Southern Regions (Southern Desires Book 4)

by Jeannette Winters

  It wasn’t the first time these thoughts entered her mind. In fact, it was the same torment she’d put herself through for the past six years. Each time she worked on the vaccine, she beat herself up for needing one in the first place.

  Now she was back in a controlled lab where she could safely perform the final test. When Kevin had asked her how long it’d take to finalize the formula, she said a week or two. That wasn’t accurate at all. She knew she only needed a few hours to complete the compound for the vaccine. The injection of it was going to be simple as well. The unknown is what scared the hell out of her. Being wrong could spell disaster in a thousand different ways.

  Grabbing a notepad, she began to jot down possible outcomes after injecting herself with the vaccine.

  One: vaccine totally effective, immunity forty-eight to seventy-two hours following inoculation. Top of my wish list and what we really need.

  Two: exposure to virus after inoculation results in temporary paralysis. Not ideal at all. It would cause a secondary chain reaction of deaths due to effects from the paralysis.

  Three: immediate adverse reaction to vaccine, causing death. Only a small population should have an allergic reaction. But one death is too many.

  Four: vaccine ineffective and paralysis manifests after ingesting virus. Then I failed, and all is lost.

  Five: vaccine ineffective against virus, virus becomes resistant to future vaccines and treatments. Absolute worst case scenario.

  Her hands began to tremble, and the pen dropped to the floor. She didn’t need to write a list of all the possibilities. They were endless and wasn’t going to change the fact she was going to inject herself with the vaccine.

  I should tell Maggie. Someone needs to know so if something goes wrong, she can tell . . . Kevin. Marina hadn’t given up on Kevin being alive. She knew it was only a matter of time before he came for her. She wanted this test to be over when he did. If Kevin watched her inoculate herself, it would only heighten her fears. Marina was willing to take the risks with this stage of testing. It was hers to take. If Kevin was present, if he understood what could go wrong, he’d try to stop her. She couldn’t allow that.

  Marina walked over to the vial containing the vaccine. She inserted the needle inside and drew out what she hoped was the correct dose into the syringe. There’s no knowing dosage without testing the efficacy. I’ll fine-tune the dosage later, if I have a later. Laying the syringe on the metal tray, she rolled up her sleeve. She’d decided not to tell anyone. It would only provide a witness. Her notes would be sufficient. She grabbed an alcohol pad and swabbed the area. Picking up the hypodermic syringe, she brought it to her left shoulder and was about to inject herself when the door to the lab opened.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  Seeing Kevin rushing over to her was a shock. He grabbed the syringe from her hand and put it back on the tray. He looked and sounded very angry; his hands were rough on her upper arms as he pulled her away from the counter.

  “Kevin.” She couldn’t speak any other word except his name. No matter how angry he was with her, even if he screamed and told her he hated her, it wouldn’t matter. He was alive and, from the look of him, uninjured.

  “Take it easy, Kevin,” another man shouted from behind Kevin. The voice sounded familiar, but his face wasn’t.

  Kevin ignored the man, never taking his eyes off her. “Tell me, Marina, what the hell were you about to do?”

  She noticed the lab was getting quite crowded as more people were entering. The only person she recognized was Maggie, who lagged behind them all.

  “Can we talk about this alone?” Marina asked quietly.

  Kevin shook his head. “I don’t care who hears. Were you going to test the vaccine on yourself? I thought the vaccine wasn’t going to be ready for testing for at least a week.”

  His voice was so hard and demanding. Kevin had no problem telling her what he felt in the past, but this was unlike any other time they’d spoken. He had to know I was going to do this. How else did he think I’d know if it worked? He would only hinder what was inevitable. She couldn’t allow that to happen. Somehow Marina needed him to see that.

  Looking him square in the eyes, she summoned her remaining inner strength and said, “This is my lab and what I do in it isn’t your concern.”

