Mayhem's Betrayal: Operation Mayhem Book 5

by Lindsay Cross

  “I’m just joking, Princess.” Dawson gestured for Faith to come closer to him. “I’m sorry, I forgot you’re not the princess. Maybe you should be the queen?” He smiled.

  “Yeah!” Faith leapt up from the bed and did a little dance, wiggling her tiny arms around. “Did you hear, Aunt Laura?” she squealed. “Daddy says I’m the queen.” She giggled and pranced around the room.

  “Careful, Faith,” Laura said as Faith bumped into a metal cart. The lab really wasn't the best place for children, but it was the only place possible for Faith to see John right now.

  “Whoops!” Faith giggled and continued her gallop in circles by the door.

  Dawson and Laura looked on, smiles on their faces, as Faith went on with her charades. She soon had Princess Kitty on one of the exam tables and pretended to perform an operation on her. It was almost sad that she was so good at playing by herself.

  “So, Melissa, huh?” Laura asked, looking back at John.

  His throat went dry. He thought for sure only Quantum knew and he hoped to keep it that way until after they found Rainier.

  “Wh—what do you mean?” He flicked the tube of the IV dripping into his blood stream.

  “I can tell,” she said. “Secret sister powers I guess.” She squeezed his knee. “I’m happy for you, that you can find someone to help you through all this. It’s been amazing having King. I just want to make sure you’re both focused, now with Melissa coming up with this serum, she’ll have to give to the other men. It just seems like a lot for the two of you to be getting involved.” She glanced back at Faith who had her ear pressed to Princess Kitty’s chest. It broke John’s heart to see his daughter pretending to hear. But then it dawned on him—with her cochlear implant, she could hear.

  “The last thing I want is distractions, Laura,” Dawson said. “But I’d rather die than live without her another day.”

  Laura smiled. “That’s how King and I feel about each other.”

  “You didn't tell him—or anyone else—did you?” he asked, his heart ascending into his throat.

  He didn't want to give the team any reasons to doubt him or his abilities while he worked on regaining their trust. He knew he was a semi-member again, but it was only natural the men would think he and Melissa being in a new relationship would distract the both of them. Once they took care of Rainier, everything would be different and they could be together for real.

  Laura shook her head. “It’s not my place to tell. Just take care of both of you, okay?”

  Dawson gave one definitive nod. “With everything I have left to give.”

  Chapter 30

  Melissa came back to stay with Dawson since he was still in the lab on bed rest. She took turns with Quantum, and Trigger, sitting by John, talking with him, tending to him, even though Quantum needed tending to as well. Mostly, Melissa kept them both in the lab so she could help them at the same time.

  Quantum walked fully on his own now. He even started training with King a few times a week in the training facility. He was able to do a lot of workout exercises that didn't involve his lower body; his arm and back muscles were slowly becoming more defined. Melissa was elated at both his and Dawson’s recoveries.

  “I think this can be your last night in here,” she said as she came to John’s side at his bed. She perched on the end of it. Dawson had barely suffered any symptoms in the last several days. He reported the occasional headache, but nothing major like the first few instances after the injection. Melissa wasn't sure she would have been able to handle anymore of that without having a breakdown herself. With Melissa’s close monitoring and vitamin drips, she was confident he was cured.

  Of course, any of the men would have a long road ahead of them after being cured; they’d have to readjust to being normal men again. They’d have to work on regaining every part of themselves that had been depleted by the serum. But, it was doable. And John was on his way—maybe only at the first step, but still on his way.

  “So, it really worked then?” John asked.

  “Don't you feel like your old self?” she said. “Before all the bad spells?”

  “You mean before Project Mayhem?” Dawson stretched back farther in the bed and put his hands behind his head. It was the first time in many days that he didn't have an IV attached to his arm. He gestured for Melissa to come closer to him.

  She smiled and moved up so she was sitting at his side, pressed against his hip. “Well, maybe not before, but in the beginning? You still have heightened senses, right?”

