Justin
If I had thought I had the slightest chance on Zack, I would have killed him right then and there. Son of a... He must have thought long and hard about what could take Jhondie away from LA and her life here. There was only one thing that would make her leave with him and that was Lydecker. He made it seem like she was now a threat to her family and knew she would rather walk than put us in danger by staying.
"I keep an eye on Lydecker," I said coldly. "For some reason, it's important to me to know where the guy is. As of yesterday morning he was safe and snug in Seattle and my source said that he's been there for a while and has no plans on going far."
"Zack..." Jhondie breathed, too shocked to really say anything more. I knew all about her little falling out with Zack. He might not like the fact she was happy here, but he was messing with the woman that was to be my wife. I had my morals. I had my principles. But where Jhondie was concerned, they went right out the window. I would do anything for her. And if that meant saying or doing something that would get Zack out of her life forever, than I didn't care. He was not going to come in and take her away for no reason at all. He was her brother. But I was to be her husband. I win.
"I never said it was Lydecker," Zack snapped at her. "You are the one that assumed."
Her eyes narrowed. "So you thought you would just scare the hell out of me and see what happened." Her hands were clinched in fists and my only concern was to make sure Kayla got out of the way when the fight broke out. This time, she was furious and she wasn't blinded by grief. Zack was going to have a hard time winning.
Zack faced her directly. "You think Lydecker is the worst thing after us? Quit dreaming soldier. Manticore is not the only enemy out there."
Jhondie look at me, our eyes meeting and both asking and answering the same question. Do you have idea what he's talking about? The answer was no from both of us. The people in Seattle that were looking to make a transgenic were neutralized. Who else was out there that would put the fear of God into Zack?
"What, think I can't play rough with someone wanting a little piece of this genetic code?" Jhondie snapped.
"Think you can put your hand through a steel door?" Zack sneered. "They can."
"If there's a transgenic that's not Manticore and that much better, than what the hell do they need an X-5 for?" I demanded. Zack only glared at me, but screw that. I was in on this too. "Don't get pissed at me if you're not the best available anymore," I snapped.
Jhondie crossed the room so that she was standing beside me. Which, I might add, was exactly where she belonged. With me, not him. "I'm not leaving until you start talking," she said evenly. "If there's something new out there, then I have the right to know."
Zack glanced at Kayla who was watching the scene, agape with surprise, and then back at Jhondie. Jhondie blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. "Kayla go in the other room," she ordered.
"Get bent!" Kay cried out. "Hello! Family? If Justin's involved, then so am I!"
"Kayla!" I snapped. She blinked at my sharp tone. "Go!" I swear to God, later I realized I sounded more like my father than I ever had before in my life. Kayla gave me her best "hurt" look and then went into my office to pout.
"They're called the Red Disposables," Zack finally said. "Out of South Africa. They aren't transgenic. There's an implant they have that reworks their nervous system in a way that blows us out of the water. Their problem is that in six months, it kills them. They need some specialized DNA to put in themselves so they can extend their lives." He glared at Jhondie hard. "You swore you would never be a lab rat again. They don't want soldiers. They want spare parts."
Jhondie swallowed hard. "Do they know me personally?" she asked.
"They know there's an X-5 in LA. And they're already here. They will find you and I'm not sticking around to bail you out. You can't take one on, Jhondie. I can't take one on." Zack glared at me for a second. "And they have no problem killing anyone else who gets in their way."
"And I'm supposed to hear that and leave my family to their mercy?" Jhondie asked hotly.
Zack snorted disdainfully. "Won't slow you down, huh? Would make you leave faster to protect them, that's what you said, right?"
"Manticore is a little different then some unknown quantity," she snapped back. "They'd watch. You're saying these guys kill first, ask later, right?"
She was still too furious with Zack for leading her on like he did to even contemplate being reasonable. And the odd thing is that I don't think he knew that at all. Later, I could think about how sad that was that after all this time; he didn't know her at all. He knew so much about her, but he didn't really know her anymore. He expected her to think of the danger to herself and take care of it. Was he insane?
Lucky for him, there was me. I knew her. And more importantly, I wanted her to stay safe. There were plans that required her safety like our marriage and having a family and dying of old age within seconds of each other. Jhondie and Zack were still engaged in a glaring contest when I spoke up.
"Jhondie, can you do me a favor and do that research in Las Vegas for me a few days earlier than planned?"
