tell me what you’re doing with…” she glanced at the paper next to him, “Francis Souza.” She snorted. “Seriously? His name is Francis?”
“Yeah, goes by Frank. And I am now looking at his credit cards. He rented a car; a charge came through ten minutes ago from a gas station on I-95 down near Richmond.”
She jumped to her feet the same time he did. “That’s hours from here.”
He nodded, grabbed an empty duffel bag, threw the laptop on his desk into it and turned to her. “Let’s go. We don’t have time to waste.”
She ran beside him, down the hall to one of the back entrances to the mansion. “Where are we going?”
“I sent Nick the latest information. He should be coming down the other side of the house and meeting us outside. We have to hurry if we want to get to Francis before he reaches whoever he is planning to sell that to.”
“We don’t know that he’s doing that, though,” she said once they reached the backyard. “And how the hell are we leaving?”
“Yes, we do know. His phone records indicate he’s been talking to a number registered to a military general and a second number to a known black market bio weapons seller.”
She stopped in her tracks. “You got all that while I was looking at your toys?”
“Yes.” He stripped off his shirt, jeans, and shoes, handing them to her. “Shove this in my duffel.”
She cleared her throat and started tossing his clothes into the bag. “As much as I love seeing you naked, I don’t think now’s the time―”
“I got your message,” Nick interrupted. “You sure about this?”
“He always told me he knew people in the Department of Defense, but I thought he was just talking out of his ass,” Zeke said.
“What the hell is going on?” Scarlett snapped. She turned to Nick. “Start talking, now.”
“When I injected Knox, I knew the possibility that he’d have more than one animal to shift into existed. He says another has spoken to him and he’s ready to let him out.”
“I thought you said it was bad to let him out into society. All that crap about not knowing if he would go postal and shit,” she snapped.
Zeke cowered away from her. “Yes, but we need to get Frank before he tells anyone about my research.”
Knox backed up until he was a good distance from them. Nick grabbed her hand. Then she watched Knox shift into a massive eagle many times the size of any she’d ever seen in the wild. His talons were the size of her face.
“Oh, my god,” she whispered.
“Jesus,” Nick mumbled.
Knox’s eagle spread its wings to the tune of at least twenty feet. The damn thing was the size of a small plane.
“ Come with me ,” Knox spoke into her mind. She threw the duffel over her shoulder and ran.
“What are you doing?” Nick ran after her.
“He needs back up. While I agree we should use his bird, someone has to go with him to neutralize the threat. I’ve done this kind of stuff with you many times, Nick.” She climbed on the eagle’s back, holding on to his neck.
“I’m calling some guys I know in the DC area. We’ll get you back up right away. Knox got us a license plate so we’ll send someone to get him, too. In case you don’t get there fast enough.” Nick had his phone in his hand as he spoke.
They took off, flying high and fast into the clouds. She was glad for her lioness. She dug her claws into the eagle’s feathers and it allowed her a safer hold.
“ Why didn’t you say something about the eagle before?” she asked.
“I didn’t realize what he was. He just showed up this morning, wanting to communicate.”
“Are there others?” she asked, her gaze on the buildings and houses that looked toy-sized.
“Other what?”
“You know what I mean, Knox. Don’t play dumb. Other animals that you haven’t mentioned.”
“It’s possible. I’ve had some strange sensations, but I guess I’ll know when they decide to connect.”
There was a long pause before she spoke. “ I’m
“Yeah, goes by Frank. And I am now looking at his credit cards. He rented a car; a charge came through ten minutes ago from a gas station on I-95 down near Richmond.”
She jumped to her feet the same time he did. “That’s hours from here.”
He nodded, grabbed an empty duffel bag, threw the laptop on his desk into it and turned to her. “Let’s go. We don’t have time to waste.”
She ran beside him, down the hall to one of the back entrances to the mansion. “Where are we going?”
“I sent Nick the latest information. He should be coming down the other side of the house and meeting us outside. We have to hurry if we want to get to Francis before he reaches whoever he is planning to sell that to.”
“We don’t know that he’s doing that, though,” she said once they reached the backyard. “And how the hell are we leaving?”
“Yes, we do know. His phone records indicate he’s been talking to a number registered to a military general and a second number to a known black market bio weapons seller.”
She stopped in her tracks. “You got all that while I was looking at your toys?”
“Yes.” He stripped off his shirt, jeans, and shoes, handing them to her. “Shove this in my duffel.”
She cleared her throat and started tossing his clothes into the bag. “As much as I love seeing you naked, I don’t think now’s the time―”
“I got your message,” Nick interrupted. “You sure about this?”
“He always told me he knew people in the Department of Defense, but I thought he was just talking out of his ass,” Zeke said.
“What the hell is going on?” Scarlett snapped. She turned to Nick. “Start talking, now.”
“When I injected Knox, I knew the possibility that he’d have more than one animal to shift into existed. He says another has spoken to him and he’s ready to let him out.”
“I thought you said it was bad to let him out into society. All that crap about not knowing if he would go postal and shit,” she snapped.
Zeke cowered away from her. “Yes, but we need to get Frank before he tells anyone about my research.”
Knox backed up until he was a good distance from them. Nick grabbed her hand. Then she watched Knox shift into a massive eagle many times the size of any she’d ever seen in the wild. His talons were the size of her face.
“Oh, my god,” she whispered.
“Jesus,” Nick mumbled.
Knox’s eagle spread its wings to the tune of at least twenty feet. The damn thing was the size of a small plane.
“ Come with me ,” Knox spoke into her mind. She threw the duffel over her shoulder and ran.
“What are you doing?” Nick ran after her.
“He needs back up. While I agree we should use his bird, someone has to go with him to neutralize the threat. I’ve done this kind of stuff with you many times, Nick.” She climbed on the eagle’s back, holding on to his neck.
“I’m calling some guys I know in the DC area. We’ll get you back up right away. Knox got us a license plate so we’ll send someone to get him, too. In case you don’t get there fast enough.” Nick had his phone in his hand as he spoke.
They took off, flying high and fast into the clouds. She was glad for her lioness. She dug her claws into the eagle’s feathers and it allowed her a safer hold.
“ Why didn’t you say something about the eagle before?” she asked.
“I didn’t realize what he was. He just showed up this morning, wanting to communicate.”
“Are there others?” she asked, her gaze on the buildings and houses that looked toy-sized.
“Other what?”
“You know what I mean, Knox. Don’t play dumb. Other animals that you haven’t mentioned.”
“It’s possible. I’ve had some strange sensations, but I guess I’ll know when they decide to connect.”
There was a long pause before she spoke. “ I’m
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