Viper Game

by Christine Feehan

  Trap was a little taller than Wyatt, with blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Not just any blue, but a cold glacier blue that chilled a man to the bone when Trap stared at him. His nickname had come not only from the ice water running in his veins, but the glaciers he had for eyes.

  Draden Freeman, aka the "Sandman," had been a model. He had the kind of body no one believed could be real. He'd been in demand by the largest high-end companies and made bank, enough to put him through college, grad school and his master's program. When he had his degrees he joined the GhostWalkers. Like Trap, there didn't seem to be a reasonable explanation for it. He was a man seemingly with everything and yet, like each of them, he was driven to do something all of them knew was a little insane.

  Draden was fast with his hands when working with the injured, able to find collapsing veins and salvage the situation when everyone else might think the patient was lost. Wyatt wanted him in his corner if he was wounded. Draden would never stop fighting for a wounded soldier, breathing for them if he had to.

  He seemed easygoing enough, much like Wyatt, but like Wyatt, he wasn't at all. He was moody and ran long distances. Wyatt suspected he ran to distance himself from his demons - whatever they were - but they always came back to haunt him. Draden was a hard worker and never shirked. He often pulled double shifts because he didn't sleep much. In fact, Wyatt wasn't certain he actually slept. Certainly he'd never seen the man do so.

  Still, Draden had the same loyalty to his team they all had. They were a tight bunch, protecting one another and watching each other for signs of overload. Draden was one of the rare anchors who could pull psychic energy away from any team member who needed it. Like the rest of Team Four, Draden was a natural healer.

  The two team members got out of the taxi just at the gates of the Fontenot property. Both looked fit in spite of the fact that they'd been nearly crushed when the helicopter had gone down. Wyatt still wasn't certain how Draden had survived, buried under the wreckage the way he'd been, or how Trap had gotten to him, moving heavy metal with his arm broken in three places.

  They greeted him with their usual half smiles, carrying their duffel bags effortlessly, although both bags weighed a considerable amount. Wyatt gave them a one-handed hug, looking them over for the effects of the firefight they'd been in. Touching both helped him to "see" their injuries. GhostWalkers healed rapidly. That was part of their DNA now, and Trap and Draden, like Malichai and Ezekiel, were nearly 100 percent.

  "Thanks for comin'," he greeted.

  Trap shrugged. Draden grinned at him. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. Our Wyatt, already a daddy. And three little ones. Triplets, no less. You always said you wanted a big family."

  Malichai and Ezekiel joined in the laughter. Wyatt had sworn off women and declared he was going to his grave an old lonely man rather than deal with one again.

  "Bayou man got himself a woman with a knife," Malichai reported. "Once he saw that, it was over. The love bug bit deep."

  "Bug?" Ezekiel teased. "More like the viper sank her teeth deep."

  Trap raised his eyebrow. "Are you calling his woman a viper?"

  "Maybe not his woman, but his little girl has some nice fangs on her," Ezekiel clarified. "And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

  "Oh, you boys are a laugh a minute," Wyatt said. "Until one of them accidentally does their teethin' on you. Ginger's been eyein' Malichai lately."

  "Does she really release snake venom?" Trap asked, his eyes serious.

  Wyatt turned to lead the way back to the house. "Yes, but I don' honestly know yet whether or not she has to always release venom when she bites. Most snakes don' have to and they can control the amount. Pepper told me they were all failed experiments. The three little ones are scheduled for termination."

  Trap's breath hissed out of his lungs. "That's bullshit, killing a child you created because you screwed up."

  "They would be difficult to raise," Draden pointed out. "Not that I advocate killing them, but taking them on is a huge responsibility. They could accidentally kill a family member."

  "Which is why I called both of you to help," Wyatt said. "Not only do I want to get the other two out of that lab, I want to try to figure out a way to keep us all safe. We can cap their teeth as a temporary solution. Pepper has natural immunity to the cobra venom. I think her body is beginning to develop an immunity to the viper venom as well. If we can find a way to do that, not only for ma famille, but for the GhostWalkers, we could save a few lives."

  "Do you have a lab?" Trap asked. "Because I've got one at my house that would be helpful."

  "Unfortunately, Trap," Wyatt said, "we have to stay here. The children need this place for now, and I have to keep ma grand-mere safe as well."

