Valor, Variant - 2: A Dark Genetic Manipulation Romance, page 19
“Alright, but, I still don’t know what’s wrong with Shauna. I thought we were friends,” Two said.
“That’s your problem, Two. She doesn’t want to be your friend. She wants more,” Law said.
~~~
Valor sat at a small metal table with a laptop in front of him. He typed in command after command, as he did his best to bring the software Feral and Steel had installed on the satellite feed mounted at the top of the facility they’d been watching for two days now. “Sonofabitch!” he grumbled. He scrolled back a few entries, then seemed to have another idea and began keystroking again.
“No luck?” Scorn asked.
“I’m getting there. They’ve just got a hell of a firewall.”
“You need us to go back?” Steel asked.
“Not yet. Let me work on this a little more,” Valor said.
“So, what did you see? Anything worth reporting?” Lethal asked, as he watched Feral use the edge of his teeshirt to wipe the black and gray camouflage grease stick from his face. They’d just gotten back from splicing the line and installing their relay, and hadn’t had time to say much more than did it work?
“Just a couple of guards out front. They are not military, or even well trained. Seems like a standard facility from the outside, sanitarium or such. Private facility, not open to the public. It’s got a guard shack out front and each vehicle coming and going would have to be checked and admitted,” Feral said.
“Employees?” Lethal asked.
“A dozen and a half vehicles in the parking lot. Seven are cars, the balance trucks,” Steel said. “Makes me think more guards than medical personnel.”
“Agreed,” Lethal said.
“I don’t think Waller is here,” Grudge said. “He’d have more security if he was.”
“I think he’s right,” Valor said, still typing away on his laptop.
“Alright. Once Valor gets eyes on the place…” Lethal said.
“If Valor gets eyes on the place,” Valor interrupted.
Grudge and Lethal shared a grin. “Valor will get eyes on it, we’ll watch for routine and schedules. Then we’ll make a plan, both teams in at once split into three. One to sweep the building and seize anything that seems remotely useful — electronics, files, etc., one to handle the employees and determine who goes back to Alliance for interrogation, and one to rescue. The opposition will be controlled by an extra set of hands that has been made available to us. If all goes well, they’ll regularly be scheduled out with Variant teams as needed.”
“Are they Variant?” Grudge asked.
“No. They’re Special Ops, under Colonel Bates’ command, assembled particularly for this purpose. They’ve recently reached this level and are anxious to assist us in anyway they can.”
“Why’s that?” Malice asked with his usual cynical attitude.
“Because we were once them. They’re aware our fate could easily have been theirs. Newly recruited to this level, so that Bates knows them personally and there will be no question of their loyalty and purpose.”
“You trust them?” Callous asked.
“I have my reservations about most military, but I trust Bates. And he trusts these men. He’s assembled this team, like I said, handpicking them personally to build a support team available to us as needed,” Lethal said.
“Good enough for me,” Revenge said.
“Colonel Bates’ team is assembled within striking distance of the facility. I give the word and we all assemble to move in as one. But this is our show, they’ll be providing basic support, patrolling the grounds and securing the perimeter which frees us up to handle the rest.”
“That’s handy,” Nina said.
“They’ll also be on clean up and sweeping the rest of the facility after we leave. They’ll be taking into custody anyone we find and determine is of little-to-no use to us. Those we think can offer more information will be coming with us.”
“Since this is personal to Nina, we’ll handle the first sweep, electronics, files, etc.,” Grudge said. “Likely won’t be much paperwork. The last few we swept only had employee records and only then the bare minimum required for reporting income to the government for taxing reasons. All other records were spotty, some destroyed as we got there. The little we were able to save was clearly results from testing and evaluations of our males as they progressed through their trials. We’ve even started breaking apart the computers and simply taking the hard drives with us - much easier to carry.”
“Same,” Lethal agreed. “If it’s a laptop we grab it, all phones, etc, but desktops we just take the hard drive.”
“Still recording serial numbers?” Feral asked.
“Normally yes, but we don’t need them this time. The woman that tipped us off is the one who supplied the equipment. We don’t have to trace it back to find out who ordered it,” Lethal answered.
“Alright. We all move in with the Colonel’s team, they’ll hold the perimeter secure, then we’ll start the sweep for information,” Grudge said. “If we finish up before you do, Lethal, we’ll move upstairs to help with whatever you need.”
“Smitty will be nearby with the chopper running, Valor aboard with the laptop, advising us as we move through the building,” Lethal said. “Keep your helmets on at all times. If you remove it, you can’t hear him if he’s warning us of opposition approaching.”
“I’ll be monitoring their security system, the phone lines, as well as video cameras. I’ll be your eyes and ears for all you can’t see while you’re there. If I tell you to move, move,” Valor said.
“You in the system?” Lethal asked, looking over at Valor.
Valor grinned confidently. “I’m in,” he said.
All the males moved over behind Valor to see what he’d managed to tap into with the relay Steel and Feral had installed. “Fucking genius,” Callous said, slapping Valor on the back as they now had access to banks of multiple video feeds.
