Lust

by Lana Pecherczyk

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  The patrol car glided by on the main street. She waited for another few beats and then drove back to the intersection. This time, when she looked left, she almost had a heart attack. The patrol car had stopped at the front of Lazarus House. She glimpsed two uniformed officers disappear into the lobby.

  Fuck. Shit. Fuck.

  Why would they be there?

  “AIMI, it’s Lust,” she said into the hood microphone. “Why are police entering the building?”

  Static.

  She waited a few seconds in case AIMI was busy with another request, but then realized AIMI was a supercomputer. She could handle more than one person using her at a time. She could handle millions.

  “AIMI,” she tried again, a note of urgency in her voice.

  After another minute, dread unfurled in her gut. Something wasn’t right. AIMI was offline. Impossible.

  In no world would Parker leave their artificial intelligent management interface offline for this mission. AIMI was their eyes and ears in the streets. She alerted them to danger, both from local law enforcement, and the enemy.

  Revving the engine, Liza planted a boot on one side, spun the back wheel, and turned around. In two seconds she was back at the garage, approaching the closed roller door. But it didn’t go up. She slammed on the brakes, bringing the motorcycle to rest just inches before the metal door.

  She looked up to the camera. It was supposed to recognize her and let her in. She waved. Nothing.

  Don’t panic. Everything is fine. Just because systems are down, and a patrol car is at the front door, doesn’t mean a thing. But the sick feeling wouldn’t go. In fact, it increased in intensity until it pierced her abdomen. Deadly lust.

  And there was only one person in this building who’d been throwing that sin earlier—Daisy.

  Liza’s heart twisted with the realization of what it meant. Daisy was betraying them. They’d hoped so hard it wouldn’t be true.

  No time for regrets.

  She had to get inside. It was either head out the front, potentially reveal herself to the police at the front entrance to her building, or climb up the seven-story facade to the roof and enter through the stairwell there. She could always try smashing a window, but that would get messy. She looked up the long line of the building to the cool winter sky.

  The building had no fire-escapes. Only a single drainpipe. Then that’s how she’d go. She tugged on the two karambit she’d synced to her battle uniform, but they wouldn’t detach. Fuck, she realized with a jolt. The knives were stuck to the suit via computerized synchronization. The suit was made of some kind of kevlar polymer blend. It was virtually indestructible.

  AIMI was definitely out. Daisy must have put a virus into her mainframe, effectively shutting down everything she managed. Elevators. Suit functions. Communications. Building security.

  They were sitting ducks. Anyone could infiltrate the building.

  The loud thwacking of a helicopter’s rotor blades drew her attention to the sky.

  “Motherfucker,” she cursed.

  Multiple scenarios ran through Liza’s mind.

  Could she use her poison to somehow weaken the synchronization?

  No. It wasn’t acidic based. The sizzling that happened on Parker’s face was due to temperature, unlike she’d originally thought.

  So, then what?

  Pull the knives until her arms broke, or the connection did. She could get down with that. With a renewed sense of purpose, Liza pushed energy into her arms—almost screamed at the tension she emitted—and... nothing.

  She tried again, and again, until eventually, her stubbornness won. The magnetic lock between the indestructible fabric and knives gave way, and she sagged with relief. Whether it was a flaw in the suit’s system, a safety backup, or her strength, she didn’t care. It worked. Making haste, she used the blades to claw the brackets on the drainpipe and climbed.

  She climbed until her muscles burned and kept going. No doubt Daisy was going for Misha. Liza’s apartment was adjacent to Wyatt’s, two levels from the top. Wyatt’s faced this alley. Perfect.

  Before Daisy got to Misha, she’d have to get through Mary, Flint, and Wyatt. There was no way in hell she’d get past Wyatt. She’d have to kill him, and the man was invulnerable—bulletproof.

  But Daisy had found a way to shut AIMI down. She’d infiltrated their home, counted on their weaknesses, and exploited them. She’d lured every other deadly Lazarus out of the building by dangling a Faithful sized carrot, and they’d fallen for it.

