Recombinant

by Shannon Mayer

“She’s using you, Rachel. I’m telling you she’s done this before. She is not your friend.”

  “Using me? The only person I see using me is you.”

  The man in Lea’s grip made a move. She gave him a sharp jerk and pressed the knife into his throat, drawing a trickle of blood. “I have no qualms about slitting his throat.”

  Sean looked like he wanted to rip her head off. “Keep your bitch on a short leash, Rachel.”

  My pulse throbbed in my temple. “On a leash? She’s not an animal.”

  “Rachel. Open your eyes. She hunts and kills. That’s pretty much the definition of an animal. You’ve picked the wrong side.”

  Lea released a low grunt, presumably in response to his insult.

  “You don’t have all the facts,” Sean said, holding out his hand and advancing toward me. “You think I’ve betrayed you, but she’s the one who will kill you before this is all over. I love you, Rachel. I only want to make sure you’re safe.”

  I cast a quick glance to Lea, whose expression was hard, her eyes cold. I turned back toward Sean, lowering the knife slightly. “You’re exactly right, Sean. I’d be insane to choose the side of an animal.”

  A grin lifted the corners of his mouth.

  I could feel the anger radiating from Lea.

  I cocked my head and sneered. “And the only animal I see in this room is you. I’m passing on your offer.”

  He clenched his fists at his side. “You’ll regret that decision.”

  “The only decision I regret today was kissing you earlier. I think I need to be tested for STDs.”

  “Enough,” Lea barked, moving a few steps forward. “We need to decide what to do with him.”

  I had a few ideas, but Sean wasn’t going to like any of them.

  CHAPTER 25

  LEA

  I held the soldier tight against me, his heartbeat echoing in my ears. His vain attempts at struggle only made my fangs drop. “Don’t force me to kill you,” I whispered into his ear.

  Rachel glanced at me. “Just talking to my friend here,” I explained.

  Her eyes widened as she took him in. “I know him. He and Ben worked with Sean in Iraq. Justin, what are you doing helping this asshole?”

  Justin tensed. “We’re saving the world, Rach.”

  Rachel looked over his shoulder at me. I shrugged. “They’ll tell them anything to get them to do the dirty work. Saving the world, stopping terrorists, whatever it takes.”

  His whole body shook under my hands. “Fuck you, bloodsucker. You’re the one causing all the problems.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Rachel stepped closer, her tone softening. Cajoling. Damn, it was no wonder she was such a good journalist. I could feel Justin softening. He opened his mouth, but all it took to silence him was a swift look from Sean. A look of sadness flickered across Rachel’s face. I couldn’t help the sigh that slipped out of me. I had no doubt she’d ask me not to kill Justin.

  “Don’t kill him. Just knock him out,” she said.

  I rolled my eyes as I wrapped an arm around his neck and tightened it over his carotid artery. He gurgled and gave one last violent struggle before the fight slipped out of him, and with it, his control over his bladder. The hot scent of piss filled the air. I curled my lips and stepped away from him. Slowly, I smiled at Sean. “So are you going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?”

  Rachel laughed. “Oh God, he only knows the hard way.”

  “Excellent, that’s my favorite choice.”

  Sean’s head whipped from side to side as he tried to keep us both in his line of sight. But that was impossible. We moved with him, always keeping him between us like an unspoken signal. We were the hunters now, not him.

  Sean had finally become the prey.

  “Rachel, you don’t know what you’re getting into. You can’t trust her.” He pointed at me. I snapped my teeth at him.

  “A little closer, I could use a snack,” I said.

  Rachel laughed again, but there was a bitter tone to it. “Yeah, get a little closer to Lea.”

  “God, it sickens me that you would give it a name,” Sean growled.

  Rachel gasped and I narrowed my eyes. Then again, he had a point. As a Cazador, I had been taught that all vampires had to be wiped out as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to keep the rest of the populace safe. We no longer saw them as the humans they’d been before they were bitten. So while I didn’t like what he’d said, there was truth underlying his words.

