Red Night ((Book 1) Timewalker Chronicles) by Michele Callahan

“Trent.”
    “Yes.” Luke strolled over to his locker and pulled his shirt on. “The other guys told me he was really worked up when he came in earlier this morning.”
    “Why?”
    After pulling a pair of boxers on underneath the fluffy white towel he threw the towel onto the floor. “He got canned.”
    Shaking her head, she tried in vain not to stare at Luke’s bare legs. What did that mean? “I don’t understand that term. What’s canned?”
    “They fired him. Took him off the project. Gave him his walking papers. Told him to get his shit and get out. Canned.”
    Alexa was surprised the seams in his pants didn’t rip open, Luke was shoving his legs into them with such force. “His employment was terminated? Why?”
    “Because I had to be an ass and make a few phone calls.”
    Was Luke clenching his teeth? She drifted closer, close enough to touch him, but didn’t. “I don’t understand.”
    “I don’t either.” Fully dressed and ready to go, he slammed his locker closed. “Damn it! They weren’t supposed to do this until after tomorrow night. I guess the Colonel hated him too much to wait.”
    Tomorrow night was the big party. The time and place, it was believed, where the Red Death launched its attack on the world. “So, Trent got mad and managed to walk out of here with M-6? Why? What’s he going to do with it?”
    “Sell it, probably. He’s the only one who could’ve taken the cultures. I’m sorry”
    Her knees buckled and she sank down onto the hard metal bench. “We have to find him.” The bug was out. She’d failed. And now, they only had twenty-four hours left to find Trent and stop him from killing them all.
    “Damn it. I hate this. Where the hell are you?”
    Alexa gladly allowed her energy pattern to return to normal. The moment she did, he pulled her into his arms.
    Her mind in turmoil, Alexa rested her head against Luke’s chest and allowed the steady beating of his heart to calm her. Hell. It looked like she was going to have to kill a man after all. Trent had to be stopped. She couldn’t let anyone, or anything, stand in her way. And that included her own traitorous heart.
    Reluctantly, she disentangled herself from his embrace. “Who’s he going to sell it to?”
    “I have no idea.” Luke looked like he wanted to reach for her again, but thought better of it. “But he’ll be at the fundraiser tomorrow. That’s where the initial outbreak takes place.”
    Alexa nodded. “How would you like to be my escort tomorrow evening?”
    His smile turned her bones to jelly. “We’re going to need a plan. It’s not too late to stop this thing.”
    “What I’m going to need is a dress for the party.” And a gun. Definitely a gun.

Chapter Five
     
    “How long should we wait out here?” Alexa asked. They’d been parked a half block away from Trent’s home for over an hour. It was after midnight and they hadn’t seen any sign of him. Alexa shifted uncomfortably in the soft leather bucket seat next to Luke and looked through his binoculars toward Trent’s two-story colonial style home. The house was new, but built to look old. Red brick spanned the front and was accented by two white columns. Climbing rosebushes and vines covered the front of the home up to the top of the first floor windows. Several lights were on, but every single curtain was closed.
     
    “Hell, I don’t know. Let me check my spy handbook.”
    The annoyed look she cast his way made him want to kiss her. Before he could, she focused her attention on the house again. “Got a copy of ‘Breaking And Entering For Dummies’?”
    “This isn’t funny, you know.”
    “I know.”
    Of its own volition, his right hand caressed her neck and his thumb feathered over her left cheek. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t stop touching her, couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was the only thing standing between the entire world and Death. And she’d trusted him. It was humbling. And terrifying.
    Lightning