He remained silent again. “It was dark and difficult to see.”
Her frown deepened. “You’re a cyborg soldier. You see better in the dark than humans.”
More silence greeted her.
“Not this time,” he finally said.
Was he hiding something?
She had a hard time reading him, but her suspicion spiked. Jade knew Soul, they’d been friends for years, and he’d never behaved like this.
Something was wrong.
He seemed eager to leave her office, and that was unusual, too. As long as he didn’t have another duty, he guarded her. Strangely enough, he preferred guard-duty over spending time with his bound one, Janice Walker. That was not normal for a cyborg, but Soul refused to tell her why.
Jade sighed. “What else?”
“We caught Heaven.”
She gasped. “Where is he now?”
“On his way to XenthAid, along with the other Fighters we caught.”
Jade clenched her fists. “Who ordered it?” Somehow, she managed to keep her voice calm.
“Amber Hill and Janice Walker.”
She flinched. “What?”
Soul remained still, his expression, as if cut from stone.
How dare they?
Janice Walker and Amber Hill, the CEO of XenthAid, did this behind her back? They had no right to do as they pleased.
Written approval from her was needed before a cyborg was sent to XenthAid. Heaven deserved a second chance, and so did the other Fighters that’d been caught.
Jade took two deep breaths to calm herself. “You may leave.”
Soul was out of the room within two seconds.
Something was going on. She knew him well enough to know he wasn’t telling her the complete story. Soul was usually open with her, but even if they were friends, he was a cyborg soldier first.
She picked up her cellphone but stilled when an image of an injured Nightmare crossed her mind. Jade imagined him lying on the ground, blood running from his head as he stared ahead with a dead gaze.
It made her hand tremble.
The bastard just had to go and get himself hurt.
Jade pushed the digital buttons on the phone and placed it against her ear as it connected. Her hand refused to stop shaking. The phone beeped in her ear.
“Hello?” a female voice asked.
She tried to relax and smile. “Celise. Hi. It’s Jade Silva. How’re you doing?”
“Thank you, I’m fine. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Was that tension she heard in Celise’s voice?
“Can you meet me tomorrow? I have something important to talk to you about.”
“Sure. What do you want to talk about?”
The doctor sounded way too self-assured. Where had her normal shyness gone?
“Um …” Jade had to come up with something quickly. “About your continuing education. You’re doing a great job in Glaswell with all the cyborgs, and I was thinking about recommending you for the Construction Program. I know you’ve always wanted to work with the process. Therefore, I think it’s time.”
It wasn’t a lie. Celise was more than ready, and it was also the perfect excuse to meet with her. If her employee had anything to do with the previous day’s events, Jade had to find out.
The doctor gasped. “Really? Oh, my God! Thank you! I’ll gladly meet with you tomorrow.”
At least her joy sounded real.
“Good. I’ll stop by your and Wind’s house at noon.”
“Great! See you then.”
Jade ended the call, slowly lowering the phone from her ear. She remained still, staring at the device.
She had to plan this well.
CHAPTER 3
Jade pulled into Celise’s and Wind’s driveway. She got out and looked up at the impressive blue two-story house.
Wind and his late bound one, Diane, had decorated the exterior with beautiful flowers by the windows and white curtains on the inside, giving the home an elegant and fresh look.
The garden was a colorful masterpiece, with a statue of an angel in the middle and white gravel on the ground, but the house and garden weren’t important.
Finding out if Celise had anything to do with the events at the warehouse was her mission.
The only way for the Fighters to get access to the warehouse was if a MedAct doctor had let them in.
Jade hoped she was wrong, but Celise was the only option that made sense. After all, she was responsible for Silver, and even if he was bound to Faye now, Jade didn’t trust him.
She knocked on the door.
A short moment later it opened, and the cyborg Wind greeted her with silence and emotionless eyes. Celise’s cyborg was dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, and the usual scent of paint wasn’t on him. His long brown hair was tied in a ponytail. He, who usually was a calm and gentle cyborg, now radiated a pinch of anger.
She gave him a stiff smile. “Hello, Wind. I’m here to talk to Celise.”
“I know.” He didn’t move away from the door. Instead, his eyes narrowed.
The way he looked at her sent a cold chill down Jade’s spine. He’d never looked at her like that before. Where had the coldness and the anger come from?
Wind seemed to be judging her. Could it be that he still blamed her for not telling him about the pain he had to go through when he switched his bound one?
“May I enter?” she asked.
He finally let her in, but his eyes never left her.
Jade stepped inside a huge wide hallway. A scene of beauty and bright colors greeted her.
A chandelier hung from the ceiling, a beige carpet lay in front of the staircase that led to the second floor, and every wall was filled with beautiful landscape paintings Wind and Diane had created.
Her lips twitch. The house was amazing, and a pinch of envy filled her. She had an apartment on the top floor of the MedAct building. Sure, her place was huge and elegant, but nothing compared to this house. Jade noticed movement in the corner of her eye.
A smiling Celise entered the hallway from the living room. “Welcome. I’m glad to see you.”
