Samantha Ryan placed her hands on the front of her boss’s
desk and said, "I want a transfer, not more of your damn
excuses."
She knew that speaking to your boss in such a manner
generally wasn’t a good idea, especially when he was the
man in charge of both the Special Investigations Unit and
the more secretive Federation. A man more inclined to kill
first, and ask questions later.
Not that she thought he’d kill her. He had as much
interest in finding out who and what she was as she did.
But he certainly could make her life hell, which was
precisely her current situation.
She leaned across and added, "Sir," a touch sarcastically.
Stephan Stern, the boss in question, raised one blond
eyebrow, as if mildly surprised by her outburst. An
outburst he’d known was coming for months. "You know I
don’t want to do that."
"I don’t honestly care what you want anymore. This is
about what I want." She pushed away from the desk, unable
to stand still any longer. Damn it, she’d spent more than
half her life with her head basically in the sand,
cruising through life rather than participating, and she’d
had more than enough. The time had come to get greedy, to
think about her wants, her desires, for a change. And what
she wanted right now was not only a more active personal
life, but a working life that involved more than a broom
closet. "Transfer me back to State, let me resign, or find
me another partner. As I said, I don’t care. Just get me
out of the current situation."
Her angry strides took in the length of the beige-colored
office in no time. She turned to face Stephan. His
expression was as remote as ever. But she’d learned very
early on that Stephan was a master at hiding his emotions—
and that that dead face was just as likely to mean fury as
calm.
"I prefer to leave you with Gabriel. I still believe you
two will make a formidable team."
She snorted softly. "That has never been an option, and I
think you and I realize that now."
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried, for God’s sake. But her
damn partner was still going out of his way to exclude her
from everything ranging from investigations to chit chat.
Access to the SIU’s vast computer system just wasn’t worth
all the frustration and unhappiness.
Especially since she was getting jack shit in the way of
information about the past she couldn’t remember. Hell,
her dreams were providing more information than the SIU’s
system. Only trouble was, how much could she actually
trust the dreams?
How much could she trust the man who constantly walked
through them?
She didn’t know. Nor did she have anyone she could talk to
about it—and that was perhaps the most frustrating thing
about this entire situation. She needed to get a life.
Friends. People she could trust and talk to. Hell, even a
pet would be better than going home alone to a soulless
hotel room every night.
"I prefer to give the situation more time." He crossed his
arms and leaned forward against the desk. "However, I do
have another option that might suit us both."
She met his gaze. His blue eyes were sharp, full of
cunning and intelligence. A shark by nature, and the
reason he ruled the SIU and the Federation, rather than
his twin, Gabriel.
Of course, that also meant she was beating her head
against a brick wall where Gabriel was concerned, because
Stephan was always going to look after his twin’s
interests first. Even if said twin didn’t appreciate his
efforts anymore than she did.
She came to a stop in front of his desk, and couldn’t help
feeling like a fish about to be hooked. "What might that
be?"
"You remember Dan Wetherton?"
She nodded. Gabriel had found a clone of Wetherton in the
trunk of a car after some goons had Gabriel beaten up and
then kidnapped him. To what aim, no one knew. Nor did
anyone know why the clone had been killed. The real Dan
Wetherton—who was a minister with the current government—
was still very much alive and well.
"Well, as it happens, it wasn’t a clone Gabriel found that
day. It was the original."
She snagged the nearest chair and sat down, interested
despite her wariness. "I was under the impression no one
could create a clone that exactly duplicates the
mannerisms and thoughts of the original person. That they
may be genetically identical, but are nevertheless
different." She hesitated, frowning. "Besides, the
newspapers reported the find and the subsequent tests. He
was declared human in all scientific results."
"And a clone isn’t?"
She grimaced. Clones were human, no doubt about that. But
whether that fact actually gave them humanity was a point
of contention between the scientists and the
theologists. "Having only met one clone, who at the time
was trying to kill me, I don’t feel qualified to answer
that particular question."
Amusement touched the corners of his thin lips. "The test
results were altered by a party or parties unknown long
before we got them. We just released them." He picked up a
folder from his desk and offered it to her. "These are the
originals. Have a look."
From past experience she knew it was pointless to ask how
he’d gotten hold of the original papers. Stephan worked on
a need to know basis—and generally, that meant the less
every one knew, the better. She doubted even Gabriel was
privy to all his secrets.
Not that Gabriel himself worked on a caring, sharing
basis. Not with her, anyway.