  “I can hear everything upstairs,” he said. “And I can smell the coffee and bacon in the morning as if it’s being cooked right in this room.”

  He reached for Melissa’s hand. “I don’t feel tired at all anymore.” He brought it to his lips and kissed it. “My muscles are replenishing themselves.” He ran his hand through her freshly washed hair. Probably the first time she’d washed it in a week as she had been spending all her time with Dawson or Quantum or both, and neglecting herself. Though John made her eat with him when she brought his meals; she even thought to make her own meals now. So, she was doing slightly better in that department. And now that he could leave the lab, she could tend to a couple other things. Even if he occupied her mind at all times.

  “And I can taste you even when you’re not here,” John said, his voice growing husky. Heat ran through Melissa’s body, circling around in her stomach and thighs.

  She was about to lean down and kiss him, press her body up against his in this very hospital bed, when a voice from the doorway said, “What’s going on here?”

  It was Reaper.

  Melissa gasped and quickly pulled back from John, pushing herself off the bed, and standing up. She smoothed her lab coat and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, letting her hair fall in front of her face.

  “Um, Reaper, hi.” She looked at the floor.

  “Is something going on between the two of you?” His voice was hard. The same voice he’d use if he were directing a high-risk mission with the rest of his men.

  “Yes,” John answered for her.

  Reaper’s burning black eyes bounced back and forth between the two of them.

  A thought, as wrong as she knew it was, slid in to her mind. What if he hurt John? She bit her lip. Reaper wouldn’t, would he? Had they crossed an invisible line? She glanced at John, but he remained locked on Reaper.

  Tension coiled through her body, her stomach tightened. Dammit, she couldn’t take it. She slid between the men, physically throwing up the only barrier she had to protect John.

  “Reaper.” Melissa tried to keep his attention on her. “We didn't want anyone to think our relationship was getting in the way of the serum creation because we both know how important it is. But, this thing between John and I—it’s real. Surely you can understand that. Remember how you felt the first time you realized your love for Caroline?”

  Reaper’s stone hard face softened slightly, before the vein in his temple started pulsing again, and he said, “All our lives weren’t in Caroline’s hands.”

  “Weren’t they, though?” Melissa took a tentative step in his direction. “Without her blood, you’d all be dead. And I’m the one who mixes it into the serum. Just like I still intend to do for all of you.”

  She stepped closer to him again and put her hand to his arm. “Plus,” she said. “It was the worst possible timing when you fell for Caroline, too. The men were depending on you when you escaped the lab and saved her. They went a very long time without serum while they were waiting for you. We can’t control these things, but we can control how much we all care about the team.”

  Reaper fumbled, clearly knowing he was beat on all these points. Melissa wondered if maybe he still didn't fully trust Dawson and thought he was taking advantage of her somehow. That couldn't be it—this was about Rainier and needing their focus.

  “John is who he was,” Melissa continued. “And he’s cured finally with the new serum. I can cure all of yo
u.” Only then, actually saying it out loud, did she realize the weight of what she’d accomplished. John was cured.

  She almost started crying right there in the lab. Maybe the lack of sleep and the deep emotions she felt for John, and her research success, was getting the best of her.

  The only wrench in their paths to freedom was Rainier and his shiny new lab of evil researchers and emotionless super soldiers.

  “I don't really like the fact that you hid this from us, we need to share everything no matter how personal it is.” Reaper sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

  “My love for Melissa would never cause me to let you all down.” Dawson rose to his feet. “I’m one-hundred percent committed to the team. And I’m also one-hundred percent committed to Melissa.”

  He walked over to where they stood and draped a muscular arm over Melissa’s shoulders.

  “And my love for John would never make me take your lives any less seriously. Your well-being has become my well-being. I intend to administer the new injections to all of you.”

  Over the next week, Reaper took Dawson to the training facility and put him through drills.

