Blind Faith (34 page)

* * *

relaxing for the first time that day. Audrey’s ultrasound had proven the baby was fine, and now Audrey sat

safely in her office returning e-mails and phone calls as the day wound down. She’d done an excellent job

recording every section of the commander’s facility.

Pride filled Nathan at her resourcefulness.

Now he had a meeting at TechnoZyn, and it was time to quit. Since he no longer needed the cover, he

was happy to move on, and after quitting, he’d drop by and escort Audrey home. But first he wanted to ask

some questions. The connection between the deaths of Darian Hannah and George Fairbanks remained

unclear, and he had to find out who wanted to point the finger at Audrey.

The three-story building sprawled in an industrial area of Virginia, complete with its own parking lot.

Nate had liked the strong lines and square concrete shapes forming the outside walls on sight. The place

looked like a successful technology firm should. Not for the first time, he wondered what career he

would’ve chosen if he hadn’t been created to kill.

Probably not one in computers, although his skills reached well above normal. But Jory was the

computer genius in the family. Maybe Nate might’ve done something with his hands, like building boats or

fixing cars. Or even racing cars. He’d always loved speed.

Thunder cracked overhead as he parked near the exit and dodged out of the car. He’d donned slacks, a

white shirt, and a dark gray jacket, nixing the tie. No need for a tie since he’d be tendering his resignation.

Even so, he tugged at his collar while striding inside. Give him worn jeans and a ripped T-shirt any day of

the week instead of a monkey suit.

He showed his security card to the yawning guard in the vestibule and rode the elevator to the third

floor. Long paces brought him to Lilith’s corner office.

She glanced up from reading a printout, her blond hair mussed, a drink at her hand. “Rotten day.”

“I agree.” He settled his bulk into a guest chair, facing her over a mountain of papers on her glass desk.

A sophisticated set of cabinets made up one wall, while an original oil painting of a mountain range took up

the other. Windows spread out behind her. “Sorry about George.”

“Me too.” Lilith made a production of standing and stretching her pencil skirt over her toned butt.

Moving with sinewy grace, she crossed to open two doors in the cabinets. A myriad of crystal and bottles

filled the space. “Join me in having a drink?” she asked, pouring him a glass without waiting for a response.

Leaning a bit, she dropped ice into the glass with sharp
tinks
. Gliding toward him, she handed him a drink

and sat in the other guest chair, her shapely legs crossed.

Nate accepted the drink and held out the glass. He needed to get a move on to meet Audrey after work.

“To George.”

“To George,” Lilith repeated, clinking glasses. She took a deep swallow and sighed. “The poor lost

soul.”

Nate took a drink of the Scotch and hummed with appreciation. “Good Scotch.”

Lilith smiled, her gaze remaining sad. “Yes.” She lifted her glass. “Where have you been all day,

anyway?”

“I told you when you brought me over from Neoland that I didn’t sit in the office very often.” Taking a

moment, he punched a button on his phone and pretended to read notes. “Mangatech is going public next

year, the CEO of Talcon is resigning due to scandal, and RT Technologies just lost its biggest benefactor

when Frank Filsome married some model who talked him into donating to monkeys instead of

technology.”

“Monkeys?” Lilith sat back. “You found all of that out today?”

“Meetings and gossip,” he said. Actually, Shane had hacked into computers and e-mail accounts all

morning for the information, but close enough.

Lilith leaned forward, her blazing pink blouse gaping open. “What’s the scandal at Talcon?”

“CEO and underage nanny.” Nate forced a shrug, hoping the guy got the book thrown at him. Hard.

“How was your day?”

She sighed, rubbing under her eyes. “Exhausting. I’ve been trying to make sense of George’s files and

not having much success. He did so much around here.”

“I know.” Nathan leaned forward and slid charm over his face. “Have the funeral arrangements been

made?”

“Yes. The funeral is next Saturday.” Lilith sat up and stretched her arms over her head. “No news on

who killed him, though.”

Sadness filled the woman’s eyes, and Nate nodded with sympathy. “You’ve known George for a long

time?”

“Ten years.” She smiled, making her look years younger. “He recruited me right out of college, and

we’ve worked together ever since. For so long, we shared the same vision. Faster computers and

government assistance.”

Nate extended his legs and leaned back. “Have you heard about the brand on his back? The same one as

Darian Hannah recently got?”

“Yes.” Lilith lifted a small shoulder. “Though I have no clue what it means.” She relaxed in her chair.

“If you ask me, the police should take a gander at Audrey Madison’s ass. I bet she has the same brand.”

Nate knew for a fact that Audrey’s butt remained unmarred by any brand. “Why do you say that?”

Lilith scoffed. “Everybody knows the woman who was with Darian when he died had to be Audrey.

Then George is found in her apartment? There has to be a connection, and I bet a trip to Vegas it’s all about

that brand.”

“I wonder what it means?” Nate scratched his neck. He took another drink, his mind calculating facts.

“Why was George a lost soul?”

Lilith uncrossed and recrossed her legs. “He went from computers to science and tried to mess with

biology. Tried to do unnatural, unclean things.”

The facts slowed in Nate’s brain. His feet suddenly became too heavy to move. “Unclean?”

“Yes.” She claimed his glass before it fell to the floor. “Do you know that when we acquired Neoland,

we didn’t have time to properly vet all of the employees and independent contractors before getting to

work?”

“Is that a fact?” His head lolled forward. He struggled to stay awake, and realization smacked him in his

fuzzy brain. “Wh-what did you give me?”

“A drug stronger than morphine—much stronger, actually.” She leaned into him and brushed his jaw

with her lips. “I did so like you, but you’re going to tell me everything. I promise.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He fumbled for his phone, and it fell to the floor.

