Mate Run, page 6
Behind her, a tall, dark-skinned man in a navy blue suit stalked out of the office, headed in the opposite direction, and walked out a door with an exit sign above. He slammed it shut so hard I was surprised the walls didn’t shake.
Jillian fought to maintain her smile even as her eyes tightened in displeasure. “You have questions?” she repeated.
So, we’re going to act like that didn’t happen? Alrighty then.
“Yes, as I explained to your receptionist, I thought I’d receive a link to my profile. Something to show it’s active in your system. I haven’t. Nor have I received the profiles of potential matches, but my account says my status is active. I just wanted an explanation,” I said.
Now Jillian’s smile took on a patronizing edge. “Oh, well that’s easy enough to explain. As stated on our website, Mate Match takes a scientific approach to matchmaking. We take all of the data our clients provide and enter it into our highly selective, very specialized computer program. It, in turn, gives us a list of potential matches based on a set of specific criteria, the details of which I’m sure you’ll find boring. If matches are found, our next step is to send a scent sample to the infected males with the highest percentage of compatibility. The rest...? Well, let’s just say after that we allow nature to take its course.”
Her answer told me absolutely nothing, and I was offended that she thought I’d find the process boring. What she meant was it was too complicated for me to understand so she wouldn’t bother. “So what you’re saying is there are no profiles for me to view?”
“No. At Mate Match, we believe the males should do the chasing.” Jillian laughed and nudged Tiff’s shoulder as if she’d just shared an inside joke.
Smiling awkwardly in an attempt not to be rude, I cast another worried glance at my watch and asked one final question. “Does my profile have a match?”
Jillian pursed her little rosebud lips. “Off the top of my head, no. If you’d like to wait while I access your file...?”
As much as I needed to know, I’d been inside too long already. “I need to go. If you don’t mind, I’ll call tomorrow. If you can tell me a good time...?”
She waved her hand. “Anytime will be fine. Customer service is our top priority.”
My eyes literally ached with my effort not to roll them. If Mate Match was so big on customer service, I wouldn’t have had to come in person to see what was going on. They had my phone number and email address. Other than the initial email saying my registration had been received, I’d heard nothing.
“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” I glanced at the receptionist. “Thank you for your assistance. If you’ll excuse me? It’s getting late, and I still need to check into my hotel.”
I swung my mini backpack over my right shoulder, collected my document folder, and strode towards the door. As my hand touched the release bar to push open the door, I glanced at the receptionist's desk one last time. The two women were huddled together, speaking in what appeared to be furious whispers. Tiff caught me looking and plastered on a bright smile. Eyes narrowed, I gave an abrupt nod, shoved open the door, and strode out.
This whole place had a weird vibe. If they weren’t the only dating agency that worked with the infected, I would have canceled my contract and requested a refund. Any thoughts of Mate Match were immediately forgotten as I neared the corner of the building and heard Cujo’s warning barks.
Breaking into a jog, I rounded the corner to see a man standing near my vehicle. What the hell was he doing? “Hey!” I shouted.
He turned, and it was the man in the blue suit who’d stalked out earlier. He now wore a black trench coat over his suit, left open in the front. That’s why I didn’t immediately recognize him. He held up his hands in a gesture meant to show he was harmless. “Is this your vehicle?”
I stopped and placed my hand on my knife, hidden in my jacket pocket. “Why?”
“I’ve never seen a Humvee in real life and wanted a closer look. Sorry. I didn’t realize you had a dog inside,” he said.
I gazed through the back window. Cujo stood, legs braced, giving clear warning that the intruder wasn’t to come closer. I didn’t see Jock’s head sticking up so he was hopefully still asleep.
“No, it’s okay,” I said, finally. “I’m sure you can understand my wariness at seeing a strange man around my truck.”
He lowered his hands and slid them into his coat pocket. “If you don’t mind my asking, how’d you come by such a vehicle? I’ve only seen them in old news clips about the conflict and movies.”
Cujo stopped barking when he heard my voice but still made low growling noises. Like the dog, I was equally wary. I’d seen enough horror flicks and crime shows, old and new, to know a woman couldn’t be too careful. In addition, my father had been a cop.
“It belonged to my father.”
His friendly expression faltered and one of sympathy took its place. “I’m sorry. I forgot your father recently died.”
My sense of unease increased, and I took a step in retreat. The guy hadn’t come any closer, but neither had he moved away from the Humvee. To get inside my vehicle, I’d have to pass too close to him for comfort. I glanced around. The parking lot was just as empty as before, but now it was fully dark. We stood in the shadows as the lights attached to the building didn’t reach this far. “How did you know that?”
The man held out his hands again. “Hey, whatever you’re thinking, that’s not it. I’m one of the intake specialists for Mate Match. I handle the online registrations. I entered your profile into the system. That’s how I know who you are.”
His words made sense, but his behavior kept me on guard. He kept glancing around nervously and rarely met my gaze directly. In addition, he kept switching his weight from one foot to the other. In sum, his manner set off my self-preservation instincts.
