Bent (The Gifted Series) (27 page)

              For only a second did she attempt to fight their hold but caved, remembering her endgame.  If she was going to get close enough to do what she needed to do, then she couldn’t show any signs of strength.

              The hypnotics ordered her to approach Sam.  As she drew near, a smirk cut across his handsome face. “Joss.” He nodded. “Good to see you again.”  He guided her to a sedan directly in front of the SUV.  As he opened the passenger’s door, he took the coffee from her with a thank you and leaned in wisping her cheek with a kiss.  Anyone passing by would see it as nothing more than a kind gesture from a spouse.  Once inside the vehicle the hypnotics eased their grip, enough so that she was allowed to verbally interact with Samuel.

              “I thought you were captured?” she gritted; her body completely immobile. 
Argh
! She despised the feeling of being bent, and she knew with certainty that she’d rather die than live this way again.  

              “Was,” he muttered as he pulled into traffic and began to drive in the opposite direction of the condo.  Her eyes darted out the window frantically.  Then her brain reminded her heart to calm and deal with the present situation. “How’d you escape?” she said.  Last she’d heard, he’d been compliant and even relieved to be captured. Curiosity was now eating her alive, and she hoped no one was injured during his escape.

              “The wrong person left their guard down.  Enough said.”

              She eyed his blackened eye and the scab along his bottom lip, itching to inquire further, but she knew it would only make him agitated, so she changed gears.

              “Stephan told me to meet him at the condo,” she remarked evenly.

              Samuel’s tone met her own. “Plans change.”  

              She waited for more, but typical to Samuel’s nature, he remained tight lipped.  “Good to know conversation is still not your strong suit.”

              His focus remained on the road but there was a slight curl to the lip.  No comment, of course.

              Joss’ mind began to spin with what to do.  How would she contact Declan, now?

These thoughts churned over and over for the next twenty minutes, until they finally pulled into an old warehouse in an industrial area of Auburn, just south of Seattle.

              Without pause, Samuel exited the car and Joss felt the hypnotics pulling her back under, rendering her speechless as she followed Samuel in through a side door to the warehouse.  It was dark, musty, and dank; very much like the basement she’d known so well. 
Ah, to be home again
.

Then she heard it, the voice of a man whose skin she’d like to peal with a butter knife.  Given the opportunity, she’d go serious Hannibal on this fuckwit, only she’d feed him to the hogs.

              “Our beloved Jocelyn has returned,” Stephan taunted.

              She felt her will surge forth, shrieking for her to cut the hypnotics’ ties and destroy the man who stood before her. 
Stop
! she ordered herself,
all good and grotesquely vengeful things will come to those who wait
.

             “Allow her to speak,” Stephan ordered to the hidden hypnotics as he strolled forth.  Samuel casually drifted over toward a cluster of metal chairs, roughly twenty feet away.  He appeared as interested in the scene as a dog was to a fly.

              “Where’s Patrice?” Joss demanded. “We were to trade: myself for Jessie.”

              “Ah, ah, ah,” Stephan mocked, “it seems you have forgotten your place.” 

             
Smack
!  An impressive bitch-slap sent Joss flying to the ground.  Her brain rattled about her head as she sucked in deep breaths, tasting the copper tinge of blood.  The smell of dirt and oil wafted about her senses as she slowly pushed herself off the concrete.  She knew Stephan had just begun his sick method of fun. 

              Taunting time! 

              She stole a glance toward Samuel, and he seemed content with his phone, texting God knew who.  Yes, she was up shit creek and he clearly wasn’t going to be her paddle, not that she expected otherwise.  She drew a deep breath and turned to face Stephan, knowing the only savior in this was herself. 

              She needed to drag this out, as painful as that might be, she needed information before attempting to take the reins. Like where in the bloody hell was Patrice?

              She felt blood trickle down her lip but the hypnotics glued her hands to her sides. Stephan approached; his smile a child’s nightmare.  He reached out and ran a vile finger through the blood, smearing it across her swelling lip and cheek.  “Did you miss me,” he drawled, stepping closer.  His fingers drifted down and wrapped around her throat. “because I’ll admit, I missed you, Jocelyn.  Let her speak,” he ordered to the hypnotics.

