Captivated (35 page)

“There’s no one in his office just now. There’s a late-night feast down in the great hall so the guards are all there. You picked a good time to come, I suppose. I know where the elevator is. Let’s go. It might be your only chance today.”

Vin took a deep breath and nodded. His weapons were hot and ready to go. Hannah straightened and stood tall, ready. Julian led up the rear, getting their back. No more time to waste so he nodded at his mother. “I know where it is. You stay here. We can’t take the risk of you being tied in with us if things go badly.”

“He already suspects me. He rarely speaks to me anymore. I have nothing left to lose.” With that she turned and headed to the door. “I’ve been taking chances with that monster my whole life. I want this over. He took every single one of my babies and I want him to pay.”

Hannah sent him a look that told him he needed to let his mother do this, even if it was the last thing he wanted.

“Fine. But if I tell you to go, you have to go. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

The hallways were the same as they’d been before. The same glossy black stone floors and walls. The same portraits in the long hall. Well, his was gone. Carina, being female had no such portrait to remove, but he was sure any and all mention of her had been expunged from the official records anyway.

She’d been right; the halls were empty in what would prove to be a disastrous breach of protocol for his father but a lucky one for them. Once they’d made ready to round the last turn to where his father’s offices were, his mother held her hand up and waved them back. Vincenz stopped, holding them up as she continued to walk.

“Ma’am, can I help you with something?”

Must be a soldier.

“I’m looking for a guard. I heard a crash. Probably birds hitting the windows again, but one can never be too safe.”

The sounds of their talking dimmed and shortly after, he peeked around the corner to find it empty, so the three of them moved to his father’s office door. Hannah pushed herself to the front and began to hack into the system of locks and security on the door. She’d already disabled the surveillance system while they’d been in the closet earlier and they’d discovered his father’s long hallway had no cameras at all. Gods only knew what he’d been up to that he’d make that stupid mistake.

She continued to work in that way of hers, all her focus on the task at hand until the door popped open and they slipped in, closing the door in their wake.

He indicated the next doors that led into what he and Carina had always joked was his father’s throne room. Only now it had an actual throne on a dais. Seven hells.

Julian sent him a raised brow, but said nothing as Vincenz led them to the elevator just beyond. His mother wasn’t the only one who knew where it was. He would have preferred to take the access stairs in the elevator shaft rather than the elevator, but it was inaccessible except for through what appeared to be a guard office on the other side of the thick walls. And they couldn’t risk that.

Hannah got to work, and he came in behind her, propping the
system open as she ripped holes large enough for him to get in behind her. Soon enough the elevator arrived and they took the chance and got on.

No cameras in there either.

Hannah indicated they hold as she pulled on a respirator and some gloves. They had no idea what the lab would be like and she refused to let them take extra risks. He and Julian followed suit and pulled their weapons out, training them on the door as it slid open.

The lab beyond was impressive. Hannah had to admit it as she took a look around. The containment appeared to be solid, which made her relax a little, but also led her to believe there were some dangerous things there. They clearly had the right place.

She sent them a glare and mimed that she’d kill them both if they took the respirators off and not to touch anything but the comms they needed to get inside of.

And then she went to work.

From what she could tell as she went through each station’s data, the lab was a veritable chamber of horrors of viral and biological agents. She wished she had a full containment suit, but as that wasn’t an option she did her best as she downloaded the data and introduced the chlorine that would kill each one of the viruses in the containment units.

Any hope of bringing the material out to study back in the Federation was dashed. She couldn’t take a risk with any of this. Better to destroy it all and study the data, which appeared to be quite extensive, than to expose anyone to agents that could kill millions.

She was about eighty-five percent done when the lights went off and flickered back again, this time blue.

Vincenz began to remove the respirator but she jogged to him, holding it in place. “No! You can’t.”

“They’ll know there’s been a breach. I need to move easier.”

“You need to not be infected with one of the myriad ugly things in this room. You keep it on or I will kick you in the balls.”

Julian snorted but kept his respirator on as he began to set up where they’d have to defend their position.

