“Fuck you, Brice.” She decided not to reveal she knew his real name yet.
His smile widened. “I assume you know I don’t really work for the NSO by now, recovering the lost ones.”
“You were ransoming those locations for money.”
“Brilliant, wasn’t it?” He backed up and leaned against the wall, just dropping his water on the floor. “I’m going to retire really soon with a lot of money. Do they know who I really am or was the Fuller debacle the reason they are watching me?”
He doesn’t know. She decided to play dumb. “Fuller? Why would that make them watch you?”
It was the right thing to say because he chuckled. “I run it. Surprise! I should have fired some of the staff there. I knew they were screwing around but I didn’t give a damn because it got me information from time to time when I’d listen in on the Security feeds.”
“Is that how you found out about Cornas Research? Did you ever really have a plant there or was that a lie too?”
He crossed one ankle over the other, getting comfortable. “Actually, that was pure luck. One of the prisoners didn’t like her treatment at Fuller so she complained to me. I told her I couldn’t help unless she gave me something in return. Her sister worked at Mercile too but she’d decided to go out on her own. The dumb bitch got busted with some of those animals but her sister wasn’t as greedy. She took a job at Cornas to continue her research on those bastards there. I sent you in to confirm they had some of them locked up.”
Hatred filled her but she hoped he’d tell her more. “How many other people like me are there?”
“There’s no one like you, Jeanie. You were so damn gullible.” He rolled his eyes and his voice turned high pitched. “I just want to save them,” he mimicked. He shook his head. “Stupid do-gooder. What did it get you? Shot and arrested. Then you had to go and f**k one of them. Do you know how much money you’ve cost me by spreading your legs? A lot. You should have just been transferred to my prison and that would have been the end of it. You would have slipped and cracked your head open in the shower or had a food allergy that killed you.”
“I’m not allergic to anything.”
“That’s not what the autopsy would have said.” He shoved away from the wall. “That’s okay though. I’m going to do two more ransoms and then I’m retiring. But it really pisses me off because I wasn’t done sticking it to them for ruining my life. Those animals thought they could just throw me out of Homeland, take my job and get away with it. I’m disappointed it’s ending before I was ready to disappear. Too bad I couldn’t make those bastards suffer more but I’ll just have to really enjoy these last few days I have left. No way was I leaving without making sure you paid for that.”
“Two?” She knew he planned to use her but who was the other person?
He nodded. “A woman Species. Those animals go nuts over the small ones. They’ll do anything I ask to get her back. I had my guys go scout out the place to make sure the tip was real and hired a private investigator to keep an eye on the fat cat who owns her to make sure he doesn’t plan an extended trip. The two of you together are going to be worth a lot of money. I didn’t notice they had installed cameras until I’d already made some mistakes. They might know about one of my bank accounts so I need to fatten up a new one.”
“A Gift?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You said small New Species.”
“That’s what Mercile Industries called them. You really f**ked up my plans, Jeanie. I’m really angry about that.”
She bit back a smartass remark, glaring at him instead. The urge was strong to batter him with the chair she was chained to but she wanted to learn more first. She had two hours before his goons returned but she hoped to be long gone before then.
“I hadn’t planned to retire this year but I had to get you to Fuller to make sure you couldn’t tell them too much. They might be suspicious of me right now and upset about how I ran the prison but they can’t nail me on anything yet. I’ve had to accelerate my plan and will just have to settle with what I’ve made so far and what I make off the two of you.”
“What were you worried the NSO would learn from me?” She wanted to know if he’d confess his real name.
He just shook his head, smiling. It was annoying.
“So where is this Gift?”
“Like I’d tell you. I’m going to negotiate for her first just to make sure you can’t tell them about her. That means you’re going to be down here for a few days.” He snickered. “Not that you will be able to tell them much of anything.”
“What does that mean?” A chill ran down her spine.
He paced a little by the tunnel and finally looked at her. “Do you really think I’d tell you I run Fuller and just let you walk out of here? It’s not happening. I want you to know that because you’ve made my life hell since you were arrested. I’ve worried that they’d piece it together and they’d grab me before I could board a flight bound for freedom. You have to pay for that.”
Her hand tightened on the chain and she straightened in the chair.
“I can’t believe you would come here.” Right under Homeland. It gave her chills. The guy is insane.
He laughed, looking every bit the part of a madman. “Do you know how much I enjoy being right under their noses without their knowledge? It proves I’m superior. Justice North will eventually figure it out. Justice for Justice. Perfect, isn’t it?”
