Ruthless Game

  He was always eerily silent around strangers. The doctor and physical therapist as well as any deliveryman prompted him to go completely still, and he stared unblinkingly at them until they left his line of sight. He had easily held up his head far before the book told her he would, and he was pushing himself up by his arms as well as using his hands with coordination.

  "Because you're so smart, Sebastian," she whispered. Inside, she was just a little afraid. If Whitney ever got an inkling that Sebastian was weeks ahead of where he should be in his development, she was certain he would send an army after the boy.

  She tried to keep her son away from everyone and often cautioned Kane not to brag about him, even to his team members. If Sergeant Major learned about Sebastian, would he say something to his superiors? Would it be put in a report somewhere for Whitney to find? She knew the man had spies everywhere. Money talked, and Whitney had plenty of it. He also was very adept at blackmailing people into getting what he wanted. Or threatening them.

  Whitney had a variety of ways to succeed at his plans, and he was ruthless enough to always come out on top.

  She brushed kisses on top of Sebastian's head before switching him to the other breast. "You don't have to worry, son," she whispered, rocking him a little. He always seemed to sense her agitation and reacted, snuggling closer as if to comfort her. "You've got not only your daddy and me but Mack and Javier and all the rest of the team. I know some of them are scary, but they'll look after you always."

  Saying the words aloud comforted her. Maybe no one was completely free. She wasn't a prisoner unless one counted love caging her in. It was her choice to stay with Kane and the others. "We can have a life here, Sebastian. It won't be perfect. You'll have to learn about self-defense and guns and hand-to-hand combat, but we'll have fun. I promise you that. We'll definitely have fun."

  "Hey, sweetheart," Kane stuck his head into the bedroom, keeping the door closed just in case anyone might catch a glimpse of her. "I'm heading up to the training floor. Eric gave the okay, and they're going to work me a little harder."

  She laughed. "Does he know you've been training for the last couple of weeks?"

  He frowned at her and gave a quick shake of the head.

  "I knew you were lying to me when you said he gave the thumbs-up."

  "I never told you Eric gave me the thumbs-up. When you asked me if it was okay for me to train, I put my thumb up, that's all. I can't help how you interpret gestures."

  "I can give you a couple of other gestures you might want to interpret," she threatened, trying not to laugh. He was impossible to keep down.

  "We can discuss that when I get back. Or you could call Jaimie and ask her if she wants to go shopping with you."

  She could see the effort it took for him to make that concession. He was determined to give her whatever freedom she needed. "I might put off the shopping until tomorrow, and you can arrange for our shadow escort ahead of time. That way, no one has to scramble or interrupt any plans they might have already made." She leered suggestively. "I think a discussion is definitely in order when you get back. I'll have Sebastian asleep by then. I'm going to play with him now. He likes to be on the floor."

  "He rolled over the other day."

  She didn't have the heart to tell him she'd seen Sebastian doing that particular trick a few times. He was abnormally strong. She planned on mentioning it to Paul the next time she saw him. There was no question that Sebastian had inherited special DNA from both parents.

  "He's great, isn't he?" she answered. "Don't overdo, Kane. Really, just do what the physical therapist says is safe."

  He blew her a kiss and shut the door behind him. She could hear his laughter fading away as she snapped her bra back into place and buttoned her shirt before lifting Sebastian to her shoulder to rub his back until he burped.

  She loved the way he smelled, all clean and fresh with a hint of his father on him. "Do you feel like playing today, son?" She crooned as she spread the thick rug Kane had brought her just for this purpose. He had more baby toys than any one child should ever have because the team was constantly bringing him gifts.

  She stretched out on the floor, lying on her stomach next to him. Sebastian immediately pushed himself up as if doing a push-up from the knees up. He held his head up and looked around the room before looking at her, almost for approval.

  "That's a boy. Stretch out. Doesn't that feel good? Your arms are getting very strong, Sebastian. Now push with your legs." She turned him over and took his legs, singing softly as she mimicked kicking and walking in the air.

