Phoenix's Fate (RARE Series, #2) (5 page)

Serenity pulled quietly back out of the young scientist’s mind, and then opened her eyes and sat up.  Rikki immediately moved over next to Serenity offering silent support and protection.  Serenity motioned the scientist forward and rested her arm out, elbow up so she could get to the vein.  Surprise flashed across the woman’s face, but then she moved slowly forward and knelt down beside Serenity.  “I am so sorry,” she whispered as she got the needle ready.

“I know you are,” Serenity told her.  “Can anyone see or hear us?”

The woman kept her head down, her long hair covering her face, and said, “There is a video feed coming through, but no sound.  This is an older building that the General hasn’t used for years.  I was surprised that you were brought here.  Except for me, he moved all of the other women about five years ago.  I have always been here.”  Fear evident in her voice the woman whispered, “He says he is saving me.”

Serenity would think about that later.  Right now she needed quick answers.  “Where exactly are we?”

“I don’t know for sure,” the girl responded, her lips barely moving.  “There are two guards here with me at all times, but sometimes one of them sneaks out to go to Las Vegas.”

Filing that information away as the woman started gathering up the vials of blood, Serenity asked, “What’s your name?” 

“He calls me Six,” was the response.  “I didn’t ask you what the General calls you.  I asked you what your name is,” Serenity told her softly.

The woman stood up and turned towards the door.  Then she looked back at Serenity with tears in her dark green eyes.  “Jade,” she said softly.  My name is Jade
.
”  Then she turned and rushed out of the room, shutting the door behind her. 

Rikki sat down beside her on the cot, stretching out her legs.  “Wanna tell me what that was all about?” she asked.

“Her name is Jade.  She is not here because she wants to be.  And she is not a scientist.  Not a real one anyway.  She’s just doing what she was told to do.  If not, the General has her beaten and stuck in a hole.”

“A what?” Rikki exclaimed.  “He puts her in a hole?”

“Yeah,” Serenity sighed.  “And she was ready to go back down in that hole for us if she had to.  Did you remember anything while I was out?  Jade says we are near Las Vegas.”

Rikki looked over towards the door, then back at Serenity.  “We are in a desert.  I remembered that.  We got out of the chopper in a desert.”

“The Mojave Desert,” Serenity realized.  She had been through Las Vegas once years ago when she and her parents had been on the run from Malcolm.  Las Vegas is in the Mojave Desert.  Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her forehead on her knees.  She did not want the guards to see the vacant look in her eyes that she would get while contacting Angel.  She had some things to tell her.

Closing her eyes, Serenity attempted to slip into Angel’s mind.  It took her a few minutes to make contact.  But when she did, she immediately felt pain and despair.  Something was wrong.  Angel was punching a bag and her knuckles were raw.  There was blood flowing over her hands and down her arms.

Stop it!
Serenity demanded. 
Stop this right now.  I don’t know what is wrong, but you are only hurting yourself and we need you. 

Angel stopped beating the shit out of the bag and grabbed hold of it instead.  She was shaking and the emotional pain she was in was suffocating her.  Serenity gently stroked a soothing hand down her long blond hair trying to calm her.  After a moment, Angel straightened and walked over to sit on a bale of hay.  Hay? Serenity thought.  Where the heck was Angel? 

Talk to me, Serenity
, Angel said after she got a hold of herself. 
We are ready to come get you and Rikki.  Where are we headed?

Las Vegas, Nevada,
Serenity informed her. 
I’m not sure what you’re up against, but I do know you are going to Las Vegas.  We are in an older facility somewhere in the Mojave Desert.  The guards sometime sneak out to Vegas, so we can’t be far from there.  They would want to be able to get back quickly if the General were to decide to show up. 

Ok,
Angel responded. 
Let me get the team gathered and we will roll out within 30 minutes.  We are coming for you, Serenity.  You tell Rikki, we are coming.

S
evering their connection, Angel got up and quickly headed toward the house.  She had a purpose now.  She could worry about her jacked up life later.  Hitting the stairs to the basement, Angel yelled, “Gear up!  We are out of here in 10 minutes!”

Phoenix was the first one out the door.  “Serenity?”

