Genesis (The Evolutioneers Book 1), page 28
“They’re moving her,” Doc called out.
Crystal was lifted, the camera swinging wildly on its chain. Max couldn’t tell who was carrying her to one of the floor-to-ceiling bookcases. The case opened, revealing a tunnel.
“Where does that lead?” Chase asked.
“I don’t know.” Max narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t know it existed.”
Ronan held up a hand. His head cocked as if he were listening to the wind. “Ethan’s tracking them. They’re taking her to an underground room. Some kind of…” he paused to flick a glance at Max, “playroom. We need to move.”
“Right.” Max stalked back to the van and opened a metal locker. Rifles and hand guns glinted in the moonlight. “Load up and let’s roll.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Max led the others through the woods back to Madden’s mansion. The faint sound of laughter and music drifted on the air from the ballroom. One would think the presence of armed soldiers in full body armor would put a damper on the festivities, but apparently not. The frivolity only went to show what kind of sick fucks Madden hung out with.
They approached a gate built into the high rock wall that bordered the property. One of the armed guards lay on the ground. His eyes shined like glass and were just as vacant as they stared up at the moon with his throat ripped out.
“Anyone near?” Max asked Ronan.
He paused for a moment to listen. “No. It’s quiet.”
Max lifted his hand. The metal gate screeched as he tore it off its hinges and tossed it to the side.
Ronan let loose with a very unmanly giggle. “That was sweet.”
Normally, Max would be just as impressed with himself, but at the moment the only thing that mattered was getting to Crystal.
To his right, Doc and Chase were in full combat gear, ready to follow his lead. He knew they would do anything to save one of their own. But the Daniels brothers were wild cards with no vested interest in the team’s cause. Crystal was too important to put his trust in them so quickly. And if they were hurt or killed in the upcoming confirmation, the guilt would be a burden he didn’t want to bear.
“Look, Ronan, if you go in there, you’ll be tying yourself to us and probably expose your powers. If you want to back out, say so now.”
Max appreciated the fact that the man took a moment to think before he answered. Ronan’s eyes unfocused, as if he was having an internal conversation, before his gaze sharpened and looked back to him. “I talked it over with Ethan. We’re in. And we do have a vested interest in this. Madden dragged us in when he used our software to build his army. Speaking of which.” He pulled the headset and goggles off the body at their feet and looped them around his neck. “It’ll be nice to know exactly what he’s done with our product.”
“Thank you,” Max replied.
Huh. Who would’ve thought he’d be grateful for the extra hands on his team. But with the brothers on their side, that increased their odds and he could end this fight with his father, once and for all.
A snarl in the dark preceded a shadowy black panther looping across the lawn. The fur morphed into skin with a crack of bones. Ripley appeared before them, sweaty, out of breath, and nude. “What have I missed?”
Max kept it short and sweet. “Madden has Crystal, and Anthony DeMateo is alive. He’s The Second.”
“Your friend, Anthony?”
Max nodded once.
Ripley cursed then did a double take when he noticed Ronan standing with them. “Who are you?”
“Ronan Daniels. Telepath. My twin is inside keeping track of Crystal. Try not to eat him.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“What’s going on inside?” Max asked.
“Madden disappeared for a while, but is now back in the ballroom schmoozing the lemmings. There’s a guard posted at every door, except for the few I removed.”
Max crossed his arms. “If he’s in the ballroom, who’s with Crystal?”
“Ethan said DeMateo is alone with her,” Ronan answered.
A twitch started near his eye. “All right, here’s the plan. We’re keeping it simple. We’ll enter through the garage and head straight for the office. Only kill if necessary. I’m hoping that once we start causing trouble, the guards will come after us without alerting the guests. Madden is not going to want to show any weakness in front of the very people he is asking to back him. Ronan, you and Ethan come up with a reason to get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible. We’ll sort out who the so-called lemmings are from the innocent later. Ripley, you take Madden.” He tossed him an earpiece.
Ripley’s eyes sparked in surprise. “You want me to take out your father? Are you sure?”
Never had he been more certain in his life.
As long as his father was brought down, Max didn’t give a shit as to who actually did the deed. His sole purpose now was getting to his woman. “Yes. I’ll get Crystal and take care of DeMateo. Chase, you and Doc cover them.”
“We’ll get her back, Max.” Doc set her jaw.
Max nodded. “Follow me.”
The team dashed across the lawn to the side entrance of the garage. Ripley took the unconventional route and shifted into a bat. His furry mammal flew off into the night sky and down a chimney.
With a wave of his hand, Max opened the side door. Spotlights illuminated the interior of the cavernous room, highlighting dozens of luxury vehicles. Each car was more ostentatious than the next.
“Whoa,” Chase exclaimed. “Nice wheels.”
“Who’s there?” a voice asked from the shadows.
“Oops. Sorry.” He shrugged in apology.
Max sighed with restrained impatience. “Take care of it.”
“Right, boss.”
In a blur of motion, Chase raced toward the direction of the voices. The sound of jaws breaking and bones snapping preceded the thud of two bodies hitting the floor.