  Trap shrugged. "No big deal, we can build one here."

  "I've got a small one started."

  Trap stood on the porch, duffel bag in hand, looking around the bayou and the Fontenot home. "You build this?"

  Wyatt nodded. "We started with a traditional frame home and my brothers and I built this one for Nonny."

  "It's nice, Wyatt. Really nice," Trap said. "It feels like a home, not a mausoleum."

  "I can't wait to meet your grandmother," Draden said. "You talk so much about her, I feel as if I already know her."

  "She's the best cook," Malichai said. "I'm not even hungry. Well..." he hedged. "Okay, an hour or so after I eat, I go back for more. And there's always more."

  "Which reminds me, you need to go out and check the traps," Wyatt said. "You're depletin' the supplies."

  Laughter rang out again. Wyatt started to pull open the door just as the laughter faded to be replaced by the sounds of the bayou. The rhythm was broken. Off.

  Someone's out there watchin' us, Wyatt said.

  I feel them, Ezekiel said. I can slip around back and go hunting.

  Take Malichai. I want to see if Whitney's soldiers have been called in to guard the compound or to track Pepper and the baby. If they have, it will make things much harder and more dangerous for everyone when we go in to get the other two babies out. Supersoldiers are unpredictable and volatile as a rule.

  He made them into throwaways, just like he did those babies, Trap said, an edge to his voice.

  He did, Wyatt agreed, but they were willin' participants for whatever reasons, just as we were. We knew goin' into this that the outcome might not be all we wanted it to be. Those babies - and the women - had no choice.

  He yanked open the door, just a little bit harder than necessary. He detested reminding himself just how ridiculous he'd been allowing enhancements, although honestly, he knew he wouldn't give them up now.

  "We can't help being who we are, Wyatt," Trap said quietly, placing one hand briefly on his shoulder. "You have a mind like mine. We ask too many questions and we need answers. You know me. I can't sleep for days on end sometimes when I'm working on something interesting. And when I'm bored... That's the most dangerous time of all."

  Nonny greeted the two newcomers with a big smile. Both men towered over her diminutive figure. "Trap, it's good to finally meet you. Wyatt told me so much about you over these las' years. He tells me you boys serve with him."

  "Yes, ma'am," Draden acknowledged with a slight nod of his head. "We're in the PJs with your grandson." The Pararescue Jumpers were the Air Force Special Forces team.

  "Thank you for comin'," she said with great dignity. "The house is sturdy and warm and the fixin's are good, although nothin' fancy."

  "We're not used to fancy, ma'am," Draden said, and then glanced over his shoulder at Trap. "None of us."

  Her smile widened. "Wyatt tells me you boys know your way around a weapon or two. We may need that ifn' those men come lookin' for Pepper and Ginger again."

  Pepper sat at the kitchen table and rose slowly to her feet as the two men came in. Her gaze jumped to Wyatt's face and then came back to rest on the newcomers. She'd argued about bringing in more men. Wyatt knew she still didn't trust the situation, not
any more than he did. They were still learning how to cope with her enhancements and his reactions to other men around her.

  He saw Draden stop dead, his mouth forming a silent "O." Trap's reaction was a hesitation and a frown before he ran his hand through his hair.

  "My fiancee, Pepper. She's the mother of my children." He wanted to stake his claim immediately and also indicate he expected them to protect her and give her respect. "Honey, this is Draden and Trap."

  Draden nodded his head. Trap just stared at her. Wyatt knew he had to get used to men's reactions when they first saw Pepper, but still, it got under his skin.

  "You can stow your gear in one of the bedrooms," Wyatt said to distract them.

  "I expect you're hungry," Nonny said. "You can talk about your breakin over food. Night's still a couple of hours away and you'll need your strength." She looked around, frowning. "Where are Malichai and Ezekiel?"

  "They're off scoutin' a bit, Nonny, nothin' to worry about. They'll be back soon," Wyatt assured.

  What's wrong? Pepper asked, glancing out the window anxiously. Have the elite trackers come after us? I told you we couldn't wait very long before we went after the children.

  Trap glanced sharply at the two of them. His eyebrows shot up. "Is there something you two want to say to the rest of us?"

