“They found the bugs,” Madeline said as she paced nearby.
They were in a temporary base. Lucky for them, Uncle Sam had a Naval Air Station in the area, a place with plenty of room for their group and even a holding cell for their new friend, Eli. Plus some room for…extras.
“We need to be careful,” Madeline continued doggedly. “Luke Thorne isn’t just some playboy—the guy is trouble.”
The guy was a pain in Garrick’s ass.
“She wasn’t there,” Timothy said. He crossed his arms over his chest. “We searched that whole island and Mina wasn’t there. Maybe he found the bugs and got rid of them because he was doing other things—running drugs or some shit. He may not have any connection to Mina at all.”
“He knows her,” Garrick said flatly. He’d seen the look in Luke’s eyes. Jealousy. Possessiveness. Oh, hell, yes, the bastard knew Mina. “Maybe he stashed her somewhere else.” The tricky SOB. “But he has her close. He wouldn’t let a woman like her vanish.”
He caught the look that Timothy and Madeline shared. Rage had him grinding his back teeth.
“Maybe you should back off this one,” Madeline said softly, carefully. “You don’t have the perspective you need to—”
His fist slammed into the desk near him. “I have the best fucking perspective! I know her, inside and out! I’m the one who made her work with us before. I’m the one who controlled her.” His insides twisted. “She was our most successful weapon. The enemy never saw her coming—she could take out a whole base with just a few whispers. Getting her back is top priority. Not just for me…for everyone at our agency.” The order to track Mina James had come down from the very top. But even if it hadn’t, even if his boss hadn’t wanted Mina back…
I would still be hunting her.
“Sorry,” Madeline said, but she didn’t sound particularly contrite. He’d have to watch her…and Timothy. That guy might be too soft. “What’s our next move? You want us to bring in Luke Thorne?”
He’d love to toss that jerk into a cell. Garrick smiled. “We don’t have to bring him in. We’ll get him to come to us. And to bring us Mina.”
“Good luck with that,” Timothy muttered.
Garrick’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t need luck. I have something else.” He smiled. “I have Luke’s friend.” A battered, but still alive Eli. “He’s going to bring Luke to us. We just have to give Eli the right motivation.”
Timothy swiped a hand over the back of his neck. “And what motivation would that be?”
“Oh, simple, if Eli doesn’t cooperate, I’ll kill him.”
Anger flashed on Timothy’s face as he dropped his hand. “When did we become the bad guys? I thought we were supposed to be the next wave of protection for our country. That we were trail blazers. Protectors, not—”
Garrick stood toe-to-toe with him. “In order to protect the humans, a few paranormals will have to die. It’s an acceptable loss in my book.”
Timothy glared at him.
“Is it acceptable in yours?” Garrick threw at him because he’d really started to wonder about the guy. “The lives of a few lost creatures who would as soon kill you as look at you? Because that’s where you’re getting confused, Agent Lang. You’re thinking of them as people. They’re not. Some of them are evil straight to their core. Some of them would love nothing more than to rip apart innocents. To spread bloodlust. Destruction.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?” Timothy asked.
Garrick sighed. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
For a moment, Timothy looked hopeful. “Good, good, I knew you’d see reason, if you just stopped and cooled down. I knew—”
Garrick pulled out his gun and shot the other man. Timothy fell down, twitching, body jerking.
Madeline surged forward.
Garrick turned toward her, putting up a hand. “Don’t worry, it was just a tranq.”
Her eyes were wide, stunned. “You…knocked out a fellow agent?”
It wasn’t as if this were the first time. “We need to put him in a cell and let the agency deal with him. If he isn’t working with us…” Garrick shrugged and put his weapon back in the holster. “Then he’s a threat. You realize that, don’t you?”
Madeline’s gaze flew between him and Timothy’s slumped form.
“You realize that?” Garrick prompted. His fingers lingered near the holster.
She straightened her shoulders. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Because he’d been about to shoot her, too. And training new agents? Such a pain in the ass. His hand fell back to his side. “We’ll take him to holding.” Just where he’d left Eli. “And then we’ll get Luke Thorne to come to us.”
He’ll bring Mina to me…or I will take away everything that man holds dear.
Chapter Ten
“I’m…sorry.”
Mina forced her eyes to open. She really just wanted to sink into sleep and forget all the worries out in the real world, just for a while, but…Luke was apologizing. An event she was sure didn’t happen often.
His fingers trailed over her arm. “I shouldn’t have given you that drink.”
“No,” she agreed. “You’re an asshole.”