Edge of Betrayal (24 page)

S
ophie had been in enough bad situations to know one when she saw it.

Two burly men dragged her down the long, filthy corridor. The walls were a mix of rock and dirt, with supports bracing the tunnel every few feet. It smelled like mildew. Dim electric lights glowed over her head, giving the space just enough light to let her see how dangerous this place really was.

She didn’t know what it was for, or where it led, but one good sneeze and the ceiling might come caving in on them.

She tried really hard not to sneeze in the midst of all the mold spores that were doubtlessly floating around.

Dr. Sage limped ahead of her, leaving a drop of blood every few steps. She only hoped that even though the bad guys had found her tracking device, Riley and the others would follow the tunnel and find her before it was too late.

The ground beneath her feet sloped up. Water dripped from the electrical conduit overhead. The temperature changed, growing colder as they went up.

She prayed it meant they were nearing the surface and some fresh air. If she had to die tonight, she really didn’t want it to be down here.

One of the men escorting them opened a heavy steel door to her left. There had been a few others along the never-ending path, but they all looked too old and rusted to move on their hinges. This one was in a bit better repair, as if someone had made sure it still functioned.

Steps led up. Sage had a hard time using his injured leg, but she didn’t feel a second of pity for him.

“If you want to fall and crack your skull open, that works for me,” she said.

The fist around her left arm tightened painfully.

Sage glowered at her over his shoulder. “I’ll let that pass since I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“I’ve never once willingly done anything for you.”

“Your will is irrelevant. That tracking device they so cleverly tried to hide on you? If not for that, I never would have suspected that I might also have a similar object under my skin. I should have thought of that, but I’ve been a bit . . . distracted over the past few weeks. All the torture and whatnot.”

“Whatever they did to you, it wasn’t enough.”

He stopped on the top step and turned. His head cocked to the side as he studied her. “I remember you now,” he said. “You were the screamer.”

She clamped her lips shut around the bubble of fear that tried to escape.

She had screamed at his hands. A lot. The memories of those times seemed to shove their way to the top of her brain, forcing her to remember.

Sage grinned. “Don’t worry. I only need you alive for one little thing. You won’t have to scream for long.”

*   *   *

Mira’s phone rang while Riley and Adam were working on opening the metal doors. Gage had brought in enough plastic explosives and det cord to take the building down, but they were worried about what it might do to anyone on the other side of the door.

Namely, Sophie.

She didn’t recognize the number, so she stepped outside, away from the noise, to answer it.

A cold wind whipped around her head and froze her fingers. “Hello?”

“By now you know I’m not in the barn,” said her father.

Suddenly, the temperature outside seemed balmy when compared to the ice freezing over her insides.

“Where are you?” she managed to ask through chattering teeth.

“You’ll see soon enough. First, I want you to head south, back out toward the main road, and wait for your ride.”

“You think I’m going to just hop in the car with one of your goons? You’re fucking crazy.”

“You won’t find me any other way. And I know how much you want to find me.”

“We’re nearly through the door,” she lied. “We’ll be on your trail in less than thirty seconds.”

“Let me save you the trouble. The tunnel beneath the barn leads to a little clearing where I had a helicopter waiting. Your friend and I are getting on it now. You can join us, or you can let her die.”

“You won’t hurt her. You want her for your experiments too much.”

“Is that what you really believe?” he asked, using a paternal tone that made her stomach heave dangerously. “Are you saying you don’t remember the lessons I taught you? You don’t remember just how far I’ll go to make sure my daughter obeys?”

Memories swirled in her head, choking her. He’d hurt so many kids to get her to cooperate. She knew that. But the tone in his voice, the sound of his words buzzing in her head, made old memories resurface—ones she thought long gone.

She’d tried so hard to forget them—the kids who hadn’t lived through her father’s attempts to teach her some lesson or other.

“You won’t kill her,” she said, but this time her voice was weak and trembling with uncertainty.

“I will. Just like I killed the others when you were too stubborn to do what you knew I wanted. Just like I killed your mother. The only thing that matters to me now is the work. You were my greatest creation. It’s time you accept that and come home.”

She could barely push out a whisper. “Home?”

“You belong with me. My work on you is almost done. Just a little more and you’ll be perfect—just like I always dreamed.”

Realization dawned, and with it came a blinding wave of emotion. Disgust, anger, fear. Betrayal.

“This is about me, isn’t it? This was always about me.”

“No. It’s about me. My work. My dreams. You’ve always been too selfish to see that. From the moment you were born I knew you would be my greatest achievement.”