“Thank you.” She gave the same stiff smile she’d had for Wind. Acting wasn’t her thing. Jade could only hope her fake smile would cover her real reasons for being there. Reasons that had little to do with Celise’s continuing education.
Finding clues would, without a doubt, be difficult. Her friend would never tell her straight out she’d been the one to give the Fighters access to the warehouse.
Hopefully, Jade’s suspicions were wrong.
Celise was too kind, too gentle, to be the culprit, but on the other hand, there was a strength in the doctor she’d never seen before.
“I know why you’re here,” Celise said.
She blinked. “You do? I mean, of course, you do. We spoke about it over the phone yesterday … the Construction Program.”
Her colleague nodded, her smile turned forced. “Of course, the Construction Program.” There was a pinch of sadness in her voice.
Warning signals went off in Jade’s head. That reaction wasn’t the expected one.
Wind shut the door, and when the sound of him locking it filled Jade’s ears, cold chills traveled down her spine again.
Was there a tension in the house? Or was she simply overreacting and imagining things?
She swallowed. Maybe she shouldn’t have come alone. She should’ve brought Soul, just in case.
No, not Soul. Another cyborg soldier would’ve been better. Like Rain or Dare. Something wasn’t right with Soul right now; something that made her wary.
Celise pointed toward the living room. “Let’s sit down and talk.”
Jade glanced at the closed door.
Wind headed for the living room, leaving her way out open.
All she had to do was take a few steps, unlock the door, and leave, but then she’d never find out about Celise’s involvement. A few indications that something was off was all she need
ed. It would be enough for her to dig deeper.
Much pointed to Celise’s guilt. She’d been there when Jade’s laptop had been hacked, and she was also the only MedAct doctor who’d spent time around Silver and Hunter.
Sure, there were other MedAct doctors in Glaswell, doing the same thing as Celise, taking care of the cyborgs, but none of them had anything to do with Silver and Hunter.
Was it a coincidence that the Fighters had broken into the warehouse just a few days after her laptop was hacked?
Not likely.
Jade clenched her fists.
She could do this. She had to.
She had to find out why the Fighters had stolen a tank from the warehouse. Tanks were only used to create and heal cyborgs, so the reason was obvious, but were they really planning to create a cyborg?
Nightmare hadn’t been wounded until after the tank was stolen. To her understanding, and the other cyborg soldiers’ reports, the tank had already been in the Fighters van when he got shot, so it couldn’t mean it was intended for his healing.
Did they have the knowledge to create a cyborg? She doubted it. A cyborg couldn’t be put together from just reading a few books; it was way more complicated.
And Celise wasn’t qualified.
So why? Why had they taken the tank?
It didn’t make sense.
She scanned the living room. Running away wasn’t the answer. Jade had to find out what was going on.
If Celise really was involved, it could, and would, damage MedAct.
Determination filled her. She took a deep breath and followed her colleague.
The room was a wide and open area, filled with elegant wooden furniture. Only the table Wind had ruined the day Celise became his bound one was gone.
No wonder. He’d squeezed one leg into pieces as the pain the bond caused him had surged through him.
A tiny pinch of guilt filled her.
Maybe she should’ve told him about the pain.
Jade inhaled and straightened her back. No, telling him would’ve made him back out.
All cyborgs who’d been told had changed their minds.
She froze when her gaze found the cyborg that sat on the sofa.
Silver.
The blond and attractive cyborg gave her a wide grin as he stood. “Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Faye, his bound one, entered the room through another door with a tray in her hands. It was filled with tasty-looking sweets. She grinned at Jade, too. “Cookies? I’ve made them myself.” She placed them on the table in front of her cyborg.
Silver pushed the plate away.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Faye glared.
“Spare yourself a cough attack,” he told Jade. “She added too much salt. I almost threw up.”
Faye’s chin dropped. “Why, you … You told me you liked them!”
He grabbed her and pulled her to him. “Of course I did. It made you happy, and that’s what matters.” He pressed his lips to hers.
Faye giggled, her anger washed away.
Jade blinked. “What’re you doing here?”
“Don’t worry,” Celise said. “I’ll explain everything.”
She narrowed her eyes. Her suspicion rose to new levels. “Right. I think I’ll leave now. We’ll talk about your education some other time.” She retreated, ready to flee.
The warning signals sang louder in her head.
Jade jerked to a halt when something hard and cold touched her back. Slowly, she whirled, with a lump in her throat … and stared into the eyes of an angry Soul.
He aimed a gun straight at her. “I insist.” His voice was cold.
Disbelief filled every part of her, but the frigidness in his eyes said he meant business.
“What the hell are you doing?” Obviously, Jade hadn’t been wrong about him.
“Pat her down,” Soul said, ignoring her question.
Silver approached. “Now, be a good MedAct CEO and spread your legs and arms.” Amusement sparkled in his shining eyes.
She cursed on the inside, but obeyed. She was small compared to him, and her strong personality wouldn’t help her. Besides, there were three cyborgs in the room, and one of them was a soldier. She glared at Soul. “I never expected this from you.”
