The home won out.
Edwards probably had less security there than he had at the Wardwell facility, thinking that his castle was a safe place.
Mick had dressed for the mission, black on black on black. In his satchel he had the equipment he would need to break into the home. He was well-armed, his Glock in a holster secured at the small of his back. A smaller pistol tucked into an ankle holster beneath the hem of his black jeans. For good measure, he had a knife in a sheath strapped to his left arm for easy access.
He would not let Mad Dog get the upper hand tonight if he was there.
As he walked from his office to the guest room to check in on Caterina before leaving, he found her awake and easing a black sweater over her head. The action provided him a quick glimpse of the slender lines of her body which were already looking fuller than they had a few days ago. Her skin was creamy against the ebony of the shirt and the black jeans she wore.
Black on black on black. Not a good omen.
Mick leaned a hand against the frame of the door and coughed to let her know he was there.
She whirled to face him and finished pulling down the sweater. As she did so, the midnight-colored curls of her hair spilled down over her shoulders.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.
“I’m going with you.” She dug her fingers into her hair, pulling it back and securing it with some kind of band. It exposed the fine lines of her face and the paleness of it, made more severe by all the darkness surrounding her.
At his perusal, a slight blush came to her cheeks.
“You’re staying here. Where you’ll be safe.”
Hands outstretched, she pleaded her case. “I need answers. I need to face that son-of-a-bitch and know why he did this to me.”
Mick understood what she needed. He just wasn’t sure that it was wise for her to be with him when he confronted Edwards. He shook his head. “It’s too risky with the way you are.”
“The way I am?” she asked and took a step toward him. “You mean like this?”
Before his eyes, her skin darkened in color, becoming almost as black as her clothing. The only remaining sign of color, the compelling blue of her irises and whites of her eyes.
“You’ve been practicing?” he said and quirked an eyebrow to emphasize his point.
“Not really,” she said with a shrug. “It just kind of happens.”
Before his eyes, she returned to normal, and once again pleaded her case. “I need to be face-to-face with him.”
“So you can skewer him like you did Wells?” he challenged and as he expected, he roused her anger and the fight response erupted, transforming her skin once more.
She glanced down at the condemning color on her skin and then carefully and precisely enunciated each word as she marshaled her anger and the color faded.
“I did not kill Wells.”
“You know this because of a memory?” he attacked yet again, needing to push her. Needing to test her control.
Caterina dropped her hands to her side and clenched them. The color change became visible at her wrists and near the neckline of the sweater, but then receded as she released a harsh breath.
“Memories are all I have left right now.” Intense sadness colored her words, striking a stronger blow than any violence might have.
He thought about what he had to do that night. Considered what role, if any, she might play in the mission.
A risky business, taking her along and yet he understood she needed to control her own fate. He also realized that giving Edwards a show of what he had created might help them get more information.
He stalked to her and kneeled before her. “Bring your leg here,” he said and tapped his left thigh.
She did as he asked, stepping onto his thigh.
He pulled down the sock she wore and deftly removed the electronic monitoring device. Tossing it on the bed, he said, “I hope I don’t live to regret this.”
“You won’t,” she urged and removed her foot so that he might rise.
“We’ll see,” he said.
* * *
Google Street View had accurately depicted Edwards’ home and the surrounding residences.
He would not be able to park the Jeep on the street without attracting attention, Mick thought as he drove to the end of the court before circling around and back off the block.
Thanks to suburban sprawl, however, the next block down to the enclave of McMansions was an everyday middle class street of medium-sized plots and one-car driveways. A number of vehicles were parked along the street, including another black Jeep Liberty much like his, even down to the American flag cover on the spare wheel.
He pulled into an empty driveway and did a K-turn. Returned to an open space at the mouth of the street and abutting a wooded corner plot that belonged to one of the McMansions. He parked the car and cut the ignition.
He removed the keys, tucked them into his jeans pocket, and stared past Caterina as she sat beside him. She had been dozing off and on during the nearly hour long drive to the area, her strength clearly still not back to normal. As she woke and glanced in his direction, the bright flush of her fever was visible even in the dark.
It roused concern about her role tonight, but he couldn’t have left her at home after her plea.
He motioned to the wooded area as she gazed out the window.
“We’ll cut through that stand of trees until we reach the back of Edwards’ home. You’ll stay in the woods until I find a way to get inside. Is that understood?”
A curt nod of her head confirmed his instructions.
He handed her a spare set of keys and said, “If anything goes wrong, you get back here and drive home. Wait for Liliana and ask her to call Ramon.”
She took the keys from his hand and said, “Will do.”
“Good. Let’s get going.”
He popped open his door, but the interior lights he had disconnected didn’t come on in the dark of the night, keeping their exit secret from any prying eyes on the street.
Caterina immediately ducked into the woods and he followed, but as they left sight of the street, she paused and waited for him to take the lead.
