his earpiece, and within minutes another guard was taking his place. He was built just like Roberts and had the same earnest expression, only instead of reddish brown hair and freckles, he looked like he'd stepped off the shores of Hawaii and exchanged a surfboard for a 9mm. His black hair was buzzed within an inch of its life, and his dark eyes shone eagerly in his round face. His nametag read Pahia.
Roberts led us through the now familiar gray corridors of Area 51. Somebody had changed the elevator music to what sounded like a Muzak version of one of those hideous children's show theme songs from the '90s. Something with dinosaurs.
"Is that—?"
Roberts grimaced. "Yeah."
"Is it some kind of punishment?"
"Er, one of the guys did it as a joke, and now the colonel is making us listen to it for a month."
"Dear gods."
"Yeah."
Trevor smirked quietly in the corner. Finally the torture ride was over, and Roberts ushered us into the bright, white world of the prison. Darroch was in a different cage from the last time we'd visited, probably because he'd managed to break out of the last one, thanks to Morgana and her magic portals. We'd been assured the new cages were portal- proof. At least until Alister disappeared. Portal-proof, my ass.
We hurried through the airlock and into the inner room that housed Darroch's cage. Roberts stopped so suddenly, I literally crashed into his back. Trevor stepped on my heel, causing me to wince.
"What's wrong?" he demanded, trying to peer around us.
"Uh, sir. Uh, that, sir." Roberts stepped aside to let us see.
Lying in the middle of the clear glass cage was the huddled form of Brent Darroch. Around him spread a pool of dark red blood.
Chapter 14
"Fuck," Trevor said with feeling.
Roberts said nothing. He marched over and slapped the alarm button near the door. Immediately the wail of sirens echoed through the hallowed halls of Area 51. I grimaced as the sound tortured my already delicate eardrums.
"Can't you shut that thing off in here at least?" I shouted over the wail.
Roberts hit a smaller button, and the siren died, though I could still hear it out in the corridor.
We stared at the scene before us. Arterial spray covered every wall of the eight by ten cage. Whoever killed him had bled him dry.
I stepped closer, eyeing the body through the thick glass. It wasn't glass, of course, but something high tech and unbreakable. Impenetrable. Except something had penetrated it. There were no weapons anywhere inside the cube. I knelt to look at the body. There was so much blood, it was hard to tell, but it looked like he had been stabbed repeatedly.
The door whooshed open and the colonel strode in. I'd met him, but he ignored me, focusing on my brother.
"Report," Trevor ordered.
"Sir," the colonel nodded. "I personally checked the surveillance video."
"And?"
"Nothing. The guard on duty also claims he saw nothing."
"Well, surely you have images of Darroch lying dead."
The colonel shook his head. "No, sir. The video feed shows him alive and well."
"Your video sure is unreliable," I said dryly.
The colonel whirled on me. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you."
"Oh, you heard me fine," I snapped, straightening. "The last two times people have escaped from this facility, one of them the victim here, your videos have shown nothing. And now you've got a prisoner dead, and yet mysteriously, once again, your surveillance shows nothing."
He stepped closer, his jaw clenched. His face turned beet red all the way up and over his bald head. He puffed out his chest in a clear attempt at intimidation. Asshole obviously thought he was dealing with an ordinary woman. He had no idea I was strong enough to take him out with a single blow. Bastard. "What are you saying, girl?"
"That's Ms. Bailey, to you. Hunter if you prefer." I made sure to emphasize my title. You didn't get to be a Hunter for the SRA unless you could kicked some serious ass, and the colonel knew it. "What I'm saying is this is
Roberts led us through the now familiar gray corridors of Area 51. Somebody had changed the elevator music to what sounded like a Muzak version of one of those hideous children's show theme songs from the '90s. Something with dinosaurs.
"Is that—?"
Roberts grimaced. "Yeah."
"Is it some kind of punishment?"
"Er, one of the guys did it as a joke, and now the colonel is making us listen to it for a month."
"Dear gods."
"Yeah."
Trevor smirked quietly in the corner. Finally the torture ride was over, and Roberts ushered us into the bright, white world of the prison. Darroch was in a different cage from the last time we'd visited, probably because he'd managed to break out of the last one, thanks to Morgana and her magic portals. We'd been assured the new cages were portal- proof. At least until Alister disappeared. Portal-proof, my ass.
We hurried through the airlock and into the inner room that housed Darroch's cage. Roberts stopped so suddenly, I literally crashed into his back. Trevor stepped on my heel, causing me to wince.
"What's wrong?" he demanded, trying to peer around us.
"Uh, sir. Uh, that, sir." Roberts stepped aside to let us see.
Lying in the middle of the clear glass cage was the huddled form of Brent Darroch. Around him spread a pool of dark red blood.
Chapter 14
"Fuck," Trevor said with feeling.
Roberts said nothing. He marched over and slapped the alarm button near the door. Immediately the wail of sirens echoed through the hallowed halls of Area 51. I grimaced as the sound tortured my already delicate eardrums.
"Can't you shut that thing off in here at least?" I shouted over the wail.
Roberts hit a smaller button, and the siren died, though I could still hear it out in the corridor.
We stared at the scene before us. Arterial spray covered every wall of the eight by ten cage. Whoever killed him had bled him dry.
I stepped closer, eyeing the body through the thick glass. It wasn't glass, of course, but something high tech and unbreakable. Impenetrable. Except something had penetrated it. There were no weapons anywhere inside the cube. I knelt to look at the body. There was so much blood, it was hard to tell, but it looked like he had been stabbed repeatedly.
The door whooshed open and the colonel strode in. I'd met him, but he ignored me, focusing on my brother.
"Report," Trevor ordered.
"Sir," the colonel nodded. "I personally checked the surveillance video."
"And?"
"Nothing. The guard on duty also claims he saw nothing."
"Well, surely you have images of Darroch lying dead."
The colonel shook his head. "No, sir. The video feed shows him alive and well."
"Your video sure is unreliable," I said dryly.
The colonel whirled on me. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you."
"Oh, you heard me fine," I snapped, straightening. "The last two times people have escaped from this facility, one of them the victim here, your videos have shown nothing. And now you've got a prisoner dead, and yet mysteriously, once again, your surveillance shows nothing."
He stepped closer, his jaw clenched. His face turned beet red all the way up and over his bald head. He puffed out his chest in a clear attempt at intimidation. Asshole obviously thought he was dealing with an ordinary woman. He had no idea I was strong enough to take him out with a single blow. Bastard. "What are you saying, girl?"
"That's Ms. Bailey, to you. Hunter if you prefer." I made sure to emphasize my title. You didn't get to be a Hunter for the SRA unless you could kicked some serious ass, and the colonel knew it. "What I'm saying is this is
Similar Books
