Soldier Protector

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “Robert,” Regina warned with irritation. “Please mind your temper.”

  “Of course,” he said, instantly remorseful. To Caitlin, he said, “I must give you time to learn how to embrace your new role in the new world. Forgive me.”

  In spite of the sting in her cheek, she leaned forward and hissed, “Screw. You.” She didn’t care if he beat her. The idea of Robert thinking that she would ever be in league with his crazy cult made her physically ill. She’d rather die.

  “You might not die but your friend certainly will,” Regina reminded her, rising from her perch and adjusting her tight bun. “Ticktock, my dear. Come, Robert, let us leave Dr. Willows to her work. We will attend to midmorning sermon and luncheon.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Robert hurried after Regina, leaving Caitlin alone in the lab. Only then did Caitlin break down and cry. What was happening? She didn’t dare look at the closed-circuit camera feed. She couldn’t bear to see Rebecca writhing in pain as the virus did its part to destroy her from within. She searched the lab for some way to get through to the outside. She had no way of knowing where she was. The lab was sealed; there were no windows. She was surrounded by slabs of concrete, which not only dampened sound but messed with cell signals. Not that she had her cell phone. Or her Apple Watch. There wasn’t a phone in the room, either.

  All she had was her wit and determination to get the hell out of here.

  What did she know about Robert? Aside from the fact that he was obviously crazy like all the rest of the Faithful, he must’ve been into her, or else he wouldn’t have picked her to “save” for the new world. Maybe she could play that to her advantage? Ugh. That made her want to vomit but what options did she have? She needed more information and right now she was scraping the bottom of the barrel.

  Swallowing the bile in her throat, she knew what she had to do. Play to his ego. Get answers—but whatever she did, she had to avoid Regina. That woman was nuts but sharp.

  That was the plan. In the meantime, she risked a glance at the circuit feed, perfect the serum for Rebecca.

  Ticktock, indeed.

  “Hold on, Rebecca. I got you.”

  Chapter 27

  Zak washed his hands of the blood, ready to punch something and scream at the moon. Carl had given them nothing.

  Except a mess on the floor.

  “Joshua will handle the processing,” Scarlett told Zak, not that Zak cared what happened to that pissant Carl after he left their sight. “Gotta say, I didn’t see that coming. I figured after the first knuckle he’d cave.”

  “Never underestimate the power of religious conviction,” Zak muttered with a glower. “I’m going out of my mind, Scar. I have to find her. What if they’ve already killed her? What if we’re already too late? They tried to kill her twice before. Why would they hesitate now that they have her? I’m going insane. I feel so helpless and useless.” He flexed his knuckles, ready to punch something, but he held himself in check by the thinnest of margins. His voice broke as he uttered a heartsick “Goddamn it.”

  “We’ll find her. I swear to you, we’ll find her.”

  “They’re winning,” Zak said with disbelief, dropping into a chair. “I can’t believe we’re being bested by a crazy bunch of crackpots who believe a super blue moon eclipse is going to bring about the apocalypse. I mean, c’mon, what the hell is happening right now? We’ve beaten better with worse odds and yet, this is what cooks our goose? I can’t believe this. Honestly, that’s not even what’s upsetting me. I couldn’t care less about the world. All I care about is her. It’s the ugly truth and I hate myself for it but it’s true. God help me, Scar, but I’m so scared.”

  Zak embarrassed himself by breaking into ugly sobs and Scarlett let him cry it out. Thankfully, CJ and Xander had left to transport the mess that’d become Carl Browne to Red Wolf for Joshua to deal with, leaving Scarlett with Zak.

  “What a time to fall in love, right?” Scarlett said with a rueful but gentle laugh as she rubbed his back in support. “I understand. These things happen when we least expect it. We can’t control when our heart decides to kick in. Do you think I would’ve chosen to fall in love with Xander when I did? God, what bad timing was that? He was on the run and being framed for blowing up a senator. Talk about your poor choices. But it happened and I had to just deal with it. So that’s what you’re going to do. You love her. You deal with it.”