“She made contact.  They are in the Mojave Desert by Vegas.  Nico, call and get the plane ready.  Jaxson, we need your techy ear comm devices because Jeremiah is going in with us.  Jeremiah, if you have any contacts in that area, we need them.  We are looking for an older building near enough to Vegas for the guards to sneak out for some action.  Let’s go people!  Move!”

As everyone got busy packing things they would need to take, making phone calls, and gearing up, Angel turned towards Bran.  “Tell Chase that we got a lead and are following through on it.  Tell him thanks for the help.” 

“Wait,” Bran said as Angel started to leave.  When she turned back he continued, “I want to come with.”

“You have a mate to take care of, Bran.  Flame needs you here.”

“No she doesn’t.  Flame doesn’t want anything to do with me, Angel.  She won’t let me near her.  The only thing that matters to her is revenge on the General.  This is the only thing I can do for her right now.  Help you track down that bastard and destroy him.”

“What about your alpha?” Angel asked. 

“I told Chase I wanted to join your team for now.  He said he would pull Slade in to help while I’m gone.  I am on loan to you indefinitely.”

Well, shit, Angel thought.  Screw her old rules.  In the past Angel had refused to allow anyone to go on a mission with her team, but right now she would take help wherever she could get it.  Besides, Bran might not be telepathic, but he was a bona fide badass.  She would take him.  “Well, what are you waiting for?  Go gear up.  We leave in 10.”  With that, she headed upstairs to her room to grab her own gear and get ready to go.

Ten minutes later the team was piled in an SUV and headed towards the hangar where they kept their plane.  “I want an update.  Where are we at?” Angel demanded. 

“Plane will be ready when we get there, boss,” Nico immediately responded.

“My contact in Vegas is sending a plane out to scout around.  It’s a plane disguised as a tourist attraction, so we shouldn’t tip anyone off,” Jeremiah said.

“I have an SUV waiting for us once we land in Vegas.  We are landing at one of the smaller airstrips outside of town,” Jaxson told them.

They arrived at the hangar five minutes later and exiting the SUV, they loaded into the jet.  Jaxson and Phoenix went to the cockpit to pilot the plane while everyone else strapped in.  Trace pulled out his sniper case and took out his gun to clean it.  He had just cleaned it the day before, but it kept his hands busy and his mind off of other things.  Right now all Trace wanted to think about was saving Rikki and Serenity.  The rest of his fucked up life could wait. 

Jeremiah sat across from him, his hands clenched tightly on the arm rests, a constant growl low in his throat.  His hands clenched and unclenched on the arm rests, and his foot tapped in irritation.  Jeremiah had no patience for an airplane ride.  His mate was in trouble and he needed to be there for her.  Leaning his head back against the seat, Jeremiah closed his eyes and brought up an image of his fearless, beautiful mate.  Thoughts of holding Rikki soon was the only thing that helped keep him in control at the moment. 

As the plane took off, Angel sat back in her seat and thought about Chase.  She still could not believe she had marked him.  He was hers, even though she did not want a mate.  She hadn’t been able to control her wolf when she had started thinking about him with someone else; but she should not have started the bonding process by taking him against his car.  She had taken all of Chase’s free will away.  Either he was stuck with Angel, or he was alone.  His wolf would not allow him to touch another female. 

As Angel’s wolf preened at that, Angel growled at her.  She had no right to do what she had done.  Now it would be even harder for them to be apart.  And at this time, being together was not an option.  Angel had to concentrate on getting Rikki and Serenity back, then she was taking down the General.

“T
hey’re coming for us,” Serenity told Rikki.  “Angel said they are heading this way.  We have to take Jade with us, Rikki.  She doesn’t belong here, and I refuse to let him stick her back in that hole!  She is so afraid of him.  He told her that he is saving her. For what, I don’t know.  But I am not going to let him have her!” 

“She comes with us,” Rikki agreed.  Standing up, Rikki started prowling around the room.  “I can’t wait to get out of here.  I am getting claustrophobic in this little room.  Any idea how long it’s going to take them?” 

“No, and they still don’t know exactly where we are.  All I could tell them was that we are in the desert not far from Vegas.  That’s a lot of area to cover.”

“You don’t know my team.  They will find us,” Rikki promised.

