by Vanessa Kier
The sound of repeated thudding made Mark look back. Toby was banging his head against the ground. “Stop…love…obey…hurts…kill…sleep…” The man sobbed each word in the pauses between slamming his head against the earth.
“Toby, stop!” Dr. Montague had warned Mark that any attempt to expose Toby to his past would conflict with Kaufmann’s conditioning, result in excruciating headaches and possibly make Toby try to kill whoever had brought up the memory.
Mark shut off the recorder, figuring that if Toby hadn’t attacked him yet he wasn’t going to. “I can help you.”
Toby lay quietly with his forehead resting on the ground. Still, Mark watched him warily, all too aware of the enhanced speed at which the man could attack him.
“Do you understand me?” Mark demanded. “I can take you to someone who will make the headaches stop. Who will get rid of the voices. Give you control of your mind again. Reunite you with Faith.” Dr. Montague had promised she’d do everything she could to restore Toby to his previous self.
Mark prayed that Toby wasn’t too far gone to make a full recovery.
“Toby! Answer me.”
Toby lifted his head. His lips curled back and he snarled at Mark, snapping his teeth like a rabid dog. He rose into a crouch and his powerful body tensed, ready to leap.
A woman’s scream lanced through the thick jungle air.
Toby jumped to his feet. “Faith!” he yelled, charging into the jungle.
“No! Toby wait. Faith’s not here. She’s safe. She’s—” But Toby was gone.
Cursing under his breath, Mark shoved the recorder in his pocket and took off after him.
Mark followed Toby into a clearing and pulled up short at what he saw. Shit. The bodies of four guards lay scattered around a truck that must be one of the SSU’s mobile labs. Two of the men had broken necks. One had multiple stab wounds and a slit throat. The other man looked as if he’d been beaten repeatedly with a blunt object about the head and chest. Despite the damage he’d suffered, he was trying to pull himself toward the truck.
Mark threw a quick glance to where Toby had disappeared through the twisted door to the lab, then hurried over to the man. “What happened?”
“Kaufmann’s men…two…caught us by…surprise…wear…ing…protective suits…tranq darts…bullets…bounce off…” His eyes turned toward Mark, pleading. “Help…Dr…Mon…tague…” He coughed violently, then collapsed.
Mark bolted toward the lab. If the men killed Dr. Montague, then who would return Toby to normal? How would he explain to Faith that he’d failed her?
Mark jumped over the mangled ruin of the door and into an antechamber that must have been the security command center. Broken monitors littered the floor. A chair stuck out of the far wall. All that remained of the observation window were jagged pieces of glass and fragments of wire.
Beyond that, a growing pool of blood seeped out from under the body of another guard. Dr. Montague lay in a boneless heap at the foot of a supply cabinet. One of Kaufmann’s men kicked Dr. Montague repeatedly in the face and torso while a second man smashed beakers and shoved everything from the countertops onto the floor.
The man attacking Dr. Montague threw back his head, yelled in primal fury, and pulled a knife from his belt.
With an answering bellow, Toby charged the man. The pair went down in a tangle of flying fists.
The other attacker was too busy trying to pry a cabinet off the wall to notice the fight. But Mark knew it would only be a matter of time.
The man’s hood had slipped off his head, leaving the back of his neck exposed. Mark raised his pistol and fired just as the cabinet broke free of the wall. Kaufmann’s man staggered back under its weight. Mark fired repeatedly until the man landed on his back under the weight of the cabinet.
Satisfied that the man was dead, Mark turned in time to see Kaufmann’s man kick Toby in the stomach. Toby landed on his back with a grunt.
Kaufmann’s man ignored Toby and rushed over to Dr. Montague. Dropping to his knees, he raised his knife and plunged it into her chest.
“No!” Toby struggled to sit up, reaching out as if he would choke the man. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his mouth twisted in horror. “No hurt Faith!”
Shit. Dr. Montague was roughly the same size as Faith, and with her straight blonde hair hidden under a protective cap, Toby wouldn’t realize this wasn’t his curly-haired sister. He must have thought Faith was close by because of the voice recording Mark had played for him.
