Mind Game

Page 54

Trevor held up a placating hand as Roman stepped close to him. “We’ve got a good thing going. You bring me the research, and I develop it, and we can sell it to the highest bidder. You’re going to blow it if you keep this up. What’s wrong with you? The research was taken and unless we can recover it, we have to focus on the next step.”
“Don’t talk to me like you’re a somebody, Billings. You were nothing, a pissant gofer no one noticed until I brought you the idea and set the entire thing up. My people are the ones taking all the chances while you sit in your little office and get the glory, looking like the genius. We both know you couldn’t think your way out of a paper bag.”
Dahlia couldn’t get past the two men. She was trapped in the dark corner very near the bushes, but light from the streetlamp bathed the path in yellow. They would see her moving and know they weren’t alone. She dared not even breathe with Trevor gripping the wall so close to her.
“We lost this one, Roman. I don’t understand why it’s so important that you’d risk everything. You’re hurting people. Sooner or later they’ll come after us.”
Roman smirked at him. “We’re killing people, Billings. That’s an important part of the work and you’re too much of a weasel to do it yourself. Get the hell out of here and don’t be telling me where I can or can’t go. I tell you what to do.”
Dahlia was suddenly hit hard with the ferocious violent energy, the urge to kill. The mass of energy swarmed around Roman, raced to hammer at Dahlia. She felt the rising need as it gained force. She wanted to shout at Trevor Billings to run. He must have seen the promise of death in Roman’s eyes because he pulled himself away from the wall and began to edge away, stumbling toward the street.
Roman took a couple of steps after him, but then stopped abruptly and turned back as if he caught sight of something—or someone. She was certain he sensed someone close.
Dahlia froze, pushing her small body hard against the side of the wall, using every ounce of experience she had to control her breathing so that there was nothing to give her away. She kept her image blurred, but Roman Howard was close. So close she could reach out and touch him. He was furious. His anger radiated from him. He turned his head this way and that, sniffing the air, wanting to ferret out his enemy. He paced away from her, about five steps, and the light from the street lamp spilled over him for just an instant as he turned. Dahlia saw the knife blade laid flat against his wrist, the hilt in his closed fist.
Her breath caught in her throat. She pressed closer to the wall, wishing there was a crevice she could crawl into. Not only could she feel his anger, but violent energy poured from his body. Surrounded him. Ate at him until he was mumbling beneath his breath, hissing in retaliation, certain he was being watched and wanting to kill. Air slammed out of his lungs. He wanted to kill. Even needed to kill something or someone. The craving was so strong she feared for any innocent passersby.
The energy hit her in waves and she could read the ugly truth of Roman Howard’s life. Always one step behind his brothers, yet a brilliant man who believed he could outwit everyone. He hated. The emotion boiled and churned in him, poisoning and eating away at him until he could barely control and conceal his actions. Dahlia felt it all, and the energy massed around her, choking her, filling her until the pressure was unbearable. She bit down hard on her wrist, concentrating on the pain, trying to block out the violence of Roman’s emotions.
A shadow stepped from the wall not more than six feet from where she was concealed. Roman spun around and froze. Mesmerized, she watched his fingertips stroke the knife hilt.
“Martin, what are you doing here?” Roman cleared his throat and attempted a faint smile. “I thought you were on some big investigation. Louise told me you were in Atlanta.”
“I was on my own investigation. I started wondering how anyone could have found out about Dahlia Le Blanc.”
“Who? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I wish that were true, Roman, but only a very few people knew about Dahlia. We buried her under layers of flags and not one of those flags was ever raised. That’s how I knew whoever went after her didn’t find her through the computers, and they couldn’t have had personal knowledge of her. Jesse knew where she lived, but it would be ludicrous to think he tortured himself.” Martin ran both hands through his hair, dark shadows in his eyes. His face was etched with pain. “Dahlia paid Louise a little visit last night. Jesse’s condition wasn’t common knowledge, but you knew. How would you know, Roman? You didn’t think I’d be talking to Louise so soon after you told me, did you? You let me believe she told you, but she didn’t know anything about Jesse and was shocked when I gave her the news.”
Roman shrugged. “Who knew they were going to keep it a secret? Why would they? It made sense that Louise would know. A small mistake, but in the end it still won’t matter.”
“It was enough for me to know what you were doing. Why, Roman?”
Roman’s smile was a parody, his teeth bared like a wolf. “You tell me. You’re Martin, the almighty. You can never do anything wrong, but I think when they start investigating, they’ll see you aren’t so innocent.”
“You planted evidence to incriminate me.”
“Someone has to take the fall. You’re too squeaky-clean to be true. How would I ever be a suspect? They won’t find a single bug, anything at all to connect me to anything. I didn’t know the woman. I’ve never heard of the woman.”
Martin spread his hands out in front of him. “So this was all about jealousy? You wanted to get back at me?”
Roman burst out laughing. It was an ugly sound and the waves of violent energy nearly became a tidal wave washing over her. “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s about money and power. Of course they chose the golden boy for the experiment, when I had far more ability than you. And of course something went wrong, and they compensated you with a trust to set you up for life. Why you, Martin? We both know I have more natural talent than you do. You lied to them about me. You and Calhoun kept me out of the program.”
