|
PART ONE: THE MESSIAH STRAND
A bolt of white-hot pain quickly returned Brennan to consciousness. Moaning, he blinked open his eyes. He was inside Genomex, and one of Eckhart's goons had just shot a sub-dermal governor into the back of his neck.
"Aww crap..." His head was throbbing. This was definitely not turning out to be a good day.
"My sentiments exactly," commented a familiar voice, also none too thrilled to be there.
Rolling his aching head to the side, Brennan spotted Emma restrained in the chair next to his. Just great. The GSA had gotten them both.
She gave him a tiny half-smile, reassuring him that she wasn't hurt. "They've been running tests on you for the past hour," she told him quietly. "I was worried."
"I've been out that long?" he asked, frowning. He only vaguely recalled their little brawl with about two dozen GS agents. It had obviously been a set-up, but what did they want?
"I think they drugged you," she replied nervously. "Whatever scans they ran on you, Eckhart seemed pleased with the results."
Glancing around and wondering when the aforementioned white-haired creep was going to make an appearance, Brennan tugged experimentally at his restraints with no luck. But he noticed a cut across the back of his hand, and his ring was missing. He returned his focus to Emma. "It's us," he realized. "The whole point was to capture a couple members of Mutant X."
"Bren..." Emma studied him carefully. Her ring hadn't been removed. "I think they specifically want you."
His eyebrows raised in question. But before he could ask how she figured that, Eckhart and several others entered. The others weren't important, merely red-shirts who'd likely be gone by tomorrow.
Brennan fixed his stare on Eckhart. "Adam isn't going to let you keep us here," he threatened. A rescue was probably being mounted right that second.
Eckhart held up a small baggie with Brennan's ring in it. "Because of this?" he asked, somewhat amused. "Yes, I'm well aware that it can be tracked."
From the smears of red on the inside of the plastic, Brennan decided he was a bit too aware. His hand had purposefully been sliced in order to coat his ring with his DNA.
"Keeping that active is a bad idea," Emma warned him smugly. "I hope you're prepared for a thorough ass kicking any minute now."
Eckhart regarded her with contempt. "It was such a pleasant surprise that you showed up, Miss DeLauro."
One of his men hurriedly apologized. "I didn't know what else to do with her, sir. I know you only asked for the elemental."
"What do you want with me?" Brennan inquired angrily.
Eckhart gave him a nonchalant glance through those stupid glasses he always wore. "You're going to have the privilege of taking part in an experiment."
Glaring stubbornly, Brennan replied, "I'd rather not."
Eckhart remained perfectly composed. "I advise you to change your mind."
"Go to hell," he retorted defiantly.
With a nod, Eckhart said, "Very well." He turned to one of his lackeys. "Escort Miss DeLauro to a stasis pod."
"Brennan..." she called nervously to him as her wrists were freed and she was forced to get up.
"Don't," Brennan said, the word catching in his throat. Emma was his one weakness that could be exploited. "Leave her alone."
"So you'll agree to cooperate?"
He hesitated, wondering exactly what kind of deal he was making. Apparently he waited too long, because Emma suddenly dropped to floor, clearly in pain.
"HEY!" Brennan yelled, jerking against his restraints. They'd activated her governor. He knew firsthand how much that hurt. He stared daggers into Eckhart. "You son of a bitch!"
Emma had curled into a ball, but she was biting her lip to keep from crying. Brennan locked eyes with her. This was his fault.
"Stop," he finally said. "I'll do whatever you want."
"Bren, don't," Emma told him as her pain stopped. Her eyes pleaded with him not to make any deals.
Taking his gaze off her, he return his view to Eckhart. "You have me. Now let her go."
Eckhart nodded to the man who was standing over Emma. He pulled her to her feet, then held her firmly as another man slit the back of her hand. "Ouch," she hissed.
Her blood was allowed to drip into another small plastic bag, then her ring was slipped from her finger. Eckhart handed the man Brennan's ring also. "Find a creative way to dispose of those."
Brennan didn't like this at all. "Our deal was that you let her go."
"I have you either way," Eckhart informed him. "You're in no position to make demands. She'll be kept merely as assurance that you won't fight us."
"If you hurt her--" Brennan began.
Holding up a hand, Eckhart silenced him. "Miss DeLauro won't be harmed unless you give us reason to do so. You have my word."
With that, Brennan was released from the chair. He stood and allowed them to cuff his hands. Emma's hands were bound also. Then he walked without argument as they were escorted to the parking garage behind the building.
"Care to tell us where we're going?" Emma asked as she and Brennan were forced into the back of one of the vans. The door was slammed behind them. "Didn't think so," she sighed.
Brennan knew it was pointless, but he checked the door regardless. "Locked," he announced as the vehicle began to move.
The windows were painted black so they couldn't see out. They were also separated from the front, unable to know how many men there were other than the driver. Emma leaned her back against the side of the van. "Adam won't know where to find us."
Brennan nodded, sitting opposite her. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," she assured him. Then they sat in silence.
Brennan reached up to touch his forehead and winced in pain. He looked at his fingers and discovered that they had dried blood on them.
"Does that still hurt?" Emma asked with concern.
He shook his head before probing at the cut once more. "Not really. I just thought I'd been hit from behind."
She gave him a pained smile. "You were, but you landed on your face." She grimaced from the memory.
He sighed. "Gracefully, I'm sure."
At that moment, the van lurched and Emma fell forward. Brennan quickly reached to catch her, momentarily forgetting that his hands were bound, causing Emma to impact awkwardly with him, knocking them both over. She stared down at him, pinned to the floor beneath her. "I'm sure."
Brennan looked back at her, making no move to free himself. His hands were trapped between them, and hers were against his shoulder, leaving their bodies pressed together and their faces mere inches apart.
Emma had beautiful eyes. Brennan wondered were that thought came from. Probably the same place as the urge to kiss her. He'd had these feeling for quite a while, he just wasn't certain if he should act on them. Emma wasn't just somebody to flirt with. With her, it was serious, and that frightened him.
She leaned in closer and he could feel her soft breath on his skin. All he had to do was make his move.
Then the vehicle went over another bump in the road, causing them to smack noses. "Ouch..." they both said simultaneously as Emma pushed herself back up. The two of them started laughing.
"You okay?" Brennan asked her.
She grinned. "Yeah. You?"
He laughed once more, not believing that had just happened. "Never better."
Then they reached their destination. The back door slid open and Eckhart's men pulled them from the van. Then the front passenger door was opened and Eckhart himself got out. He looked at Emma. "Show her to her room," he instructed. "And take Mr. Mulwray to the lab."
Brennan's arm was gripped none too gently as he was jerked in the opposite direction from where the other men were taking Emma. "Brennan!" she called worriedly.
He turned to glance over his shoulder at her. "It's okay," he assured her. "I'll be fine."
Then he was shoved through a doorway and led through a series of hallways. Whatever this compound was, it was fairly massive. Brennan wondered how it had managed to stay out of Mutant X's radar.
As he willingly walked between the two large men who were guiding him, one thought weighed heavily on his mind. Adam didn't know where they were.
-----
|