Doc took off after Chase, her favorite Glock in hand, with Max and Ronan hot on her heels. They burst into the hallway to see several guards trying to take aim at Chase working his way through the gauntlet of men and Madden’s antiques. Doc took position behind a seven-foot-tall marble statue of Zeus and laid down a layer of cover fire.
“Go,” Ronan shouted at Max and shot off two rounds of his own. “We’ve got this.”
Max pulled the priceless oil paintings off the wall and hurled them at the sea of soldiers streaming their way.
“Take care,” he said, taking off down the hall, the sounds of shouting and gunfire echoed behind him.
Each long-legged stride took him away from one nightmare and closer to another. He had to reach her. He had to save her. Anything less was not an option.
Blood pounded in his head and raced through his veins to settle in his gut as image after horrible image of possibilities filled his mind.
Please, dear God, let me find her in time.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Crystal’s eyes flew open as the acrid stench of smelling salts hit her nose. She instantly regretted the slight movement as her head swam and her stomach roiled. The painful throbbing and swelling in her cheek reduced the visibility in her left eye to crap and her right eye wasn’t able to focus any better. The last thing she remembered was learning Anthony’s secrets, but who had hit her? And more important, had she been drugged and if so, for how long?
Wait. The scent of the smelling salts faded to an aftershave that was familiar. Recently familiar.
Her vision focused and she realized the support holding her upright was Anthony DeMateo. Noticing that she was gaining consciousness, he released her to stand on her own feet. Her knees buckled and a cry broke past her dry lips despite the determination to not show any weakness.
A hook in the ceiling held a chain that connected to the bands securing her wrists above her head, keeping her on her feet. The muscles along her shoulders burned under the strain of her weight.
With her one good eye, she searched the room for a possible means of escape.
Where in the hell was she?
Soft, almost romantic lighting glowed from sconces from the four corners of the room, bathing the brown suede–covered the walls. An oversized bed covered in sumptuous pillows of cinnamon and tan lay to her left. Tied to each of the hooks drilled into the corners of the four-poster frame was a rope that ended in fur-lined handcuffs. A shelving unit stood next to the bed stocked with bottles of lubricant and an assortment of dildos and whips displayed in neat rows.
On her right sat the heavy equipment. A St. Andrew’s cross and two other tables made to separate and fold into any desired position lined up like soldiers ready for duty. What was this place? BDSM Depot?
She wanted to snort at the clichéd setting, but her face hurt too much to even grimace.
“Crystal?” A deep voice penetrated the haze of her brain. “It’s Ethan. Are you awake?”
A relieved breath escaped before she could school her features. Yes. I’m tied up somewhere. Anthony is with me. I think he’s alone.
“I know, honey. Just sit tight, the cavalry is coming. I’ll stay with you and keep you updated on their progress.”
Thank you.
She was not alone. Even though he stopped communicating, she felt Ethan hovering in her mind like a soft hum along her consciousness. Embracing that small comfort, she warily lifted her head to search for Max’s true enemy.
Anthony sat across from her in a straight-back chair near the only exit to the room that she could see. He watched her with assessing, questioning eyes, his legs casually crossed. His suit jacket was draped off the back of the chair, his cuffs rolled over his forearms, and a snifter of brandy rested loosely in his grip. As she continued to stare at him, he relaxed further in his seat and met her gaze.
A full minute passed in silence before she wiggled her arms. The chains clanged, dispelling the silence. “Bondage? How unexpected,” she drawled. “Were your friends too tired to play?”
He blinked once and a small smile flirted with the corner of his mouth. “They had some business to take care of. They’ll be along shortly. Believe me, it wasn’t a hardship to hold you in my arms. I am going to guess you’re the clairvoyant. The one they call Prism.” He lifted the snifter to his lips and took a drink. “So. What does the future hold for me?”
This time she let her grin bunch her cheeks despite the pain. “Certain death.”
He gave a short bark of laughter, then tipped his head back to chuckle longer and heartier. He composed himself with a sigh and winked at her. “I see why Max likes you. But that was perfectly trite. Everyone will face death. I want to know more specifics.”
“I want to know why you betrayed Max. He would have fought to the death for you.”
“Lucky him, he still might get his chance.” He placed the snifter on a low table next to the chair and stood. “I know it may appear as if I’ve betrayed him, but in actuality I was protecting him, protecting everyone. Matthew is a visionary. His ideas are genius, and he has the power and ambition to make them a reality. But his attention span is shit. All it takes is a pair of tits and a tight ass to make him lose focus. He’s a sex addict, and that type of man is not what the world needs as a leader.”
“And you think you are.”
“I know I am.” He stepped closer, his alcohol-scented breath aggravating her stomach. He brought his finger up to trail a scrolling pattern along her battered cheek. “If I went after Madden myself, it would show a weakness in our organization that would lead the cause to certain failure. But Max… Ah, now Matthew burned that bridge himself years ago. I knew all I had to do was point Max in the right direction and he’d take out his father as I continued my work. But I thought he would accomplish that the old-fashioned way, with computers and information. Place Matthew in jail forever. If only I had known about Max’s power. I would have definitely tried a different tactic to achieve my plans. Where did his powers come from? How did you get yours?”
