Circle of Danger (4 page)

Jack cleared his throat. Ryker returned his attention to what he expected would not be good news.

“Besides a couple with traces of cocaine, all of the girls had Blossom Flower in their system.”

The same drug that freak shot into Marie. It made women more compliant in having sex. From what they'd learned through underground talk, the Wizard's plan was to get them on the drug, making them easier to handle. Then later he'd sell the women overseas to the highest bidder.

“Someone is screwing up royally. Marie said the man who drugged her wasn't the Wizard.” He told Jack what Marie had said.

“They should call the bastard a ghost. We haven't tracked him down yet.” Jack leaned against the railing along the edge and looked over the valley. “What are you going to do about Marie?”

Ryker swallowed. How could Jack lean over the rail like that without getting vertigo? “Send her back to IS when she's better.”

“She's not going to like that. I suggest letting her help. She has a stake in this now. Being drugged and nearly raped, she'll want to see the guy put away.” Jack turned and rested a thigh on the rail.

Ryker almost squirmed but caught himself. Did she feel that way about him? Did she think he raped her? Maybe he needed to talk with her, make sure she understood why he did what he did.

She'd put up with enough from Theo. Not only a pedophile and a sadist, the man's obsession with King Arthur had shifted into eliminating people who he believed to be a danger to his growing power. She'd seen the elite of The Circle's operatives flee Theo's madness and follow their new leader. Yeah. His brother, Collin, was a savvy strategist and under his guidance made the OS—Onyx Scepter—a powerful entity.

Yet while Collin was growing up, believing himself to be the only surviving member of his family, Ryker endured a hellish existence as he and Marie struggled to outlive Theo's unpredictable behavior. They clung to each other in comfort and encouragement. Yes. He understood her need to feel safe. Did she look at him and see another master? A monster cut from the same cloth due to Theo's mistreatment? The thought was enough to make him want to throw up.

All he knew was that he planned to shelter her from any more harm. Images of flushed soft skin and heated thighs caused his breath to catch. Who was he trying to convince that was the only reason?

He breathed deeply as his gaze turned outward.

And why the fuck was Jack leaning over the rail so far?

“That's just tough. I can't do what's needed if I'm worrying about her.” He didn't like the look Jack gave him. His second-in-command saw too much. “We've got too much to do without showing her the ropes.” Maybe the son of a bitch would fall off.

“That's a cop-out if I've ever heard one.” Jack crossed his arms.

That did it. He wasn't about to stand there and listen to that shit or watch him fall. Ryker slapped open the doors and headed back to her room.

“What are you going to tell her?” Jack asked, following close on his heels.

Ryker continued walking.

“She deserves a chance to prove herself.” Jack wouldn't let it go, like a freaking bulldog. “Let me or someone else train her, work with her. I don't get you and her, but I've stayed out of it until now. You placed her in the safest area in The Circle, and she still almost got herself killed. Do the right thing and teach her what she wants. That's the best way to keep her safe. Or do you really care about her?”

Before he realized what he'd done, Ryker slammed Jack to the wall, his arm across the man's throat. Nose to nose, he gritted his teeth. “Don't ever question me about her safety. I'll do what I believe is best for her. As you've been doing before, stay out of it.” He shoved him to the side and walked away.

One of these days he was going to beat that smirk off Jack's face.

 

C
HAPTER
F
OUR

“Y
ou know you're a male chauvinist, Doc.” Marie wrapped the sheet tighter around her body. She'd convinced Jack to bring her oversized T-shirt with the neon-pink pajama pants, but after they x-rayed her, probed and poked at her, she still fought the chill bumps spreading across her arms and legs.

“Sorry. It's my generation's curse.” Dr. Cooper shrugged as his small grin faded. “But the boss said he wanted to be here when I told you about my findings.” He cleared his throat and pretended to read the chart in his hand.

“I really don't understand what business it is of his. This is my health.” Why couldn't anyone understand? She needed to distance herself from Ryker. He was like an addiction to chocolate. She'd tasted him—well, kind of—and she wanted more. He was constantly in her thoughts. How could she look at him again, knowing he couldn't bring himself to climax while in her, no matter how much she begged? Yeah, Master had really done a number on them. She didn't want to be defined by her past but it continued to step out of the closet and slap her around.

“What did you find out?” Arms crossed, muscles bulging, Ryker stood near the door. It was hard to believe she'd been with him only hours earlier. The tingling in her body teased her. She wanted his hands on her again, the need building to a crescendo that was killing her.

Doc started on a long dialogue including long chemical names that had more consonants than a Russian phone book with several Latin dictionaries thrown in. She had no idea what they referred to or meant and could only hope to grasp the basics.

Ryker cleared his throat. “Doc, you're losing us. Can you keep it in layman's language?”

