will it cost me?”
Daria made a little gasping sound, a sure indication he was being rude. He didn’t care. Any time wasted on pleasantries gave Messenger more time to track them down.
“Depends on what you’re after.” Bulletproof crossed his arms over his chest.
Noah ignored the posturing and the long, assessing gaze. Everyone in this room knew disclosure and transparency weren’t the hallmarks of the UI system. Secrets and the handy need-to-know excuse, those were the keys to survival. “I want her ,” he tipped his head to Daria, “out of Messenger’s reach.”
“We were working on that when you interfered,” Bennett muttered.
He shot Daria a hard look, his new-found confidence taking a hit. “You said -”
“I’ve only spoken with Ben. I swear it,” she murmured. “He hadn’t yet told me who he planned to contact.”
Her steady brown gaze offered enough reassurance he wasn’t being played. Not by her. The others were still wild cards. No matter the connections, he didn’t trust any of them. Friendships weren’t lasting in his line of work.
“Why don’t we all sit down,” Daria suggested, gesturing toward the table. “If it needs to be in terms of a deal, I’m offering full disclosure about the researching and testing programs in exchange for an escape route for both of us.”
Noah stared at her, suddenly understanding why Messenger was willing to kill her before he confirmed who she’d spoken to. After years of dedicated service, he knew how the man in the gray suit thought. Messenger had confirmation of Daria’s intentions through other sources. His boss had sent him into a no-win situation. If Last Strike became collateral damage while carrying out the kill order, it was a tidier outcome for UI.
“We’re all on the kill list,” he muttered without thinking. He’d never cared about dying, but a tiny, almost imperceptible part of him regretted the inevitable fate racing toward the others like a runaway train.
“Such encouraging words,” Chameleon muttered. “Ever try digging up an ounce of enthusiasm for us humans?”
“Enough,” Bulletproof said, no less intimidating in a chair than he’d been standing up. The man was a legend. “We’re not picking a fight, Ben. We’re sorting things out.”
“Are we?” Noah held the other man’s hard gaze, unwilling to yield.
Bennett cleared her throat. “We are. You saved her, when we have it on good authority you were sent to kill her.”
Ha. Now Chameleon was an authority ? “I was sent to find out who she was talking to. Call it a bonus for Messenger if I let myself get so distracted by my own vengeance that I didn’t notice the backup team he sent along for the ride.” That short speech shocked them into silence. In the quiet, he could make out Chameleon’s movement behind him. “Call off your invisible dog,” Noah said to Bulletproof. He waited out the arched eyebrow and the barely perceptible twitch of the other man’s head. When Chameleon grumbled again, from the other side of the room, Noah returned to the pertinent topic. “Dr. Johannson wants out of the UI system. How can I help you make that happen?”
“How do we know you won’t double cross us?” Bennett’s eyes were sharp.
“You don’t,” he admitted. Chameleon’s comments echoed in his head. He could only hope they got her away from him before Messenger ordered him to fulfill his assignment.
Bulletproof leaned forward. “You’ve saved her life twice. Why?”
Noah scowled. How could they know about the parking garage? He’d corrupted the security feed himself. He glanced in Chameleon’s last known direction.
“That’s right,” the disembodied voice confirmed, near the railing overlooking the first floor. “I had eyes on her when Gerardi tried to gas her.”
Noah’s temper flared. “And you were going to let her die?” No way he’d trust Daria to that much unpredictable crazy.
“No. I was going to figure out what that creaky old
Daria made a little gasping sound, a sure indication he was being rude. He didn’t care. Any time wasted on pleasantries gave Messenger more time to track them down.
“Depends on what you’re after.” Bulletproof crossed his arms over his chest.
Noah ignored the posturing and the long, assessing gaze. Everyone in this room knew disclosure and transparency weren’t the hallmarks of the UI system. Secrets and the handy need-to-know excuse, those were the keys to survival. “I want her ,” he tipped his head to Daria, “out of Messenger’s reach.”
“We were working on that when you interfered,” Bennett muttered.
He shot Daria a hard look, his new-found confidence taking a hit. “You said -”
“I’ve only spoken with Ben. I swear it,” she murmured. “He hadn’t yet told me who he planned to contact.”
Her steady brown gaze offered enough reassurance he wasn’t being played. Not by her. The others were still wild cards. No matter the connections, he didn’t trust any of them. Friendships weren’t lasting in his line of work.
“Why don’t we all sit down,” Daria suggested, gesturing toward the table. “If it needs to be in terms of a deal, I’m offering full disclosure about the researching and testing programs in exchange for an escape route for both of us.”
Noah stared at her, suddenly understanding why Messenger was willing to kill her before he confirmed who she’d spoken to. After years of dedicated service, he knew how the man in the gray suit thought. Messenger had confirmation of Daria’s intentions through other sources. His boss had sent him into a no-win situation. If Last Strike became collateral damage while carrying out the kill order, it was a tidier outcome for UI.
“We’re all on the kill list,” he muttered without thinking. He’d never cared about dying, but a tiny, almost imperceptible part of him regretted the inevitable fate racing toward the others like a runaway train.
“Such encouraging words,” Chameleon muttered. “Ever try digging up an ounce of enthusiasm for us humans?”
“Enough,” Bulletproof said, no less intimidating in a chair than he’d been standing up. The man was a legend. “We’re not picking a fight, Ben. We’re sorting things out.”
“Are we?” Noah held the other man’s hard gaze, unwilling to yield.
Bennett cleared her throat. “We are. You saved her, when we have it on good authority you were sent to kill her.”
Ha. Now Chameleon was an authority ? “I was sent to find out who she was talking to. Call it a bonus for Messenger if I let myself get so distracted by my own vengeance that I didn’t notice the backup team he sent along for the ride.” That short speech shocked them into silence. In the quiet, he could make out Chameleon’s movement behind him. “Call off your invisible dog,” Noah said to Bulletproof. He waited out the arched eyebrow and the barely perceptible twitch of the other man’s head. When Chameleon grumbled again, from the other side of the room, Noah returned to the pertinent topic. “Dr. Johannson wants out of the UI system. How can I help you make that happen?”
“How do we know you won’t double cross us?” Bennett’s eyes were sharp.
“You don’t,” he admitted. Chameleon’s comments echoed in his head. He could only hope they got her away from him before Messenger ordered him to fulfill his assignment.
Bulletproof leaned forward. “You’ve saved her life twice. Why?”
Noah scowled. How could they know about the parking garage? He’d corrupted the security feed himself. He glanced in Chameleon’s last known direction.
“That’s right,” the disembodied voice confirmed, near the railing overlooking the first floor. “I had eyes on her when Gerardi tried to gas her.”
Noah’s temper flared. “And you were going to let her die?” No way he’d trust Daria to that much unpredictable crazy.
“No. I was going to figure out what that creaky old
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