Jace walked toward us, lifting and stretching first one leg and then the other. “How long do we give her?”
“Until she comes back.” Ritter said.
Jace nodded and didn’t ask what we’d do if she didn’t return. He retraced his steps to the front of the Pinz, exuding disappointment and frustration. I hurried after him. “What’s wrong?”
He turned to me, the emotions abruptly vanishing. “Maybe we should have fought them. I hate letting them go. We could have taken them.” His hands clenched at his sides. “I don’t know why Ritter wouldn’t let us. Look what they did to you and Cort.”
“Maybe we could have beaten them, but this isn’t about revenge right now. And it’s definitely not a game. There are more important things at stake. We need to think of those children. Living to fight another day is the Renegade motto.”
“Well, maybe I’m sick of that motto!”
I laughed. “That’s your genes talking. Your genes urge you to fight as though you really are immortal, but they don’t know anything about the Emporium and their methods. You have to control your lust for revenge. ”
“Oh, like Ritter does that? We all know he’s a bloodthirsty bastard.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t risk the mission going after them, did he?”
Jace sighed. “I know it was the right thing to do. But it just . . . bites.”
“Maybe. But you’ve battled enough already to know that it’s not all glory. Remember the Hunters in the trailer? Don’t think I didn’t notice your reaction. Murder like that is common with the Emporium, and you’ll have to get used to it or you might find throwing up gives someone the opportunity to cut you in three.”
“That’s different.” His face paled. “Those men were unconscious, and they were killed in cold blood. It’s not the same as fighting a man who’s trying to kill you.”
“All dead men look the same once they stop moving. Just don’t be so anxious to fight, okay?”
“I can’t. Like you said, it’s in my genes. I need to fight and protect. And you have to stop looking at me like your kid brother. You have to trust my ability.” His eyes challenged mine, and I knew he was right. I had to stop treating him like a boy who couldn’t handle himself.
I nodded. “You’re right.”
Even as his expression relaxed, a shout called our attention. “She’s back!”
We hurried over to where Mari stood in the same place she’d left. “That was fast,” I said.
“He was waiting for me.” Her bright tone was a little forced. “Look, he found out something. It’s not just the senator who’s going to be at that celebration this afternoon. Remember the senator’s sister, the bigwig at the FDA? Well, she just arrived at the hotel. Apparently, she donated some money to a charity and won a trip to Cancun so she was close anyway, and since she was also involved in raising money for the school—and immunizations and medicines for the children—they’re going to honor her, too.”
“No,” I groaned.
“It’s a set up,” Ritter said.
Dimitri nodded. “It’s no coincidence, that’s for sure. Looks like the Emporium has been planning this a long time.”
“Hey, where do I sign up?” Jace snarled. “Donate money and get a trip? Wasn’t she suspicious?”
“Happens all the time,” Dimitri said. “A perk to encourage donations from the wealthy.”
I put a hand on my brother’s arm. His emotions were pinging around again, threatening to overwhelm me with eagerness and anger. An odd combination but understandable given the context. “Regardless of whether or not Justine finishes that drug, they won’t be able to pass up a chance to take out both a problematic senator and a deputy commissioner at the FDA. As I understand it from Keene, she’s one of the few at the FDA who are interested in approving real cures. With her dead, the Emporium won’t have to worry about her lowering their drug profits.”
“No doubt they have their own operative ready to step in and fill her shoes,” Mari said. “Well, at least that’s what Keene says. Anyway, he wants us to meet him at a hotel near the ruins. I have the name on this paper.” She waved it with a grin. “This is positively the most thrilling thing that has happened to me in my entire life. Is it always like this?”
I thought of the months I’d spent going to Mari’s work, keeping an eye on her, when only our daily workouts and reading kept me sane. Had I ever been so eager and naive? “Sure,” I said. “But you get used to it.” Dimitri laughed and even Ritter cracked a smile.
“Let’s get going.” Ritter motioned toward the Pinz.
“Wait a minute,” Mari said. “Where’s Benito? I thought he was in the front with Jace.”