Jhondie rounded on me so fast; I thought she was going to burn a hole in the carpet. "What?" she cried out, her voice high with shock. Even Zack blinked, totally amazed at what I just said. "Don't you dare tell me you're taking his side!"
We needed to discuss this with a little more privacy than with Zack standing there glowering over ever word that was said. Not to mention, he didn't know we were engaged. Jhondie hadn't been able to tell him before and she wasn't wearing her ring right now. I wasn't offended. She never wore any jewelry on lab days. It was either on a chain around her neck or on the dresser in my bedroom. It would just depend on where she had gotten dressed that morning.
"Excuse us," I said to Zack, taking her hand and leading her outside to the balcony. Zack wasn't happy, but he was going to deal with it. I think he knew instinctively that there was only one person in the world that could convince her to leave Los Angeles right now.
"You have got to be insane if you think I'm leaving," she said in a low voice the second the door shut. "If, and this is a big if because right now Zack isn't exactly high on the trust scale, if I can't take one on, then how the hell are you going to if they come after you?"
"They're not going to come after me," I replied quickly. "If, and this is a big if, if somehow they managed to do what Manticore has been trying to do for ten years and actually know who you are, they're going to watch for you. They're going to know that you've spent your life in hiding and aren't going to come out if you think something's off. They are going to think of you as a Manticore soldier and that's what a soldier would do. They'll lie in wait for you but I don't think they'll be all that shocked when you disappear. They'll hear me and your mom wailing about how you disappeared without a trace and ran off with your old boyfriend and they'll give up and go after the next X-5."
"I'm supposed to just let you take all of the risks?" she whispered, her voice shaky. "I can't do that."
Gently, I took her face in my hands, our eyes probing deep into each other's. "Yes you can," I said softly. "Please, Jhondie. I've learned to let you take a lot of risks because there are things that you can do that I can't. Now you have to let me take a few because I can be just an ordinary guy. They're not going to bother with me. Please. You were going to go to Vegas next weekend anyways. Just got now and let me check out what's going on."
"And what if they do know?" she asked painfully. "What if they're not just running on intel that somewhere in the city is an X-5? If they are anything like Manticore, then they'll lie in wait for years."
"In that case you and I are going to have a beautiful home in Mexico after we get married there," I replied. We had worked out a lot of contact codes and codes for places long ago, just in case the worst came to worst. We could a hold of each other and apprise on movements. "It's going to be hard not seeing you for a while until you throw them off of your trail, but when you get to where you feel safe, you know how to reach me." Actually, it would be an interesting test of my new cell phone. New technology was in it that was sworn only God himself could track it. I had done some tests with Eyes Only and so far it proved right. As a matter of fact, he said he was getting a couple for some of his Seattle-based operatives.
"I can't ask..." she started but I leaned over and kissed her softly.
"You don't have to," I answered for her. "I told you that a long time ago. You just have to give me time to catch up, remember?"
She nodded and then her arms wrapped around my neck. I didn't care who was watching as I held her tightly. "I love you," she said softly.
"I know."
She looked up at me. "Promise me that if you need me, you'll call."
"I always need you, you know that," I tried to tease her, but she wasn't even breaking a smile. "I promise."
She hugged me again and then stepped back, taking a breath and wiping her eyes so that they were dry. "Okay," she said firmly. "Okay."
We went back inside and Kayla was once again sitting on the couch, her chin up defiantly. "I'm not going anywhere until I know what's going on," she declared.
"Good," Jhondie said. "That's exactly where you're going to stay until Justin gets back." Kay's jaw dropped.
"That's not what I meant!" she yelled.
Jhondie smirked and for a second, I saw a passing resemblance to Zack. "I know," she said, kneeling in front of her sister, taking her hands. "You have to trust me on this one. Okay? Just hang tight here and hopefully, it'll all work out."
"You're still going to go?" Kay asked. She looked up at me angrily. "You were supposed to keep her here."
"I'm going to keep her safe," I corrected. "I promise I'll make sense of it when I get back. I won't be long." And Zack did not look happy that I was going anywhere with them. Too damn bad, oh future brother-in-law of mine.
Jhondie hugged Kayla. "And if you even think about telling Mom you know what to get back at me, I am so kicking your ass later," she said firmly. Kayla finally smiled.
"You'll have to come back to do that," she said hopefully.
"You better believe it," Jhondie said. "See you later, kiddo." She grabbed the bag that she had dropped earlier and then the three of us were out the door.
