“Just a little test,” he said. “You see, I can give pleasure or I can inflict pain. The choice is yours.”
“Tell me what you want to know,” Mattie said in a quivering voice.
“I want to know about the next phase, of course,” he said, picking up the probe again.
Mattie choked back tears. She knew even if she told him what he wanted to know he would not let her go. He would not let her live. The only thing she could do now was try to come up with a convincing lie so this wretched excuse for a human being could not use the technology she had invented against the free world.
“I-in the f-final phase of EDNA,” she began, “we were going to begin work on miniaturization.”
“Excellent. You’re an extremely intelligent woman, Ms. Logan.” The Jaguar put down the probe. “You see how it works? You speak to me, and the pain stops. Sean Cutter never got that.”
Hot tears burned her eyes, but she blinked them back. She wondered where Cutter was. If he was frantic with worry and trying to find her at this very moment? I’m sorry…
“Untie me,” she tried.
A cruel smile twisted his mouth. “I will release you after you tell me what I want to know.”
“Or maybe you’re a lying son of a bitch and plan to kill me even after I tell you what you want to know.”
Something utterly terrifying flickered in the depth of his eyes. “I am a man of my word.” He opened a drawer, pulled out a tiny hand recorder and turned it on. “Now, tell me about the miniaturization phase of EDNA or I will have no recourse but to hurt you. Next time I will not stop when you scream.”
Lying there bound and helpless and trembling uncontrollably, she began to speak. In a shaking voice she told him about an early phase of EDNA. Unbeknownst to The Jaguar, it was a phase that had later failed during the testing stage. The theory had been good, but when the system was tested, fatal flaws were discovered.
The Jaguar recorded her every word. All the while she prayed Daniel Savage hadn’t already spoken about the failed program. She knew The Jaguar would eventually see through the lies. But if she was lucky, lying to him now might buy her some time.
Hope came to a grinding halt when the door swung open. Mattie’s gaze flew to the door. A chill passed through her when a man in paramilitary fatigues stepped into the room.
“I just spoke to Savage.” He thrust an accusing finger at Mattie. “She’s lying.”
The Jaguar turned to her, his eyes glittering with anger and sadistic anticipation. “Ah, Ms. Logan, you disappoint me.”
“I’m not lying,” she choked.
“You should have known I would discover such an unsophisticated ploy.” He picked up the probe and frowned. “You’ve left me no choice but to do this the hard way,” he said and started toward her.
CUTTER TOOK OUT the sentry with the knife. He dragged the body into a utility closet and locked the door. The screams had stopped, but they’d rattled him badly. Deep in the bowels of The Jaguar’s compound, he realized the place was much more than the nerve center for a terrorist cell. There were elaborate laboratories where, he suspected, scientists from all over the world converged to create weapons of mass destruction. There were underground gun ranges. But the worst thing Cutter saw were the torture chambers. He could smell the terror. A smell that conjured up memories he could not let himself dwell on.
He approached a T where another hall intersected. At the sound of voices, he stopped and peered around the corner. Two men with automatic rifles stood just outside a steel door, smoking cigarettes. One of the men he recognized as The Jaguar’s personal bodyguard. A man who never left The Jaguar’s side. And Cutter knew he’d found Mattie.
Breathing hard, he pressed his back against the wall. He darted past the hall and kept going. There was no way he alone could take out two men with automatic weapons. There was no cover. Even if he was lucky enough to take out the two men, the commotion would alert The Jaguar and allow him time to harm Mattie….
Feeling desperate, Cutter kept walking. He went through a double set of steel doors and entered a separate wing. He glanced through the tiny window of a steel door as he passed by it. Within he saw bars and concrete—and stopped dead in his tracks. Prisoners. Looking both ways, he ducked through the door. The single guard looked up from his desk when Cutter approached.
“What the—”
Cutter slammed the wire cutters against the man’s temple. Using the last of his rope, he bound the man’s hands and feet. He fished the ring of keys from the guard’s pocket, then stood and faced the cells.
A dozen or more men looked out at him. Their eyes were sunken and flat. Many were injured. All looked half-starved. “I’m an American,” Cutter said. “I’m freeing you. Help will be here any minute now. Do you understand?”
One of the men stepped forward. Reaching out, he dropped to his knees. “Thank God,” he said with a German accent.
“Who are you?” Cutter asked.
“I am a scientist from the university in Frankfurt,” the man replied. “I was kidnapped by terrorists two months ago.”
“Ransom?” Cutter asked.
“They’re forcing me to help them build a weapon of mass destruction,” the man said with disgust.
“Are there any more prisoners besides all of you?”
The man shook his head. “This is all that’s left.”
Cutter went to work unlocking the cells. “I’m here to rescue a young woman,” he said to the men. “A scientist. She’s in grave danger. I need your help to save her life.”
The men left their cells and shuffled closer. “You just saved our lives, mate,” a man with an Australian accent said. “Tell us what to do and we’ll do it.”
Cutter picked up the guard’s rifle and handed it to the Australian. Their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between the two men.
“I need a diversion,” Cutter said.
