going after Peter. Once I get my hands on him, it’ll be lights out.”
He studied her, and she knew he was trying to get on her frequency and read her. She shifted her gaze from his. “What did you and Cassie discuss? What are we going to do with him?”
Cassie had said it was up to Symone. But Symone didn’t know if she had it in her to be a cold blooded murderer. Wasn’t killing Peter Reeser for the greater good? Or would she bring him back here to be put in jail? Dr. Trenery had been working on a way to strip his powers.
Jansen strapped on his guns. “I say fry the son of a bitch. But what do I know? I’m just the demo and destruction guy who likes to see things go boom.”
In an automatic move, they all held up their wrists and synced their watches. “Total time, four minutes and thirty seconds. Remember, get your asses back to the point on time.” Symone watched Jansen’s face go into shadow.
As soon as they were on the other side of Alex’s portal, it didn’t take long for things to get interesting. Peter had been waiting for them. As soon as they landed, gunshots peppered the night sky.
Alex closed the portal behind him, and they all ducked for cover. Jansen signaled with two fingers that he was headed out to lay the charges. Alex took cover and immediately returned fire, providing cover to Symone and Garrett.
When they made it into the main cabin, Peter was waiting on the couch with a Scotch. Garrett walked behind Symone, guns at the ready.
Symone’s voice was calm when she spoke. “Time to come with us, Peter. I’m tired of playing your games.”
“Symone. I’m so glad to see you here. And this time, I do hope you stay.”
Symone shuddered at his inflection. This was truly the face of evil. Moving quickly, she had her hands on Peter and watched as his body convulsed and twitched. He fought her, and her anger poured more rage into him. But somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she heard Garrett.
“Do what you need to do, Symone. I stand behind you.” He stepped to the side. “I’m going to help Jansen set the rest of these charges. You need me, you holler.”
“Understood.”
Shit. Rage warred with the part of her that wanted to be loved, that ached for it, that wanted to be worthy of it. If she did this, killed him in cold blood, what kind of person would she be? She would truly be forsaken. Garrett might still love her, but she wouldn’t be able to sleep ever again, let alone live with herself.
She wasn’t the monster that Peter Reeser was.
She let Peter go, and he sank to his knees. His lips trembled as he spoke. “When will you understand that until you’re willing to do what’s necessary, you will always lose?” His body shook, and he tried to blip out of the room. The electricity in his body kept him from being able to teleport.
“You are a monster. And I would rather have you live, than become like you. I’m taking you to Cassie. Apparently she’s got just the right kind of jail cell waiting for you.”
He shook and trembled as he worked one foot under him and pushed to his knee. Symone held out the handcuff and reached for his hand.
With a speed bellied by his trembling, he pricked her with something. “You really should have killed me when you had the chance.”
Symone felt the burning pain right away. Nisulin. Agony tore through her veins like liquid napalm. Even as she sank to her knees from the pain, she reached for her comm. “Garrett. In the study. N-nisulin.” Even though her veins filled with fire, her muscles acted as if they’d been locked in a freezer for months. Lethargic . Slow.
As she collapsed, Peter Reeser stood over her. “You really were one of my greatest creations. If only you hadn’t turned out to be defective.” He stooped over her as she stared up at him. He leveled a gun on her, and she closed her eyes. If this was the end, she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears.
But before he could pull the trigger, Garrett crashed through the door. His roar filled the room and gunshots rang. Alex ran to her side and pressed two fingers to her neck. “Stay with me, Symone.”
He pressed the comm in his ear. “Jansen,