  Kevin looked shaken by her comment. It was like slapping him in the face. He was here honoring his promise to her, and she was practically pushing, no shoving, him away. Her heart was shattering into tiny pieces, and it was her own doing. Be strong. Don’t let him see this is all an act. If he does, he won’t let me do what I need to do. She feared he’d take the syringe and inject himself. With all the unknown factors, she would rather he hated her than suffer the consequences of loving her.

  He let his hands drop from her and stepped back. Kevin continued to stare as though what he heard wasn’t the truth. She’d never been a good liar, but his life may depend on doing so. His body language was changing, but she couldn’t tell if that was good or bad.

  “Is this really how you want to play this out?” His tone was one she’d heard him use when talking to Johnson. It was all business.

  Marina had to close her eyes as she nodded. She knew if he looked too long or deep in them, she’d break and fall into his arms. There was nothing more she wanted than to have him by her side.

  She heard him walk away and the door slam behind him. Then tears started to stream down her cheeks. I did it. It’s done. She effectively hurt the only man she’d ever loved, and now she was alone.

  Marina slowly opened her eyes and found the room wasn’t as empty as she’d hoped. “Who are you?”

  “Mark.”

  Ah. I should’ve guessed. “Is there something I can do for you?” She tried to play her role with him, but he wasn’t falling for it.

  “You can answer my brother’s question.”

  At least he was standing there emotionless. She could deal with that. I’ve dealt with it most of my adult life. “What has Ke, I mean Captain Collins told you?”

  Mark arched a brow then pulled up a chair, plopped himself down, and said, “Captain Collins told me nothing. Kevin, however, had a lot to say.”

  Her first thought that he was going to be easier to deal with than Kevin was wrong. She found herself wanting to know what Kevin had said about her. Did he break my confidence with Mark? It’s expected, but I still hope he kept his word. Of course he’ll be the only man in my life who ever did. It wasn’t going to make things any easier, but she still wanted to hear the words. She just couldn’t bring herself to hear them from Kevin.

  “What . . . what did he say?” she asked as she took a seat next to Mark.

  “He’s very concerned about you.”

  I gathered that from his actions. “There’s no need to be.”

  “Marina, you can lie to my brother because his feelings are blinding him now. It won’t work with me. So quit playing games. Tell me, what was Kevin worried you were going to do?”

  She wanted to tell someone, never thinking it’d be Kevin’s brother. He was involved no matter what. From what she’d overheard on numerous phone conversations, he was the man in charge.

  “I was about to test a vaccine.”

  “On yourself?”

  She nodded.

  “I’m no biochemist, but I bet they don’t normally use themselves as a test subject. So why are you?”

  “To guarantee it’s effective, a human test subject is required.”

  “Great. Let’s get some volunteers in line.”

  “No!”

  He ignored her firm denial. “If you think Kevin is going to let you inject yourself with something that hasn’t been proven safe or at the very least effective, you don’t know him.”

  That is exactly my hope. He’s not here now, so I guess I was correct. “He’s not here to stop me.”

  “No, but I am.”

  Marina stood with her hands on her hips and said, “Then you can walk r
ight out that door like Kevin did.”

  Mark laughed. “You think he’s gone? Left you to do what you want to do?”

  “Yes,” she answered softly.

  “He’s cooling off because if he didn’t leave the room right then, he would’ve grabbed that syringe and injected himself. Nothing I could’ve said or done would’ve prevented that.”

  “Oh, God. Do you know what could’ve happened?” Her voice was filled with panic, knowing Mark was telling the truth. He hadn’t left due to anything she said. He was gone because he was afraid of what he’d do.

  “Therein lies the problem. No one seems to want to tell me what exactly we’re dealing with. Not Kevin and not you. So until I have some answers, consider the testing phase on hold.”

  “Mark, you can’t do that. If the vi—” She stopped herself before she said too much. Mark was good and knew how to push someone’s buttons. Your interrogation tactics are much different than your brother’s. “I take my research very seriously.”

