Blue Maneuver (15 page)

Lugging the ice chest, I trudged into the kitchen. I may never have participated in a murder before but this seemed off. Way off. Maybe fear played with my mind, but hope stuck its foot in the door. “What do you want with me?”

Please don’t say you’re going to kill me
.

I set the chest on the counter, shoved the lid back and yanked open the freezer door.

“I had begun to think you were one of those tedious women who’d beg for their life and become hysterical just because a man breaks into your apartment.” Victor shook the knife at me before propping a hip against the kitchen island. He winked. “Glad to know that my assessment of you was correct.”

So he wanted me to talk? I pressed my lips together, ripped out the ice basket and dumped the cubes into the chest. The rattling scraped my already raw nerves. Maybe I should talk. It had always calmed my anxiety. Maybe if I could get him to see me as a person, he wouldn’t kill me.

Of course, he didn’t seem inclined to kill me at the moment and rattling on and on might push him over the edge. I slammed the freezer door shut and opened the refrigerator.

Victor reached around me and took out the plate of sandwiches off the top shelf. “Ah, so since I want to talk, you’ve decided to be silent.”

I plucked up the plastic container of soup and worked it into the ice. “It’s hard to be civil when someone’s holding a knife on you.”

“Is that what’s bothering you? I’ll put it away.” He set the plate down, hiked up his pant leg then tucked the knife into the scabbard attached to his calf. “See.” He flashed his empty palms. “All gone.”

I scanned his body. Just where had he stashed the phone? The question had no sooner formed than another rushed into my head. Why wasn’t he worried about Tobias? Surely, my appointed protector should be back soon.

“Now, MaryJane, since we’re going to be spending so much time together, I think we should get to know each other better.” Plastic crinkled as he worked his hand under the wrapping and snatched a half eaten sandwich from the pile.

My mouth opened. What a douche! “That’s my sandwich!”

“Thought as much. I knew you’d have excellent taste. You’re attracted to me, after all.” He winked at me and took another bite. His cheeks bulged as he chewed. “Corned beef is almost enough to make me believe Heaven is on Earth.”

My corned beef. My heaven! And speaking of heaven… “I take it you’re not going to kill me then.”

Victor shook his head, nodded then shrugged. “I’m willing to work with you, to our mutual benefit. But that’s up to you.”

“Up to me huh?” I yanked open a drawer and pulled out a gallon-sized storage bag, while keeping him in my peripheral vision. “Then I want to be left alone.” His lips quirked up. “And I want to be alive to enjoy it.”

“You don’t want to be alone. You want me.” A strip of red beef wagged from the bread as he shook his hand at me. “That’s why you stalked me.”

I resisted the urge to rip the sandwich from his hand and shove it up his nose. Instead, I packed the remaining food into the bag. “What do you want from me?”

“The same thing Werner wants.” Victor stopped chewing and swallowed. His gaze was as intimate as a caress as it traveled from the top of my head to the toes of my sneakers. “You.”

My face heated while other parts seemed to melt. Surely, he couldn’t mean that.

“Don’t look so surprised,
obecht
. Werner and I are not so different. We’re both soldiers in a war; willing to do whatever it takes to win and we both love beautiful women.” He laid his hand against my cheek.

My skin tingled. I reared back. Those blue bug thingies must have affected my common sense. There’s no way I could be attracted to a killer. “Except he’s the good guy protecting Earth and you’re the bad one stooging for the greedy fatheads who want to steal our resources and enslave the rest of us.”

Victor threw back his head and laughed. “Werner’s still spewing the company line, I see. The Astral Presidium wants nothing more than to reclaim its rightful territory, put an end to war on this planet, clean up the water and air, and eliminate disease and famine. Why should our fellow humans on Earth suffer, when we can fix everything?”

When he put it that way, my arguments seemed childish. “Sounds like Paradise.” But Paradise had its share of serpents. “What’s the catch? I seriously doubt anyone is going to just hand that knowledge over.”

“No.” Victor’s chewing slowed as if he was selecting his words carefully. “Your governments will have to hand over power to the Astral Presidium so they can unite the world under one governing authority. The APres Guarda has lasted four millennium longer than anything you’ve had on Earth.”