Everyone looked away, leaving me to answer. “They still have him.” At her dismayed response, I added, “It gets worse. Justine said something about him being the star of her show. I believe she means to use him as the shooter.”
Mari sucked in a breath. “But that means . . .”
I nodded. “We may have to kill him.”
WE WERE ALL SILENT AS Jace drove on, finally discovering a paved road lined not by jungle foliage but by fields. How could I live with myself if we had to kill Benito? He was my responsibility, and I’d failed him.
Stupid man should have escaped into the jungle when I gave him the chance. The thought only made me feel worse. I wondered about his mother in Dallas and if she had any other children.
I wasn’t the only one agitated. Ritter kept pacing from one end of the Pinz to the other, searching for any sign of danger. It almost made me crazy, but I knew for him it was a necessary release. No wonder he took off between operations. No wonder that when he was around, he trained everyone until they hoped he’d leave.
Except for me. I’d never wanted him to leave.
On the bench, Cort gave a sudden gasp as he started breathing again. Dimitri checked his pulse. “Looks like he’s back. Should be regaining consciousness soon.”
As if on cue, Cort moaned. “Feels like those vampire hunters all over again.”
Ritter laughed. “Welcome back, buddy.”
We arrived near the hotel rendezvous in slightly over an hour, leaving the Pinz hidden in some trees half a mile away. Cort insisted on walking, though it was clear he labored with every step. No one mentioned his struggle, though Dimitri put an arm around him to lend support. Given the pain etched on Cort’s face, Dimitri’s healing touch was the only thing allowing him to continue.
The hotel was small and clean, and no one looked at us oddly when we entered. With the duffels of supplies we carried, maybe we looked just like tourists, despite our layer of grime. Keene met us inside the lobby and ushered us to a small room where Jace began pacing, as Keene, Ritter, Dimitri, and Mari crowded around the table to plan. I joined them after making Cort lie down on one of the queen beds.
“I’ve been searching all day, but I haven’t found any sign of Justine or her crew,” Keene said. “I had track of Tom for a while, but lost him in the excitement when the senator’s sister arrived. I’ve been to most of the nearby hotels and bribed every employee I could find, but not one of them has contacted me. Bottom line is that we’re running out of time. We have less than an hour and a half before the celebration.”
“Justine used a hut at some village to mix the drug,” Jace stopped pacing long enough to say. “Maybe she’s got another place like that lined up. It’d have to be closer, though.”
Ritter scowled. “There are hundreds of small villages, and even if we narrowed it down to the closest ones, we won’t be able to find her in time. And she’ll need to be in place early anyway.”
“So maybe we need to focus on mitigating damages.” No one wanted to say it, so I did. “But if she uses Benito like I think she’s planning, I’m hoping we can secure him without killing him . . . it’s not his fault.”
Ritter’s touch on my waist was gentle. “That’s probably not going to be possible. I’m sorry.”
The others nodded, while Mari whispere
d, “That poor man.”
They were right, but it didn’t make it easier. “Just remember he’s one of the innocent victims we’re trying to save today.” They already knew, and I didn’t feel any better saying it.
“We’ll stake out the ruins,” Keene said. “I’ll stick with the senator and relay anything I see from that vantage point.” He looked at Ritter for approval, though I knew he had every intention of doing exactly what he wanted regardless.
Ritter studied him for a moment, his black eyes dangerous. Finally, he nodded. “We brought two-way radios with earbuds and mics. Range is about three miles. But everyone needs to keep in mind that Justine will be expecting us and will have warned Benito to stay low. He may not come in plain view until the very last minute. That means we check out everyone. Even the Maya. Benito might be taller than most natives, but he could pass.” His gaze shifted to Dimitri. “You take Jace and Mari to the ruins and get everything scoped out. Erin and I are going to scan the nearby hotels. See if she catches anything. We’ll join you as soon as possible.”