  Sebastian laughed and cooed at her. She loved his bright eyes and the instant response. He rarely cried, watching her and Kane with his intelligent eyes. She leaned down to kiss his foot. "You're such a happy baby," she told him.

  Sebastian's gaze shifted from her face to look just over her left shoulder. His eyes went wide and staring, and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Rose rolled away from the baby, trying to get her feet under her. A dark shadow loomed over her, caught her by her hair, and threw her forward so that she landed hard a few feet away, sprawling facedown again. The moment she hit the floor, she rolled under the bed and out the other side, leaping to her feet and grabbing for the knife she kept on the nightstand.

  A second man appeared in the doorway, scooping up Sebastian, who stiffened and began to wail at the top of his lungs, kicking and squirming, fighting the large hands of his kidnapper.

  As Rose rushed around the bed, the first man caught her by her ankle and yanked. As she went down, he slammed into her back with the force of a linebacker, knocking the wind from her body. She felt a sharp sting in the side of her neck, and the man caught her body up and tossed her over his shoulder.

  She hit his back with her head, unable to move. The knife dropped from her hand, the tip sinking into the floor. It wobbled back and forth for a long, strange, slow-motion moment, and then everything went black.

  CHAPTER 15

  "Keep going," John Baily snapped, his face a stern mask.

  Kane wiped the sweat from his forehead where it was dripping down to sting his eyes. He glanced at Eric. The doctor leaned against the wall staring into space, paying no attention to the therapist torturing him. Everything hurt. He could barely breathe, and he wasn't altogether certain he could keep going. Was that the point? Were they trying to drive home to him that he was still weak?

  He ignored Baily and stalked across the room to snatch up a towel. Gideon leaned against the wall regarding him with worried eyes.

  "Tell him to go to hell," he suggested. "He's a sadist."

  "I haven't even been working ten minutes," Kane said, slightly ashamed. "He's got me going up the ropes over and over, and my gut just can't take it yet."

  "This is a bullshit workout, and you know it," Gideon said. "I think Eric went to sleep, or he'd be all over this guy."

  Lights began flashing throughout the workout room.

  Gideon turned and ran for the door, Kane following on his heels. The silent alarm had to have been triggered by one of the team; no one else knew about it.

  Two Ghosts coming out of Kane's house. They both carry a precious package. Javier's voice filled their minds. Steady. Cool. Lethal.

  Gideon broke off and went up the stairs two at a time. He could serve them better from the roof. He would be their eyes and wouldn't miss if he got a shot.

  Kane could hear his blood roaring in his ears. He didn't have to be told what those precious packages were. How the hell had they gotten in without triggering the alarm? Mack met him on the stairs and threw him a gun. He knew the other team members would be pouring into the street, onto the roof, and would be ready to go mobile if their prey somehow managed to get through the gauntlet of team members.

  Whitney's two men burst out of the warehouse, running for the waiting SUV. It was dark with tinted windows and should have been running. Instead, all four tires were slashed and the engine was off. The man with the baby tore open the passenger
door, looked inside to see the driver slumped over the wheel, his throat a mass of blood. Swearing, he slammed the door, and the two men took off running for the docks.

  I've got eyes on them, Ethan reported. He was on the roof of the second building, already making his sweep for enemies. Heading for the docks. He caught sight of Gideon running across the warehouse roof toward the ocean side. A movement on the roof of the building across the street sent a chill through him. Gideon, drop! Drop!

  Gideon threw himself flat as a bullet spit into vent housing, missing his head by a scant inch.

  Damn it, Gideon. Are you hit? I don't have a shot. I can't take the shot. Lucas? Again it was Ethan. Fucking fog.

  He hadn't heard the shot, but there was no doubt one of Whitney's sharpshooters had gained the roof of the apartment building, where they were most vulnerable. It wasn't a long shot by any means and easily a silencer could be used without fear of losing accuracy.

  Shoot that bastard, Ethan, Gideon snapped, keeping down. He couldn't help, pinned down as he was.

  I've got him, Lucas Atherton announced calmly. The sound of the shot cut through the drifting fog. He's down.

