Predatory Game

  Without waiting for an answer, she dove beneath the undercarriage, rolling toward the back of the van. She was small enough to fit without sacrificing an arm or leg as she rolled between the tires and back out into the open. I'm clear.

  The lift made noise, and it took time. One man burst around the side of the van and she drove her fist into his throat, effectively clotheslining him so that he went down hard, his body hitting with enough of a thud that she knew he was dead. So much for never killing again.

  She kept running, right at the second man. He was braced for her, so she planted her foot on the side of the van and raced up and over his head, to jump kick the third man right in the temple. She aimed accurately, using her forward momentum to double the force of the blow. She felt rather than heard his skull fracture and he was down even before she landed on the ground.

  The second man spun back toward her, one beefy arm reaching for her. She stayed in motion, rolling across the hood of her car to put the vehicle between her and her attacker. They aren't enhanced.

  Jess burst from the van, thrusting hard on the wheels, accelerating off the lift and whipping the chair around to put himself between Saber and the threat to her. Get behind me. The other one is coming around.

  Was he kidding? Did he really think he could fight two huge men from his wheelchair? Saber shook her head. The element of surprise was gone with two dead men on the floor. Their friends weren't going to be so gentle with her. She needed to draw them away from Jess.

  "What do you want?" she demanded. "We don't have any money."

  "Bitch. You killed Charlie."

  "He ran into my fist."

  "You kicked him in the head," the man protested.

  "Sorry, wrong one." She edged her way around her car, keeping him in her sight while she checked on Jess. "It was the other one who ran into my fist."

  "I'm supposed to pound the cripple, before we have a little fun with you." He whipped out a camcorder. "He wants a sweet little video made." The smile faded a little. "How old are you?"

  "Fourteen. Who wants a video?"

  The man swore. "That's bullshit. He wants us to do you, a kid, on camera?"

  Who is this idiot, Jess? He's willing to kill you and rape a woman, but doesn't want to hurt a minor. Is he kidding?

  Criminals have to have some standards, baby. Jess sounded amused.

  The attacker standing in front of Jess held a gun and he looked smug. Jess was quiet, coiled. She could feel his energy growing into something powerful and was surprised that the others didn't feel it. The windows in the van, her car, and the garage shimmered. She felt the air expand and contract as if breathing.

  "Shoot him, Lloyd," the man near her commanded.

  Saber felt the rush of adrenaline as she leapt onto the hood of her car and drove at Lloyd, her legs pumping out hard to smash both feet into his face. Simultaneously, Jess kicked out with one leg from his wheelchair, the ball of his foot hitting the man's wrist with enough force to break the bones. The gun went flying just as Saber's heels crashed into Lloyd's face, driving him backward and away from Jess.

  She tried to land on her feet, but she couldn't get away from the body and fell on him. Lloyd went down hard, his arms flailing, and she took a hit to the face that staggered her. She dug her thumbs into his pressure points to keep his hands from her as she scrambled off of him and went for the gun.

  The first man tried to beat her to it, but Jess was there, rearing up like an avenging angel, his body between hers and their attacker. He brought the other man down hard, his fingers digging deep into the trachea.

  "Don't you move, or I end you now," he hissed. "I'm going to ease up enough to allow you to talk, but it better be what I want to hear. What's your name?"

  "Bill. Bill Short."

  "Who sent you?"

  "A guy paid us. Said his bitch was cheating on him and he wanted the man dead and her taught a lesson. He said he wanted a video of it. He never said nothing about her being fourteen."

  Jess clamped down viciously on the man's throat. "Don't lie to me. You're breaking in here to steal government secrets."

  Saber turned away, trying not to smile. Who would ever think government secrets would be lying around Jess's house? When she got herself under control, the man looked as if he might faint. He was sputtering a lot in his denial. "I'm no terrorist. I'm not lying. I'm no spy for a foreign country. And how did she do that?"

  There is no way Whitney sent this man after us, Jess informed Saber.