“Ah, sure.” He inhaled and nodded as if he had decided on the best way to simplify a complicated drug. “As you know, the substance called Blossom Flower is a designer drug used to rev up the sex drive. In a female, it makes her extremely excitable and submissive to a sex partner. While a male becomes more aggressive to the point his baser instincts take over, and he loses control of his humanity.” The doctor's face was a beet red as he focused his conversation on Ryker.

“We know that much. How long does it last? We heard it can stay in the blood stream for days.” Ryker motioned to hurry up.

Jack walked into the room and leaned against the wall near the doctor.

“Actually, make that months.”

“No!” Marie shook her head. “No way. It'll kill me.”

“It's not fatal. But you may at times wish it was.” Dr. Cooper's gloomy frown didn't comfort her.

“What do you mean?” Ryker asked.

“We don't know yet what triggers the flashbacks, as they're called. But overstimulation could cause it to flare up and, uh . . .” He cleared his throat again.

“Spit it out, Doc. We're all adults here.” Jack needed to stay out of it. Though she knew he wanted to be there for her as a good friend, his presence only added to the tension in the room. Besides, at this point, nothing would comfort her as she waited for the rest of the diagnosis.

“The drug in her system will be difficult to control and she'll—” He paused and looked at the floor as if he searched for something. “She'll need to find relief until I can find something to tone down her reaction or it works its way out of her system. Thankfully the drug was slightly different than what was given to the other girls.” As soon as the last word left the doctor's mouth, both Ryker and Jack made a move toward her. She didn't like their expressions. They looked upset, as if she'd been told she had terminal cancer. But she wanted answers before she fell apart.

One hand raised to hold them back, she asked, “Let me get this straight. The drug will cause me to have a driving need for sex at any time and any place. You've got to be kidding.”

“No, I'm not.” Doc's face flushed a bright pink. “You'll find it very uncomfortable to deny yourself relief. It can be through intercourse or some other way to relieve the pressure, you could say. That is, as long as you're releasing natural endorphins, helping your body to calm down until the drug works its way out of your system.” His face was almost purple by the time he finished. Marie was beginning to worry about his health.

“What about a tranquilizer or something to keep her relaxed?” Ryker asked.

“We can administer a little more, but after the second dosage, the drug in her system morphs and stops it from working. The endorphins cannot be man-made or supplied by another—it must be the same body's. That's what we've learned so far. Whoever concocted this possesses a twisted, malicious intellect.” Doc wiped his forehead with the corner of his white lab coat.

“Is this some kind of sick joke?” She looked at Ryker. He'd never been a prankster. From the alarm tightening his face, she doubted he planned to start now. She covered her mouth as tears threatened to spill over.

“Sorry. I wish it was.” Doc cleared his throat. “That's the thing about the new synthetic drug. It's so sophisticated that it can manipulate a specific area of the body. In turn, it comes at a cost. The side effects can be numerous. With something this complicated and new, it will take us a lengthy time to solve and create an antidote without a sample of the drug itself.”

“He pumped enough in me, you should be able to get some out.” Hopeful wishing brought her voice to a high pitch on the last word. She blinked several times to hold back the tears.

“Sorry, Marie. We're having problems separating it from the bloodstream. We're unable to do a full scale analysis of the compounds.” Doc looked over at Ryker.

Then she remembered something else the doctor had said. “What other girls?”

Ryker muttered, “Shit.”

“What?” she asked. When Ryker refused to look her way, she turned to Jack. “This is stupid. I'm the one affected. I need to know everything.”

A silent communication passed between Ryker and Jack. Then Ryker nodded, ending with a jerk of his head toward the door.

“Come on, Doc. These two have a lot to talk about.” Jack slapped the older man's back as he steered him out of the room.

She folded her arms. With raised eyebrows, she waited for his explanation.

“Are you okay?” Ryker brushed her cheek.

“You ask that a lot.” Her gaze centered on his lips. The burn scars didn't reach that far. They appeared to be soft and it was the type of mouth designed for kissing. She remembered their one and only kiss. She wanted another one.

With a crooked finger beneath her chin, he lifted her gaze to his.

His tenderness scared the crap out of her. He'd been her knight in shining armor at one time. She'd been ignored by him for so long that she doubted she could handle his abandonment again when the drug left her system. Unable to resist for now, she grabbed his hand and held it against her cheek, closing her eyes, soaking in his warmth and touch.

“Marie?” The husky tone of his voice opened her eyes. She examined the face she loved so much and for so long. The scars and the patch blurred, and she remembered the sweet, humble young man. She remembered the horrible things the Master did to him in front of her, things they had to do to survive. “Stop it. Stop thinking about it,” he said in his deep, gruff voice. He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “We'll figure out a way to survive this too.”

He was right. Master was dead and could no longer punishment her. The scars from his knife and whip would slowly fade. Though Ryker had changed—becoming aloof and cold, after his death—he came to her rescue yesterday. So why was he being so attentive to her? Was it only for the sex? Only to help her in such an awkward and unusual situation?

She'd worked so hard to distance herself from him and their past as she guessed he'd wanted to do the same, she'd forgotten how he read her so well.

