Passionate Obsession by D.M. Mortier
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Scientists
Havana, Cuba…
“What do you mean he’s not answering your call?!” Dr. Forbes whispered furiously. She stared in abject fury and incredulity at her colleague, Dr. Everette. “This is our last opportunity to gain any kind of leverage on Katia. How could you have lost contact with him?”
“I know how important this is,” Dr. Everette hissed out impatiently. “Do you think I don’t know how important this is? You think I want to tell them…” Dr. Everette jerked his hand discreetly toward the generals, who were currently sitting around the only table in the room mulling over some meaningless charts in front of them. At least they didn’t know yet that those charts were meaningless. Only he and Dr. Forbes were aware of how useless those documents and stats they contained were without Dr. Reiner’s serum.
“Do you think they were made to disappear?” Dr. Forbes’ voice was barely above a whisper. A whisper not only to prevent the generals from hearing their conversation but a whisper because she was becoming afraid of Katia and her husband. “We still don’t know the powers that they have. They make things disappear. They steal senses. They move around without being seen. They have super strength. We have no idea what we’re up against! Or even who!”
“That bastard, Reiner, knows, and he didn’t warn us.” Dr. Everette turned his back to the generals, not wanting them to realize how angry and afraid they were. Yes, afraid. He could see the same fear and feeling of inevitability in Dr. Forbes’ eyes.
Not only had Katia rendered him temporarily blind, but she had also made the two agents with him writhe around the floor in pain. Somehow, she’d rescued her husband out of Agent Giselle’s flat when they had him in their custody. The inexplicable escape of the children and the agents being effortlessly incapacitated and dispatched at their plane ratcheted up the fear in his gut. It seemed that, no matter how many agents they sent, where they sent them, that family dispatched them easily, and without killing anyone. That terrified him more than anything. It spoke of their absolute power and lack of fear. He was spooked and trying his best not to show it.
“They had to have helped Dr. Reiner escape,” Dr. Forbes said in a defeated awe. “We are in the heart of Havana, surrounded by government troops and in the middle of a secure compound. And yet, we were unable to stop them. How are they doing this?”
Dr. Everette shrugged stiffly. He hated the feeling of helplessness swirling around them.
“What are we going to tell them?”
Dr. Everette looked over at the generals and swallowed audibly. “We have to continue faking it until we can get back home.”
“But we’re wanted by the U.S. government,” Dr. Forbes protested.
“I prefer to take my chance with Congress than the brutality of these men.” Dr. Everette knew that Gloria was well aware of the danger that they were in. If the generals came to know that the serum that Dr. Reiner had left was nothing more than saline water, they would be dead within seconds.
“What is this delay?” General Kamenev shouted. “Where is the leverage you promised us? When can we see a demonstration of the power of this serum? You assured us that the absence of Dr. Reiner would not impede our progress.” His question and rage were directed at Dr. Everette.
However, that didn’t stop Dr. Forbes from squirming in her classy pumps and designer suit. She prided herself on always projecting success and elegance. It was a camouflage that had often assured her success when dealing with men. It didn’t hurt that she had the figure of a model, jeweled green eyes, and angel-fine blonde hair. General Kamenev might not realize it, but he directed his anger toward Dr. Everette because he had yet to see Dr. Forbes as a serious threat. And that had been Gloria’s weapon her entire life.
“Everything is on target,” Dr. Everette assured the general.
Gloria didn’t dare look at her colleague as he told that bold-face lie.
“And the serum?” The general was persistent.
“We will be ready to start administering it to your men by tomorrow. We need a few more vials to ensure we have sufficient test subjects.”
Gloria breathed out slowly as General Kamenev seemed to accept the explanation and turned back to his fellow generals at the table. The North Korean general had joined them about three hours ago. The cruelty in his dark gaze scared the bejesus out of her. They had to find their way off this island if they had any hope of surviving the next twenty-four hours.
The lies that Dr. Everette told gave them a stay of execution and had given them an opportunity to escape. However, her relief was short-lived, as seemingly, out of nowhere, she felt a paralyzing pinch to her neck, which she knew meant that Katia and her husband were near. “I really hate that woman!” was her last thought before oblivion took her.