  Saber moved around him and kicked the gun a good distance away without picking it up. How do I call the others back?

  In the house. Use the phone in my office. He gave her the code, his gaze burning into hers. He was trusting her completely and they both knew it. If she was going to betray him, now would be the moment. Tell whoever picks up "red flag." They'll send my team and a cleanup crew.

  Will you be all right? He was out of his wheelchair and sprawled across the man. She reached down and righted the chair, placing it close to him.

  Jess shot her a look of pure annoyance, and she turned and ran. The house was coded, the security some of the best she'd ever seen, but the moment she was inside, she knew it had been penetrated. Jess, someone's been inside.

  Not this joker, no way could he bypass security. We may still have company.

  Saber entered through the kitchen, moving silently in the dark. She had a near perfect photographic memory and if something was moved even a fraction of an inch, the positioning was off enough to trigger an alarm bell in her mind. She could be in a house one time and draw an exact replica on paper, a map to her every target. In her own home, where she'd been living for nearly a year, she knew that someone had moved the coffee mug she always took to work. It was off by no more than an inch on the kitchen counter, but it had been picked up and put back down.

  She glided silently across the floor, staying out of the open areas, cautious of triggering any motion alarms. If Whitney was involved in any way, Jesse's office would have been the prime target, and she moved in that direction.

  Are you all right? I don't like you in there with no backup. I'm going to knock this one out and join you, so give me a minute.

  She didn't want Jess inside, not when she didn't know what she was dealing with. The place feels empty. I'm tracking to see where he went, but I'll call your team back first. Stay there, Jess, it's easier for me.

  Because you think the wheelchair slows you down.

  Was there a touch of bitterness there? That shocked her. Jess had never sounded like that, never complained. Was he upset because she wanted to protect him?

  That's silly and you know it. I've always worked alone and it's easier to work the way I've always done it. He would understand that. A team didn't take on a new man in the middle of a planned mission, at least not without taking a terrible risk. She was at the office door.

  Yeah, someone had tried to gain entry, but it didn't look as if they'd succeeded. She ran her fingers lightly over the door to check for traps. They went after your office, Jess. Your boy out there might not have known what he was getting into, but he was a diversion. Someone used him to keep us occupied in case they weren't out of the house before we got home.

  Did they get into the office?

  I think security held. The codes are intact. I'm entering now, checking for explosives and bugs.

  With what?

  Saber didn't answer. She could usually detect a bug, but not explosives, not one hundred percent of the time. Pulses from transmitters and receivers were easy enough for her, and the office appeared clean. She doubted that the intruder had managed to break in.

  Your office seems clean but you'll have to sweep the house. The rest of the rooms are lousy with little listening devices.

  You can feel a transmitter? There was excitement in his voice. Respect. Handy talent to have.

  And heartbeats. She didn't know why she told him. Maybe to warn him. To make him back off. Maybe out of fairness, or self-pre
servation. But she gave him the truth as she picked up the phone. "Red flag," she said softly into the mouthpiece and then she hung up without further explanation.

  Show-off. There was teasing respect in his voice and it warmed her.

  His office was a bank of high-tech equipment. The real thing. She knew she was looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars. No way was Jess retired, not with this kind of electronics at his disposal. Most of it wasn't on the market yet. Nice setup.

  Thanks.

  I'm going through the rest of the house. Your team should be here in a couple of minutes. She really hated leaving him out there alone and was torn. Whoever had been in the house was gone now, she was sure--well, almost certain--but she had to check anyway in case that tiny margin of error just happened to be in effect.

  No. Jess kept his voice calm. I need you out here. Lloyd is coming around. And he's not very happy. I'm not in a great position here. We wouldn't want the two of them to get any ideas.

  He absolutely didn't want her in that house alone--not where he couldn't protect her. He'd already made one mistake in front of her, kicking the gun out of his attacker's hand, and sooner or later she'd remember that. She had an eye--and memory--for details.

