Agent S5: Jaydan (15 page)

Booker’s round-eyed gaze made him grin.  “Once we’re a mile out, we’re supposed to signal Mitchell.  She’ll call Cyrus twenty-five minutes later.  That’ll give us time to get there and get inside.”

Jaydan gave an affirmative nod, energy simmering along his nerve-endings.  “Let’s get the hell out there.  There’s no telling what that freak will do to her.”

Riordan’s voice held a note of calm wisdom.  “He won’t hurt her, Rose.  He’s shitting a brick right now, knowing we’re coming and you’re pissed off. He may have built his own little security force, but we’re freaking D.I.R.E.  He should be scared.”

                                                                                    ***

Hope stared at the straps dangling from the vacant gurney in the small sickbay. The room looked much like one of her doctor’s examination rooms, with a single-compartment sink, laptop computer and rolling stool. A lock cabinet adorned one wall, the others white and bare.

She watched Zeke removed her cuffs with apt precision. As soon as her hands were free, she swung back and gave him a right hook across the jaw. His head pitched sideways before he righted it slowly, his grip tight on her wrist.

Dang it.

With a growl of frustration, he grabbed her shoulders and slammed her back on the bed. Pain shot between her shoulder blades and splintered down her limbs. Holding down her forearm, he strapped down one arm over her diamond bracelets before rushing around to strap down the other. She struggled against the tight bonds.

“Jaydan will kill you.”

He didn’t so much as look her way before he walked out the door.

The overhead light buzzed with ceaseless vexation, the faint sound of voices on the other side of the door. Terror tapped on her shoulder with annoying persistence, reminding her she was alone and in the hands of a madman.

“Ah, there you are…” The madman himself opened the door, a feigned smile of welcome on his face. “My honored guest.” Shutting it behind him, he locked it with menacing grandeur.

The terror shifted her heart into overdrive. “If this is the way you treat your guests, its no wonder you don’t have many visitors.”

He gave her body a slow perusal, his hands in his trouser pockets. “Oh contraire, I have many visitors, all of whom end up in this very room.” His perfect smile spoke of relaxation, as though that statement were meant to comfort her.

“However, as the daughter of our original donor, you
are
special, Hope Powers. Kimberly’s DNA started my grandfather’s program over seventy years ago. You are indeed a guest of honor.”

As much as she wanted to refute it, he’d just confirmed Keegan’s unbelievable story. Her mind whirled with questions.

“How could my mother have started your grandfather’s program when she was young enough to have me twenty-five years ago?”

He trailed a finger down her bare arm, a chill rushing through her with repulsion. “It’s a shame your grandfather isn’t here to tell you.” The smile vanished from his face, his blue eyes growing hard. “Then again, he’d never intended for you to know the truth.”

Her grandfather. God above, he had
more
secrets? He’d hurt her father by keeping away Riordan for so many years. She’d also found his part in implementing the international DNA database.

His
interests
had been varied and bizarre. Did she really want to know?

“What truth? That you’re crazy, Cyrus? That you think you’re some kind of god, molding and creating people for your own use?”

His fingers made lazy circles over her flesh. “Did you know, Hope, that your grandfather served in the Navy when he was young?”

Taps
had been played at her grandfather’s funeral, the American flag draped over his coffin. Other than those telltale signs, he’d never spoken of his time served.

“Yes.”

Fingers stilling, his turbulent gaze shot to hers. “Did you know he fell in love with a woman he met on leave in Hawaii?”

Trepidation sunk to the bottom of her stomach like a boulder, heavy and solid. Hope knew he’d met her grandmother at a country club in San Diego.

Swallowing hard, she said, “No, he didn’t discuss his personal life with me.”

With a superior smirk, he continued to stroke her. “He walked her home after a night on the town, leaving her with a promise to pick her up the next evening.”

Glaring at Cyrus, she spoke in an impatient tone. “What does this have to do with me?”

“Patience, sweet Hope.” His fingers glided over her cheek with leisure.

A shiver raced through her.   She jerked away her head. “I don’t do patience, Cyrus.”

He gave her an arrogant grin. “The next evening, he picked her up as promised. They spent the night on the town before he took her to a hotel.” His thumb traced her bottom lip.

She turned away again.

“They spent the night together. When he returned her home before dawn, my grandfather met them at the door. He forbade him to ever see her again.”

His smile glowed with malice. “Her name? Kimberly DePaul. His first donor.”

Bile rose in her throat as she shook her head against the mattress.
No
.  Though her rational mind denied it, she knew nothing in this compound could be considered reasonable. If it were the truth, it would devastate her father.

“You
lie
.”