A murmur of enthusiasm went through the men. He figured most were scientists or researchers or engineers. Family men whose scientific knowledge or job had put them in danger. Even though they were from different countries with different beliefs and religions—and weakened from weeks of starvation and torture—not one of them refused.
Leaning close, Cutter lowered his voice. “Here’s what I want you to do.”
Chapter Eighteen
Mattie struggled against the binds, but her efforts were in vain. But even facing death and the fear that in the end she would probably talk, her thoughts were on Cutter. On the future they would never have. The sense of loss devastated her.
“Rest assured, Ms. Logan, you will tell me what I want to know.”
The Jaguar set a tray of instruments on the table next to her. Her heart pumped out of control in her chest at the sight of the syringe.
“Pain serum,” he said. “A simple subcutaneous injection and my work is…well, no more than mere observation. I developed it last year after a particularly difficult subject. It attacks the nerves with no or little damage to the surrounding tissue. Therefore, a subject’s, shall we say, endurance is much enhanced.”
He picked up a second vial filled with a liquid the color of weak coffee. “This is the antidote. One injection and the pain disappears.” He snapped his fingers. “Like magic.”
“You’re a pathetic excuse for a human being,” Mattie said.
“No,” he replied. “I simply enjoy my work.” He nodded at the other man in the room. “Leave me to my work.”
“Yes, sir.” The man nodded brusquely and left the room.
The Jaguar filled the syringe. One filled with hell. The other with salvation. Tears scalded her cheeks. Oh, Cutter, I’m sorry I got us into this nightmare….
Once both syringes were prepared, The Jaguar turned to her and brandished the pain serum filled syringe like a jewel. “Are you ready, Ms. Logan?”
Mattie jumped when he leaned close and switched on the recorder. “Please,” she said. “I don’t know anything more about the program
than what I’ve already told you.”
The Jaguar assessed her. “Even if you’re telling the truth, I want to make certain Sean Cutter hears your final screams.”
Mattie felt ill at the thought of what that would do to him. She knew he would blame himself for her death. The guilt would eat him alive. He would want revenge. “You know he’ll come for you.”
“Ah, but I’m counting on it.”
A hard rap on the door broke the moment. Mattie looked up to see one of The Jaguar’s men stick his head in.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but there’s been a security breach in the prison,” the man said.
The Jaguar snarled a curse. Not because of the breach, Mattie thought, but because his work had been interrupted. “What happened?”
“Six men have escaped. The guard tower is reporting shots fired at the north perimeter.”
“Send all available men to round them up.”
The man grimaced. “Sir, there’s no way these men escaped on their own. We think they had help.”
“I want those men, and whoever helped them. Alive. Check the security cameras. I want to know how this happened.”
The man saluted and left as quickly as he’d entered. Mattie’s heart was pounding. Had Cutter been the cause of the security breach? Had he come to save her? To stop this madness? Hope burst through her at the prospect.
“Ah, you’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” The Jaguar asked.
Mattie shook her head. “No.”
“You love him, no?”
“He’s an agent. I’m his prisoner. That’s all.”
“He must care for you very much to face me after what I did to him two years ago. I understand he’s healing nicely.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
The Jaguar picked up the syringe. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Ms. Logan, but he’s not going to get here in time to save you.”
Mattie screamed when the needle pricked her arm. The initial burst of pain exploded through her body like a grenade. She heard herself cry out. She felt her muscles go rigid, her body jerking against the restraints.
The door swung open and banged against the wall. Through the veil of pain she saw The Jaguar swing around, the syringe falling to the floor. Cutter burst into the room. Gun trained on The Jaguar, his eyes swept to hers. In the last days she’d been through some intense situations with Cutter, but she’d never seen such fury in his eyes.
“You son of a bitch.” He chambered a bullet.
The Jaguar raised his hands. “I’m unarmed,” he said.
“I don’t care.” Cutter said, his eyes going to Mattie. “Are you all right?”
“P-pain serum,” she gasped. “Oh God, Cutter, it’s bad. Help me.”
Cutter’s attention went back to The Jaguar. “Get facedown on the floor. Now. Before I take you out right here and now like the piece of scum you are.”
The Jaguar glanced at Mattie. “I see you’re very fond of her.”
“Do it!”
A chilling smile whispered across The Jaguar’s face. “She’s a trooper, Cutter. But then, I’d barely begun. Unlike you, she would have talked. You’re an anomaly, you know. My great-est failure. I’d always hoped to rectify my shortcomings with you. Perhaps one day we can—”
A gunshot shattered the silence. Mattie cried out, unsure at first from whence it had come. Then she realized Cutter had pulled off a shot to let The Jaguar know he was dead serious. “Now,” he said. “Or I’ll put the next one between your eyes.”
The Jaguar’s eyes never left Cutter as he got down on the floor. The pain was so bad Mattie could barely breathe. It was as if every bone in her body had been broken. Even though Cutter had taken control of the situation, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to explode.
When The Jaguar was down on the floor, Cutter went to her. He touched her face with one hand as he worked the straps with the other. “What can I do?”
“Antidote.” Groaning in pain, she lifted her hand to point. “There.”
