by Crissy Smith
“Uh…” The female agent paused, looking at Kieran.
“We were just leaving,” Dakota said, shoving her bag back into the locker.
Kieran started to snicker and she glared at him, which only made him laugh harder. She had to dart back into the shower and grab her soaps and other shower stuff, then dropped them into her locker and slammed it closed.
“Come on, wise guy.” She yanked Kieran behind her.
* * * *
“Three hours,” Jackson said as he paced next to the table with a scalpel in his hand.
He was a scary sight, but luckily Kieran wasn’t the one tied to the table. “Three hours and fifteen minutes to be exact,” Kieran corrected from where he had his feet up on the desk inside the interrogation room.
“Stop! Just stop!” Doctor Scott McCall begged. For all the torture the doctor had put them through, he wasn’t doing so well himself. He’d already pissed his pants and hadn’t stopped talking at all. They’d barely had to put any pressure on him. Which was a real pity, because as much as Kieran would have loved to be brutal, they hadn’t had a need for it. Scott was having no trouble giving up info or remembering anything he’d done.
They’d also gotten intel once the doctor had been taken into custody. He’d been fingerprinted and his DNA swabbed, which had all kinds of details popping up from their system.
The man who had tormented them for years had been once a doctor who’d had his license revoked for experimenting on his patients inside the hospital for mental illness where he’d worked. That little titbit hadn’t surprised Kieran at all.
Jackson picked up one of the other tools from the tray and laughed. “What else can we use?”
“I made you better,” Scott told them.
It was also easier knowing his name now. The mystery being gone helped Kieran really see the doctor clearly for the first time. He might be a monster, but so were many other men and women in the world. He was just a high-priced murderer. The doctor held no secret power over them and finally Kieran wasn’t scared.
“I made you better,” Scott repeated.
“Better?” Kieran leapt to his feet and leaned over the doctor. He was tired of hearing that sentence. The really fucked-up thing was the doctor actually believed his own words. “You tried to kill me.”
“You’ll see,” Scott claimed. “You’ll be the most powerful Walker in the world. Your instincts will be sharper and you’ll need less blood. I improved you.”
Jackson went to cut the doctor, but Kieran caught his wrist. This was new information.
“What are you talking about?”
“I added something extra to your DNA. A concoction that includes some traits from shifters. You’re the only Walker it worked on though,” Scott said. He turned to Jackson. “I thought it was working with you. You showed such promise.”
“Then what happened?” Jackson asked.
“You died,” Scott told him. “Or at least I thought you were dead. You had no vitals at all.”
“So you dumped my body?”
“What was I supposed to do with you?” Scott asked. The man actually seemed confused by the question.
“What did you put in me?” Kieran demanded. He wasn’t sure how to feel about this development. If what the doctor was telling him was true, Kieran was even more fucked-up than he’d known.
“Everything and anything I could,” Scott replied.
“Oh, that’s helpful,” Jackson muttered.
“I don’t know what took and what didn’t,” Scott said. “If I had the chance to run some tests—”
Jackson punched the doctor before he could finish the statement. “You won’t be doing anything like that ever again. Your time of torturing people is over.”
“I don’t think so,” Scott replied. “I was making a breakthrough. If it worked on Kieran, the reverse should work on the shifters. We can finally be as strong and fast as you.”
Kieran shook his head. “That’s what you were doing with the shifters this time, wasn’t it? You were trying to add DNA from Walkers into their system.”
“I’m close!” Scott screamed. “I could feel how close I was. If I just had a little more time. I needed more samples from a Walker. We took Alex, but he wasn’t handling it as well as the two of you. I told Bradley if I could just get you back…”
This time it was Kieran who stopped the rant. He grabbed the doctor by the throat and squeezed. This guy was fucking unbelievable. “You wanted us back?” he asked. “Well, you got us. Even though I’m sure you’re going to find being on this side of things feels a lot different.”
“I had plans for you,” Scott told him. “And your lover. You could have given me the perfect gift. A child from a Walker and a shifter. Think about the possibilities.”
Kieran was so filled with rage he began to squeeze tighter without realizing it. The doctor’s eyes bulged and his body jerked where it was tied down.
“I won’t stop you killing him, you know,” Jackson said easily.
Kieran ripped his hand away and turned around. He was tempted to follow through and just end the miserable bastard, but he had to think of the shifters that needed help now. Scott was still useful. That didn’t mean Kieran wouldn’t put fear into him.
“Tell me something.” Kieran leaned close. “What did you and Bradley do to make your blood smell off?”
“It’s just some natural ingredients I have. If you drank enough of it, you’d be sick for a few days,” Scott answered.
“It made you both sick?”
“Yes, but it’s worth it. We didn’t want to take the chance of being bitten and drained.”
Kieran shook his head. “All the time you spent torturing and experimenting on us and you still don’t know anything about us. It’s really sad.”
“We know you’ll lose control eventually,” Scott said.
“Get everything you can out of him,” Kieran ordered Jackson. He wiped his hand on his pants, trying to remove the feel of the doctor. Next time he would wear gloves. He didn’t want his skin anywhere near Scott.
