36. Frankie
36
FRANKIE
I sat in the passenger seat of Reath’s fancy electric SUV as we drove out of New Orleans.
We’d crossed over the Crescent City Connection bridge that spanned the Mississippi. The city had given way to less populated areas, then finally, wetlands areas and bush.
“We’re farther out than I’d like,” Reath grumbled from the driver’s seat.
“But it’s secure.” I touched his thigh. “And I have a brown belt in judo, remember?”
“And too much courage.” He pressed his hand over mine.
“I also have my lucky pin.” I pointed to the monkey pinned to my shirt.
Reath didn’t look convinced.
Finally, he turned down an unmarked driveway and a moment later, I saw a gate. There were two men in jeans, looking very casual and relaxed, standing at the gate.
“Good,” Reath said. “They aren’t drawing any attention to themselves or the facility.”
He pulled to a stop and lowered his window.
“We need to see your ID, sir?” one guard asked.
Reath held up his ID, and I fished out my driver’s license.
The man nodded. “Welcome, Ms. Parker, Mr. Fury. They’re waiting for you.”
They opened the gate, and we continued down the driveway. Soon, an ugly, squat concrete building came into view.
“Wow, that looks like it was designed to withstand a bomb blast,” I said.
As we got out of the car, Reath scanned around. I did as well, listening to the birds chirping in the trees. The building really was ugly.
I looked at Reath and was sure that he’d memorized the place already.
Two men exited the building and waited for us. As we approached, one stepped forward, a bright smile on his face. He was about my height, probably in his fifties, with thinning hair.
“Ms. Parker, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dr. Donald Croft.”
We’d traded lots of emails about my project. “Oh, it’s great to meet you in person.” We shook hands.
“Your project… Inspired.” Enthusiasm wafted off him. “I’m so excited for all the potential applications.”
“As am I. If I can actually get my experiments done.”
“That’s why we’re here. Can I call you Francesca?”
“Call me Frankie.”
“Great. Frankie. And I’m Don. This is Trent Weare. He’ll be in charge of security. He’s been with DARPA a long time.”
The other man was tall and fit, with a stern face and a buzz cut. He nodded politely at me.
“And this is my…friend, Reath Fury.”
“Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Fury,” Don said. “Now, I’m sure you’d like to look around. Frankie, please make sure the lab has everything you need. If you need anything else, you just let me know. Mr. Fury, you can ask Trent here any questions about security.”
We headed for the door.
Trent pulled out a keycard. “We have a top-of-the-line security system, reinforced doors, and no windows.”
“Biometric locks?” Reath asked.
Trent inclined his head. “Only on the exterior doors.” He slid his card through a reader, then pressed his palm to a scanner. “This facility was built for the CDC, and they didn’t want any unauthorized access to dangerous biological agents.”
We entered the building and walked down a very gray hall. The place was a maze and lit entirely by florescent lights.
I tried not to pull a face. It wasn’t my first choice to be essentially locked in a concrete box, but hey, it wouldn’t be forever.
Trent slid his card through another reader and a door opened. “After you.”
I stepped inside and my mouth dropped open. The lab was huge. The benches were packed with equipment.
“This will be perfect.” I mentally catalogued everything I could see.
“I’ll show Mr. Fury our other security protocols,” Trent said. “We have a well-equipped security office down the hall.”
I was vaguely aware of them leaving the lab, but I was too busy looking at everything.
“Will this do the job?” Don asked with a smile.
“More than that. This gear is top-of-the-line. When can I start?”
“Now, if you like.”
Out in the hall, I spotted Reath heading back my way. His cellphone rang, and he pressed it to his ear. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but I could tell it was a terse conversation. When he entered the lab, his jaw was tense.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He held the phone up so I could see the screen.
There was a video. I tapped it and watched as a sidewalk flickered to life. Then a man appeared and looked up at the camera. He smiled.
I sucked in a breath.
Auclair.
“I have to go,” Reath said.
“All right. I’d like to stay here and get started.”
His chest rose as he pulled in a deep breath. “The security is good. I texted Noah, and he ran a quick check on Croft and Weare. They’ve both been with DARPA a long time. Stay inside and don’t leave until I come back to get you. I’m sending over a man. His name is Ben Axelson. We call him Axe. Weare’s authorized it.”
I nodded, and then he lowered his head and kissed me.
“Be careful,” I whispered.
From the dangerous glint in his eye, I didn’t think he’d listen to my advice.
“And you stay out of trouble.”
“It’s going to be me and some bacteria. What could go wrong?”
Dressed in a lab coat, I leaned over and scribbled some notes. I glanced at the beakers and Petri dishes on the bench and smiled.
It felt so good to be working again. I was born to be a scientist, and the lab was my spiritual home.