“Disable the elevator.”

“I did.” Vincenz glared at her. “You had no right to be in here if this was so dangerous.”

“Be quiet and get your weapons ready.” She turned and went back to her work.

He snarled, but she knew he did exactly that because that was what he needed to do. He’d lecture her later.

She found the virus at the very end, right as Julian and Vincenz began to talk about how the Skorpios had nearly gotten around their blocks. Pfft, they were amateurs and her blocks were very good. Together with Vincenz’s work, they were nearly indestructible.

She had to trust it for at least another five minutes as she uploaded the data and replaced it with their data that would cascade through the system, not only destroying their entire system but any networked into it. That part, the communication to the other networked systems, had been working since she had finished the first station.

Hannah tried not to think about the data that scrolled up as she worked. All the people who’d been experimented on. So many had died horribly painful deaths all for the amusement and power greed of Ciro Fardelle and some of his ministers.

Finishing the last bit, she dropped the gas tab into the containment tubes and watched the gas turn colors as it ate at the contagion and destroyed it.

“Got it.”

Vincenz looked at her one last time to be sure he heard right and then he sent out the command to initiate the internal destruction
codes. Each comm screen flickered and then data began to flow in long strings as it all began to collapse.

“I think it’s fair to assume they’re going to be using the internal elevator shaft to override the hold we have on the elevator.”

Julian nodded. “No way around it. We have to shoot our way out.”

Vincenz looked back to Hannah. “Fuck.”

“Just do your super-secret agent business. I know how to keep my head down and also how to use my weapon. Plus, remember you made me put on the vest. Let’s go. The longer we’re here, the more time they have to assemble a defense.”

Vincenz wanted to scream. Instead, he opened the elevator and motioned her inside. “Stay the seven hells down. We’ll do the shooting.”

“If I may,” she had the audacity to say and he narrowed his eyes, “if we keep the masks on they might think we have something with us from in here.”

Julian nodded. “Good idea. It can’t hurt.”

“Hard to see around this respirator.”

“Hard to see with a bullet in your head.” Julian shrugged and Vincenz knew he was right.

He sighed. “Fine. But you still stay the fuck down.”

She moved to the place he indicated as Julian opened the hatch in the ceiling of the elevator to check. “Movement below. Let’s go. Now or never. Kill everyone you come across. We don’t have the time and I sure don’t have the inclination to spare anyone but your mother.”

Hannah sucked in a breath, and he realized he didn’t have the time to worry about the choices he’d made. They were made, and he’d need all of his attention to survive this.

She had her comm out so he waited until she’d finished, knowing she had a plan.

“I’ve
disabled the light and sound announcements for when the elevator arrives on a floor.”

“I’d kiss you for that, but you’ll have to wait.” Smart, their woman.

“All right, let’s do this.” He pushed the button and they began to descend.

They heard the Klaxons even before they’d arrived down in his father’s office. It was clear their presence had been detected. He had a moment to worry over his mother before the doors slid open and he and Julian took as much cover as they could and began to shoot at whatever was waiting for them.

Hannah held up a hand grasping a silver cylinder.

“Back, you fools!” one of the Skorpios ordered.

Vincenz recognized that voice. Davis Dolce, the head of the Skorpios. The man who’d personally trained him.

The soldiers scrambled backward, weapons still aimed.

Vincenz had no use for any of them and so he and Julian took as many out as they could. Which turned out to be quite a few. One-handed, he grabbed Hannah, who’d attempted to stand on shaky legs, and hauled her out, keeping her behind him.

“What do you want?” Davis called out from his cover behind the throne.

Julian shot the throne with a pulse blaster and it cracked, falling apart.

“Where is he, Davis?”

“Vincenz?” Davis broke cover and stood alongside the rubble, making himself a target. “Is that you?”

He nodded and Davis threw his weapon down and went to one knee. “I pledge my fealty to you.”

Well, that was unexpected
.

Vincenz noted the remaining Skorpios had faltered at the sight of
their commander on his knee. He lowered his weapon slightly and Hannah whacked his arm. “What are you doing!”

