Liberty tried to get her hands loose from the tape around her wrists, but it didn’t work.
The reporter narrowed her gaze. “When we were little, you’d have scientists and guards gathered around you all the time. They couldn’t stop talking about what you could do. About your potential. You and your fucking besties were favored. I can bend people’s will, twist their minds, make them do what I want, but you just batted your eyes and they folded.”
Liberty shook her head and tried to talk. It didn’t work with the tape over her mouth.
The reporter nodded to one of the men. “Take it off.”
The man eyed Liberty’s hands like they were deadly and then slowly moved into the back of the van. He touched the tape and tried to ease it off slowly.
“For fuck’s sake,” said the reporter. “Rip it off!”
The man flinched but did as he was instructed.
The pain was fast but fleeting. Liberty swallowed hard and set her attention on the reporter. “You have me confused with someone else.”
“Oh really?” asked the woman. “So you weren’t part of the experiments as a child? You weren’t given unbelievable gifts that humans couldn’t possibly understand?”
The reporter had been tested on as well? And she thought what had been done to them was a good thing?
“Gifts?” echoed Liberty. “You think what we can do is a gift? Are you mental?”
The man near Liberty cleared his throat and nodded ever so slightly, indicating she was most certainly nuts.
The reporter noticed and focused on him. Her nose began to bleed, and she wiped it away a second before the man nearest Liberty reached out, wrapping a hand around Liberty’s throat tightly. He squeezed and stared at his hand with wide eyes, appearing horrified by what was happening. There was no mistaking the fact he wasn’t in control of his actions.
The bitch of a reporter was.
Liberty brought her bound hands up, trying to push his arm away so she could draw in air, but it didn’t work.
The reporter cackled with glee.
Liberty pulled her knees up, before trying to push the man away from her.
He tightened his grip but strained to look at the reporter. “S-stop. Please.”
“Fine,” said the reporter as she wiped beneath her nose once more.
The man released Liberty’s throat and stumbled back against the van wall. He stared at Liberty’s neck and then down at his hand. “I didn’t… I’m sorry.”
A small part of Liberty felt bad for the guy. Then again, he was running around with the likes of the reporter and whoever else she was in cahoots with, so he did kind of have it coming to him.
The reporter laughed more, smiling wide as she peered into the van at Liberty. “Look at you there, all bound and helpless. Pathetic. What happened to you? You used to be powerful. A badass. What are you now? Barely more than human. The Corporation is wasting their time with you and your plastic friends. All of you pretending to be nice and perfect. You’re not.”
Liberty openly stared at the woman. “We’re not nice? We don’t kidnap people and aren’t twisted in the head. Can all present claim as much?”
“I can make him do anything I want him to do to you,” warned the reporter.
“Olga, please,” begged the man nearest Liberty.
Olga?
The name was familiar to Liberty.
The man shook his head. “You already made me knock her out upstairs and choke her in here. It’s enough. Let’s just do what Pavel wants and take her to the warehouse.”
“I say when it’s enough!” shouted Olga. She turned partially, her attention going to the other armed man. Her nose began to bleed once more.
The other man lifted his weapon, aimed it at the guy near Liberty before pulling the trigger.
Something wet splashed on Liberty’s face and upper chest a second before the man who had pleaded her case fell onto her. The full weight of his body knocked the wind out of Liberty. It took a moment for her to wrap her mind around what happened. When she realized a dead man was lying on her, she launched into hysterics.
It seemed completely warranted seeing as how someone had just been shot and killed in front of her and was now pinning her to the van floor.
“Perfect. Let’s go watch my man kill Romanov.” Olga laughed and shut the van doors, bathing Liberty in darkness, leaving the dead man on her.
Be still.
The deep male voice cut through her head, shocking Liberty so much that she listened even though she had a dead guy on her.
If you panic, you can’t use your abilities, said the man, his voice calm and oddly reassuring even though it didn’t have a person attached to it.