Yeah. Yeah. More history. I hated history, especially when someone tried to use it to excuse their bad behavior. “So as long as we give up our right to vote, speak freely, and do what we want, we’ll all be one big happy family.”

“Humans need order and discipline. Those precious rights have sent humankind back to the stone age four times already.”

Turning my back on Victor, I packed down the ice to make room for the sandwiches. “I’d rather bang rocks together than be a slave in Paradise.”

“You would not become a slave.”

My hands stilled. Oh God. If I wasn’t destined to be a slave, what would happen to me?

Don’t say it. Don’t even think it.

Easing partially between me and the counter, he pinched my chin and turned my face to his. He stood so close, I felt him exhale. His pupils dilated as he studied me. “It’s the eyes, I think. Those beautiful eyes. So innocent and trusting…” He shook himself. “For your part in helping me, you would be a hero.”

Wow! No one had ever pictured me as a hero before. I leaned into him and inhaled, filling my lungs with his warm, musky scent. My heart beat just a smidge faster and ice seemed to melt under my hands. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Why?” His fingers stroked my jaw while his thumb traced my bottom lip. “Because I like you, Mary Jane.”

My name blew away the sensual haze like a cold wind. I shuffled away from him and stared into the cooler. What had I been thinking? That was the problem, I hadn’t been thinking, only feeling with my hormones. I cleared my throat. “It’s Rae.”

My voice was huskier than normal.
Get a grip
.

Victor returned to his spot against the kitchen island. He stared at the sandwich still in his hand before plucking out a tomato and tossing it into the sink. “Rae. Like a ray of sunshine. A little piece of heaven all my own.”

My body hummed. Those darn Spam dots needed a tune-up or alignment or whatever mechanics did make things run straight. Unfortunately, Victor had my Smartphone. I snapped the lid in place on the cooler. This man killed Pascel, Vivian and God only knew what he’d done to Tobias. “Who knew murderers could be so poetic.”

“I don’t murder,
obecht
.” Victor dumped the crusts of his sandwich into the sink and wiped his hands on a towel. “I kill like all soldiers must.”

Soldiers killed other soldiers, not civilians. Not innocents. I jerked the cooler off the counter and held it between me and him. “And Vivian? She didn’t know anything about your little war. Did she have to die?”

“Was that her name?” Victor shrugged and pushed away from the counter. He sauntered around the island heading for the dining room table. “It was very naughty of you to lead me to the wrong place. If you had only been there…”

He plucked at his pants.

My brain replayed the flashes of bright red on the knife. Blood. Vivian’s blood. My stomach cramped and bile soured my mouth. “What did you do to her?”

Victor scooped up the grocery bags holding the chips and fruit. “Just asked her a simple question—where did you live?”

My arms trembled so much the ice rattled against the cooler. I bit my lip.
Ask, Rae. Surely knowing couldn’t be worse than imagining
?

But what if it was?

I took a deep breath. White dotted my knuckles as I strode toward him “Is she… Is she alive?”

Victor transferred the bags to one hand and joined me by the kitchen island. “She was alive when I left her. The cuts were shallow, more for effect than damage. Of course, Werner will have to do a little triage before calling the authorities.”

Authorities. Cops. Help was on the way. I just had to hold on a little longer. Relief coursed through me and I leaned against the counter for support. “Tobias is all right.”

Victor narrowed his eyes. “Until the authorities arrive. Then I’m sure he’ll be arrested. Now, there’s just one little detail to attend before we leave.”

“Arrested?” I blinked. Had I missed something? “Why would they arrest Tobias?”

Victor smiled but the amusement didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s what they do with violent offenders, isn’t it? Werner has a criminal record—assault, rape, murder. They really shouldn’t let people like that out of incarceration.”

Tobias didn’t… He can’t… But what do you really know about him, Rae? I shook off my doubts. “That’s a pack of lies.”

“Of course. Your law enforcement systems are quite easy to access.” Victor reached into his pocket. When his hand emerged, a silver triangle dangled from a small chain.

Tobias’s key fob. It had weapons. My palms itched with the need to grab it. I tightened my grip until an ache spread up my arms. I hefted the ice chest onto the counter.

Victor spun the key chain around his index finger as he approached me. “By the time Werner’s superiors are informed that he isn’t reporting in, our mission should be completed.”