              She gave him more than words; blood-filled spit landed on his face. “If you like to play with my blood so much, have some for yerself.” These stalling tactics weren’t going to work in her favor, but it felt so feckin’ good.

             
Smack
!  Another bitch slap across the opposite cheek which sent her crashing to the ground.

              As Joss’ head rolled to the side and stars filtered across her vision, she questioned how long she could hold out.  Taking out Stephan and Samuel was looking like the only option she had.

    *     *     *     *

              Mattis pulled his cell from the clip as he, Carter, Leah, Tiago, and Bowen sat in front of a Subway in Federal Way.  Reagan, Smits, Declan, and Marnie were north in Seattle, covering the condo in case Patrice made an appearance or Stephan pulled a fast one over Sam. 

              Mattis checked the text, muttering, “It’s Sam.” He’d sent previous texts, giving them the play by play throughout the night.  Mattis began to read aloud, “Don’t call.
 
Come STAT. Find hypnos first. Somewhere up stairs. Three guards maybe four. No sign of Patrice, only Stephan. He’s working Joss over.”

              “What the fuck?” Carter bellowed, barely able to contain himself.

              Tiago was already pulling into traffic, heading east toward Auburn.  Carter reached over the backseat, snagging Mattis’ cell as both Mattis and Leah told him to calm down.

              Carter began to type a response: “Put bullet in Stephan’s head. STAT!”

              Within seconds he received a reply: “Can’t. If Stephan is injured, hypnos will order Joss to kill me then herself.  Stephan’s orders—he doesn’t trust me.”

              More profanity filled the confined space.  “She can control this,” he fumed.  “She’s strong; she can do it.”

              Mattis reached back and Carter didn’t fight him, freely giving up the phone. “Carter, she’s never fully broke free before.  Err on the side of caution.”  Mattis then sent Sam a final text, confirming they were on their way.

              Carter’s jaw tightened and his head shook. “She can fight them.  She’s stronger than you all give her credit for.”

              Bowen reached over from the third seat and squeezed Carter’s shoulder. “I hope so because the moment we draw near, DEFCON Fuck will have official started.”

*     *     *     *

              “I do like a woman who can take her beatings in silence.  Such an impressive display,” Stephan goaded.

              Sam sighed, looking at the puke of a man before him.  How in the world did he last as long as he did with these people.  Oh that’s right, narcotics!  “Hey,” Sam said while dropping the cell phone into the inside pocket of his leather jacket and smoothly unsnapping his holster; he knew chaos was mere moments away. “If I know Patrice, she’ll want her assassin in working order.” 

              Stephan’s fiery gaze cut to Sam.

              Sam’s response was a bored shoulder shrug.  “Sorry, man, but watching you beat up an immobile chic got old years ago.  I know you get off on it, but how about we let the hypnos give her freedom to fight you physically.  Then we got ourselves a party." He arched a brow at Joss. "I’m dropping fifty on the chic—pent up rage can back a serious beat down.”

              If Sam wasn’t mistaken, Joss, who once again lay in pain on the grimy floor, subtly canted her head and gave him a curious look.  She had no reason to trust Sam, yet in this moment he wished he could send her a reassuring sign of what lay ahead.

              Stephan stepped over his human punching bag and drew closer to Sam. “Did the agency manage to successfully brainwash you, Samuel?  Are we suddenly sympathetic toward the prisoners?”

              Sam rose, expressionless, “Nope, Stephan. I pegged you as a debauched fuckwit long before my capture.  We all know the only reason Patrice keeps you around is because you do torture so well.”

              Stephan turned multiple shades of red, but offered a tight, “That’s right.  And I suggest you don’t forget it.”

              It was at this point that Clip darted through a metal door across the large room. “Nick’s sensing auras.”  He swung his gun toward Sam. “So who’d you tell? And how many are coming.”

              Sam scowled with a snort.  “I’ve been with Patrice a helluva lot longer than either of you.  So take your accusations and shove ‘em up your ass.”

              Stephan’s fingers seized Joss’ throat, jerking her to her feet. “I ordered you to come alone.  How dare you disobey!”  Her face began to contort as he squeezed, cutting off her airflow.

