Project Terminal: End Game (3 page)

“It’s Gonsalves,” Morris answered.

Max appeared from behind Reed. “I gave Damian the coordinates for the cabin in case they needed a place to hide out.” She waved at the car. Gonsalves got out and Max jogged out to meet him. Reed made a low, threatening sound in his throat like a jealous dog.

Amelia turned her attention to the passenger who remained motionless. She squinted, focusing her heightened vision. It was a small blonde woman with what appeared to be an oxygen tube running from her nose. Max walked to the passenger’s side of the car with Gonsalves, and the two helped the frail looking woman out. An argument ensued.

“You’re not carrying me, damn it,” the blonde snapped.

“The thin air will wear you out, Laura. You need to hang on to your strength,” Gonsalves shot back, preparing to scoop her up in his arms.

She pushed at him, stepping back. “I’m perfectly capable, and I’ll kick you in the balls if you don’t back off.”

Amelia couldn’t suppress a grin. Laura Swift turned out to be more than she’d expected. But Laura’s energy suddenly seemed to wane and she wobbled on her feet. Gonsalves caught her before she hit the ground, cradling her in his arms. Max grabbed the oxygen tank and the three of them strode for the cabin’s door.

“She got shot when Gonsalves made a run on Headquarters,” Reed explained. “Not sure of the specifics, but an asshole thing to do, taking a woman with him into a mission.”

Amelia’s nostrils flared and she shot him a withering look. “Mind explaining that jackass statement further, Preacher?”

The Marine met her irritated gaze. “She’s a civilian and couldn’t be more than one hundred twenty pounds soaking wet. He had no business dragging her into the middle of Project Terminal.”

“So she should stand back and let the men handle it?” Nothing infuriated Amelia more than having a woman’s abilities pulled into question. Granted, Swift most likely had no military training, but she seemed to be a fighter. After all, she’d survived a fatal virus.

“Let’s go inside and see if our guests have any news.” Morris shoved between her and Reed, keeping himself there. “There has to be a good reason he’d drag Laura up here, she doesn’t seem really fit for travel.”

Amelia ground her teeth, but Morris had a point. She spun on her heel and walked inside the cabin.

Chapter 4

“I caught sight of Rick Carlton outside the hospital and decided we needed to leave.” Gonsalves stood by the bed where Laura now lay, her breathing sounding labored. Max was at her side checking her pulse, not looking too concerned.

“Carlton? Wasn’t he that Navy SEAL they brought in after we left?” Gabe asked.

Gonsalves nodded, looking down to his ward. He frowned. “I hated dragging Laura up here. I almost lost her after she got shot, and I know the high altitude will be hard on her.”

Gabe looked between Gonsalves and the blonde then to Reed and Max. Good God, he’d walked into a love nest. He glanced at Amelia and she seemed to have picked up the vibe. She lifted an eyebrow, the corner of her lips turned up.

“Don’t be melodramatic, Damian,” Laura said, her voice quavering. She seemed too fragile to have survived a bite from the undead. “I’m fine.”

“She’ll just have to stay off her feet,” Max said to them before turning her attention to Laura. “Don’t move around too much, okay? A collapsed lung is nothing to mess with.” She smiled at the other woman. Laura’s chin jutted, but she gave a short nod of agreement.

“Her pain meds are in the car,” Gonsalves said. “I’ll go grab them and our few belongings.”

“Only if I need them, I can’t handle another day of being loopy,” Laura muttered after he’d left. “I don’t know how drug addicts do it.”

Max chuckled. “Smart girl.”

Amelia walked out the front door and Gabe followed. She veered down the drive passing the car and Gonsalves. Gabe caught up to her. “Where are you going?”

“I left my shoes back there.” She picked her way carefully over sharp rocks.

“I can go get them for you,” he offered.

“No. Ouch!” She hobbled off the trail and Gabe noticed the blood trail she left as she hopped away. She sat on the ground and picked up her foot, eyeing the slicing injury from a stone. A pretty nasty gash across the arch.

He frowned, kneeling beside her, taking her foot gingerly. “Fuck, this looks like it needs stitches.”

“It’s just a scratch, I’ll heal.”

