Page 97 of Crimson Moon Falling

“We’ll take two vehicles,” Conall decided. “Parker, you’re with me in the Range Rover. Ash, take Jamie in the Escalade.”

“What’s the play when we find her?” Jamie asked.

“We get her out, whatever it takes,” Conall vowed. “If you can do damage without risking her or yourself on your way out, have at it. I want to send a loud, clear message.”

They loaded the SUVs in under ten minutes and hit the interstate, the red cliffs falling away behind them. The miles peeled away, and the landscape flattened into scrub oak and Joshua trees. The sun began its descent, casting long shadows across the highway.

Parker watched the screen. “They’re near the Nellis Air Force Base in Vegas.”

Conall glanced at Parker, his aviators hiding his eyes.

“Fucking hell,” Parker muttered. “It’s the Vegas Apex Mentis compound. That means General Wilson is involved.”

Conall’s jaw tightened. Nellis was home to the Thunderbirds, advanced testing, and more black-budget projects than the current Administration probably even knew about.

The blue dot left the interstate, took an exit, and began moving east along a service road. Then it stopped.

“There.” The street view on the map showed a complex of low, white buildings surrounded by chain-link and razor wire. A helipad sat off to one side, and guard towers dotted the perimeter. The complex butted up against the Nellis property, and there was no signage or identification.

Just under three hours later, Conall pulled onto the shoulder a few hundred feet out, Ash pulling up behind him. The four of them stood in the gathering dusk, the complex visible. Lights were already coming on along the perimeter.

“Now what?” Jamie asked.

Conall stared at the compound. “Now we get her back.”

Chapter 30

Riley

My mittened hands were useless, and the camera’s red eye blinked at me from the corner. I guessed it was sometime in the early evening. My ribs ached where the ogre punched me, a dull throb that the implant filed under manageable. The catheter pressed cold against my inner thigh, a humiliation I pushed aside.

Their drugs were good, but my new hardware was better. My implant sent another chilly blast through my system, burning through the sedative’s fog. It was so strange that my implant was now an ally. The thing seemed to purr when it discerned my thoughts, as if we’d reached an understanding. It kept me alive, and I was slowly losing the desire to rip it out of my neck.

The door hissed open, and Wilson and Langston walked back in. “You’re metabolizing the sedative faster than expected,” Wilson observed, pulling the rolling stool closer to my bed. “How?”

“It must be my superior Cog abilities.”

Wilson raised an eyebrow. “If you were my subordinate, I’d have you whipped and dumped in solitary for a few days.”

I stared up at the ceiling. “Apex has already tortured, branded, and cut me open, then modified my brain with an implant and a chip. What you describe would be like a walk in the park.”

The General studied me. “It’s too damn bad you were born a Cog. You aren’t hysterical, have a straightforward manner, and your college transcripts are impressive. Has Commander Marlowe tried to contact you recently?”

I stared at Wilson. Did he not know where Marlowe was? “Why are you asking me? Isn’t he under your chain of command?”

“He’s gone dark, which is always concerning with him. He also has most of our operatives under his control. We want our assets back.”

His casual mention of those modified shifters and Cogs who’d been tortured and then brainwashed into complete submission made my stomach turn.

“At your last press conference, you denied any knowledge of the Chimera program.”

Wilson smiled indulgently. “No one would believe your word over mine, and as I said, you’re not stupid. What were you doing at Mary Mountain a couple of days ago?”

“I already told you,” I sighed.

“I’ll ask again. What makes you so special? Conall Segerson mated you, and Adrian Marlowe is captivated by you. Your ability to manifest electricity is truly impressive, but there must be something we’re missing.”

I stared at him, letting the implant control my anxiety. “I’m as surprised as you are.”