  He didn't mind playing his wheelchair card if that was what it took to get her back to his side. He had no idea if the house was safe. She was still hesitating. You'll have to help me back into my chair before the others get here. Okay that was low, but it worked, he felt her immediate response. Satisfaction and warmth mingled together. She loved him. She might not want to admit it, but she loved him.

  "What are you grinning about?" She asked him suspiciously as she entered the garage. He was sitting on the floor beside his wheelchair, facing Bill, who still eyed him with fear. A few feet away, Lloyd was rolling back and forth and moaning. "You don't look like you need much help to me." But she went to him and caught at the back of his belt when he braced himself on the chair.

  He hesitated. He was a big man and he didn't want to take a chance on hurting her, not when he could get into the chair himself. You're enhanced physically as well as psychically?

  She nodded. Enough. I don't have the muscle strength a lot of the others were given, but enough to help.

  "Let my arms take my weight." Keeping his eyes on Bill, Jess made certain the brakes were locked before lifting himself into the seat. He could feel her pull, her small body brushing up against him as his weight dragged her forward. "Are you stuck?"

  "You're laughing at me." It took a moment to get her fingers from around his belt. She leaned into him, inhaling his scent. "I think you're enjoying this."

  "Maybe. It's been a while since I've seen any action."

  She studied his face. "Are you telling me the truth?"

  "I'm sitting in a wheelchair, baby, and it's pretty damn real. They aren't going to send me out on a mission unless Ken or one of the others carries me on his back."

  She saw him kick the attacker, no question about it, and he was going to have to lie--or explain. Another experiment, another part of him artificial. He was genetically enhanced, physically and psychically. And now he was bionic. There wasn't all that much left of the real Jess Calhoun. Once she knew the truth, fear would creep in, because he was far more dangerous than she had ever suspected. That wheelchair had been his lure, his bait.

  "But you work for them." She kept her voice low and she didn't look at him.

  "I told you I did. They put a lot of money and time into me and my training, angel face. They aren't just going to let me walk away."

  Her head snapped around, her gaze colliding with his. "Or me. That's what you're saying, aren't you, Jesse? You're saying they aren't going to let me go so easily."

  "They aren't going to let you go at all, Saber. But there is more than one 'they.' We have the good guys and the bad guys, and you're going to have to pick a side."

  "Why? I'm out. Let him come after me."

  "He's relentless and sooner or later he'll find you. He's got a tracking system in every one of you. And I imagine you haven't made him very happy running from him."

  "I know about the tracking device. He was putting the chips in our hips, but some of those escaping removed them, so he's using a different system. I'm not worried about it, he can't use it with me." There was no humor in her smile. "Whitney thinks he's superior to everyone, and that's his downfall."

  "He isn't going to stop, Saber." He tried to be gentle, but he wanted her to understand the consequences. "You have to join us."

  Her eyes flashed. "No, I don't, Jesse. Isn't that the point of what we were all trained to do? Achieving freedom for the people? Well, I may not have had parents and a home, but I'm a person. And I want to be free."

  "You're a predator, baby, same as me. We live in the shadows and we come out to hunt." She looked young and fragile standing there while he crushed her dreams. He reached for her, but she stepped back, so that just his fingertips skimmed her wrist. But you aren't alone, Saber. I'm here and I'll stand with you. We'll all stand with you against him.

  She turned away as the first wave of GhostWalkers burst into the garage, weapons drawn, faces serious. Logan Maxwell and Neil Campbell came in from either side.

  "Two dead," Logan reported after crouching to take a pulse. "Two alive." He looked at Jess. "You both all right?"

  "Saber has a bruise coming up on her face, but otherwise, we're good. She checked downstairs, but not the upstairs."

  Ken and Mari are on the roof. Logan sent the information to Jess and jerked Bill to his feet. "You'll be taking a little ride with us."

  "I want a lawyer," Bill demanded.

  "Do I look like a cop to you?" Logan replied. "Don't piss me off any more than you already have."

  Neil jerked the man to him. "So you like young girls?"

