Special Agent: Austin (8 page)

His dark eyes subsided, his shoulders relaxing. “You owe me answers. Tell me how to find them and I’ll go in.”

Shaking her head, she gave a patronizing laugh. “Now, you think you’re a D.I.R.E. super agent? You’ll get killed, Austin. I won’t allow that to happen. Besides, I was going to ask my sisters to take out all of your old girlfriends. I wouldn’t want you to interfere.”

He shook her by the arms. “This isn’t funny, Belle. You promised me answers and I’m going to get them. We’re going to Mitchell and we’re going to figure out how to do this right.”

The weight of her death hit her like a slap to the cheek. If she died, who would protect him? Once the Madam found out she’d slept with him, had fallen in love with him, he would be a target.

So, where did her loyalties lie? Her sisters deserved a better life, deserved to know the truth. They’d gone through all of the Matheson’s experiments together, all of the Madam’s training.

Brainwashed with all of the lies.

Did she just allow them to live in oblivion to protect Austin?

He, of all people, deserved none of this. She’d brought him into this web of danger for her own gain, had manipulated him over and over. When he asked for answers, she should’ve said no. She should’ve thought of him first, instead of her own needs and desires. Now, it was only a matter of time before the Madam found him.

She had no choice. She had to join forces with D.I.R.E.

They had the resources to find her sisters’ families
and
protect Austin. Teaming up with the Madam’s enemy was her best shot at accomplishing both.

Climbing from bed, she went to the restroom to clean up. “Call Mitchell and tell him I’ll answer all of your questions tonight. But, only after I eat something. I’m starved.”

U
nder the cloak of night, Austin held Belle’s hand as he led her into the D.I.R.E. San Diego office, Dylan McCall and Teague Hamilton behind them. He’d arranged the late night meeting as she’d requested, knowing she feared the woman who controlled her.

Mitchell had foregone an evening of rubbing elbows with the current Air Force brass to meet with Belle. Somehow, Austin had to show her they were a united front without giving away his new position with the agency. As far as Mitchell and the others were concerned, he’d slept with Belle to get information.

As far as Belle was concerned, it had become more than that.

As far as he was concerned, he’d royally f’d up.

“You must be damned good in bed,” McCall said in a low voice, over his shoulder.

Staring at Belle across the room, he decided she was the one that had been damned good in bed. The assassin had been all woman, hot and responsive like no other before her. Her openness, her willingness to expose herself to him, had humbled him in ways he didn’t deserve. Though he knew she could protect herself
and
him, he would never allow her to do that. She had become important to him in ways he didn’t want to contemplate at the moment.

Thus, the f up.

“I’m just doing my job,” Austin said, the lie churning in his stomach like bad Mexican food.

Dylan gave him a clap on the shoulder. “Don’t tell Mitchell you fell for her.”

He swallowed down his gasp. “Who said I fell for her?”

“That what-the-hell-have-I-done look on your face.” He walked past Austin to help Teague into a chair at the conference table.

Standing on the opposite side of the conference room, Belle looked like the orphan she’d believed herself to be, her blue eyes wide in her pale face. He’d come to San Diego to work with Jaydan, to prove his loyalty, to prove to himself he could make the agency.

Now, he’d risked all of that by sleeping with Belle. How could he let down Jaydan again? Risk his newly-found position with D.I.R.E.?

Risk Belle finding out he’d manipulated her for his own gain?

No, he couldn’t fall for her. He’d slept with women without falling for them. He could do it again. This meeting would put everything into perspective, put him back in the mindset of making a difference with D.I.R.E.

He met her halfway across the room. “Are you ready?”

Lifting her chin, she nodded before taking a seat in the chair adjacent to Teague. Austin sat beside her. A moment later, Mitchell walked inside and powered up the computer.

“Monica, the team working on your computer tells me your people are looking for you.”

Resting her elbows on the chair arms, Belle linked her fingers in front of her. “Yes, I haven’t checked in. They’ll send reinforcements soon, if they haven’t already.”

Mitchell gave her a belittling grin. “We’ve taken care of it. They aren’t suspicious.”

If D.I.R.E. hacked into Belle’s computer, it was only a matter of time before they knew where her home was located and who ran things. It was good for her to hear her life was coming down around her ears. She deserved to move on in peace.