  She had underestimated Liza’s sin sensing. Everyone did. They all assumed the lust Liza felt was sexual. Even Liza had assumed Daisy’s lust wasn’t as serious as it turned out.

  She’d never make that mistake again.

  Approaching Wyatt’s apartment, Liza ignored her protesting muscles and pushed past the point of pain. The drainpipe took her within arm’s reach of a window. She tried to angle herself closer to the window so she could peek inside, but a scream from the roof had her sharply looking up. Misha.

  Liza edged her way higher. Only two stories to go. As her face crested the top, she took stock of the scene.

  A helicopter hovered above the roof, causing the water in the pool to vibrate and splash. Dangling from the chopper’s open cabin were two black-clad mercenaries, machine guns at the ready. Neither had spotted Liza. Their eyes were on Daisy as she dragged Misha from the stairwell—they’d not taken the elevator. Made sense if the system was down. Daisy had blood on her face and arms, as though she’d fought... but they looked like knife wounds. Mary. Wyatt would have pulverized. Mary sliced. Where was he? Were they both okay?

  Misha held her round belly with a pained expression as Daisy forced her to move down the decking toward the helicopter dropping a rope ladder. Blond curly hair caught in the wind, whipping into her eyes. They were coming from the right, the helicopter was to the left, and Liza was in the middle.

  Misha cried in pain and doubled over. Good God, was she having contractions? Was she in labor?

  Adrenaline surged through Liza. If she didn’t get to them before they reached the ladder, there would be no hope. Knowing the suit would protect her from bullet spray, Liza vaulted over the ledge and ran to the decking, blocking their escape.

  Daisy saw Liza the moment she vaulted. Violet eyes widened in shock, and she lifted her palm to the soldiers in the chopper. Stop.

  Liza was too close. The bullets might catch Daisy, or worse, Misha and her precious cargo. Long silver hair floated from the helicopter’s wind. Daisy looked right, left, and knew her only escape was back down the stairwell, or straight through Liza.

  Liza’s grip on her karambits tightened. Try.

  An almighty crash sounded from the rooftop lobby. Liza refused to take her eyes from Daisy but caught movement in her periphery, and when the bellow of an avenging mate cut through the din of the rotor blades, Liza knew Wyatt had arrived. A glance and she caught him stalking like the devil himself from a punched and dented out elevator door. Black clothes, black hair, black eyes. He was darkness coming to reclaim his light.

  He must have been locked inside when AIMI went down.

  Clever Daisy. She’d lured Wyatt to the ground floor with the police, then shut the systems while he was in the elevator. And if she’d known there were police coming, then it was entirely possible she’d caused it.

  “Let her go!” Liza shouted to be heard over the helicopter uproar. “You’re out of options.”

  But Daisy did something Liza never expected. She dragged Misha by the hair and crossed to the edge of the roof. She kicked the glass pane, shattering the fence. Wind coursed up from the ground, buffeting their hair.

  She’s going to jump. She’s going to kill them both.

  “Stop!” Liza shouted at the same time Wyatt roared, “No!”

  Liza tugged her mask and hood down. The clatter of metal barely registered as she dropped her knives.


  A furious demon glared out from Wyatt’s face. Veins pumped in his neck and forehead. His fists were ready to decimate. “I’ll kill you, Daisy. You fucking lay a hand on her, and I swear to God I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth.”

  That threat might have worked for someone who cared. Liza inched closer to Daisy.

  “Take me!” Liza shouted, holding her palms out in surrender, approaching cautiously as one would to a wounded animal. “Daisy, listen to me. You don’t want to do this.”

  Daisy’s face hardened. She gripped Misha around the neck and stepped closer to the edge. “You have no idea what I want,” she shouted. “You’ve never known. Never cared.”

  Tears burned Liza’s eyes. “That’s not true. Give us a chance.”

  The cold hard resignation in Daisy’s posture was a stake to the heart. The lust Liza sensed fizzled, signaling Daisy’s resolve dying. She was giving up, and not in the way they wanted.

  “I’ll catch you!” Liza shouted, taking another step. “If you fall, I’ll jump after you and catch you.”

  Another step.

  Closer.