If I had thought I had the slightest chance on Zack, I would have killed him right then and there. Son of a... He must have thought long and hard about what could take Jhondie away from LA and her life here. There was only one thing that would make her leave with him and that was Lydecker. He made it seem like she was now a threat to her family and knew she would rather walk than put us in danger by staying.
"I keep an eye on Lydecker," I said coldly. "For some reason, it's important to me to know where the guy is. As of yesterday morning he was safe and snug in Seattle and my source said that he's been there for a while and has no plans on going far."
"Zack..." Jhondie breathed, too shocked to really say anything more. I knew all about her little falling out with Zack. He might not like the fact she was happy here, but he was messing with the woman that was to be my wife. I had my morals. I had my principles. But where Jhondie was concerned, they went right out the window. I would do anything for her. And if that meant saying or doing something that would get Zack out of her life forever, than I didn't care. He was not going to come in and take her away for no reason at all. He was her brother. But I was to be her husband. I win.
"I never said it was Lydecker," Zack snapped at her. "You are the one that assumed."
Her eyes narrowed. "So you thought you would just scare the hell out of me and see what happened." Her hands were clinched in fists and my only concern was to make sure Kayla got out of the way when the fight broke out. This time, she was furious and she wasn't blinded by grief. Zack was going to have a hard time winning.
Zack faced her directly. "You think Lydecker is the worst thing after us? Quit dreaming soldier. Manticore is not the only enemy out there."
Jhondie look at me, our eyes meeting and both asking and answering the same question. Do you have idea what he's talking about? The answer was no from both of us. The people in Seattle that were looking to make a transgenic were neutralized. Who else was out there that would put the fear of God into Zack?
"What, think I can't play rough with someone wanting a little piece of this genetic code?" Jhondie snapped.
"Think you can put your hand through a steel door?" Zack sneered. "They can."
"If there's a transgenic that's not Manticore and that much better, than what the hell do they need an X-5 for?" I demanded. Zack only glared at me, but screw that. I was in on this too. "Don't get pissed at me if you're not the best available anymore," I snapped.
Jhondie crossed the room so that she was standing beside me. Which, I might add, was exactly where she belonged. With me, not him. "I'm not leaving until you start talking," she said evenly. "If there's something new out there, then I have the right to know."
Zack glanced at Kayla who was watching the scene, agape with surprise, and then back at Jhondie. Jhondie blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. "Kayla go in the other room," she ordered.
"Get bent!" Kay cried out. "Hello! Family? If Justin's involved, then so am I!"
"Kayla!" I snapped. She blinked at my sharp tone. "Go!" I swear to God, later I realized I sounded more like my father than I ever had before in my life. Kayla gave me her best "hurt" look and then went into my office to pout.
"They're called the Red Disposables," Zack finally said. "Out of South Africa. They aren't transgenic. There's an implant they have that reworks their nervous system in a way that blows us out of the water. Their problem is that in six months, it kills them. They need some specialized DNA to put in themselves so they can extend their lives." He glared at Jhondie hard. "You swore you would never be a lab rat again. They don't want soldiers. They want spare parts."
Jhondie swallowed hard. "Do they know me personally?" she asked.
"They know there's an X-5 in LA. And they're already here. They will find you and I'm not sticking around to bail you out. You can't take one on, Jhondie. I can't take one on." Zack glared at me for a second. "And they have no problem killing anyone else who gets in their way."
"And I'm supposed to hear that and leave my family to their mercy?" Jhondie asked hotly.
Zack snorted disdainfully. "Won't slow you down, huh? Would make you leave faster to protect them, that's what you said, right?"
"Manticore is a little different then some unknown quantity," she snapped back. "They'd watch. You're saying these guys kill first, ask later, right?"
She was still too furious with Zack for leading her on like he did to even contemplate being reasonable. And the odd thing is that I don't think he knew that at all. Later, I could think about how sad that was that after all this time; he didn't know her at all. He knew so much about her, but he didn't really know her anymore. He expected her to think of the danger to herself and take care of it. Was he insane?
Lucky for him, there was me. I knew her. And more importantly, I wanted her to stay safe. There were plans that required her safety like our marriage and having a family and dying of old age within seconds of each other. Jhondie and Zack were still engaged in a glaring contest when I spoke up.
"Jhondie, can you do me a favor and do that research in Las Vegas for me a few days earlier than planned?"