Liberty stretched, goose-necking around the darkened van, in an attempt to see if maybe someone else was there and it wasn’t her mind snapping.
As far as she could tell, it was just her and the dead guy.
Next, she’d be the one claiming she saw a man turn into a bear and Daisy would have to admit her to an inpatient clinic. Isobel would try to stop her, but it wouldn’t change the fact Liberty had gone off the deep end of sanity.
A pang of regret filled Liberty’s chest at the thought of her friends. Whatever Olga and the others wanted, it wasn’t good, and Liberty knew deep down it would result in her death.
Her friends wouldn’t ever get closure. They’d never know what happened to her. They’d miss her. They needed her. She couldn’t just leave them. They were family to her.
Isobel is at the university, said the male voice. The enemy is making an attempt on her as well.
Liberty gasped and then tried to get the dead weight off her. It didn’t work.
I warned Isobel, said the man. In her mind, like I am with you now. I told her the attack was coming just like I warned Daisy as best I could. Her mind is harder for me to reach—to touch. She’s a lot like me but then again, she’s not. She’s like…like the bad seed one who wants to make you suffer and then kill you.
“Daisy is not evil!” shouted Liberty before realizing she was talking to herself.
I know. But her mind is hard to read, like the bad one’s, said the man. I couldn’t read it this morning—when she was pretending to be the therapist. I should have known there was something wrong. I’m sorry.
“W-who are you?” asked Liberty as she lay pinned to the van floor covered in what she was guessing was the dead guy’s blood.
You know me, said the man.
Just like that, Liberty thought of Gus of all people. Images of him holding the helmet with the mannequin head filled her mind. Then she pictured him blowing bubbles in his milkshake at the diner. She gasped. “Gus?”
Yes, said the man. Now. Listen to me carefully. All you have to do is focus and you can use your ability to get free. You have control over it. Just like when you used it tonight while baking before Bill and Rurik came over.
“Getting tape off me is different,” she squeaked. “And there is a dead guy on me, and Rurik is… oh God. Rurik! Is he dead?”
Not yet, said Gus. But he will be if you don’t focus and get yourself out of there. Bill is luring away some of the other men. There will be two left for you to handle when you get loose.
“Handle?” asked Liberty.
If you don’t hurry, Rurik will fall against his enemy, said Gus. He’s not at full strength and his concern for you will leave him making costly mistakes. Ones that will get him killed.
Liberty’s breath caught and she pushed at the weight on her, her arms pinned against her, her wrists still bound. “No!”
Liberty, said Gus. He may have only just reconnected with you today, but he loves you already. For you, he’d do anything, including sacrifice himself or make an error in battle that costs him his life.
She gasped.
Liberty?
“W-what?” she asked, tears coming fast.
You love him too, said Gus. It’s as it was meant to be. You’re mates. Made for each other. Destiny made sure
of that. Now, I highly suggest you tap into your inner rage and start throwing people around like you did that trailer years ago before it’s too late.
Just like that, the temperature in the van plummeted. The dead man on her floated up and to the side. The body then dropped with a thud.
Her arms tingled as the tape ripped open on her wrists. With her hands free, she went for her bound ankles, tugging at the tape there as well. Sadly, that didn’t go as planned.
“You can do this,” she said, talking to herself yet out loud.
Nothing happened.
Worry for Rurik filled her and the net she knew, the tape on her ankles ripped and the van doors didn’t just blow open, they blew off the back of the van completely.
Olga and several more armed men weren’t far from the van.
The men spun and lifted their weapons.
Liberty merely glanced at them, and they were taking flight. She sent two at trees and one at a telephone pole before sliding out of the back of the van. She stood and stared at Olga, narrowing her gaze as she did.
“Oh, you done did it now,” said Bill, coming out from behind Rurik’s house. He had part of a garden hose in his hand, looped—carrying it like a belt. He grinned and motioned with his head toward the driveway. “Two less dicks to worry about. You got three, Liberty Bell. Nice.”