“Changes the whole way we do business,” Lethal agreed, as he pressed a button on his cell phone. He stood behind Valor watching the inner workings of the facility they were about to infiltrate and take control of. “We’re in,” he said into the phone. He nodded a few times as he listened, before he finally spoke again. “At least twenty-four hours, preferably forty-eight, unless we see something that makes us have to move faster.” He listened for a moment longer then said, “We’ll advise when an exact time has been determined,” before ending the call.
“Alright,” he said, looking around the two SOT teams of Variant people surrounding him. “Now we sit down and watch. Once we’re comfortable with their routines, we move in.”
Most of them made themselves comfortable in the cold, deserted storage building they’d made home base in. A couple of the males, along with Nina, pulled up chairs to sit with Valor and watch what he did. Of particular interest were the feeds that clearly displayed females, rewards, it seemed. What was puzzling, was that there didn’t appear to be any Variant males on site.
They watched as the security cameras cycled through, giving black and white views of all the rooms they were installed in.
“I don’t see any males,” Frenzy said.
“Me, either,” Valor said, watching intensely as the views cycled past.
“There are rewards right there,” Nina said, pointing to the screen.
“We have the blankets we carry in our packs to cover them with. It’s worked so far, you think it’s enough?” Feral asked.
“They’ll be thankful for anything that offers them a bit of covering,” Nina said.
“You guys have them, too?” Feral asked Callous.
“Yeah, if you don’t have enough, we do have ours with us as well,” Callous said.
“Looks like four rewards, but I’m not finished viewing the entire facility yet,” Valor answered.
“If there are rewards, there must be males somewhere,” Scorn said, coming to take a seat beside Nina. “Either way, we’ll get out whoever’s in there.”
“Including that bitch,” Nina said.
The males peered closer. “You know her?” Callous asked.
“Up close and personal. She’s the doctor we were expecting since her name was on the requisition for the medical supplies. Dr. Scarborough. She’s responsible for developing the cocktail they shot us up with to be sure we’d submit,” Nina snapped out. “She’s a heartless bitch. We were nothing more than laboratory rats to her.”
“We’ll make her feel especially welcome,” Frenzy said with a gleam in his eye.
“You know I promised her to Nina,” Grudge said, from across the room.
“Doesn’t mean we can’t help,” Frenzy answered, the psychotic look in his eyes rearing its head before he shoved the feeling down deep inside again.
“That’s up to Nina,” Lethal said.
“I want to help make her suffer,” Frenzy said, looking at Nina with an eerie smile.
“After we get all the information we can from her, you’ll be the first I call,” Nina promised.
“Cool,” Frenzy said, grinding his teeth and snarling as the doctor slapped one of the rewards she was addressing on the video they were watching. “Looking forward to it.”
~~~
Shauna opened the door to the admin building and stepped inside. The first thing she noticed was Two standing in front of the door to her office, waiting for her. She steeled herself against the emotions that assaulted her and avoided his eyes as she walked toward him.
“Morning, Shauna,” Two called out brightly as she got closer.
“Two,” she answered as she unlocked the door and pushed it open so she could enter. The weight of the heavy glass door was suddenly non-existent as Two held it open as she went through it. She looked up to see his hand on the door and him smiling down at her. “Thank you,” she said, but still offered him no smile or greeting of any type.
“I know you just got here, but can I get the number to Sin’s phone so I can call Becky since he left his phone with her?” he asked, spelling out in detail what he wanted and why, as was his way.
“I just walked in, Two. Give me a minute and I’ll look it up for you,” she answered. “I know exactly why you’re here.”
Shauna walked over to her desk with her arms full — lunch box, purse, jacket for when the office got too cold — and stood there, looking down at her desk. She raised her eyes to Two questioningly.
“Law unlocked the door for me so I could leave you a cup of tea, just like you like, and a turnover. Then he locked it back so you’d know I respect your privacy,” Two explained.
Shauna looked down at the steaming cup of tea, which seemed to have cream in it and most likely sugar, as was her preference, and the apple turnover next to it. “You didn’t have to bribe me, Two. It’s my job to give you the information you need.”
Two’s smile fell slightly. “It’s not a bribe. It’s just because I know you like it. I wanted to be sure you had your breakfast.”
“Why? You haven’t even remembered that I’m alive lately, no reason to start being attentive again,” she said, placing her purse in the drawer of her desk and her lunch box on top of the file cabinet behind her.
“That’s because I was busy taking care of Becky and Skylar. But I should have made time for you, too. I’m sorry I didn’t,” Two said.
“Doesn’t matter, Two. I don’t want to know,” she said, pulling out her chair and sitting down.
“But I want you to know. I was worried about Valor, and I was worried about Skylar. And I let it take over my brain and I didn’t realize I made you feel like you didn’t matter.”
Shauna looked up at Two as she moved the tea and the turnover to the far edge of her desk, indicating she didn’t want them. “Why would you worry about Skylar and Valor. What does he have to do with the little girl?” she asked, meaning to be condescending, but she wasn’t very good at it, she was too kind.
“Because he’s her daddy. And Becky is his wife, from before we were Variant. Didn’t you read that in the files?”
