by Milly Taiden
“Well, then.” He smiled at her and brushed a non-existent strand of hair behind her ear. “That says to me you have no choice but to go home and open another bottle of wine.”
Seeming in a slight daze, her hand raised to touch the place he brushed his fingers over. “That sounds like a very good idea. I need to clean up and get the vial—”
“Let me take care of everything. I’ll make sure the mice are safely locked up in the other lab. Where’s the best place to hide the serum? Your refrigerator is trashed.”
“It’s safe. I put it in the Virology guys’ cold unit.”
“Good. I’ll talk with Kintu and tell him you’re off until we can get you set up to work effectively again.”
Her head tilted to the side. He caught her stare. “Why are you being so nice to me? You don’t have to be.”
He sighed. Man, he really wanted to tell her the truth about him, about who he was and who he worked for. He was tired of being undercover with her so close.
The urge to kiss her overwhelmed his senses. His animal wanted to make her happy, to make her smile again. He stepped closer to her. The mouse in the pen next to him screeched at him then ran to the far side of the pen.
Melinda said, “That was weird. It’s never done that before.”
Damn critter. It ruined the moment. If they weren’t in an occupied building, he would’ve let his cat have a light snack. The cat rolled its mental eyes. Don’t waste my time.
Hamel cleared his throat and headed to the other side of the table to get the mouse and put it in its cage for the night. Immediately, the mouse took off for the far corner where Melinda was. What the hell?
“Remember,” she said, “they don’t like you very much.” She scooped up the mouse, gave it a treat, and set it in its cage. He recalled that, but how did the thing know he was coming to get it? Maybe it smelled his cat and just ran.
“If I leave,” she started, “will you have something to do for the rest of today and tomorrow?”
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ve got enough to keep me busy. Go ahead and go. I’ll talk to Kintu to get the window patched, at least. Getting glass may take a few days.”
She picked up the cage and turned to him. “Thank you for all you’ve done this week. You’ve gone over and above what most Oversight people ever would. Saturday’s Halloween. Take it easy at the bars. You don’t want to end up like you were this morning.” She smiled.
He gave her a nod. “No worries. I’m not going anywhere near another bar. Have a good weekend.”
She took the cage, got her purse, then walked out.
He let out a sigh and ran a hand over his head. Fuck, he was a mess inside. He knew what he needed to do, and then there was what he wanted to do, which was follow his mate to her bedroom.
He glanced at the non-operational cooling unit. There was no doubt in his mind the thief was after the vial. What happened when they discovered they still didn’t have it? Would they come after her? How long did he have before that happened? A day or two?
Pulling a caveman and dragging her off was sounding better and better. It was hard to protect her when she couldn’t know he was around. He was lucky last night and this morning. Nobody had attacked her while he was recuperating from the snakebite. That really did a number on him. He didn’t remember a thing from the time he killed the snake until he woke on the grass outside the animal hospital.
He supposed she had taken him there, but why leave him outside the building? And how did the serum get into him? He’d felt it working. Thinking about it now, he vaguely remembered an old man talking to him while he was lying on the grass. But he couldn’t recall what was said. Who knew? The old guy probably thought he’d found a panther and tried to scare the cat off.
He made his way to the door. He needed to speak with Kintu and get to Melinda’s house before much time passed. He didn’t like the thought of her being alone. Not for one second.
CHAPTER 19
Hamel padded through the woods from where he’d parked his car and stripped. The wooded area that extended to the water had come in handy. At first, he thought it would be a problem, blocking his view of her. Then he realized how his animal blended in perfectly.
It was late afternoon instead of being dark out, so he traveled deeper—closer to the water than usual. The last thing he wanted was kids following him to look at the pretty panther. He was a black jaguar, with spots, if one looked close enough.
Having moved south far enough, he cut in to find her balcony with the hammock chair and table. He’d have to try that chair. It looked really comfortable. He always fell off the hammocks strung between trees at the big resorts he’d vacationed at. His cat laughed at him to no end. Stupid human couldn’t balance enough to lie on a hanging blanket.
A familiar smell reached his nose. Faint, but there. Melinda’s bungalow came into view. The balcony doors barely stood, busted open. A spike of adrenaline shot him forward, over the rail, and onto the small patio. Fear. That was the smell. Just like in the lab not too long ago.
He sniffed at the doors. Absolutely no smell, meaning hunter’s block had been used again. He stuck his head past the broken barrier to listen for movement. The only thing he heard was soft sobs.
Stepping in the two-room home, he surveyed the space. It looked like a trash dump with everything that had not been sitting on the floor now lying on the floor. Papers, books, computer, pens. Her mattress had been flipped up, even. Every pan, plate, and dish sat scattered. Cabinet doors stood open, boxed food and white powder covering the floor.
Letting his nose guide him, he found Melinda curled up in a corner next to the front door. She must’ve seen her devastated home as soon as she walked in and hadn’t made it much farther.
Oh, god, his heart hurt for her. He wanted to shift and hold her in his arms, tell her everything would be all right now that he was here. He would protect her and never leave her side, except when she went to the bathroom, and then he’d stand outside the door. His overprotective streak was exhibiting itself again.