  "No! I didn't know she was fourteen. He didn't tell us that."

  "Let's go."

  "But, my friends. They killed everyone."

  "They didn't kill you or your buddy over there. They saved you for us. So you'd better say everything we want to hear," Neil instructed, shoving the man ahead of him out of the garage.

  You're such a tough guy. Logan snickered. The idiot's going to bawl in another minute. Grab this one too. He yanked Lloyd up, uncaring that the man's jaw was dislocated and his nose broken. "Get out of here."

  Saber watched the team moving with swift efficiency, taking the house while she stood absolutely still, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

  Jess's hand enveloped hers. She tightened her fingers, her heart settling into a steadier rhythm. "Let's go in. They'll have to remove the bodies and clean up in here. I want to double-check my office."

  "We haven't cleared the house," Logan warned.

  "We'll be in the office. You must have swept that first," Jess said. "And they didn't get in."

  "Not the office, but they planted very sophisticated bugs everywhere else." Logan handed him one. "Take a look at this. Not one of ours and not one I've seen Whitney use." He glanced at Saber. "You must be Saber Wynter, Jess's roommate."

  She nodded. His eyes reminded her of a hawk, sharp and restless and missing nothing. He made her feel more vulnerable than ever. His gaze dropped to her hand, linked with Jess's. Instinctively she started to pull away, but Jess tightened his grip.

  "We'll be in the office, Logan," Jess said.

  Send her ahead.

  Jess's gaze flicked to Logan's face. "Saber, will you get the door for me?"

  "Sure." She moved without hesitation, straight through the garage, turned slightly at the kitchen door with her hand on the doorknob, and glanced into the windshield of her car. There was a handoff of something she couldn't make out, but Logan definitely gave an item to Jess and he slipped it into the bag he always carried on his chair. Her mouth tightened, but she kept walking.

  Damn him. So much for being on the team. She was crazy for thinking she could make a place for herself. Essentially she was trading one puppetmaster for anothe
r. Because if she worked for whoever Jess worked for, sooner or later they'd be sending her out into the field to do exactly what Whitney wanted her to do, and she couldn't live with that.

  She sat on the desktop, swinging her legs, and took a long slow look around. The office was huge, bigger than her sitting room upstairs. There was a framed picture of her with her arms around Jess's neck. His head was tilted so he could look back at her and they were laughing. She remembered him playing around with a digital camera he'd been unable to get to work, but apparently he'd managed to fix it.

  She turned her head to watch Jess roll through the door. He didn't have even a smear of dirt on him. "You snake. You said the camera didn't work." She indicated the photograph on his desk.

  "It was the only way to get your picture. Here, let me look at your face. You have a bruise coming up."

  His hands were gentle as he ran them over the delicate bones in her face. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

  "No. But don't think I didn't notice that cut on your head from earlier. I know your male pride is very fragile, but it looks worse than my bruise."

  His eyebrow shot up. "Are we in competition?"

  "No." She ducked her head. "You scared me, Jesse. You tackled a killer with a gun." Her heart had been in her throat and she'd been terrified for him, but she knew enough to choose her words carefully. He was a man who believed men should protect women, and worrying because he was in a wheelchair wouldn't sit well with him.

  "You kicked him."

  "Hey!" Logan's voice drifted down from the upstairs hall. "Jess, we need you up here."

  "Be right there," Jess called back and swung his chair around.

  Saber swallowed her protest and slid from the desk. "I'll go with you." They must have found her field kit. She'd tucked it away safely but maybe not safe enough. It wasn't the end of the world. He already knew she was a GhostWalker. She'd just have to come up with plausible explanations for some of her equipment.

  She went up in the lift, holding his hand, trying to find a way to explain the chemicals in her bag. A small group of men were gathered in her doorway. A faint musky scent warned her it might not be her field bag they'd found. The sudden silence had Jess gliding ahead of her, and between his chair and Logan they blocked the doorway. Jess stiffened and she felt the house vibrate with rage.