“So, if you’re not here to surrender her, why did you arrange this little meeting?” Damian tilted his head, asking softly, “Were you wanting a good look at the competition?”
Seth stilled, his voice low as he said, “You can’t possibly think you stand a chance with her now.”
“I think at this point Liane is likely regretting ever laying eyes on you,” Damian went on, still with that deceptive softness. “I think deep down she’d like nothing better than to return to the safety and certainty of the life she once had. And since I’m the way back to that…yes, I think I stand a very good chance.”
“You’re delusional,” Seth shot back.
“And you’re stalling,” Damian said, unperturbed. “Now why the conversation at gunpoint?”
“I need your help,” Seth said, his voice somewhat muted. Damian laughed, and Seth went on, “Liane is sick.”
Damian’s mocking smile faded, and he demanded, “What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Seth admitted. “Her supply of the Strain is running low. She’s trying to eke it out, but even with a full dose it’s like she can barely function.”
“Her symptoms,” Damian snapped, gesturing impatiently, “What are they? Be specific.”
Seth scowled, but answered, “At first it was just muscle cramps, but now...she breathes too quickly, like she’s having trouble getting enough air. She’s lost weight and breaks out in sweats at night. She barely eats, and when she does, she’s sick
afterwards.”
“Hematologic abnormalities?”
Suspicious now, Seth nodded.
Damian reached into an inner pocket of his coat; Seth tensed, tightening his grip on his gun, but Damian only pulled out a small notebook and a pen. He turned his attention to it for several moments, scribbling away. Seth demanded, “What are you doing?”
“Making notes,” Damian answered, unconcerned. “From what you’ve described, I know that Liane is in stage two of the Osiris Contingency. Calibrating the symptoms against the time that she’s been gone will tell me how much longer she can survive without treatment.”
Seth’s face went slack with shock. “What do you mean? What’s the Osiris Contingency?”
“A code name used within the Agency,” Damian said,
unconcerned with Seth’s distress as he continued to write. “Named for Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead.” He stowed the notebook, raising his eyes to smile at Seth as he added, “We do love our symbolism.”
Seth’s lip curled, and he spat out, “Let me guess; this is something the Agency concocted to keep Agents from going rogue.”
“Something like that,” Damian nodded. “It’s a failsafe measure. Did you know that the Titan Strain has almost triple the
dependency of any other mod serum?” When Seth just stared at him, horror unfolding in his eyes, Damian went on, “Of course you didn’t; few do, even those altered by the Strain. In the testing phase, we refined the Strain to the point where dosed Agents had to maintain their serum levels or risk massive organ failure and eventual death. Skip even one dose, and you need specialized treatment if you want even a hope of recovery. The Contingency ensures that if modified Agents do go rogue, they won’t live to be a true threat.”
“Then Liane is going to get worse?”
“Most assuredly. Her body will shut down piece by piece every hour she’s without treatment. And while we might have lost
control of the Strain, the only treatment for the Contingency is safe and sound within our facilities.”
“She’s dying, then, because of what you did to her,” snapped Seth. “You want to talk about how you might help fix that? Or does she not even matter to you?”
Damian looked at him for a long moment, and his voice was quiet and cold when he finally said, “She matters more than
anything.”
“Then help her,” Seth said angrily. “If she needs treatment, give it to her.”
“Gladly,” Damian returned. “Just as soon as you tell me where she is.”
Seth’s jaw went tense. “I’m not going to sell her out.”
“This isn’t selling her out; it’s saving her life,” Damian returned evenly. “Liane is only in the second stage of the Contingency at this point; there’s time enough to reverse it. Tell me where I can find her, and I’ll take her directly to the Agency medics. By morning she’ll be on her way to a full recovery.”
Seth took in a slow breath. “And in return, I’ll never see her again.”
“That’s my price,” Damian said, adding mildly, “At least then she’ll be alive.”