“If you’re the one who handled my account, why didn’t you come out and answer my questions earlier?” I asked.
“Jillian.” There was a world of disgust in the name. “She’s in charge and what she says goes.” He seemed to catch himself. In a different, more professional tone he explained, “Jillian prefers to handle the clients that come in person, especially for their initial visit, even if they applied online.”
“I see. Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to leave. I still have things I need to do before I can call it a night.” I glanced pointedly at the way he stood between my vehicle and me.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” He moved a few paces to the left.
For the first time, I noticed a white panel van with the bright pink and red Mate Match logo on it, parked a few spaces away from mine. Had that van been here when I arrived? I didn’t think so. When he was far enough away, I started forward, hand still on my knife in case he made any sudden moves in my direction.
“Ah, I don’t suppose you’d allow me to look inside?” He’d placed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the van’s door. The pose should have appeared relaxed, but he was too tense to carry it off.
Let him close to my sleeping child? “No.”
“I understand your caution. I’m sorry. Maybe another time,” he suggested.
I pulled the key fob out of my left pocket, pointed it at the lock, and glanced down briefly to make sure my finger was on the right button. I caught a flash of movement out of my peripheral vision. A shock of pain hit my denim-clad thigh and my whole body seized. Jerking as electrical currents shot through my body, I collapsed to the hard, asphalt ground. I barely heard the click of the taser as I screamed in agony.
Cujo went berserk, one-hundred and thirty pounds of barking, snarling canine, throwing himself against the window and door. Despite the agony I felt, I dragged myself forward by my elbows, reaching Jock the only thought in my head.
The shadow of the man grew larger and longer as he came closer. “I really am sorry about this,” he said.
Another stabbing pain penetrated my thigh and the world faded to black.
Chapter Eight
Thaddeus
I stood in the moonlit clearing, a small distance away from the others. Close to forty infected males had gathered tonight, awaiting the Mate Match van. The van would contain the fifteen women who’d gone through the agency’s testing process and been matched with these men as potential mates. Tension filled the air as well as a primal sense of competitiveness. Only fifteen women meant quite a few men would go home empty-handed. Every man determined it wouldn’t be him.
The women had to have at least one potential match before being invited to the Mate Run. Two was preferred. Three were allowable but inadvisable. The more potential matches involved in the hunt, the greater the possible aggression between the males.
In addition, this was the last mate run until spring. Though you couldn’t tell it tonight, winter was just around the corner. Cold weather made a man think of warm beds and a soft body to couple with during the long, cold winter nights. Registrations always increased as the season approached.
I spotted Noah Hunter, one of the other owners, and nodded. We were both here for the same reason: to make sure things ran smoothly. No matter how civilized we acted, scratch the surface of an infected and you’d discover a primal, feral being, waiting to break free. To be infected meant to embrace your animalistic nature.
It’s one of the reasons we–my partners and I–created Mate Match. We needed noninfected women to round out our numbers. The virus infected men in higher percentages. Women hadn’t become infected until after the virus’s first mutation. With the number of infected women being significantly less than the infected population of males looking for mates, we had to develop a system to meet the need.
Moreover, the virus did strange things to the women who survived the infection phase. Considering that the virus was developed to create male super soldiers, it’s no wonder it made them harder and more aggressive. Romancing one was tricky. It was no secret that in the animal kingdom, the females were typically the most vicious.
Glancing around, I spotted a few others I knew as well. Jebediah Wyatt was here. I grinned, knowing he hadn’t been on the list. I guess after so many failed matings, he’d decided to take matters into his own hands and just show up. That was Jeb for you. He never gave up.
Cyrus caught my eye and nodded. I returned his greeting even as I wondered why he was there. Cyrus had a woman, and it wasn’t his turn to babysit.
Noah, Cyrus, Jeb, and I had served together in the military and had been lab rats in the same experiments. Those same experiments were responsible for unleashing a viral pandemic upon the world and changing it forever. We were the archetype from which all the infected were made.
My phone rang, interrupting my thought. I didn’t recognize the number but the area code was familiar, so I answered. “Young speaking.”
“Mr. Young, I don’t know if you know me, but my name is Stephen. I’m one of the intake specialists for Mate Match,” the guy said, sounding nervous.
“How did you get my number?” I asked. My connection to Mate Match wasn’t common knowledge.
“I broke into Jillian’s office and found it. Look, I’m sorry for contacting you but she’s gone too far this time,” Stephan stated in a heated rush of anger.
“Jillian?” I asked.
“Yes! You know, I never agreed with kidnapping women, but it’s part of her method and seems to work. But this time, a young child is involved. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to jail for anyone.”
My frown deepened the more he spoke. Separating myself from the sharp ears of the others, I moved toward the end of the parking lot where my vehicle sat. “Start from the beginning, please.”
Stephen took a deep breath. “There’s this client, Cara Rodriguez. She matched with several clan leaders, but she doesn’t live in a town like the others. Jillian sent her “retrieval specialists” out to nab her, but they kept getting run off. Today, Ms. Rodriguez walked into the office just before closing to get a status report. None of Jillian’s henchmen were around so Jillian made me snatch her. Look, I felt bad enough for tasing her, but how was I supposed to know her son was in the car sleeping?”