She leafed through the information inside the folder. They
included the genetic tests on both Wetherton and the
clone, the coroner’s report, and Wetherton’s medical
history.
"Wetherton had cancer," she said, looking up. "Incurable."
"Which the current version no longer has."
She threw the folder back on the desk. "If you know he’s
not the original, why release the press report saying he
was? And why not simply kill him?" Which is what they’d
planned to do originally, before he’d been declared human.
"Because we wanted to know why he was cloned. And where he
was cloned."
"But not who had cloned him?" Did that mean they suspected
that the ever-present, but never found, evil they called
Sethanon was behind Wetherton?
"We find the where and we’ll find the why. But there is
only one suspect as to the whom."
"The military is experimenting with genetics. They might
very well be playing in the cloning minefield, you know.
There’s no reason why Wetherton can’t be their boy."
"No, there’s not."
His voice made it sound doubtful, and yet she had a vague
notion she’d hit the nail on the head. That for some weird
reason, he just didn’t want to acknowledge it. "And what
about the replacement parts industry? Have you checked to
see if they have started developing fully-formed beings,
or is that just too obvious?"
His expression became briefly annoyed. "We never overlook
the obvious."
Of course not. She smiled slightly. Irritating Stephan
might be akin to prodding a lion with a very short stick,
but when she got even the slightest reaction, it was oddly
satisfying.
"The black market trade in clones is booming," she said.
Of course, it was fueled mainly by humanity’s desperation
to cheat death. An incredible number of people seemed
willing to pay the exorbitant prices the marketers charged
and take the risk of attempting a cloning miracle—a new
body in which to live when their own was no longer of use.
But humanity was more than just a brain; it was also heart
and soul. Medical science might be able to transfer flesh
and brain matter, but how could anyone transfer a soul?
Even if they could pin down what a soul actually was?
Not that rules ever stopped anyone, especially when there
was huge money to be made.
And somewhere along the line, someone had succeeded in at
least achieving part of the impossible—fully fleshed,
viable clones who looked and acted like the original.
Wetherton, and her ex-partner, Jack Kazdan, were proof of
that.
"His source is not black market. We’re sure of that."
She studied him for a moment, then changed
tactics. "Wetherton’s just been made minister for Science
and Technology, hasn’t he?"
He nodded. "Two years ago he was trying to shut down many
of the science programs, stating the money could be better
spent on the health care system. Now he’s in charge of the
whole lot."
"Why hasn’t anyone questioned this sudden change of heart?
Surely the press has noted it."
"Noted a political back flip?" Amusement touched his lips
again. "You’re kidding, right?"
Point made. Back flips by politicians were such an
everyday fact of life that even the press had got tired of
them. And the public at large simply ignored them, except
when the flips directly affected their pockets.
"What advantage would having a clone in such a position be
to someone like Sethanon? I would have thought it would be
more advantageous for him to have the Science and
Technology division’s development hindered rather than
increased."
"That question is not one we can answer."
Not until they caught Sethanon, anyway. And he had proven
as elusive as a ghost.
"So, you’ve had Wetherton watched?"
"Had an agent in his office for the last two months. She
can’t get close enough. Wetherton plays his cards very
close to his chest."
If the man was a clone, he’d have to. One mistake and the
truth was out.
"What does all this have to do with my wanting a transfer?"
He smiled—all teeth, no sincerity. "The minister has
recently received several death threats. He was given
police protection, but the would-be killer has slipped
past them on a number of occasions and left his notes. The
minister now requests SIU’s help."
She regarded him steadily. "So who did you use to drop the
notes? A vampire? Or a shapeshifter?"
Amusement flickered briefly through his bright eyes. "The
original threats were real enough."
Yeah, right. There was just a little too much sincerity in
his voice to start believing that statement. "Am I the
only agent being sent in?"
"No. You’ll handle the night shift—it better suits your
growing abilities. Jenna Morwood will do days."
Morwood wasn’t someone she’d met. "What’s her specialty?"
"Morwood’s an empath and telekinetic."
So she’d be able to see an attack coming by simply reading
the emotions swirling around her. A good choice for this
sort of work. "We the only two going in?"
"Yes." He hesitated. "Wetherton has requested that the
night watch stay at his apartment when he’s there at
night. Since the first two threats were hand delivered,
I’ve agreed to his request. I want you to observe everyone
he meets. Become his shadow and learn his secretes."