  The three men on the roof of the buildings scrambled to become the eyes for the team spreading out like wolves hunting on the ground. People walked along the street, moved through the fish market at the far end of the docks, and workers unloaded cargo along the docks. Traffic moved slowly, and the world seemed oblivious to the drama taking place on the street.

  Javier, on a skateboard, dropped into position just a few yards from the fleeing men. He looked like any other teenager out for fun, sliding in and out of pedestrians with ease. He had spotted the SUV waiting in front of the warehouse and had taken a closer look before disposing of the driver.

  Kane and Mack burst from the warehouse and ran together, weaving in and out of the pedestrians, sprinting fast. A bullet shattered the glass of a small bookstore, sending shards flying into the air and raining down onto the sidewalk and street. Several people screamed and began running.

  Take a left, Top, through the alley. You'll get around in front of them. Javier is closer to them, and Brian's flanking them on their left. Gideon was as calm as ever.

  Jacob's closing in from the right, Lucas reported.

  Get the shooter, Mack snapped.

  Already done, Top, Ethan said as he took his shot. The shooter was in an apartment on the third floor, fifth window over. Ethan fired through the window, watching his bullet hit the target. He's down. Sweeping now.

  Paul and Marc are right behind you, Top, Gideon added.

  Paul Mangan and Marc Lands were the best medics they had on their team. If Rose or the child were injured, it would be up to them to save them quickly.

  They were surrounding the enemy, closing in fast.

  Javier, take the one with the baby, and get him out of there.

  On it, Top. Javier's voice never changed.

  He pushed hard with his foot, increasing the speed of his skateboard. He had let Whitney's men see him when they came running out, dismissing him as a kid hanging out with his friends, trying new tricks. He'd studied them carefully, knew they were skilled and dangerous. The one he targeted held Sebastian in some kind of pack, leaving both arms free to carry his semiautomatic. The trick was not to try to outshoot them but to make certain his enemy never saw death coming.

  He knew they could hear the skateboard coming up behind them, but he sounded like any other teenager, and they'd already assessed and dismissed him as a threat. Rose is unconscious. I can't tell what they've done to her, he warned Paul.

  The baby? Kane sounded dispassionate, completely disengaged and remote, but there was the sound of death in his voice.

  He's got lungs, Javier reported, a brief hint of amusement in his voice.

  In another few seconds the two men would be on the docks in the midst of a crowd. Smoothly, Javier shoved again, crouching low, surfing over the pitted alley, coming up behind the enemy holding Sebastian. He swept past, his knife flashing, cutting the throat with one hand as he ripped the pack holding the child away with the other.

  The man gurgled, both hands flying to his throat. Javier turned sharply as he shot out of the alley into the throng of people, heading for the market where the rows of booths and tables gave him cover. He flashed past Kane and Mack straight toward Paul and Marc. He shoved the bundle into Paul's hands and swerved away from them, making a show of weaving in and out of the booths to better give Whitney's man a target.

  Javier made the handoff before the enemy went down, a slow-motion fall, first to his knees, clutching his throat, blood spraying through his hands, and then facedown, his head hitting the wooden slats of the wharf.

  I've got the package, Paul announced as he did an abrupt about-face and began to hurry back toward the warehouse, using the thickening fog for cover from sharpshooters on the rooftops.

  I've got you covered, Gideon assured. The other two members of their team on the surrounding roofs, Ethan and Lucas, would provide cover for the converging members of their team on the ground.

  Double-time it, Mack commanded. We don't know how many more they sent.

  The baby ceased crying the moment he was in Paul's hands, as if he knew silence was paramount for safety now that his team was taking him through enemy lines back home.

  The man with Rose slung over his shoulder halted, staring in horror at his companion. Whirling around in a slight circle, he changed direction, running toward the end of the dock. The fingers of fog had gathered together, turning gray and thick. The sound of his boots on the wooden dock was loud and eerie coming out of the murkiness.

  If you have a shot, take it, Mack said. Jacob, are you on him?