“You’re disgusting,” Seth spat out, loathing evident in every word. “Bargaining with her life when you could just help her.”
“I’m being more than generous with the both of you,” Damian said, eyes flashing. “She gets to live, and you get to walk away. Take the offer; it’s the best one you’re going to get.”
Seth shook his head, backing away. “No. We’ll find another way.”
“Speaking of ways, how is your family faring on their escape?” Damian asked, his tone light and inquiring. “I hope you cautioned your Aunt Irena to be more careful about accessing her accounts, especially in places as close to London as Croatia.”
Seth’s face drained of color, but he remained silent as Damian suggested, “You could still go with them, you know. I have a fleet of private jets at my command, and you could be on one tonight to rejoin your family. Your mother must be in agony to have lost both her home and her only son—”
“Shut up!” Seth yelled, starting forward a few steps. “You don’t get to talk about my mother, you son of a bitch!”
“You can shout all you want, but the fact remains I have some of my best Agents tracking your loved ones as we speak,” Damian went on. “They’ll slip up again; civilians always do. If I don’t have Liane back by the time that happens, I’ll hunt them down. And for every day you keep me waiting, that’s how much longer I’ll make them suffer in the detention cells before even thinking about a mercy kill.”
Seth’s face filled with dawning realization. “You really don’t give a damn about anyone or anything, do you?”
Damian smiled coldly. “There are only two things I’m permitted to care about; my Agent and my missions. That’s how all of us think, Liane included.”
“She’s not like you,” Seth retorted. “She proved that months ago.”
“Are you willing to gamble your own life and the lives of your family on that hope?” When Seth said nothing, irritation swept through Damian and he went on, “Tell me where she is, Laski, and accept my way out of this fight. I won’t make the offer again.”
Seth shook his head. “I know what will happen if I accept; I’ll be shot in the head and shoved out of your plane somewhere over the Channel. Be man enough not to lie to my face.”
“So, you refuse?”
“You’re goddamn right I do,” Seth shot back.
“Very, very foolish,” Damian murmured. “You may not trust my offer, Seth, but trust this; I am going to get my Agent back, and when I do, I am going to take my time making you regret this refusal.”
“I guess we’re done, then,” Seth said, turning and holstering his gun before he walked back down the alleyway. Damian watched him go, his eyes sharpening predatorily on the officer’s back. He took a half-step forward but froze when a bullet struck the pavement inches from his shoe. Glancing upwards towards the snipers, Damian slowly raised his hands and stepped back. Ahead of him, Seth was still walking away.
“She’ll be in the final stage of the Contingency soon,” Damian called after him. Seth’s steps slowed, but he didn’t stop as Damian went on, “When that happens, you’ll be able to count her remaining days on one hand.” Seth vanished into the shadows at the end of the alley; being ignored was enough to send rage pulsing through Damian, and he shouted out, “When you’re watching her die and helpless to stop it, you’ll wish you’d ended things tonight! Do
you hear me, Laski?”
Silence hung heavy through the alley. He waited a few more minutes, making sure that Seth and the snipers were really gone. Then he felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket. Turning, he drew it out and snapped, “Yes?”
A low, shuddering breath came from the other end, and then a hoarse voice said, “I’ve got your Agent’s scent. Soon.”
With a click, the line went dead.
CHAPTER 26
Liane rolled onto her back, blinking up at the metal ceiling of the room as she lay listening. There were footsteps pounding down the corridor outside, as well as shouted orders and a faint clanging sound. Wincing, she sat up, glancing at the nearby clock before taking stock of her symptoms. Worse than before, that was certain. She was sweating and shivering, and her muscles felt shaky and weak. Her head swam with vertigo even sitting down, and when she reached for a protein bar her stomach rolled with nausea and she had to put it aside. Despite having slept for the better part of a day, she was still exhausted and wanted only to close her eyes and rest even more. She wondered how much time she had left.