The man yanked the knife out of Dr. Montague.
A second later, Rafe Andros dove through the window and tackled the man.
Mark sensed another man heading toward Toby and he threw himself at Faith’s brother, pushing Toby to the floor and shielding him with his own body. “Jurassic Park,” Mark said, giving the code word to indicate he was friendly. “Don’t hurt this one. This is Toby. I—” A gasp of pain bit off the rest of his sentence.
Kaufmann’s man yanked his knife free of Mark’s lower back as he and Andros rolled away.
Mark screamed and lost consciousness.
Ian McDermott, Ryker’s administrative assistant, was at the door when Faith answered the knock at her guest apartment at four in the morning. Swallowing her dread, she forced herself to meet his somber eyes. “What’s happened? Are Toby and Mark all right?”
“Your brother is okay. But, I’m sorry, ma’am. Mr. Tonelli was injured during the attack.”
Faith swayed and gripped the doorframe to keep herself upright. No. Not Mark. Please, no. “How bad is it?” She had to force the words out of her parched mouth.
McDermott glanced up and down the hallway. “I think it would be better for me to tell you inside, ma’am.”
“Oh. Yes. Of course.” Faith shuffled out of the way so the man could enter and tried to use the action of closing the door to ground herself. No matter what McDermott had to say, Mark wasn’t dead. She had to hold onto that thought or go crazy.
“Tell me,” she demanded. “What happened?”
“While trying to protect your brother during a fight with Kaufmann’s enhanced men, Mr. Tonelli was stabbed in the lower back. The knife did severe damage to his internal organs. He’s being medevaced to a surgical trauma center.”
Oh, God. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Do they expect him to live?”
“It’s touch and go right now, ma’am.”
“I want transport to the hospital. I need to see him.”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s why I’m here.”
“Good. Just let me change and we can go.” She headed toward the bedroom, calling back, “What about Toby?”
“Your brother is a bit beat up, but sustained no serious injuries.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“He’s en route to our Georgia lab. Our medical team has given him starting doses of the drugs that will help calm his rage and bring his intellect back online. The team reports that he’s resting quietly.”
Faith’s shoulders sagged in relief.
“Unfortunately, Dr. Montague was also…um…injured in the attack.”
Faith paused and turned around. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Ah…apparently she died for a few minutes,” McDermott said. “But Kai Paterson figured out that administering a specific drug would revive her. She’s now in a coma.”
Faith’s stomach twisted into a complex knot of tension. “God, poor Rafe.” She’d never met the man, but she’d heard the story about his recovery and how his love for Dr. Montague had been the only thing that kept him going. It was too cruel for Rafe to be on the brink of losing the woman he loved on top of everything he’d endured at the hands of Dr. Kaufmann.
“Will this impact Toby’s progress?”
“No. Paterson is Dr. Montague’s co-leader on the medical team, so he’ll be taking charge of your brother’s recovery. Paterson and the rest of the team are extremely knowledgeable and skilled.Your brother’s progress should not be affected
in the least by Dr. Montague’s absence.”
“Is it—” She cleared her throat. “Would it be possible to see Toby before he reaches Georgia? Just to ease my mind?”
McDermott glanced down at his phone. “If we leave within the next three minutes we should be able to meet his plane as it lands here. You won’t have much time, though. He’s going to be transferred immediately to another plane.”
“Done.” Faith raced into the bedroom, threw on some clothes, and was out the door with McDermott with a minute to spare. “After Toby, you’ll take me to Mark?”
“Yes.”
To Faith’s relief, they reached the small airport not far from the SSU compound in time to watch the transport plane land. Lips pressed tightly together, she watched as the plane was secured and stairs were pushed up to the plane’s door. A few agonizingly long moments later, two guards appeared, escorting Toby between them.
Tears stung her eyes. Toby was confined in a straightjacket, and his face was covered with bruises, but he held his head high and walked without limping. Best of all, his expression was wary, not angry.
