your precious organization’s funds, as well. I also made sure that the theft would all trace right back to you. As soon as we retrieve Kat’s research, my friends here will see me safely transported out of the Coalition’s reach. From there, I’ll be auctioning off the data to the highest bidder.”
He got right in Cyrus’s face. “Tell me, boss, considering how deep vampire pockets are these days, who do you think that will be? And once they’ve figured out what you and the other purists had in mind for them, I’m thinking they’re not going to be very happy.”
Cyrus’s knees threatened to give out. If the vampires and chancellors found out the truth, there wouldn’t be a person connected with the movement who’d be safe from their predations. The muscles in his neck twitched and tightened painfully at the thought of a vampire’s fangs ripping into his throat.
Fury at the betrayal sent him charging forward. Thanks to the suddenness of his attack, Cyrus succeeded in getting the traitor in a chokehold. The satisfaction lasted all of five seconds before two of the mercs were yanking Cyrus back. Then they held him until Richie caught his breath.
When he could finally speak, Ritchie’s voice was little better than a wheeze as he grabbed Cyrus by the front of his shirt. “For that, I’m going to feed you to the first vamp I can find.”
Before Cyrus could respond, one of the other mercs slipped into their makeshift camp inside the burned-out walls of the house and headed straight for Richie.
“Sir, the guards we left posted at both entrances have called in. Coalition forces are moving in.”
Richie shoved Cyrus, sending him stumbling back. “Damn it, spread out and find Kat and Shea. They’ve got to be close by. Don’t apprehend until she leads us to her hiding spot. Tell the rest of your men to fall back to the pickup point.” His eyes gleamed with malice. “Once we’ve got the package, we’ll fly out and leave Councillor Eddington here trussed up as a present for Ambrose and his buddies.”
Cyrus didn’t bother trying to resist. Right now, being picked up by Ambrose to face Coalition justice sounded a whole lot safer than remaining with his former allies.
* * *
One shadow, only slightly darker than the others, detached itself and moved straight toward her. Kat froze, praying that it was Conlan returning from a long reconnoiter up ahead. She knew he’d only been gone a few minutes, but her nerves were stretched almost to the breaking point, making it seem much longer.
He knelt beside her, leaning in close to whisper to her. His warm breath tickled her skin, his reassuring presence renewing her resolve.
“The leaders have holed up in the shell of your sister’s house. They’ve got scouts scattered all over the place equipped with night-vision goggles.”
He dangled something in front of her face. “I thought you might find a pair of them useful. Their previous owner won’t need them any longer. Put them on and give yourself a little time to adjust to seeing through them.”
He helped her adjust the straps. When she looked around, she could see their surroundings in far greater detail, and everything was green. “Is this how you see all the time?”
“Hard to say, because they’re designed for human eyes, but I’m guessing it’s similar.”
“Okay, where do we go from here?”
Conlan pointed in the direction of where her sister used to live. “I’ve found one gap in their defenses. Could be a mistake on their part or it could be a deliberate choice in hopes we’d fall into a trap.”
None of that was good news. Still, they had no choice but to go forward if this nightmare was ever going to end. By coming here, she’d confirmed to Eddington and his men that her research was hidden nearby. If she and Conlan didn’t get to it first, there was every chance those mercs would eventually find it.
She pulled together the ragged edges of her courage. “Let’s get this over with.”
Conlan’s hand squeezed her shoulder. “That’s my girl. Once we get the drive, we’ll call in the troops.”
While she’d been sitting there in the darkness, alone with her thoughts and memories, she’d come to a decision. One that Conlan would hate, but it was the only course of action she could live with. The only reason she’d be able to carry it off was that Conlan trusted her at his back. Foolish man.
As he remained kneeling, she rose up suddenly with