Reaching down under the bed, Liane pulled out the empty
duffle bag, groping a hand within the lining and pulling out one of the vials of the Strain. She pulled out a fresh needle, unwrapping it with shaking fingers. After filling the syringe with serum, Liane sat looking at it, watching the bubbles drift through the liquid. She wanted to fling it across the room, to refuse the help of the drug that had turned her into an inhuman assassin. But instead, she plunged the needle into the muscle of her arm, pushing the burning serum into her body. Afterward, she sat still, trying to convince herself that it was making any difference at all and filled with dread because she knew it wasn’t.
I want Seth, she thought, sudden and irrational though it was. Pushing herself up, she stood and staggered to the door.
The corridor beyond was full of mods, all of them outfitted in black fatigues. Most of them were running as if trying to fulfill
orders as quickly as possible, others were hauling crates and weapons. Liane stood in the doorway, perplexed and trying to
figure out what was happening. Then an amplified voice filled the corridors, ordering, “All soldiers report immediately to your
commanders. Repeat; all soldiers report immediately to your
commanders…”
Liane moved into the steady flow of mods, stumbling over her own feet as she tried to keep up with them. No one bothered her as she made her way through the halls to the hangar, which was crowded and deafeningly loud with conversation. As she passed the medic bay, she saw a long line of mods shuffling forwards. As she watched, the mod in the front of the line went to the waiting gurney, sitting and offering an arm as the medic used a needle to inject serum into his muscle. The mod let out a shudder that transformed into an inhuman snarl, and when he looked up Liane saw that his eyes had gone a luminous shade of yellow. She turned away, searching the crowd for Seth. But he was nowhere to be found, so instead, she headed for the command room.
The chamber was crowded with people when she reached it. Paz and Owen stood in the center of the commotion, giving
orders and answering questions. Paz looked like she was ready for war, her hair up in a ponyhawk and her eyes heavily lined in black, while Owen seemed almost unnaturally calm. He looked up and spotted Liane leaning against the doorframe, saying, “Report to Neil in the training arena. He’ll get you outfitted with armor and weapons.”
“What’s going on?” Liane asked, looking at the distant monitors.
“The time has come for us to act,” Owen said, coming over to stand beside her. “We’ve just discovered that the new Agency
Director will be appointed tomorrow morning. There will be an
assembly of all the available Agents and Handlers. It’s the perfect time to strike.”
“Hardly,” Liane said with a shake of her head. “They’ll be on high alert during a ceremony like that. You’ll be looking at added security, surveillance, not to mention they might call in the police—”
“I’m not asking for your opinion,” Owen returned. “I’m telling you what’s going to happen. Report to Neil.”
Liane returned with equal heat, “No. This is worse than stupid; it’s reckless.”
Owen turned to face her, his eyes blazing. “Reckless or not, you’re still coming with us as promised.”
She shook her head. “I won’t be part of this.”
“Liane!”
Both she and Owen turned towards Seth as he walked into the room. His clothes and hair were damp, his cheeks reddened by the cold. Oblivious to anything else, he walked to Liane’s side and murmured, “We need to talk.”
“Later,” she said, trying not to be distracted by her relief at seeing him.
“We were just discussing your role in our planned attack on the Agency,” Owen said to Seth by way of a greeting. “Your companion is being regrettably squeamish.”
“I don’t hesitate to kill Agents,” Liane snapped. “But I won’t back up a plan if I think it will see us all dead.”
“She can’t help you anyway,” Seth added. “She’s sick.”
Owen’s eyes narrowed. “How sick?”
Rather than answering, Seth looked unhappily to Liane. “Don’t freak out, but I went to Damian for help.”
Liane felt the blood drain from her face, her voice barely above a whisper as she said, “You did what?”
“I didn’t know what else to do,” he said, his voice a plea. “You’ve been getting worse, and I thought he might know how to fix it—”
“You went to collude with an Agent?” Owen cut in, his voice a snarl.
