Emergence (The Primogenitor Chronicles Book 1) (35 page)

“Nice try old man.” He tossed his head and smiled. “I’m not going to give you any more info on my abilities than you do me. The council can delude themselves all they want about you. I know they’re wrong.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just trying to determine baseline information.”

“What, be the
doctor
? It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?” Fanning out his wings, the suddenly irate Valkyrie slammed his hands on the island. “You couldn’t stop these; you couldn’t stop
them
from doing this to me, and look at what they did to you? What makes you think you can do anything?”

Ian kept his surface thoughts blank and held Gabriel’s probing look, though he couldn’t suppress the shiver after Gabriel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The insane Valkyrie smiled slowly before opening them again and resumed his stalk.

Ian cleared his throat. “You know I didn’t have anything to do with the original experiment. I was only called in when it went bad. I did my best to save as many of you as I could.”

“Yes, I should be grateful I survived, right? Well it’s down to just you and me now, Ian. We’re the only ones left.”

Jessica’s monitor beeped, and he suppressed his annoyance when Gabriel glanced over at it. His mind started running multiple scenarios on his best choice of action at lightning speed, something his strategic talent excelled at. It was his ace in the hole. No matter how much Gabriel suspected, the truth was so much stronger.

“What have we here?” Gabriel crooned, and over the back of the desk, he hit a few keys and brought up the visuals on Jessica’s cell. “Well, well, something different.”

Ian barely glanced at the screen, but he still noted that Jessica’s agitation seemed more pronounced than even her first day here. The change in her routine had made a huge impact on her. Her wings, each about a foot long already, were in constant motion, the dark membrane rippling as she paced the miniscule confines of her cell. Irritation visibly poured off her, and Ian wished that she didn’t have such a habit of talking to herself as he watched her muttering. Thankfully, the sound was muted.

Ian soaked in every nuance of Gabriel’s reaction to her. Dismayed at the intensely fascinated look in his eyes, Ian moved to cut the visuals, but Gabriel got his hand over the keys. The proximity to the other unshielded Valkyrie battered at him. He turned his head and was pinned by the insanity in Gabriel’s eyes.

“She is coming with me.”

No asking, no doubt, just a demand.

“She stays. You have no jurisdiction over her yet, Gabriel.”

“I want her.”

“She is mine until her change is complete. Until that time, you cannot have access to her. You may run the camps, but the Facility is
mine
,” Ian snarled softly, challenge written in every fiber of his being.

Surprise showed briefly on Gabriel’s face, to be replaced immediately by his normal cocky self-assuredness. “Not all of it is yours, as you well know. By the way, how is Nickolas? She seems to be asking for him. As usual I notice he is absent. How do you manage that, I wonder?”

Gabriel removed his hand from the keyboard and started to pace again. Ian quickly blanked the monitor. “He’s on a recovery, of course. His team is the best we have.”

With a negligent wave of his hand in dismissal, Gabriel continued, completely ignoring his own previous statement. “You’re right of course. She’s in your purview.”

He walked toward the door but stopped to look back, promise in his eyes.
*But when she’s done, I’ll be back, Ian.*

“Stay out of my head, Gabriel.”

Even after the door had closed behind him, Ian could still hear Gabriel’s laughter echo through the room.

Gabriel ignored the sight of the patchwork ground as it sped by below. He shifted his wing out from underneath himself and settled more fully into the seat of the helicopter, returning to his introspection. Damping down his flare of irritation at the Facility’s head doctor, he returned to his normal equipoise.
Soon, I’ll catch him…soon. I know Ian is the hole the rebels keep slipping through. I just need to get the proof. If I keep batting him this way and that, eventually the mouse will break cover.

But then what? The joy of the game he had been playing with Ian for years would be…gone?
They
loved pitting the two of them against each other. He chafed at their control.

Gabriel held out his hand, examining his nails predatorily.
Blocking Ian’s search for information has been challenging. At least he’s had as much success in his hunt as I’ve had in mine.

He pulled his knife from his boot and started to clean his nails
. I don’t know why the council trusts him so much. He’s free to do anything he wants. It’s obvious he’s been blocking their attempts to maintain control of the Valkyries.

The knife paused.
Ian, how do you stay one step ahead of me? You’re too soft and weak. You don’t have what it takes to do what is necessary; not like I do.
He shook his head and the knife started moving again. But this time, he turned it against his skin. The tip parted a delicate line along his palm.
Well, Ian, you’ve certainly managed to win with Nickolas. Your control there is absolute. Every attempt I’ve made in his direction has ended in an immediate brick wall.

Blood welled up in a thin tracery along the path the knife took. The bright red against his skin was fascinating.

What I wouldn’t love to do with you, Nickolas, my boy. If only I could get my hands on you. What I could learn…and the fun we would have.

He lifted his hand up. His tongue slid across his palm, gathering the salty wetness. The shock of his power, returned on itself, sent a shiver down his spine.