  Roger that, Top. He's got company. A fast boat running hot.

  Keep them away from the dock, Mack ordered.

  At once a barrage of fire from the rooftops prevented the boat from coming in close to the dock. It veered away and raced back out to sea. Once again, the man with Rose switched directions, this time running down the dock toward the pier. The boat circled back in the distance, apparently in communication with the man holding Rose.

  Kane paid no attention to anything but Rose. He concentrated on the path to her mind. It had always been easy to communicate with her, but perhaps she had been reaching for him as he reached for her. Now he groped blindly, trusting his instincts as he ran. He refused to allow fear to enter. Emotion wouldn't do her any good. He had to keep a clear mind and trust his team. All of them were in on the action. Javier had spotted the SUV and correctly read the situation, alerting the team, and they operated together smoothly, as they had for years.

  Come to me, sweetheart. Open your eyes, but don't move. Just open your mind to mine.

  He kept the running command up, over and over, pushing deeper into her mind, trying to find her subconscious, trying to reach her. Rose was a force to contend with. The man running with her just didn't know it.

  "You've got nowhere to go," Jacob's voice came out of the fog, disembodied, slightly distorted. "You're cut off from your men. Put her down and walk away."

  I've got no shot, Lucas said. I'm firing blind at the boat. Fog's too thick.

  I've got an angle on the boat, but can't see Rose, Ethan reported. He sent two rounds at the zigzagging boat. The two occupants had good cover with the small cabin.

  Kane stopped running as he neared the enemy and went "ghost," sliding into the dense fog, barely taking a breath, his feet making no sound on the heavy wooden planks.

  Keep his attention centered on you, Mack instructed Jacob. We're approaching from behind and slightly left and right.

  They didn't want Jacob to shoot them by accident as they split off from each other, moving in complete silence. Kane had sight of the enemy now, standing near the railing overlooking the pounding waves as they broke over the pier pillars. Rose hung limp, either hurt or drugged. Not once had his efforts to rouse her met with a conscious mind. He didn't stop moving or even hes
itate, coming out of the fog, the vapor swirling around him as he approached, striding right up to Whitney's man, eyes locked on his prey, his gun up and ready.

  He recognized the man as one of the guards he worked with, David something. Their eyes met. David's eyes went wide. He turned and heaved Rose's body over the railing into the rolling ocean. Kane shot him in the back of his neck, picking up speed as he did, running toward the rail. He tossed the gun to Mack, leapt onto the rail, and dove, following Rose into the sea.

  The water was ice cold, closing over his head, taking him down into darkness. He refused to feel the cold or the pounding, rolling force of nature. He didn't fight, rather went with it, waiting to surface until the sucking sensation left and he could kick upward. He took a breath and looked around, knowing the next wave would drive him against the pillars if he wasn't careful.

  He spotted her body up against one of the whitened columns, the waves battering her delicate form. He swam, using his enormous strength to pull him through the water, using the wave to push him closer to her.

  Rose! Rose, baby, wake up for me.

  He refused to allow panic into his world. There was only the distance between them, and he was closing it with every long, strong stroke. He got his arm around her and rolled her over. Her body was completely limp, and for a moment he thought she might be dead. He managed to ride out the next wave with his arm firmly under her.

  In the water! Bogey in the water. Ethan's voice filled his mind.

  A bullet spit just past Kane as a diver in a green and black wet suit emerged from behind the pillar, speargun in hand. Lucas had taken a shot at the diver but missed. The diver shot at Kane, reaching for Rose in an attempt to get her away from Kane. The spear slid fast through the water, but as the wave came crashing in, it veered slightly off course and just missed his leg.

  Go, Jacob, Mack directed. Jacob had been enhanced through DNA just for this purpose. He was the best in the water, and Mack sent him to back up Kane.

  Jacob Princeton sliced through the water, moving fast, his body built for swimming, his enhancement allowing him to stay under for long periods of time. He dove under Kane, straight at the diver's legs, yanking him down and away from Kane, who retained possession of Rose.