Page 70 of Heart of Danger
The bonds held, though Nine’s movements became powerful, controlled, pulling, straining, a low animal moan coming from deep in his throat. The bonds rattled but held. Nine was helplessly restrained.
All values were haywire, the man should have been unconscious minutes ago, clearly SL-59 was allowing him this extra effort. Lee was going to study the recordings of this carefully, was going to correlate every muscle twitch, every pull of his arms and legs, with brain activity and blood adrenalin and cortisol levels.
These moments were going to be richly harvested for data. But there was also revenge, hot and sweet, laced through with utter triumph.
“I’m going to be studying your men’s brains under a microscope tomorrow morning,” he hissed, knowing it was true, reveling in the knowledge. His eyes were fixed on Nine’s face, strained in a rictus. The values were right next to Nine’s face. Nine’s brain readings were compatible with a massive stroke, and yet he still fought hard against his restraints.
There was an ominous rattling sound audible over the low moans coming from Nine’s throat. The moans grew louder, the rattling louder, the chair was actually shaking a little. For a startled moment, Lee wondered whether it was an earthquake. The Big One, finally here.
But no, it was Nine, muscles somehow infused with extra power—that was definitely 59—straining so hard at his bonds blood was seeping under the leather straps holding down his wrists. He was moving so violently he was actually making the chair bolted to the floor shift a little.
It would hold. The bonds would hold.
Nine’s strength would give out presently. It was artificial and would leave him limp and depleted when it ran out.
Lee knew a way to burn it out of him.
He placed his nose next to Nine’s, his hands over Nine’s. The skin over the hands was loose, crepelike, shaking violently inside the restraints.
Lee smiled into Nine’s dull eyes. “I am a scientist and I am trained to observe dispassionately, emotionlessly. But it will give me great pleasure tomorrow to have your men put down like the dogs they are. I will watch their eyes as they die and I will exam their brains personally, slice by slice. You will be in the room with me, watching everything I do and then it will be your turn and I will enjoy every minute of it.”
The shaking was more powerful, Nine’s bare feet drummed against the floor, fingers curling and uncurling. Every muscle, every sinew, was visible.
The rage and frustration rose in Lee. “Your men will die, Colonel and so will you. Die accused of being traitors!”
With a wild shriek coming from deep in his chest, Nine wrenched his right hand free from the restraint, blood drops flying, grabbing Lee’s arm, smearing it with blood. He screamed hoarsely and before Lee could react, Nine’s hand dropped and his head lolled forward like a dead man’s.
Frowning, Lee pulled back his eyelids, two fingers on the carotid artery then raised his head, satisfied.
Unconscious, not dead.
Today was not Nine’s day for dying.
Tomorrow was.
MOUNT BLUE
Mac quietly entered his quarters late in the evening.Theirquarters. Catherine was living there now and he couldn’t imagine coming into his quarters now without the hope of seeing her there.
And yes, there she was, sitting up in his bed, head slumped to the side, fast asleep.
He stopped right inside the door as it slid closed behind him, looking at her, absorbing the blow to the heart at seeing her in his bed. The walls were on ‘Vista’, Jon’s name for the program. Ever since she discovered what the system could do, it was never switched off, always seemingly open to the elements. She’d elected to keep it attuned to the timeline, and it was deepest night outside, the quarter moon turning the deep snow bright silver. She’d selected the camera that had the widest view down into the valley and, he had to admit, it was spectacular.
She was spectacular. She had fallen asleep with his ereader on her lap. The ereader was linked to an untraceable credit card and she’d loaded up though she hadn’t had time for much reading. She’d spent the whole day in the infirmary going over supplies and setting a broken bone and Pat and Salvatore now officially adored her.
Look at her, he though, as he crossed the room. She’d fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position, head tilting over on her shoulder, ereader in a lax hand. He gently took the reader away and managed to get her to lie down without waking her up. She’d tried to stay awake for him but he’d worked late in HQ, working up a scenario with Nick and Jon that wouldn’t get them killed and wouldn’t be a huge arrow pointing straight back at Haven.
They’d sent their drone over the Arka lab, flying at ten thousand feet for hours. Two missions each. One by day. One by night.
They’d continue sending drones and in a few days Jon and Nick would go on a two-day recon.
Mac had mixed feelings. He believed whatever Catherine said. If she said the sky was made of cheese, he was willing to entertain the notion. He certainly believed she believed Lucius was in the lab. Whether he actually was, was another matter.
So. They were going in.
From what they’d seen, security was tight and the guards were armed. Ordinarily, Mac didn’t care. He’d pit himself, Nick and Jon against any number of armed guards. But—and this was a constant for a soldier—shit happens.
He’d always been perfectly prepared to die. He was a hard man to kill but dangerous situations were unpredictable and he’d seen good men, well trained men die, because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, stepping on that hidden mine, unable to dodge the bullet.