Halfway to the second plane, Toby noticed Faith standing off to the side. His dark blue eyes lit up.
“Faith okay?” he shouted.
She nodded, then forced a verbal response through her tears-clogged throat. “I’m fine, Toby.”
Despite her reassurance, Toby tried to get away from his guards, who struggled to restrain him. “No! Toby don’t fight them. I’m coming.”
Faith rushed over, careful to stop before she got within striking distance. “Let these men help you, Toby. They’re taking you to some very good doctors. They’re going to make you better.”
“Faith come?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. A…friend…of mine is hurt. I need to be with him. But I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“No. Want Faith. Miss Faith.”
“I know, Toby. I miss you, too. But the SSU is going to help you. I promise. We’ll get to visit again once you’re better.”
“Nooo…”
It took all of Faith’s willpower to walk away from Toby’s lost puppy eyes and tune out his cries of protest. She was surprised that he’d reacted positively to seeing her. Before the attack, Dr. Montague had warned that Kaufmann used torture and drugs to turns his victims against their family and friends. So Faith had expected Toby to treat her like an enemy. Maybe even strike out at her.
That he’d wanted the comfort of her presence made it that much harder to leave him.
Returning to McDermott, she nodded. “Let’s go.” She had to get out of here before she did something really stupid, like run back to Toby and insist on going with him. There was nothing she could do to help her brother. But she could make damn sure Mark knew he wasn’t alone. That he had a reason to fight for his life.
She loved him, and she wasn’t going to let him forget it.
Chapter Thirteen
One Week Later
SSU Medical Facility
Oregon
Mark stared impatiently at the door of his hospital room. Faith had promised to return this afternoon at two, and it was four past. While he understood that Faith was being kept busy by the SSU as they tied up the loose ends from the aborted attack, he didn’t rest easy without her. Forget pain medication. Having Faith by his side was all he needed.
He almost scoffed at such sappy thoughts, but her love filled him so completely there was little room for pain. She softened the edges of the arrogant, self-centered man he’d become during his quest for revenge and turned him into a more patient, more compassionate man. The fact that he hadn’t once asked for an update on Jamieson and Kerberos was proof of how much he’d changed. Right now he was more concerned about Toby’s progress, because that had the greatest potential to hurt Faith.
He hoped Dr. Montague had survived. He liked the woman and knew that she would fight for Faith’s brother. But last he heard, the doctor was still in a coma.
Six after the hour and still no Faith. Mark scowled and thought about ringing for the nurse.
You’re acting like a petulant boy.
He sighed and tried to curb his impatience. If only he could get out of this damn bed and pace, maybe he’d be able to rid himself of some of this nervous energy. Instead, he had so many tubes running into him he felt like a science experiment. He knew he was lucky to be alive, but he was tired of having his bodily functions performed by machines. He wanted out of here.
He wanted Faith, dammit.
Five minutes later, the door finally opened, but it wasn’t Faith. A lean man about six feet tall with a thin, aristocratic face and piercing gray eyes walked in, moving with the easy confidence of a natural born leader. Ryker. Mark tried not to let his disappointment show, but he must have given himself away. Ryker gave him a knowing smile.
“Don’t worry, Faith is out in the waiting room. I asked her to let me speak to you alone first.” Ryker set a digital voice recorder down on the bedside table and turned it on.
“Vincente Tonelli was trouble,” Jamieson’s voice said coldly.
Mark glanced at Ryker in surprise. He’d never mentioned that Jamieson had arranged his father’s death. How had Ryker known?
“It was only a minor case,” Jamieson’s voice continued. “A former soldier, listed as dead, had been found unconscious in a ditch and been brought to the local VA hospital. When the man awoke he went crazy, killing everyone within reach before the security team tranquilized him.” Jamieson’s voice dripped with scorn.
“It should have been a simple case. The man was guilty. He should have been convicted and locked up. Then we would have been able to arrange for a quiet assassination away from the public eye. But Tonelli believed the man’s story of a secret government program and drugs that made him insane with rage. Tonelli started his own investigation. We couldn’t allow that. So we arranged for him to be killed by Don Marrone’s men, and set it up so that all evidence pointed back to a mob case Tonelli had recently presided over.”