Cutter snatched the syringe. Expertly thumbing off the cap, he set the needle against her shoulder and injected the antidote.
The pain dulled almost instantly. Though still hurting, Mattie at least felt as if she could breathe. As if she could function. “Oh, God, Cutter, he was going to—”
“You’re going to be okay, honey. Let me get these straps off you. Then I’ll get you out of here, okay?”
“Hurry.”
Setting the syringe on the counter, he withdrew a knife and cut the straps with a quick flick of his wrist. Once her hands were free, Mattie worked frantically to free herself. But her hands were shaking so badly she had a difficult time. Cutter took a length of one of the straps and turned to The Jaguar, who was still facedown on the floor.
“Put your hands behind your back,” Cutter ordered.
The Jaguar complied. Mattie worked at the last strap on her leg. She’d been so close to suffering a terrible death. She owed Sean Cutter her life.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cutter holster his weapon so he could secure The Jaguar’s wrists. It’s almost over, she thought. They were going to get out of this alive. Her name would be cleared. The Jaguar would pay for his crime. The terrorist cell would be dismantled. Finally she and Cutter could be together….
Hope turned to horror when The Jaguar twisted. Cutter went for his weapon, but he wasn’t fast enough. The Jaguar jabbed the syringe into the side of Cutter’s neck.
“Cutter!”
Mattie knew it the moment the drug hit his brain. His body went rigid. His mouth pulled into a taut line. His hand shook as he brought up the gun.
The Jaguar jumped to his feet, lunged at Cutter. “Now we’re going to finish this!”
Cutter scrambled back. The first shot went wide. There was no way he could shoot while in that kind of agony. She flung herself from the gurney. Her hand slammed down on the syringe of pain serum.
The Jaguar went for the gun in Cutter’s hand. Cutter grabbed the other man’s wrist and twisted, but the pain was taking a heavy toll. Wielding the syringe like a knife, Mattie raised it above her head and brought it down, jabbing it into The Jaguar’s back.
Roaring, the man turned on her. “You bitch!” he screamed. “Look what you’ve done!”
Then the drug must have taken effect because she saw his body stiffen. His eyes widened. “Give me the antidote!” he cried. “Give it to me!” He reached for it, but before he could grasp it his knees buckled. An animalistic sound tore from his throat as he collapsed to the floor.
Mattie whirled to help Cutter. He lay sprawled on his back a few feet away, staring at the ceiling. His face was contorted in pain, his complexion the color of paste. Sweat beaded on his forehead. She knew firsthand how terrible the pain serum was, and a sick sense of helplessness assailed her.
He turned his head, and his eyes met hers. “Nice work,” he ground out.
“Oh, Cutter.” She dropped to her knees beside him.
“You okay?” he asked.
Mattie blinked back tears. Only Sean Cutter would ask that question while he was in the throes of a terrible agony. “I’m fine.” She brushed her fingertips against his forehead. “You need the antidote.”
“On the counter,” he groaned, and closed his eyes.
Mattie jumped to her feet and looked around, spotted the syringe crushed on the floor. “Oh no,” she whispered.
A few feet away, The Jaguar writhed in pain. Hatred burned in his eyes when he raised his head and looked at her. “You are a dead woman,” he hissed.
Though the man was incapacitated with pain, a chill passed through her. She crossed to Cutter and knelt. “Cutter, I’m sorry. The syringe was crushed during the scuffle.”
“Just my luck…”
“What can I do?”
“Why don’t you just hang on to me for a second?”
Even through the pain, Mattie saw the light in his eyes. He was the most stoic human bein
g she’d ever met.
“Touch me,” he whispered. “It…helps.”
Choking back tears, she settled onto the floor beside him and took his hand. “I’m sorry I left without saying anything.”
“You nabbed a big fish. I’ll yell at you later.”
“It’s a deal.”
His face contorted, and Mattie’s heart broke for him. “Cutter, I can’t stand seeing you like this.”
“Help…on the way. Should be here any…minute.”
Relief swept through her with such force that for a moment she couldn’t find her voice. “Your agency?”
“Men of MIDNIGHT. They’re the best, you know.”
“If they’re half as good as you, we’re in good hands.” But a quiver of uneasiness went through her at the thought of being taken into custody.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “They know you’re innocent. Just a…formality.”
A sob escaped her at the realization that the nightmare was finally over. That she had her life back. That she was free to love this man. And suddenly she felt like the luckiest woman in the world.
Blinking back tears, she placed her hand against his face. “Thank you.”
“Don’t leave me again without saying goodbye.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Leaning close, she brushed a kiss against his forehead.
“Your kiss…better…than…antidote,” he whispered.
“That’s just the beginning,” she whispered, and put her arms around him.
Chapter Nineteen
The room was so quiet Cutter could hear the heated air rushing through the vents. Martin Wolfe sat at the head of the table, looking down at the open manila folder in front of him. To his right, Mike Madrid leaned back in his chair, staring into the cup of coffee in his hands. Jake Vanderpol sat across from him, looking bored. Halfway down the table, a representative from the Department of Corrections and an assistant federal prosecutor huddled over paperwork.
Where was Mattie?