“Shut up, Jordan,” 710 snapped. “Don’t interfere.” He leaned in closer. “Do you want to spill my blood now?” His gaze dipped to her lips and he revealed his sharp canines again. “Do you need a reminder of who has the worse bite?”
It wounded Jeanie’s feelings, seeing 710’s bitterness. “You would win.” She didn’t think he’d use his teeth on her though. He could have while he was chained at Drackwood if the urge had ever surfaced. “I don’t want your blood, 710. I never did.”
“What was the purpose of gaining our trust?”
“I told you.”
“What did Polanitis hope to gain? What kind of information were you trying to get from us? What was the angle?”
“There was none. I just wanted you to have hope and not give up in that hell. I wanted that for all of you. I was fighting for you whether you knew it or not.”
“Are there backup files of the ones you destroyed?”
“I don’t know.” She slumped in her seat, disheartened by his lack of confidence in her word. “That was way above my paygrade. I only fried the computer to keep the New Species alive until the SWAT team arrived.” She peered into his beautiful eyes. “I’m telling you the truth. I was working with Agent Terry Brice. You need to call him and clear this up. I was working with the NSO this entire time.”
The team member still holding her wrists snorted. “Lady, stop now while you’re ahead. You’re digging a bigger hole to get buried in.”
She didn’t bother to glance at him, instead keeping her focus on 710. He rose to his feet and backed away. “Take over, Jordan. I don’t want to lose my temper and I’m about to.”
Jeanie wanted to wake from the nightmare but it wasn’t a bad dream. 710 thought the worst of her and it didn’t matter that it would be cleared up in time. Agent Brice would hear about her arrest and show up to set things right. It still hurt. The task force team member crouched down in front of her again.
“Help us link Mercile Industries to Cornas Research or you’ll be sent to Fuller. The jerks who run it will make you wish you’d cooperated with us. They aren’t much nicer to prisoners there than your coworkers treated New Species. You’ll be locked inside a six-by-five cell with bars for walls. You’ll never see daylight again or know a moment of privacy. They don’t even have windows there.”
Hot tears threatened but she refused to cry. “What is Fuller?”
“It’s a prison for criminals who commit crimes against New Species. It will make regular prison seem like a vacation in the Bahamas. You’ll never get out of there until you’re in a body bag on the way to the funeral home of your family’s choice. No court dates, no parole, and no visits from anyone.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his cold eyes. “No phone calls. No contact with the outside world. No television, radio, or internet. You’ll spend the rest of your damn life suffering as New Species suffered. Play ball with me by giving up all the information I want or you’re on the next transport there.”
“Call Agent Terry Brice. Please? He’ll tell you who I am and this will be cleared up. His number is—”
He cupped her side again, his thumb pressing against her wound enough to make her cry out. “There is no damn Agent Brice. Stop f**king with me.”
“Enough,” 710 snarled.
“Stop, Jordan,” Trey Roberts commanded.
“There is,” she blurted, leaning closer to Jordan, angry and in pain. “He’s visited me many times and I’m tired of this bullshit. Find him. Just call his cell. I know the number by heart. I was too afraid to write it down in case my apartment was searched again.”
“Again?”
“They do that to employees. They search our homes, our cars and even check our phone records to see who we contact. I’m pretty sure they even bug our homes and phone lines so they can hear every word we say. I found a few in my apartment once, at least I think they were bugs. I didn’t dare touch them. I was always very careful or I’d never have survived this long. They would have killed me if they even suspected I worked with the NSO.”
Trey Roberts stepped into the light. “She looks so sincere and outraged.” He turned his head, stared at 710. “She’s either telling the truth or she’s the best liar I’ve ever seen. I’ve met CIA operatives with less talent for staying in character when they are deep undercover.”
“This is so stupid,” she protested. “Just find Agent Terry Brice already.”
Trey took a few steps closer and sighed. “There is no Terry Brice. Jordan is having a hard time believing your story because it doesn’t make sense. The SWAT team didn’t hit that building. We did. The NSO doesn’t need a judge to get a search warrant. We think New Species are being held somewhere, even suspect they might be there, and we can gather at least four teams within an hour to tear any place apart.”
Her mind blanked for a second, trying to make sense of what he said. It didn’t.
“We have three helicopters at our disposal at all times and can get them in the air within an hour with our teams fully prepared to converge on a location. We’ve done it and I have to admit I’m always a little impressed with our quick response time. We don’t have to follow the letter of the law. New Species are exempt from that red tape when it comes to recovering other ones.” He held up a hand and fisted it, straightening one finger.