“And then?” Jackson asked. They both knew they wouldn’t kill Scott yet, but Kieran liked to play along.
“Whatever you want,” Kieran told him. “If you do kill him, make sure it’s as slow and painful as possible.”
Jackson grinned, showing off his fangs.
“No!” Scott screamed.
“What are you going to do?” Jackson asked, ignoring the doctor.
“I’m going to check to see if our other guest is awake.” The medical team had treated Bradley earlier under his watchful eye and he’d put Dean in charge of him while they waited for him to regain consciousness.
“You need me?” Jackson asked.
“Not yet,” Kieran assured him. “Take your time.”
“I plan to. It won’t hurt the good doctor if his visit is extended.”
Kieran nodded. “I’ll call you when we’re ready.” He stepped out of the room to Scott’s screams. He didn’t feel an ounce of remorse. Especially at the comment about his and Dakota’s baby.
They were far from even discussing children. Hell, Kieran hadn’t even told her he loved her yet. But the doctor mentioning their baby and the plans he would have… Jeez, he actually felt ill at the thought.
He spotted Mitch, Jackson’s IT guru, sitting with his back to the wall across from the room he’d exited.
“Waiting on your boss?” Kieran asked.
Mitch shrugged. “I didn’t have anywhere else to be and Remy asked me to look into something while he’s gone.”
Remy was still searching for the proof Sparro was connected to Bradley, but he’d also volunteered to accompany Dakota back out to the Red Rocks. Kieran crouched down. “There’s probably a more secure area for you to be doing that kind of investigating.”
“Yeah.” Mitch nodded. “I’m actually going to be taking it back to the hotel with me, but I wanted to catch you as soon as you were available.”
Cautious
now, Kieran rocked back on his heels. “Why?”
“Well, when I was talking to Remy and Dakota, she suggested you might take me on a tour of the building.” Mitch said.
“I don’t think now’s the best time—”
“She said you were real good about getting into offices no one else could,” Mitch interrupted.
“You want in Sparro’s office?”
“Yep.” Mitch nodded. “And you need to get me in and out.”
Huh, Kieran hadn’t thought of that yet. If there was evidence, that would be the logical place to look. “Okay.”
Mitch grinned and sort of bounced. “Really? Oh, man, that’s so cool.”
Kieran laughed. He didn’t know how old Mitch was, but Kieran hoped Mitch kept that innocence and enthusiasm for a long time. It wasn’t usual for Kieran to get to see that, in either Walkers or shifters. “Let’s go then, I’ve got people to torture.”
Mitch jumped up. “I don’t know if you’re kidding or not.”
Wow, the kid was really virtuous. He could see why Jackson wanted to keep him that way. “We’ll take the stairs.”
“Sure.” Mitch shoved his laptop into his backpack.
Kieran glanced around the hall, making sure they were still alone. This part of the basement wasn’t used a lot as far as he knew. Since the Organization had changed their policies, saying the agents needed to use non-lethal means, interrogating suspects had also slowed down.
Still, there were times like now when the only way to get answers was to get their hands dirty. That was what the Organization did. The Shifter Coalition played it strictly by the book, so it was up to agents like Kieran to deal with shifters like Bradley.
Kieran hadn’t come across the agents from the Coalition yet and he was hoping he didn’t.
“I’m ready.” Mitch bounced on the balls of his feet.
God, he made Kieran feel old. Kieran nodded to the emergency stairwell. “Just follow my lead. If I tell you to get down, do it.”
“I’m used to not being seen. It’s how I lasted on the streets for so long,” Mitch told him.
Kieran pushed the bar to open the door silently. He led the way up the stairs and through the quiet halls of the upper level where Sparro’s office was located. Sparro’s assistant had stepped away from her desk, which helped them. Kieran didn’t think he’d have a problem getting past her, as she remained terrified of him, but this just made things easier.
“Use your speed to get in when I signal you,” Kieran whispered.
Mitch nodded. He placed his hands in his pockets and strolled casually down the hall. The stairwell opened to the opposite end from Sparro’s office. Unlike the office on the main level, these didn’t have windows. So unless someone actually opened the door and stepped out, they wouldn’t see him. The security cameras would pick him up, but he couldn’t be worried. It wasn’t too uncommon for him to be strolling around where he shouldn’t be.
One camera pointed at Sparro’s door, but as Kieran passed it, he tilted it up to look at the ceiling. Easy enough to do and when the security people came to fix it, he would hear them in the hallway.
As he walked toward Sparro’s office, he pulled a small bag out of his pocket. He selected the tool he needed and in less than ten seconds he had Sparro’s door open.
He waved his hand behind him and Mitch raced to him and inside the door. Kieran closed it behind them.
“What are you looking for?” Kieran asked.
“It looks like he took his laptop with him, but let’s look for some files,” Mitch said.
“Okay.” Kieran walked to the row of cabinets against the wall while Mitch began pulling out desk drawers.
The cabinets were locked, but Kieran took care of that easily enough. He saw Mitch messing with the locks of the desk drawers and the young man got them open as well.
“Not bad,” Kieran commented.
“Alex’s been teaching me,” Mitch said. “He’s good.”
