by Ciana Stone
*****
Naomie jerked awake when her phone rang. She fumbled for it on the table beside the bed. It was Reese, and it was a video call.
"Well, it took you long enough." She held the phone up and what she saw made her stomach clench. She quickly started a recording.
Reese's hair was a mess, tangled and pulled into a sloppy ponytail. Her face was dirty and was that blood on one side?
It was, however, her expression that caught and held Naomie's attention. "They say if I don't give them the prototype, they're going to torture Mathias until I do and if I resist long enough, they'll kill him."
Oh hell no. Naomie felt Russell Walker's hand on her knee and cut him a quick look.
The look on his face was one of unforgiving anger. That, she understood. "Put the bastard on." She said to Reese.
The phone turned, and as it did, she saw Mathias taped to a metal chair, two masked and armed men standing on either side of him in what looked like a basement. The view swung around to show a third man, also masked. There was a set of wooden stairs behind him.
"Can you hear me?" Naomie asked.
"I can."
"Then listen up, cretin. You took the wrong woman. She doesn't have the prototype. Never did. If whoever is holding your leash, had half a brain they'd know she didn't build the device. I did. I built it, and I have it, and I'm the only one who can make it work.
"So, if you want it, you're going to meet me, and we're going to trade. Me and the device for Reese and Mathias walking free. And hear me. If, when we meet, I find out that you've laid a hand on them, I will personally make sure you spend your last moments screaming. You feel me?"
"You don't call the shots, bitch."
"Oh, but I do. Call your boss and tell him Dr. Naomie Roma Taylor has the device and is now calling the shots. I'll give you two hours to check me out and talk with your superior. Call me back when your master tells you to mind your manners and do what I tell you."
She ended the call, stopped the recording and looked at Russell. "Too much?"
"You've got balls, I'll give you that. One question. Is there a bluff they can call?"
"Not likely. I said Reese could always get another robotics person, and that's true, but she can't get one as good as me. No brag, just fact. Not only did I build the device, but I also figured out how to make the programming unbreakable. If we want, we can mass produce and sell these babies all over the world.
"And with honey bees just this week hitting the endangered species list, we may need to do that sooner rather than later."
"Okay, but do you think whoever wants it knows that?"
"I think whoever it is, definitely knows we succeeded."
"How is that possible?"
"There are always possibilities, but that's not important. We have to be ready when they call."
"You're mighty sure. And what do you mean to be ready?"
"A couple of things. First, I need something from my bag. Where is it?"
Russell got up and went to the small closet. Her shoulder bag was inside. He brought it to her, and she dumped it on the bed. "Ha!" She grabbed a metal case about the size of a paperback book and looked at him. "Slide that tray thing over here."
Russell slid the tray table over and watched as she put the case on the tray and opened it. Inside were tools, but none he could identify. She pulled out what looked like a tiny storage case that was lined with clear gel.
"What's this for?"
"Storage until I can get to a lab."
"Why do you need a lab?"
"Because I'm going to alter the prototype."
"You have it?" He moved over beside her and looked into the case. "Where?"
She smiled up at him and moved her hair away from her face on the right side.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"What do you see?"
"You. What's that?" It looked like a honeybee was tucked into her ear.
Naomie smiled again and removed the bee from her ear. "Hold out your hand."
He did, and she placed the bee on his palm. "How did they not find this in the ER?"
"I kept their attention on other body parts."
"I bet. It looks almost real." It did. If he didn't know better, he'd think there was a honeybee sitting on his hand.
"Almost?" She raised one eyebrow.
"Okay, I stand corrected. It's remarkable. But what are you going to do to it?"
"That depends on whether you can get me what I need."
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
"Probably not."
"Tell me anyway."
Naomie started rattling off a list of what she needed. "Whoa." Russell interrupted. "Text it to me."
"What's your number?" She grabbed her phone and as he recited his number she created a contact. Once that was done she texted him what she needed.
Russell read the text and then looked at her. "I don't even know where to find these things."
"I'm betting everything on that list can be found here. We just need someone who will get it for us. Any ideas?"
It was his turn to smile, and it felt good to be the one with the solution. He wasn't unaccustomed to being the low man on the totem pole, but she did have the ability to give him a taste of that feeling. Now, he was back in the driver's seat.
"Give me a few minutes." He let her pluck the bee from his hand. "What's else? You said a couple of things?"
She picked up her phone and poked around on it for a few moments then turned it, so he could see the screen.
"What's that?"
"The coordinates where Reese and Mathias are."
"If you know where they are, why not just call the law and send them?"
"Because we need to know who's behind this and the only way we'll find that out is for me to meet with him or her face-to-face."
"You could be putting yourself in the crosshairs again."
"Maybe, but that's what I'm doing, and I could use your help."
Russell considered it for a minute. She did make a point. There were two people already in custody who weren't saying a word, and no one had shown up to post bail. It appeared that whoever was calling the shots had a no-fail policy. Fail, and you're on your own.
Which meant this might well be the only chance they'd get to find out who was behind the attacks.