Dimitri nodded. “Maybe we should leave Mari here with Cort. We can’t stop to get those bullets out of him now, and he might need something.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” Cort muttered. “With or without your help, my body will eventually get rid of the bullets. It’s just a matter of how long.”
Dimitri and Ritter shared a look, which told me the idea had been more for Mari’s safety than anything.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Mari jumped up from the table. “I might not be able to handle a weapon all that well yet, but I can at least keep an eye out and report what I see. Besides, I can shift if I get into trouble.” She could, but would she? Already she might be too assured of her own immortality.
Ritter arose and began digging through one of the duffels. “You can go, but you’re carrying a pistol. Keep your vest on.” He tossed an extra vest at Keene, who took it without question. “We may have to draw Benito’s fire in order to gain control of the situation.”
“A lot of good a vest did me,” Cort muttered.
“Actually, your vest did save you from a couple more hits,” Dimitri said. “And it was a good thing you were standing between Jace and the gunman, or they might have hit him as well and we could have crashed.”
Cort rolled his eyes. “Glad to be of service.”
Dimitri and Ritter began giving Mari a quick lesson with the pistol—much better than the one I’d given her with the Smith and Wesson back at the hotel. I motioned Keene over to Cort’s bedside. “Look, there’s something you two should know.” I sank down on the edge of the bed.
Keene cocked his head and Cort struggled to sit up. I pushed him back down onto the pillows. “It’s Tom. Justine said he’s your brother. Tihalt is his father, too.”
“No.” Keene shook his head, his green eyes vivid. “There’s no way. Tihalt was with my mother then. They were—” He scowled. “He loved her.”
“I have to agree with Keene,” Cort said. “While Tihalt was responsible for his wife’s death in the end, he would never sleep with Justine. She’s not his type.”
“He was involved in gene manipulation,” I said. “She didn’t ask permission.”
Keene and Cort’s eyes met for a long moment. “It doesn’t change anything,” Cort said finally.
“It does to me.” Keene frowned. “I have to at least try to get him out and away from them.”
Not exactly the reaction I’d hoped for. Or was it? Had I wanted them to help Tom? Maybe.
“Not now,” Cort said.
“Of course not. The mission comes first.” Keene started for the door.
“There’s something more,” I called after Keene. “He’s unbalanced. I think Delia did something to him.”
Keene’s step faltered briefly, but he continued to the door, where he turned to face us. “I’ll keep that in mind. Look, Ritter, I have a way to the ruins already with some men the senator hired, so you and Erin can take the rental I got this morning.” He tossed Ritter a set of keys. “The rest of you can walk. It’s not far. It’ll be better if you can get in without using the entrance. They’ll be checking for weapons because of the senator.”
Ritter nodded. “They’ll go in from the jungle. There’s no use in announcing our presence to the Emporium agents who are bound to be watching the main entry. Their people will have had time to arrive from the jungle, same as us.”
“I’ll call if anyone I bribed spots her or anything strange.” Keene yanked open the door and vanished.
Cort sighed. “I wish you hadn’t told him about Tom.”
“What?” I shook my head. “Why not?”
“Because he’s been hurt enough by my family, and we already know where Tom’s loyalties lie.” Cort shut his eyes, leaving me to chew on that.
“It’s not like he wouldn’t find out. Justine plans to make issue of it very soon.” I believed Cort was wrong, but it was his family. Wouldn’t I want to know if I were in their place?
That made me a big hypocrite because my own brother was unaware of who his birth father was, and I certainly wasn’t in a hurry to tell him. As for myself, I knew Dimitri had other children, and a lot of descendants, but that didn’t mean I was going to rush out and introduce myself. Most of the descendants didn’t even know who he was.
“I’m sorry,” I said to Cort.
He opened one eye and smiled. “It’s okay. I just worry about him. Take care of yourself.”
“I will.” I laid a pistol on the bed within his reach. “Just in case.”
He nodded, his fingers sliding over the gun.
Keene’s rental turned out to be a motorcycle, which wasn’t exactly low profile, given our attire and weapons. We had to pull shirts over our vests, and stash Ritter’s FAL, his sword, and the extra magazines in a duffel. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do.
