provided him with a detailed report of his findings. The itch that spelled danger spread.

  Cassidy blew out a mouthful of air and allowed Jake to lead her down the trail and away from Ethan Connor and his rangers. She needed to clear the air with Ethan and put the past where it belonged: in the past. The thought of disappointing Jake and her pod paralyzed her. A fool. A jackass. With a snort, she spoke beneath her breath. “Definitely Betty Boopish.”

  “Huh?” Jake said.

  “Talking to myself.”

  He smiled and gave her a slight nudge. “Did you find anything last night?”

  This was a comfortable area. And she realized that in the stress of the situation, she’d forgotten all about the wolves. Cassidy beamed at Jake. “Yes, I did.”

  He walked next to her, lifted her backpack off her shoulder, and swung it onto his own, and suddenly the world skittered back into place. The tightness in her chest lessened, and she could breathe. A little emotional hiccup brought on by shock and adrenaline was no reason to spin into a full-fledged I-want-this-man panic.

  “Tell me,” he coaxed and stepped in front of her.

  Cassidy followed him down the path. She’d glanced behind once or twice and reassured herself that Ethan wasn’t following. She needed to deal with that situation, but not now. Not yet. It didn’t bode well that he hadn’t said a word since yesterday. If she wasn’t careful, the memories Ethan provoked would distract her and she’d jeopardize her job. That was unacceptable. I’ll call him tonight, she told herself.

  Decisions made and emotions back in alignment, Cassidy began to soak up her surroundings.