Part 19 (1/2)
”Fine.” Noah didn't look at him now. Instead, he allowed the minutes he and Blue had spent making love to replay over and over in his head. The burn disappeared, all else faded into nothing, as he relived those tender moments. No matter what happened, he would always have that.
The introduction of the second injection had little effect as far as Noah could tell. No burn...no dizziness...nothing. What he would label a distant headache had started in his skull. It wasn't disturbing just yet, but it was there, somewhere way in the back of his head.
”How do you feel now?” Edgar asked as he sat down directly in front of Noah.
Noah conducted a quick survey. ”Nothing but a mild headache.”
Edgar nodded. ”That's to be expected considering what the serum is attempting to do.”
As Noah understood it, the serum would actually pinpoint the implant and attempt to neutralize the cells there, effectively destroying their ability to function, thus leaving Noah in his former-as G.o.d intended-state. If that happened he and Blue could have a life together. If it didn't...
”How will we know if it worked?” Noah hadn't thought of that until now.
”We'll start by increasing the wattage of light in the room. We'll do it in slow increments so as not to cause any pain or damage if the serum has failed.”
Noah nodded. Sounded reasonable. But time consuming.
”How long do we have to wait?”
”I'd like to give the serum a full twenty-four hours to do its work.”
Rothman checked Noah's blood pressure again. ”You're staying amazingly calm,” he noted aloud.
”I want this to work.” His gaze connected fully with Edgar's. ”There are things I want to do.”
Rothman sighed. ”I imagine there are.”
The telephone rang. The sound set Noah's nerves on edge. He forced himself to calm. It was probably some of Blue's team wanting to know if she'd left yet.
He nodded to the phone and said to Edgar, ”Do you mind?”
”Certainly not.” Edgar picked up the cordless handset just as it rang a third time and brought it to Noah.
Noah depressed the Talk b.u.t.ton. ”Drake here.”
He couldn't remember the last time he'd even answered a phone.
”h.e.l.lo, Drake, hope you're doing well this morning.”
Ice slid through Noah's veins.
General Regan Bonner.
”What do you want?” Noah demanded, his teeth clenched in rage. He could very well be on the verge of getting his life back. He didn't want this sick SOB interfering...not now that Noah actually had a reason to want it back.
”I want to make you pay for what you took from me,” Bonner said as if Noah should have known the answer without asking. ”Five years of my life. Not to mention my wife and daughter, neither of whom will even speak to me now.”
”That was your own doing,” Noah lashed out.
The b.a.s.t.a.r.d laughed. ”I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one. Now, let's get down to business. I'm at the cart-rental warehouse near the dock. You leave now and come straight here and we'll set this matter to rights.”
Near the dock! Blue would be there about now, catching a ride from Mr. Venable. Chester had made the arrangements.
”No,” Noah demanded. ”You come here.”
Another evil laugh. ”I don't think so, Drake. This is my war, we'll fight it on my terms. Now, you have ten minutes to get here or I'll slit your girlfriend's throat. Or maybe I'll just poke out those pretty blue eyes and then slit her throat later.”
Fear knotted in Noah's gut.
Too late.
He had Blue already.
”I'm on my way.” Noah dropped the telephone and stood. He ripped off the tape holding the needle in his arm and removed it, wincing at the sting.
”What are you doing?” Edgar looked fl.u.s.tered. ”Who was that on the phone?”
”Give me your keys.”
”What?”
”You rented that old truck you arrived in from someone. It's still there. I saw it when I came back a couple hours ago. You must still have the keys.”
Edgar reached into his pocket and removed the keys. ”Tell me what's happened. Where is it you're going?”
Noah leveled a gaze on him that let him know there would be no more questions. ”The general is here. He's got Blue.”
He s.n.a.t.c.hed the keys and headed for the front door.
”Wait!” Edgar shouted, running past him to get to the door first. ”It's no more than twenty minutes or so until sunrise.”
Noah reached for the lock and the doork.n.o.b simultaneously. ”I don't have a choice.”
Edgar stayed his hand when he would have opened the door. ”What if-?”
”Step out of my way, Rothman.”
Edgar blinked, the lethal tone Noah had used getting through. He nodded, then stepped aside. ”I've done all I can.”
Noah looked at him one last time before leaving. The man was behaving even more bizarrely than normal. ”Call Director Casey. See if he can get some of his people back here. h.e.l.l, call the sheriff. Chester's probably hurt out there, if not dead. They're holding her at the rental warehouse. Blue will need the backup in case Bonner...”
He didn't have to say the rest.
NOAH DROVE to Weber's general store and parked the truck. He'd pa.s.sed Chester's vehicle en route. The man was wounded but alive. Noah suffered a moment of vertigo now as he climbed out. The d.a.m.ned serum was starting to play havoc with his senses. He could see and hear normally, but he suffered a number of visual disturbances. Depth perception and the like.
The sun hovered just beneath the horizon. Already pink and gold hues were streaking across the sky. He had to hurry. As quickly as he dared, he moved toward the warehouse. Once he'd found a suitable route of entrance, he concentrated hard to invoke the chameleon process.
Within five seconds his exposed flesh was as dark as the night. He knew a moment of regret. Well, at least he didn't have to wonder or harbor false hope. Edgar's serum had failed to even slow down the process. At the moment, rescuing Blue was all that mattered. Noah had never really held out hope that his condition could be changed. Forcing all other thought from his mind, he entered the building.
”BEFORE DRAKE DIES, I want him to watch you die a slow, painful death,” the general said to Blue.