They went into the four-story building and took the elevator to the fourth floor, exiting onto BSL-4—Biosafety Level 4. “Whoa,” CJ said, taking in the clean room and safety protocols. “This is some serious shit.”
“This is state of the art,” Caitlin agreed with unsuppressed awe. “Incredible. This is even better than the CDC labs.”
“It looks like the kind of place where demons roam at night,” CJ quipped.
Caitlin gushed, still starry-eyed. “I can’t believe Tessara has this facility in its possession and it’s not filled with research scientists, top to bottom. If I’d known this place was available, well, I would’ve put my résumé in. I don’t even care what they’re working on. This is fantastic.”
“Be careful what you wish for. Tessara has its secrets and not all of them are nice,” Zak said warily, walking past her to stop short of the clean room. He gestured toward the room and asked, “That where you’re going to work on the sample?”
“When you’re able to find it again,” she answered. “In the meantime, I’m going to boot up the computers and see if I can access the servers.”
Zak followed her into the office adjacent to the research lab, similar to the layout in Vermont. She powered up the computer, and within seconds, she was in the mainframe. “I’m in. I love technology,” she said. “Aside from the notes I lost on my phone, I have access to everything I had at the lab in Vermont. I have everything I need except one thing, my team.”
“As soon as their background checks are complete, we’ll bring them on. A few days, tops.”
“Do you really think we have a few days to spare?”
“Nothing I can do about that. I still think the theft was an inside job and until we can clear each member of your team, they’re not stepping within ten feet of you.”
She smothered her immediate protest. He knew her irritation was based on her belief that her coworkers were innocent but Zak wasn’t going to budge on what his gut was telling him.
Scarlett joined them. “We’ve sealed off the entrances to this level. The only way in or out is through the elevator, and we’ll be posted there 24/7. No one is getting into this facility without our say-so.”
“Thank you, Miss Rhodes.”
“You can call me Scarlett,” she offered with a brief smile.
Caitlin nodded and returned to Zak. “Well, I’m going to dig into my notes and refresh my brain. Maybe the forced break will reveal something I’d missed before.”
“Smart thinking. You hungry?” At her disinterested shrug, he knew he’d have to slide food under her nose now that she was back in her element. Next time he wouldn’t bother to ask. “I’ll check on the food situation. Laird and Scarlett are here with you.”
She nodded, already scanning her notes, focused on the task. He chuckled and left her to her work.
Zak and CJ roamed the halls of the facility, checking exits and entrances, making sure they controlled all points of entry. “This place gives me the heebie-jeebies,” CJ admitted.
“Yeah, I know. Tessara has their hands on some scary shit. No telling what they use this facility for. I, for one, am glad we’re only occupying the one floor. I don’t even want to know what might be stored in the basement.”
“Probably a doorway to another reality, like on that show, Stranger Things. Did you watch that?”
“Naw, you know I don’t like scary stuff. I’ve seen enough in my lifetime to scare me for real. I don’t need it for entertainment.”
“True enough. Hey, so what’s the real deal with you and the doc?”
“What deal?” Zak asked, being evasive. “My job is to keep her safe long enough for you guys to find that damn sample.”
“Yeah, but there’s, like, chemistry between you. If I didn’t know better I’d say you guys were knocking boots. But I know you don’t break rules like that, so I know it hasn’t happened.”
“Exactly. So why even bring it up?”
“Touchy. What’s up with you?”
“This job has me on edge. I don’t particularly like the idea of dying by shitting my insides out and bleeding through my eyeballs. Makes me a little grumpy.”
“I get it, man. This is some scary shit but we’ll find the wing nuts that are behind all this and it’ll be business as usual like it always is. We save the day, man. That’s what we do.”
“Yeah, but what about when we can’t save the day? What happens then?”
“Then the world is screwed,” CJ retorted with a grin. “Hey, lighten up. No one is dying today, so let’s just count our blessings and move on.”
CJ, ever the philosopher when it suited him. “Let’s check out the sleeping quarters. I want everything arranged for when Caitlin is ready to go to sleep.”
They detoured, following the map, to the section of the building where several rooms were simply labeled APT 1, 2, etc. and opened up the first one.
They saw a small, utilitarian room about the size of a hotel room, with the same amenities, but without the charm. This was about efficiency, not comfort. “The Hilton it ain’t but we’ve slept in worse,” CJ quipped.
Zak agreed, noting the double beds. At least he wouldn’t have to bed down on the floor. He looked to CJ, saying, “The doc will take this room with me on duty.”
“Good thing there are two beds,” CJ said with a hint of slyness that made his teeth grind. CJ was going to be on him like stink on dog crap. Hiding his feelings was going to be a bitch with CJ on his tail.
But Zak played along, barking a short laugh. “Yeah, tell me about it. I’ve been sleeping in a chair the last few days and my back isn’t what it used to be.”
CJ nodded. “Preach, bruh. Ibuprofen is my standard breakfast at this point. Every morning I think I might be getting too old for this job and then I think about getting a regular job and I want to jump off a bridge, so yeah, ibuprofen it is.”