  “But what if—”

  “Don’t even go there,” Scarlett interrupted sternly, shaking her head. “You’re giving yourself too much room to think. You need to act. Put your feet in motion. Your head is going to mess you up. You’re a soldier, so act like it.”

  “I’m trying! We’re in a stalemate. We’ve got no orders, nowhere to march. What am I supposed to do?”

  “We go back to our training. We sure as hell don’t sit here weeping like a bitch. Look, I’m not trying to say don’t feel your feelings. This is 2018—we’re allowed to have emotions, according to our shrinks, but we can’t wallow in that shit. We don’t have that luxury. You’ve had your cry. Now wipe the snot from your nose and let’s get to work.”

  Zak looked up, Scarlett’s advice sinking in. She was right. Nothing was getting done while he sat here crying about the situation. He had to be in motion. Get back to his training. Caitlin was out there and he would find her. He wasn’t about to let the first love of his life die at the hands of a bunch of crackpots.

  Wiping at his nose, he rose and nodded, his head on straight. “Thanks, TL. I needed that.”

  Scarlett rose with him. “That’s what I’m here for. A verbal ass-kicking.”

  “You’re good at it,” he admitted, grinning. “Must be why you and Xander are such a good fit.”

  Scarlett chuckled. “That and other things.”

  “Ugh, now I have to wash my brain out with bleach. Thank you for that.”

  “You’re welcome.” Scarlett wasn’t even sorry. Zak thought she might’ve even done that on purpose just to be a dick but she was already switching tracks. “I was thinking we should check the electrical grid. Something tells me that the timing of Dr. Willows’s kidnapping is important. What if the doc was close enough to a breakthrough that they took her to another lab to finish the details?”

  “Why?”

  “Well, because what I know about human nature is that no matter what, self-preservation always trumps faith. Regina Burke is going to want her own fail-safe from the virus and she’s going to need the doc for that.”

  “And a BSL-4 lab is going to pull a significant amount of power,” Zak finished, snapping his fingers in agreement. “Let’s follow that lead. Xander should be able to pull that string, right?” Scarlett nodded but there was something behind her eyes that made Zak pause. “What’s wrong? Is there something else?”

  “Another patient died last night. I’m hoping my hunch is right for a number of reasons or else we’re going to lose all of those patients currently in quarantine and God knows who else is out there.”

  It was a sobering thought. The fact was, they didn’t know who else was contaminated. Even if this had been a test run for the Faithful, it was still a hefty kick in the balls. He muttered an expletive under his breath. He knew a kid was currently fighting for her life. A three-year-old alongside her mom and dad. “Man, this religious cult is a bunch of assholes.”

  “Most are.”

  They climbed in the car and met up with Xander. A plan in motion was better than no plan at all, even if the odds were stacked against them.

  Zak refused to give up.

  The Faithful were going to need God if he caught them because he was going to send them straight to their maker.

  * * *

  Caitlin managed to create the first batch of experimental serum and give it to Regina but she hadn’t heard back from the cursed woman before it was time for dinner. The Faith
ful gathered together to eat in a small group in a place that resembled a mess hall, but Caitlin was always under heavy guard.

  However, she was always placed at Robert’s table as Robert seemed to hold some kind of high standing with the Faithful, along with Regina. Caitlin hadn’t been able to ascertain the hierarchy as of yet, but it didn’t matter. She only needed to get under Robert’s skin.

  Even though he made her skin crawl, she pretended to swallow her revulsion and tried to appear humbled through her ordeal, appealing to his ego and his whacked-out faith.

  “Regina isn’t joining us tonight?” Caitlin noted as she folded her napkin carefully in her lap. “I was hoping to ask her about Rebecca.”

  “You may ask me about Rebecca,” Robert offered with a generous smile, cutting into his braised chicken. “To answer your question, your serum shows promise. We are pleased. But then, I knew you were brilliant. It was just a matter of time before you figured out how to beat the virus.”