“I know they’ve dulled our pain receptors, but this has to hurt, darlin’.”

“Don’t call me that, damn it.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Call you what?”

She glared back. “Darlin’. I hate it. You never called any of the other women in the project
darlin’
.”

He couldn’t help a smile. “That’s because none of the other women have those big hazel eyes of yours. I told you, they’re my weakness. And that long auburn hair you used to sport.”

“Damn good thing I cut it then.”

He laughed. “God, how I’ve missed you, Amelia.”

A muscle in her jaw worked, her skin taking on a deep red. “That makes one of us.”

He couldn’t help himself and leaned forward, invading her space. “You didn’t miss me at all? That breaks my heart.”

She sucked her top lip between her teeth, her nostrils flaring. “Back off, Morris. I can still kick your ass.”

He glanced down and noticed her nipples peaked against her t-shirt. He sucked air through his teeth, desire shooting fire through his veins. He’d never been a man to beg, but at that moment he was sorely tempted.

* * * *

“Amelia,” Morris’s voice sounded hoarse.

It was back, that feeling she couldn’t catch her breath. Amelia froze, unsure what her next move should be. Her brain reprimanded her for allowing Morris so close, warning her away. Her hormones pulled her in another direction—one she shouldn’t even entertain. At least not with
this
man.

He moved slowly, his hand leaving her foot and skimming to her knee. Testing the waters like an insecure teenager would, and she knew she needed to give him the brush-off like she always did. Put him back in his place as the despicable man she considered him to be. Though she couldn’t remember why he was despicable, not at the moment. She looked to his hand, his long fingers wrapped around her knee, his broad palm heating her skin. He had big hands, capable hands. Hands that promised many things to a body starved for physical attention.

Other than being a terrible flirt, she couldn’t recall him dating while in Project Terminal. Or putting the moves on any other woman but her, despite the fact Doc seemed to have had her eye on him for a short time. Then again, she’d had her eye on many of the super soldiers in the project.

Reed had been much worse than Morris, only taming down after he’d started not so-secretly seeing Max. Not that the project had been conducive to dating, doing so would’ve gotten you kicked out.

She licked her lips, trying really hard to remember her reasons for hating Morris. When nothing came to her she blew out a breath, and as if reading her failed resolve, he moved in. The shock of his lips on hers made her gasp, but he clutched the back of her head, keeping her from moving away. The kiss was firm, pressing her to respond. She closed her eyes and moved into him, her hands finding his shoulders, digging her fingertips into the muscle. He growled, pushing her onto her back, covering her with his huge form as his tongue delved between her teeth. Pent-up sexual frustration came unleashed and she moaned, meeting his tongue. She ground her hips into his, feeling the hard ridge of his cock beneath his fatigues.

“Oh fuck, darlin’, you’re testin’ me,” he groaned against her mouth, his Texas drawl more pronounced and the cold bucket of water she needed.

She shoved at his chest, pushing him off to the side before scrambling away. She gulped air, trying to right a tipped world. His eyes were dark, doing nothing to quell the lust still raging through her system.

“Don’t do that again,” she said, wishing her ragged voice sounded more determined.

“I didn’t do anything you didn’t invite.” He looked ready to devour her whole. “Tell me why it’s such a bad idea, Amelia.”

She struggled for a reasonable answer. “Because you’re a pig.”

He leaned back against a tree, propping his forearms on his bent knees. “Why is that, because I’m attracted to you? What about finding you desirable makes me a pig?”

He had her backed into a corner and she bristled. “I’m not that kind of woman.”

A grin spread over his face. “The kind that doesn’t enjoy a good fuck?”

She met his gaze head-on. “The kind who fucks.”

He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and nodded, before letting it slip free. She found herself transfixed by the seductive movement. “Understood.”

She started to her feet, needing distance from the other soldier. Morris held up his hand and rose. “No, we need you at your best. Stay here, I’ll be right back with your shoes.”

She didn’t object, not really wanting to damage her foot any further. If trouble showed up the last thing they needed was a lame super soldier.

He took two steps before he turned back to her. “By the way, darlin’, I know how to make love to a woman too.”