  I was a monster, and had been one far longer than I’d been human.

  Rachel pointed her knife at him, her arm not wavering for even a second. “Sean, you are going to take us to the facility and help us get in.”

  “No.”

  I burst out laughing; I couldn’t help it. “You think saying no is going to stop us? Delusional. They must be handing out good hallucinogenic drugs at the base.”

  Sean turned his attention fully to Rachel, his eyes and face softening. “Rachel, please, please listen to me...”

  I didn’t let him go much further than that. I leapt into the air, straight up above his head and landed directly behind him. Grabbing his shoulders, I yanked him back so that his ass slammed into the floor. After his head snapped back, I cupped his throat with one hand and his forehead with the other. “There’s a good boy. Now behave or I’ll rip your throat out and dance in the blood.”

  His eyes rolled up to look at me. “Bitch.”

  I smiled down at him. “Thank you.”

  Rachel cleared her throat. “Since you two are getting on so well, how about we move this along? Sean, you are going to escort us to the base. The cover is that we are bringing in Lea since that was your plan all along. I will be your helper, and of course, the reason you were able to capture her.”

  “They’ll never believe it.”

  I gave him a shake. “Don’t be an idiot. You told us they’re after me. That’s why Rachel was used as bait. That’s why they committed those murders. To draw me to New York. Keep your own stories straight at least, eh?”

  His jaw tightened. I looked at Rachel. If her expression was any indication, we had him. The plan would work.

  Rachel hurried over to Justin’s prone body and pulled off two pairs of cuffs. “One for Sean. One for you later.” She flipped a pair to me, which I caught and slid onto Sean, tightening them until he grimaced. I dragged him to his feet and frisked him, finding several knives and a small gun tucked into the small of his back. I checked the safety and handed it to Rachel.

  “We don’t need anything else, do we?” Rachel asked.

  I shook my head. “No, we can take Sean’s SUV from here. Calvin can follow us in my car.”

  Sean cleared his throat. “Rachel, you can’t trust her.”

  “You keep saying that, but you are the only one who’s lied to me,” Rachel said. Her words sent a twinge of guilt through me. Louis’s death might not have been at my hands, but Rachel wouldn’t see it that way if she knew.

  Sean smiled up at me from where he sat. “I’ll bet she killed my two other men. One of them was Benjamin. You remember Ben, don’t you?”

  Rachel swallowed hard. “Tell me he’s wrong. Ben was my friend. We were in Iraq together.”

  There could be no compromise here. “And if he was your friend, why didn’t he warn you? Why would he help Sean stake you out?” I said. “I’m sorry if they were your friends. But I won’t lie. They are dead.”

  “She would have killed them even if she’d known. That’s what she is, Rachel. She’s a fucking killer.” Sean’s Adam’s apple bobbed against my hand, and for just a second, I considered doing as I’d said. Then again, without him, we’d be stuck without a proper escort.

  Rachel pulled herself together. “People die in war, and that’s what this is, isn’t it? War.”

  A breath of air I didn’t realize I had been holding slipped out of me. Sean let out a low laugh. “You think that’s the worst of her sins? She promised to let the
young vamp go, didn’t she? Tell me, why is there a pile of ash outside your building then?”

  Rachel sucked in a sharp breath. “You had my building bugged?”

  He nodded. “I had one of my men watching. He watched while Louis had his heart blown out of him with silver shot. I keep trying to tell you that I’m on your side. I’m trying to protect you from the monsters, Rachel.”

  Her blue eyes sought mine and I didn’t look away. I wouldn’t lie to her, not even to make this happen an easier way. Whether she realized it or not, she’d sworn an oath to me. I needed her trust fully and completely, no matter how hard won it was going to be.

  I nodded slowly. “He’s right, Louis is dead.”

  Jaw tightening, she stalked over to Sean, grabbed his arm, and helped him stand. “Then I guess I am the fool here.”

