"You never were the most observant person in the world, my love."
My love? There was only one person he called that — Suzy. Then memory hit. Suzy was a shifter, and since she was currently alternating between her own voice and Lyssa's, she was obviously capable of multiple images. Obviously, she was the woman who'd been impersonating Lyssa.
Yet, it was odd that Jack would allow his wife to live with, and undoubtedly make love to, another man. He wasn't the type to share.
"I was observant enough to see Karl leave the mansion. It got you Sam's com-unit."
"But not observant enough to realize Martyn was watching you. It's thanks to Mary you didn't get caught. Half our current problems would be over if you'd simply poisoned Stephan when you were supposed to."
"It's not my fault it wasn't working fast enough."
"I told you to increase the dosage."
"And I told you it was too damn dangerous." She paused, and Sam could well imagine her tossing her long hair haughtily. "He's dead now, so it doesn't matter."
Stephan was dead? When did that happen? She remembered the anguish in Gabriel's eyes when he'd learned that Hanrahan might have been caught in the SIU bombing. How would he cope losing his brother and his friend? Not well, she suspected.
"No thanks to you," Jack all but snarled.
"Damn it, look at the monitors — she's weakening. If you want her help to overthrow Sethanon, you're going to have to stop these tests right now."
Jack cursed softly. "You're right. I need to find Mary, anyway. She's supposed to be here with the final times for the PM's schedule. The boss will be peeved if I don't confirm in the next hour or two."
The edge in his voice suggested Sethanon was someone you didn't want angry at you. So why was Jack attempting a take over? Surely that would piss off Sethanon a hell of a lot more than being late with a schedule.
"So the hit's still going ahead?"
"What Sethanon wishes, Sethanon gets. At least until I'm completely ready to take over."
Suzy sniffed. "The longer you wait, the more chance there is of discovery, especially with Stern nosing about."
"Some things can't be rushed, my love. Why don't you find me someone to eat, while I go make some phone calls?"
"And her? You can't leave her here."
"I'll get Roston to take her to a cell. Let her sleep it off for a while."
Their voices faded, leaving her spinning in the wash of darkness and pain. Her whole body tingled, as if every nerve ending, every cell, had been forced to life, waking and stretching to discover new boundaries. The beat of her heart was an unsteady drum that pounded in her chest, echoing past her ears, and vibrating the cold metal table beneath her. But it was a rhythm that was weakening.
Time was something she lost all sense of. It might have been hours, or it might have only been minutes, before she became aware that she was no longer alone in the room. Became aware that another heart beat in unsteady time with her own.
"Samantha."
The voice was soft and deep and pulled at the darkness of her past. She had a sudden image of a boy, green eyed with red-gold hair. Saw him laughing as he shouted for her to catch him if she could.
But this was no boy. This was a man.
"Samantha, you must listen to me."
She frowned. The man's voice sounded vaguely familiar. She had another vision, this time of the hirsute stranger who'd come buzzing at her door just before the first bombing. But why would he be here? Or was her mind merely playing games to pass the time?
"No games, Samantha. Listen to me."
He was reading her thoughts, and so had the red-haired boy of her childhood. She'd felt no fear back then, nor did she fear him now.
"You cannot die, Samantha. It would kill us both."
Better death than swimming in this sea of pain. And how would her death kill that shaggy stranger? Or the red-haired boy?