“Sure you do. I have connections that would shock you.” She bit his chin. “But I don’t like secrets.

You’re keeping secrets from me, and Audrey Madison is keeping secrets about Darian. My sweet Darian.”

Nate shook his head, and the room whirled around him in slow motion. “I’m not connected to Audrey.”

“Sure you are. I saw you at the restaurant, and you two are definitely connected.”

He thought he’d been discreet. “You and Darian?”

“Yes. I trusted him, and not only with my body.” Lilith’s hand slipped down Nate’s neck. “We believe

the same things—and he joined us. But he turned against us.”

“Leave Senator Nash and Audrey Madison alone,” Nate ground out, his eyelids fluttering shut.

“Not a chance. Nash believes as I do and is valuable to me. Audrey, though, according to Darian, is

connected to people who create evil, and she’s going to tell me all about it. Tonight.”

“Darian told you?” Nate gasped out.

“Yes. Darian told me all about Audrey, the senator, and somebody named the commander who’s doing

all sorts of terrible things,” Lilith said.

Nate reached for Lilith’s neck, and she slipped easily out of his way. What had she given him? How had

this happened? His last thought as he fell forward was that he had to protect Audrey… and that he was a

complete dumbass for making such a rookie mistake.

Chapter 27

Audrey followed Matt’s directions and untangled herself from the wires along her back, putting those

and the earrings into her briefcase. Relief washed through her as she kicked back in her office and sipped

herbal tea. She’d successfully captured the entire facility on camera while acting normal—maybe she had

more of her mother in her than she’d thought.

Her mother. Dr. Isobel Madison, a woman soon to be a grandmother.

Audrey blew on the tea and sipped some more. She and her mother had gotten to know each other

better during the last five years, but it had all been in pursuit of the commander’s goals.

Her mother had done terrible things—unforgivable, really—and Audrey probably didn’t know the half

of it.

Yet the young girl trapped deep inside Audrey still craved the approval of her only parent. Intellectually,

she knew better. But sometimes emotions and thoughts didn’t connect. At some point, Audrey would have

to let go. The idea of giving up hope with her only blood relative hurt worse than the beam dropping on her

leg five years ago.

Ernie walked by the office door and backed up, poking his head in. “Why are you still here?”

She shrugged. “I’m having some tea before heading out.”

Ernie nodded. “The senator said the trip to the facility went well and that you saw all of the labs, but the

commander wouldn’t admit he has another compound somewhere. Do you think the senator is wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Audrey lied. “The commander seemed quite open today, and he showed us

everything.”

Ernie shook his head. “If the commander is experimenting on people, we have to stop him. Especially if

his victims are unwilling.”

“I agree.”

“Go home, Audrey. I’ll see you after my vacation.”

She’d forgotten. “Oh yeah. Italy with the wife and kids. Should be fun.”

He smiled and rolled his eyes. “You haven’t traveled with teenagers before. It will be memorable. Now

go home and relax.” Whistling a roaring-twenties tune, Ernie sauntered back down the hallway.

Good advice. Audrey slid her cup onto her desk and drew on her coat. Man, she was exhausted. Acting

like a spy and forming another human being took up a lot of energy.

She hummed softly to herself while riding the elevator down and walking to her car. Nate had said he’d

try to pop by and escort her home, otherwise they would meet at his cabin. If she arrived first, she’d love to

cook him dinner this time.

Sliding into her car, she headed out of the parking area and into the street. Minutes later, DC traffic

slowed. Ugh. She wondered if Nate had already arrived at the cabin.

The previous night had been amazing. At the thought, her thighs softened. Nate Dean was sex

personified, and that was fine with her. She was ready to see him again. To figure things out. Every block

she drove took her closer to the warmth that would be waiting for her at the end of this long day. She

exhaled to keep calm as the traffic slowed to a crawl.

Finally the gridlock released and she ended up heading into Virginia. She stopped at a light, humming

along with the radio.

Suddenly her door burst open, a knife flashed to cut her seat belt, and unrelenting arms forced her from

her car. Fear accosted her until breathing became impossible. She screamed, hitting and kicking, and found

herself tossed into the back of a van. A hood slammed over her head, and something scratchy wound

around her wrists, binding her. The door slammed shut, tires screeched, and they started to move.

She huddled against the metal side, her mind whirling, her body shuddering. They’d taken her so

quickly.

But who?

* * *

After reaching a parking garage and walking down several stairs, Audrey’s hood had been removed,

and she’d been shoved into a passageway far underground. Her hands shook and her throat clogged. What

in the world?

Rough and uneven stones hindered her movements through the underground passageway reminiscent

of a catacomb in a movie. But this wasn’t a movie. She stepped around a jagged edge, careful of her

damaged leg.

She had to be ready to run. Her knees trembled so much her teeth chattered. Calm. She needed to calm

herself.

Two men guided the way with flashlights, while a third prodded her in the back every once in a while

with the barrel of a Ruger 358. The deadly thing would cause quite a hole in her center if it went off.

He stood close enough for her to try for the weapon, but the two guys ahead of her also held weapons.

Plus, any fight would risk the baby. Fear buzzed confusion into her brain, and she gulped several times to

regain control.

The drip of water on stone echoed around them, and the scent of mildew tickled her nose. She coughed

and sneezed into her elbow.

“Bless you,” said the guy from behind her.

“Thank you,” she automatically replied before her brain kicked in.
Bless you?

A rock caught her toe, and she stumbled, reaching for the mossy wall for balance. Wet slime covered

her hand, and she grimaced before wiping it off on her skirt. Ewww.