  “Rachel—”

  “No, just fucking give it up. I wanted to trust you, but obviously I can’t trust anyone. Don’t you follow us, Lea. Not for one fucking second.” She glared at me as she pushed Sean in front of her. But then she tipped her head to me ever so slightly. She might not trust me fully, but I was the only backup she had.

  Maybe she was pissed at me about Louis and the others, but she was a smart girl.

  She needed me to get this job done.

  Rachel stalked to the front door and down the rusty steps. I waited until I heard the engine start and the wheels of the SUV pull away before I sprinted after her. I reached the Camaro and leapt into the backseat. Calvin was so fast asleep he didn’t even twitch. Some helper.

  “Calvin, wake up, old man.”

  He startled in his seat and opened his eyes, starting up the engine before he was even fully awake. “Did it work?”

  I stared after the receding taillights of the SUV. “That it did.”

  CHAPTER 26

  RACHEL

  A fine mist fell from the sky as I shoved Sean into the backseat of the SUV, then climbed behind the steering wheel, my mind reeling.

  She’d lied to me.

  Why had I been so stupid?

  Yet I still needed her. Damn it.

  The keys were still in the ignition, so I didn’t have to dig them out of the pockets of any dead bodies. Bodies of men I had thought were my friends.

  Like Ben.

  He, Derrick, and Sean had been close back in Iraq. It didn’t make sense that Ben wouldn’t have tried to help Derrick.

  What if Sean was right after all?

  I was questioning everything.

  I started the vehicle and backed it up, then pulled on to the street. “Which way?”

  “Rachel,” he pleaded. “Think this through.”

  “I am thinking this through, you asswipe. That was why we never worked. You always underestimated me.”

  “How was cheating on you underestimating you?”

  “You thought I was too stupid to find out.”

  He was silent.

  “Where are we going?”

  He released a sharp laugh. “You really think I’m going to tell you?”

  I cast a glance over my shoulder. “If you’re smart you will.”

  “You think I’m scared of you?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I think you’re so stupid that you’ve underestimated me once again. God.” I shot him a look of disgust in the rearview mirror. “Do you really think Lea’s just going to let you go?”

  Surprise filled his eyes.

  “She’s going to follow us, you fool. I’m delivering her for you with a nice tidy bow. That’s exactly what you want, right?”

  He sat up, his jaw slack with surprise. “You’re helping me?”

  “I’m here in this damn car with you and she’s not. What does that tell you?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Why the change of heart?”

  “God, you really don’t know me, do you?” I asked with a sneer. “She not only lied to me, but she also broke a vow.”

  He snorted. “That’s always been your problem. You’re so damn idealistic. When are you going to figure out the world doesn’t work that way?”

  I was starting to ask myself the same thing.

  “I’m only trying to help you, Rachel.”

  “Stop. Don’t pretend you give a fuck about me or how I feel. I’m here for self-preservation, nothing more, nothing less. You can bet your ass I’m not doing it for you.”

  “I’m not the one who lied to you.”

  I snorted. “Don’t insult me.” I glanced at him in the mirror. “But I need you to tell me the truth now.”

  He studied me for a moment before I glanced back at the road. “You’ve changed.”

  “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.”

  “You’re wiser.”

  “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t still be alive.”

  “Why do you want to turn her in? It can’t be because she lied to you. Why not just let me go and be done with this?”

  “For one thing, do you really think someone like her would just let me walk away? I know too much. Besides, I turned my back on her. She’ll hunt me down to the end of the earth to find me.” I searched the mirror for his eyes again. “Just like she’ll find you,” I said in a low, ominous tone.

  He swallowed, betraying his fear.

  I sucked in a breath. “But mostly it’s for Derrick. He deserved more than what he got.” I paused. “I think she did it. She knew it would motivate me to search for answers, which would lead her straight to you and the facility.” I found his eyes again, so he would know I meant every word I was about to say. “Because I vow to find Derrick’s murderer and I will make them pay.”