I glanced up. No one had bothered me for a long time. Don had disappeared, and I’d seen Trent Weare and some other security guys out in the hall.
My thoughts turned to Reath. Was he okay?
God, waiting to hear, knowing that he was out there hunting Auclair, was the worst.
I thought of how we’d taken each other last night in his bed. It hadn’t felt like just fucking. It had felt like making love.
I lifted my fingers and rubbed my forehead. Could I help Reath see that we had something special? That love could be a strength, not just a weakness.
The rap of knuckles at the door made me jerk. I dropped my pen, and it rolled across the floor.
“Sorry to startle you, ma’am.” An older man stepped inside, wearing khaki cargo pants and a black shirt. If I had to cast someone to play a battle-hardened soldier, it would be this man. He had a craggy face, broad shoulders, and intense blue eyes. His salt-and-pepper hair was cut very short. “I’m from PSS. Ben Axelson. Reath sent me.”
I smiled and pressed a hand over my racing heart. “Of course. He told me to expect you. Thanks for coming, Ben.”
“Call me Axe.” He nodded and scanned the lab. “This facility is secure, but we can’t be too careful.”
“Well, Linc played my bodyguard the other day, and now he’s on desk duty for all his trouble.”
Axe’s lips twitched. “He hates desk duty, and he’s letting us all know.”
“He’s okay?”
“He’s healing up fine, ma’am.”
“It’s Frankie, please.”
“I heard you saved his life, Frankie. Thanks for that. Even if I have to listen to the man’s complaining.”
I flushed. “Oh, thanks.”
“I’ll be out in the hall. I’ll try not to interrupt your work. Let me know if you need anything.” He started to turn.
“Axe?”
He glanced back and cocked a brow.
“Is there any word from Reath?”
The man shook his head. “Nothing yet. But trust me, Reath Fury always gets his man.”
I wasn’t sure if that reassured me or not. “Thanks.”
After Axe left, I tried to concentrate on my work. I knew Reath was trained and good at his job. It would take more than Auclair to hurt him.
I got busy, and soon I was lost in my experiments. When I realized my stomach was rumbling, I glanced at my watch. Wow, almost two hours had passed.
I nibbled on my lip. There was still no word from Reath.
“He’ll be fine, Frankie,” I murmured.
I hadn’t seen Trent or Axe for ages. I decided to find some food, or at least some coffee. There had to be a kitchen somewhere.
As I stepped out of my lab, my footsteps echoed in the long hall. It was creepy. The place was so empty.
I hummed to myself and turned a corner. I ran straight into a hard body.
“Ms. Parker.”
“Oh, Trent. Sorry.” I stepped back. His face looked like stone. “I was hungry and looking for the kitchen. And I haven’t seen Don for hours.”
“He left for a meeting in the city.” Trent cleared his throat. “I’ll see what I can find for you to eat.”
“No need. I don’t want to put you out.” I sidestepped around him. “I can find something if you point me in the right direction.”
“No.”
His clipped tone echoed off the walls. I blinked. As my gaze focused on his face, I realized he was sweating. I watched a bead of sweat slide down his temple.
My heart thudded. I glanced down the hall behind him, and that’s when I saw a pair of boots attached to khaki pants on the floor. The rest of the body was obscured by a wall.
I sucked in a breath. “Axe?” I recognized his pants.
I took a jerky step forward.
Trent grabbed my arm and held me in place.
“He needs help…”
That’s when I saw the spray of blood on the wall. My pulse went crazy.
“You can’t help him,” Trent said sternly.
What? My heart pounded crazily. What the hell was going on?
Trent spun me around, his fingers biting into my arms so hard it hurt.
“Let me go.”
He shook his head. “We’re going for a drive.” He started dragging me down the corridor.
No . My instincts kicked in. I jerked backward and he spun. I tried to get a good grip on his sleeves to do a judo throw.
“No, you don’t,” he growled. He lunged forward and clamped his arms around me, trapping mine to my sides. I fought him, but he was too strong.
“You’re DARPA,” I cried. “Why are you doing this?”
“I owe a favor to the wrong person. He called it in.”
“Auclair,” I whispered.
A muscle ticked in Trent’s jaw, and he nodded. Then he carried me into a side room. I saw heavy-duty, large, black boxes used for transporting lab equipment.
He opened one with one hand, while holding me in place with the other.
Anger punched through me and I kicked at him.
He grunted, but lifted me off my feet. He was so damn strong.
He shoved me into the box.
“I am sorry,” he said.
“You should be. Reath will come for you.”
I saw hesitation in his face, and he glanced at the floor. Then he dragged in a breath and slammed the lid closed.
I was trapped in darkness.
Well, this really sucked.