             
Hurry your asses up
! Sam thought.  He’d been anticipating the agency’s arrival for the last five minutes. He pulled the gun from his holster—both Clip and Stephan would believe it’s in response to Clip’s warning.  “Stephan!  Need I remind you that Patrice wants her alive.  Save the rage for the agency pricks.” He cocked his gun casually, and then pulled and checked an extra clip as he added, “I know I have some payback to dole out.”

              Stephan released his grip, which dropped Joss to her knees.  Her body trembled as she wheezed, sucking in desperate breaths. Her eyes briefly connected with Sam’s, but he couldn’t make out her expression.  Did she know the truth, that he’d switched sides?  She certainly hadn’t acted as though she knew when he picked her up.

              Stephan yanked her to her feet then thrust a gun in her hand.  “You will kill
any
agency member who crosses your path,” he said aloud, and Sam knew the hypnotics were drilling this order into her mind.  A switch seemed to flip, her eyes going vacant, and like the trained assassin she was, she checked her weapon with expert precision.

              As usual, Sam fought the sick feeling of wrongness that overtook him whenever he witnessed one of Patrice’s bent victims in action.

              “I’m checking the north entrance,” he remarked, and as he bolted in that direction, he pulled his cell free and typed a one handed text to Mattis.

Chapter 18

“‘Top floor. Stop hypnos first!’ that’s all it says,” Mattis said.  They parked a block away from the warehouse and were going in on foot.  They knew their auras would be sensed, but Landon’s people wouldn’t know which direction they were coming from.  That was as close to a surprise attack as any gifted could manage.

              “I’m taking the ground floor,” Carter declared, halting behind a concrete wall attached to a nearby carport

              “Carter, we take out the hypnotics first,” Tiago barked. “I know your pain, but be logical.”

              Carter wheeled around. “So if it was Leah in there getting beat to shit, you would be
logical
?”

              Tiago opened his mouth, but before he could argue, Leah gave Tiago a light smack across the chest with the back of her hand. “His question’s rhetorical, Gracen.  He knows you wouldn’t be logical; you’d go
bat-shit crazy
—your words, not mine.”

              Tiago raised his hands with a shrug, knowing they were right. Leah then gentled her palm on his chest, stepping closer. “But Gracen,” she continued, “you better keep your
crazy
in check because I’m going in with Carter.  I can help him more than I can help you guys.  Your top priority is finding the hypnotics. Joss has to be free of their hold or we’re facing a serious shit storm with that power of hers.”

              Tiago’s lips tightened, and Carter knew exactly how he felt because he was feeling it at this very moment—pummeled with a crushing waterfall of anxiety. 

              Tiago inhaled deeply, and looked at Mattis who simply muttered, “Partner not hero.”

He then turned back to Leah; his stance determined.  “Okay baby, get in there, dodge them fucking bullets like it’s an Olympic event, and do me proud.”

              A sappy smile cut across Leah’s face, her eyes love struck as she drawled, “Ahhh, now that’s my supportive man.”

              Checking his gun and patting down other hidden weapons, Carter intervened. “Let’s go, Leah.” He then gave her his full attention; his face solemn. “And uh ... I owe you for this.”

              “Owe shmoe,” she scoffed. “I’m just an agent-in-training doing my job, Carter.”  She gave a Tiago a final wink and the two of them ducked around the carport instantly met with a shower of bullets. 

              Jerking back, they all cursed before Mattis declared to Carter, “Locate the shooter.” He then ordered to Leah, “Feel the building out. See if you can delineate between their emotions.  We need a read on everyone’s whereabouts.”

              Leah focused solely on the building and began to search for emotions of those within.  “I can’t pinpoint exact locations—there’s too many gifted on the second floor right side.  It’s a clutter of auras up there. I need to see them face to face.”

              “That must be where they’re keeping the hypnotics,” Bowen noted; he then raised his brows to Leah and nodded, silently confirming what she had to do.  “Time to prove that worth, hey girly?” he said.

              Tiago grimace and spun around, giving them his back, but the stiffness set in his shoulders and the clenching of his fists told them everything.  Carter noted how Leah intentional ignored, continuing to Mattis, “I’ll distract them.  Find the shooter, Carter.” She then inhaled a resolute breath and made a break for it.