by Anna Blakely
Zade swallowed and took a breath. “Needed me alive.”
“Why?”
“So I could give you his message.”
Matt thought of those infuriating words again. Tell Turner I said hello.
His blood boiled. “The bastard’s toying with me. He wanted to be sure I knew he was the one who took Kat. That he’s involved in this.”
Zade nodded again, this time barely able to keep his eyes open.
The guy needed to sleep. “Listen, man. I’m gonna go. Get some rest and don’t give the cute nurses a hard time.”
A weak chuckle escaped the back of Zade’s throat, but then he winced. “If you see any…let me know. Now go. Get your ass…out of…here. Find…your girl.”
“I will,” Matt promised his friend. Because for him, there was no other option.
Chapter 13
Kat waited anxiously for Walker’s return. Not that she really wanted him to. She just needed to figure out why she was here.
Pacing the empty room she’d been brought to over an hour ago, Kat wracked her brain to figure out what the hell was going on. First, she’s drugged and kidnapped, then the same man who’d shot Zade and left him for dead had been incredibly gentle while seeing to her cut.
The maniac had even taken her to a bathroom first, allowing her to shower so she could wash the blood from her hair. After she’d gotten dressed, he’d instructed her to sit on the closed toilet while he numbed the area up with lidocaine. Once she could no longer feel the poke of the needle, he proceeded to give her eleven stitches.
It was hard as hell to sit still when he’d come at her with that damn needle, but it wasn’t like she’d had much choice. He’d stood between her and the bathroom door, and she knew from experience he was much too strong for her to take on by herself.
Part of her wanted to ask where he’d learned to administer sutures, but she didn’t. Instead she’d kept her mouth shut, praying he knew what the hell he was doing.
I’m so over getting poked in the head. Twice in less than two weeks was two too many.
When that was taken care of, he brought her here, to this room. It was almost identical to the one she’d woken up in. Except this one housed a small, square table—like the ones people used for playing cards—and a metal folding chair.
Sitting on the table was a Styrofoam container, still half-full of the dinner he’d provided. It was some sort of chicken and rice dish, the seasonings on it good, but unfamiliar. He’d also given her a large cup of ice water.
Like with the lidocaine, Kat had been leery to try the food and water at first. Sensing her suspicions, Walker had opened the container and used the plastic spoon inside to scoop up a good amount before taking a bite.
Assuming the man wouldn’t drug himself, she’d felt fairly safe to eat a few bites after that. Truth be told, her stomach needed it to help with the digestion of the over the counter, extra-strength migraine medicine he’d somehow managed to obtain.
The entire scenario was bizarre, to say the least.
While being escorted to the different rooms, Kat had committed every detail she could to memory. From what she could tell, she was in some sort of warehouse. The question was where.
She was still pacing the small room when the door opened, and Adrian Walker stepped back in.
“I trust you’ve eaten your fill?”
Kat stopped moving and nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
It went against everything inside her to be nice to this man, but after the hospitality he’d shown her—god, it was hard to even think that way without choking—Kat figured it was in her benefit to be polite. At least, for now.
Her appreciation made him smile. “You’re welcome. Follow me, it’s time to show you why you’re here.”
Fingers and toes tingling with fear and adrenaline, Kat did her best to remain calm, as she followed Walker out of the room and down the long hallway. After crossing a large, spacious area with rows of windows up high, near the ceiling, he took her to yet another room.
When he opened this one, however, Kat’s blood turned cold.
“What the hell?” she muttered as she slowly stepped inside. She blinked, her mind trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
“It’s…my lab.”
“As close as we could get to it, anyway.”
Kat absentmindedly ran her fingertips across the familiar, metal countertops. Her eyes scanned the sizable room and all the equipment in it. With a few minor exceptions, she was staring at an exact replica of the lab she worked in at Anderson Biomeds.
“H-how?” She faced Walker. “How did you do this?”
“We had some help.”
Kat’s memory flashed back to the conversation she’d had with Matt the day they’d first made love. As adults, that is. Her heart had broken as she sat in his arms, listening to him explain the evidence Derek had found against Todd.
“Todd helped set this place up?”
“In a manner of speaking.” Walker nodded. “Kennedy sent us pictures, along with a list of essential equipment and supplies that would be needed for the job.”
“I can’t believe he associated himself with you.”
The man shrugged. “People do all sort of things you wouldn’t expect them to when they’re desperate. Make them an offer they can’t refuse, and they’ll do just about anything you want.”
Kat thought of the explosion. “Did he set the explosion in the lab on purpose?”
“He did.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
She felt sick. “To kill me?”
Walker gave her a single nod.
“The text?” she asked, knowing he’d understand.
Again, Walker nodded. “My boss is a little…inept when it comes to using modern phones. He also tends to rush things.”
“That’s why he sent the go-ahead to steal the formula to my phone by accident. He transposed the last two numbers.”
“I’m afraid so. After that, the job became more about damage control. And when that happened…”
“I became a target.”