  “Your faith in me is flattering,” she said, biting back the urge to spit in his face for being a two-faced, disgusting pig of a man who sold out his own team. “I’m relieved to know Rebecca is doing better.”

  “She’s not out of the woods yet,” Robert warned, wagging his fork at her. “So don’t get any ideas of trying anything foolish.”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t,” Caitlin said, stiffening, her hand curling around her napkin in her lap, wishing it was Robert’s throat. “I just want her to be okay. She’s an innocent victim in all this.”

  He shrugged as if Rebecca’s pain meant nothing. “She’s an unrepentant. The Faithful deserve the earth. Once the earth is wiped clean, you’ll see that we will rebuild the earth the way it was supposed to be in the original plan.”

  “I gotta say, Robert, you really hid this part of yourself pretty well,” she said. “I never imagined you were so...dedicated to your faith.”

  “In today’s world, you’re discriminated against if you have a strong faith,” Robert said. “Especially in scientific circles. I never would’ve been picked for your team if you’d known about my faith.”

  That was true. If she’d known he was a lunatic she would’ve had him escorted from the building but that was a different conversation. “So Regina, she’s intense,” Caitlin said, trying to make conversation and gain information, as well. “Definitely cut from a different cloth than most people.”

  “She’s incredible, isn’t she?” Robert agreed, smiling as if in awe. “She’s one to take a page from, let me tell you. She truly believes and puts her money where her mouth is. Quite literally.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He gestured to the building they were in, saying, “This whole place is funded by her. She’s some mega heiress. This is all her money but she understands that money is inherently evil in the wrong hands. She’s going to change all that. Once we rebuild, we’re going to eradicate the need for money.”

  Caitlin snorted. “And what? Pay with coconuts? Use the barter system? There’s a reason currency came about. It fulfills a need. Just because you change the system doesn’t mean people will stop having needs.”

  Robert scowled. “Of course not, but Regina has a plan to end the greed that money breeds.”

  Of course she does—Regina walks on water with the Lord. Caitlin was having a hard time holding on to her dinner. She averted her gaze on the pretense of submission but actually she was searching for Robert’s cell phone. She spied the edge of his Samsung hanging precariously out of the corner of his slacks. Her gaze went quickly to the glass of water on the table. She let a few moments pass by, seeming to meekly eat her dinner, until Robert felt comfortable taking his focus away from her.

  Just as she went to make her move, a woman joined them, taking her seat beside Caitlin, a look of shining adoration in her young eyes. “You are Dr. Willows?” she asked.

  “Yes,” she answered, trying hard to hide her sharp disappointment at her chance being thwarted. To this point, Regina had kept everyone away from Caitlin, so she was surprised Robert hadn’t shooed her away. “And you are?”

  “I’m Teresa. We’re so happy to have you part of our new beginning. What an exciting time, don’t you agree?”

  Teresa was like a puppy, cute and inherently excited about anything. Caitlin wanted to bop her on the nose for being an idiot. However, maybe God had just opened a window when previously a door had closed.

  “Nice to meet you, Teresa,” she murmured with a nice smile. “Yes, very exciting times, indeed.”

  And just like that Caitlin began making the plan to use sweet Teresa to get the hell out of Crazy Town.

  Chapter 28

  Thanks to Xander’s contacts and clues from power drains on the grid, they were able to narrow down a few possible locations within the city for a BSL-4 lab.

  There were three likely places, circled in red on the city map. “CJ, Laird, you take the north. Scarlett, Xander, you take the west, and I’ll take the east.”

  “You shouldn’t go alone,” Scarlett said. “Xander can send an agent to go with you for backup.”

  Zak waved off the offer. “I don’t want to wait. I want to hit the road now. Every minute counts. I’m aware of the risk. I know how to breach a building undetected. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “Don’t let your emotion cloud your judgment,” Scarlett warned, but Zak was already on the move. He had a one-track movie playing in his mind—find Caitlin—and he didn’t care.

