it wasn’t a face that needed enhancement. It could have done with some color, though. She was white as ice.
Other than that . . . what wasn’t he seeing?
“What?” Mac echoed.
“Her face, goddammit!” Jon tapped the screen, his finger making a little thud on the glass right over the image of her face. “Look at it!”
Mac and Nick stared at the screen, then at each other. What the fuck?
Jon gave a snort of disgust. “Jesus, observation skills zero, both of you. You know what I’m seeing? Nothing! That’s what I’m seeing.”
Mac and Nick glanced at each other again. Mac shrugged. “Hell if I know what he’s talking about.”
“She’s not afraid, you asshole!” Jon shouted. “I defy any human being, let alone a woman who is by all accounts a geek and is certainly not an operator, to be kidnapped, taken somewhere unknown, have the hood whipped off unexpectedly and see your face and not shit herself with fright. Come on, you know what you look like. God knows you use it often enough to intimidate. It’s not working with her. Look, goddammit! ”
Mac looked. The screen shot showed Mac with his war face on while Catherine Young looked straight up at him. Her face showed exhaustion, vulnerability, tiredness. But not fear. No fear at all.
“Dude.” Jon turned to Mac. “You’re terrifying. I know you and know you’re one of the good guys. But shit—sometimes you scare me ! Think about it. She’s not scared. She’s not taken by surprise by your ugly scarred mug. So—either she already knows what you look like or she falls into instant love. And I opt for Door Number One.”
“He’s got a point, Mac,” Nick said slowly, eyes riveted to the screen. “No offense, but how can she see you suddenly and not run screaming? Particularly since basically she’s your prisoner? Can she—does she know you?”
That one Mac could answer. “Never seen her before in my life.”
“Then—there’s something there we’re not seeing, not understanding.”
The three men were silent.
“She saw a photo of you somewhere,” Nick said slowly. “That’s the only thing I can think of. That’s why she was prepared.”
“Negative,” Mac shot back sharply. “We’re fucking ghosts. ”
No way. Lucius had ruthlessly destroyed all documentary evidence of their existence in and out of the military. And when the Captain did something, he did it thoroughly.
“Unless . . .” Jon began, a frown of concentration between his blond eyebrows.
“Unless?”
“Well, crazy as it sounds, she’s saying the Captain sent her.” He held up a hand. “Wait. I’m not saying she was sent by Lucius, I’m just saying she’s saying Lucius sent her. And, well, just about the only explanation I can come up with for her reaction when she sees you for the first time is, ahm . . .”
“Lucius described me to her.” Mac kept his voice flat. “She knew what I looked like because Lucius told her what I look like. Which would mean that she’s right. Lucius is in Palo Alto. And in trouble.” He gritted his jaw muscles, looked at his teammates. “Code Delta.”
The meal was so good it might even be worth getting offed afterwards.
Catherine would have sworn her stomach was so knotted up she would barely be able to choke down a few bites, but at the mere smell of the food, her stomach simply opened up like a door.
Maybe it was the animal in her, she thought, that wanted to live. The lizard part of her brain waking up, pushing for survival.
She’d spent her childhood and teen years suppressing the lizard brain, believing her gift came from the unconscious. She never let herself be swayed by emotion, by need, ever.
And yet the scientist in her knew that was nonsense. Whatever it was that allowed her to read emotions, it wasn’t a thing that could be exorcised from her life. It could be suppressed for a while, sure. She should know because she was the Queen of Suppression.
But when it came roaring back, it was
Other than that . . . what wasn’t he seeing?
“What?” Mac echoed.
“Her face, goddammit!” Jon tapped the screen, his finger making a little thud on the glass right over the image of her face. “Look at it!”
Mac and Nick stared at the screen, then at each other. What the fuck?
Jon gave a snort of disgust. “Jesus, observation skills zero, both of you. You know what I’m seeing? Nothing! That’s what I’m seeing.”
Mac and Nick glanced at each other again. Mac shrugged. “Hell if I know what he’s talking about.”
“She’s not afraid, you asshole!” Jon shouted. “I defy any human being, let alone a woman who is by all accounts a geek and is certainly not an operator, to be kidnapped, taken somewhere unknown, have the hood whipped off unexpectedly and see your face and not shit herself with fright. Come on, you know what you look like. God knows you use it often enough to intimidate. It’s not working with her. Look, goddammit! ”
Mac looked. The screen shot showed Mac with his war face on while Catherine Young looked straight up at him. Her face showed exhaustion, vulnerability, tiredness. But not fear. No fear at all.
“Dude.” Jon turned to Mac. “You’re terrifying. I know you and know you’re one of the good guys. But shit—sometimes you scare me ! Think about it. She’s not scared. She’s not taken by surprise by your ugly scarred mug. So—either she already knows what you look like or she falls into instant love. And I opt for Door Number One.”
“He’s got a point, Mac,” Nick said slowly, eyes riveted to the screen. “No offense, but how can she see you suddenly and not run screaming? Particularly since basically she’s your prisoner? Can she—does she know you?”
That one Mac could answer. “Never seen her before in my life.”
“Then—there’s something there we’re not seeing, not understanding.”
The three men were silent.
“She saw a photo of you somewhere,” Nick said slowly. “That’s the only thing I can think of. That’s why she was prepared.”
“Negative,” Mac shot back sharply. “We’re fucking ghosts. ”
No way. Lucius had ruthlessly destroyed all documentary evidence of their existence in and out of the military. And when the Captain did something, he did it thoroughly.
“Unless . . .” Jon began, a frown of concentration between his blond eyebrows.
“Unless?”
“Well, crazy as it sounds, she’s saying the Captain sent her.” He held up a hand. “Wait. I’m not saying she was sent by Lucius, I’m just saying she’s saying Lucius sent her. And, well, just about the only explanation I can come up with for her reaction when she sees you for the first time is, ahm . . .”
“Lucius described me to her.” Mac kept his voice flat. “She knew what I looked like because Lucius told her what I look like. Which would mean that she’s right. Lucius is in Palo Alto. And in trouble.” He gritted his jaw muscles, looked at his teammates. “Code Delta.”
The meal was so good it might even be worth getting offed afterwards.
Catherine would have sworn her stomach was so knotted up she would barely be able to choke down a few bites, but at the mere smell of the food, her stomach simply opened up like a door.
Maybe it was the animal in her, she thought, that wanted to live. The lizard part of her brain waking up, pushing for survival.
She’d spent her childhood and teen years suppressing the lizard brain, believing her gift came from the unconscious. She never let herself be swayed by emotion, by need, ever.
And yet the scientist in her knew that was nonsense. Whatever it was that allowed her to read emotions, it wasn’t a thing that could be exorcised from her life. It could be suppressed for a while, sure. She should know because she was the Queen of Suppression.
But when it came roaring back, it was
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