  His gaze softened. “Then let’s make her pay. Together. We can do this as a team. We used to work pretty well together.”

  I released a harsh laugh. “Working in bed does not count.”

  He leaned forward, his mouth in my ear. “I disagree,” he whispered huskily. “We were always quite in sync.”

  He wasn’t lying there.

  The mist turned to a drizzle and I switched on the windshield wipers. “If I pull over and un-cuff you, then what?”

  “Then we do this together. And I can only hope it’s the beginning of more togetherness.”

  I shook my head. “This is just a job for you, Sean, so quit bullshitting me. You’ve been using me from the start. Just. Like. Lea.”

  “Rachel, pull over.”

  “Do you think I’m stupid?”

  “I want to tell you the truth. Can I do that?”

  “Nothing’s stopping you.”

  “I need you to look at me while I tell you.”

  I groaned.

  “Rachel. Please.”

  I didn’t see Lea tailing us. I had a gun and two knives, and he was unarmed and cuffed. “Fine, but I’m keeping my gun on you the entire time and I won’t hesitate to shoot.”

  “You need me to take you to the facility.”

  I pulled off the road and parked behind a building. “I never said anything about killing you.”

  He laughed as I put the car in park. I pulled out my gun and shifted in my seat, pointing it at his crotch. “Back up all the way in the seat. You make one move toward me, and I’ll shoot off your favorite body part. Understand?”

  Grinning, he shook his head and sat back. “Is this good?”

  “It’ll do. Start talking.”

  He pushed out a breath. “I’ve been chasing this group for a year. It became obvious Derrick was on to the same thing, which was no surprise. He’d been in contact with the scientist who’d been heading up the program, but the scientist stopped all contact. Derrick realized he was missing and was trying to track him down. But it was Derrick, all alone, against all of them. Like I told you, I tried to warn him, but he refused to listen. My superior officers,” he leaned his head back and sucked in a big breath of air before letting it out and lowering his gaze to mine. “Once they figured out the Cazador was interested in you, they decided to see how it played out.”

  “So you dec
ided to use that to your advantage?”

  His expression became pained. “My superiors’ plan was to capture you and use you as bait. We made our move earlier today—at the bar. I was dead set against it, but then I realized it would be easier to protect you if we brought you in. That’s when the terrorists showed up and I knew I had to get you out.”

  I groaned. “Don’t insult me. There are no terrorists. The government owns the lab. You’re protecting a government facility.”

  He watched me for a moment. “The government does own the lab, but there is a terrorist group set on using the research for harm. They kidnapped one of the scientists—the one Derrick had made contact with—and forced him replicate his research. And they were there at the bar and the bakery this afternoon. They were after you and Lea. The monsters are theirs.”

  “More lies,” I said in disappointment.

  “I swear. I’m telling the truth.”

  “Which time? When you were molesting me in that bakery or now? Or how about this morning? You tell so many lies I don’t even think you can keep them straight.”

  “Call Justin. If he’s even still alive. Ask him.” His eyes narrowed. “I’d tell you to ask Ben, but that monster vampire killed him.” When I didn’t respond, he forged on. “He volunteered for this mission. He found out we were protecting you and he was the first man to jump on board. He died trying to keep you safe. Don’t let him die for nothing.”

  “Even you can’t deny you’ve lied to me.”

  “To protect classified information. To keep you safe.”

  “Save it.”

  He slowly tilted his face forward. “I know you have every reason not to trust me, but I’m begging you. Take off my cuffs and let’s avenge Derrick’s death together. The key is in my coat pocket.”

  I watched him, the rhythmic thud and squeak of the windshield wipers making an eerie sound. I wasn’t sure what to believe, but I knew I didn’t trust any of them. Not Sean. Not Ben. Definitely not Lea. I only had my instincts to keep me safe, and I was listening to them now. I only hoped they didn’t steer me wrong.

  “I’ll un-cuff you, but you’re driving and I will shoot you if you make a wrong move.”