Dahlia choked back the bile rising in her throat. Her body was trembling, nearly shaking apart. She knew if she didn’t expel part of the energy, she would have a seizure. And that meant allowing the two men to know they weren’t alone. The research material was burning a hole through her skin, reminding her that she had to protect it at all costs. She was wearing work clothes. Both men would know she’d been recovering something and they would search her body.
She turned her head and focused on the middle of the street where nothing could possibly burn. Flames leapt through the air. The road blackened. Both men turned their heads toward the fiery display.
Roman swore savagely, took a step toward his brother. Martin frowned at the leaping flames, then looked carefully around him, suddenly wary. Suddenly aware Dahlia had to be somewhere close.
“What is it?” Roman demanded.
“How the hell would I know?” Martin asked. “How far are you into this, Roman? What have you done?”
Roman laughed. “I’m not into it at all. You forget you’re the one they have the evidence against. Are they going to believe I can read minds? That I’ve been reading Louise’s mind for years? I don’t think so. They’ll blame you, Martin. Louise will even blame you, her golden boy.” He stepped closer, his knife hand at his side, concealing the weapon.
“Do you really think I’ll let you destroy my reputation and everything I’ve worked for?” Martin asked.
Dahlia’s gaze was on the knife hand. The fingers caressed the hilt. She could feel Roman’s rising excitement, the lust for the kill. She stepped away from the wall. Nicolas cursed, his protest loud in her mind.
“He has a knife, Martin, and he intends to use it on you,” she said softly.
Both men spun toward her. She stayed in the shadows and kept her image as blurred as possible to prevent either man from seeing the bad shape she was in.
“You!” Roman spit on the ground, his eyes narrowed and dangerous. “I should have guessed it was you.”
“Are you going to kill both of us with your knife?” she asked. The shaking was worse, rising in direct proportion to Roman’s eagerness for violence.
“No one would believe a crazy woman.” He took another step toward Martin.
Dahlia sucked in her breath. “Don’t!” she said sharply. “Don’t get any closer to him. Can’t you feel it? Can’t you feel the guns trained on you? They’ll never let you get close to either one of us. Put the knife down and let the lawyers handle it.”
Martin looked around them, a long careful search of their surroundings. “It’s them, isn’t it? The GhostWalker team. They’re out there watching us.”
She nodded. “They have a sniper with them, Roman. He’s a remarkable shot. Put down the knife. This isn’t worth your life.”
“You’re lying.”
“She isn’t lying,” Martin denied. “You should be able to feel them, Roman, I can. Who’s the sniper, Dahlia?”
The violence was building to an appalling level. She felt her legs turn to rubber and she sat down, frightened at her own weakness. She was only a few feet from Roman. If he chose, he could easily leap on her and stab her, and there was little she could do about it as weak and helpless as she felt. It took all of her concentration to keep from having a seizure. “Nicolas Trevane,” she answered.
Roman’s head jerked up and he began swearing repetitiously. With each oath, the energy spewing from him swirled around Dahlia, black and ferocious.
Get rid of it. Nicolas sounded calm. Dead calm. Ice-cold calm. She knew immediately he was in hunter mode, and he was locked on target.
I didn’t want to distract you.
I don’t get distracted. There was complete confidence in his voice.
Dahlia turned her head and once again focused on the street. Fire rained from the sky. White-hot streaks of orange and red fell in a shower and danced over the street, some flames leaping as high as six feet.
Martin looked at the display with a kind of awe. Roman shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, bringing his knife hand low, blade up, as he lunged at his brother. Dahlia saw the impact of the bullet before the sound reached them. Roman’s body jerked. Like a rag doll, he was flung forward and fell into Martin, driving him to the ground with his dead weight.
The rush of energy hit her hard and fast, sending her over the edge. She fell to the ground, a seizure taking her, bile choking her, fighting to stay conscious to protect the data she had recovered. It was impossible to stay focused as the energy ate her alive, her temperature soaring and the pressure building and building until there was nowhere for it to go.
Kaden reached her first. Nicolas had been trapped on the rooftop, protecting her and, although he was certain of his shot, he didn’t dare take his eyes off his downed target, or even Martin, until Kaden signaled him an all clear. Kaden knelt beside her and put both hands on her shoulders, trying to absorb the energy consuming her. He glanced at Martin who knelt weeping beside his brother. “Are you an anchor?”
Martin hesitated, and then nodded.
“Get the hell over here. Put your hands on her,” Kaden ordered.
Martin complied, somewhat in shock as the other GhostWalkers joined them. Gator made the call to Lily to inform the director of the NCIS that the data was recovered and the traitor found. Nicolas rushed to Dahlia’s side and gathered her into his arms.
“This is the last time. I swear, never again, Dahlia,” he whispered as the convulsion eased and left her staring up at him with wide, dark eyes. “You scare me to death. The only way I’m going to breathe properly again is if you come home with me where I can keep my eye on you around the clock.”