He did so, but kept his pace moderate, aware of Caterina’s condition. If he was going to push her, it would be when they had to make their escape. He shot an occasional glance her way, making sure she was with him. Cautious to not make too much sound as they traversed the land behind two of the homes, undetected.
Ahead lay Edwards’ home and Mick slowed his pace, vigilant for any security systems. As at Wardwell, there were no perimeter alarms. Together they skirted the woods until they were directly behind their intended target.
There were no lights on from what was visible of the house or along the back of the building.
“Do you think anyone is home?” Caterina asked in a low whisper as she leaned toward him.
Mick brought his index finger to her lips to urge her to remain silent. Her lips were soft and warm. Maybe too warm, but he battled back his apprehension.
They were committed to the mission now and there was no turning back.
He eased his hand into the satchel and withdrew his night vision goggles. Slipping them on, he searched for signs of any lights or motion sensors.
There were lights at the two furthermost corners of the large home, but they had no sensors attached to them. They might be time-activated, although if they were, he would have had them come on already.
The area beside the garage was lined with a straight row of fast-growing arbor vitae and would provide little coverage. The woods in which they were hiding, however, continued as an arms-length wide strip of trees and underbrush at the opposite side of the home.
Sufficient cover to hide in.
Bending close to her, he whispered, “Follow me.”
Crouching low, he advanced through the woods and up that strip, Caterina close behind him. Their footfalls were soft against the leaves and underbrush
until she stepped on a twig. It snapped loudly, like a gunshot in the night. He paused then as she did, waiting to see if anyone from either home might notice.
No one did, blissfully convinced of the safety of their suburban utopia.
Their gazes connected and as they did so, Mick realized Caterina had gone camo. A useful trait for tonight’s mission, he thought. Inclining his head toward the home, he confirmed they should proceed.
More carefully, he worked his way through the remaining underbrush and trees until they were beside Edwards’ home. Only a narrow strip of grass and some landscaping around the edge of the building separated them from their goal.
He perused the area with the goggles, but she whispered, “Edwards is home alone.”
Exactly what the goggles had confirmed. “How did you know?”
She shook her head and as he met her gaze, he noted the glitter of the inhuman there. She glanced in the direction of the nearby house. “I can see multiple shadows in there.” Then she pointed to Edwards’ home. “But not in there. There’s only one shadow.”
Her halo sight, he realized. Capable of sensing heat possibly.
Caterina waited for his reaction. Tried to curb the obvious fear running rampant through her body that had released the powers she could not control. Powers which neither she nor he didn’t yet understand.
Mick cupped her cheek and ran his thumb across the side of her face to remind himself of what she was beneath the odd-colored skin.
“Good job,” he said, the tone of his voice low.
“Are you ready?” he asked and for good measure, reached beneath the hem of her black sweater to tug into position the Kevlar vest he had insisted she add for protection. Mick didn’t trust that Edwards wouldn’t be armed and placed even less trust on the fact that he wouldn’t use the weapon if need be.
Caterina met his gaze square on and nodded. “Ready.”
He glanced back toward the house and noticed that a light went on in one of the rooms to confirm that someone was home. Taking hold of Caterina’s hand, he said, “Let’s go.”
In a low crouch, they circled around the side of the home and cut across the landscaping close to Edwards’ house. They had to duck low to avoid being seen through the two big picture windows in the front. They paused by the edge of the landing for the front door where Mick reached up and with a gloved hand, unscrewed one light bulb to provide Caterina some cover.
As they had planned during their trip to Edwards’ home, she took a spot in the shadows right by that darkened side of the door. She laid her hands on the red brick and closed her eyes. A furrow appeared in the middle of her forehead as she concentrated, but little by little the transformation took place.
By the time he rang the doorbell, every inch of her visible skin was the rusty red color of the brick along the wall. The black of the vest and sweater blended into the shadows, making her nearly invisible.
Footsteps sounded from within and Mick took two steps back from the door, wanting to draw Edwards out onto the landing and away from Caterina.
The muffled beep-beep of someone disarming an alarm system came seconds before the door opened.
Edwards stood there. Surprise sprinted across his features before a smug look took control.
“Mr. Carrera. I’m surprised you’re here. It would have been sufficient for you to answer all the calls you’ve been ignoring.”
“And here I thought that you would be happy to hear that I’ve brought you something. Or should I say someone?”
Interest flared in Edwards’ features and he took that first step over the threshold and looked behind Mick.
“You have her here?” he asked.
Mick chuckled and shook his head, chastising the other man. “You paid me to find her, didn’t you?”
Edwards squinted, peering at him intently and then craning his neck toward the driveway and woods. He took another step forward, as if to improve his line of sight which was exactly what Mick wanted.
“Don’t see anything? Look behind you, Dr. Edwards.”
The other man half-turned and looked straight back toward his doorway. Straight at Caterina, but he apparently didn’t see her.