  “I can’t do anymore today,” Dawson breathed, mid-tire flip. He couldn't get the tire to turn fully over onto the other side, having already done about a hundred for the day.

  “Come on.” Reaper encouraged him on. “How can you expect go on a mission if you quit after three hours?”

  Dawson strained, his face hotter than the sun, every vein bulging as he used all his might to get the tire onto the turf. He let out a yell as it slammed onto the other side.

  “There we go!” Reaper clapped his hands a few times.

  It had been nonstop pull-ups, pushups, jumping jacks, and tire flips for days. Tomorrow would be Reaper’s final assessment of Dawson’s strength when he put him through an obstacle course.

  He met Reaper in the facility before the sun came up, passing Quantum who was doing PT with Melissa in the lab.

  Reaper set the timer, blew his whistle, and Dawson was off. He dashed through the agility ladder, then dropped to his elbows and knees, making his way under the barbed wire fence. It wasn't simulated barbed wire, either. They had the real stuff.

  Once Dawson was on the other side, without so much as a tear in his shirt, he picked up the sledgehammer to move the tire from point A to Point B.

  His body was exhausted already but the adrenaline pumped whenever he thought about helping his team take out Rainier. Dawson was stronger than he’d been in a year in this moment.

  Once the tire was in place, Reaper hit the stopwatch. “Two minutes left to spare. Well done.”

  Dawson smiled, sweat pouring off his body. “I feel good.”

  “Let’s hit the final drill.” Reaper strode out the side door of the facility.

  He handed Dawson a bulletproof vest; he slipped it on. Then, Reaper picked up a Glock and passed it to Dawson—the first weapon he’d been allowed to touch since arriving here.

  John fired off a clip, hitting every single fatal spot on the dummy one by one, like he’d never stopped shooting. It was like riding a bike, really.

  He emptied a few more and set the gun down with a smile, before turning to Reaper. “So?”

  Reaper met his smile and held up his fist for Dawson to bump with his. “Welcome back, Dawson.”

  Chapter 31

  Every man, Melissa, and Trigger crowded around in the war room. Reaper stood in the center, surrounded by the monitors that showed the rooms in the mansion and the outside premises. The expanse of sprawling pine and oak trees around the full perimeter of perfectly trimmed green grass was startling every time the view came into sight.

  Most of the men didn't grow up with much, many of them feeling like the service was their only option even if they did want to protect their country, so the fact that they lived here now was beyond comprehension. And the palace actually did feel like home. It was even starting to for Dawson.

  “Alright,” Reaper called out, “Are we ready to go ahead with this?”

  “Hell yeah,” Juarez said.

  Hicks, Diggs, and King nodded their heads in agreement. Everyone stood, armed and ready. Their combat boots were laced tight. Their black fitted shirts grazed the top of their black military pants. A team of death dealers.

  The room filled with a buzz of excitement.

  Reaper held up his hand. “Dawson, do you know where Rainier is?”

  "Oh I know where he is." Dawson let his words fall in silence that suddenly hit the room. All laughter stopped and all eyes turned on him.

  Reaper didn't move from his current position, didn't so much as acknowledge he’d spoken or even look at his direction. "And you’re telling us this now, why?"

  Dawson's confidence slid down a notch and he swallowed, trying to work some moisture into his dry throat. "Because he needs to be stopped. And because," he glanced at Melissa and she gave him a reassuring squeeze to his hand, "Because I know none of you left me behind on purpose."

  Melissa leaned her head against his shoulder and he cherished her silent show of support.

  Reaper finally turned the full intensity of his black eyes on him and Dawson suddenly remembered why Reaper was their team leader. He had to fight the urge to squirm in his seat under that intense stare.

  "And what made you suddenly decide you could trust us again?" The softly spoken voice should have been calming, but Dawson heard the underlying threat in his words. He'd have to tread cautiously.