His smile widened. “I assume you know I don’t really work for the NSO by now, recovering the lost ones.”
“You were ransoming those locations for money.”
“Brilliant, wasn’t it?” He backed up and leaned against the wall, just dropping his water on the floor. “I’m going to retire really soon with a lot of money. Do they know who I really am or was the Fuller debacle the reason they are watching me?”
He doesn’t know. She decided to play dumb. “Fuller? Why would that make them watch you?”
It was the right thing to say because he chuckled. “I run it. Surprise! I should have fired some of the staff there. I knew they were screwing around but I didn’t give a damn because it got me information from time to time when I’d listen in on the Security feeds.”
“Is that how you found out about Cornas Research? Did you ever really have a plant there or was that a lie too?”
He crossed one ankle over the other, getting comfortable. “Actually, that was pure luck. One of the prisoners didn’t like her treatment at Fuller so she complained to me. I told her I couldn’t help unless she gave me something in return. Her sister worked at Mercile too but she’d decided to go out on her own. The dumb bitch got busted with some of those animals but her sister wasn’t as greedy. She took a job at Cornas to continue her research on those bastards there. I sent you in to confirm they had some of them locked up.”
Hatred filled her but she hoped he’d tell her more. “How many other people like me are there?”
“There’s no one like you, Jeanie. You were so damn gullible.” He rolled his eyes and his voice turned high pitched. “I just want to save them,” he mimicked. He shook his head. “Stupid do-gooder. What did it get you? Shot and arrested. Then you had to go and f**k one of them. Do you know how much money you’ve cost me by spreading your legs? A lot. You should have just been transferred to my prison and that would have been the end of it. You would have slipped and cracked your head open in the shower or had a food allergy that killed you.”
“I’m not allergic to anything.”
“That’s not what the autopsy would have said.” He shoved away from the wall. “That’s okay though. I’m going to do two more ransoms and then I’m retiring. But it really pisses me off because I wasn’t done sticking it to them for ruining my life. Those animals thought they could just throw me out of Homeland, take my job and get away with it. I’m disappointed it’s ending before I was ready to disappear. Too bad I couldn’t make those bastards suffer more but I’ll just have to really enjoy these last few days I have left. No way was I leaving without making sure you paid for that.”
“Two?” She knew he planned to use her but who was the other person?
He nodded. “A woman Species. Those animals go nuts over the small ones. They’ll do anything I ask to get her back. I had my guys go scout out the place to make sure the tip was real and hired a private investigator to keep an eye on the fat cat who owns her to make sure he doesn’t plan an extended trip. The two of you together are going to be worth a lot of money. I didn’t notice they had installed cameras until I’d already made some mistakes. They might know about one of my bank accounts so I need to fatten up a new one.”
“A Gift?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You said small New Species.”
“That’s what Mercile Industries called them. You really f**ked up my plans, Jeanie. I’m really angry about that.”
She bit back a smartass remark, glaring at him instead. The urge was strong to batter him with the chair she was chained to but she wanted to learn more first. She had two hours before his goons returned but she hoped to be long gone before then.
“I hadn’t planned to retire this year but I had to get you to Fuller to make sure you couldn’t tell them too much. They might be suspicious of me right now and upset about how I ran the prison but they can’t nail me on anything yet. I’ve had to accelerate my plan and will just have to settle with what I’ve made so far and what I make off the two of you.”
“What were you worried the NSO would learn from me?” She wanted to know if he’d confess his real name.
He just shook his head, smiling. It was annoying.
“So where is this Gift?”
“Like I’d tell you. I’m going to negotiate for her first just to make sure you can’t tell them about her. That means you’re going to be down here for a few days.” He snickered. “Not that you will be able to tell them much of anything.”
“What does that mean?” A chill ran down her spine.
He paced a little by the tunnel and finally looked at her. “Do you really think I’d tell you I run Fuller and just let you walk out of here? It’s not happening. I want you to know that because you’ve made my life hell since you were arrested. I’ve worried that they’d piece it together and they’d grab me before I could board a flight bound for freedom. You have to pay for that.”
Her hand tightened on the chain and she straightened in the chair.
“I can’t believe you would come here.” Right under Homeland. It gave her chills. The guy is insane.
He laughed, looking every bit the part of a madman. “Do you know how much I enjoy being right under their noses without their knowledge? It proves I’m superior. Justice North will eventually figure it out. Justice for Justice. Perfect, isn’t it?”