His fingers stroked along her neck and shoulders with reverence, and he gazed at her as if she were a rare treasure he couldn’t wait to plunder. Her skin crawled under his touch, and she wished she felt sick enough to vomit all over him, just to get him to back away.
“Max would never have helped you. You said it yourself, he’s the smartest man on the planet. He would’ve seen through you in an instant.”
“You’re right. Max is smart. But he’ll see reason when I explain what it is I am trying to accomplish. After you’re dead, he’ll believe me when I tell him that Madden was the one who killed you. Max will seek his revenge for certain.”
She laughed in his face despite his threat. She had seen her death, and it wasn’t in this S&M den.
Anger, on behalf of herself and Max, gave her the courage to hold her ground. “Max knows all about you, about how you’re The Second. He will never join you.”
Anthony stilled and his smug grin faltered. “That’s impossible. No one but Madden knows my true identity.”
“Uh, duh. Superhumans here.” She smirked.
He gripped her hair at the back of her neck and pulled hard, tilting her head back. “How?” he growled.
Tears welled in her eyes as she spat through gritted teeth, “Doesn’t matter. He knows all about you, and he’s going to rip out your heart and piss in the hole. Just give up now, and take it like a man.”
A flash of fear made his pupils widen, before his brow furrowed while he formulated a plan. The look reminded her so much of Max it broke her heart.
He released her hair and slid his palm down her neck to rest over her thudding heart. His thumb brushed the stone in her necklace once, then twice, before he stopped and scooped it up in his palm. His knowing laughter made the hair on her arms stand up with dread.
“Ingenious. You can barely see it.” He unlatched the heavy chain and turned the stone over and over. “Has he been watching the entire time?” He flicked the matching earrings. “What are these? Microphones? Can he hear us right now? Well, let’s give him something worth watching.”
He walked across the room and hung the necklace off a hook attached to the back of the door. He stalked back to her with the hungry look of a predator about to enjoy his meal.
“Yes. This will do nicely,” he murmured and picked up a flogger with a two-feet-long suede tails. He brushed his fingers over her lips. “Let’s show Max just how well I can treat his girl.”
The silk of her dress bunched and rippled as he ran the flogger in teasing glances over her body. The gentle smack of suede on skin made her flinch more than the contact, but she knew that at any moment the gentle brushes could turn violent.
Ethan. Please. Where is everyone? Silence. Ethan? Ronan? Someone please hurry.
Nothing, not a glimmer of response. Oh God, something must have happened. They would not leave her on her own without good cause. Plan, a plan. She needed a plan.
“Come on, Max. Come out, come out from wherever you are,” Anthony taunted as he used the end of the flogger to lift the hem of her skirt.
Fuck a plan. She needed to act now.
Taking a deep breath, she allowed her body to sag. Her hands crept up the chains binding her wrists and tightened into fists around the cold metal.
With a grin, Anthony shifted his stance in preparation of swinging the flogger, giving her just enough room to drive her knee up into his groin, bending him double. His grunt of agony was oh so satisfying, but not nearly enough punishment.
She took several steps back, then ran forward to swing from the hook like Tarzan. The bottom of her pointy Louboutins punched into his chest and sent him soaring. The table and chair crashed under the weight of his falling body.
Crystal eyed his limp form, each of her panting breaths matching his groans as he rolled on the floor.
Working past the pain in her shoulders, she grabbed hold of the chain with both hands again and jumped. Up and around, she tried to dislodge it from the hook until third time was the charm. She ducked to avoid the fall of heavy links before kicking off her heels and making a run for the door. Thankfully, the door was unlocked and flew open at first try.
As much as she would have loved to stay and kick his ass some more, she raced down the darkened hallway. Hallway? It was more like a tunnel without a single window to give her any indication about where she was or how to get out.
Right or left? Right or left?
Instinct drew her to the right and she ran as best as she could while juggling the chain still attached to her wrists with each step.
Ethan, Ronan! Where are you guys?
“Crystal?”
Relief at hearing Ethan’s voice made her stumble. I’m running down a hall. I don’t know where I’m going.
“Max is right behind you, but he has company. Find a place to hide.”
Okay.
Her lungs burned with every breath, but she kept running, determined to find safety. Hope spurred her faster as the floor began to rise at an incline. A door with a steel bar across it stood at the end of the hall. She paused just long enough to release the handle and throw it open. Damp grass met her bare feet, making her toes curl with the cold.
The chain smacked against her shins as she ran across the open lawn in search of shelter. Goose bumps broke out over her flesh in the chilly night air even as her silk dress clung to her sweat-dampened skin. At least it wasn’t raining.
As she approached a row of hedges, she could make out light coming from the main building. If she could reach the ballroom, hopefully she could become lost in the crowd or find Max.
She dashed through a break in the shrubbery and entered a courtyard, complete with stone pavers and wood benches. A cute little fountain burbled in the center that she would have stopped to admire if she wasn’t running for her life.
Madden burst into the courtyard, running in her direction from the other side. They both pulled up short when they spotted each other. Blood oozed from a cut across his cheek. His expensive suit hung off him in shredded ribbons.