Her eyes widened when she saw him, and she inhaled to scream, no doubt. He fell to the floor, trying to tell her he wasn’t going to hurt her. He meant her no harm. Of course, he had to land on top of a few forks and pointy kitchen utensils.
His eyes remained squeezed closed, waiting for the high-pitched yell to pierce his ears. Nothing came.
Opening one eye, he looked at her still crumpled in the corner. Her mouth gaped, but no fear was in her eyes. More like wonder. The thought to crawl forward was delayed as soon as the first fork tongs pressed against his stomach.
Well, shit. Now what? If he crouched just off the floor, it would look like he was going to pounce on her. If he got to his feet, she’d think the same. All normal options no longer being options, he rolled over, legs in the air, belly exposed, to flop onto his side. Not as graceful as he’d planned, but he was off the forks.
A small giggle floated to him. Was she breaking into fits of hysterical laughter, those that preceded a mental breakdown? He couldn’t blame her. Having your home trashed by thieves felt like being assaulted. They’d invaded your supposedly safe home. She’d feel violated, dirty, even though none of it was her fault.
The smell in the air told him they were happy giggles. As he remained non-threating on his side, he glanced at her. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, and a hand partially covered a slight grin. Her line of sight was at his stomach.
He looked down to see his underside completely covered with white powder. Raisins, small nuts, and a fork were stuck to his belly. When he had rolled, he got white powder along his whole body. He didn’t have to worry about looking scary anymore. Now he had to deal with being a laughingstock. He was so glad none of the other guys on the team were here.
As best he could with paws, he brushed off the unwanted tagalongs then rolled onto his belly. Head on his paws
.
“Aww, aren’t you so cute, big kitty.” Joy filled him. His mate thought he was cute. Then his cat reminded him everyone thought kitties were cute. Dammit. Couldn’t he soak in pride for just a second? No, his cat always had to keep him grounded.
She was no longer crying; that was good. He wondered how close he could get. On his stomach, he pushed forward with his back feet. She didn’t cringe. Good sign. He repeated the action, coming within a couple feet of her.
No fear floated in the air, so he slowly inched toward her. She tentatively reached out and rubbed between his ears. That felt good. It’d been a long time since he’d been scratched with fingernails getting all the way to his skin.
He scooted closer, laying his head on her feet, her legs akimbo. With both hands, she scratched his scruff and neck, working farther down. Ahh, yeah. This was fucking great! He slid forward, resting his head on her thigh, then partially rolled to expose his stomach.
Her nails scraped along his tender skin. Fuck, yes! Shit, this felt better than sex, with anyone except his mate. She’d be incredible, if he ever got her there. But for now, this was it. Yeah, baby.
He couldn’t stop his purring. Again, thank goodness his teammates weren’t here to witness. Slowly, he came down from his high to realize she’d stopped her heavenly ministrations. He took stock of the situation.
His body lay splayed between her now straight legs, his upper back bent over her thigh. One paw sat on her shoulder and one foot wedged under her knee. His other foot dangled in the air, flashing his junk to the world. Whoa—he brought his leg down quickly. No need to impress with those. She’d appreciate the other form better.
He lifted off her leg, crawling back a bit. He parked his head between her knees and took a deep breath. Heaven.
Oh, shit. He looked up to see her expression. Did he just royally embarrass himself? Good thing animals didn’t blush. She smiled down at him.
“You’re my guardian cat, aren’t you? I’m glad the snake venom didn’t kill you. I would’ve felt terrible.”
Yeah, him, too.
“You’re so pretty and soft. I could pet you all night.”
All in favor say “aye.” Aye. Aye.
• • •
Melinda let out a heavy sigh and looked around her room. “What am I to do with this mess? I hate to say it, but I wish Hamel were here.” He’d started to grow on her. She actually liked him. If she was honest, maybe she more than liked him. No, that wasn’t possible.
She thought back to the hug he gave her not long ago in the lab. His incredibly strong arms had picked her up off the floor like she weighed as much as a piece of paper.
The feeling that went through her as he held her, pressing her against his chest—never had she sensed such safety, such peace than while she rested against him. And damn, he smelled so freaking good. She loved how his face shined when he smiled at her, and how his eyes lit up when he laughed. She loved how he took control when her mind was in a tailspin with what had happened. That seemed like a daily event lately. Right now, he could have all the control he wanted.
But he wasn’t here. She laid her head on the wall. “I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised about this. After all, I did take the serum home last night. I was lucky the guy went looking at the lab instead of here.”
Her hands rubbed her eyes. “I am so tired of all this, kitty. All I want is to have it all go away.” She’d never done anything to deserve this.
But what worried her most was that she still had the serum. Where and when would they strike next?
CHAPTER 20
Her house was trashed. She sat on the floor by the door, not wanting to go in any farther. But she had to eventually. So Melinda climbed to her feet and stretched her back. The jaguar was gone, and it was dark.