  Wyatt shrugged. "She's upset thinkin' we waited too long and the supersoldiers have come to make our lives more difficult." He turned to Pepper. "We had to beef up security, and you needed time to get on your feet. I told you that you had to come with us and you were too sick."

  "Wait," Trap held up his hand. "You didn't say anything about the woman coming with us to rescue those kids. Now isn't the time to bring an unknown into the mix, Wyatt. It's too dangerous and you know that."

  "The children know her. I know her."

  "Well, I don't," Trap disagreed, always the hard-ass. "You don't either, Wyatt, whether you think you do or not. She could be part of a conspiracy. You said yourself Whitney might be setting you up."

  "I don' think Whitney's settin' me up, Trap. I know. I feel it in my gut and all of you know, that hasn't been wrong yet."

  "All the more reason to keep her out of it. What the hell do you plan on doing if she betrays us and leads us into a trap?" Draden demanded.

  There was a small silence. Pepper stirred. "He's going to kill me." When they all turned toward her, the men shivering a little at the sound of her voice, she indicated Wyatt with her chin. "If I betrayed all of you, Wyatt would kill me." There was complete acceptance in her voice.

  Nonny glanced over her shoulder from where she was stirring the large pot of stew, but she didn't say anything.

  "You may think Wyatt's too gentle or too smitten to get the job done," Trap said. "But the rest of us won't be. We're going to be watching out for him, so if you have betrayal in mind, opt out while you can."

  "Yeah. Okay, thanks for sayin' that right in front of ma grand-mere. She doesn' need to hear that crap," Wyatt said.

  "The woman deserves a warning, bayou man," Trap said. "If she isn't part of Whitney's attacks on us, then she won't mind. If she is, well, she has the choice to bail."

  For God's sake, Wyatt. Any woman who looks and sounds like she does and gives off the kind of pheromones she's broadcasting, enough to even affect me, is a very dangerous weapon. And she's your fiancee? Do you know what you're doing?

  I do. I wouldn't have called you in if I wasn't certain. Wyatt hoped Trap would leave it alone.

  Nonny glanced over her shoulder again. "What conspiracy, Wyatt? Is that the same man who gave Flame the cancer? Is he after you now?"

  Wyatt closed his eyes briefly. Nonny was intelligent, and she knew most of what her grandsons did was classified, but they all respected her enough to tell the truth when they could. Whitney wasn't part of Wyatt's enhancements - at least he shouldn't have been - and she already knew that name.

  Nonny had gone to the hospital with Flame when the cancer had come back. Gator had tricked the woman he loved into getting help from Whitney's daughter, Lily. At the time, Flame believed Lily was helping her father. Nonny had to know everything in order to help. While she was there, Whitney's supersoldiers had tried to reacquire Flame. There'd been a brief but fierce battle, and Nonny had actually participated to help save both Gator and Flame.

  "We don' mean to worry you, Grand-mere. I don' believe Pepper has anythin' to do with Whitney. She's an innocent, just like Flame was. I'll look after her."

  "That's not what I asked you, Wyatt, and you know it." Nonny glanced at Trap. "I already know Pepper is with us." She glared at her grandson as she pulled plates from the cupboards. "I asked, was that man after you now?"

  Pepper took the plates from Nonny and set them carefully on the table. "We don't know, Grand-mere," she answered. "There just seems to be too much of a coincidence in all this. I was in France until a little while ago. Suddenly around the time Wyatt deployed, we were moved here to the bayou. The timing just seems off for us to believe some of this wasn't already planned meticulously. We both know we could be walking into a trap when we go after the babies. You can't blame Wyatt for being worried about his friends or them for being worried about him."

  She set the table awkwardly, as if she wasn't certain how, but remembered from watching Nonny. "I'm an unknown to everyone. Of course I'm a question mark."

  You're not an unknown, Pepper. Let them get to know you, Wyatt whispered into her mind, not liking the hurt he felt radiating off of her.

  "Not to me, girl," Nonny said. "You're no part of Whitney and his aliene complots. I don' need proof. I jist know. Put your gear away, boys, and wash up. Don' wake the baby. She startles easily. Should I call Ezekiel and Malichai?"

  Malichai poked his head in through the back kitchen door. "Grand-mere, have I ever missed one of your magnificent meals?" He breezed in and dropped a kiss on her neat little bun. "Not once. I'm moving right in you know."