Chapter 5

“You have to find out where they went!” Doc’s high-pitched outburst echoed in the lab.

Carlton stood at attention, an imposing figure compared to the flabby General who stood next to him.

“I’m on it, ma’am,” Carlton stated, his voice calm and controlled. “I’m going to hack into the city’s traffic cameras, question a few employees in convenience stores. I’ll find their trail.”

“How the fuck did they ever get by you anyway?” Doc took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. “No, never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

“Chances are wherever they are, your sister is,” General said.

The worst of her anger tempered, she considered General’s statement. “You’re probably right about that. Maybe we can work this in our favor.”

“Let’s find out where they are and test a hoard on them.”

She shot a heated look at General. “Not until we take my sister and Laura.”

“Without Laura and Max, we have no need to worry.”

“There will be others with immunity. Knowing what made her a survivor will help if anyone else comes up with a cure. We need a way around it. Once we have their location we’ll send Carlton in, see if he can take out Reed and Gonsalves on his own.”

“And if he can’t?”

Doc sighed and shoved her hair behind her ears. “Then, and
only
then, I’ll consider the undead hoard.”

* * * *

The cabin had become too crowded. Inside, Laura Swift slept while Max worked. Outside, the four super soldiers kept watch. Gabe had taken the southern flank. The sun had sunk behind the mountain peaks, casting long shadows from the fir trees. His engineered eyesight would quickly adapt, making his vision keen in the coming darkness.

He couldn’t keep his thoughts off of Amelia. Her toned physique had fit beneath him perfectly. He’d be able to take her as he wanted without worry she’d be injured, a concern with a civilian woman. Always a big man, his modifications made him even stronger, and Amelia would have the endurance...

He shut his eyes and blew out a breath before opening them to the sky. And Amelia had wanted it, responding eagerly to his kiss and touch. He groaned and adjusted his hard-on, what a sweet torture.

Back at the cabin Max had treated Amelia’s injury, using butterfly bandages to close the wound. He knew from experience she wouldn’t feel the pain now, having those nerve receptors dulled had been a blessing in some respects. A super soldier could push harder and farther even with a mortal wound.

Night animals shifted through the dried aspen leaves and fir needles littering the ground. He inhaled the clean mountain air, letting it cleanse his lungs after spending too much time in congested cities. He hadn’t felt this amount of freedom in a long time. Being cooped up for weeks on end with a client in hotels, luxury cars, and homes tested his sanity at times. Always being on high alert wore him down. Despite the bad feeling he couldn’t shake, tonight would be uneventful. If Gonsalves had brought a tail, they would have made themselves known by now. Gabe could rest up and enjoy a quiet night of solitude while plotting his next move on Amelia.

* * * *

Amelia paced a small trek back and forth. From her position facing east she watched the night sky swallow what remained of the colorful Colorado sunset. Her shoes crunched the footing beneath and she cringed...that was exactly the reason she preferred to be barefoot on missions. Growing up in a rural area of upstate New York, she’d looked forward to long barefoot and carefree summers. The soles of her feet had toughened up over the years, and given the choice she’d never wear shoes if weather permitted. It kept her in touch with those untroubled days of early youth.

She’d lost her parents to a boating accident when she was fifteen and her older sister to drugs a few years later. A sad tale and one she kept close. Amelia wasn’t one to share her life story. She’d worked hard in school, keeping her grades up, had entered the Air Force, and later college. When she was approached to be part of Project Terminal she’d jumped at the chance, but she hadn’t known its true direction.

Undead now roamed parts of Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and if not stopped the virus could spread through the US, and the world. Already a few news reports had leaked out about ravenous people ripping others to shreds. The ‘zombie attacks’ had later been explained away by government officials as the unfortunate effects of a new illegal drug on the streets. Though the government had backed out of the project, nevertheless they’d have to keep it secret. Conspiracy theorists would have a field day otherwise.

Despite her best efforts her thoughts turned a new direction to the kiss she’d shared with Morris. She frowned; the last thing she needed to do was moon over another super soldier. Especially Gabe Morris. She rubbed her hands over her face before shoving her fingers through her hair, lacing them on top of her head.