A big task. "I doubt whether I’ll learn much. Surely most
of his business will be conducted during the day?"
Stephan smiled grimly. "Wetherton has a surprising number
of business meetings at night—and usually at nightclubs,
where it’s harder to get a bug in."
"He’ll be suspicious of me. He’s not likely to trust me
with anything vital."
"Not for a while. It may take months."
Months out her life and her need to find her past. But
also months away from the stone wall that was Gabriel.
Would absence make his heart grow fonder? A smile touched
her lips. Unlikely. "What about time off? You can’t expect
either of us to work seven days a week."
He nodded. "You get two days. Which two will depend on his
schedule. Generally, it will be the days he spends home
with his family. We have other arrangements in place
there."
The man spends two days a week with his family? That
didn’t quite jell with the caring father image he’d
painted of himself over recent years. "A real family man,
isn’t he?"
"Only since the original’s death. Bought a nice apartment
on Collins Street and now spends most of his nights there."
She frowned. "Will I be alone with the man? At night, I
mean."
"Generally, yes."
Oh Joy. "I hope you’re not expecting me to share the man’s
bed." That went way beyond the call of duty. Though maybe
Stephan figured she’d be a shoe-in for under-the-cover
work given her current lack of a sex life.
"No." He hesitated. "Though I should perhaps warn you that
Wetherton has had an endless stream of beauties on his arm
lately."
Great. She was protecting a lecher. Then she frowned.
Wetherton was somewhat ordinary in the looks department,
though that in itself didn’t mean anything. Some of the
ugliest spuds in the world had beauties far and wide
eating out of their palms, simply because of the wealth
these men had, or because of their sheer, magnetic power.
But from what she remembered of Wetherton, the man
possessed neither of those qualities.
So why the bevy of beauties? And how come it wasn’t
reported in the papers? Hell, any politician cheating on
his wife was big news, let alone one doing the horizontal
tango with a bevy of them.
"Will the press buy our sudden appearance in his life?
This sort of protection is usually handled by the Federal
Police, not the SIU."
"They won’t question our appearance after tonight, believe
me."
The dry coldness in his voice sent chills down her
spine. "What have you planned for tonight?"
"A spectacular but ineffectual murder attempt. Wetherton
may be injured, and will, of course, demand our help."
"Who’s the patsy?"
Stephan shrugged. "A young vampire we captured several
weeks ago. He’d been something of a political dissident in
life, and afterlife has only sharpened his beliefs."
And Stephan had been feeding his madness, aiming it toward
Wetherton. Meaning this plan had been burning in his mind
for some time. And that the picture was bigger than what
he was currently admitting.
Goose bumps ran up her arms, and she rubbed them lightly.
Perhaps the vampire wasn’t the only patsy in this
situation.
"I gather the vamp will die?"
"He murdered seven people before we captured him. This
death is merely a delayed sentence."
"What if he escapes?"
"He won’t."
She shifted in her chair. "If Wetherton is up to anything
nefarious, it’s doubtful I’ll be privy to it."
"No. There will be certain times you’ll be sent from the
room. This is unavoidable. To counter it, you’ll bug the
room."
"Most federal buildings have monitors. The minute a bug is
activated an alarm will sound."
"They won’t detect the ones we’ll give you. The labs have
specifically developed them for this sort of situation."
And no doubt developed a means of detecting them,
too. "How long do you think I’ll be guarding Wetherton?"
Stephan shrugged. "I can’t honestly say. It could be a
month, it could be a year. Parliament doesn’t form again
until the middle of next month. By then, the two of you
will be such a fixture no one will comment."
By then, she hoped Wetherton would reveal his secrets and
she could get on with her life. Spending months in
Canberra, yawning her way through endless cabinet
sessions, was not something to look forward to.
She crossed her arms and stared at Stephan. He returned
her gaze calmly. The uneasy feeling that he wasn’t telling
her everything grew.
"You’re doing this to get back at Gabriel, aren’t you? You
want him to care."
"I’m doing this because no other agents have your
particular range of talents. Your ability to detect evil
could be vital in this case."
No lies, but not the exact truth, either. She sat back,
feeling more frustrated than when she’d first entered his
office. Wetherton was not an option she really wanted, but
what other choice did she have? It was this, or put up
with endless hours of mind numbing paperwork in the
shoebox.
"How do I keep in contact?"