“You’re saying you tased this woman, leaving her child unprotected and alone?” I asked, my tone hard.
“Like I said, I didn’t know the kid was in the car. She has a big-ass guard dog. He went into attack mode the minute I got close to the vehicle and wouldn’t let up. Then she came out and saw me standing there. I never got a chance to look inside of her vehicle until after she was unconscious and in the van. I told Jillian what happened, but she told me to handle it. Bitch,” he muttered.
“Where are you now?” I asked.
“I’m still at Mate Match. I have the woman’s keys but to get near the kid, I’m going to have to tranquilize the dog,” he said.
Now I understood the purpose of this call. Stephen wasn’t just reporting Jillian. He wanted someone in authority to tell him what to do. I didn’t blame the guy. It was a hell of a situation. “Where’s Jillian?”
“She took the van with Ms. Rodriguez and transported her to the warehouse.”
In the background, I heard the clack of footsteps on the tile floor. The guy was pacing back and forth, clearly unnerved and agitated. “Don’t taser the animal. Do you have a tranquilizer gun for the dog?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“This is what I want you to do. Tranquilize the dog and then transport both the dog and the child in the woman’s vehicle to the warehouse. I’ll meet you there,” I said.
“By myself? That dog is huge,” Stephen said. “As soon as I open the door, he’ll go straight for my throat.”
“Then I guess you’d better move fast,” I told him and disconnected the call.
That damn Jillian. The woman was a stereotypical scientist, logical down to the bone. If she has a conscience, I haven’t seen evidence of it. Her work was her god and proving her scientific theories was her reason for being. When it came to anything else, she had tunnel vision. I may have created the business, but it was her behavioral science program and scientific research that made it successful. Because of that, we’d given her plenty of leeway.
Jillian prided herself on her scientific approach to matchmaking. The men were only allowed to view the videos of potential mates after their noses had determined compatibility. She said it prevented them from making decisions based on physical attractiveness. In addition, she and the other Mate Match psychologists insisted that the men’s faces not be seen during the mate run. They didn’t want women making choices–either for or against the men–based on their facial features. I didn’t like their methods but a ninety percent success rate meant I couldn’t argue the results.
I called home.
“What?” a voice snapped.
“We have a situation,” I said.
“What the hell did that woman do now?” he asked.
I explained the state of affairs as they stood now.
“Her name is Cara Rodriguez?” he said.
“Yes.”
“Hold on. Let me access her file.”
I could hear keys clicking as he typed on the computer.
“That damn Jillian is a menace. She gives scientists a bad name. Bring the girl and her boy here,” he said.
I frowned. He was more of a recluse than me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he said, his tone brimming with impatience. “Short of kidnapping her, do whatever you have to do to get her here. Her case is interesting. In the meantime, I need to do further research.”
“Research on what?” I asked, but he’d already disconnected the call. I shook my head. And to think, he’d complained about Jillian. No sense arguing with him. The old man would just leave home and come do it himself. Stubborn didn’t begin to describe him.
Sighing, I slid my phone into my back pocket and glanced at my watch. The warehouse was a twenty-minute drive from the hunting grounds but over an hour’s commute from New Town. If I left now, I’d have time to go into the security room and see just what Jillian had been up to in the name of her precious research.
They had enough staff to cover tonight if things got out of hand. I hopped into my vehicle, started the engine, and left the parking lot. At the entrance to the main road sat a faded sign. The name of the abandoned state park was no longer legible. The state government, what was left of it, didn’t care about anything outside of their precious cities. As a result, the infected had happily moved in to claim these valuable land resources.
Twenty minutes later, I parked at the rear of the warehouse and entered through a back door near the loading dock. The security room was in the nest, a room on the second floor that looked out over the warehouse. At the top of the stairs, I punched in the code and let myself in.
The surveillance room had one wall of monitors. Underneath the monitors was a desk with three computer stations. Three college-aged men sat at the desk, each one tasked with watching a different area. On several of the monitors, I could see different angles of the room containing the women. On a raised platform behind the others, a fourth man sat at a separate computer station. All four looked up when I entered.
“Who are you? What are you doing here? How did you get inside?” the older man asked as he rose to face me. The three younger men remained at their stations but watched curiously.
I raised an eyebrow at the man. He was older than me by at least a decade, a foot shorter, and outweighed me by about thirty pounds. Most of his weight was centered around his belly. “I used the security code. As to who I am, that’s privileged information.”
I started towards his computer station. He would have the security clearance to access the files I needed without using mine.
“Now see here,” the guy blustered, trying to block my way. “You can’t just come in here—”
“I can and I did. Move.” Irritation rising, I felt my nostrils flare. I bared my teeth and knew my eyes had flashed.
The man stumbled back. “You’re one of the infected.”
“And the man who authorizes your paychecks. Get the hell out of my way...” I glanced at his nametag. “Davis.”