A regular job? What was that? But weirder things had happened. Their buddy Xander was wearing a suit and tie now as an FBI agent when a year ago he’d been on the run. “You think Xander misses Red Wolf?” he asked.
“Who wouldn’t miss what we do? Hell, we’re living the dream.”
“I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm or not,” Zak said.
“Me, either.”
They laughed and left it at that. Neither had the answers and neither had the balls to ask the right questions.
* * *
After a half hour Caitlin glanced up to find Laird and Scarlett looking intensely uncomfortable around the protective laboratory equipment. No doubt it was pretty intimidating to the average person. Most people never had the opportunity to step foot on a BSL-4 because there were very few rated for the kind of virulent virology like that of the deadly sample.
Even her own parents, who were familiar with a lab environment, would find a BSL-4 environment daunting, simply because they understood that the scientists handled death with each dangerous pathogen. For that very reason, she understood why her parents were less than excited about their only child jumping at the chance to work in her chosen field but she found the genetic symmetry in virology mesmerizing, beautiful, even. Imagine trying to explain that to the average person without coming off sounding like a psychopath. Exactly why she kept those thoughts to herself.
Refocusing, she felt that familiar crick in her neck from staring at her computer for too long and leaned back to roll her neck from her shoulders, sighing as it popped and cracked. A thought occurred to her. Where were they staying? Here in the facility? As far as she knew there wasn’t any barracks but then, what did she know about this secret place?
For all she knew there could be a suite located somewhere on the grounds.
As if reading her mind, Scarlett entered the office and said, “Your sleeping quarters have been arranged. When you’re ready to call it a night, Zak will escort you.”
&n
bsp; Sleeping quarters? “What do you mean? Like a cot or something in the break room?”
Scarlett shook her head. “This particular facility has sleeping quarters for key staff. Are you fatigued?”
No, but she was very curious. However, her curiosity could wait. She was making progress and didn’t want to stop just yet.
“Thank you,” she murmured, returning to her work. “It’ll be a while before I turn in.”
“I understand.” Scarlett returned to her post with Laird, and Caitlin lost herself in the work.
Zak returned with food. She smiled, her heart warming. “Is there a secret restaurant located on the premises, too?” she asked, eyeing the plate of food.
“That, my dear doc, is a government-issue MRE. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, hot and ready. It even comes with a candy bar for dessert.”
“An MRE? Wow, I’ve never actually eaten one of these. Are they any good?”
“I like them,” he admitted. “However, they will land like a lead brick in your gut, so I wouldn’t eat too many or else you won’t be able to go to the bathroom for days.”
“Oh, good to know,” she said, eyeing the food with a different perspective. Giving the plate an exploratory sniff, she had to say it smelled good. Besides, she was hungry. She shrugged before taking a bite, declaring, “I’ve eaten worse,” and braved the military grade meal. She chewed slowly, waiting for something weird to happen to her taste buds but when it simply tasted like cafeteria-style meatloaf, she happily took another bite, announcing, “I like it.”
Zak chuckled and said, “I’ll let Uncle Sam know you approve of his culinary skills.” He took a seat on the edge of the desk, gesturing to the computer. “So how’s it going?”
“Well, the good news is I’m back up to speed from a few days ago but the bad news is I haven’t had any major breakthroughs. It’s impossible to run theories against a sample that I don’t have. Everything I’ve factored out is simply a theory. I have no idea if they will work or not.”
“We’re working on it. We’ve got a few leads to run down. Something will pan out. It always does.”
“How do you stay so calm when we’re talking about the end of the world if we fail?”
“Not my first rodeo.”
Maybe she was exhausted and it was finally catching up to her but his dry comment made her laugh. “No? Well, I don’t remember buying tickets to this show.”
“You and me both.” He gestured to her half-eaten plate of food. “You done?”
Caitlin nodded and pushed away the remains of her meatloaf. “Doesn’t taste quite as good when it cools down.”
“That’s why the secret is to gulp it down while it’s still hot. Once it cools down it returns to its original chemical state,” he joked as he took her plate and stuffed it into a trash bag. “You look like you could use a hot bath, a massage and a good night’s sleep.”
“Is that available?”
“I can make it happen. Your room has a small bathtub and I’ve got pretty good hands.” He leaned forward to whisper for her ears only, “And I’ve got a pretty good method for ensuring a deep sleep.”
“I’m interested,” she said, her heart rate jumping. Caitlin calmed her fluttering pulse with deliberate breaths and then resolutely flicked her computer off, saying, “I think I’d like to retire now. Can you escort me to my sleeping quarters?”
“I’d be happy to.”
That solicitous offer belied the hot spark in his eyes.
And she couldn’t wait to get behind closed doors.
Chapter 19
Zak made arrangements with Scarlett for the night before walking Caitlin to what would become her sleeping quarters for as long as they needed to be stuck in the facility.
In a sense, it would become his quarters, as well.
He closed the door and locked it, stalking her as he pulled his shirt free. “I’ve wanted to do this all day,” he said, sealing his mouth to hers even as he helped remove her shirt. He filled his hands with her breasts and moved her to the bed. “This is harder than I thought it would be.”