"You’ll be wearing a transmitter that will be monitored
twenty-four hours a day." He reached into his desk and
pulled out what looked like a gold ear-stud. "This is the
current model. It records sound and pictures. You turn it
on and off by simply touching the surface."
"I don’t have to get my ears pierced, do I?" She’d rather
face a dozen vampires than one doctor armed with a body
piercing implement.
Stephan’s smile held the first real hint of warmth she’d
seen since she walked into his office. "No. The studs are
designed to cling to human flesh. You actually won’t be
able to get them off without the help of the labs."
Just as well she could turn them off, then. She needed
some privacy in her life, even if it was only to go to the
bathroom.
"When do I start?"
"Tomorrow night." He picked up another folder and handed
it across the desk. "In here you’ll find detailed
backgrounds on his friends, family and business
acquaintances."
She dropped the folder onto her lap. There was plenty of
time to look at it later. "You were pretty certain I’d
take this job, weren’t you?"
"Yes. What other choice have you actually got?"
Indeed. "And Gabriel?"
"Will be told you have been reassigned."
Which would no doubt please him. He’d finally gotten what
he wanted—her out of his way. "And will I be? After this
assignment is over, that is?"
Stephan considered her for several seconds. "That depends."
"On what?"
"On whether or not he has come to his senses by then."
A statement she didn’t like one little bit. "You owe me,
Stephan," she said softly. For ordering her shot when
she’d been trying to stop the shifter who’d taken
Gabriel’s form. For the hour of questioning she’d faced
afterwards when she should have been in the med center.
For saving his twin’s life. "All I want is permanent
reassignment."
His gaze met hers, assessing, calculating. "All right," he
said slowly. "As I said, this assignment could take more
than a year to complete. If you still wish a new partner
at the end of it, I shall comply."
She stared at him. His agreement had come too easily. She
didn’t trust him. Didn’t trust that he meant what he said.
But for the moment, there was little she could do.
"What happens if I need access to files or information?"
"You’ll have a portable com-unit with you, coded to
respond only to your voice and eye scan. You’ll also have
priority access to all files, though a copy of all
requests and search results will be sent to me."
She raised an eyebrow. Priority access? Whatever it was
Stephan thought Wetherton was involved in had to be big.
The intercom buzzed into the silence. Stephan leaned
across and pressed the button. "Yes?"
"Assistant Director Stern to see you, as requested, sir."
"Send him in." He gave her a toothy smile that held
absolutely no sincerity. "Thought you might like to say
good-bye."
Gabriel was the last person she wanted to see. She was
barely controlling her temper around him these days, and
hitting him—a superior—would only get her into more
trouble than Gabriel was worth. And Stephan damn well knew
it. She thrust upright. "You’re a bastard, you know that?"
"No, I’m a man faced with two people who won’t acknowledge
that, at the very least, they are meant to be partners at
work."
The door opened, giving her no time to reply. She clenched
the folder tight, but found her gaze drawn to the tall man
entering the room. His hazel eyes narrowed when he saw her.
But just for an instant, something passed between them—an
emotion she couldn’t define and he would never verbally
acknowledge. And that made her even angrier.
"Sam," he said, his voice as polite as the nod he gave her.
"Gabriel," she bit back, and glanced at Stephan. "Will
that be all, sir?"
A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. He hadn’t missed
her reaction. "Yes. For now."
Gabriel stepped to one side as she approached. It was
probably meant to be nothing more than a polite action—he
was simply making way for her to get past—but it fanned
the fires of her fury even higher. One way or another,
this man was always avoiding her.
She met his gaze and saw only wariness in the green-
flecked hazel depths . Ever since the factory shootout
with Rose and Orrin six months ago, he’d regarded her that
way. She wasn’t entirely sure why. And in all honesty, it
was time she stopped worrying about it. There were more
important concerns these days.
Like finding out who she really was. What she really was.
Getting a life beyond the force.
She stopped in front of him. His scent stirred around her,
spicy and masculine, making her want things she could
never have. Not with this man.
"You win, Gabriel. You have your wish. I’m out of your
life." She held out her hand. "Wish I could say it’s been
pleasant, but you sure as hell made certain it wasn’t."
His fingers closed round hers, his touch sending warmth
through her soul. A promise that could never be.
"You’ve been reassigned then?" Relief edged his deep voice.
"Yeah."
He released her hand. Her fingers tingled with the memory
of his touch. Part of her was tempted to clench her hand
in an effort to retain that warmth just a bit longer. But
what was the point of holding on to something that was
little more than an illusion? A desire that probably came
from loneliness more than any real connection?
