The Jaguar set a tray of instruments on the table next to her. Her heart pumped out of control in her chest at the sight of the syringe.
“Pain serum,” he said. “A simple subcutaneous injection and my work is…well, no more than mere observation. I developed it last year after a particularly difficult subject. It attacks the nerves with no or little damage to the surrounding tissue. Therefore, a subject’s, shall we say, endurance is much enhanced.”
He picked up a second vial filled with a liquid the color of weak coffee. “This is the antidote. One injection and the pain disappears.” He snapped his fingers. “Like magic.”
“You’re a pathetic excuse for a human being,” Mattie said.
“No,” he replied. “I simply enjoy my work.” He nodded at the other man in the room. “Leave me to my work.”
“Yes, sir.” The man nodded brusquely and left the room.
The Jaguar filled the syringe. One filled with hell. The other with salvation. Tears scalded her cheeks. Oh, Cutter, I’m sorry I got us into this nightmare….
Once both syringes were prepared, The Jaguar turned to her and brandished the pain serum filled syringe like a jewel. “Are you ready, Ms. Logan?”
Mattie jumped when he leaned close and switched on the recorder. “Please,” she said. “I don’t know anything more about the program than what I’ve already told you.”
The Jaguar assessed her. “Even if you’re telling the truth, I want to make certain Sean Cutter hears your final screams.”
Mattie felt ill at the thought of what that would do to him. She knew he would blame himself for her death. The guilt would eat him alive. He would want revenge. “You know he’ll come for you.”
“Ah, but I’m counting on it.”
A hard rap on the door broke the moment. Mattie looked up to see one of The Jaguar’s men stick his head in.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but there’s been a security breach in the prison,” the man said.
The Jaguar snarled a curse. Not because of the breach, Mattie thought, but because his work had been interrupted. “What happened?”
“Six men have escaped. The guard tower is reporting shots fired at the north perimeter.”
“Send all available men to round them up.”
The man grimaced. “Sir, there’s no way these men escaped on their own. We think they had help.”
“I want those men, and whoever helped them. Alive. Check the security cameras. I want to know how this happened.”
The man saluted and left as quickly as he’d entered. Mattie’s heart was pounding. Had Cutter been the cause of the security breach? Had he come to save her? To stop this madness? Hope burst through her at the prospect.
“Ah, you’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” The Jaguar asked.
Mattie shook her head. “No.”
“You love him, no?”
“He’s an agent. I’m his prisoner. That’s all.”
“He must care for you very much to face me after what I did to him two years ago. I understand he’s healing nicely.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
The Jaguar picked up the syringe. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Ms. Logan, but he’s not going to get here in time to save you.”
Mattie screamed when the needle pricked her arm. The initial burst of pain exploded through her body like a grenade. She heard herself cry out. She felt her muscles go rigid, her body jerking against the restraints.
The door swung open and banged against the wall. Through the veil of pain she saw The Jaguar swing around, the syringe falling to the floor. Cutter burst into the room. Gun trained on The Jaguar, his eyes swept to hers. In the last days she’d been through some intense situations with Cutter, but she’d never seen such fury in his eyes.
“You son of a bitch.” He chambered a bullet.
The Jaguar raised his hands. “I’m unarmed,” he said.
“I don’t care.” Cutter said, his eyes going to Mattie. “Are you all right?”
“P-pain serum,” she gasped. “Oh God, Cutter, it’s bad. Help me.”
Cutter’s attention went back to The Jaguar. “Get facedown on the floor. Now. Before I take you out right here and now like the piece of scum you are.”
The Jaguar glanced at Mattie. “I see you’re very fond of her.”
“Do it!”
A chilling smile whispered across The Jaguar’s face. “She’s a trooper, Cutter. But then, I’d barely begun. Unlike you, she would have talked. You’re an anomaly, you know. My great-est failure. I’d always hoped to rectify my shortcomings with you. Perhaps one day we can—”
A gunshot shattered the silence. Mattie cried out, unsure at first from whence it had come. Then she realized Cutter had pulled off a shot to let The Jaguar know he was dead serious. “Now,” he said. “Or I’ll put the next one between your eyes.”