Dembe was right when she said Melinda should take a vacation. She needed it. But right now, her home was a war zone. A groan bubbled up her throat. She hated cleaning big messes. That’s why she tidied up as she went when cooking or doing anything.
Still in her work clothes, she made her way to the bedroom, showered away the stress, and changed into stretchy pants and a T-shirt. She started cleaning the food and dishes from the floor. After a while her logic returned from overpowering fear.
Why would someone come after her personally? Perhaps it wasn’t personal and they were just looking for the serum. That thought made her feel better. Whoever it was had done their homework. They knew where her laptop was locked away, knew a serum was made, knew which lab was hers. Did she know this person?
This all started two days ago, the same day Hamel fell into her lap. Good god, it seemed like weeks, not days. Was it too coincidental that Hamel arrived the same day as the first break-in? He had to have been vetted by Kintu. He was from the— She gasped. He wasn’t from the CDC. In all that had happened after the phone call, she’d forgotten about that. He was a fraud. Holy frackin’ shit. He had to be the bad guy.
It all made sense. His uncharacteristic Oversight temperament, the non-technical medical terminology. He was late this morning, but not from going to the bar. He was searching her house for the serum while she was at the lab. Perfect timing. He had as long as he wanted. When she had called him, he was probably at her place. That’s exactly why he told her not to leave her lab. He couldn’t take the chance she would leave and come home.
Should she call the authorities? This wasn’t Atlanta, where the cops came in to bust the bad boys. The “cops” here walked around with machine guns strapped around their shoulders and grenades in their pockets. She understood why Mr. Kintu wanted to keep this whole thing under wraps. The advice was good and she’d follow it. She’d have to tell him first thing in the morning. That would work. Hamel thought she was taking the day off.
Wait. She’d told him where she hid the serum with the other department. He wouldn’t wait until tomorrow when the guys were working. He’d take it tonight while everyone was gone. Five minutes had passed since she checked her watch last. If she left now, she could get to the lab well before then. She had to try, at least.
She slipped on her running shoes, grabbed her keys, and flew out the door. The food and destroyed house would have to wait. Nothing was more important than keeping the serum out of the wrong hands. What he would do with the virus, she had no clue. But he wanted it bad enough that the reason couldn’t be good.
Traffic was light this late at night. Most traveled by moped or motor bike. The roads in town were paved, but narrow. The main road went from Entebbe airport at the southern tip of the peninsula, north to Kampala, the closest big city. Plus everything around the Uganda Virus Research Laboratory was much nicer than the rest of the town. Money went into the lab’s surrounding area, housing scientists and visiting bigwigs.
She slowed when approaching the guard shack at the entrance gate. Rousing suspicions wouldn’t be good. She handed her badge to the guard. He took several minutes, making two calls inside his hut. Security was probably extremely tight because of the break-ins. That made her feel safer, but right now, it just annoyed her.
The guard opened his door and handed back her badge. “Here a little late, Miss Caster?”
“I am, but I’m off for a few days starting tomorrow, so it all works out.” The single-arm gate levered up. “Oh, has Dr. Hamel come through recently?”
“No, ma’am. I’ve been here several hours and I have not seen him.”
That relieved her. She’d beaten him there, if he was truly coming back to steal her work. Should she say something about not letting him in? If she did then it would cause a big stir, and she didn’t have time to answer a million questions from the security captain.
“Thank you.” She waved and drove under the lifted gate arm, aiming for her building’s parking area. Another guard stood at the entrance. He looked at her badge and radioed the gate guard. They confirmed with each other, then the guard let her
into the building.
The interior felt strange at night with most of the lights off and nobody around. When she passed the lunchroom, through the windows, she saw Hamel coming from the side. Shit. He was already there. He was the one.
Wait. The guard said he hadn’t seen Hamel come in. That solidified in her mind that he was the bad guy.
She had to hurry.
CHAPTER 21
Frantically, Melinda flipped through her ring of keys looking for the one that would let her into the Virology lab, hiding the set as best she could. The research scientists dealing with viruses and such shared keys in case they needed to get into another lab when working late at night. But that wasn’t something they wanted everyone knowing about. Too many tempers had exploded when someone was not able to get something they needed in someone else’s lab. The keys had come in handy for her several times.
The lock finally turned and she slipped inside. Her hand flipped up the light switch and she ran for the fridge unit. The tube with a rubber top sat exactly where she’d put it. She stuffed it into her pants’ side pocket and ran for the door. She heard voices in the hallway, right outside the door. Hamel. Shit.
Her body slid behind the door as it opened. “Melinda?”
How the hell did he know she was here? He must have seen her. Dammit. How was she getting out of here? Would he kill her? Isn’t that what all bad guys did? Kill witnesses?
A microscope sat on the counter next to her. She wrapped a hand around the main vertical support. Hamel came into room, stepping past the door. With all the strength she had, she whipped the scope off the countertop, and in a graceful arc, brought it down on his head. He went to the floor and she rounded the door, slamming it shut behind her.
Then she ran. If she could make it to the guard outside, she’d be safe.
“Melinda!”
