Invidious Betrayal (46 page)

“Did you know any of them well?” she asked, as she fell in step behind him.

“A few of them,” Brandon said, without breaking his pace, “but not as well as I know Ian. Those men were good soldiers, but they became the enemy when they followed orders to kill an innocent and my friend.” A body on the floor beside Brandon moved. He didn’t hesitate to shoot a round in the man’s head as he continued on.

“Oh…okay.” That was all she could managed as she stepped over the bodies. Trying to relax, Aria loosened her grip on the gun as she followed close behind Brandon. He kept glancing back at her, his gaze moving past her to make sure no one was sneaking up on them, and by the fifth time, she’d relaxed enough to not follow his gaze and look over her shoulder, too. Or maybe it was that she trusted him to keep her safe.

They walked by several closed rooms before Brandon found a door he apparently liked. There was nothing on the outside of the door that told her what the room was used for. In fact, it looked just like all the other doors they’d passed, large and white with no name plate. The only difference was that there was no knob, just a flat, stainless steel plate with a keyhole.

Before she could ask him about the room, Brandon held up his hand for her to move back, then he took a few steps away and fired at the frame and wall parallel to the lock. It took several shots to shred it, and only one strong kick to open the door.

“Come on,” he told her after he made sure the room was clear.

When she stepped inside the room, she knew exactly why Brandon had chosen this room. Over a dozen screens covered the wall above a huge workstation that could have accommodated more, but only held two swivel chairs. “It’s a security room,” she mumbled.

“Yeah, so I can see the safest route to take you.” Brandon stood in front of the screens, pointing two fingers at the ones in the right lower corner. “Keep your eyes on these two,” he said, as he focused on the others.

She quickly moved around him to watch the monitors he’d indicated. It quickly became clear why he wanted her to focus on them. The monitors showed the hallway they were currently in and it gave a clear view of the hall in both directions. Her eyes were drawn to the bodies they’d left with no regard. She watched them for a moment, thinking that one of the men would wake from this nightmare and just leave. She silently willed it to happen, but the corpses didn’t move.

Brandon studied her face briefly then said “The dead don’t move. Watch the hall and tell me if any bad guys appear.”

His voice broke through the spell she’d found herself under. He was right. They couldn’t afford to feel sorry for ‘the bad guys’. She sighed.

“Remember, Aria, those men were a threat to you. They want Ian dead and God knows what will happen to you once Jasper gets his hands on you.”

“I know,” she said, as she glanced over at him.

Brandon didn’t look at her while he spoke. She figured he was too focused on the monitors. Monitors he seemed to be blocking her view of on purpose. “They made their choice,” he added.

He was right again. As she lowered her head to give her full attention to the measly two monitors he asked her to watch, her attention went to one of the monitors directly above them. “Where is that?” she asked, looking back to Brandon.

Brandon seemed reluctant to look away from whatever had him transfixed, but he glanced up where she pointed before turning back to what he’d been looking at. She then noticed his body had become rigid, his hands were fisted, and from what she could see, the look on his face was lethal. “That’s Dr. Howl’s office.” He sounded colder, angry. “Let’s go.”

“You found a clear way for us to get out?” she asked, standing.

“I found a way for you to get out,” he said, slightly shifting. “I’ll get you out safely, but I’m staying.”

The image on the monitor of the man lying in his own blood—the man Ian called his uncle—faded as her attention went to one of the monitors Brandon had been blocking from her view. “Oh my God,” she said then covered her mouth. A scream force its way to the through her but Aria held it off. She had no idea she had even moved until Brandon’s arms wrapped low around her waist and pulled her back into the room. “Let me go. He needs me. Who—what is that?” she yelled.

“He needs you to stay alive. You running into that will only get him killed. Once I make sure you’re safe, I’ll go there to help him.” Brandon’s words made sense, but Aria continued to struggle. “For fuck’s sake,” Brandon protested.

She felt pressure on the side of her neck. Her eyes fluttered as a curtain seemed to come down.

I
AN COULDN’T HAVE HEARD JASPER
right, but the confident smirk of the bastard’s lips told him that he had.
So that’s why Jasper and Vincent wanted to keep Aria safe, even from me
. “I knew you were off but you’re insane if you think I would let you or Vincent ever touch what’s mine.”

“Just me,” Jasper smiled. His face stretched, making the way his lips turn up look painful due to the tightness of his skin. “Your uncle, or should I say
your father
, was soft when it came to you and that prick brother of his. No, Vincent won’t be touching anything, ever again. I made certain of that.”

A trace of disbelief took root inside Ian.
Could Vincent be dead
? Unsure of how he felt about Vincent’s possible death, Ian buried the emotions that threatened to distract him and decided to end this confrontation now.

With a shrug that gave nothing away, Ian continued to close the distance between him and Jasper. “You should know that you’re going to die today. I want the truth of my words to soak in during these last few minutes of your life.”

Jasper roared with laughter.

That was good
, Ian thought.
Jasper underestimates me, like always
.

“That’s it, kid”—Jasper met Ian—“never let 'em see you sweat.” Jasper kicked out, but Ian jumped back, moved to the side, and swung an elbow at Jasper’s face. His elbow hit only air and Ian had to duck before Jasper’s meaty fist could land directly on his jaw. Jasper, being fast and knowledgeable in combat, immediately brought his knee up as Ian bent to avoid his fist and connected with Ian’s chin. The impact sent Ian flying back.