Mitchell said, “I’m going to videotape this meeting. Our computer system is unlike anything in existence and therefore, un-hackable. You have no need to worry about the video being leaked to the internet or to your superiors.”

Her smug mouth twisted. “Too bad you couldn’t say that about Riordan St. James or Jaydan Rose. I hear their videos have reached over two million hits.”

Dylan raised his hand, his tone proud. “Not me.”

McCall’s copper and gold armbands gleamed in the recessed lights, an intimidating image. Belle studied him with keen interest, a shrewd scrutiny in her narrow eyes.

Austin had freaked out when he saw Jaydan’s armbands for the first time. They were fused to his flesh, his strength enhancement tied into his brain and central nervous system. The idea of Jaydan’s life at risk like that scared the shit out of him, but his brother was meant for this work.

“There are positives to the exposure, too, Monica,” Mitchell said in an even tone. “It shows criminals a formidable adversary, a power no one in the world can match. Not even your Madam.”

Belle’s leg shook beneath the table. “Underestimating the Madam is the biggest mistake you could ever make.”

Austin laid his palm on her active thigh, stalling it. She gave him a half smile.

Mitchell said, “I want you to know that your decision to divulge information puts you under D.I.R.E.’s protection. We take care of our own.”

Frowning, she said, “I don’t belong to you, or anyone.” Her hand covered Austin’s where it sat on her leg.

“You belong to this Madam, don’t you?” Teague said in a logical tone.

Belle’s glare was all the answer Teague would receive. “I came to you because of Austin, and because you revealed the truth about my family.” Her grip tightened on his hand. “The Madam stole my life from me. I want revenge and you’re my best shot at it.”

“Very well.” Mitchell gave a brief nod before hitting a button on his keyboard. “Tell us how you ended up at the party last night.”

She swallowed hard. Austin could see the pulse pounding in her smooth throat. Despite her brave front, she was scared shitless.

“The Madam learned Riordan St. James was getting married and knew the D.I.R.E. agents would be in attendance. It was just a matter of acquiring the guest list and finding out who declined an invitation to the party. Congresswoman Norton’s servers were easy to hack.”

“What was your purpose in attending the party?”

“To find a chink in your armor while your defenses are down. The Madam wants to destroy you.”

Mitchell didn’t so much as blink. “Do you know why?”

“Besides the fact that you ruined Cyrus’s cloning operation, no I don’t.”

Dylan gave her a sidelong glance. “You say that like it isn’t enough.”

Her round eyes were serious when she looked at McCall. “She had D.I.R.E. on her radar long before Cyrus was arrested.”

Austin took a deep breath and let it out. So, she did have old resentments. “How is she tied to Cyrus?”

“I know she worked with his grandfather, Clay Matheson, before she worked with Cyrus. That’s the only tie I’m aware of.” Grabbing the glass pitcher from the center of the table, she poured herself a glass of water and took a sip.

Mitchell said, “Tell us about your life growing up.”

Dipping her head, she said, “After my family was supposedly killed, I was taken to Mrs. Burnett’s girl’s home in Sacramento.”

“When was that?” Teague said, her hands folded on the table.

Frowning, she thought a moment. “A few years after you went through.”

Teague cocked her head, her brows high. “So, you know who I am…”

Belle was a pro at patronizing grins. “Yes, you were selected as protégé to the now-incarcerated Dr. Capri. You’re the intelligence behind Cyrus’s cloning operation.”

“Selected?” Teague said, reciprocating her patronizing grin. “Interesting choice of words considering they murdered my parents and
took
me.”

“You were –
are
– integral to their plans. I can see why they did it.”

Dylan jumped up from his chair and started to pace. Disbelief drove Austin to spin Belle around.

“Are you saying you condone it?”

“No,” she said, in a defensive tone. “But, I understand why it was done.”

“You act like they hacked into her Facebook account, Belle. She was a
child
and they
murdered
her parents.”

Her face paled to ghostly white, tears at the corners of her eyes. “I… I’m an assassin, Austin. Murder doesn’t affect me.”

“So, why are you crying?”

