Scarlet (32 page)

Despite what her grandfather told her, Roark led the team with Bannon Richards by his side. Red noted the irony as she stepped into the doorway of the sheriff's station. He'd come here to start his war. The streets were empty. Most of the people had been evacuated to nearby farms. A few had remained, carefully concealed behind the reflective windows in their homes and businesses. Maggie, Jim, and several of the deputies were hunkered behind their desks.

Roark stepped out of the nearest shuttle. He'd foregone his regular suit and donned what Red could only describe as desert fatigue chic. The sunshades on his eyes reflected the town as he scanned the streets. He was here to see and be seen. Red looked around, half expecting to see viewer reporters lurking in the alleys.

"She's here somewhere," he said. "Search every building. She has to be keeping him nearby."

"Stay here;' she said to Maggie and the others positioned inside the sheriff's station. Maggie nodded, then ducked down. Red took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows of the doorway. "I'm right here," she said.

Everyone tensed as she walked into the center of the street. The tactical team swung their weapons around until they were all trained on her. Red swallowed, but otherwise didn't move.

"Roark, I'm flattered you'd go to this much trouble for me."

His jaw clenched. "I don't like it when people try to flout the law."

She leveled him with a stare. "That's funny, neither do I."

"Where is he?" Roark asked.

"If you're talking about Morgan, I don't know. The last time I saw him he was at the detention center. I believe under your orders."

Roark laughed. 'They weren't my orders. I'm a humble civil servant. I don't wield the kind of power your grandfather has at his disposal." He glanced around at the teams and nodded. Several broke formation and fanned out.

"I can see that." She snorted in disgust. "Believe what you want. It's the truth."

He smirked. "We'll see. I have the team searching the town."

"They won't find anything, but you already know that." Red looked at her nails and gave him her best bored expression. "You're wasting precious tactical team time."

"You'll forgive me if I don't take an accomplice's word for it."

"I had no idea I'd already been convicted," she said, noticing the uneasy looks on the faces of a few tactical team members. "Have the tribunal laws changed?"

Roark's face reddened. "You know very well they haven't. We've come here to find Morgan and take you in for questioning."

"Good thing I've come out to turn myself in then," she said,
ignoring his statement. "This town and these people have nothing to do with our fight."

He looked around. "That remains to be seen." Roark looked back over his shoulder and Bannon jumped down along with a redheaded woman that Red had seen before at headquarters. Catherine Meyers. The name popped into her head. She recalled what else she knew about the woman, which wasn't much, other than there was more to her than
what
she projected.

"You two join in the search," he said, then leaned down and whispered something in Catherine's ear.

Red
watched as the woman's expression changed. At first her face slackened, then her eyes grew distant, almost unfocused.
Suddenly Catherine appeared to snap out of it because she glared at her. For a second Red thought for sure the            woman
would shoot her. She shivered under her chilling regard.

Suddenly Catherine turned away and took off in the opposite
direction that Bannon headed in. Red tensed as Bannon looked back and sneered. She would like nothing more than
to knock that smirk off his face, but he wasn't worth starting
a war over. Red felt someone watching her and she cautiously looked to her left. She saw Raphael and a few others
lurking in the shadows, waiting to come to her aid. Red
shook her head in warning. Roark was looking for an excuse to open fire. If they came out, he could claim they'd put up resistance.

She couldn't give him any reason to shoot. Red slowly raised her hands in surrender, even though it pained her to do so.

Keep an eye on the woman,
she said to Raphael.
Her name is Catherine Meyers, and there's something not quite right about her.

He nodded and quietly slipped away.

Red knew what it was costing Raphael to be out in the sun. The sunscreen didn't help much at this time of day. He'd tried to keep his thoughts hidden from her, but she still managed to sense his agony. Looking at him, no one would know he was in pain.

Roark watched her with something akin to disappointment on his face. "Drop to your knees in preparation for de-tainment."

Red did as he asked. She saw her new recruits move forward to stand where Raphael had been moments ago and her body tensed. What were they doing here? They should've left as she'd asked. Maggie poked her head out the door. Red couldn't tell what she was doing until a viewer appeared on the sidewalk.

The screen glowed to life and an announcer's face appeared. "The woman wanted for questioning in the detention escape scandal has surrendered without incident." Suddenly a picture popped up with Red kneeling in the middle of the street and the tactical team surrounding her. Red glanced at the sky and saw the image do the same. She realized then that a satellite was tracking her movements.

Roark watched the screen, his face growing redder by the second. He swung around and looked at the team behind him. "Who ordered this to be broadcasted?"

Murmurs rumbled throughout the group, but came to no consensus. The team members looked at each other and shrugged.

Red's lips twitched.

"Gina, the message to the broadcasters has been sent." Rita's voice piped in.

"You," Roark spat, whirling to face her.

Red shrugged, not bothering to correct him. She hadn't sent the message. It had been her grandfather. She hadn't known it until Rita spoke, but since Red didn't want him involved, she decided to take the credit. "I'm sure the leaders of the republics are keen to see how you handle the apprehension of a person of interest. Since you're always out to impress them. I thought this moment would be no exception."

You'll pay for this,
Roark mouthed.

