Hard, thick, he grinds against my pelvis. I spread my thighs. My sex swells. It throbs.
What is he waiting for?
“Wake up. We’re here.” Dolly’s strident voice shatters my dream world.
Chest tight, heart racing, I open my eyes in the dark. Having stayed awake for over twenty-four hours, it’s not surprising I conked out. I do recall changing cars twice during the drive. Besides that, I have no idea how far she’s driven until we pass under a familiar highway sign on the outskirts of Washington, DC.
I say nothing, even as she drives into my lab’s parking lot. What surprises me is the lack of FBI SWAT trucks and a ton of agents in full combat gear.
While I ponder what this means, she races around the front of the car, cuts my ankle ties, and points at the entrance. “Get us access.”
“It’s a trap, Dolly. Surely, you, of all people, must recognize this fact.” My building has all sorts of security. There is no way in hell they haven’t locked me out.
“Do it.” With her gun pointed at my head, I have no choice but to put my eye on the scanner, key in my digits, and speak into the mic. “Gwen likes to recite the periodic table.”
The alarm emits a single beep once my multiple authentications have been accepted.
Now inside, the traitor pokes her pistol’s metal tip into my spine. “Disarm the rest. You have sixty seconds.”
I hesitate. Where is Wulf? My mind races to digest the new data. Why, in the name of all things holy, would they want me to access the code?
Because my shoulder Beyoncé remains ominously quiet, I chant while I enter numbers into the wall panel. “Hydrogen, helium…”
Once I drop my arms, Dolly opens the utility closet, shoots the lock off the electrical box, and flips breakers until the red LED on the nearest security cam goes dark.
Just how much does she know about my facility?Smiling, she waves forth an arm. “After you, my dear.”
When I reach my cubical, she pulls out my seat. “Sit and log in.”
By now, someone should have been alerted to our presence. Where are they?
My hands shake as I enter my passwords.
Sitting in the cube next door, she rolls the chair behind me. “You know what I want. Revert the EMP code to the previous version.”
“It will t-take some time.” In truth, I’m not even sure I can do it.
She seems to read my mind. “Don’t worry. I have a team of qualified people standing by. I’m sending you an email. Click on the attachment.”
Ignoring protocols, I do as she says. My computer fan whines, an indication of maximum CPU usage. Obviously, I unleashed invasive software. My suspicions confirmed, a blue circle covers my screen, indicating the download is 75% complete.
Holy shit, the whole world is about to be completely fucked over, and it’s all my fault.
Chapter 28
"That night the wind was howling almost like a wolf and there were some real wolves off to the west giving it lessons." — George R. R. Martin
Axel
Hunt slaps my face, tapes my IV needle to my forearm, then hands me the attached fluids bag. “C’mon, Sleeping Beauty. Up and at ’em. I shot you up with adrenaline. How’re you feeling?”
“Like a million bucks.” If I were to tell him the truth, he’d take me to the nearest hospital.
Ignoring my sarcasm, the forty-ish agent cuts open my jeans and rips them off at the thigh. “Hmm… the bullet creased your quadriceps. Lucky for you, the area is mostly flesh, no major arteries.”
“Yeah, I’m so damn fortunate, I’m going to buy me a lottery card.” I grit my teeth as he staples the hole together.
“That should hold. Care to take a ride?” After he helps me to my feet, he slips a hand around my waist while I limp to the passenger seat.