He gave his shoulders a casual shrug.  “Deny it all you like, Hope Powers. It won’t change the fact that
your grandfather
fell in love with your mother first.”

A knock sounded at the door. Keegan’s double walked in, a box of medical supplies in her hand. She looked the splitting image of Keegan, but lacked her spirit.

Except when she looked at Cyrus.

Smiling at him, she set down the box on the counter and wrapped her arms around his neck. She gave him an open-mouthed kiss filled with hunger. Shutting her eyes, Hope turned away in disgust.

Cyrus’ whisper rang in the room like a loud gong. “Keegan, my love...”

Hope’s eyes sprang open. She whipped around to stare at the couple.

Cyrus stared at her with adoration, his smile seductive. Anxiety shone in the woman’s hazel eyes, her mouth downturned. “Cyrus, I’m Eve…”

He brushed the strawberry-blonde hair from her brow. “Either way, you’re mine.” He kissed her again with devotion.

Zeke shoved open the door. Taking in Eve and Cyrus’ heavy embrace, his jaw clenched. He spoke between gritted teeth as he held out a phone to Cyrus.

“It’s Keegan.”

Shoving Eve out of the way, Cyrus snatched the phone from Zeke’s hand. Zeke’s heated gaze met Eve’s across the expanse before he stormed out of the room.

“Keegan? My love?” Cyrus’ voice sounded choked.

Hope stared at Eve who looked close to tears. The clone was in love with Cyrus, who was in love with Keegan. And, if she had to guess, Zeke loved Eve.

Cyrus thought he had created perfect people but in truth, they were vulnerable to human emotion and would always be imperfect. Zeke’s aggression, bitterness and discord remained.

His laugh caught on a sob. “It
is
you. Where are you, Keegan? I’m lost without you.”

Hope watched the joy slide from Cyrus’ face like mud down a mountainside. “Keegan, you can’t mean that…” He shook his head.

Anger blossomed in his ruddy cheeks as Keegan spoke in his ear. Cyrus whipped around to look at Hope, his nostrils flared. Pure and untainted evil blazed like fire in his blue eyes, his hand clenching into a fist that shook with rage.

Terror exploded anew in Hope’s chest, her body consumed with chills. The phone slipped from Cyrus’ grasp and crashed to the floor.

“Your fiancé has thrown down the gauntlet, Hope.”

His voice sounded dazed and distracted.  Turning to the box of supplies, he drew out a packaged

syringe and ripped it open. “He’s chosen battle.”

Pulling out a ring of keys, his shaking hands fumbled through them before selecting one. He unlocked the cabinet.

“He’s taken Keegan from me.” Perusing the shelves, he selected a bottle. “Therefore, I will take you from him.”

Rising from the ocean on the backside of the island, Jaydan and Riordan stepped on shore. Treading in silence, they rushed up to the retaining wall of the compound and discarded their scuba gear, before donning infrared goggles.

Jaydan signaled Riordan to follow him as they made their way along the wall, stopping at the juncture where it met the compound’s wrought iron fence. Peering around the concrete and into the tropical grounds, Jaydan picked up no movement. Grabbing two bars, he pulled them apart with no effort and stepped inside.

Riordan followed, speaking in a hushed voice. “Damn Rose, remind me not to piss you off.”

Jaydan whispered low.  “Yeah, remember that next time you beat me at poker.”

He wouldn’t tell Riordan his muscles weren’t accelerating at maximum performance. If his gut was right, he’d damaged his microchip back at the ranch.

Clearing the foliage in front of him, he traveled with light movements, his gaze darting around him. His gut churned with the need to see that Hope remained unharmed. When he saw her smile, he’d feel whole again.

Leaves rustled to his right. Riordan whipped around. A guard sprang from the brush, knife raised above his head. Jaydan caught him by the throat and held him high, backhanding the knife from his hand. With a quick blade to his midsection, Riordan ran past. Jaydan dropped him and followed.

Spotting the back door Dylan spoke of, Jaydan headed in that direction. The guard that welcomed them the night before, appeared from around the corner, gun raised.

“Hold it.”

Jaydan gave a sarcastic shake of his head. “If you insist.”

Grabbing the guard by the balls, he yanked down. The man growled like a beast in pain, the gun falling to the ground. Jaydan pounded him in the face with his fist. Eyes rolling back in his head, he fell backward against the walk.

Riordan jumped to the opposite side of the door from Jaydan. “I’d forgotten about Naylor’s signature move.”

Jaydan gave him a brief nod. He and Riordan had learned quite a few dishonorable moves working for Robert Naylor. Hope’s disappearance had brought out the worst in him.