There was no way this was a trick. Most of the Skorpios corps might be addicted to his father’s special bars loaded with stimulants and drugs, but they didn’t surrender. Not even as a feint.

“It’s all right.” He nodded toward the doors. “Julian, secure the space.”

“I’ll take the weapons.” Before he could argue with Hannah, she’d simply started to do it.

He growled. “Take care that they’re dead before you go touching them.” He turned his attention back to the soldier and ignored Hannah’s grumble. “Stand up, Davis.”

He did. “May I approach, sire?”

He was no one’s sire. But suddenly he understood Ellis’s offer better. If these men followed him, they could not only destroy his father’s lab but his father’s rule.

“Yes.” He pulled the respirator off and Hannah threw her hands up in disgust.

“It is you.” He clasped forearms with Vincenz. “Seven hells, it’s good to see you. I thought you were dead.”

“Not yet, but maybe soon. Who else is coming? What are we facing?” Vincenz simply took command as he’d been taught to do.

“I can handle my men. Rank and file are in the outer halls and in the streets though.”

“Where is my father?”

“He was heading toward your mother’s chambers.” Davis’s face paled and Vincenz felt sick. “One of your informants was picked up earlier and confessed. Not that it was you. But not many can stand up to torture.”

Vincenz headed to the door and Hannah grabbed his arm, digging
her heels in. “Not so fast. Make a plan first! You can’t help her if you rush out there.” She pulled her respirator and hat off, her hair all over the place as she shoved it back with her free hand.

“Hold for a moment.” Davis spoke into his wrist mic, sending his men toward Esta’s rooms with orders to let no one but him past. “Let’s go.”

They burst from the throne room and began an all-out run.

So well trained were Davis’s men that not a one lifted a weapon, even when they saw Davis wasn’t alone.

Vincenz kicked the doors open and went into a crouch as Julian swept the room on his left.

Hannah rushed past them both toward the place where Esta lay, crumpled and bleeding on the pale blue carpet.

“I need some first-aid supplies. Now!” she barked at one of the soldiers, who quickly dug through his pack and gave her one. “Vincenz …” She licked her lips. “She needs you now.”

Hannah pulled her old gloves off and Julian helped her with the new ones before she threw herself into doctor mode.

Esta looked up at Vincenz as he fell to his knees on a broken cry. “Mai, I’m here. Hannah is a doctor. She’s going to fix you. Where is he?”

“In my bedchamber.” Even Vincenz heard the liquid in her voice.

Julian rushed past them, bursting through the doors only to come back some moments later. “He’s dead.”

Esta winced as Hannah tore open the front of her blouse. “I’m sorry. I need to get to your wound.”

A wound it was. Close-fire blaster shot.

Hannah didn’t even pause, didn’t pale, just continued to work, cleaning, using a paste to deaden the nerves for pain relief. Her hands were gentle but her eyes held sorrow.

“He didn’t expect me to kill him.” His mother clasped his hand. “That’s why he’s dead now. I always expected him to kill me.”

Hannah packed the wound. “Are you injured anywhere else?”

“Just there.” She coughed, the blood bright red. Hannah handed him a clean cloth with one hand while she worked on his mother with the other. Vincenz wiped his mother’s mouth and chin, relentlessly holding back the sob boiling up in his gut.

“He’s dead. You won. We’re going to get you better.”

His mother shook her head. “No, you won’t. I’m dead now, even if you won’t admit it. Please know I did everything I could to keep you and Carina safe. I love you both so much. I’ll be sorry not to hold your babies.”

“She’s married now. To the soldier who escorted her out of here.” Julian crouched next to them. “You did a good job with your children, Mrs. Fardelle.”

A sob broke from Vincenz as he watched his mother work to take each breath.

“Do something!” he yelled at Hannah, who flinched, but kept working.

Julian reached out and squeezed his forearm. “She is, Vin.”

“A Fardelle has held this place for generations.” Esta paused to take another breath, growing more pale with each moment. “Don’t let that end. Be the man your father wasn’t.”