Well you may have managed to keep me from Nickolas so far, Ian, but this new fledgling is another matter entirely. Once she has completed her transformation, she is mine. There’s nothing you can do to stop it either.

The vision of the woman pacing the length of her cell filled his mind, along with the feeling of the power she contained. She had drawn him from home, projecting her presence unknowingly…until he found her.
I could feel you, little one, calling to me all the way out here from the time you started to change. You’re stronger than any other I’ve located besides Nickolas…or me.

His headset crackled, and Gabriel looked up as the pilot’s voice blasted out, making him wince. “Sir, we have almost arrived. The tower wishes to relay a message to you.”

“Patch them through.” He stared out the window and watched the compound speed toward them. It didn’t look like much from the air. Several buildings set behind a large barbwire-topped fence standing in the open plains of the dry Eastern Washington landscape. There was nothing for miles around the compound.
Nowhere for anyone to run to,
he thought.
Not even me.

The buildings on the surface were just a portion of what was there. The majority of the holdings lay underground.

“Gabriel. Boy, am I glad you’re back. The general called. He’s bringing VIPs out tonight and wants some entertainment,” the tinny voice announced.

“Did he say how many?” Gabriel asked resignedly.

“About twenty, twenty-five, I think.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Let him know that I can’t serve them any delicacies on this short of notice, but the entertainment should be on par. I’ll deal with it after I land. Gabriel out.”

“Sir,” the pilot announced, “please buckle up, we’re about to land.”

He pulled his harness into place and stared out the window. The pilot maneuvered the helicopter over the landing pad between the fence and one of the buildings, slowly lowering it until it bumped the ground. Unbuckling, he popped the door open as the pilot flipped switches on the console, shutting the machine down. He didn’t bother to wait for the blades to stop. He jumped out, staying in a crouch until he was clear, then made his way into the building.

At the reception desk, he leaned over the counter and grabbed a chart that hung from a hook. He propped his hip against the counter and scanned the paper work, smiling idly at the receptionist. “Hello, Mary. Have they finished yet?”

“No, sir,” she whispered. Her hands shook slightly when she set her pen down. “They should still be in the middle of the experiment. I just updated the chart.”

He flipped through the pages. “Good. I’ll just go check on them. By the way, the arena is going to be open tonight. Please get some sort of refreshments set up for around thirty guests.”

His smile widened when she gulped, and he handed the chart back. She pressed the button releasing the lock on the door.

He passed the checkpoint and walked down the hall, taking the elevator down two floors. Exiting into an unmarked hallway, he walked confidently through the maze. He eventually pushed open one of the many plain doors he had passed and entered a small office. A guard sat at a desk just inside. The man sat up, but when he recognized who had entered, he went back to his work. Ignoring the guard at the desk, Gabriel approached a set of glass observation windows that flanked the main laboratory entrance.

Looking out over the laboratory through the glass, he watched the scientists conduct their current experiment. Five Valkyries, in various stages of consciousness, were strapped to tables or tethered to the wall. Fredrick, the team lead, was administering the new drug they had been formulating, and were now testing, to one of the two still tied to the wall. The woman struggled against the hands attempting to hold her still. Fredrick yanked viciously on her hair, prying her head back. Her violent movements caused Fredrick to spill a good quantity of the liquid they were trying to get into her, and Gabriel shook his head.

He shoved the door open and descended the steps into the lab. He came to a stop next to Fredrick and looked down dispassionately at the gagging Valkyrie. “Is this the last one?”

“No, there’s one left,” Fredrick said. “The others are already starting to exhibit reactions. We wanted to stagger the times of this test run for observation purposes. We lost all the subjects during the first trial today all at once. It happened too fast. The cameras recorded everything, but now I want a firsthand account as it happens.” Refilling his beaker, the doctor turned to the last Valkyrie.

Gabriel waved away the lab techs waiting to restrain the subject. A surge of adrenaline ran through him. At times like this he could feel again. Hot emotion breaking through the ice. And he craved more. He made eye contact with the captive.

The power. The wielder instead of the pawn. He shoved the memories that dared threaten back into their dark box and prowled toward the last subject, savoring the fear in the Hunter’s eyes. The Hunter pulled at the length of chain attached to a collar around his throat and backed as far away from them as he could, frantically looking around. A smile stretched Gabriel’s mouth, and he cocked his head, taking his time, prolonging the feeling. His hand skated along the wall, the captive’s eyes following the movement, to the bolt that secured the chain. The cold metal of each link slipped slowly under his palm and he applied pressure, forcing the terrified Hunter closer.

He drank in the fear. The ability to feel. Almost an aphrodisiac. He smiled even wider when he reached the end of the chain and his fingers touched the silky lengths of dark hair. With a slight shift, his body lightly brushed against the Hunter’s side. Soft pants echoed in his ears. He slipped his hand up, caressing the back of the clammy neck. The skin shivered under his touch and he continued to skim up under the metal of the collar. A sudden jerk pulled the band taut, choking the Hunter. Gabriel laughed softly as hands reached up, trying to pull the rigid metal away from his windpipe.