Riordan nodded toward the door. “I think this has your name written all over it.”

Stepping in front of it, Jaydan slammed his foot into the locked door. It flew back into the house with a crash. Steel scraped along the tile with a resounding screech that echoed through the empty corridor. They waited for footsteps.

None came.

Making their way along opposite walls, they came to a four-way intersection. Each direction, empty.

That meant they were downstairs in the lab.  Dammit.

Going right, they found a door to the stairs. Stepping through, Jaydan peered down the center, Riordan beside him. The stairs went down three floors.

“Shit. I don’t like this.” Jumping over the railing, Jaydan landed on the floor below, the rubber soles of his wetsuit gripping the concrete.

With Riordan following, they scoured each floor, finding all doors locked, the halls empty. Reaching the bottom floor, Jaydan finally heard voices in the corridor. Opening the door an inch, he peered through the crack.

Down the hall, Zeke and Keegan’s double stood toe-to-toe, her back against the wall.

“Zeke, you must do this for Cyrus. It’s for his own good.”

His voice came out as a growl. “Everything I do is for you, not him.“

“No, I promise.” She pressed a hand against his chest. “Keegan isn’t returning. He has to move on.”

“Move on where? To
you
?”

Jaydan stilled. Zeke had the hots for Cyrus’ man-made mistress. Looked like trouble in Matheson paradise.

Her palm moved to Zeke’s cheek. “We all must do our part for Cyrus. Mine is keeping him satisfied.”

Zeke’s hands fisted at his sides. “I hate when he touches you, Eve. I want to kill him.”

Her gasp echoed in the barren hallway. “You can’t mean that. We owe him everything. He created us.”

His hand sliced through the air. “I’ve done my part. I had the note delivered to the house like you asked, and now Keegan is gone. I’m not doing anymore to help you. If you want his love, you have to find another way. I can’t watch you with him another moment.”

He crushed his mouth to hers.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him. Jaydan backed into the stairwell.

Riordan held out his hands, palm up. “What’s going on out there?”

Jaydan shook his head as if to clear it. “You’re making out with your sister-in-law.”

Riordan glared at him in genuine anger. Saint took affront to someone accusing him of infidelity. He considered himself exceptionally lucky to have Dr. Natalie Meeks. He’d never dream of cheating on her. Especially with her sister.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Jaydan held his hand toward the door in invitation.

Peering through the slit, Riordan stared for a second. “What the f –“

Jaydan burst into the hallway. Zeke whipped around. Eve screamed as she hid behind him, her hands on his shoulders.

“Where is she?” Jaydan stormed toward him, Riordan beside him, knife in magnetic hand.

Pulling out a gun, Zeke could do nothing but stare at Riordan. “
St. James
. It’s an honor.”

Frowning, Riordan pulled back his head. “What the hell are you?”

Insult washed over Zeke’s flushed face. “I’m a man, just like you.”

Jaydan wasn’t stopping until he had the clone by the throat. “You’re a fake. Cyrus made you.”

Eve spoke over his shoulder. “We’re flesh and blood just like you.”

Jaydan said, “You’re going to be dead flesh and blood unless you tell me where he’s holding Hope.”

“You’ll never get to her.”

Zeke blocked the hallway. At the other end sat a heavy steel door.

He spoke over his shoulder. “Eve, go.”

Jaydan pointed his gun at her. “Move and I’ll shoot.”

With slow movements, Eve backed away. Riordan threw his knife. Zeke raised his hand in front of her face and caught it. She gasped, her face going white. Blood appeared between Zeke’s fingers, the blade wrapped in his fist.

“I was created to protect Cyrus’ interests. She’s one of them.”

Extending his hand, Riordan held it toward the knife. It shot down the hall and into his palm, Zeke’s gun following in his other hand.

The clones stared at them with wide, thunderstruck eyes.

Jaydan stopped in front of the guard. “Looked to me like she was one of
your
interests, Zeke.” He leaned over him. “Take me to Hope or it ends here.”

With a loud cry, Zeke’s hands moved like lightning, swinging, chopping and slicing at Jaydan. He blocked every attempt, his moves quicker than the clone. Catching one of Zeke’s arms in a fist, then the other, Jaydan held him locked in front of him.

“I told you I’d kill you for taking Hope.”

With a roar, Jaydan shoved him with all of his might. Zeke flew down the hall and slammed into the steel door, leaving a crater. He slid to the floor, blood trailing from his nose.

“
No
.” Eve ran to him and fell to her knees. Feeling for the pulse at his throat, she dropped her head against her chest.

“Where is she?” Jaydan said, as he and Riordan stood over her.

She pointed at the steel door.