“I'm fine. Tell me about the other girls. How many were there? And what do they have to do with you and The Circle? I've never known you to get involved in the locals' concerns.” When he got that mulish look, she added, “It's important for me to know.” Without thinking it through, she kissed the center of his palm and released it.

He hissed as if she'd burned him.

She probably should be insulted by his reaction, but she understood. Displays of affection between them had been forbidden for so long. With the drug running through her system and the resulting outcome, she decided she had nothing more to lose at this point.

He nodded. “Yeah. You're right.” He pulled a chair close to her bed and sat with his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. “It started about a year and half ago. The first girl's body was found by some boaters near the Chickamauga Dam. About every other month another body has turned up somewhere in or near Chattanooga. Each one has had the drug in their system. Then a few months after finding the second body, two of my male operatives were arrested for nearly raping a woman. They had the drug in their system, and a week later another body was found. The newest victim had been drinking with the woman they'd attacked. Someone had placed the drug in their drinks.”

“So all four, out drinking together, had been fed the same drug? Only one of the women lived a little longer? Where was she during that time? And what did they hope to accomplish by that? Was the drug killing them?” she asked. Her chest felt as if it was turning to stone. Had they hidden something from her?

Though he spoke calmly and rationally, frustration leaked between each word. “We believe the Wizard was experimenting first on the women and then to see how the men would react. Maybe find another way to use the drug. The women had twice the amount of Blossom Flower that you did per the lab report Doc received. We think the Wizard became careless, not warning his people that too much would kill them. While the men were large and the amounts affected them differently, they continued to have problems controlling their basic urges for several weeks.” Sadness pulled at his face. She knew he never believed in harming someone weaker. He'd taken punishment from their master without complaint to protect her.

“Did they get better?”

From what the doctor had said, the drug was still in her system, and who knew when another attack—flashback, as he called it—would happen. All operatives working for The Circle should be in total control of their basic urges. She hated to think she would go months being aroused and seeking help with little hope of assuaging the cravings. Would she attack the nearest male when it happened? Like the men had the woman?

The way Ryker avoided her eyes, she knew. They didn't have an opportunity to get better. The Circle couldn't take a chance of their operatives being placed in prison and leaking information about a large, secretive mercenary organization inside a mountain in Tennessee. Even if the government possessed some knowledge of The Circle, they didn't know the whole extent. So the operatives had been eliminated. All loose ends tied up.

“What are you going to do about me?”

His eyebrows lifted. Was he so surprised by her question? Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe the thought of eliminating her never crossed his mind.

“As soon as Doc gives the signal, you're going back to IS.”

“No. I'm an adult now. Whatever you believe, understand this. I'm not going back. There has to be more I can do, and entering data into the computer system isn't it. I want to help find the person responsible for making and distributing this drug. For killing those women. Those men didn't deserve what they got either. You got rid of one mad man and I want to help rid the world of another one.” She wanted him to understand how important this was to her. And how could he expect her to pretend what happened to her and between them never . . . well, happened?

“Let me handle this.” He scowled. Before, whenever she'd seen that look, she'd backed down. Not this time.

Almost nose to nose, she glared at him. “You can tell me to work in the IS department all you want, but I'm determined to find the little SOB who did this. I'll do it too. So if you want me to stay safe, you'll help me.”

She may be crazy but she wasn't stupid. Her skills didn't include tracking down and apprehending criminals. His did. He was better than good. Few people in the world outmatched Arthur Ryker in the skills needed for his job. When a person had been trained since childhood on ways to kill and maim . . . a chill skittered down her back. He never took orders from anyone but Master and even then he'd taken those grudgingly.

His shoulders slumped and he shook his head. “The first time you don't follow my directions, you'll find yourself chained to a desk in the basement. Do you understand me?” He spoke between gritted teeth. A sure sign she'd pushed him as far as she could.

“Hey, you're the expert. I won't have a problem doing as you say, but I have some conditions.” She straightened her shoulders. Her pride held her gaze to his. No way would she allow another person to bully her, including Ryker.

“Conditions?” He sat back in his chair and his gaze narrowed.

Too late, she remembered how their master would lay conditions on any pleasure received, nothing good given without a price being paid.

“Ryker, I didn't mean—”

“Give them,” he bit off.

She shuddered and rubbed a spot over her heart. She'd always been that way. When he hurt, she did too. Pulling herself together, she took a deep breath. “I want to be involved in the plans; no leaving me in the dark. I won't be treated like a child. I want to be part of the operation. And just as important, I want you to teach me how to protect myself.”

R
yker's back straightened. “If you'd stay put, you'd be safe and wouldn't need to learn anything.” He resisted the urge to shake her. By being involved, she'd be in more danger. He couldn't risk her life. His attention would be divided between protecting her and stopping a psycho, which could cause problems. And teaching her how to hurt and maim those who would attack her—his gaze travelled down her petite, sexy body—he didn't expect to be successful. Besides, she was too softhearted.