“Yes.” Walker shoved his hands into his jeans. “Kennedy explained how, since you were the head engineer on the project, your computer was the only one with full access to the entire formula, notes, and data. You were also the only one with the access codes needed to obtain it all. He was supposed to get you out of the way so he could take your place.”
Todd was the next one in line for the position. If she’d died, the job automatically would have gone to him, along with all the access codes.
“We were hoping to wait until the formula was stable enough to be fully effective, but my boss is also very impatient. He took it upon himself to text Todd, or rather you, which set off the unfortunate chain of events. When Todd blew himself and the entire lab to pieces, he also inadvertently destroyed the one thing my boss wanted.”
Kat studied the man a moment. “Were you the one in my apartment?”
“Yes. I’d hoped to find instructions on how to create the formula to avoid all…this.” He gave her a sad smile. “Unfortunately that didn’t happen.”
“I’d never bring something like that home with me,” Kat told him. “It’s too dangerous. If something like that were to fall into the wrong hands—”
She cut herself off when she realized how stupid she sounded, given her circumstances.
Walker continued on with his explanation. “Since the lab and all the data was destroyed in the explosion, and you didn’t bring it home with you, that left one other option.” His knowing eyes stared back at her.
“You want me to recreate the formula here.” She glanced around the room. “That’s why your boss constructed this lab. You know about my eidetic memory.”
The man smiled before looking over his shoulder. “See? Told you she was as smart as they said.”
“She’d better be.”
A second man entered the room. One she’d never seen before. Walker’
s boss.
Older than her by several years, Kat guessed him to be in his late fifties or early sixties. In a black button-up shirt and khaki dress slacks, he reminded her of a modern-day grandpa. Somewhat elderly yet stylish.
He was olive-skinned with white hair that was parted neatly to one side. His matching beard was short and well-groomed, and his dark eyes oozed of intelligence.
As he stood there, staring back at her with the same assessing glance she’d been giving him, Kat noted an air about him. One that said this was a man of power.
The guy orchestrated this entire, crazy situation in order to replicate a super-soldier formula commissioned by the U.S. government. So, yeah…he’s powerful.
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at herself, Kat kept her head held high, refusing to allow this man to see the fear threatening to destroy her.
“Doctor Marsh.” The other man greeted her. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Recognizing his accent as Middle Eastern, she gave him a tight smile. “Too bad I can’t say the same of you.”
Though he didn’t react with anger, Kat could see it brewing behind those terrifying eyes. Walker, however, didn’t bother to hide his smirk.
“Gonna have your hands full with this one, Bukhari.”
Bukhari. Why did that name sound familiar?
“I see you recognize the name,” the older man surmised.
Kat shrugged. “Sounds vaguely familiar.”
“As it should.” He came closer. “I am General Rajif Bukhari, leader of the most feared Iranian military force in existence.”
Of course, he was. Kat half expected a round of dramatic music to start playing in the background. Duh…duh…duhhhhh.
“I won’t help you,” she told him bluntly.
He smirked. “Yes. You will.”
“No.” Kat shook her head. “I won’t.” She was telling him the truth. She’d rather die than help this man do anything that could harm American lives. Especially those of American soldiers.
Bukhari continued closer until he was standing directly in front of her. His dark eyes smoldered with anger as he glared. “You will do exactly what I say, when I say it. Starting with making a list of chemicals or whatever else you need to make the serum.”
Though her knees shook with fear, Kat called upon her inner strength to keep him from seeing it. This man had manipulated Todd into helping him by using his wife’s horrible situation against him. He’d also ordered Kat’s murder.
When that failed, he’d then orchestrated a plan of attack on the day of her father’s funeral. His hired gun had killed a police detective, shot Matt’s teammate, and taken her hostage.
Kat wasn’t naive enough to think this ended with anything but her death. Because of that, she wasn’t going to play nice.
Lifting one corner of her mouth, she formed her best smart-ass smirk. “Or what?” she asked the arrogant prick “You’ll kill me? You do that, you’ll also kill your chances at the serum. Of course, you may be able to find another scientist to create something similar, but it will be years before that happens.” She looked up at his white hair and back at him. “Not sure you’ll still be around to see it.”
A muscle beneath his white beard bulged, his tanned skin becoming red with anger. “This is the problem with you American women. You believe you have the right to speak to a man this way.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the man’s ridiculous way of thinking.
“I also believe I have the right to not be kidnapped and held against my will,” Kat shot back. “This formula was created with the sole purpose of saving American soldier’s lives. If you think I’m going to help you use it against the United States, you’re not as smart as you claim to be.”
Moving quickly, Bukhari grabbed her jaw in a painful grip. With his nose nearly touching hers, his hot breath hit her face as he said, “You will learn to watch your tongue while speaking to me, Doctor Marsh.”
Without thinking, Kat gathered as much spit in her mouth as she could and let it fly. Rearing back, the misogynistic asshole released her chin to wipe the moisture from his face.