She chuckled deep in her throat as her hand reached down to cup his groin. “Oh, yes, seems pretty hard to me,” she said and he nearly came in his jeans. Caitlin plucked at his buttons and released his erection, her hand curling around the hard staff. He groaned against her mouth as they tumbled to the bed.
He was mindless with the need to touch her. Pulling her jeans free, he made quick work of his own before descending between her thighs. Within minutes Caitlin’s soft, breathless pants hit a crescendo and she shuddered with a muffled cry as she clutched a pillow over her own face. He appreciated her forethought but he loved the sound of her cries when she came. He growled as he climbed her body, grabbing the pillow to reveal her beautiful face. He kissed her hard as she wrapped her legs around his torso, his erection grinding against her soft, damp cleft.
He came fast and wild with the most jaw-droppingly powerful orgasm of his life and when it was done, he was left boneless.
Zak barely had the energy to roll off Caitlin, his breathing harsh as he tried to catch his breath. “I think I’m having a heart attack,” he said, his chest heaving. “Holy crap, that was intense.”
He felt her soft, exhausted laughter and knew she felt the same. This thing they were doing—it didn’t make sense—but it was real and tangible and he didn’t know how to quit it.
Not that he wanted to.
That was the problem. He was insatiable when it came to Caitlin and he suspected the feeling was mutual. What were they supposed to do with this?
They were both committed to going their separate ways when everything was said and done because—c’mon, him and her as a couple? Yeah, right, what a laugh—they had next to nothing in common and everyone knew relationships built on sex weren’t meant to last. But when he envisioned that scenario, as in actually walking away, his gut cramped and a growl popped from his mouth. He spent more of his free time thinking about—God help him—snuggling than he did about what he used to enjoy thinking about, like new guns and hunting trips, and frankly, his head was a mess. But he liked her, as in really liked her and even if it didn’t make sense, it was as real as anything he’d ever known.
Aww hell, the more he thought about it, the more confused and agitated he got.
He rose on wobbly legs and made it to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He returned with a damp washcloth and gently cleaned Caitlin, taking extra care around her sensitive parts. But seeing Caitlin so exposed just made him want her again. His rebound time had never been so swift. There was something about Caitlin that changed everything.
“I just want you to know, this isn’t what I do,” he said, trying to put into words some kind of explanation. “I mean, I don’t mess around on the job.”
“You mean there isn’t a girl in every city you’ve been in?” she teased, rolling to her side to regard him in the semidarkness. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I don’t know. I guess I don’t want you thinking that I’m easily swayed by a pretty face.”
She smiled more brightly. “You think I’m pretty?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course I think you’re pretty—hell, I think you’re damn gorgeous. You’ve got to know that you’re a looker, right? That smart girl vibe is hot.”
But maybe she didn’t know that, because he saw a flash of vulnerability in her eyes that told a private story as she admitted, “Zak, I’ve never been the girl who turned the cute boy’s head. I was always hiding in the library or the science lab. Not many cute boys hanging out in the quiet zones.”
“Boys in high school are blind, and college isn’t much better. Yeah, you’re pretty damn hot.” He knuckled the soft blush in her cheeks. “Too damn hot, actually. This thing between us could burn us to the ground. It ain’t going to end in a fairy tale, sw
eetheart.”
“I don’t believe in fairy tales.”
“You say that now but what about when the job is over?”
She chuckled as if he were being a worrywart and rose up on her knees, drawing his face to hers. “Listen, I understand. This isn’t a happily-ever-after situation. For all we know, this is the end for everyone, so why not enjoy a little pleasure while we can? We aren’t hurting anyone and we’re consenting adults so let’s stop picking at the bright spots in this moment, okay?”
Good advice. “This is why you’re the smart one and I’m the muscle,” he said with enough self-deprecating humor to soften the blow. She wasn’t looking for a long time, just a good time. He could work with that.
Except, he already hated the idea of goodbye.
That was a problem—a big one.
He supposed he’d deal with that when it happened. What other choice did he have?
* * *
There was something different about Zak, something that felt deep and important.
The way he’d made love to her, almost savagely, had been incredible but it’d felt as if something had clicked between them, leveling up the tension in a way that confounded her.
She’d meant everything she said—forever wasn’t what she expected, even if it was fun to dream—but if she was his addiction, he was equally becoming hers.
But the stakes were high and neither had time to play this game. So she’d do her best to simply enjoy the stolen moments, the epic orgasms and the way Zak made her feel with a look from those soulful eyes. She’d live in the moment because she was beginning to realize those moments might have to be sweet enough to last her a lifetime.
A man like Zak only came along once. Birds of a feather flocked together, right? If she was a spindly-legged stork, hanging around a bunch of other storks in the science pond, Zak was the eagle soaring above them, being a majestic raptor, owning the skies, swooping down to murder field mice. Eagles didn’t normally hang out with storks.
And they certainly didn’t set up nests together.
Soldier Protector (Military Precision Heroes Book 2) Page 16