“Open it,” Jaydan ordered.

Looking up, her watery eyes held a determined glare. “It’s locked from the inside. The steel is six feet thick, the concrete walls just as deep. You can’t get through.”

Staring at the door, Jaydan took a deep breath. “Watch me.”

***

Hope jumped where she lay on the gurney. The bottle fell from Cyrus’ hands and hit the floor before rolling under the cabinet.

“Was that an earthquake?” She looked at him with wide eyes.

Cyrus went to the door and opened it wide. “Zeke, what was that?”

Silence loomed – before the room shook again. Plaster and dust fell from the ceiling and onto her legs. Cyrus ran into the hall.

Sitting up, Hope struggled against the straps, trying to make her hand small enough to slip through. Wincing, she folded her fingers onto themselves, pulling, fighting to get them free.

Her shoulders slumped.

Staring at her shaking hands, it dawned on her. They’d placed the strap
over
her bracelets.

Rather than trying to break free of the strap, she narrowed her hand and slipped it through the bangles. Only the strands of diamonds remained. Snapping two of them, she slipped free.

Shaking, she loosened the other strap and jumped down from the table. Grabbing the broken bracelets, she stuffed them in her jeans pocket and she rushed out into the hall.

The ground shook under foot. Bracing a hand against the wall, she waited for it to subside before she ran down the hall. She had to get out of there before it caved in on her.

Running in the opposite direction from Cyrus, she turned a corner and skidded to a stop.

A wall of windows peered into a large laboratory of glowing white. Medical personnel scrambled around the room, two grabbing laptop computers from a long table, another loading vials into a case, a fourth placing petri dishes into a crate.

Hope felt the impact before the floor shook. It wasn’t an earthquake – something was ramming the walls.

Jaydan
.

Running past the windows, she ran into a lab technician carrying a white, plastic case in each hand. His wide eyes met hers before he screamed. “
Security
.”

Twirling away from him, she ran around another corner and screamed Jaydan’s name.

“
Hope
.” Her name sounded faint but - it was
him
. He’d made it.

Pounding on the fire extinguisher case with her fist, she cried, “Jaydan, I’m here.”

The force of the next hit intensified, rumbling the ground, the plaster coming down on top of her in large chunks. The glass door of the extinguisher case cracked, fire alarm bells ringing in short spurts of three.

He’d never hear her now.

Wrapping her fist in the hem of Jaydan’s shirt, she knocked out the glass on the case and reached for the extinguisher. Bashing it against the wall, she persisted, trying to pinpoint her location for Jaydan.

“You’ve caused quite a mess.”

Cyrus whirled her around to face him, his clutch on her arm tight-fisted. He snatched the extinguisher from her hands and set it on the floor.  “Your fiancé is destroying my home.”

“This isn’t a home,” she spat.  “It’s a house of horrors.”

His nostrils flared. “Horrors?
Horrors
?”

Dragging her down the hall with angry steps, he led her away from Jaydan and toward the lab. However, rather than taking a left into the laboratory, he shoved open a door on the right.

Freezing cold blasted her body, stunning her still. Another wall of windows stood before her, overlooking a workshop of dark blue lights. Frost lined the edges of the glass, the temperature well below freezing. No personnel occupied the room.

Only bodies.

Shivering uncontrollably from terror more than cold, she counted eight rows of ten coffins, each glass container holding a human at some stage of life. Those on top appeared near toddler stage, the next row pre-puberty. The third row down looked like a row of teenagers, the bottom adults. All asleep, all completely nude.

All clones.

“Have you ever questioned your purpose in life, Hope?”

Shame engulfed her like the bitter cold, biting and hard. A few days ago, she’d questioned just that, questioned what she had to offer the world, questioned why she couldn’t gain the respect she’d worked so hard to acquire.

As her mother’s child, Cyrus told her she held a place of honor in his world. A world where he dictated purpose, removed freedom of choice and controlled emotions.

She’d been a spoiled brat, wanting more than life had already given her. Wanting more, even though she already had so much more than most.

“Do you see this, Hope? These people will be perfect. Beautiful inside and out, each created for a special purpose. They’ll never wonder about the meaning of life because they have it written in their DNA code. They’ll never question their self-worth or compare themselves to their peers. They’ll know their purpose in life and live it without conflict or disharmony.” He looked at her. “You call that a house of horrors?”

She struggled against his hold on her arm, her body trembling. “You think you’re creating the perfect world but you’re not. I saw conflict and disharmony here.”

The ground shook, the ramming closer. She couldn’t think about her vision, about what this was doing to Jaydan. He wouldn’t push himself too far, knowing she needed him.

Right?