Operation Hydra (3 page)

Hydran’s gaze clouded, turned speculative. “If you know about the program’s financial problems, you doubtlessly know the source of my funding.”

“I told you I don’t care.”

“Perhaps, but you need to understand.”

He sounded annoyed, so Trey feigned interest. “I already understand. The university has given you an ultimatum.
The good old us or them.”

“Exactly.”
The side of Hydran’s face was still slightly discolored and some sort of ointment made his skin shiny. “If I don’t disassociate myself with the military, the university won’t renew my grant. But the military has put stipulations on their funding, as well. Stipulations I doubt you know anything about.”

“How do their stipulations affect
me?
” Trey drawled.

“They don’t affect you. But you’re in a position to help me meet their stipulations.”

Trey’s interest was no longer feigned.
“Meaning?”

“They’re willing to increase their contributions, maybe even make your support unnecessary, if I provide them with objective field studies. They’re not willing to acknowledge any
official
connection with my program until the abilities of the occupants are proven in real life situations.”

“You want me to provide you with these objective field studies?”

Hydran nodded and pushed away from his desk. “This is the reason Krysta must be controlled.”

Fiddling with the material of his jacket, which now lay across his lap, Trey wasn’t sure he wanted to know what Hydran was talking about. “Krysta is the healer I just saw?”

“Yes. She and her sister Belle are the only two completely stable products of Level Three.
If Krysta can be considered stable.”

“Level Three?”

Hydran waved away the question. “That doesn’t concern you. What does is her obvious attraction to you.”

“Look, I’m not looking for a romance, I need a healer —”

“And Krysta’s the best I’ve got.”

Trey shifted restlessly on the uncomfortable chair, his dislike for Dr. Hydran growing by leaps and bounds. He could easily guess where this conversation was leading and he didn’t like it one bit. “What about Belle? You said they are both… how did you put it, ‘stable products of Level Three’?”

Shaking his head, Hydran resumed his pacing. “If I sent you off with Belle, Krysta would organize a riot. Our only hope is if you can control Krysta, using Belle as negative reinforcement.”

“Negative reinforcement?”
Trey laughed at the benign sounding phrase. “Cooperate or I’ll torture your sister?
Sounds a bit more than negative to me.”

“It shouldn’t have to come to that.” Hydran sat in the chair facing Trey, crossing his legs, his foot shaking nervously. “You have a weapon at your disposal that should —”

Trey laughed. He just couldn’t help himself. “I’ve heard it called many things before…”

Hydran glared. “We track all of their activities. She’s grown quite fond of the Companion lately.”

“Who or what is the Companion?”

“A reality simulator.
It…
well
, why don’t you ask her about it? Suffice it to say that Krysta has developed a definite interest in all things sexual.
Surprised the heck out of me.
She resisted Libidium with hardly a restless night.”

Libidium?
Some sort of libido stimulant? Trey didn’t ask. He was struggling to control his temper. No reason to add fuel to the fire.

“So what are you suggesting?” Trey asked instead. “I don’t see how seducing
her
will accomplish anything, other than satisfying the lady’s curiosity, and maybe entertaining me.”

“I saw the way she looked at you. If you wanted to, you could have her eating out of your hand.”

Trey laughed again. “Now, why would I want that?”

Hydran moved behind his desk and sat. Folding his hands on the desktop, he stared at Trey for a long, silent moment. “Spend the night here. I have a room that should serve nicely. I’ll have her brought to you, and we’ll see what happens. Her contraceptive and STD injections are up to date, so you have no worries. Somehow I don’t think it will take much effort for you to make her want to please you. And if she wants to please you, the rest should be simple.”

“Not a chance.” Trey pushed to his feet. “I don’t perform for an audience.”

Hydran’s lips pressed together and his thumbs tapped against the desktop.
“Fine.
I give you my word, there will be no surveillance.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Trey just shook his head.

“Think of it as a trial run,” Hydran suggested. “You need to know if she is going to cooperate before you take her off-world.”

“Give me twenty-four hours with her, away from the Center. She won’t do me any good if you have no intention of letting her beyond the dome. Think of it as a trial run.”