Kieran had no doubt. Kieran didn’t actually want to know everything Alex, head of Jackson’s security, was responsible for. The files Jackson had passed to him that were obviously hacked from the Organization were bad enough.
Kieran started searching through the cabinet, not even knowing what he was looking for.
* * * *
Dakota glanced over at Remy and raised a brow. “Do you smell that?”
“Cougar shifter, female, and she’s scared,” he said with a nod.
“I knew something was wrong. I never should have left without making sure she was already being transported back.”
“It’s not your fault,” Remy said. “You had your hands full with Max.”
Dakota sighed. She still should have followed through on her instincts. She’d promised the young cougar she was safe then failed her.
“Did you find out who she is?” Remy asked.
“Corey Rebel,” Dakota answered. “One of the other shifters knew her. She’d been living in the tunnels for three months. Since she’d left an abusive relationship.”
“Damn it.” Remy shook his head.
“Yeah. She has to be one of the first taken. Everyone I talked to said she was there already when they’d been taken.” Guilt ate at her. “I’m going to shift and see if I have better luck in my jaguar form.”
“Good idea.”
Dakota stepped behind one of the boulders and quickly undressed. She’d had two cheeseburgers and a large order of fries so she was feeling better, but another shift was going to take the rest of her energy. She crouched and called forward her animal.
Once the transformation was complete, she stretched out her body before hopping up onto the boulder.
“I’ll grab your clothes,” Remy told her, walking over. He stuffed her belongings into the backpack he carried. “Why don’t you see what you can pick up?”
Dakota jumped down and circled the entrance of the cave. She could still smell the cougar she was after, but the freshest scent was leading away. Dakota took off at a sprint.
The sun had heated the rocks around her and she could feel it even through her paws. She was picking up another shifter odor. A powerful one. It seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
Remy ran behind her, but she couldn’t wait for him. The cougar’s fear was pushing her along. Dakota leapt through a small gap and stopped. She could smell blood.
She sniffed the ground. It was the cougar’s.
The drops were small, but she could be really hurt. Dakota sniffed one last time before she crawled back through the opening. Remy was almost to her. She pawed at the gap.
“Got it,” Remy called. “Go ahead.”
She nodded before taking off again. She didn’t know how long she’d run but was certain it way past anywhere they’d even gotten to search yet.
She heard a roar and froze. That wasn’t good.
Dakota glanced over her shoulder but couldn’t see Remy anywhere. He’d be able to follow her, but there was no telling how long it would take him unless he shifted. She could wait for him or go ahead.
The sharp cry of the cougar decided the matter for her.
Growling, she ran to find the lost shifter. The sounds of a fight began to echo around her, so she had to use her nose instead of her hearing. Luckily, she was pretty good at tracking.
She slipped and almost fell into a crevasse but managed to dig her claws into a crack. She tried to get traction with her back feet, but it was no use.
Above her, she heard a bark and saw the wolf just before he grabbed the scruff of her neck and lifted her back up.
Dakota butted her head up against Remy’s neck in thanks.
He nudged her forward. She needed to be more careful, still fast, but there was a lot of danger around.
A screech pierced the air and she roared in response. Remy scrambled away and she followed. Ahead, just in front of them. As Remy darted around broken pieces of the rock, Dakota leapt and climbed until she came to a small round space.
T
he cougar was on the ground, cowering, with a large lion standing over her.
Dakota growled and jumped to land next to the lion. She had no idea how he hadn’t heard them coming, but it was obvious she’d surprised him. She managed to avoid a swipe of his claw and danced out of the way.
He turned on her as Remy skidded to her side.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen a lion shifter as big and powerful as this one. Well, except for her boss. Oh shit. She peered closer at the shifter.
It couldn’t be Sparro. She’d given Mitch permission to look for a connection because she’d known Sparro was innocent.
The lion’s eyes widened and it was in recognition.
He leapt at her and she didn’t have time to get away. Dakota went down under his massive weight.
Remy howled and jumped on Sparro’s back, distracting him enough for Dakota to slip out from his hold. She swung her claws out to catch his stomach, but Sparro smacked her away from him. At the same time Remy went flying and landed with a hard thud. Dakota snarled as Sparro turned back on her.
She tilted her head as she took in her boss. She could smell his blood, but she knew she hadn’t managed to hurt him. That was when she saw the deep cuts around his neck.
It appeared the cougar had gotten a piece out of him. Good for her.
Sparro stepped forward and she automatically backed up.
He growled deeply at her and her fur stood up. She might not have ever gone against a shifter this strong before, but she had to get the cougar to safety.
Dakota opened her mouth, let her sharp teeth show and saliva run down her chin. Jaguars were known for their powerful jaws and she was reminding him of that.
Sparro rose and began to stalk toward her. Dakota stayed where she was until she could feel his breath against her face. She snarled and attacked.
She used teeth and claws, all her energy and power, until she was on top of him, tearing out patches of his fur. She let her anger and rage consume her. All those shifters in the cages, abused and hurt. Sparro had been a part of that. He’d helped Bradley. Bradley, the man who had almost killed Kieran!
Blood coated her muzzle, but she still continued to slash at Sparro’s neck.
