by Gennita Low
It wasn’t even his real voice—she had chosen the Southern twang—yet there was an underlying seduction in it that was all his. She shook her head. She was a GEM operative, trained in mind control and covert tactics. She had to ignore the temptation and the challenge this self-created avatar presented and try to understand the man behind it. The idea of someone watching her doing her job in detail was unnerving. Trust. Could she really trust this man?
A noise disturbed her reverie. She looked up. It was one of them. The big silent guy, she called him, because he was big and he hadn’t spoken a word to her ever.
He was built like an ancient warrior, sculpted muscles with a strange pattern tattooed on his chest and back. He had long, black hair and the blackest pair of eyes she’d ever seen. In fact, he looked so exotic that she always half expected him to walk in wearing some kind of armor—chain mail would look perfect on him—with some big sharp weapon by his side. And he enjoyed getting into the pool and racing her, even though he never said it. They’d just race silently, every time. She’d never been able to beat him. She told herself that it was because he always came in after she’d done some strenuous swimming. One day…one day, she would win.
Today wasn’t the day. She had to take it easy. Instead, she lazily swam up and down her lane, ignoring him. But she could feel him swimming alongside, keeping the same slow pace, feel his dark glance on her. Normally, that would challenge her into trying to make him talk to her, but today, it felt strangely comfortable, like he was there to just keep an eye on her.
Keep an eye on her. She snuck a glance at him. His expression didn’t reveal anything.
What if—she looked at the man again—her monitor had dark eyes and dark, dark hair? What if that was why the big guy didn’t speak to her? Maybe he was afraid she would catch some familiar phrasing coming out of that incredibly sensuous mouth.
As if he had an idea where her thoughts were leading, the corner of that very same mouth lifted slightly. And still he continued to swim silently alongside of her.
After another few laps, Helen got out, leaving him in the pool without a backward glance. When she had time, she was so going to sit down and read every one of these commandos’ files. It didn’t take her long to get dressed and she decided she’d head on over to the VR room to look at the Portal before anyone else got there.
“Are you okay?”
Helen looked up. Flyboy stood a few feet away, a watchful expression in his eyes. She had a feeling those eyes didn’t miss much either. Why were these guys “bumping” into her left and right? Either they were keeping an eye on her out of curiosity, or someone was ordering them to.
“Affirmative,” she replied, turning the corner. He followed her. “Just preparing mentally. You weren’t at the Q and A. Busy?”
“Sorry. Had some errands. But I’ll be here to watch you at work.” His smile was boyish. The serious look disappeared like magic. “Forgive me?”
Helen arched a brow. “For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“For not warning you about Armando.” He shrugged. “He can be a bit overwhelming.”
“Do you trust him?”
Flyboy regarded her solemnly. “He’s my teammate.”
“But he’s the newest member of your team, right? So, how do you know exactly when you can trust him?”
“One quickly learns to trust while working together in dangerous situations. It’s teamwork, Hell. If I don’t trust him, the concept doesn’t work.”
Therein lay the problem. As contract agents, GEM operatives didn’t operate in groups. “But a team still has to mesh,” she pointed out.
“Granted, but we’re talking about the V-Program here. Not to be all bigheaded about it, but it’s a chosen few.” He cocked his head. “We weren’t thrown together by coincidence or contractual obligations. Are you having trust issues? With the team?”
“No, not with the team,” Helen murmured. She hadn’t even thought of the team, since she hadn’t actually worked with them. As far as she was concerned, she was on her own, remote viewing, and then the team would come in afterwards.
She and Hades, she amended, but in virtual reality, wasn’t that like being on her own?
“Does Armando tell you what’s happening to him?” She made a face at his pause. “Come on, the others might not see through his act but I do. The question is, is it just him or the serum?”
Flyboy turned and stepped in front of Helen. His blue eyes appeared darker today, more intense. She could sense his hesitancy, he was keeping something from her. “I don’t know,” he told her. “You might have to find out for us. Armando is sure to talk to you more after you’ve used the serum, to compare notes, if nothing else.”
Helen tilted her her head sideways, narrowing her eyes. “Hey, that’s extra work. Nothing in my contract about probing one of the famed commandos’ minds.” She was going to do it but not to Armando Chang. “If he’s a problem, why is he still on active mode?”
“Our commander hasn’t deactivated him.”
“Well, then it’s between him and your commander, right?” She leaned back, tossing her hair carelessly. “All these commandos running around in active mode…my imagination’s working overtime.”
Flyboy’s eyes twinkled. “Sweetheart, I’ve just seen your reworked program avatar. Believe me, your imagination is the one running rampant.”
Helen made a moue. “Damn, isn’t there such a thing as privacy? How’s a girl going to have some fun around here?”
He shook a long index finger at her. “There is very little privacy at Center. Only in special quarters.” He smiled at her again, this time wolfishly. “Want to check them out?”
She made a show of cracking her knuckles. “Well, after a shot of that serum, I should have the courage to venture into the sacred sanctum of the commandos. Do you all live here? Borrrrring.”
“Not all the time. Only when we have a job to do.”
