“Sure looks that way.” He continued to tower over her, his luminescent eyes probing her.
“I’m new here. I didn’t know the guy.” She fumbled with the device in her pocket, trying to tap out the rhythm to activate it. She dropped it into the folds of the pocket lining.
“New, eh. You should introduce yourself. I’m Nyle Curtis. I own Omega as much as any man can.”
“I’m J-ess.” She retrieved the transmitter and tried again.
“Jess.” He leaned down and she shriveled. “I introduce myself to all the new girls and the best way is by fucking them.”
In her pocket the device vibrated. Curtis unfolded his arms and flexed his fingers. The first attempt at scanning had failed. She quickly tried another pattern of taps.
“I’d rather get to know you some other way,” she suggested. Mason would be furious with the way things were going. How long before he risked intervening? She hoped he stayed back, trusting her to do the job, because she feared he might be killed if he attacked Curtis.
“I prefer my way,” he said, grinning so hard the scars on his face deepened into troughs.
She swallowed hard; her throat was dry. The vibrations had stopped. Again, it hadn’t worked. She’d only two more left to try. Perhaps the implant was encrypted or had its own blocker. She’d no way of knowing.
“It doesn’t quite appeal, not yet.” She lifted her voice, hoping Mason would hear and know that she was okay. Curtis hadn’t touched her, at least not yet. “Perhaps I need more drink.” She held the glass to her quivering lips and swallowed a little. The fiery liquid trickled down her throat and she choked—what had he ordered for her?
She blinked a few times. The walls briefly warped and the floor bowed. The drink was drugged—the barman fidgeted with a bottle, avoiding her eye contact. She pushed the glass away. “Perhaps not.”
Concentrating hard, she focused on the next pattern of taps. If she didn’t keep alert, the plan was blown and Mason would be forced to step in to rescue her. She thought of Teesha and the other girls, some of whom might be in the bar, and it helped, knowing she was there for them.
The grin on his face had spread to his ears. “Then let’s go say hello properly.”
“Over there?” She pointed at the dark corner.
“There?” he laughed, a low vibrating rumble. “I’m taking you somewhere special. Somewhere you’ll never forget. There’s this old cell, used by the army when they built this place, and it’s really well equipped. I like toys. You might not, but I don’t care. Move, Jess. We’re going.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
Jade felt sick; the vibrations had ended. She’d only one pattern left to try. However, her fingers were trembling too much and she couldn’t get the sequence of taps correct.
Curtis’s unnerving gaze shot to her pocket and he frowned. He’d seen her hand move. “What you’ve got there?” he snarled. “Show me your hand.”
Next to her, the barman was stepping backward, fixated on something happening behind Curtis. She took the device out of her pocket. It was vibrating. She held it out on the palm of her hand.
“It’s my secret,” she whispered. “A little pocket toy, you know.” She winked.
The smile reappeared and he chuckled. “It shouldn’t be in your hand. I’ll make sure it’s shoved somewhere else.” He reached out to snatch her wrist. So fast, faster than her eye could track, he had his fingers locked around her arm, pulling her up. She wrapped her fingers around the device and held onto it. If she dropped it…
The vibrations intensified. The signal had matched his wavelength—the scanner had worked. She pressed the button just as a hand clamped down on Curtis’s shoulder.
“Get your fucking hands off my girl,” Mason snarled.
“I saw you coming, idiot,” Curtis said. “I can see you.” Eyes in the back of his head! “She’s my girl now.”
Jade kept pressing the button. Why hadn’t it worked?
Mason wouldn’t stand a chance. The cyborg would crush him. Curtis let go of her wrist and turned. Halfway around, he halted.
“What the fuck?” He stared at his outstretched arm. “Fucking move,” he shouted at his frozen limb, then he stared at his legs. He’d turned into a statue; only the muscles in his belly and neck could move. He tried to pivot, but instead he lost his balance and fell sideways, his arm out in front of him.
If she wasn’t so scared, Jade might have found the situation comical. Curtis cursing on the floor, his limbs paralyzed, while Mason blasted his temple with the stun gun until his eyes closed and he went quiet.
Satisfied Curtis was contained, Mason held Jade in his arms. “I couldn’t stand back and let him touch you. Are you okay, did he hurt you?” Mason examined her wrist. There was a red mark left by Curtis’s pinching grip.
“I’m fine. A little shaken up.” She held out the device and beamed. “It worked, it actually worked.”
He slipped it into his pocket. “A dangerous weapon.” He winked, a half-hearted attempt at humor, because she could see that he was holding back his emotions—the color was gone from his face and he was breathing heavily.