Something inside of her—some small, hopeful part that had always wanted a real, loving father—died, screaming in pain. There was no more hope. No more possibility for redemption.

“I won’t let you win,” she said. “I won’t give you what you want.”

“You will.” The wrenching sound of a scream of pain flooded the phone. It was Sophie’s voice, pitched in agony. “Or your friend will suffer before I kill her.”

Mira had been here before. Too many times to count.
Her father knew she would give in. She couldn’t stand the sound of another person’s pain, couldn’t stand the sight of another person’s blood.

He knew that. It was how he defeated her, how he gained her cooperation. It always had been.

“Please, don’t hurt Sophie anymore.” Mira started walking south. “I’m coming.”

S
omething wasn’t right. Adam could feel it in his bones.

He double-checked the explosive charge Gage was setting. That seemed perfect. There were no words of warning from Payton, who served as their eyes in the sky. Riley was helping Gage get the shaped charge set to blow. Mira had taken a call and slipped outside, safely away from the blast radius.

That had been ten minutes ago. She should have been back by now.

Heart thudding with dread, Adam raced outside to search for Mira.

She was gone.

He dialed her cell. A familiar ring and blinking light came from a pile of leaves a few yards away.

His stomach bottomed out, and his ribs took a beating as the queasy adrenaline of fear hit his system.

He activated his mic. “Anyone have eyes on Mira?”

“Negative,” said Riley and Gage in unison.

Payton’s voice held a hint of panic that mirrored Adam’s own. “Nothing on the satellite, but we’re at the extreme edge of its window now. I can only see half of the area.”

“Redirect it. I think she’s been taken.”

Riley said, “Hold on. I’m checking the location of her dog tags right now.” He came out of the barn, phone in hand, making a beeline for Adam. He brushed past him by a few feet, then bent over.

When he stood up, the silver, barcoded tags she always had on her were dangling from his fingers. So was her gun.

“It’s not good news,” said Payton in his ear. “I backed up the image and got a split-second glimpse of someone getting into a car at the road leading into the property.”

Adam had to struggle to pull in his next breath. Panic—something he’d rarely allowed himself to feel—shoved its way in, shaking his voice. “Where did it go?”

“There’s no way to be sure. The satellite’s range didn’t reach that far.”

Adam closed his eyes and allowed himself one deep breath. He had to focus. Think. He couldn’t let his emotions run rampant.

But this was Mira, not just any woman. This was the woman he loved.

Shocked by the realization, he turned it over in his mind, studying it for just a moment before he boxed it away for another time. Strangely, the feeling and all its associated thoughts wouldn’t be hidden. Like so many other things about Mira, his love for her was too powerful to contain.

He had no choice but to let it dwell in his mind while he tried desperately to think around the consuming feeling.

How did anyone function like this? How could they possibly go about their lives with so much going on in the background?

However they did it, he needed to learn. Fast. If his head wasn’t clear, Mira might be lost to him forever.

Rage bloomed at the thought, swelling to the point that he had trouble taking his next breath.

“Easy,” said Riley, laying a steady hand on his arm. “We’ll find her. She’s got to be with Sage. That asshole’s
been trying to get her in his grasp for years. He was the only one who knew where we were. We’ll find her, find Sophie, and bring them both home.”

“Do you know where to even begin looking?” Adam asked. “Isn’t that the whole point of this expedition—to find Sage and his lab and take them both out? We lost him. What do you propose we do now?”

Gage’s voice came over the comms, low and quiet. “Take cover.”

Adam and Riley both turned away and covered their heads just as the charge went off.

“Door’s open,” said Gage.

Adam and Riley ran back into the barn. The metal doors were twisted and smoking, but the path down was clear.

“It heads west,” said Riley.

“One of us should follow in a vehicle,” said Adam.

“Not me,” said Riley. “Sophie went down there. So am I.”

Adam looked at Gage. “Go with him. I’ll follow in the vehicle with all the weapons and ammo.”

Riley nodded. “We probably won’t have working comms down there, so if you don’t hear from us, don’t worry. We’ll resurface when we can.”

Gage stared at Adam with eyes that were too much like his own. Those eyes narrowed. “I know that look.”

“What look?” asked Adam.

“Gonna do something stupid.”

“We haven’t been partners long enough for you to know me that well.”

“But I do.”

“Just go,” said Adam. “I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

Gage continued to stare long enough that Adam grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny. Finally, he gave a single nod, then followed Riley down the steps.

Adam hurried out of the barn, making sure his
microphone was off. The call he was about to make was not one he wanted anyone to overhear.