Tracking Edwards’ gaze, he knew why. The black of Cat’s clothing and hair appeared to be nothing more than shadows and her eyes were closed, giving away nothing of her presence thanks to the red brick color of her skin. But then she opened her eyes – those amazing sapphire blue eyes – and they were like a beacon in the night.
Edwards gasped and that stunned second was all it took.
Mick grabbed Edwards from behind, encircling his neck with one arm while jabbing his gun into the scientist’s ribs.
“We need to talk,” Mick said.
Sins of the Flesh: Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mick forced Edwards forward and the doctor stumbled, but Mick kept a firm grip as they walked across the threshold and into the house. Caterina followed, closing and locking the door behind them.
He walked the doctor through the house until they were in the kitchen. Tossing Edwards into a chair, he ripped some cable ties from his pocket and bound the scientist to the arms and legs of the chair, not that Edwards put up much of a fight.
Maybe because his stunned gaze had been focused on Caterina the whole time.
As Mick finished securing him, he turned to find Caterina losing the brick camo and going back to her normal skin color.
“Long time no see, Dr. Edwards,” she said, the tones of her voice controlled although her body was taut with anger.
“You’ve got some nerve bringing her here,” Edwards said, shooting a glance at him. “She’s dangerous. She killed Wells.”
Mick shook his head and laughed harshly. “There are lots of reasons why I think Caterina didn’t do the skewering. Let’s start with reason number one - Gates Genengineering.”
Edwards paled. “How do you know about them?”
“I hacked your servers.”
“You found the Gates documents?” Edwards sputtered.
Mick nodded and walked around the edge of the chair to crouch right before the doctor, not wanting to miss a second of his response.
“What happened? Did Wells find out about the experiments you did on Caterina and the others?”
Confusion clouded the other man’s eyes as he shot a look back at Caterina before returning his gaze to him. “What are you talking about?”
“This is what you did to me,” Caterina said and approached. To leave no doubt about what she was referring to, she laid her hand on the maple surface of the table. Her anger made the transformation quick as her hand almost disappeared onto the surface of the table.
“I didn’t know that’s what Wells did. I just knew something wasn’t right,” Edwards replied, his eyes wide with fear.
“Wells was trying to help me when you had him killed,” she nearly screamed and advanced on him.
Mick jumped in her way and as had happened before, her extra strength surprised and nearly toppled him. “Calm down, Cat.”
“See how violent she is,” Edwards said. The chair bucked as he tried to escape his restraints to get away from Caterina.
Caterina did as Mick requested, backing away and tucking her arms tight to her sides to restore control. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Mick stood before Edwards once more, arms across his chest. His stance loose, but ready for action. “If I thought Caterina would do it, I’d gladly let her at you. Someone has to pay for what’s been done to her.”
“I told you. I had nothing to do with that,” Edwards hissed, the skin taut across the almost ferret-like lines of his thin face.
“Nothing to do with it, but you found out about it, didn’t you?”
Hot color erupted on Edwards’ cheeks. “Wells came to me right after I told him about the merger.”
“He wanted to tell Gates about the experiments?” Mick pressed.
Reluctantly, Edwards admitted it, which was not what Mick had been expe
cting. “He wanted to come clean, but that would have jeopardized everything.”
“So you killed him,” Caterina said and came to stand beside him, the intensity of her fury apparent, but controlled.
“As far as I know, you’re responsible for Wells’ death.”
“You know this based on what? Video feed? Eyewitness testimony?” Mick asked.
Edwards shrugged. “I can’t say.”
Caterina leaned down until she was almost face-to-face with him. “You mean you can, but you won’t.”
As she rose upright and stood beside him again, Mick laid a calming hand on her shoulder as he looked straight at Edwards and said, “Call off Mad Dog.”
Edwards raked his gaze over him intently. “Who is Mad Dog?”
“Matthew Donnelly aka Mad Dog. Soldier-of-fortune. Psycho security expert. Call him off,” Mick repeated.
Edwards shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know any Mad Dog.”
He was either a damned fine actor or he was telling the truth, but just in case Mick pulled out an old photo of him with Mad Dog and shoved it in Edwards’ face.
“You’ve never seen this man before?”
“Never,” Edwards immediately asserted.
Mick actually believed him, but he also suspected the good doctor might have an idea who had called in the other man. “Who do you think hired Mad Dog?”
“I don’t know.”
Clearly lying this time, Mick thought.
“Mad Dog’s name was on your security department logs,” he said and crouched down once more until he was eye-to-eye with Edwards. He wanted his message to be clear.
“You’ve got until noon tomorrow to check the logs and call me with the name of the person Mad Dog visited.”
A shrewd look crept onto Edwards’ features. “What if I don’t?”
Mick smiled and shot a half-glance at Caterina before he rose and joined ranks with her. She slipped her hand into his as he said, “I can show you a world of hurt you can’t even begin to imagine. Physical and financial hurt. Understood?”
Edwards’ gaze narrowed at their show of unity and then he nodded.
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