They simply glared at each other for a long time, a silent stand off — stalemate.

Then, Dr. Hydran nodded. “I’ll go get them.”

He was out the office door before Trey registered the last word.
Them?
Hadn’t he meant her?

* * * * *

“Doctor Hydran wants to see you.”

“Unbelievable.” Krysta let her fork clatter noisily to the tabletop. Twice in one day? What had she done to deserve this?

“You too, Belle,” the orderly said.

“Why?” Krysta demanded.

The orderly shook her head impatiently. “I fetch and carry. Don’t confuse me with someone who knows anything.”

They followed the orderly from the cafeteria/commons in the center of ward B. Belle lagged a step behind.

“It’ll be all right,” Krysta said automatically.

“No, it won’t. This is bad. This is very bad.”

Belle felt everything more intensely, sensed things even Krysta didn’t. Many thought she was weak and helpless, but Krysta understood the true cause of her fear. Belle
knew
more.

“So, how’s the family?” Krysta asked as the orderly scanned open the door.

She stopped once the door slid shut behind them, arms akimbo. “Why do you keep asking me that?”

Krysta laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. “Because, in the eight years you’ve worked here, you’ve never answered the question.”

“My family is fine,” she answered tersely.

Belle laughed and Krysta smiled. “So, what’s your name?”

The orderly made an exasperated sound and stopped again. “I’m not supposed to talk to you.”

“I know, but you’ll get tired of this question, in a year or two.”

Belle continued to laugh and Krysta knew she would welcome whatever punishment this breech in protocol brought.

“Brett, now leave me alone.”

“Okay, Brett-now-leave-me-alone. I won’t bother you again, until tomorrow.”

Brett just shook her head and stomped on down the corridor.

Where were they going? Krysta was not familiar with this section of the building. They passed beyond a full-body scanner.
High security.

“You two in front.”
Brett pulled a slender silver wand from the holster at her side. Why did she need her equalizer?

Krysta glanced at Belle, but her sister’s swirling turquoise gaze, the only variation in their physical appearance, was fixed on something beyond Brett. She couldn’t see what had caused Belle’s incredulity until she rounded the corner.

She should have known. Trey Darrin stood beside Dr. Hydran in the lobby of the Center. Krysta had only seen the room on vidscreens and through shared memories. The entire front wall was constructed of tall, curved windows, showcasing the majestic mountain setting.

Trancelike, Krysta moved toward the windows absorbing the sunshine on her upturned face. They were allowed one hour in the courtyard each day, but the dome was not this clear. She wanted to crash through the windows and run for… where would she go? She knew no one.
Had nowhere to run.

“Krysta.”
Dr. Hydran drew her attention away from the vista. “I’ve agreed to allow Mr. Darrin to take you outside the Center.”

“Why?” She looked at the tall, bronze-skinned man, suddenly more threatened by him than Dr. Hydran.

“He has a proposal he wishes to discuss with you.”

Krysta focused on Trey. “What proposal? What is this about?”

“If you wish to spend your time here in the lobby, that’s up to you,” Hydran said. “You have twenty-four hours.”

“Belle can —”

“No,” Hydran interrupted her. “Orderly.”

Brett grabbed Belle, wrapping one arm around her throat, and pressing the equalizer to her side. Krysta started forward.

“Orderly, if Krysta takes another step
discharge
your weapon,” Hydran said calmly.

Krysta didn’t move.

Hydran took a mister and sprayed something up Belle’s nose. She squirmed and tossed her head, but Brett held her firmly. Then, Hydran plugged her nose, forcing her to open her mouth. He misted her throat as well.

“What the hell is that?” Krysta demanded.

“A variation of the virus I used on your patient this morning. This has an incubation period between twenty-two and twenty-four hours. You better not be tardy. At this strength, it takes less than an hour to kill.”

Trey saw violence erupt in Krysta’s eyes.

“Escort Belle back to ward B,” Hydran told the orderly and turned to see that his instruction was obeyed.

You never turned your back on an enemy. Did this man know nothing?