  Zak walked out the door with CJ, of all people, hot on his heels, calling out, “Wait up, man.” When Zak stopped with an impatient frown, CJ, said, “Hey, man, take a breather, you’ve got a mad-dog look in your eyes and it’s not you. You’re always the one cooling me down, so I figure it’s my turn to return the favor. You’re running too hot. You need a cooler head if you want to save your lady.”

  Zak hadn’t told CJ about his feelings for Caitlin. “Scarlett tell you?” Zak asked, narrowing his gaze with suspicion but CJ just shook his head.

  “It’s pretty damn obvious. You’ve got the worst poker face. You’ve been head over heels for the doc since day one. It’s cool, man. I envy you, for real. But if you want to save her, you’ve got to calm down and think straight. You’ve got that look in your eyes like you want to rush into the place John McClane–style, guns blazing, and that’s going to get you killed. Possibly the doc, too. That’s not what you want.”

  Zak didn’t want to hear this even if CJ was right, but hell, coming from CJ, the original crazy hothead, it was just weird. Maybe that was why he was able to hear it. It was just weird enough to sink in. He blew out a frustrated breath but nodded, accepted the advice.

  CJ grinned, realizing he’d gotten through to Zak. “Damn, maybe I’m good at this. Career change—therapist, maybe?”

  Zak shook his head ruefully. “I wouldn’t go that far, buddy, but I get it. Thanks. You’re right, I was coming in pretty hot.”

  “Damn right you were. I mean, I respect it. It’s how I do things, but we both agree I come at things with a sledgehammer when sometimes a sledgehammer does nothing but break shit.”

  He chuckled. “True again.”

  “So you gonna wait for backup?”

  “That would be the smart thing.”

  “But you’re not going to, are you?”

  Zak cast a shit-eating grin at CJ. “Hell, all I’m doing is a little recon. Don’t need backup for that, right?”

  “That’s what I’m saying.”

  He laughed, the red cloud lifting for a minute. “Keep your phone handy. I might need backup if my location is the jackpot.”

  “Ditto.”

  They bumped fists and parted ways.

  Heading for the eastside location, Zak scanned the area looking for anything that seemed to support a BSL-4 lab. GPS put him a half block from the location on the grid and he saw a ware
house looming. It was certainly big enough to support the needs of a BSL-4 lab. Parking far enough away to walk in undetected, he kept to the shadows and crept in the alleys behind the warehouse, watching for potential cameras. If this was the place, they wouldn’t take any chances with unwanted visitors. Zak came to the backside of the building and scanned to the top.

  Time to do a little snooping around and see what he could see.

  * * *

  Regina came to Caitlin’s “bedroom” later that night with a pleased expression. “Your serum is working well. We will move into mass production of your formula starting tomorrow so that we can inoculate the Faithful ahead of the super blue moon eclipse. You’ve exceeded expectation. Very good. Robert’s faith in you was not misplaced.”

  Caitlin didn’t trust herself not to spit something snarky at the woman, so remained silent. She was trying to earn brownie points. “How is Rebecca?” she asked, concerned for her friend. “Is she recovering?”

  “Assuming your serum continues to work as expected, she’ll recover. However, she will remain in isolation and under guard until we can determine that you are not going to do anything foolish.”

  “And by foolish, you mean try to escape because you’ve kidnapped me,” Caitlin supplied with a short smile devoid of humor.

  “Your perspective still needs adjusting but I’m willing to overlook your rudeness for this evening,” Regina said, patting her bun with a subtle motion.

  Then she smiled and said, “As a reward, I’ve arranged for some company for you tonight. Robert said you and Teresa seemed to have hit it off. She’s a kind soul and a good girl. You would benefit from emulating her meek spirit.”

  Not bloody likely. Caitlin accepted the offer with a subtle nod and Regina seemed satisfied. She opened the door for Teresa to enter and then stepped out. “I will return within the hour. Enjoy your visit.”

  Teresa had brought ice cream.

  “I hope you like vanilla,” she said, handing Caitlin a small dessert cup. “I figured that was the safest bet.”