Page 79 of Lethal Game

Chapter Sixteen

It went against Con’severy instinct to allow Sophia on a mission this dangerous, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. She was the subject matter expert.

He led her out of the office. Max was waiting with Smoke, River, and their Marines.

Max had his hands wrapped around a file folder so tight his knuckles were white. “More details have come in. We received some blood samples from one of the Western aid groups based out of the UK. But test results have so far been unable to determine the pathogen, and the description of the illness doesn’t match anthrax.”

Con considered what he knew of Max. “How many sick?”

“The information we received wasn’t clear. The number was either five hundred or five thousand.”

“Where in Syria? Is it a location we can realistically get to without drawing the attention of extremists?”

“It’s just outside Syria, a refugee camp in northern Lebanon. It sprang up about six months ago and currently has between two and five thousand people living there. We don’t have a lot of intel from the camp, just an emergency request for medical support from the aid group. They arrived a week ago with food, water, and medical supplies, but there’s some kind of outbreak.”

“What about security? Is there any?”

“Nothing official.”

“Unofficially?”

“One of the doctors in the aid group has a rich uncle. The doctor has a bodyguard who may or may not be former Special Forces. We wouldn’t be sending anyone into this camp if it weren’t for the threat from Akbar,” Max explained. “This is an isolated group of people. It’s the perfect place to test and refine a lethal biological weapon.”

“Using a bunch of women, kids, and old people as lab rats,” Con said with a snarl.

“Which brings me to my next bit of news,” Max announced. “You’ll all be getting additional vaccination and antibiotic shots.”

“Yeah, better safe than sorry,” Con said with a sigh. “Now my ass really is going to be sore for a week.”

“Better than dead,” River said with crooked grin.

Sophia led them to a small room where the laboratory staff drew blood samples from people. There was a tray with a bunch of tiny bottles of fluid and several small injection needles.

Yep, sore ass.

Con took a good look at her as she prepared the first shot, about as friendly as a porcupine. “What’s bugging you now?”

She paused for a moment, then gave him a look that was clearly meant to size him up. “Roll up your sleeve.”

“Nope,” he said getting to his feet and turning around. He lowered his pants enough to show some cheek. “Give it to me, baby.”

When nothing happened, he glanced over his shoulder to find her staring at his butt. River and Smoke had slipped out of the room. “Is there something wrong with it?”

Her gaze jerked away from where she’d been staring to meet his. “I’m surprised to find no boot prints on it.”

She blushed a beautiful red.

He grinned.

She narrowed her eyes and jabbed him with the needle.

“Ow.”

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