As soon as the door protected Belle, Krysta leapt. Trey caught her in midair, his arm easily spanning her waist. She kicked and flailed, throwing her weight forward in a silent flurry of activity. Now,
she
understood strategy. Hydran hadn’t even noticed her attack.

The doctor turned and laughed.

“Why, thank you, Mr. Darrin.” He watched her struggle for a moment, apparently fascinated by the ferocity of her fury. “We may need to discuss a lasting arrangement when you return.”

Biting back a hundred scathing replies, Trey turned his attention to the woman thrashing in his arms.

“Put me down, you cretin!”

“Why?” He wrapped his arm around hers, keeping her from hitting him. Her legs still scissored wildly, but it was the best he could do without taking her down.

Hydran watched them closely. Knowing he couldn’t squander this opportunity, Trey spun her to face him. He trapped her arms against her sides and molded her to his torso. She squirmed and arched, but her toes barely touched the floor.

“Are you enjoying this? Is that why you’re still struggling?” Her breasts heaved against his chest. A salacious smile curved his lips. “Keep it up, doll. I don’t mind. Whatever you need is fine by me.”

She gasped. “You’re disgusting.” Finally, she stopped wiggling.

Without releasing Krysta, Trey looked at the doctor over her head. Hydran nodded in silent approval. Trey returned the nod, but imagined lifting Krysta aside and laying into Hydran himself. Maintaining a blank expression had never been so difficult.

Krysta slowly moved his hands away from her and headed for the door leading back to the wards. She gave Hydran a wide berth and refused to look at either of them. The scanner beeped irregularly, rejecting her retinal pattern. “Please open the door,” she said in a quiet mechanical voice.

“You’re going with Mr. Darrin.”

She turned on him. “I’m not playing your game. I’m going to wherever the hell Brett took Belle, and I’m going to heal her. I’m going to —”

Hydran cut her off with a sudden, vicious backhand. Trey had been so distracted by her flashing purple eyes he hadn’t seen it coming. Her face jerked to the side and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

She didn’t wipe it away, didn’t move,
just
glared her hatred at Hydran. “Open the door.”

Oh, sweetheart, you’re going to have to learn to bend just a little.
Trey quickly stepped between them, facing Krysta.

“Listen, doll, I paid for twenty-four hours.”

Damn, that hadn’t sounded right at all!

Trey cleared his throat and tried again. “You and Dr. Hydran here are never going to accomplish anything if you’re wasting all your time making each other miserable. What I have in mind will —”

“I’m no more interested in what you have in mind than what Hydran prefers. My sister is ill!”

Trey smiled. “Not for another twenty-three hours. But you’re wasting
my
time.”

She glared at him.

“Arguing with her is futile. She is irrational and contrary,” Hydran put in.

“I’m beginning to see that.” He needed to get her out of here and she wasn’t going to like it. Oh, well, how much worse could this get? He bent, shoved his shoulder into her belly and picked her up. Her breath escaped in a soft grunt and she kicked. Gods, she was a handful. Quickly tucking his jacket over his forearm, he trapped her legs against his chest, and swatted her bottom, hard. “Behave!”

She hit his back, hard, with what felt like her closed fist. He laughed. He started to smack her again, but Hydran was standing beneath the scanner, holding the exit door for him, so he rested his open palm against her bottom and squeezed. She gasped. He squeezed again.

“Have fun.” Laughter thickened Hydran’s tone.

“Count on it.”

Trey didn’t move his hand off her behind until they reached the shuttle lot, partly to infuriate her, but mostly because he enjoyed the firm resilience of her rounded flesh.

“Commander Aune.” Dro Tar’s anxious voice sounded through the audiocom hooked around his ear.

“Go ahead.”

“Our scans indicate a monitoring signal transmitting from your immediate vicinity. Is it possible Dr. Hydran planted a transmitter on you?”

“I don’t see how. He never touched me.”

“It could be microscopic. Did you eat or drink anything?”

“Please.” Trey objected.

“Sorry. Who’s with you, sir?”

“One of the female occupants.”

“Oh, I see.” She laughed. “Did I —”

“This is business,” he snapped. He could just picture her amusement. She knew the situation as well as he did. “Let me put her down and see if the scanner —”