expression brightened. “Cutter, The Jaguar is one of the few people who can clear my name. He knows who it was at DOD who gave him the plans for the EDNA project. If he testifies to that—”
“He won’t testify.”
“Maybe the federal prosecutor will cut him some kind of deal.”
“No, Mattie,” he snapped.
“But—”
“No. Damn it.”
She stared at him, her expression a combination of hurt and anger. She was too eager. Toowilling to put herself on the line. The combination gave Cutter a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He told himself he was just being conservative, playing it safe. But the truth was he couldn’t put her in the line of fire because he cared for her.
“I’m going to see if I can salvage the chopper’s radio,” he said.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Stay here,” he snapped.
“Cutter, I can help.”
“Damn it, Mattie, you don’t want to see that wreckage.”
He started toward the downed chopper.
“IMBECILES! ALL OF THEM!” The Jaguar snapped the cell phone shut and threw it across the room. The one thing he could not tolerate was incompetence, and he seemed to be surrounded by it.
The two men standing at his desk shifted uncomfortably as they waited for their next orders.
Furious, The Jaguar stared them down. “You were on the radio with them when this accident occurred?”
One of the men nodded. “That’s correct.”
“How did this happen?”
“One of the men in the chopper had just spotted the scientist on the ground. Theyfollowed. Visibility was poor. I can only assume the pilot didn’t see the power lines.” The man shrugged. “I heard screaming…”
The Jaguar didn’t care about the men who’d died. All he cared about was the scientist. And Sean Cutter, the bastard. He knew Cutter was just good enough to have engineered such an accident. Even though he hated the man, he felt a grudging moment of respect for him. “The chopper was equipped with GPS?”
The taller of the two men stepped forward. “We’ve already got the coordinates.”
“Send a team to the wreckage site. I want every available man looking for them.”
“We’ve got two teams en route via snowmobile.”
“I want two more teams sent out.”
“Done,” said the second man.
The two men exchanged looks. “What about the bodies?” one of them asked.
The Jaguar waved off the question. “Leave them. I need every available man searching for that scientist and that bastard agent.”
“But, sir—”
“I said leave them!” He strode to a map mounted on the wall. “How far to the nearest town?”
“Six miles. Too far for them to make it on foot in this weather.”
He turned to the men. “Don’t make the mistake of underestimating Sean Cutter,” he said coldly.
“We’ll do our best to intercept them before they reach the town.”
“The success of our objective depends on the apprehension of that scientist. Rest assured, gentlemen, I will kill the next man who lets them escape. Make sure every man knows that.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want them found. I want them brought to me.”
And after he extracted the information on the EDNA weapons system, he would take his time killing them both.
Chapter Ten
Cutter found Mattie standing at the base of the nearest tower, her face pale and drawn. Even though she’d wrapped herself in the makeshift poncho, she was shivering. He didn’t know if it was from the cold or the shock of seeing the chopper go down, but he was concerned.
“The radio is dead,” he said.
Disappointment darkened her lovely features. “Are you sure?”
“It’s in pieces.” He raised the 9 mm Beretta he’d pilfered from one of the bodies. The pistol was covered with soot but had somehow survived the heat and flames. “This was the only valuable thing I could salvage.
“And the men?”
He shook his head. “No survivors.”
She pressed her hand to her stomach. “I’d been hoping…”
The need to comfort her
“He won’t testify.”
“Maybe the federal prosecutor will cut him some kind of deal.”
“No, Mattie,” he snapped.
“But—”
“No. Damn it.”
She stared at him, her expression a combination of hurt and anger. She was too eager. Toowilling to put herself on the line. The combination gave Cutter a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He told himself he was just being conservative, playing it safe. But the truth was he couldn’t put her in the line of fire because he cared for her.
“I’m going to see if I can salvage the chopper’s radio,” he said.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Stay here,” he snapped.
“Cutter, I can help.”
“Damn it, Mattie, you don’t want to see that wreckage.”
He started toward the downed chopper.
“IMBECILES! ALL OF THEM!” The Jaguar snapped the cell phone shut and threw it across the room. The one thing he could not tolerate was incompetence, and he seemed to be surrounded by it.
The two men standing at his desk shifted uncomfortably as they waited for their next orders.
Furious, The Jaguar stared them down. “You were on the radio with them when this accident occurred?”
One of the men nodded. “That’s correct.”
“How did this happen?”
“One of the men in the chopper had just spotted the scientist on the ground. Theyfollowed. Visibility was poor. I can only assume the pilot didn’t see the power lines.” The man shrugged. “I heard screaming…”
The Jaguar didn’t care about the men who’d died. All he cared about was the scientist. And Sean Cutter, the bastard. He knew Cutter was just good enough to have engineered such an accident. Even though he hated the man, he felt a grudging moment of respect for him. “The chopper was equipped with GPS?”
The taller of the two men stepped forward. “We’ve already got the coordinates.”
“Send a team to the wreckage site. I want every available man looking for them.”
“We’ve got two teams en route via snowmobile.”
“I want two more teams sent out.”
“Done,” said the second man.
The two men exchanged looks. “What about the bodies?” one of them asked.
The Jaguar waved off the question. “Leave them. I need every available man searching for that scientist and that bastard agent.”
“But, sir—”
“I said leave them!” He strode to a map mounted on the wall. “How far to the nearest town?”
“Six miles. Too far for them to make it on foot in this weather.”
He turned to the men. “Don’t make the mistake of underestimating Sean Cutter,” he said coldly.
“We’ll do our best to intercept them before they reach the town.”
“The success of our objective depends on the apprehension of that scientist. Rest assured, gentlemen, I will kill the next man who lets them escape. Make sure every man knows that.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want them found. I want them brought to me.”
And after he extracted the information on the EDNA weapons system, he would take his time killing them both.
Chapter Ten
Cutter found Mattie standing at the base of the nearest tower, her face pale and drawn. Even though she’d wrapped herself in the makeshift poncho, she was shivering. He didn’t know if it was from the cold or the shock of seeing the chopper go down, but he was concerned.
“The radio is dead,” he said.
Disappointment darkened her lovely features. “Are you sure?”
“It’s in pieces.” He raised the 9 mm Beretta he’d pilfered from one of the bodies. The pistol was covered with soot but had somehow survived the heat and flames. “This was the only valuable thing I could salvage.
“And the men?”
He shook his head. “No survivors.”
She pressed her hand to her stomach. “I’d been hoping…”
The need to comfort her
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