"I have no doubt." They were ballsy words from a woman in her position, but she had little choice. She'd done what she had to in order to save her grandfather, to save Nuria. Public opinion meant everything to people like Roark. She'd gambled her life and the lives in this town on the fact that he wouldn't commit political suicide under the watchful gaze of the world. Bannon
returned from his quick check of the buildings. Some of the recruits that Roark had sent out were with him, but she noted the short redheaded woman was not.

"Hunter's not here," Bannon said to Roark. "His heat signature didn't appear when I scanned the buildings and his chip isn't registering in the area."

Roark didn't seem particularly fazed or surprised by his statement. "Shackle her," he said, pointing to Red.

Bannon grinned. "With pleasure," he said, stepping forward to slip the restraints onto Red's wrists. "I've waited a long time to do this," he whispered in her ear, tightening them until they cut off her circulation. "I'm going to make sure I enjoy every second."

"Don't get too used to it. There will come a time when I won't
be wearing these and then you'll get your comeuppance."

"Are you threatening an officer?" he asked, yanking her to her feet.
"I'd hate to think I'd have to use force on you because you're resisting arrest." He made a show of patting her down for weapons, taking longer than was necessary. He squeezed her thighs, kicking them wide until she nearly toppled forward. He cupped her sex, lifting while he searched her. When he reached her breasts, he kneaded them under heavy hands. "I want to make sure you aren't concealing any contraband," he said, giving them a final rough pinch.

Red bit the inside of her mouth to keep from crying out. She had left her pistol in the sheriff's station. She hadn't wanted them to accuse her of reaching for a gun. "Was it good for you, too?" She laughed, ignoring the revulsion she felt from his touch. "I think we can safely say I'm not concealing anything. Oh, and for the record, I don't need to threaten you." She smiled and the temperature seemed to drop around them. "You will pay for this. That's a promise."

He jerked her forward, nearly dislocating Red's shoulder in the process. She winced. "We'll see who's laughing in the end," he said, tightening his grip on her arm until she knew bruises would appear.

"What has he promised you?" Red asked. "I mean, you have to be getting something out of this. As I recall, you're not one to do something for nothing."

Bannon glared at her. "Other than the pleasure of locking your ass up, it's none of your business."

"It mustn't be much, if you're that tight-lipped. I've never known you not to brag, unless there wasn't anything to brag about. You do know you're being used, right?" she asked.

"Shut up," Bannon hissed, manhandling her some more. "Can't you just come quietly?"

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"I said," he jerked her around to face him, his nose inches from hers, "shut your mouth." Spittle sprayed Red as he shouted. She used her shoulder to wipe it off her face.

"I believe I hit a nerve." she said.

"Roark's going to knock that smart mouth right off you," he said.

Red met Bannon's blue gaze. "You better pray you remain useful to him."

"Why?" Bannon quipped.

"Because the people who outlive their usefulness don't tend to continue to breathe for long."

Fear flashed in his eyes, then they hardened to ice. "I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work."

Red shook her head. "You always were thick as a boulder."

*    *    *

Raphael found Catherine Meyers sneaking behind the buildings. "Need some help looking?" he asked, staying to the shadows to avoid the direct sunlight.

She
glanced up, startled, and Raphael's head swam a second before clearing.

His eyes narrowed. "Now that's an interesting trick, how did you do it?"

Her gaze widened and Catherine took a step back. She drew her laser pistol and pointed it at his chest, then fired. Raphael barely had a chance to get out of the way.

"Don't come any closer," she warned. "Or I'll fire again."

"Did your trainer teach you to shoot before you send out a warning?" he asked, taking a step forward.

"Yes," she said, aiming and pulling the trigger. "My orders are to take out the Others and anyone considered a sympathizer." She glared at him and the dizzying sensation came again, stronger this time. "You're here, so you must be an Other or an Other sympathizer."

Raphael let the wave of power wash over him. His thoughts swirled in his head. He tried to catch them and put them back into logical order. "Never let it be said I don't like a challenge."
Raphael rushed her before she could take aim.

They struggled with the gun. It took nearly breaking her hand to get her to release it. What was wrong with this woman? He held on, feeling his body spring to life. It had been a long time since he'd fought hand to hand. And it had never
been with a woman. But this one seemed determined to kill him. How intriguing.

"No!" she shouted, grabbing for the weapon. The pistol went off again, hitting the back of a nearby building, scorching the wall. The sound echoed in the narrow space. It was followed by a thick thud as the weapon hit the dirt.

"Now that wasn't nice," Raphael murmured against her ear. His heart was racing and so was hers. He hadn't been this worked up in years. "I'm only here to help."

"Let me go," Catherine said, managing to scratch him. Blood welled up on the back of his hand. The scent caused his fangs to extend.

Her eyes bugged as her gaze latched onto his teeth. "You're an Other." Her power flowed through him and he struggled to remain upright.

"Don't do that." Raphael warned, on the verge of losing control. She had no idea what she was messing with, and yet she fought on. He beat back the blood lust that threatened to rage. If he didn't get himself under control, he'd throw her down on the ground and take her right here in the alley. He forced himself to focus on the source of her energy. "Have you always had the ability to create confusion?"