I shivered. Victor couldn’t possibly know when Tobias’s bosses would learn of his arrest. Unless… Unless he had a double spy on the inside. Note to self: stop reading thrillers. I’m in enough trouble without imagining more. “What is our mission?”

“All in good time.” Victor winked. “First I need to make sure you don’t get lost.”

I would like to get lost or disappear. Too bad I doubted I’d get my wish and live to enjoy it. “What are you going to do?”

He caught the key fob and brushed his thumb against the opal in the center. “I just need a few of your CeeBees.”

Oh no. Not that. “I’m not going to kiss you.”

I clamped my lips together, covered them with my hands and backed up, right into the kitchen island. Crap on a cracker! I needed to learn to plan better.

He arched an eyebrow. Despite the bland expression on his face, a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Werner kissed you?”

I glared at him.

Victor jabbed the back of my hand with the tip of his key fob.

Pain rocketed up my arm. Dropping my hands from my mouth, I shook away the sting. A red circle marred my skin. The welt seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat. “What the fudge was that about?”

Victor’s opal glowed red before returning to its normal milky white color. “Werner didn’t need to kiss you to get your CeeBees. He also failed to summon medical help for your friend. Still think he’s one of the good guys?”

I was beginning to think good was a relative term.

Victor narrowed his eyes. “Pick up the cooler. It’s time to leave.”

I slid the ice chest off the counter and braced it against my hip.

Victor appeared on the other side of me. “Don’t be so sad,
obecht
. I’ve called for an ambulance for your friend.”

“How noble!” I stomped toward the door. Like I hadn’t figured out that Victor had only called to trap Tobias.

“Not noble. Practical.” Victor’s hand cupped my elbow. The cold metal key fob chilled my skin. “Just like adding a few useful tools to the UED’s standard issue equipment.”

I twisted open the deadbolt and wrenched open the door. Sultry air hit me square in the face and my lungs sawed for oxygen.

“Do you know the UED doesn’t have a lethal option in their key chains?” Victor pinched my arm. “Whereas mine has a scrambler, among other things.”

“A scrambler? Was that supposed to mean something to me?” Did he want me to oohh and aahh for him? Raising my chin, I stepped onto the welcome mat. Water oozed as the saturated fabric squished and slurped under my feet.

Victor steered me forward. “A scrambler shoots a pellet of energy into the target’s body. It bounces off their bones and skin, cutting through all their organs, reducing the victim’s insides to a potted meat.”

Oh, God, what a nasty description. My stomach heaved and I swallowed to keep the contents down.

“If you try to run from me or summon help, I will fire.” Victor’s shoulder brushed mine as he steered me toward Vivian’s condo.

“I’m not going to run.” Nor lie. I wouldn’t risk any more of my friends. I peered into the darkness. Why were the outside lights off? The electric had worked fine in my house. Victor must have done it to break into Vivian’s.

“The pellet will find you anywhere on Earth. It is quite a painful way to die but at least your parents can have an open casket at your funeral.”

My jaw dropped open. I’d already agreed to cooperate, sort of. Did he think I’d be grateful to have a good-looking corpse? I glanced up at him. How could I ever have thought he was handsome?

“I don’t want to kill you, Rae, but I will. There’s too much at stake for me to fail.”

I kept my attention on where we were going instead of glancing at Mrs. Roberts’s condo. The old woman couldn’t help me now. The only man that had a chance was inside Vivian’s apartment. Out of reach. To reinforce my conclusion, sirens wailed in the distance.

“Now don’t be like that.” Victor guided me into a puddle filling one of the dips in the sidewalk. “See, Werner’s okay. He’s there pounding on the window. Why don’t you wave to him?”

I turned my head so fast pain flared up my neck. There he was—my guardian.

Tobias raised both fists and wailed on the glass pane. His mouth opened and closed and red dotted his cheeks.

“I can’t hear him.” But I got the jist of what he screamed and it wasn’t pleasant. Son of a monkey’s butt! What if Tobias thought I was willingly accompanying Victor? I stumbled on the uneven walk.

Victor caught me and kept me from falling. “Aside from sealing all the exits, the field is soundproof.”

I jerked free of his hold. “If the exits are shut, how will the EMTs get in to help Vivian?”