  "Glad to have you, Malichai. Where's that brother of yours?"

  "Every now and then, ma'am, he likes to go into the bayou and track some game. Just to keep his hand in, you know. He'll be along shortly, I expect."

  Nonny snapped her tea towel at him, but deliberately missed. He leapt back, howling anyway. "I expect that means we have company out there again tonight."

  "Yes, ma'am. But it was no one to worry about. Just the Three Stooges."

  Pepper lifted her chin, her dark eyes suddenly mischievous as she looked directly at Trap. "Don't forget to wash up. While you're gone, Nonny can watch me and make certain I don't spit venom in your hot cafe."

  There was a sudden silence. Malichai turned his head away from the newcomers to look out the window, his lips twitching. Trap and Draden exchanged a long look.

  "Can she really do that?" Draden asked.

  Wyatt nodded. "I believe she could."

  "It's never a good idea to get on the bad side of a snake," Pepper said, her tone purely conversational. She smiled innocently and even batted her eyelashes. "Especially a viper."

  Wyatt winked at her as he led the other two out of the room. Behind him he heard Malichai laugh.

  "Woman, I could kiss you for that."

  He turned back, sticking his head through the doorway to pin Malichai with a glare. "I wouldn't do anythin' stupid, my friend, I own several carvin' knives."

  Malichai held up both hands in surrender and backed away from Pepper. Wyatt sent Pepper a stern look. Don' even tempt that man. I would hate to have to carve up one of my best friends.

  Pepper raised her eyebrow, but he could tell she didn't know if he was being serious or not. Strangely, he didn't know either. He'd had sex with her dozens of times and each time felt like the first, a crazy, out-of-control ride he would never give up. He'd gotten used to her sense of humor he found downright sexy when she was around Malichai and Ezekiel. Wyatt kept the biochemical in her system from building too much with their marathon sex sessions each night, but with two more men in the house, he found he was h
aving a difficult time. Not Pepper. Him.

  Exasperated with himself, Wyatt followed his friends.

  "Have you kissed that woman?" Draden asked. "Because she could have venom in her saliva."

  Trap frowned as he placed his duffel bag on the bed in one of the spare rooms. "She couldn't have snake venom in her saliva. It couldn't work like that, otherwise she'd be killing everything and everyone she came into contact with."

  "Actually, Draden, I've kissed her a thousand times and I've done far more than that. They enhanced her with a biochemical to force her to stay in a kind of heat. She's lived in hell, and she's not goin' to ever again."

  Draden and Trap exchanged a long look. Trap shrugged and raked his fingers through his hair. The mop of thick hair was already untidy and he just messed it up all the more. "Maybe I should skip dinner and go right to the laboratory. I'll need to see what equipment you have and what we'll need. I can fly it in tonight and we can get started figuring out what is needed to finish the antivenom and make it safe for everyone to be around those little girls."

  "Trap, that all sounds great, but here, in this house, you never skip a meal. Nonny would be insulted," Wyatt explained. "We keep ma grand-mere happy at all times."

  Trap scowled at him. "Eating is a waste of time, Wyatt. This needs to be done as soon as possible. It's why you brought me here. Let me do my job."

  Draden nudged him. "Remember when you told me to let you know when you're exhibiting OCD behavior? You're back to being obsessive-compulsive."

  Trap shook his head. "You're a moron. I never told you to tell me that."

  "You didn't?" Draden scratched his head, looking puzzled. "I could have sworn... Oh, wait! It was all the others. They wanted me to point it out to you so you could get that brain of yours under control. I'm just doing my duty as a team member."

  Trap shook his head. "Your sense of humor is getting worse by the minute. Fine. I'll eat. And then I need to see the laboratory. Is it possible to examine the child's mouth without getting bit? Maybe we should try the antivenom on me first so I can do a close examination of both of their mouths."

  Wyatt scowled at him. "First of all, you don' want to put your hands on my woman. That would make me crazy. And secondly, you have no idea how fast both of them can move. You know how fast I am and there's no way in hell I could catch Pepper if she's runnin'. You try examinin' her mouth and she'll bite you. And if she doesn', I'll shoot you. Either way, you're a dead man." He was very matter-of-fact about it.