Mark closed his eyes. He’d known Jamieson was guilty, but hearing the details that led to his father’s death hurt more than he’d expected.
Jamieson’s voice continued, explaining how he’d kept an eye on Mark and eventually decided to use his desire for retribution against him. Finally, just when Mark couldn’t stand listening any more, Ryker shut off the recorder and returned it to his pocket.
“What’s going to happen to Jamieson?” Mark asked.
“He’s in federal custody,” Ryker said. “Once we’re satisfied that we’ve rounded up all of his spies and put an end to Kerberos, he’ll go on trial.”
“And President MacAdam?”
A touch of regret or sadness passed across Ryker’s face. “His attorney was pushing for him to be declared insane, but MacAdam took offense and fired him. He’s still insisting it was his right as Commander In Chief to attack the terrorists in the manner he saw fit.”
“Mass murder.” The phrase made Mark slightly ill. He’d worked for Kerberos. Enjoyed the freedom it had allowed him. He’d had no qualms about the selective killing of individuals who threatened his country. The murder of thousands of innocents was another story. He hated to think how close he’d come to being an unknowing accomplice.
Ryker nodded. “Thank you for helping us stop them. I believe we’re square now.”
Mark felt some of the tension ease out of him. Ryker might suspect he’d killed Marrone, but he wasn’t going to pursue it. And Ryker was apparently willing to forget about the harm he’d caused the SSU.
“You’re welcome,” Mark said.
Ryker glanced toward the door and smiled. “I’d better leave now, before your lady has me thrown out. Good luck.”
“One more thing.”
Ryker raised one brow.
“I want to tell Faith everything,” Mark said. “She deserves to know.”
“She’s a reporter. For the protection of everyone involved, I’ll need a statement in writing promi
sing that she won’t take the classified material she’s been exposed to and make it public without receiving authorization from myself and the various agencies involved.”
From Ryker’s quick response, Mark knew that the SSU director had already anticipated his request. “I’ll tell her that.”
“Very well.”
Mark watched Ryker leave with a twinge of regret. If his life had gone differently, if he hadn’t been warped by his need for justice and his sense of entitlement, he would have liked to work for a man as honest and trustworthy as Ryker. Rafe Andros and the others at the SSU were very lucky people.
Mark sighed and closed his eyes. Truth was, he was finished with this spying business. He wanted peace. To settle down with Faith. Maybe start an import business, bringing in luxury goods from Russia and the former Soviet bloc. He still had plenty of contacts.
He gave a rueful smile. Or maybe not. Too many of those contacts skirted the edge of the law. He was done with that. He didn’t want danger. He wanted a quiet life with the woman he loved.
Two Months Later
SSU Laboratories
Georgia
Faith stood alone in the small, unfurnished room, waiting anxiously for Toby to be brought in. Since his rescue, she’d only been allowed to see Toby that one time on the tarmac. But Dr. Montague, now back to work and in charge of Toby’s care, had just contacted Faith to let her know that Toby was stable enough to meet his sister again.
Faith’s stomach danced nervously. How would her brother have changed? Would he be angry that she’d left him alone with the SSU? Did he realize the scope of the attack that had almost taken place?
A part of Faith still couldn’t believe what she’d learned. The President of the United States had been prepared to decimate an entire population in an attempt to ease his pain over the murder of his five-year-old son. If the attack had succeeded, Toby would have been an accomplice, no matter how unwilling.
Thank God for the SSU. Knowing her brother was almost back to normal eased the sting of having to promise in writing not to reveal any of the details of the attack, Kerberos, or Kaufmann’s program. To the rest of the country, the President had resigned due to sudden health reasons, and his undisclosed diagnosis was also blamed for his recent death. Beyond Siobahn’s initial article, there’d been no additional mention in the press of the missing service personnel or any hint of the experiments being run.