  Daisy blinked. Liza wasn’t sure if she’d heard, but then Daisy cocked her head curiously. That’s right. Remember.

  “Lu-ust,” Despair’s sweet, melodious voice sang. “Come here and give me my morning cuddle!”

  “You have to catch me first, ‘Spair.” Liza’s four-year-old legs jumped onto a table, slipped, and toppled to the side. She screamed.

  Strong childish arms caught her. “Don’t worry, Lust. I’ll always catch you when you fall.”

  “Don’t do it, Daisy,” Wyatt added. He, too, had inched closer.

  Daisy’s face screwed up. She forced the emotion away and leveled her violet-eyed stare on Liza.

  “You don’t understand,” she said. “I have to return with her and the baby. This is my last chance. We just need the stem cells from the umbilical cord. That’s all.”

  “You don’t really believe that, do you?” Liza replied.

  “He’ll take me!” Daisy shouted. “If I don’t bring him something, he’ll—” Pain ripped through Daisy’s expression. “He’ll suck the life out of me, every damned cell. He’ll throw away my hair follicle from his locket, and then that will be it. I want this over. I want this never-ending nightmare over!”

  “Then you give them me,” Liza urged, not understanding half of what her sister said, but it didn’t matter. Daisy’s fear was real. “I’ve met my mate. I’ve unlocked my DNA. If they want embryonic stem-cells, they can use me. It only takes a few weeks to make them, right?”

  She shuddered at the thought, but she’d cross that bridge if she came to it.

  Thoughts collided behind Daisy’s eyes. She was thinking about it. Liza’s gaze darted to Wyatt. He stared back, bleak, and resigned. He knew this was the right thing to do. Misha had to live. The baby had to live.

  Liza could take whatever they dished out. She clenched her jaw, steeled herself, and looked back to Daisy.

  “What assurances do I have that you’ll come without fuss?” Daisy called.

  Liza lifted her palms. “You’ll just have to trust me, the same way we trusted you.”

  “I betrayed you.”

  Misha cried out again, clutching her stomach. Tears streamed down her face, her blue eyes locked onto Wyatt in desperation.

  “It’s okay, baby. You’re going to be fine.”

  “Wyatt.”

  Liza shouted, “You might jump, Daisy, but I’ll catch you. These suits have wings.”

  “You’ll catch her,” Daisy accused, looking at Misha.

  Liza swallowed her heart and said something she could never take back. “She’s too heavy. She’ll fall too fast. You’re my sister, Daisy. I’ll save you.”

  It was a lie. Liza wouldn’t be able to save either of them, and if given the choice, it would be Misha, but Daisy didn’t know that. Hopefully. And from the way she contemplated, she also didn’t know that their suits’ functions were broken because of AIMI. Thank God for small mercies.

  Daisy’s eyes locked on Wyatt, trying to get closer. “Knock her out,” Daisy said, and jerked her chin toward Liza. “You want your mate back, then you knock your sister out. Hard.”

  Anguish swamped Wyatt’s gaze as it landed on Liza. She didn’t need him to respond to know he’d do it, even though he’d hate himself after.

  “It’s okay,” she said to him. “Knock me out.”

  Every line of his body said he was forcing himself to move. Every step he took was one his heart didn’t choose. But he didn’t hesitate. He boxed Liza’s temple.

  Agony spliced through her head. The ground shifted. Blackness closed in and she toppled to the floor. Goddamn.

  The last thing Liza saw before darkness swallowed her whole was the shove Daisy gave Misha, her subsequent fall to the ground. A scream of agony, hands clutching her belly.

  Boots pounded the pavement, closer.

  Another punch to the head, and then darkness.

  Please let the baby be okay.

  25

  Lately, it seemed like all Joe did was mop up after crimes. Whether it was a murder scene or the aftermath of a vigilante family raiding a criminal’s hideout, he was the one coming in after the deed was done. He’d rather be preventing it from happening in the first place, but he supposed he had to start somewhere. And this was it.

  Ambulances, local police cars, and firetrucks gathered at the downtown laundromat where the raid had gone down. A burst water-main sprayed into the early evening sky, but the flames from inside the basement hideout had been extinguished. The Faithful that resided there had tried to burn the place down after the Deadly Seven arrived.

