Forged in Smoke (Red-Hot SEALs #3)(89)
The original intention of the machine had been energy based after all; they hadn’t been doing any research on people’s brains.
“It started small. Lights turning on or off randomly. Machines as well. We thought the lab had an electrical short. We didn’t put it together until Marcy asked Julio to turn on Big Ben and the machine suddenly powered up. Marcy laughed, said, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if it turned off just by asking too?’ And it just . . . turned . . . off. That’s when we started testing her on other machines, the centrifuge, the microwave, the lights, everything. It became obvious fast. All she had to do was think about turning a machine on or off, and it did. But we didn’t know why. Not at first.” Her face tightened for a moment and she took a deep, calming breath. “We didn’t realize her sudden almost-supernatural ability was connected to the Thrive generator until the machine overheated and shut down during our flurry of testing. Just like that, Marcy was normal again. That’s when we put it together. The ability was only present when the prototype was on.”
Rawls’s chest tightened in sympathy. Marcy and Julio had been two of her friends murdered in the lab that day. Apparently two people those bastards hadn’t had any use for.
“You said three of you had the ability to sync with the machine. If they do create the prototype, they can use it too—”
“No,” Faith broke in. “None of the people kidnapped were able to sync with the machine.”
“So they killed those of you who could sync with it?” Cosky asked, a puzzled tone in his voice.
“Not exactly. Whoever attacked us and kidnapped my team didn’t know about the machine’s side effects. We were very careful to keep that quiet. They must have been after the new energy utilization, or possibly they were interested in repurposing the prototype as a clean bomb. It would take very little rewiring to create an energy distributor.” She paused for a moment to frown and then shrugged. “I’m guessing, of course. But if they’d known about the secondary effect, they wouldn’t have killed Marcy or Bekka, and they would have tried harder to find me.”
It took Rawls a second to realize what she’d just admitted.
Oh hell, no.
His whole body stiffened. He didn’t bother praying that nobody else had picked up on that confession because every single person in the room had been trained to zero in on and use such slips of the tongue.
Jesus—Faith had no f*cking clue what she’d just brought down on her head.
“Let me get this straight,” Mac said slowly. “You were one of the three who could sync with the machine.”
Rawls’s fists clenched, of course it would be Mac to feed her to the lions.
“I was,” Faith admitted with a frown. She glanced at Rawls, and whatever she saw on his face had her eyes widening in alarm.
“Forget it,” Rawls snapped. Shoving his chair back, he surged to his feet. “We don’t even know if they’ve built the damn machine.”
“But if they have,” Wolf said, his dark gaze fixed on Faith’s profile. “And Dr. Ansell can sync with it . . .”
“No,” Rawls snapped again, his voice rising. “We aren’t talkin’ about a f*ckin’ walk in the park, here. You’d be puttin’ her life in danger, and for what? For the possibility that she might be able to sync with a machine that probably isn’t even erected yet? Her team was grabbed less than two weeks ago. That isn’t enough time to build this contraption.”
“You don’t know that.”
He’d expected the cool counterargument, just not from Faith.
“Faith.” He paused to calm his breathing. “You don’t know what they’re askin’. You don’t—”
“I think I do.” Her voice was very quiet and far too determined. “I think I know exactly what they’re suggesting. They’re suggesting I come along and sync with the prototype if it’s operational.”
Okay, so she had picked up on what they were asking of her. But damn it, she didn’t know what she was getting herself into. Rawls raked a hand through his hair, shocked to find his heart hammering like he was fighting for his life. Hell, he was sweating like a stuck pig too. He could feel his shirt sticking to his back.
“You don’t have CQB trainin’, you don’t—”
“She will be protected,” Wolf broke in, his normally inscrutable face softened by sympathy, except he was looking at Rawls, not Faith.
“You can’t protect her from everythin’.” He could hear his voice rise, but he was powerless to stop it. “All it takes is one stray bullet. One moment of inattention. She’s not trained for this. You have no damn right to drag her into the field.”
And for the first time since—well since that other life, when he’d still had a sister and family—panic struck. Strangled him with fear. His breathing hitched, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his head.
He’d just found her, Goddamn it. Barely had her back from the dead. He wasn’t going to lose her so soon. Fuck, he wasn’t going to lose her ever.
What the hell?
Where did that come from?
“What about what I want?” she asked, her gaze locked on his face as though they were the only two people in the room. “Those were my friends they murdered in the lab. My friends are being held by a group of monsters who treat people like disposable objects. Who jeopardize children for the sake of their own agenda. If there’s even the slightest chance that my presence could help bring these monsters to justice, then I’m doing it.”