He’d worked for Dr. Norma Stynger just long enough to know that she was as brilliant as she was ruthless. If anyone knew where Sage’s lab was, it would be her.

It took several minutes for a string of personnel to connect him to the woman. He was already behind the wheel and speeding away when her voice came over the line.

“Adam. How good of you to contact me. It’s been too long.”

Not nearly long enough, but he had no choice. “I need a favor.”

“Really? And you called me? You must have me confused for someone else. I don’t
do
favors.”

He ignored her and said what he needed to say. “Sage has gone missing.”

“So he’s not dead after all. Seems that condition is contagious. Where was he hiding?”

“He was in custody.”

“But he no longer is. Too bad. He’s always been a thorn in my side.”

“One I’d like to remove. Permanently.”

“Now, here’s a conversation I’m interested in having. It’s been a long time since you wanted to work for me. Why the change of heart?”

“I don’t have a heart. You know that. All I need to know is where to find Sage. Tell me that and he’ll be out of your way for good.”

She let out a quiet sigh. “That’s too bad. I have no idea where he is.”

“You know his patterns. You know where he’d go to continue his work.”

“All the old labs were destroyed. Bainbridge, Norwood, and the rest of them made sure of that.”

“All of them? If that’s the case, then where are you working?”

“Me?” she said with fake sincerity. “I’m retired.”

“Bullshit. I was collecting people for you only a few months ago. In fact, I met one of your employees recently while at work—the one who you sent to collect Sophie Devane.”

“That name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Enough with the games. You know where Sage is headed, and even if you don’t, you have a better guess than anyone else will.”

“Where was he when you last saw him?”

Adam gave her the location of the nearest town.

“Ah. Right. The underground tunnel network.” She sighed as if reminiscing over the good ol’ days. “I remember them.”

“Where is the closest lab? He left on foot. He’s got to be headed somewhere nearby.”

“Let’s say I do know the place where he might go—an old facility that has seen quite a bit of renovation activity over the last few weeks. What would that kind of information be worth?”

“You think we’re going to help fund your research? You’re insane.”

She let out a laugh that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “I have no desire for your money. I receive plenty of that from my eager investors. But there is something you have that I don’t.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m developing a new protocol that has been designed to work on even the most . . . resistant subjects. I’ve read your files. So many times. Nothing else I’ve designed would work on you, but I think this will. I’d like to test my theory.”

Adam went numb with shock. His hands felt like lead weights around the steering wheel. He nearly swerved off the road. The tires slid over the edge of the pavement, trying to drag the whole car into the ditch.

He righted the vehicle, but not before the noise he’d just made carried through the phone.

“What did you think I’d want, Adam?” she asked. “You have so little of value.”

“You want to experiment on me? See if you can control me? Use me against my will?”

He swore he could hear her lips smacking in eager glee. “I do.”

Even the suggestion made him queasy, but he couldn’t think of any other options. Sage was in the wind. Mira was in danger. So was Sophie. If Adam didn’t find them soon, he knew exactly what would happen—the same thing he’d barely prevented from happening last year. Sage would end up killing his daughter.

He sucked in a deep breath, hoping it would calm his churning gut. “If I agree to let you use me as a test subject, you’ll tell me where to find Sage?”

“Yes. You will kill him. When you’re done, there will be a man waiting for you. You’ll come along quietly and not make a fuss. Agreed?”

“Are you going to kill me?” he asked.

“Not intentionally, but I can’t make any promises. All those pesky side effects, you know.”

“Promise you will leave the people I work with at the Edge alone.” He didn’t dare give her names for fear she’d use the knowledge of his love for his brother and Mira against him.

She chuckled. “You’ve made emotional attachments. That’s interesting.”

“Promise,” he grated out, “or I take my chances finding Sage on my own.”

“Fine. As long as you’re a nice, docile test subject, I’ll leave your friends alone. But you’re going to have to sweeten the pot.”

“How?”

“Sage has something of mine—some research notes that were stolen by one of my lab techs.”

“You want me to get them back,” he guessed.

“No. I want you to convince him you know the password protecting the file—one I’ll give you.”

“You’re going to let him open the file?”

“No. It’s a built-in safeguard to protect the data. You enter the right password and it will activate a program destroying all the information as well as any computer and network it can reach.”

“What’s the password?”

“Not yet. Tell me you’ll do the job first—to save your emotional attachments.”

The fewer people with her research the better, as far as he was concerned. “Fine. I’ll find a way to destroy your research notes.”

“Good boy.” Her condescending tone ground against his nerves.

He gritted his teeth. “We have a deal. Now tell me where I can find Sage.”