  “Good. Then you’ll have no problem letting Kevin test it.”

  “No!” Again her own emotions betrayed her.

  Mark got up and walked over to the syringe. Holding it in his hand, he said, “A vaccine means you have a virus you need protection from. I don’t believe this is about fighting the common cold or influenza. Is it a virus we haven’t been introduced to yet?”

  You’re good. “It is.” There wasn’t anything else to say except the truth at this point. She knew if she didn’t he’d only gather the information from Kevin. There was no way Mark was going to allow Kevin to test anything on himself. That much she knew. She wasn’t sure if he was willing to allow her to test it on herself.

  Mark laid the syringe down again and went to sit back by Marina. “Then let’s start from the beginning. What does this virus do?”

  Marina spent the next hour going through everything she’d learned about the virus she created as well as her thoughts on the vaccine. She spared no detail about how her work to create a treatment for Alzheimer’s turned out so wrong. Mark didn’t ask any questions, which surprised her. No matter how she tried to read him, she couldn’t. He was trained to not give the enemy anything to work with. I’m on your side. At least I hope you know that.

  “Now you understand why the testing is so crucial and why I must be the one who volunteers.”

  “You’re half right. We need something to fight this. Marina, you’re the very last person who should volunteer. If this doesn’t work, we need you alive to continue your research until a vaccine or cure is found.”

  Her head knew he made sense, but her heart didn’t want to hear it. “Mark, there are other biochemists who could step in and do this.”

  “No one knows it like you do. You’ve been working on this for six years. I’m not sure we have six days left. These men aren’t going to stop until they have what they want. Right now, that’s you.”

  She already knew that. “Then we need to test it now.”

  “Agreed. But not on you.”

  “Nor you,” she said adamantly. She remembered Kevin telling her he was a newlywed. His life was just beginning. It always came back to her. I’m the only logical choice no matter what he thinks.

  “She’s right, Mark. You’re not testing that on yourself.” They’d been in such deep conversation that neither of them had heard Kevin return.

  Mark stood up and asked, “So what do you propose?”

  Kevin walked over to Marina and said, “You know this better than anyone. Do you believe it’s going to work?”

  She looked at the syringe then back to Kevin. There was no way she could be one hundred percent positive, but she truly felt it was ready. It has to be. “I do.”

  “Then I say we test it today,” Kevin said straight forward.

  “Okay.” She reached for the syringe, and he grabbed her hand stopping her. Marina looked at him. “I thought you said—”

  “I did. But I never said on who.” Kevin shouted, “Bring him in.”

  The door opened again, and Maggie entered with a man she’d never seen before. He had his hands tied behind his back. The other man beside her had a gun trained on the prisoner.

  Mark flew out of his seat. “What the hell is going on?”

  “We found this guy nosing around outside.” Derrick pulled a gun from his waistband and laid it on the table. “I don’t think he was deer hunting as he claims.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Mark pulled out his phone, looked at it, and then swore again. “Fuck. Service has to come up now!” He shot Kevin a look. “Any sign of anyone else?”

  Kevin shook his head. “If he got off a transmission, with this weather we might have twenty-four to thirty-six hours max before they arrive in force.”

  Marina grabbed hold of Kevin’s arm. “That’s not enough time for the vaccine to take hold before ingesting the virus.”

  “It might be all we have to work with,” Kevin said before turning to Derrick. “Nash, roll up his sleeve.”

  Marina wasn’t sure who this man was, but she couldn’t bring herself to inject him with it. It didn’t matter if he was good or bad, he needed to be willing. Obviously, he wasn’t. “Stop. I can’t let you do this. It’s wrong.” They all looked at her in surprise. “If we do this, use him like a rat in a cage, how am I any different than they are?”

  “Marina, you can’t even compare yourself to them,” Kevin said, pulling her hand to his chest. “You’re the most loving and gentle person I’ve ever met.” Pointing over his shoulder to the man in cuffs he continued, “He’s scum of the earth.”