With a twist, Gabriel spun the desperate man against the wall and hooked his left arm under the wings to immobilize him, pressing along his back. He finally tried to struggle, and Gabriel chuckled in his ear before shifting his grip from the collar to continue the leisurely caress up the back of the man’s head through his hair. The Valkyrie gasped in a ragged breath when the metal relaxed, his cheek pressed into the wall, and Gabriel swallowed the hunger that sprang up at the feel of the body against him.

Get to work. He’s not one you get to take home.
His hand cupped the back of the Hunter’s head. With a curl of fingers, he clutched a fistful of hair and pried the subject’s head back at the same moment that he put his foot into the back of his knees forcing him to the ground.

“Now hold still,” Gabriel breathed into his ear. Nodding at Fredrick to come forward, Gabriel pulled back on the Hunter’s head even farther, compelling the man’s jaw to unclench. The scientist stepped up to him, reached out, and gripped the trembling man’s lower jaw to open it farther, then he began to slowly pour the liquid down the lab subject’s throat.

Holding tighter, Gabriel pulled his other arm out from under the Hunter’s wings and slipped it around the man’s chest to stop his arms from trying to bat away the drug. So close, Gabriel breathed in the Hunter’s physical and psychic scent while he watched the Valkyrie’s throat convulse, forced to swallow the vile substance or breathe the liquid in.

“You smell so good,” he whispered in his ear, then finally not able to stop himself, he brushed the Hunter’s cheek with his lips and captured the tears sliding down the man’s face. The Hunter trembled and his arms fell limp at his side. Gabriel ran his hand up over his captive’s chest to rest lightly on his throat, feeling the convulsive swallowing. He stroked the soft skin and pressed his body tighter into the captive’s back, nuzzling the hollow of his neck. The man started to collapse, but Gabriel held him upright.

“There’s no need for that you know,” he commented, rubbing his cheek against the trail of tears, kissing the damp corner of his eye. “There’s nothing you can do and you will be adding invaluable knowledge to the understanding of our fledgling species. Your sacrifice will benefit others.”

The scientist finished and backed away, but Gabriel waited another moment before releasing the man to fall to the ground, coughing and shaking. He stared at the Hunter. Something about him…

He shrugged it off and stepped over the shivering man to join the scientist. Fredrick scribbled in his notebook. A moan drew Gabriel’s attention, and he looked over at the other chained Valkyrie. She was lying on the ground clutching her stomach. He nudged the doctor’s foot and nodded his head at her.

Pleased, the scientist waved his helpers forward then turned to Gabriel. “She’s ready for a table. She didn’t get as much down as subject B-Five here; I’m surprised she’s responding so quickly. Thank you for restraining this one. He had already proven to be difficult during the check-in phase.”

Snorting, Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest and watched the lab technicians get B Four unchained and secured to a table. “The fact that I’m intimately aware of their physical characteristics helps.”

He watched the woman struggle feebly when they secured the straps, and he walked over, turning her face to look into it. Her eyes were glazing, so he dropped his hand and turned to pace with the doctor along the foot of the other tables, surveying the rest of the subjects. All of them had started to exhibit signs of pain and distress in response to the stimuli that the drug forced on them.

“What are the results so far?” Gabriel queried.

“The first trial this morning had no survivors. We’re fine-tuning this next trial. We observed some interesting responses earlier, however it ended much too quickly.”

“Send a copy of the video over to my office; I’ll go over it sometime this evening. Unfortunately I can’t stay now. We have an unscheduled event tonight. I need to get the coliseum ready for our visitors. Call me if anything interesting happens.”

“Definitely, I will. Are you going to be fighting tonight?”

“No.”

A scream, both mental and physical, tore through the air, and Gabriel spun to see subject B-Five gripping his head while trying to curl into a fetal position. The chains made the move impossible. The staff rushed forward to drag the Valkyrie to the last remaining table. When they unchained him, the Hunter took them all by surprise. He wrenched free and made a dash for the door.

Gabriel reached out with his mind and pierced the Hunter’s weakened barriers, shouting,
*Stop!*

The mental command felled the escaping man. Walking up to where he had collapsed, Gabriel stared down at him.

B-Five held his head, staring sightlessly as he rocked on his side, mumbling over and over, “Get out of my head. Keep them out of my head. Get out, get out, get out…”

Gabriel smiled and beckoned the scientist over. “He’s a Seer. This one has promise, watch him.” With a last look at B-Five, he waved to the research team and walked out the door.

He retraced his steps through the complex, startled a squeak out of Mary the receptionist, then stepped into the late fall sunshine. He stretched his wings, looking around. A few subdued Valkyries glanced his way before hurrying on to finish whatever task they had been assigned. Folding his wings neatly on his back, he strolled into the neighboring building. The small structure was deceptive. On the surface, its dimensions were only about twenty feet in diameter and contained surplus food storage on shelves.