Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome #1)(101)

Atherton leaned back, relaxing. “Of course I want her back for her research skills and knowledge. The woman is brilliant.” He exhaled slowly. “And yes, I want her back for personal reasons, too. When I first recuperated from the fever, I scared her, and I regret that. It took a while to gain my, well, balance back.”

Jax studied him, fighting the urge to punch the guy who used to date Lynne. However, Atherton’s statement about the fever was true, and Jax could relate. “You killed the sitting president of the United States.”

Atherton blanched. “I know. Not my finest moment.”

Jax tried to hide his surprise. “So you do admit it.”

“I do.” Atherton shook his head. “Of course, he was weak and wasn’t working for the country. She told you that, right?”

Jax kept his expression stoic. “I know everything.”

“Good. Going forward, we have to be honest with each other. The president was weak, desperate, and he was hurting the nation. He’d put our soldiers at great risk, and somebody smarter needed to step up.” Sorrow, deep and glimmering, filled Atherton’s eyes. “I reacted quickly and without any finesse, trying to protect my country.” His gaze narrowed. “What would you have done?”

Jax didn’t flinch. “I don’t know,” he said honestly.

“Now I have to live with what I did, but all I can do is go forward from here. I wasn’t quite right after the fever for a while. You know?”

Jax nodded. He still didn’t feel like himself. “Lynne is afraid of you. Thinks you want to hurt her.”

Atherton’s head jerked back. He blew out air. “I guess I don’t blame her, but shit, that hurts.” He turned and looked out the window. “If I stay away from her, just communicate through intermediaries, do you think she’ll come back to work for the government to head research? We need her. Bad.”

“I don’t know. How about you give me the USB drive, and we find out?” Jax asked.

Atherton shook his head. “No. You have to understand that I need to consolidate and keep the research, right?”

Yeah. It’s what Jax would do. “No. If I can get it to Lynne Harmony, then you should give it up.”

Atherton lifted his chin, blue eyes glittering with questions. “I’ll rephrase the language, but Cruz said you and Lynne have started a relationship.”

Jax lifted an eyebrow and forced a half-smile. “Cruz makes shit up.”

Atherton studied him for several moments, and Jax returned the stare without blinking. “She’s a beautiful woman,” Atherton said slowly.

Jax shrugged even though his heart started to pound against his rib cage. “I’m more interested in her brain,” he said. “Other than that, I don’t have time for entanglements.”

“Smart. In your position, you can’t afford to be manipulated by emotion.” Atherton steepled his fingers under his chin. “Even though I have feelings for Lynne and have for quite some while, I’m not blind to her brilliance or ability to manipulate people. One can’t get to her position in life at such a young age without having those abilities.”

Jax tried to look bored. Was Atherton just reminiscing, or was he trying to mess with Jax’s brain? Either way, enough. “You said you had medical supplies and food.”

“I do.” Atherton leaned forward. “Any chance you’ll trade Lynne for both? I can give you enough to sustain your entire group for two years.”

Two years? That’d be enough time to hang tight, let the gangs kill each other off, and plan for the move north. Trade her? “You’d take her unwillingly?”

Atherton sighed. “No. I want her willing to help. But how can I talk to her, convince her that my initial response after the fever wasn’t me and that I’ve changed, if she keeps running from me? If I could just talk to her, I could explain.”

Jax eyed the guards standing at attention. “I don’t know you, and I don’t trust you. However, I’m not sure there’s anybody better waiting in the wings to lead the country right now.” He slowly stood. “I actually don’t have Lynne Harmony, but I know where she is.”

Atherton blinked. “She’s not with your group?”

“No. We traded her for weapons and ammunition, including land mines and grenades.” Jax lifted a shoulder. “I don’t have the laboratory resources necessary to use her knowledge, and weapons are more useful to me than the former head of the CDC infectious diseases department, blue heart or not.”

Atherton’s nostrils flared. “Then where is she?”

Jax smiled as he lied his ass off. “I’ll reach out and then be back in touch with you. If I’m able to get her, or rather the folks who have her, are willing to work with you, I expect compensation.”

Atherton stood, his gaze darkening. “You have twenty-four hours to reach out, and then I’ll go find her myself, and I’ll start with dismantling your community, just to make sure.”

Was the president pissed because he’d lost Lynne, or was he actually angry Lynne had been traded somewhere else? The guy was impossible to read.

Atherton gestured toward the door. “You’re dismissed. And, Mercury? If Lynne has been harmed because of your actions, I’ll put a bullet in your head myself.”