“All right. Give me the directions and I might give you a ring at your quarters.”
Flyboy waggled his eyebrows. “Can I trust you not to sabotage the place?”
Funny. She was just thinking about trust. These commandos were too damn perceptive. She really needed to find out more about them.
Later, after Flyboy left, Helen thoughtfully fingered the communication card Armando Chang had slipped into her hand at the meeting earlier. Now she knew how to find him when she needed him.
In a secret test facility, Virginia
“This is a very easy exercise, Agent 51. You should breeze right through this.”
Of course he would. He was one of the chosen few. “I feel great. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can do this. Trust me, I’ll find out what’s in that envelope in no time.” What he needed was a cigarette but he knew better than to say that out loud.
“We want you to feel comfortable. How are you feeling?”
“Like nothing I can describe. I’ve missed this so much. Thank you for getting me out of the psych evaluation. It’s been months! I told them all I needed was another shot, just a little higher dosage, and I’ll be fine. They won’t listen. They think I’ve gone crazy.” He wiped his hands on his pants, trying not to fidget. He needed these two men to believe that he was truly okay.
“Well, we don’t think you’re crazy, but we need your help. If you can go through the tests, we’ll recruit you into a special operations program.”
“We’re going to do this with the drug, right? Just like the program I was in, right? I have to have a shot of it.” Please. He needed to taste the power again. Remote viewing without it wasn’t the same.
“Of course. We plan to keep using it.”
“Okay, cool. There shouldn’t be a problem then.” He smiled in relief. He could do anything with a dose in his system. “I’ll do whatever’s asked of me.”
“We’re a bit concerned about your failure with the last tests before they sent you to psych. This higher dosage might have more painful aftereffects.”
Higher dosage? He looked around the room eagerly, restlessly. “I told them the headaches were nothing! They went away, didn’t they? And they’re just headaches, you know. Everyone gets migraines now and then. Migraines…my family gets them constantly. So, I’m convinced the headaches have nothing—nothing—to do with the drug. I feel great now! Don’t my stats check out? Look, I’ll do anything you ask!”
“Yes, your stats are fine. We’re ready when you are, then.”
“Yes, yes, let’s get on with this. Simple, very simple, finding out what’s in that envelope. Any remote viewer can do it. First thing we learn.” But with the drug, oh man, the things he could do when it was flowing in him. After those first few times with it, normal RV was like cheap bland coffee. No, no, nothing was the same without it. The pain afterwards was a small price. “I’m ready to bilocate.”
“Sign this first, Agent 51. It’s just a simple Human Use Agreement form. Standard procedure, as you know. Then we’ll move on to the room.”
“Oh sure, of course.” He would get a cigarette somehow. Calm himself down. A higher dosage. His stomach churned in anticipation. He would have it very soon.
“Helen, we’ve modified a new button and placed it near the wrist control pad, away from everything. If at any moment you feel you’re losing control, or you somehow lose connection with Hades, or you feel caught up or lost, press this button.”
She didn’t bother to ask what would happen if she did that. Things were going to be iffy, as it was.
“Okay, Doc. Let’s roll.”
Dr. Kirkland took off his stethoscope. “Do you have any questions? You haven’t asked many since the beginning. All right, then. We’ll see whether those breathing exercises and sleeping coordination will get the two of you to work in sync.”
Helen didn’t ask many questions because GEM training used similar methods, but she wasn’t going to reveal that. Hemi-Sync audio technology was part of NOPAIN training in gathering Intel from reluctant targets. It was one reason why she advanced so rapidly during the remote viewing part of her training; she was able to focus and project using tools of her trade.
“I’ll get the target, don’t worry. Will Hades know where it is?” She would rather he didn’t. That would contaminate any test. Remote viewers and their monitors usually worked blind. Afterwards, the real information on the target would be given to them.
Dr. Kirkland smiled. “No, the target information is in a specially sealed envelope.”
Ah, they were starting with remote viewing standard operating procedure. This would be the easy part, then. “Well, that’s simple to find out. Let’s hope being in VR won’t make any difference. If I give you the wrong coordinates, we would be at the wrong venue, and my remote session would be of no use at all.”
“Don’t worry, Helen. Your monitor is very good at what he does.”
Which was…? One day she would demand a resume.
Minutes later, Helen looked out expectantly into the white space. He appeared suddenly, a dark silhouette against the light. Still naked, of course. Obstinate man. But oh, so gorgeous. Her heart still skipped a beat, when she should be used to that incredible form by now. He halted not too far from her, standing like some regal warrior. She fancied she could hear some distant war drumbeat. She grinned. Next time, she would get him a loincloth.
She was pretty sure if he wanted, he could program some clothing at his end. His skill at NOPAIN was intriguing. By giving her control of his outer form, he was hiding his own agenda. She intended to find out what that was.
Hades watched her with an expression all his own, though, one she was beginning to recognize. It fascinated her that his personality was so strong it came through the visual effects of a program.
She flashed another quick smile. “Was that you swimming just now?” Not that she expected him to tell her the truth.
“No. Ready?” he asked.
“Shouldn’t I be the one who says that?” she countered. Remote viewing was her domain here, after all. “Or have you done this before?”