“Yes, alright?” Seth retorted angrily. “He was her Handler; I thought if anyone would be willing and able to help, it would be him.”
Though still shocked, Liane had the presence of mind to ask, “What did he tell you?”
Anger turned to misery in Seth’s eyes, and he shook his head as he answered, “What’s happening to you is worse than
withdrawal. There’s something called the Osiris Contingency... When you become dependent on the serum you were dosed with and then stop using it, you can’t get better without specialized treatment.”
Bleakly, Liane murmured, “And the only place to get the
treatment is at the Agency, isn’t it?”
Seth’s mouth tightened. “We’ll find another way.”
“How much time does she have left?” Owen asked.
Seth glanced at the taller man, admitting, “I don’t know. A week or so according to Damian, but I’m not willing to trust
anything that bastard says.”
Owen looked over at Liane, and she knew what he was seeing; the sweat beading on her forehead, the faint tremor in her hands, and the stark white of her face. Then he said, “This complication makes it even more necessary for us to strike now, while you can still be of use.”
“No; no way,” Seth said, shaking his head. “No way in hell are you taking her on this attack.”
“I wouldn’t be much help to you even if I did,” Liane said, loath to say it aloud. “I can barely even shoot straight anymore.”
“You still have your knowledge of the Agency,” Owen returned. “That’s what I want.”
“Did you not hear me?” Seth demanded, furious. “You’re not dragging her on a suicidal mission when she can barely stand!”
Owen tilted his head, for a moment looking as if he was
considering Seth’s pleas. Then he gave a faint shrug and said, “If she’s going to die anyway, let it be for something that matters.”
Liane’s lips twisted in anger as she returned, “I’ll die on my terms, not yours. Seth, I think we’ve outstayed our welcome. Let’s get out of here.”
They both turned to the door, only to find Paz standing in front of it with her handgun drawn. Behind them, Owen said, “There won’t be any walking away at this point, I’m afraid. I’ve told my mods about the Ag
ent who infiltrated their ranks as a spy. The entire base knows what you are now.”
Seth whirled on him, shouting out, “You’re a fucking liar!”
Owen didn’t even blink, saying to him, “And you are her
accomplice. So, unless you want me to throw you to the mods to be ripped apart, you’ll help us with this mission.”
Liane turned back as she spat out, “Then go ahead and kill me. I don’t care anymore.”
Owen’s blue eyes turned cold and brittle, his voice a low hiss as he said, “Maybe you don’t care about the remainder of your own life, but I’m willing to bet you care about his.”
Seth and Liane both comprehended the order simultaneously. Seth went for his weapon, only to be stopped halfway to it by mods lunging for his arms. Someone grabbed Liane from behind; with a shout, she threw them over her shoulder before darting towards Seth. Two soldiers caught her before she could reach him, twisting her arms behind her back as she struggled uselessly. Paz stepped forward, hitting Liane upside of the head with the butt of her gun. Pain exploded in Liane’s head, and she went limp in their hold, her vision blurred by flashes of light as Seth distantly shouted out profanities.
“No more,” Owen said, causing the room to go silent. “I don’t want her damaged until after she’s served her purpose.”
“Damian was right about you,” Liane said, her head still
spinning. “You’re no different from the Agency.”
An ugly look swept over Owen’s face. Turning towards Paz, he ordered, “Put her friend in a holding cell. That should serve as
incentive enough.”
“No!” shouted Seth as they began to drag him backward out of the room. Liane struggled anew, desperately looking after him as he shouted out, “Don’t do it—don’t help them!”
As he disappeared with his captors around the corner of the hallway, Liane twisted uselessly and shouted in a fury, “Let go of him or I swear I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Owen challenged, walking over to Liane and leaning in uncomfortably close. “You’re outnumbered and
weakened. You want your friend back? Then do what I want and maybe I’ll give him back to you in one piece.”
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