“Sorry to disappoint you,” he bit out, “but not that I know of.”
He stiffened as the door flung open without warning and shoved them both into a hate-fueled silence. Tilting his head, he regarded his partner.
Josh’s chest heaved as his bewildered gaze darted between them. Pausing, he scrubbed a hand across his nape. Uncertainty replaced some of the panic stamped across the sharp angles of his partner’s face.
“Can we help you, Agent Reevers?” Marx asked with more than a twinge of sarcasm.
“I just…what are you doing here, Baas?”
His normally smooth baritone was strained, incredulous. Sebastian’s brow lowered and knitted in confusion.
“Where else would I be?” he asked.
“Perhaps you’ve forgotten how to knock, Joshua. Or maybe you failed to notice we are in the middle of a meeting. Either way, I suggest you remove yourself from this room and find something useful to occupy your time,” Marx interrupted.
“But…”
“Now, Reevers!”
The commander’s harsh bark was almost deafening. Sebastian flinched, unable to help the grimace that rose with the renewed throb behind his sinuses. Something close to pleading haunted Josh’s eyes as they locked with his from across the room. He watched with more than a twinge of curiosity as helplessness and frustration played across his partner’s face like a kaleidoscope before he departed with a slow shake of his head. The uneasy feeling returned full force. Whatever it was, it was important. Something was wrong. His heart stutter-stopped in his chest.
Had something happened to his sister or one of the kids? His piercing gaze swung to their director and narrowed in question. What the hell was Marx trying to hide this time?
It was hard to tamp down the suspicion and accusations, especially knowing what he did. Marx’s power trip wasn’t just threatening his family this time around. It was life and the entire world, as he knew it. His fingers bit deep into the back of the padded office chair to keep from curling around his gun.
“You need to get your men under control.”
Clenching his jaw, Sebastian forced a stiff nod.
“I want a full report on your conversation with Mrs. James within the hour. I suggest you get it done before then.”
Blowing out a forceful breath, he watched the commander leave. He raked his hands through his hair, giving the disheveled curls a wild tug before dropping into his chair. He didn’t have time to confer with his team about what he had learned, let alone see what had Josh in an uproar. Part of him knew that was exactly what Marx intended, but it was better to play along, at least for the moment, than risk another long stint in one of the reconditioning cells. After pouring himself a drink, Sebastian downed the sweet amaretto whiskey with a grimace. Perhaps it was better this way. Every time he thought about Project Blue, or what Marx’s plans with the program might entail, his stomach burned, panic threatened, and fear started to get the upper hand. There was no room for that here. Here in the land of death, only cold calculation and anger were allowed to breathe.
After dropping the report on Marx’s desk, he prowled the corridor, searching for his partner. Despite the distractions menial paperwork provided, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling seeping into his bones. Frowning, he keyed in his partner’s number. He tensed at the sound of the phone ringing down the hall and disconnected the call. Josh appeared around the corner a few seconds later. Frustration and worry gathered in creases around his steely eyes.
“There you are. Jesus, it’s about time,” Josh hissed.
“I got to you as soon as I could. What’s wrong?”
“When is the last time you checked in on Taylor?” Josh asked, glancing over his shoulder before closing the distance between them.
“I haven’t talked to her since I left the house this morning. She was going to run some errands with Rupert and check in with me this afternoon. Why?”
“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you all morning. There was some kind of accident. The call came in a little bit ago. I overheard Marx talking to the hospital, and I’m guessing it was pretty bad. As soon as he found out it wasn’t you in the car, he started looking for ways to tie you up. You gotta get out of here, Seb. Go see what’s up. I’ll cover for you as best I can.”
The world droned in and out around him as he backed away and tried to process that last dose of information. First Blue and now this. It was too much. Just too damn much. Plowing a hand through his hair, he shot his partner a parting glance and made a beeline for the front entrance. His guts felt lodged in his throat as he shoved the doors open and shouldered past the guards hard enough to send one of them stumbling back on his heels. He offered no apologies. His steps quickened as he strode toward the Benz, fully expecting Marx’s deep voice to shatter the silence behind him. It wasn’t until he slid behind the steering wheel that he let out the breath he’d been holding. His hands shook as he fumbled for his keys, his gaze darting to the front doors. After several tries, he finally managed to jamb it into the slot. Gunning the gas, he threw the car into reverse and peeled out of the parking lot with a shrill bark of the tires.