“Sorry, sir,” Gunnar said, though he didn’t sound particularly apologetic.He started to limp into Warden’s office, but Bryn stepped closer, offering his shoulder for support.After a moment’s hesitation, Gunnar accepted, leaning into him as they made their way inside.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Bryn murmured.“You should be resting.”
“Pot, kettle,” Gunnar replied.“Besides, did you really think I’d stay in bed once I heard you were back?”
“I heard they were about to tie you down…which is thought-provoking.”
“Jesus, Bryn…”
Bryn chuckled.They both took seats in front of Warden’s desk, Gunnar wincing as he lowered himself into the chair.
“You two shouldn’t be allowed out without adult supervision,” Giles said.
Bryn made a winding motion with one hand and raised the middle finger of the other.Gunnar growled.
“So good to have the whole crew back together.Things were way too quiet around here.”Giles brushed non-existent lint from a sleeve.
“Isn’t it?”Emmett settled into a seat to the side of Warden’s desk.“I don’t like it when you guys are out doing dangerous stuff.”
“It’s kinda the job, Emmett,” Gunnar said.
“I know, but I want everyone to be safe.”
Bryn didn’t miss Warden’s appreciative expression as he glanced over at Emmett.
“This operation has been compromised at every turn, and we need to understand why.”Warden didn’t bother with niceties.“Emmett…”
Emmett activated the room’s display screen.Images of the building Bryn had escaped from appeared, now surrounded by emergency vehicles and personnel in tactical gear.
“Three hours after you were picked up, Bryn, a joint FBI-GCR team raided the building where you were held.Above ground it seems to have been housing a legitimate business, though we’ll be taking a close look at the books.Below ground, most equipment had been abandoned, systems destroyed and any research materials removed.”Warden scowled.“We did, however, find Dr.Frost.”
“Dead?”Bryn asked, though he already knew the answer.
“Yes, I’m afraid so.Single gunshot wound to the back of the head, execution style.His body was left in a dumpster.”
“A message,” Bryn said.“Russo wanted us, and his co-conspirators, to know what happens to traitors.”
“Indeed,” Warden agreed.
“Frost saved my life.He deliberately made skin-to-skin contact and somehow made sure that his memories and intent were what I needed to see.He hid a cell and a key card.Dealt with the security system.Gave me stimulants instead of sedatives.”
“Did you learn anything from him, or anyone else for that matter, while you were there?”
“Russo’s operation is what we thought.He’s creating enhanced super-soldiers from gene-affected subjects and I think he’s close.I saw tissue samples he was keen to show off and Frost seemed to think his expertise was only to rubber stamp research that had already been done.Russo gave me a whole speech about creating the perfect hunters, interrogators, and spies.He was particularly interested in my abilities,” Bryn added.“He wants to replicate them in his subjects.”
“That’s not how it works,” Giles said.
“I know that, you know that, but Russo doesn’t,” Bryn said.
“It explains why they took you alive,” Gunnar said, his voice tight.“They wanted to study you.”
“Russo said they just needed my brain.Whether I cooperated or not was up to me.”Bryn suppressed a shudder.“He also mentioned they were moving ‘outside US jurisdiction’ for the next phase.Had a flight scheduled for about three hours after I escaped.”
“Interesting,” Warden said.“Perhaps his government paymasters, whoever they are, don’t have the grip they probably think they do.Emmett, instruct the tech team to track all private flights that departed the Philadelphia area in that timeframe.”
“On it.”
“I’d put money on South America,” Gunnar said.