“Gus?” she asked, worried for the other man.
Bill smiled. “He’s good. Heard he had a little chat with you.”
She nodded.
Bill glanced in the direction Olga had been and stiffened. “Uh, Liberty Bell, we’re missing a bad guy.”
Liberty looked too. Sure enough, Olga was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rurik killed the last of the men on the staircase and then leapt, landing crouched at the base of the stairs. His animal side was on overdrive as he remained there a second, still partially shifted, still covered in the blood of his enemy.
Just then, Pavel came out from the dining room area, with his shirt torn open fully and the sleeves were shredded. He too was partially shifted. Where Rurik’s fur was brown, Pavel’s was white—like parts of his hair.
Pavel flashed jagged teeth at Rurik. It was a challenge. One the man had been stupid enough to issue years ago. One that had left Pavel with the very scars he was complaining about before. And one that was going to be the end of him tonight.
Rurik came up fast and charged the man.
The two locked arms and slammed into the far wall, breaking through the drywall, to the studs. Dust kicked up around them, momentarily blinding Rurik in the process.
Pavel used the opportunity, slashing and catching Rurik’s upper arm, ripping it open. It was the same arm that was already in bad shape since the attack in Savannah.
Rurik snarled and thrust Pavel back from him and blinked, trying to get the drywall dust from his eyes. His vision cleared and he went at Pavel with murderous intent.
Rurik yanked on Pavel and went to throw him only to have pain shoot through his neck, back, and arm. He knew it was from the injuries he’d gotten weeks prior. The pain and moment of hesitation cost him, giving Pavel the upper hand.
Pavel bent partially and scooped Rurik up as if he was a wrestler in a ring before a crowd of thousands. He held Rurik high in the air and roared.
The front door burst open by an unseen force.
Suddenly, Rurik was falling to the floor, but he knew it wasn’t Pavel’s doing. It took him a second to get his bearings, but when he did, he found Pavel was across the room, looking as if he’d just been hit by a truck.
It was then Rurik sensed it—the Fae magik in the air. Not just any power either. Power he’d been around before.
Little Paw!
He twisted quickly and came up in time to find Liberty filling the front door frame, her chocolate brown eyes wide as she stared at him in partially shifted form, covered in blood. She had blood on her face, in her hair, and on the front of her tank top.
Fear for her nearly consumed him. But he fought with his bear side, pushing it down enough to let his mouth return to normal so he could speak clearly. “You’re hurt!”
“N-not my blood,” she said, her eyes still wide.
“Little Paw, I can explain. I won’t hurt you.”
She lifted a hand, staring past him.
Wind shot by Rurik and he twisted around to find Pavel closer to him than he’d thought. Pavel was launched off his feet and into the ceiling before he fell face first to the floor.
Liberty was suddenly next to Rurik, touching his furred arm. “Where are you hurt?”
His breathing was harsh as he stared at her hand on his arm. With trepidation, he yanked his gaze to her face, positive he’d find fear in her eyes. All he found was concern.
“Rurik,” she said, reaching up and touching his cheek. “Where are you hurt?”
“It’s not my blood,” he said, parroting her words.
Relief shone in her eyes. She swallowed hard and stepped back, looking him over slowly. “Uh, how many people’s blood are you wearing?”
He bit at his inner cheek. “Um, more than one.”
She lifted a brow. “I’m starting to understand why your buddies got you a blender.”
Her attempt at humor helped chase away his worry that she’d fear him. As his fears ebbed, his fur receded. He shifted back into a man fully and reached out to touch her, stopping just shy of making contact since his hand was covered in blood. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m sure,” she said, tearing up but smiling all the same.
Pavel came up and off the floor with a roar.
Rurik yanked Liberty behind him, planting his body so that he was firmly between her and Pavel, who was still partially shifted.
Pavel shook his head, and his features began to return to human.
As they did, Liberty peeked out from behind Rurik. She gasped. “Dr. Pasternak?”