Jhondie rounded on me so fast; I thought she was going to burn a hole in the carpet. "What?" she cried out, her voice high with shock. Even Zack blinked, totally amazed at what I just said. "Don't you dare tell me you're taking his side!"
We needed to discuss this with a little more privacy than with Zack standing there glowering over ever word that was said. Not to mention, he didn't know we were engaged. Jhondie hadn't been able to tell him before and she wasn't wearing her ring right now. I wasn't offended. She never wore any jewelry on lab days. It was either on a chain around her neck or on the dresser in my bedroom. It would just depend on where she had gotten dressed that morning.
"Excuse us," I said to Zack, taking her hand and leading her outside to the balcony. Zack wasn't happy, but he was going to deal with it. I think he knew instinctively that there was only one person in the world that could convince her to leave Los Angeles right now.
"You have got to be insane if you think I'm leaving," she said in a low voice the second the door shut. "If, and this is a big if because right now Zack isn't exactly high on the trust scale, if I can't take one on, then how the hell are you going to if they come after you?"
"They're not going to come after me," I replied quickly. "If, and this is a big if, if somehow they managed to do what Manticore has been trying to do for ten years and actually know who you are, they're going to watch for you. They're going to know that you've spent your life in hiding and aren't going to come out if you think something's off. They are going to think of you as a Manticore soldier and that's what a soldier would do. They'll lie in wait for you but I don't think they'll be all that shocked when you disappear. They'll hear me and your mom wailing about how you disappeared without a trace and ran off with your old boyfriend and they'll give up and go after the next X-5."
"I'm supposed to just let you take all of the risks?" she whispered, her voice shaky. "I can't do that."
Gently, I took her face in my hands, our eyes probing deep into each other's. "Yes you can," I said softly. "Please, Jhondie. I've learned to let you take a lot of risks because there are things that you can do that I can't. Now you have to let me take a few because I can be just an ordinary guy. They're not going to bother with me. Please. You were going to go to Vegas next weekend anyways. Just got now and let me check out what's going on."
"And what if they do know?" she asked painfully. "What if they're not just running on intel that somewhere in the city is an X-5? If they are anything like Manticore, then they'll lie in wait for years."
"In that case you and I are going to have a beautiful home in Mexico after we get married there," I replied. We had worked out a lot of contact codes and codes for places long ago, just in case the worst came to worst. We could a hold of each other and apprise on movements. "It's going to be hard not seeing you for a while until you throw them off of your trail, but when you get to where you feel safe, you know how to reach me." Actually, it would be an interesting test of my new cell phone. New technology was in it that was sworn only God himself could track it. I had done some tests with Eyes Only and so far it proved right. As a matter of fact, he said he was getting a couple for some of his Seattle-based operatives.
"I can't ask..." she started but I leaned over and kissed her softly.
"You don't have to," I answered for her. "I told you that a long time ago. You just have to give me time to catch up, remember?"
She nodded and then her arms wrapped around my neck. I didn't care who was watching as I held her tightly. "I love you," she said softly.
"I know."
She looked up at me. "Promise me that if you need me, you'll call."
"I always need you, you know that," I tried to tease her, but she wasn't even breaking a smile. "I promise."
She hugged me again and then stepped back, taking a breath and wiping her eyes so that they were dry. "Okay," she said firmly. "Okay."
We went back inside and Kayla was once again sitting on the couch, her chin up defiantly. "I'm not going anywhere until I know what's going on," she declared.
"Good," Jhondie said. "That's exactly where you're going to stay until Justin gets back." Kay's jaw dropped.
"That's not what I meant!" she yelled.
Jhondie smirked and for a second, I saw a passing resemblance to Zack. "I know," she said, kneeling in front of her sister, taking her hands. "You have to trust me on this one. Okay? Just hang tight here and hopefully, it'll all work out."
"You're still going to go?" Kay asked. She looked up at me angrily. "You were supposed to keep her here."
"I'm going to keep her safe," I corrected. "I promise I'll make sense of it when I get back. I won't be long." And Zack did not look happy that I was going anywhere with them. Too damn bad, oh future brother-in-law of mine.
Jhondie hugged Kayla. "And if you even think about telling Mom you know what to get back at me, I am so kicking your ass later," she said firmly. Kayla finally smiled.
"You'll have to come back to do that," she said hopefully.
"You better believe it," Jhondie said. "See you later, kiddo." She grabbed the bag that she had dropped earlier and then the three of us were out the door.