Shauna’s mouth dropped open. “No, I don’t read the personal files unless I’m asked to. It’s none of my business. I try to give all of you your privacy as much as possible.”
Two smiled. “Becky is Valor’s wife from when he was Aiden. She’s not mine. I was just trying to be nice to her because she was scared and they have a little girl who was scared, too. Kids shouldn’t ever be scared, it’s our job to make sure they’re not.” He walked over and moved her tea and turnover back in front of her. “I don’t really want to talk to anybody but you, Shauna. I’m just not real good at it,” Two confided.
“You seemed to have no problem talking to Becky and Skylar,” she said, though the bite of her tone was gone.
Two shrugged. “Because I only want to be her friend. Friends don’t compare you to the other males in their life. They just like you for you.”
“Two… I like you for you,” Shauna said.
“You might not if you get to know me. I’m not like most of the others,” he said.
“That’s why I like you,” she said.
Two smiled nervously at Shauna.
“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions,” Shauna said.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make sure to tell you what was happening. Becky could probably have used a friend. I’ll introduce you if they ever come back.”
“I’d like that,” Shauna said. She powered up her computer and logged in. While she was waiting for the program to load that would give her the phone number Two waited for, she reached for her tea and took a sip. She closed her eyes and smiled as she held the cup in both hands. “Just the way I like it.”
Two grinned at her. “I watch when you make yours in the cafeteria in the mornings. I paid attention so I’d know how you like it.
“Thank you, Two.” Her program beeped and her spreadsheet filled her screen. “Here we go,” she said, putting down the cup and writing the number on a piece of paper before handing it to Two. “This is the number assigned to Sin’s phone.”
“I'm gonna go call her. Can I come by later?” he asked.
Shauna nodded. “Yes, please.”
Two waved at her with the paper in his hand and hurried from her office. “Thanks, Shauna!” he shouted as he ran from sight.
Chapter 18
“Mama! It’s ringing!” Skylar shouted as she ran from the kitchen table to the bathroom, holding the phone in the air.
Becky took the phone and swiped the screen to see if she knew the incoming number. She didn’t, which didn’t surprise her since it wasn’t originally her phone, so she just accepted the call and put the phone to her ear to listen.
“Becky?” a familiar voice asked. “It’s Two.”
“Two!” Becky said excitedly. “How are you?” Becky asked.
“I’m okay. I miss you guys,” he said.
“I’m sorry we left the way we did, but when offered the chance to leave, I jumped at it. We didn’t belong there, Two. I’d have called, but I didn’t know your number, and I didn’t even have my phone. I still don’t. This one is Sin’s, which I’m sure you figured out since you called it,” she rambled.
“Yeah, he said he left it with you. I’m sorry, Becky. That’s why I’m calling. I’m sorry I didn’t offer to take you home. I should have. But I didn’t think about it any other way than you are Valor’s wife and that you’d want to be here.”
“But, that’s just the thing, Two. I’m not Valor’s wife. I’m Aiden’s wife. And he’s gone,” Becky said.
“I know. Sin made me see that. I'm sorry, and I hope you’ll still be my friend.”
“Of course, Two. We’ll always be your friend.”
“Okay, good. Do you need anything? Can I help you somehow?” Two asked.
“No, thank you. Sin took care of us. And I’m getting ready for work right now. Soon as I take Skylar to school, I’m going in to talk to my manager. Hopefully, I’ll still have my job. If not, I’ll start looking for another one,” Becky said.
“If they don’t let you keep your job, let me know and we’ll see if we can help you find something,” Two said.
Becky smiled to herself. “I’ll probably see if I can find something myself, but if I can’t, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay. Hey, can I come visit ya’ll?” Two asked.
“Sure. We’re pretty busy during the week, but on the weekends, you’re welcome to come by. Sin can tell you how to get here, and I’ll text you my address now that I have your number.”
“Okay, thanks,” Two said.
“I hate to cut you off, but I have to finish getting ready. We can’t be late today,” Becky said.
“Oh, sure. No problem. I just really wanted to apologize, Becky. I’m sorry for not realizing you might not want to be here,” Two said.
“It’s okay, Two. I forgive you,” Becky said.
“Thank you,” Two answered. “Have a good day. Hug and kiss Skylar for me. Tell her I miss her and I’ll take care of her drawing on the sidewalk to make sure it stays. I’ll keep touching it up.”
“I’ll let her know. She misses you, too, Two.”
“Bye, Becky,” Two said, grinning happily since he’d been able to apologize to Becky. He ended the call and smiled looking out over the ducks in front of his house. He glanced over toward the colorful chalk garden he and Skylar had drawn. Parts of it were beginning to fade away — it was after all, only chalk. He picked up his phone again and brought up the online store he’d ordered the chalk from. “Gotta get some more so I can keep her garden the way she left it,” he said aloud as he searched through his previous orders so he could just hit the reorder option.
~~~
There was no moon, no stars, you couldn’t even see the heavy clouds that blocked everything out in the night sky. The darkness was so oppressive the sky itself felt like it was bearing down on the SOT and Special Ops teams as they silently approached the nine foot fence surrounding the private medical facility.