"Fine. I'll be back soon."
"We have one hour and fifty-three minutes."
"I'll be back." With that, he headed for the door.
"Hey, can you add lab time to that list?"
"What kind and how long?"
"I'll text you."
"I'll be back."
"My hero." She said to his back and then looked at the bee. If Russell could get her what she wanted, the people who took Reese and Mathias were going to be in for a surprise.
And not one they'd enjoy.
*****
Reese's captors seemed stunned into silence when Naomie suddenly ended the call. Finally, the man holding her phone seemed to get it together. "You better hope that bitch is telling the truth."
"She is."
"Whatever." He pocketed her phone and looked at his two partners. “Tie her to that post and leave her down here with her Indian. I need to make a call."
"You want us to stay with them?"
"They ain't going nowhere. Come upstairs when you're done with her." He turned toward the stairs but stopped. "And don't hurt her none."
Reese lowered her head to hide the smile. He wasn't so brave after all. How Naomie would laugh about that. She didn't struggle as the men wrapped her arms behind her and around a support post and then tied her wrists. At least she could see Mathias.
She waited until the door at the top of the stairs closed behind the men before speaking. "Are you okay?"
"More importantly, are you?"
"A little banged up, but I'll survive. You?"
"I've had worse. Do you have any idea who these guys are or who they're working for?"
"No, but I imagine that will come out sooner or later."
"You seem oddly calm."
"Said the kettle to the pot."
"It doesn't serve anyone to panic."
"Exactly. Besides, Naomie is on it."
"Is she?"
"Yes. You heard her. She's in charge and calling the shots."
"Yeah, I heard her, but it apparently means more to you than me."
Reese cut a look at the stairs and lowered her voice more. "My phone is equipped with a tracking device that I activated when I placed the call, so she knows our location. And she won't come in unprepared. That's not Naomie's way. We just need to find a way to loosen our restraints so that we can fight when the time comes."
"Working on it."
"Hey," She called out when he looked away.
He turned his gaze to her, and she smiled. "I love you, Matty."
"I love you. When we get out of this, want to get married?"
Reese couldn't help but chuckle. "Absolutely."
"Then it's a date."
"Indeed, it is." She loved him for behaving as if there was no question at all about their survival. She trusted that Naomie would do all she could, but there was a very real possibility that they might not make it out alive.
Chapter Fourteen
"Wow, I'm impressed," Naomie said when Russell entered her room. "Twenty-three minutes. What did you manage to get?"
He gave her a look she read as bitch please but was apparently too polite to say. "All of it. Waiting in a lab on the seventh floor."
"Woohoo!" She bounded out of bed and headed for the closet, already pulling off the hospital gown. She dropped the gown, opened the closet and cursed. "Fuck! Where are my clothes?"
"I don't know. Maybe still downstairs."
Naomie whirled around and slammed her hands on her hips. "I need clothes."
"Yes, I can see that."
"Well?"
"Well, what do you want me to do? Give you mine?"
"Hmm. No, as tempting as the offer is, I need my own. Can we get some scrubs?"
"Give me five minutes. And put your gown on."
Naomie realized that his tone was not altogether scolding. The added something spoke to the woman in her. To cover the effect it had, she smirked. "Come on, I'm sure you've seen a naked woman a time or two."
"Yep. I'll be back."
She blew out a breath, snatched up the gown and slid into it. Damn it all, she couldn't let Russell Walker get to her. There was no way she was ever going to get involved with him, so she needed to stop seeing him in any light other than a partner in the quest to save Reese and Mathias and later, as an employer.
Yes, that was exactly what she'd do.
Five minutes later he returned, with a set of scrubs and even a pair of feet coverings. To be more demure, Naomie thanked him and went into the bathroom to change. Inside of two minutes they were out the door and headed for the lab.
Once inside with the door locked, Naomie put her bee under the microscope and then started mixing and preparing the ingredients Russell had made available to her.
"What exactly are you doing?" He asked.
"I'm giving the bee's stinger some juice."
"Pardon?"
"I designed the bee to have a stinger. Bees inject apitoxin when they sting. It's not lethal, obviously. But I discovered that you can create a kind of synthetic that's a cross between apitoxin and tetrodotoxin. “
"Which is what?"
"It's a sodium channel blocker that inhibits the firing of action potentials in neurons by binding to the voltage-gated sodium—"
"Whoa, try that in science for dummy speak."
"It's the toxin produced by the pufferfish and causes paraesthesia in the face and extremities along with dizziness, nausea and epigastric pain. I discovered—quite by accident, I should add—that if you create a synthetic version of the two, combine them with a common anesthesia and a little LSD, you have a pretty powerful little poison that acts pretty fast."
"Define fast."
"Twenty to thirty seconds."
"That's not exactly instant. Can't you create one of those?"
"You watch too much tv, cowboy. It can't be done. You want someone knocked out in two seconds, hit 'em with a lead pipe."
"So why the stinger thing?"
"Because I don't carry a gun and it can be a good distraction."
"I won't argue with that."