We were already at one of the hotels closest to the ruins, so we backtracked, driving along the small road as quickly as traffic allowed, slowing whenever we neared a building or settlement. Trusting Ritter with the navigation, I shut my eyes as he drove slowly around the parking lots, reaching out with my mind. Bright life forces of tourists and natives assaulted me, along with the less noticeable ones of various Maya. No mental shields. But for all I knew, Justine was in a barn out behind someone’s trees, out of my range. Or even in a hotel room that didn’t border a parking lot. Besides, I’d been at high awareness for hours already. What if I was too exhausted to sense anything of value?
For Benito’s sake I had to keep trying. Focusing, I began absorbing nutrients from the air, bolstering my physical reserves. I caught a hint of something fruity and some kind of protein, followed by something with a slight moldy feel, which made me glad I wasn’t using my taste buds. If my body found something useful, I’d trust it to take what was needed to repair itself.
Straining my mind, I could feel animals in the rainforest that bordered the road. No Justine. No blocked minds. “They’re just not here,” I called to Ritter. “Or they’re out of my range. So unless we’re going to go inside each hotel, this is useless.”
Ritter slowed down. “We’d better go back. I’ll need to get these weapons inside the park.”
I’m sorry, Benito. I kept searching as we retraced our path.
We hadn’t gone far when Ritter pulled over to the side, braking hard and reaching for his phone. “Ritter here.” He paused. “Where? Got it.” He hung up and put the bike into gear. “That was Keene. One of his moles reported seeing three men with poorly-concealed guns at our hotel. They were heading toward our room. Justine must have her own spies in place.”
He punched the gas and the scream of the motor filled all the parts of my senses that weren’t overcome by shock. We’d left Cort in bed, alone and unprotected. Better that he had stayed in the Pinz than to be found there by Justine’s henchmen. Ritter drove heedlessly, darting around busses and taxis and other vehicles on the road. Honks and more than a few fingers followed
us, but we plunged on. My mind pushed out, searching for dark mental signatures.
At the hotel parking lot, Ritter stopped so abruptly that I would have vaulted off if I hadn’t been holding on tight. “Four,” I muttered, as we hurried to one of the doors. “Four people who are shielding, not three.” Two were completely blocked, but the others radiated anticipation. I couldn’t sense Cort, though he could be unconscious or one of those blocking.
Even as I tried to pinpoint them, the mental signatures were outside the hotel, and moving away fast. “I think they’re leaving!” Panic enveloped me.
Ritter turned on his heel and hurled himself toward the bike. I hurried after him.
The flash of a thought slowed my step. Someone calling out in bright pain. Someone I knew.
I whirled and started running the other way. Ritter was at my side in an instant, a gun appearing in his hands. “Behind that car,” I said, pointing in front of us.
Without hesitating, Ritter sprang around the vehicle, his weapon ready. A second later, he blew out air, relief softening the tense lines of his face. I peeked around the car, still afraid of what I might find.
Cort lay between two parked cars, his brown hair matted to his forehead with sweat and his clothes stained with the fresh blood seeping from under the bandages. “Keene called,” he said, lowering his own weapon. “I climbed out the window before they got in. Think I broke something falling out.” He gave me a crooked grin. “Better get after them.”
“You stay here with him.” Ritter was already turning.
I shook my head. “You won’t be able to find them without me.”
“Go—both of you! I’m okay, though I think someone gave me a little too much curequick. I’m feeling quite a buzz. Go on. I’ll wait for you in the Pinz. I can make it that far.” As if to prove his point, Cort pushed himself to a seated position. He looked like he’d fallen from a cliff.
Ritter’s jaw worked for a few seconds, but we both knew we had no choice, not really.
Seconds later, we squealed from the parking lot. The traffic this close to the ruins had increased while we’d been at the hotel, the usual thousand daily visitors augmented by the natives coming for the celebration. Ritter zipped in and out, often passing on the side of the road. Several angry shouts followed us.
The Cure Page 26