"Who’s the new partner?"
There was something a little more than polite interest in
the question. With anyone else, she might have thought
they cared. With Gabriel, who knew?
She shrugged. "It’s really none of your business now, is
it?" She glanced around at Stephan. "I’ll talk to you
later."
He nodded. She met Gabriel’s gaze one final time, her gaze
searching his, though what she was looking for she
couldn’t honestly say. After a few seconds, she turned and
walked out.
Gabriel watched her go. The anger so visible in every step
seared his mind, reaching into places he’d thought well
shielded and far out of reach. Whatever this connection
was between them, it was breaking down barriers not even
his twin had been able to traverse, and raising emotions
he’d long thought dead.
Which was just another reason to get her out of his
working life. Whether or not she should appear in his
social life was a point of contention between the two
parts of his soul. The hawk half wanted no strings, no
ties, nothing beyond those that already existed. But the
human wanted to pursue what might lie between them. Wanted
to discover if given the chance it could develop into
something more than friendship.
Not that there ever would be a chance, if her anger was
anything to go by. Which is precisely what he’d wanted,
what he’d been aiming for over the nine months they’d been
partners. So why did his victory feel hollow?
He shut the door and walked across to the chair. "So," he
said, as he sat down. "Where has she been reassigned?"
Stephan leaned back in his chair, blue eyes
assessing. "She’s right. It’s really none of your business
now."
"Don’t give me that crap. Just tell me."
Stephan smiled, though no warmth touched his cold
expression. It was that, more than anything, which raised
Gabriel’s hackles. Stephan was up to something, something
he wouldn’t like.
"She’s on special assignment as of tomorrow."
Gabriel regarded him steadily. His brother was enjoying
this. He could almost feel the satisfaction oozing from
his twin’s pores. "Give, brother. What in hell have you
done?"
Stephan steepled his fingers, and studied them with sudden
interest. "I’ve assigned her the Wetherton case."
The Wetherton case. The one case she should have been kept
well away from. "Get her off it, Stephan. Get her off it
now."
His twin’s gaze finally met his. In it was nothing more
than steely determination. "She is the best person for the
job, whatever the risks."
"You haven’t even warned her, have you?" Gabriel scrubbed
a hand across his jaw. Christ, she could be walking
straight into a goddamn trap, and there was nothing he’d
be able to do to save her.
"She knows we believe Sethanon could be involved," Stephan
commented.
"Which is the least of our worries. Wetherton’s and
Kazdan’s clones could have only one source, and we both
know it. Neither the government labs nor the black
marketers have succeeded with personality and memory
transfers. Hopeworth has."
"So our spy tells us. It’s not something we’ve been able
to confirm."
"I think Hopeworth basically confirmed it when they
maneuvered to get their clone in charge of the budget."
"If they wanted their clone in charge of the budget, they
would have got him assigned the Defense portfolio."
Gabriel crossed his arms. Hopeworth had fingers in both
pies, and Stephan knew it. "Did you even mention
Hopeworth?"
"It was mentioned. But we don’t know for sure if Hopeworth
is, in fact, involved."
"Then did you at least tell her Sethanon is more than
likely involved with Hopeworth?"
"No, because we have nothing more than a suspicion about
his involvement. We have no picture of this man. We don’t
even know if he truly exists. He is currently nothing more
than a name."
"That name has over thirty SIU and Federation deaths
attributed to it. I don’t particularly want her name added
to that list." His voice was tight with the anger coursing
through him. True, he’d wanted to lose her as a partner,
but he certainly hadn’t wanted to throw her to the lions,
and that’s basically what his brother had done. She would
have been safer remaining his partner than taking this
damn mission.
Stephan grimaced. "Nor do I, brother. Believe me. But we
need to uncover the source of these clones. We need to
draw out Sethanon, and we need to uncover whether or not
he is involved as deeply with Hopeworth as we suspect. The
truth is she’s the best bait we have to achieve all those
aims."
"What about our source in Hopeworth? Has he heard any
whispers about Sethanon?"
Stephan shook his head. "It’s not a code-name the military
uses."
"Kazdan knew who he was. Others must. It’s just a matter
of uncovering the layers of his organization."
"Which is why Samantha has been assigned to Wetherton. We
know he’s a clone. We know his name was on that list she
got from Kazdan. We need to know what that list was, and
what Wetherton promised to do to get his new lease on
life."