“I’m familiar with the subject of remote viewing, but I’ve never shared my mind with anyone else.” He drew nearer, his eyes a melting trust-me-brown.
Helen snorted rudely. “Nor have I.” And those chocolate-brown eyes were tempting her to share more than her mind. “But then, transcending time and space to gather Intel isn’t something I share with anyone on a regular basis.”
He didn’t say anything, just held out a hand, and repeated, “Ready?”
“Yes.” She took the few steps to reach him and slowly put her hand in his. Her gaze was steady. “Everything I’m going to do is classified under the…”
He shook his head, silencing her. “I know the whole code by heart. This is an underground project, Elena. You don’t have to quote the rules of engagement to me. There aren’t any. You and I are doing something they can only imagine, and if we succeed, only we’ll know what rules have been broken.”
“Boy, the man can talk serious lingo,” Helen drawled. But she could feel her own excitement rising at his words. “So we’re going to break rules, huh? I like that in a man.”
His grasp tightened, just enough to make her gaze at him questioningly. He looked into her eyes intently. This time, he chose to communicate with his mind. They don’t trust what remote viewers see, Elena, you know that. It’s sneaking a peek at one point in time and experiments have shown that different viewers see different things and their reports won’t help a covert operation.
Helen shook her head. That’s when they experiment with viewing the future, Hades.
That’s Phase Three.
She winked at him. Something they haven’t trained me in, remember? It’s a tough phase, they said, lots of casualties. I take that to mean that they had many failures in getting their predictions right.
It could also mean another thing.
It was becoming more and more natural to communicate without speaking. What?
It could mean many have tried and died, Elena.
That jerked her out of silent mode. “How? They would just be remote viewing.” She frowned, going back to thinking. Predicting the future wrong won’t kill you, you know.
He turned. She had to follow his direction since his hand was still holding hers. One intrigue at a time. In today’s session, you’re going to show me how you work your trigger code. Then we’ll locate the target in the envelope.
So how come you’re leading? Helen mocked, although she didn’t resist. She wanted to continue their conversation. He was always leaving her with questions. He stayed silent, the quirk of his mouth mocking her back. If she had the time, she would play with this man.
There’ll be plenty of time for that, I promise, sweet Elena.
Before she could come back with a smart-aleck answer, Hades changed the scenery. She looked around, trying not to show her surprise. The place was an exact replica of the windowless remote viewing room at the CIA facility, from the all-gray soft canvas fabric to the all-gray round knobs on the drawers. Every detail was the way she remembered.
“How do you know what those rooms look like?”
“Photographs.”
“Oh sure, the CIA takes photographs of their secret rooms so you can reproduce and study them.” She tried to shake his hand off. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not,” he denied. “We’ve been monitoring their program for some time.”
“Why create this in virtual reality then?” Why did they take the trouble to recreate a remote viewing room from another training facility?
She stared at his hand pointedly now but instead of releasing her, he brought it to his lips and kissed her fingertips. “I thought it might be easier for you if we use familiar surroundings.” He licked the sensitive pad of her thumb. “You can explain your SOP and tell me what to do in case something goes wrong and you get lost in the ether.”
He knew about the risks of getting lost in the ether then. Helen tried to focus on th
is as the rest of her body was busy reacting to his tongue. Why was he doing this?
He sank his teeth gently into the fleshy area and she almost moaned aloud. She refused to let him distract her. “I sit in the chair, turn on the biomachine, concentrate till the brain waves go theta, and then go into an altered state.” Telling him the standard operating procedure brought back some focus.
“Then what does your supervisor do?”
He certainly didn’t do that to her hand. “Like everyone else—monitors me, makes sure the vitals don’t go crazy.” Her voice sounded husky to her ears. “Sometimes beginners can’t control their imagination. When they ‘go’ underwater, some would literally choke from holding their breath. It takes time to get used to mind-traveling.”
“Is that what you call it?” he said against her palm, seemingly able to hold a serious conversation and at the same time, explore erogenous zones on her hand that she never knew she had. Currents of delight zinged up her arm as he nibbled on a sensitive spot close to her wrist. “Does it ever get that real for you?”
“It feels real…like this,” she whispered. The man had a seriously sensuous tongue. How was it possible? It was so real in her mind that she wanted to pull his head down to hers so she could taste that tongue. Was his mind so locked with hers that everything he did affected her so realistically?
Helen moved her palm, delighting in the feel of his face as he stroked like a cat against her hand before turning his attention back to nibbling her, his teeth pulling on her flesh in a slow tantalizing manner before releasing it to kiss it better. She swayed closer. “And why are you trying to turn me on when there is a job to do?”
“I like touching you,” he whispered back.
He was keeping something from her. “So many lies, and I’m supposed to trust you?”
“I’m not lying.” He put her hand on his chest, near his heart. “Scout’s honor.”
Helen laughed. She had created a monster. “I think you’re supposed to cross your heart with your hand.” But she liked touching him, too. A naughty thought crossed her mind. “You’re big for a Scout.”
His eyes smiled back at her. “You know what they say about big Scouts.”
