His voice was no longer cold, but hot with anger as he replied, “Number one, they’ve improved the process. It’s not going to kill you. And number two, don’t give me that “oh please save helpless little me” bullshit. You want this.”
“I do not!”
He gave a snort of disbelief. “Dr. Elihu showed me some of your test results. Your brain lit up like a Christmas tree whenever he asked you about doing the process or being a hero or any crap like that. You totally want to do it.”
“If I want it, how come I’m trying to talk you into letting me go?”
He didn’t reply immediately, giving Catalina hope. Then he said, “You’ve got mixed feelings. Just like everybody else. But you’re not an innocent victim. And I’m sick of listening to you. Forget questions. If you say one more word of any kind, I’ll tranquilize you.”
Catalina ground her teeth. She’d been so close!
All the rest of the journey, she tried to think of some plan to delay him or fight him or escape. But nothing came to her, other than hoping that Shane was all right and would catch up to them before they reached the base.
The bright beam of her captor’s flashlight picked up the gray concrete of the base. Her heart sank. Shane hadn’t come. What had happened to him? He had to be hurt. Badly hurt, or he’d have come anyway. Minor injuries wouldn’t have stopped him. Even something like a broken arm wouldn’t have stopped him. He was unconscious or couldn’t walk or was trapped somewhere. Or he’d been re-captured too. Maybe that was the best option.
Or he was dead.
Catalina flinched away from that thought. She wouldn’t believe it. She didn’t believe it. Either he was also being dragged back to the base, or he’d broken his ankle or something like that and hadn’t been able to travel fast enough to catch up with them.
“Home sweet home,” her captor said sardonically.
“You won’t think it’s so funny if I die here.”
“I don’t know why you keep thinking I care what happens to you,” he remarked. “I’m an assassin— a predator— an animal. I don’t care about anything.”
“Then why does it matter that I’m not an innocent victim?”
“Shut up.”
He dragged her into the base, where they were greeted by the usual array of guards, and then along the corridors and into the lab.
Dr. Elihu was waiting for them. “Good work. You didn’t find Garrity?”
The man shook his head. “He ditched her and took off. I could go back for him, but he’s probably long gone.”
Dr. Elihu was silent for a moment, looking thoughtfully into the man’s black eyes. “No... No. I expect you’re right. Don’t bother chasing him. I’ve just got one more job for you, and then you’re dismissed. She’s ready for ultimate predator now. Bite her.”
A jolt of pure adrenaline sang through Catalina’s veins. It was finally happening. There was nothing she could do to prevent it. But the thought excited rather than frightened her. In just a few minutes, she’d be a shifter!
She wondered what animal this man could turn into. A bear? A wolf? A panther, like Shane? She hoped for a big cat of some kind. Or else a dragon!
“No.” The man folded his arms. “I already told you, I won’t do that.”
“It’s only to protect her. Without shifter healing, she’s unlikely to survive the process.”
“I don’t care.”
Dr. Elihu scowled at the man. “Go to your quarters. If she doesn’t do well, I’m going to summon you back. We’ll see how you feel if she’s dying in front of you.”
“I. Don’t. Care.” The man turned around and walked out.
“You’re not going to do the process now, right?” Catalina asked uneasily. “There’s no point if I won’t survive it. You might as well shoot me in the head and be done with it.”
The doctor gave her an icy stare. “Oh, no, we’re doing it. He’ll come around. And even if he doesn’t, your experience will provide valuable data that will be useful for our next try.”
“Valuable data” like my death.
Hot fury flashed through her. Catalina punched Dr. Elihu square in the nose, throwing her full weight behind the blow. The force of the strike jarred her entire body, and the doctor fell on his ass.