It wounded Jeanie’s feelings, seeing 710’s bitterness. “You would win.” She didn’t think he’d use his teeth on her though. He could have while he was chained at Drackwood if the urge had ever surfaced. “I don’t want your blood, 710. I never did.”
“What was the purpose of gaining our trust?”
“I told you.”
“What did Polanitis hope to gain? What kind of information were you trying to get from us? What was the angle?”
“There was none. I just wanted you to have hope and not give up in that hell. I wanted that for all of you. I was fighting for you whether you knew it or not.”
“Are there backup files of the ones you destroyed?”
“I don’t know.” She slumped in her seat, disheartened by his lack of confidence in her word. “That was way above my paygrade. I only fried the computer to keep the New Species alive until the SWAT team arrived.” She peered into his beautiful eyes. “I’m telling you the truth. I was working with Agent Terry Brice. You need to call him and clear this up. I was working with the NSO this entire time.”
The team member still holding her wrists snorted. “Lady, stop now while you’re ahead. You’re digging a bigger hole to get buried in.”
She didn’t bother to glance at him, instead keeping her focus on 710. He rose to his feet and backed away. “Take over, Jordan. I don’t want to lose my temper and I’m about to.”
Jeanie wanted to wake from the nightmare but it wasn’t a bad dream. 710 thought the worst of her and it didn’t matter that it would be cleared up in time. Agent Brice would hear about her arrest and show up to set things right. It still hurt. The task force team member crouched down in front of her again.
“Help us link Mercile Industries to Cornas Research or you’ll be sent to Fuller. The jerks who run it will make you wish you’d cooperated with us. They aren’t much nicer to prisoners there than your coworkers treated New Species. You’ll be locked inside a six-by-five cell with bars for walls. You’ll never see daylight again or know a moment of privacy. They don’t even have windows there.”
Hot tears threatened but she refused to cry. “What is Fuller?”
“It’s a prison for criminals who commit crimes against New Species. It will make regular prison seem like a vacation in the Bahamas. You’ll never get out of there until you’re in a body bag on the way to the funeral home of your family’s choice. No court dates, no parole, and no visits from anyone.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his cold eyes. “No phone calls. No contact with the outside world. No television, radio, or internet. You’ll spend the rest of your damn life suffering as New Species suffered. Play ball with me by giving up all the information I want or you’re on the next transport there.”
“Call Agent Terry Brice. Please? He’ll tell you who I am and this will be cleared up. His number is—”
He cupped her side again, his thumb pressing against her wound enough to make her cry out. “There is no damn Agent Brice. Stop f**king with me.”
“Enough,” 710 snarled.
“Stop, Jordan,” Trey Roberts commanded.
“There is,” she blurted, leaning closer to Jordan, angry and in pain. “He’s visited me many times and I’m tired of this bullshit. Find him. Just call his cell. I know the number by heart. I was too afraid to write it down in case my apartment was searched again.”
“Again?”
“They do that to employees. They search our homes, our cars and even check our phone records to see who we contact. I’m pretty sure they even bug our homes and phone lines so they can hear every word we say. I found a few in my apartment once, at least I think they were bugs. I didn’t dare touch them. I was always very careful or I’d never have survived this long. They would have killed me if they even suspected I worked with the NSO.”
Trey Roberts stepped into the light. “She looks so sincere and outraged.” He turned his head, stared at 710. “She’s either telling the truth or she’s the best liar I’ve ever seen. I’ve met CIA operatives with less talent for staying in character when they are deep undercover.”
“This is so stupid,” she protested. “Just find Agent Terry Brice already.”
Trey took a few steps closer and sighed. “There is no Terry Brice. Jordan is having a hard time believing your story because it doesn’t make sense. The SWAT team didn’t hit that building. We did. The NSO doesn’t need a judge to get a search warrant. We think New Species are being held somewhere, even suspect they might be there, and we can gather at least four teams within an hour to tear any place apart.”
Her mind blanked for a second, trying to make sense of what he said. It didn’t.
“We have three helicopters at our disposal at all times and can get them in the air within an hour with our teams fully prepared to converge on a location. We’ve done it and I have to admit I’m always a little impressed with our quick response time. We don’t have to follow the letter of the law. New Species are exempt from that red tape when it comes to recovering other ones.” He held up a hand and fisted it, straightening one finger.