"But as I said, that puts her in too close a contact with
Hopeworth. That could be extremely dangerous."
Stephan leaned back in his chair and regarded him
steadily. "Only if, as you presume, she is a product of
Hopeworth itself."
"You’ve seen the initial reports from O’Hearn. You’ve seen
the coding. Whatever Sam is, it’s definitely not a product
of natural selection."
"Yet it was Sethanon who assigned Kazdan to monitor her
every move. Sethanon who appears to know just who and what
Samantha is. You noted that yourself. Couldn’t that mean
he’s responsible for her creation?"
Possible, but not likely. Gabriel didn’t doubt that
Sethanon wanted to use her. But if the man had been
responsible for her creation, why would he take the risk
of releasing her?
"Sam had a military microchip in her side. The same sort
that we found in both the Generation Eighteen rejects and
in Allars." She was also afraid of Hopeworth. Though she
had never said anything, he could feel it in her, feel her
fear, as clear as if it were his own.
"And yet our source in Hopeworth can find no record of
her, though he can find records on every other reject."
"Maybe because her project was destroyed by a fire years
ago."
"A fire would never destroy every scrap of information.
Nor could it erase every memory."
"Penumbra was destroyed that completely."
"People still remember the project, Gabriel. They just
don’t remember her."
The nurse who worked on the project apparently did. But
she was just one mind of many, and a woman with a faulty
memory at that. Partially thanks to Alzheimer’s, and
partially thanks to the military’s habit of "readjusting"
memories. Gabriel shifted restlessly in the seat. "What if
she isn’t a reject? What if she’s something else entirely?"
Stephan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
He didn’t really know. It was just a feeling. The extent
of Sam’s memory loss, the depth to which the truth
appeared to be buried, and the fact that someone was
willing to bomb the SIU in order to destroy her test
results—it all spoke of intent. It suggested that someone,
somewhere, was protecting her from her past, whatever that
might be.
He actually doubted that it was Hopeworth trying to
conceal who she was, even if they were her creators. The
military weren’t that subtle. Besides, if Sam was one of
their creations, they would never have let her go. Not
with the potential she was now showing.
"Look," Gabriel said, somewhat impatiently. "All I’m
saying is that if Sethanon feared her enough to place a
watch on her, we should not risk using her as bait in an
attempt to catch the man."
"We don’t even know if, in fact, it is a man we are after."
Gabriel leaned forward and glared at his twin’s altered
features. It was in moments like this, moments when he
almost wanted to punch the cold smile from his brother’s
face, that Stephan being a shapeshifter, who could take on
the shape of any male he touched, became a real problem.
It was harder to restrain the urge to hit him when he
wasn’t wearing his own face. "Damn it Stephan, don’t play
word games with me."
Something flickered through the blue of his eyes. Anger
perhaps. Or regret. "Do you, or do you not, agree that we
must learn more about Sethanon?"
"Yeah, but—"
"And do you, or do you not," Stephan continued, his voice
soft but relentless, "Agree that Sethanon’s interest in
Sam might be the lever we need to draw him out of the
shadows?"
Gabriel rubbed his forehead. This was one battle he wasn’t
going to win. Not that he ever won many against
Stephan. "The first hint of danger, and I’m going in."
"Samantha can take care of herself. She’s proven that time
and again."
But this was different. This was leaving her roped, tied
and blindfolded in front of an express train. "I won’t see
her harmed."
Stephan smiled. "And here I thought you didn’t care for
her."
"I’ve never said that. All I’ve ever said is that I don’t
want her as a partner. That I don’t want to see her dead."
"Have you ever considered the fact that this fear of
losing partners is irrational and maybe you should seek
psychiatric help for it?"
"Considered it? Yes. Acknowledge it? Yes. Am I going to
seek psychiatric help? No." He met his brother’s stony
gaze with one of his own. "If I wanted to talk to anyone
I’d talk to our father."
"Because, of course, you couldn’t talk to your brother."
Stephan’s voice was almost bitter.
Almost.
"My brother has a tendency to put the needs of the
Federation and the SIU above the needs of everyone,
including his brother."
Stephan didn’t immediately comment, just leaned forward
and picked up a folder from the desk. "Here’s the file on
your new partner."
Gabriel ignored the offered folder and stared at his twin
through narrowed eyes. "What do you mean, new partner?"