"Good. Now pull on a pair of gloves and help."
"I don't know what to do."
"You don't have to. I'll tell you."
Naomie turned her attention to the task at hand. When her phone rang, she was so absorbed, she jumped. "Shit." She carried the phone over to the side of the room and stood with her back to the wall.
"What are you doing?" Russell asked.
"Keeping anyone from knowing I'm in a lab. You know, mad scientist and all that."
She answered the call. "Well?"
"We'll meet to make the exchange." The man spat out a set of coordinates and finished with "at dawn."
"Who will be there?"
"What the fuck difference does it make?"
"I so hate dealing with dullards. Call your boss and tell him I'll only deal with him."
"You can't tell him what to do. He'll just tell me to kill them."
"Fat chance. You kill them, and he doesn't get what he wants. You, on the other hand, get to die because I'll personally find you and make you die screaming like a little girl."
There was silence on the line for a few seconds. "We'll be in touch."
The line went dead, and Naomie looked at Russell. "I don't mind saying that you can be a little scary, Doc." Russell commented.
"You don't know the half of it. But right now we need to get to it. We still have a lot to do."
*****
"Any luck?" Mathias asked.
"All I can do is rub the restraint against the wood, and that's not enough. You?"
"My right leg is free. Working on my left."
"What about your hands?
"I'm able to grip the metal pickets in the chair and have one pretty loose. If I can push it enough to break it, I can free my hands."
There was silence for a few moments, and when he heard her voice again, it seemed to be lacking a bit of confidence. "I want you to know that I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. I loved Wiley, and Linc like brothers and their mother was like one to me, as was Mrs. Quinn. Naomie and I were friends with benefits for a little while and discovered the benefits just got in the way of our friendship."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to. Please. When we met, I thought it'd be fun and games between us because that's all I ever allow. Loving people is terrifying because when you lose them the hurt is so bad, you want to curl up in a ball and just become nothing. But, I couldn't help liking and then loving you, and I'll die before I let anyone hurt you. I promise you that."
Mathias heard the truth in her words and felt the emotion clear across the room. He wished there was light so that he could see her when he said his piece but maybe it would be easier in the dark. He hadn't spoken of things that haunted him to many people, and it wasn't easy.
"There was a time when I felt like I'd never even want to smile again. A mission went south, and innocent people died. I couldn't get past it. I couldn't close my eyes without seeing, hearing and smelling it and I thought maybe it would drive me out of my mind.
"Trina Judge healed me. She's like Wiley, you know. An energy healer. Anyway, after that, I didn't want to blow my brains out, but I realized how lonely I was and that was almost as bad. I didn't think I'd find anyone to love or a woman who'd love me. I could get a date, and there are plenty of women who like the idea of taking a big Indian into their beds, but love wasn't on the table.
"Then you showed up and yeah, at first it was just heat and need and I couldn't wait to get my hands on you. Only it quickly became more. You somehow got inside me, into the part that no
one else sees and I fell for you. I love you, Reese and you are not going to die for me. Not today and not at all. We'll beat these bastards. I promise you that. All I need is an opportunity, and then I'll take them apart.
"And that is a guarantee."
"Do you have any idea how much I want to kiss you right now?
Mathias chuckled. "I think I might."
"Nice to know we think—hey, what's that? Do you hear it?"
"Yes."
The sound of pounding and a woman's voice shouting. "I know you're in there Bobby Dean Wilkins and you best get yourself out here. I brung the preacher and I ain't leaving till you do right by me. Do you hear me, Bobby Dean?"
"Oh damn. It's Naomie." Reese said. "It's about to get real."
Dressed in a denim skirt that hit around mid-thigh with rhinestones on the pockets in a star pattern, pink cowboy boots, a white tank top that was low enough in the front to display a pink push-up bra and her hair cascading over one shoulder in curls, Naomie pounded on the front door of the old farm-house.
"This is a bad idea," Russell said for the third time. How she'd managed to talk the nursing staff at the hospital to round up the outfits they wore was a mystery. Here she was looking like a Dixie whore and him wearing a minister's collar. He should've had better sense than to let her talk him into this.
"Shhh!" She frowned at him then beat on the door again. "I know you're in there, Bobby Dean. Billy Meeks told me you wus staying here with your granddaddy so you might as well get your skinny butt out here!"
The light beside the door came on, and she took a step back. The door opened, and a man looked through the rusted screen. "What the hell you want?"
"You better get Bobby Dean out here right this minute."
"There ain't no Bobby Dean here you crazy bitch."
"Preacher, did you hear that?" Naomie grabbed the handle of the screen door and yanked it open. "You're going straight to hell. Bobby Dean! You hear me? Get out here Bobby!"
The man stepped out onto the porch. "I told you, there ain't no Bobby here. Now git!"
"Bobby Dean!" Naomie shoved at the man. "Bobby!"
The man reared back like he was going to hit her. "You crazy—"
"You're gonna want to rethink that move, son." Russell was up the steps onto the porch, with his gun pointed right at the man's forehead before the man could strike a blow.