It felt as if Rurik had been kicked in the gut again as he heard her call Pavel the name of the teacher she worked for. Pavel had been close to her for weeks. Close enough to kill her at any point and Rurik wouldn’t have been able to stop it.
Pavel laughed in a crazed way. “You haven’t won here today, Romanov. I have more men on their way here now. And I have a secret weapon with me.”
“Uh, about that,” said Bill, strolling in through the open front door. He dusted his hands off. “Your secret weapon chick hightailed it out of here minutes ago. Around the same time Liberty Bell crushed your backup against some trees and a telephone pole. Fitting since the asshats stuffed her in a van from the telephone company.”
Liberty had killed hybrids?
Rurik blinked in surprise at her.
Shrugging, she blushed. “I’d apologize but I’m not sorry. Can I throw the professor around now too? He hurt you.”
“I could have killed you so many times already,” said Pavel. “I’ve been in your house more times than I can count. I’ve watched you sleep. You’ve been close to death for weeks now.”
Rurik faced him, letting the man’s words sink in fully.
“Liberty Bell, why don’t you come on over here with me?” asked Bill, his voice shaky. “Let Sput-Rurik finish him off. This has been a long time in the making. Now that he knows you’re safe and sound, he ain’t gonna worry and get himself killed not thinking straight. His wife is safe so now his enemy can be taken care of.”
Liberty gasped. “Wife?”
“He claimed you, Liberty Bell,” said Bill with a wide smile. “Bit ya during sex and all that jazz. I don’t know the full details. Gus only tells me so much. But it’s enough to say, you’re Rurik’s wife now and, well, forever.”
“I am?” she asked, disbelief in her voice.
“Yep,” said Bill. “Welcome to the family! Does this mean I get more apple pie baked for me? We should go on out now and let Rurik handle your dicky professor. I could have taken him earlier today, but I didn’t want to steal Sput-Rurik’s thunder or a
nything. But let’s be totally honest. Your professor is kind of a pussy.”
Pavel snarled and tried to charge past Rurik, directly at Liberty and Bill.
Rurik reacted, taking hold of the man with the very hand and arm that had been giving him grief for weeks and was slashed open. He ripped Pavel off course and threw him across the living room.
Bill ushered Liberty out the door just as Pavel came up and off the floor.
The next Rurik knew, Pavel was charging the front bay window. He dove straight through it and then went for Liberty, who was on the porch with Bill.
Rurik shut off, letting the beast guide his actions as he leapt, going out the window and onto the porch right behind Pavel. He caught the man by the scruff of the neck, yanked him back, and threw him down. He then put his arms out to his sides and let his claws emerge once more. Rurik stared down at the man he once thought of as a friend.
The Pavel of old was gone.
The brainwashed hatemonger was all that remained.
Bending, Rurik rammed his clawed hands through Pavel’s chest and then dragged them down the length of the man’s torso, slicing him open fully.
With a gargled grunt, Pavel stopped moving. His eyes glassed over.
“Holy fuck, the Russian has gone full-on Russian Psycho on us.” Duke’s voice cut through the madness. “And has he bathed in blood?”
Rurik turned at the same second Liberty and Bill did. Duke was there, at the base of the porch stairs, looking up at the scene.
Liberty gasped and the next thing Rurik knew, Duke was propelled backward.
Bill bent, laughing hard.
Rurik rushed to Liberty. “Little Paw, no! He’s a friend.”
Liberty tensed. “Erm, sorry.”
Rurik wanted to hold her but held back since he was covered in blood.
She eased closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, seemingly unconcerned with the fact it looked as though someone had dipped him in a pool of blood. She hugged him tight. He kissed the top of her head and looked out to see Auberi helping Duke off the front lawn.
Duke rubbed his chest. “I know that power! The little girl from under your desk is your mate?”
Act of Surveillance: Paranormal Security and Intelligence® an Immortal Ops® World Novel (PSI-Ops/Immortal Ops Book 7) Page 24