"I’ve told you before. All field agents, whether SIU or
Federation, now work in pairs. There’s been too many
murder attempts of late to risk solo flights."
"I don’t want a partner." What was his brother trying to
prove?
"Then you remain at your desk and leave the field work to
the agents in your charge."
He was tempted, very tempted, to do just that. But both he
and Stephan knew that being confined by four walls for any
length of time would make him stir-crazy.
Besides, he was more valuable to the SIU and the
Federation in the field.
"Who have you assigned?"
Stephan dropped the folder on the desk and leaned back in
his chair. Though there was no emotion on his face,
Gabriel could feel his twin’s amusement.
"James Illie."
Who was the State police officer they’d recruited after
he’d made a series of spectacular arrests—arrests that
involved one of the biggest vampire crime-gangs in the
city. He was good, no doubt about it.
Only trouble was, the man was a womanizer who was always
on the lookout for his next conquest.
"It won’t work." And Stephan knew it.
"Then make it work. And don’t try dumping Illie in the
dungeons. The man’s a stickler on workplace conditions.
He’ll bring in the unions the minute you try."
Wonderful. Just what he needed in a partner. "Is this all
you called me in here for?"
Stephan smiled. "No. There’s been a break-in at the
Pegasus Foundation we’ve been asked to investigate."
"The Pegasus Foundation?" Gabriel frowned, trying to
recall what he knew of the organization. "They won a
military contract recently, didn’t they?"
"To develop a stealth device for military vehicles, yes.
But whoever broke in wasn’t concerned about stealth
devices."
"Then what were they after?"
"That’s something you’ll have to find out. All I’ve been
told is that the person or persons involved managed to get
past several security stations, three laser alarms, and
numerous cameras. Only the fact that a photosensitive
alarm had recently been installed in the lab in question
warned them there was an intruder."
"Why were we called in? The Pegasus Foundation has more
military ties than we have agents. Why not ask them to
investigate?"
"It was the military who asked us to investigate." Stephan
hesitated. "Asked specifically for you and your partner."
"They mean Sam." But if the military didn’t know anything
about her, why had they specifically asked for her to be
included in the investigation?
"Who signed the request?"
"General Frank Lloyd."
As Alice would say, curiouser and curiouser. "Sam met
Lloyd at Han’s." She’d been wary of the General and
convinced they’d meet again. "You have to warn her about
the military’s interest."
"No, I won’t." Stephan hesitated. "And neither will you."
Like hell he wouldn’t. It was one thing to let her go. It
was another to leave her blind. He crossed his arms. "What
time is the Pegasus Foundation expecting us?"
Stephan glanced at his watch. "Four thirty."
It was nearly four now. Gabriel rose. "I’d better get
moving."
Stephan nodded. "Illie’s requisitioned a car and is
waiting out front."
Then he could wait. Gabriel met his twin’s gaze. "Thought
I’d skip without him, huh?"
Stephan’s smile touched his eyes for the first time. "I
know you, brother. Know the way your mind works. Don’t
ever forget that."
Then he’d know Illie wasn’t going to be a fixture in his
life for very long. If he’d wanted a partner, he would
have kept Sam.
"Then you’ll know precisely what I’m thinking now."
Stephan’s smile widened. "Yeah, and it’s not polite to
abuse a family member like that."
It was when your brother was being such a bastard.
Stephan’s smile faded. "Keep away from her, Gabriel. She
has a job to do. I don’t want you getting in the way."
"What I do in my own time is my business, not yours,"
Gabriel said, voice flat. "I’m warning you, don’t ever try
to control my moves there."
Stephan raised an eyebrow. "You have an obligation to both
the SIU and Federation, just as I have."
"Yeah, right." Gabriel turned and headed for the door. The
Federation and the SIU could go hang if it meant letting
Sam walk unwarned into a trap.
He may have succeeded in getting rid of her as a partner,
but that didn’t mean he wanted her dead.
"Gabriel, I’m warning you. Leave her alone."
He stopped with his hand on the doorknob and glanced over
his shoulder, meeting his brother’s gaze. "Or you’ll what?
Censure me? Bust me down to field agent again? Do it. I
don’t really give a damn."
"This could be our one chance to draw Sethanon out."
"That doesn’t justify sending her out blind."
"I’m giving you a direct order. Do not go near her. Do not
warn her."
"You’d better get my file out and add the black mark to it
now, because that’s one order I have no intention of
obeying."
He slammed the door open and walked from the room.