He didn’t answer, but his anger was unmistakable.
Silver patted her down, and the strength in his hands was frightening. He could break her bones without much fuss if he wanted.
“If you hurt me, you’ll regret it.”
A short burst of laughter left his mouth, and he invaded Jade’s personal space, towering over her. “Show me how exactly.”
She swallowed but didn’t say anything. Slapping him was tempting, though.
Silver grabbed a chair. “Sit.”
She straightened her back. “I’ll stand.”
He sighed and forced her down on the chair.
“You—” she hissed between her teeth.
Silver was instantly in her face again. “I what?”
Jade didn’t say anything more, but he made it more and more difficult to fight the urge to slap him.
“Just as I thought.” He snorted, then ripped the bag from her hands.
Jade winced. “Hey! Give that back.”
The former Fighter ignored her and rumbled through her belongings, examining every electrical device, and making a complete mess. When he was done, he threw the bag to her and turned to the others. “She’s clean.”
Celise frowned. “Nothing at all?”
“Nope,” Silver said. “I’m just as surprised.”
Jade remained silent.
They didn’t need to know that she never carried any tracking devices. She hadn’t given it a thought this morning, because, she hadn’t expected to be captive.
Jade’s mission was only supposed to include a conversation and gleaning information she needed.
No, she hadn’t seen this coming, but now she knew.
Celise was the doctor who’d let the Fighters into the warehouse.
Jade crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Celise. “I guess this means you won’t be going back to school any time soon.”
The sadness that came over the doctor was impossible to miss. “That future is out of my reach now.”
“Well, I’m not feeling sorry for you one bit, but you better have a good explanation for all this.” She looked around the room.
Silver was back at Faye’s side on the couch.
Wind stayed close to Celise. His unusually chilled gaze was still there.
Soul blocked the way out. The gun was still in his hand and his gaze was fixed on her.
When he’d gotten involved wasn’t difficult to figure out, but why and how, were two more complicated questions. Besides, how could he be here without Janice’s approval? Was she in on it, too?
As a cyborg soldier, he was unable to go against an order his bound one gave him; it didn’t matter if he liked the order or not. “Did Janice tell you to come here?” she asked Soul.
His gaze darkened. “No.”
Jade frowned. “Then how—”
“Nothing you need to care about,” he barked.
“Soul’s here because he wants to be,” Celise said, “but we’re not here to talk about him. We’re here because we need your help.”
Jade couldn’t help but laugh. This situation was becoming more and more surreal. “You expect me to help you? You must be out of your mind. First, you’ve obviously sided with the Fighters, and now, you want me to help you? Why did you let them in, Celise? And why on earth did you take a tank from the warehouse? You don’t have enough knowledge to create a cyborg. It’s way too complicated.”
Her colleague didn’t move. Didn’t say anything either, but her eyes spoke plenty. There was a story in them. A story she seemed eager to share, but her lips were sealed. “Nightmare’s hurt,” Celise said finally.
Jade couldn’t breathe for a few seconds. Even if she’d already known, it still
hurt like hell. “How badly?”
“The wound has healed, but he’s not waking up. The damage is in his program.”
She frowned. “Is that why you stole the tank, to try to reprogram him?”
Another silence fell. No one spoke.
Jade sighed. “Look, if you want me to help, you need to bring him to MedAct.” She rose from the chair. “Call me when you’re ready to do that.” She turned around, hoping they would let her go, but when Soul pointed the gun at her again, she clenched her fists. “Do you think killing me is going to help you?”
“No one’s going to hurt you,” Celise said, “but you’re not allowed to leave.”
Holding in the anger that boiled in her veins was becoming more and more difficult. “Let me guess. You intend to tie me up, blind me, and drag me away somewhere so you can force me to save Nightmare. Am I right?”
Silver chuckled. “Something like that, but it will be easier to just drug you.”
“Do you honestly think kidnapping me will go by unnoticed? If I don’t go to work tomorrow, the cyborg soldiers will instantly start searching for me.”
Silver only laughed more. “Let us worry about that.”
Something sharp hit her in the arm, making her jerk and wince from pain. Jade grabbed it and pulled it out.
A dart.
Another wave of disbelief filled her as she met Soul’s gaze.
The cyborg soldier stood in front of her with that gun still pointed directly at her.
He’d fired it.
“I can’t believe you shot me. I thought we were friends.”
He grabbed her as Jade’s knees gave out. His face was hard as stone. “We were.”
Darkness took her.
CHAPTER 4
Jade groaned and opened her eyes. Her eyelids were heavy and her sight was grainy, as if she’d been asleep for a long time. The fog in her head was stubborn and the dizziness uncomfortable, but slowly, both started to clear.
Whatever Soul had drugged her with was leaving her system. Thank God she didn’t feel sick. Throwing up was the last thing she needed.
Betrayal sang in her heart. She’d never in a million years believed Soul would turn on her. They were friends, for heaven’s sake!
Why had he done it? What was she missing?
Sure, things weren’t right between him and Janice, but he’d never wanted to talk about it, so she’d dismissed it.
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