  “You need to remember that he’s someone’s son, or brother, or husband, or . . . father.” She knew they all thought her father deserved it just as much as this man did. No matter how much she despised everything he’d done, he was still her father, and she’d never subject him to it either.

  Before any of them could argue, the man started to convulse violently. Derrick tried to hold him but let him slip to the floor. Within seconds the shaking had stopped, and the man was still. Marina ran over to him and turned him onto his back. His eyes were wide open, pupils fully dilated. She felt for a pulse. There was none. “He’s dead.”

  “The bastard must’ve had a cyanide capsule in his mouth when we grabbed him,” Maggie said.

  “Fuck. Now we’re back to square one,” Mark said coldly.

  Marina got up and walked back over to Kevin. “You know why I need to do this, right?”

  He reached out and touched her cheek so tenderly that she melted into it. “Then you know why I can’t let you.”

  “Please, Kevin. I started all this. It has to end with me.” Her voice was pleading.

  “Marina, there’s only one way I’ll let you do this.”

  She met his gaze. Her love for him was reflected in his eyes. “Tell me.”

  “If you let me do it with you.”

  She tensed up. “No. Kevin. I can’t. If something goes wrong—”

  “Then it goes wrong on us together. I promised you, Marina. I returned, and we’re in this together.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, gently murmuring, “together” against her lips.

  Marina closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being in his embrace. She’d missed him so much. Having him here, holding her again, brought her feelings of love right back to the surface. Letting go of him felt impossible. You stole my heart before I could stop you, and I don’t want it back.

  As they still clung to each other, they were nearly knocked over. Maggie had pushed them out of the way and grabbed the hypodermic off the table and raised her hand above her left bicep as the entire room screamed for her to stop.

  Kevin had let Marina go so quickly she fell to the floor, but she saw Kevin grab Maggie’s wrist and pry the syringe out of her hand. Thank God. As Marina went to stand up, she saw Kevin injecting it into his own bicep.

  “No!” Her heart sank. It was too late. The vaccine syringe was empty. She ran to him and wrapped her arms ar
ound him. “Why Kevin? You know I didn’t want this.”

  He held her closely, tipped her chin up so their eyes met, and said, “Because I love you with all my heart, Marina. Losing you would be a fate worse than my own death.”

  You can’t die. This has to have worked. She fought back the tears as she put her arms around his neck. There was nothing she could do for him now except wait and be there with him for whatever the results were. “Kevin Collins, I love you more today than yesterday, and I’ll love you more tomorrow.” So you better be here, cause I don’t want to face it alone.

  “Hate to break this up, but we’d better scan the grounds again. We’re not sure when we’re going to get more company, but I promise, they’re coming,” Mark said as he stepped over the dead body and opened the door.

  “Kevin, you go with Mark. Maggie and I can put this guy someplace less obvious if anyone does show,” Derrick said.

  “There’s a place in the back where no one will go. I’ll show you,” Marina said as she slipped from Kevin’s arms.

  He grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him, and whispered, “My mother said falling in love with the right person is easy.” He kissed her briefly. “She was right.”

  As he left following Mark, she knew she’d found true love. The timing was so wrong. She didn’t know if they had fifty years ahead of them or five minutes. No matter what they were given, she was going do everything she could to show him her love.

  Her exploration of the facility earlier was coming in handy now. Marina led the way to where Derrick and Maggie could put the body. It was tight quarters, so she stayed at the end of the hallway and pointed. “All the way in the back you’ll find a room. The key is hanging on the doorknob. You might want to find a better hiding place.”

  As they made their way down the hall, struggling to carry the body, Marina slipped back into the lab. She looked around and grabbed the syringe Kevin had used, inserted it into the vaccine vial, drew the same dosage and then injected it into herself. She put the vial away again and placed the syringe back where Kevin had left it.