  He slid his arm around Melissa, and said, "My memories of before the experiment are still a bit hazy, but even if I had never met you before, watching how you treat each other, how you treat your women… You’re good men. Anyone could see that. When I was still with him, General Rainier, all I could see was hate and violence but you've shown me a different way. Melissa has shown me a different way." He tightened his hold around her shoulders. "King, you took in my sister and my child even after what I did to you. Reaper, instead of having me executed on the spot, you locked me up to try and save me."

  King straightened from his position leaning against the wall. "I did not take Laura and Faith for you."

  "I know, you did it because you love them. And no man with that much love inside him could betray his best friend."

  King tensed, his hands fisted at his sides and Dawson rush to continue. "Best friends before."

  Reaper rose to his full height, standing tall and commanding everyone's attention. "That doesn't answer the question of why now."

  Dawson glanced at Melissa and she nodded for him to continue. He was surprised at how much he needed her support. "Because we don’t have any time left to spare."

  John met Reapers gaze head on. "General Rainier, or should I say his team of scientists, figured out how to duplicate the serum, alter it to further enhance the soldiers abilities and he's been using a new type of psychological training along with the injections to completely wipe the men's ability for an emotional response."

  Melissa shifted in her seat next to him and he loosened his grip, having not realized how tightly he was holding onto her. She cleared her throat, "What he saying is Rainier’s figured out how to make more men like you, stronger than you, and with absolutely no empathy."

  There wasn’t the least flicker of surprise on Reapers face.

  Hicks however shot to his feet. "That son of a bitch!"

  "We should've killed the bastard," Juarez chimed in.

  "Let's do this then," Diggs said.

  So far only King and Reaper had not responded. Dawson didn't really expect a response out of King, he barely spoke. But he had expected at least an inkling or a response from their team leader.

  "You knew."

  Reaper gave one, slow nod of acknowledgment.

  Entire room erupted, nearly everyone demanding to know how, and why. Dawson didn't turn his attention from Reaper. A heavy weight settled on his shoulders, realization dawning cold and hard. "That's why you let me live."

 
Again, Reaper allowed one nod of acknowledgment.

  Dawson’s mind whirled, all the presumptions built upon the old bonds that he had with the team being the reason why Reaper would've saved him instead of killing him, came crashing down in an avalanche of shock and despair. He’d completely misjudged the situation. He was a fool. They’d played him. "How much longer are you going to wait?" Dawson said quietly.

  His body felt cold and numb, not even Melissa's body tucked next to his could warm the thaw.

  Juarez crossed his arms over his chest, stepping closer. "Wait for what? What are you two talking about?"

  "Before he forced me to tell him where Rainier was located," Dawson said flatly.

  All that bullshit they’d fed him about trying to rehabilitate him, save him from himself. He thought they'd been doing it to help him re-join the team, so he could be a part of his daughter’s life again. Give him hope for the future, for him and Melissa.

  Acid shot from his stomach up his throat. He'd been a fool just like Rainier had warned. Dawson let his arm drop from Melissa and got to his feet, slowly straightening to his full height. "He was right. You don't care about anyone but yourself and saving your own neck.” Dawson fisted his hands at his sides, his nails digging into his palms.

  Reaper didn't move, didn't show any response whatsoever to Dawson's accusation and that just pissed him off even more. "So what was the plan, team leader?" he spit out the words like a curse. "Use me and lose me? Let your henchmen over there put a bullet in my brain once we were done?" Dawson nodded to King, who still hadn’t moved from his position against the wall. His lip twisted into a mocking smile. "Does my sister know? Is she in on this or are you going to wait until after to tragically tell her that I had fallen to some sort of accidental gunshot to the head?" There was so many emotions exploding inside him right now he couldn't discern one from the next. Anguish. Fury. Despair. They’d all been in on it. Even… He turned to Melissa, seeing the pained expression on her face didn't rip the rug out from under him, it ripped the entire world from him. "You, too?" He choked out.