Enraged, he swung his hand toward her head, the movement so fast and unexpected, Kat didn’t have time to move out of the way. Fire erupted in her left cheek and eye as he backhanded her. The force of the blow sent her flying to the side.
Her hip slammed into the edge of the metal counter, her body ricocheting down to the concrete floor. Kat groaned as she tried to regain her bearings. White stars flashed before her, and the headache that had started to dissipate returned with a vengeance.
“You will help me, or your father won’t be the only man in your life to die.”
Her father? She looked up at him, his image blurred from the tears in her eyes. “You k-killed my father?”
“I had him killed.” The monster shrugged. “I needed a way to bring you out into the open again.”
Dizziness struck, making Kat feel as though she were going to be sick. Through the ringing in her ear, she heard Bukhari’s command as he walked past Walker on his way out of the lab.
“Make sure she understands the choice is not hers to make and then put her ass to work.”
Kat was still on the floor when Walker crouched down beside her.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he stated quietly.
Tears covered her cheeks. “I won’t help you,” she choked out. Pushing herself to her feet, she wiped her face, wincing when her fingers brushed against the already-bruising skin. “I won’t.”
Rising with her, Walker started to raise his hand to her face but stopped when Kat flinched out of the way. He looked back at her with disappointment. “He will kill you if you don’t.”
“The second I put that formula together and create the serum for him, I’m dead anyway.”
Walker nodded. “At least that death will be swift. Painless. But if you continue to fight him, he will do things to cause a level of pain you can’t even imagine. Trust me. I’ve seen it happen.”
“I don’t care.”
He studied her more closely. “I believe you. However, you do care about Turner, yes?”
Your father won’t be the only man you care about to die.
“Oh, god.” Kat held a hand against her mouth, forcing her throat to work the rising bile back down into her stomach. “Was it you? Did you kill my father?” His silence was his answer. “You son of a bitch!”
Her hand swung at his face, but Walker avoided the blow easily by grabbing hold of her wrist. When she tried beating him with her other fist, he held onto that arm as well.
“Why?” She sobbed while trying to pull herself free. “He had nothing to do with this!”
Keeping his grasp firm, he answered her honestly. “You have your orders from Bukhari. So, do I. And if you don’t make that serum, I’ll have no choice but to kill your boyfriend.”
He released her wrists and took a step back. Kat wanted to go after him again, but knew it was pointless. Physically, she was no match to this man.
“Why are you doing this?” she demanded to know through her tears. “For money?” Kat spit the word out as if it were a curse.
Walker shrugged. “Why else?”
“But you’re an American!” She shook her head in disbelief.
Something flashed behind his eyes. “I used to be an American. Now, I don’t belong to anyone but myself.”
Kat stared back at him, dazed from both the pain in her head and the unbelievable situation. The man started for the door.
“For the record,” he spoke while keeping his back to her, “I don’t want to kill Matt. But I will, if I have to.” Walker stopped at the room’s entrance to face her again. “Figure out the formula, Doc. Make the serum and give it to Bukhari. Sooner you do, the sooner this is all over for you.”
With those parting words of devastating wisdom, the man who’d taken everything from her walked out, locking the door behind him.
He hasn’t tak
en everything. Not yet.
But he would. If she didn’t do as Bukhari ordered, Kat had no doubt the man would make good on his threats. Walker would kill Matt without so much as blinking an eye. She believed that wholeheartedly.
“Oh, god.”
Kat raced to the nearest trashcan, barely reaching it in time to empty the contents of the meal she’d consumed earlier. When the painful retching ended, she stumbled over to one of the metal stools brought in as part of Bukhari’s sick twisted recreation.
What was she going to do? If she refused to help, she and Matt would both die, and the psycho would find another scientist who would eventually recreate the serum, anyway.
If she did go along with his plan and made the serum, he’d kill her the second she handed it over.
“Either way, I’m dead.”
In her heart, Kat knew this to be true. But at least with that last scenario, there was a good chance Matt would stay alive.
He’d be crushed by her death, but at least he’d have a life. He could go on working with Bravo to save who knows how many innocent lives. Maybe, over time, he’d even find love again.
Fresh, hot tears poured over her bottom lids as Kat realized what she had to do. Once again, she was in an impossible position, forced to make a choice that wasn’t really a choice at all.
Though she’d buy herself as much time as she possibly could, Kat would begin working to recreate the super-soldier serum for Bukhari. Not because she was afraid of what he’d do to her if she refused. But because she was terrified of what Adrian Walker would do to Matt.
Kat made her decision. She had to protect Matt again. There was no other way. This time, however, instead of giving up her hopes and dreams in order to keep him safe, she’d be paying for his protection with her life.
Chapter 14
Two days. It had been two fucking days and there was still no trace of Kat.
Sitting on Gabe’s couch, Matt looked through the Homeland file they still had on Adrian Walker from when the bastard had shot Nate and taken Gracie a few months back. He’d read it forward and backward a dozen times over the past two days, as if something new would magically appear.