Her fingers flew to her face. Her eyes widened when she came away with tears on her fingers. Swiping them from her cheeks, she cleared her throat and turned to Mitchell.

“Next question?”

Taken aback, Austin stared at her ruddy face. What the hell was that? The woman he’d made love with earlier wasn’t a cold-hearted killer. She may be tough and determined, but she wasn’t without compassion.

Dylan stopped behind Teague’s chair to brace his hands on the arms. “Are you saying Teague is in danger?”

Her matter-of-fact tone made her sound like one of the clones. “Will they kill her? No. But, they
will
try to retrieve her again.”

Dylan released a string of curse words that bounced off the sound-proof walls. Despite the wedding activities, Austin knew McCall would never let Teague out of his sight now. The woman carried his child. If he was in Dylan’s shoes, he’d do the same thing.

“How long were you at Mrs. Burnett’s home?” Mitchell said.

Whipping around, Dylan’s voice hummed with outrage. “Mitchell, she just – “

Mitchell’s razor-sharp tone cut into Dylan’s tirade. “I heard her, McCall.” He dropped his gaze to the chair beside Teague. “Sit.”

McCall dropped into the chair, his body humming.

Belle said, “I’m not sure how long I stayed there but, I do remember having cake on the island for my sixth birthday.”

“Cyrus’s Hawaiian island?” Dylan said.

“Clay Matheson’s island,” she countered. “His grandfather. We traveled to the past when Mr. Matheson needed us for more donations.”

Austin frowned. What did she mean by ‘the past?’

Dark rings stood out beneath Mitchell’s eyes when he looked at Austin. “Until recently, the Matheson’s had the ability to time travel. We destroyed their Mongolian compound, which also housed a prison for potential clone donors, and confiscated the last of their machines. Between the island and the compound, we think we’ve destroyed any files they may have had on the technology.”

Disbelief stilled him in his seat, while his gaze searched the others’ faces for common sense. He held up a hand in front of him. “Hold up. You’re shittin’ me, right?”

He looked around the table. Nothing but stoic expressions looked back at him.

He turned to Belle. “Belle?”

Grimacing, she shook her head. “I traveled back to the nineteen forties several times. It’s as familiar to me as today.”

He swiped a hand through his hair. That second climax must’ve loosened a few bolts in his head. This had to be a nightmare.

Sitting back in his chair, Mitchell laced his hands behind his head. “So, you and your sisters were part of the original donor program. Were there any others?”

“Yes. I probably saw fifty or so children over the years. Including Keegan Meeks.”

Holy shit
. They kidnapped kids to make clones, Belle among them.

And, he had the audacity to complain because his parents lied to him about his true parentage?

“Why do you and Teague have tattoos?” Mitchell leaned forward to check the computer.

“The Madam hand-picked us for our posts. We’re part of her plans. Whereas, Keegan was taken only to get back at Senator Meeks for his interference.”

“What kind of plans?” Austin said, his mind whirling from complete overload.

Her shoulders lifted in a lazy shrug. “I don’t know. But, now that you’ve taken me into custody, I’ll be killed and replaced.”

Teague’s voice held a high note of surprise. “You say that like it’s a given.”

“It will happen. I was just hoping to see my family before I die. But, she’ll stop at nothing to find me and I don’t want to put them in danger.”

Austin gritted his teeth. Hadn’t they discussed this already? Belle knew he wouldn’t let her die. He told her he would protect her.

She just didn’t believe he could do it.

Rage caused his voice to come out harsher than he’d intended. “Who the hell is this Madam?”

Belle jumped in her seat before turning to him. “When you find that out, will you let me know?”

Silence filled the room like a hot air balloon.

Disbelief rooted Austin to his chair. “I thought she raised you?”

She tilted her head. “In a way. The serum she gives us contains nanobots that insert knowledge into our brains and triggers certain behaviors. We also have clones on the farm that serve as instructors, nurses, cooks and other positions. Riordan St. James and you, Agent McCall, have helped us tremendously with our combat training.”

Dylan’s lethal glare could’ve cut glass. “Like hell, I have. When all is said and done, your farm will burn to the ground with every freaking clone on it.” He looked at Austin. “You with me?”

He gave a firm nod. “Damned straight.”