Tempting The Beast(76)

expecting. She was still with Kane and his family. An army themselves, she assured him. She trusted

them. But she didn’t trust Dayan. Callan rubbed his hands over his face. The truth was finally sinking in

and he hated it. Sherra was waiting with Kane for a call from him. As Merinus had said, the cells were

secured and Kane would know if they were being hacked.

He had slipped the phone out of his pack earlier. It lay on his desk now. He glanced at it, sighing

wearily. Picking up, he keyed a secured number in, watching the indicator at the back. It stayed green,

positive for a secure line.

“Merinus?” The line was answered quickly by a very irate brother.

“She’s sleeping.” Callan wanted this first conversation just between the two of them. “Where is Sherra?”

“Right here,” Kane answered. “Tell us where to meet you, Callan. The shit is getting deep now, we have

to get you to D.C. fast.”

“Let me talk to Sherra first. Then I’ll talk with you.” Callan would know by her voice if the man was to

be trusted.

There was a pause, the sound of a low feminine voice.

“Callan,” she spoke quietly. “Kane isn’t lying to you. We have major problems here.”

Callan breathed roughly, both in relief and in aggravation. At least she was safe.

“Where’s Dayan?” Callan asked her coldly.

There was silence.

“Sherra?” he asked her carefully.

“He’s disappeared, Callan. Taber and Tanner are tracking him, but he’s staying just out of reach.”

“What happened?” Something had, Callan knew, or the others wouldn’t be after him.

“He attacked Dawn.”

Callan was silent, feeling rage work through him, over him. After the horrors Sherra and Dawn had both

faced, he had dared to hurt her.

“How bad is she?” he asked her carefully, fighting his fury.

“Bad enough. But she’ll live through it,” Sherra sighed. “We have her in the safe house with Doc now.

He’ll take care of her. Taber and Tanner will take care of Dayan. We have to get you and Merinus to

New York. Kane’s setup is as secure as it gets, Callan. He has all the evidence in place, all we have to

do is get you to the Senate meetings this week on genetic engineering in D.C.”

Callan grimaced. He would have to stand before the world and claim he wasn’t quite human, not quite

animal. Sickness burned in his stomach. The only thing worse would be what would happen to Merinus if

they got hold of her.

“Are you at the location I gave you?” he asked her, referring to his coded directions in the email he sent.

“I’m here, as are Merinus’ brothers and her father. Tell us what to do, Callan.”

“Put Kane on.”

“How do you want to do this, Lyons?” Kane’s voice was set and determined.

“There’s an airfield about four miles from you. A small one. Very private and deserted. Have a private

plane there at noon tomorrow. Merinus and I will meet with you where you are now, and go to the

airport together. When we get there, your pilot will vacate the craft and I’ll fly us to an undisclosed

location outside D.C. If I can still trust you that far, then we’ll go ahead with your plans.”

“Trusting bastard, aren’t you?” Kane bit out.

“Kane, if the Council gets your sister, they will destroy her, painfully. There will be nothing left of her,

alive or dead when they are finished. I refuse to take a chance on that. And don’t think the Council isn’t

watching you, too. They know about Merinus and they know who she is, and if Dayan has betrayed us,

the plans your family has made as well. There’s no safety for us, or for you and your family until this is

finished.”

“I know what the Council is, Callan, and I have my own safeguards in place,” Kane assured him. “My

sister is everything to myself and the rest of her family. You can count on that.”

“As long as I can. Remember, noon tomorrow.” Callan disconnected, then flipped the phone to the

desk.

He breathed in roughly. Terrified to trust even someone Sherra was backing. He trusted no one but

himself and Merinus now. Especially now when the danger was so much closer.

He rose to his feet and paced the room slowly. The motel Kane and Sherra were staying in was one of

the best and he knew she would have taken precautions in checking in and disguising herself. They would

be aware that the Council had been watching them, their soldiers trying to track them. That was no

guarantee they had taken enough measures, though. There was no foolproof answer. His muscles

bunched with the tension that knowledge sent through him. The roads between here and D.C weren’t any