There was no time for him to recover from the bone-shattering blow because Jasper was on him, swinging those huge abnormally swollen arms. Next thing Ian knew, hands were gripping one of his arm and Jasper was pulling. Ian punched Jasper over and over as he tried to pry his arm free, but Jasper acted as if he felt none of the blows. Ian lifted his hand to send an energy pulse at Jasper but Jasper held on, causing Ian more pain. A popping sound ricocheted off the walls and Ian reluctantly let out a bloodcurdling cry.

Ian pounded on the big man’s face with his good arm until Jasper let go of the damaged one then Jasper threw him across the room. Jasper used his speed to meet then straddle Ian, serving up blow after blow. His strength had increased and he was faster too, but Ian was motivated. There was nothing more important to him than keeping Aria safe, and as long as Jasper walked the earth she wouldn’t be. Just knowing that ignited a rage that was fierce.

He blocked most of the blows Jasper rained down on him with his good arm, feeling the sting of a couple on his jaw. It took one good push to get Jasper off him. Ian followed the push with a pulse of energy that drove Jasper into the wall. The floor shook under the weight of Jasper’s frame as he crashed down. To Ian’s surprise, Jasper shook his head, then pinned his beady eyes on him again. Apparently the injections had Jasper not only disfigured, but amped up. And Jasper’s body was still changing, it seemed.

Pulsating growths were emerging from parts of Jasper’s body and if Ian was seeing things clearly, which he may not have been following the blows to his head, some of the growths had small patches of hair sprouting from them.

“Your body can’t handle the dosage you took. Look at you Jasper. Any woman would be repulsed by what you’ve become,” Ian said, as he gripped his shoulder and forced his arm back into the socket.

“If my appearance is not to her liking”—Jasper smiled as he got to his feet—“perhaps I’ll remove her eyes. She doesn’t need them for what I have planned.”

Ian was determined to make Jasper regret those words when the sound of another heartbeat entered the fray. He tried to appear calm as he searched the room, hoping that it wasn’t Aria. Relief that it wasn’t Aria was short-lived because Ian now had to worry about getting Brandon to safety.

Before Ian could act, several gunshots rang out. Every bullet hit its target but Jasper moved his body in such a way that made it impossible to target accurately. A few bullets entered his chest, a couple in his arms, but Jasper barely flinched. Instead, he turned and ran toward Brandon with such speed and confidence that Ian knew none of the bullets had hit a vital organ.

Ian maneuvered to protect his friend, reaching Brandon just as Jasper went for his neck. Swinging Brandon out of the madman’s grasp, Ian unintentionally put himself in the way. He must have swung Brandon with too much force because he heard his friend gasp as he hit the wall a little too hard. The sound of his friend’s distress broke Ian’s concentration.

Jasper took advantage of Ian’s obvious concern and reached for him. Ian shifted slightly but Jasper’s huge beefy hands still closed around his neck, cutting off his breathing. No matter how Ian kneed, kicked or elbowed, Jasper maintained his hold. Ian fought for breath, fought to keep his eyes open, and when he managed to meet Jasper’s wicked gaze, he could see him grinning as if he’d already won.

“I can’t wait to feel those luscious curves of hers under me. I know she’s a fighter. I’m going to enjoy breaking her.”

Ian had enough. He’d never felt as much anger, so much hate for anyone in his life. He closed his eyes to allow himself to relax and reached for what really made him different, what he’d felt growing inside of him, what he’d been afraid of these past few months. He pulled at the power inside him and basked in it, commanded it. His body heeded the call, the merging of body and soul. He felt himself growing stronger. Ian could feel the drum of his heartbeat, the fire in his mind, they were in perfect synch.

As Jasper’s hands tightened, Ian neck muscles were already fighting against that grip. Air traveled into Ian’s lungs as if his life wasn’t being choked out of him. His chest expanded and he exhaled with a calmness that only a confident man possessed.

Jasper’s eyes widened, hinting at the fear behind them.

A grin slowly spread across Ian’s face as he dug his fingers into Jasper’s wrist, using all of his previously-dormant strength to pry the swollen hands apart and remove them from his neck. Ian could feel his opponent struggling against him. Ian could feel the strain and tension in Jasper as he pried the hands one inch, two inches, three inches away from his neck.

Ian slammed his head into Jasper’s, driving the big man back on wobbly legs. Giving his opponent no time to recover, Ian attacked with no remorse, no restraint, using all of what Jasper had taught him while incorporating other fighting styles he’d learn over the years. He wanted Jasper to know that he was better…no energy pulses, no telekinesis, just strength and skill. His attacks were smooth and graceful; his defense perfectly timed. Ian was the perfect weapon, and he savored the truth of it when his old teacher fell on his ass.

Standing over Jasper’s broken, hideously transformed body, Ian felt a twinge of sorrow for the man that had saved him from the sad existence of his eccentric, boring childhood. A man who had taught him that anger, the only emotion his father and uncle seemed to embrace, could be quieted and used to power your strength.

Only this was also the man who had killed without compassion.

Although Ian hadn’t felt much before Aria extracted his emotions from the abyss where he’d been encouraged to bury them, he knew right from wrong. He knew that others felt pain and loss even though he had a hard time relating. Ian thought about everything he had learned about the side effects of taking Syn-serums and the impact it had on Jasper as well as his uncle. However, he also realized that Jasper had become too removed from what made him human. That, coupled with the unknown effects of the new serum on him, and his threats towards Aria meant that Jasper had to die.