“Deal – but we need to interrogate him first. He has someone very precious to my team and we need her back.”
“You’ll never find her without me. I’m the only one who knows her location,” Mankel said with desperation edging his voice.
Ali glanced at Mankel, his lip curling. “Be quiet. You have no right to speak.”
Mankel’s pale visage turned savage and he spit at the president’s feet. “Filthy bastard. Your country is nothing but –”
The dark-skinned soldier nearest him jammed the butt of his rifle into Mankel’s temple before anyone could blink. Mankel crumpled unconscious to the ground. Hunter lifted his sidearm and took aim at the soldier. “We needed that intel.”
“Hunter, stop.” Mack’s vision wavered. “Holster your sidearm.”
“I am sorry my friend. Jaheem doesn’t like when others speak ill of me,” Ali said.
“We still need that intel,” Mack said.
President Ali made his way to Mack. “And you shall have it. My men will extract the required information on this hostage before turning him over to the villagers. You have my word.” He held out his hand.
“I’ll hold you to it.” Mack focused on lifting his good arm and shook Ali’s hand.
“Commander, we can’t leave without her.” Riser lowered his weapon, but kept it at the ready.
“You don’t have a choice. I honor my word, soldier. My men are very good at getting information from our prisoners. Ali nodded to his men, who grabbed Mankel by the shoulders and feet and hauled him to the waiting SUVs. “Mankel will talk.”
The soldiers loaded Mankel into one of the vehicles. The compound gates were still open, and he could see rows upon rows of soldiers and trucks lined up outside the perimeter, waiting on the president. It gave him a feeling of deep satisfaction to see them drive Mankel away to meet his fate.
“So long, my friend.” Ali nodded once and then got back in his car. His caravan pulled out and within minutes, his team was alone once more.
Reaper just stood there, not staring at Mack but at the team of men roped together.
“Let them go.” The huge man didn’t move, but his hands balled into big fists near his sides.
Darkness called out to Mack, urging him to slip into its void. He tried to shift his weight, using small movements that would keep him conscious without triggering the pain. Reaper deserved an answer, even if he wasn’t going to like it. Mack wouldn’t take the easy way out and make his men do the explaining. “They attacked us. And it wasn’t a normal attack. Something’s not right about these men, and I’m not letting them go until I find out what has been altered inside them.”
Jack Mankel had been granted access to all the top-level, secret government experiments in his tenure with the CIA. Mack Grey had never been allowed on the inside, but he’d heard plenty of rumors. He knew they were doing some crazy shit to achieve their super soldiers.
Caroline and Nightshade’s blood carried the answer. He didn’t know what it was yet, but he sure as hell was going to find out before he released any of those men back on the streets.
“You promised not to harm them. If you take them back to the government, they’ll lock them up in a lab and never let them see the light of day again. You know it as well as I do.”
A hard cough wracked Mack, and it was all he could do not to double over in pain. “It’s better than putting them down.”
Reaper stalked across the distance separating them, stopping a couple of feet away, his chest heaving, his black eyes blazing. His right shoulder twitched. “I won’t let you,” he growled out.
Merc joined the discussion, appearing at Reaper’s side, his normally black expression inscrutable. “Colonel, he’s right. If we turn them over to the government, they’ll be lab rats until they’re no longer useful.”
Mack’s vision wavered, blurred. “What else can we do?” It was all he could do to stay conscious. There was no longer any warmth in his limbs. The only heat came from the blood that had collected in his boots.
“We can set them up at my place,” Merc offered. “The senator’s old mansion has lots of space, plenty of room for living quarters. We can set up our own headquarters to watch these guys until we find out if they’re salvageable.”
Senator Cotter’s huge mansion, which he’d left to Merc’s wife, definitely had the space and the location. It also had NSA level security and protection.
“And how exactly are we supposed to do that? I’m not a scientist, and neither are you. We’re warriors, not thinkers.” Shit, he didn’t know how much longer he could hold on.
“What if I can bring the scientists to you?” Reaper asked quietly.
The loud roar of the helicopter filled the courtyard, hard wind clipping straight down from its rotating propeller, as Aaron set the helo down. The strong blast of wind forced Mack to stop talking. He wanted to see Marley before he passed out.
“Colonel, I can bring you the scientists. Promise me you won’t turn my men over to the government. Just give us a chance.”
Mack looked to where he thought Reaper should be, but all he saw was a wavering, blurry form. “Okay.”
“Mack!” Marley’s beautiful face appeared in his line of sight, and then her arms were around him, and he got the briefest touch of peace before he passed out.