  Joe had sat from the safety of his car while the Lazarus family did the hard work. At first, he was annoyed to not be included, but the moment it was safe, they called him in and then left just as suddenly. They’d said their communications system went down. Since then, Joe’s stomach had been filled with a bucket full of nerves. It hadn’t escaped his attention that he’d failed to see Liza’s fuchsia mask among the gray-clad warriors.

  The beep of a packing truck reversing smashed through his thoughts, reminding him to pay attention. As he gestured for the truck to keep reversing, a news crew arrived. He pretended not to see. If all things went according to plan, it should be Lilo Lazarus, Griffin’s wife. If the news crew caught the replicate tank on camera, then it would be hard for anyone to sweep it under the rug. The actual clone was still suspended inside. Coupled with the Faithful being carted into the back of patrol cars, there was no doubt this incident would be taken seriously. It was the second Faithful attack in as many days. The captain would receive recognition as the one who helped blow the conspiracy... well, part of it. They still had to tie the Faithful to the man running the show in Cardinal City—Julius Allcott.

  “Special Agent Luciano!” Lilo shouted above the noise.

  Holding the boundary, Geoff tried to keep her back. “This is a crime scene, ma’am, please stay back.”

  She plucked her press ID from her lanyard and held it out, as though it gave her immunity to do whatever she wanted. “Is it true these white-robed terrorists are more than just some disgruntled workers getting revenge like we were led to believe? I heard the inside of that place looks like it’s been bankrolled by someone with expensive tastes. Can you comment on—holy shit. You got that on camera, Mo?”

  The cameraman, a tall gangly guy in his late forties, aimed his lens somewhere behind Joe. Four firemen staggered up the laundromat’s basement steps carrying the long replicate tank, sloshing with a viscous liquid, and a naked man.

  Geoff tried to block the camera, but Joe waved him off. “It’s all right, Geoff. I got this.”

  And then he proceeded to tell Lilo and the camera about everything they’d found. He’d probably get an earful from the director, and perhaps the captain, but screw it. It was about time some of this leaked. He would use the opportunity to study the reactions
of the higher-ups. He wanted to flush out the traitors, those under the Syndicate’s thumb.

  His job was to uphold the truth, not hide it.

  When he finished talking to Lilo, she told the cameraman to shut it down and pack the things away, then she gave Joe her cell phone. The green look on her face made Joe think she was going to be sick.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “They’ve been trying to call you, but no one knows your number, and AIMI is down so they can’t, you know, look for it.” She waggled her brows at the last words, making Joe think she implied something else.

  “The computer is down?”

  She nodded. “Take it.”

  He lifted the receiver to his ear. “Luciano.”

  “It’s Parker. There’s something you need to know. Liza’s been taken...”

  The rest of his words were a blur. The ringing in Joe’s ears grew louder until it brought his senses to a standstill. His arm holding the cell dropped to his side and he leaned onto his knees, taking deep breaths.

  “It’s going to be okay, Joe,” Lilo said grimly. “I know it is.”

  With a purposeful exhale, he brought the cell back to his ear. “Explain that again?”

  “It was Daisy. She lured us out, somehow knew when the police would come for a witness statement from Wyatt, and—” Parker made a disgruntled sound. “She put a virus in AIMI, effectively shutting us down from the inside.”

  “And how did Liza get involved?”

  “She must have sensed something. She never joined us. Wyatt said she was on the roof before he was. If it weren’t for Liza’s sacrifice, Misha would be dead.”

  Joe swallowed. “Is she...?”

  “She’s in labor, and at the hospital.”

  “I meant Liza.” Was she injured? Dead? “Do you have any idea where they took her?”

  Parker’s silence was louder than any words, and when he eventually spoke, Joe’s resilience was at breaking point.

  “Liza got knocked out cold. We don’t know anything beyond that. I planted a tracker in Daisy’s tattoo ink, but the technology is paired with AIMI. The same goes for the tracker in Liza’s suit. Until I get the system up and running, we don’t know where they’ve gone.”