“I got the impression that more than just your team is involved.  I caught a thought from Angel that she was going to have a Jeremiah call in some favors from his contacts.  Does that name mean anything to you?”

Rikki swung around and looked at her.  “Jeremiah Black?  He’s helping Angel?  That’s strange.  Jeremiah is FBI.  I wouldn’t think that Angel would contact him for help unless she absolutely had to.”

“I got the impression that he is more than helping.  He is part of the team looking for us.  Something about he is one pissed off bear.  It was just a fleeting thought that I caught.”  Serenity watched Rikki take in the news.  There was such raw desire and hope on her face, Serenity knew her first impression had been right.  Rikki was Jeremiah’s mate, but she had no idea.  Serenity kept her mouth shut, though, because it was not her place to tell Rikki.  She would find out soon enough, but it would probably be best if Jeremiah told her.

As Rikki resumed her pacing, Serenity decided to check on Jade.  Closing her eyes, she sought the mental path which would take her back to Jade’s mind. 

She was back in the hole surrounded by dark emptiness and she was terrified.  Those bastards had put her back in there.  Serenity immediately put her arms around her and stroked her hair humming softly. 
It’s ok, Jade.  I am right here with you.

Mommy?
Jade asked. 
Mommy, you found me?

Serenity’s heart clenched.  How long had Jade been here?  It was obvious she hadn’t seen her mommy in years.  Serenity kissed her softly on the head and whispered,
No, honey.  It’s Serenity.  I am right here, though.  Why are you back in the hole, Jade?  What happened? 

A huge shudder ripped through Jade as she felt something slither over her foot.  The guards had put snakes down with her this time.  She knew they were harmless, they always were.  But just the thought of snakes being there and Jade not being able to see them scared the hell out of her.  What if a rattler got in and she couldn’t tell the difference?

They saw me talking to you and wanted to know what I said.  I told them that I had just talked you into giving me your blood, but they didn’t believe me.  They put me down here to try and break me.  But it’s not going to work.  I hate them.  I hate all of them. 
As another snake crawled up Jade’s back and onto her shoulder, she started crying and shrunk in on herself. 

Serenity wrapped her arms tighter around Jade and started to sing softly.  The more she sang, the calmer Jade became. 
My mom used to sing to me every night,
Jade whispered. 
She would rock me and sing to me.  Then one night they came and took me.  I have been here ever since. 

How long have you been here, Jade? 
Serenity asked her.

Twenty years.  I’m 24 now.  I know because the General keeps a file on me and I sneak peeks at it sometimes.  In the beginning there were scientists here that taught me to read and write.  When the General was gone I would sit in the labs with them and learn whatever I could.  When he was back, I was put down here.  He said it was discipline.  That I needed to learn to listen,
Jade told her. 
I tried to be good so that he wouldn’t make me come back to the dark, but it never mattered how good I was. 

What about your wolf?  Why don’t you shift and let her help you? 
Serenity asked her. 

I can’t,
Jade ground out as another huge shudder rippled through her. 
The General doesn’t know about her.  He took me because he knows I’m telepathic.  He wanted to train me and add me to his program when I was old enough.  But the joke was on him because I am not a strong telepathic.  I don’t even know why he kept me.  He says I will find out soon enough.  Oh God, get them off me, Serenity, get them off!

Serenity felt another snake crawling up Jade’s leg.  What was wrong with all of these sick bastards?  Jade was an omega.  She had the kindest, sweetest soul Serenity had ever seen.  She would not hurt a fly if she could help it. 
Do they have cameras down here?
She asked Jade.

No, but they glance down with a flash light a lot. 
Jade moaned loudly as a snake hissed right by her face. 

Listen to me, Jade.  I want you to let your wolf part way out.  I can feel her fighting you.  She wants to take care of you.  Let her help you, Jade.  You need to trust her. 
Omegas did not normally fight, but Jade’s wolf had been pushed for so long that it was getting hard for Jade to keep her hidden.  Jade slowly gave her wolf a little more control.  All of the sudden her eyes opened going full wolf and her fangs dropped.  She growled low in her throat and sensing a predator the snakes slithered into a corner away from Jade. 
Good job, Jade.  Now you sit here like this and those slimy things will stay far away from you.