Page 30 of Ghost
Two hundred meters outsidethe Noah Compound
“Don’t do it,” Brickordered. “Not yet. Everything isn’t in place.”
“Fuck. You expect me to sithere and watch Ghost being tortured without doing a thing?” Raysnarled before looking through the binoculars again. A young womanwith the same collar as Ghost rolled him out of the office,unconscious, while the Noah Group goon raged and threw thecontroller across the room. Ghost wasn’t making it easy on theguy.
“We all feel the same way.We want to bust in and rip the place apart, but we’re almost set totake the farm. It has to be done right, or people will be killed,and so will members of this team. You need to pull on your trainingas a Marine and look at this through a critical eye. I swear thiswill be the last time that asshole has a chance to interrogateGhost,” Brick swore. “That guy with the remote is allyours.”
“With pleasure.” Raycracked his knuckles. “He’s gonna have his ass kicked to hell andback.”
“How much longer before wehave control of the airwaves and systems?” Brick asked. “I don’twant them able to use those collars when we take thefarm.”
Spencer didn’t bother looking up fromhis laptop. “Max fifteen minutes.” His fingers flew across thekeyboard.
“It’ll be dusk in thirty.We’ll move out at sunset. I want every prisoner found and released.All hostiles are to be dealt with with extreme prejudice. I’m donewith these fuckers popping back up. Once the farm is cleared, burnit to the ground, leave nothing to be used against us or anyoneelse in the future.”
“Hooyah,” the teamshouted.
Ray was ready to go. He wore blacktactical gear, bone mics in his ears, night vision goggles at theready, along with his Glock and an Mk 48. His training and years inthe Marines had prepared him for all situations except this one.He’d never had someone he cared about in the line of fire and beingheld by the enemy. For him, it was the most important and urgentmission he’d ever had.
“Ghost and I may not havealways been close, and he may think he’s not as strong as the otherteam members, but he’s proven he can stand toe-to-toe with anyone.I’d be proud to serve alongside him any day,” Gunner said as hecame to stand beside Ray.
“I never took you for thereflective type.”
“I’m not,” Gunner growledas he rechecked his rifle. He’d be stationed on top of the barn,keeping watch and taking out anyone who got too close to theteam.
Ray couldn’t help but grin at thetypically stoic and irritable sniper. Ghost had managed to evenbreak through his tough exterior. The man didn’t realize the powerhe held over the team. They’d adopted him as their own.
“Let’s move out,” Brickcommanded. “No theatrics. We go in, do what needs to be done, andcome out the other side. Understood?”
“Hoo-yah.”
***
Ghost
He’d been moved from the barn to aroom deep beneath the farmhouse. It seemed this was where they kepttheir prisoners and carried out their genetic experiments. Hehadn’t physically seen any other mutants other than Rose, but bythe size of the facility, there had to be more. Either way, he knewthe team would be here soon. Ghost was as sure of that as he was ofanything. He simply had to hold out long enough to befreed.
Which in itself might be harder thanhe’d imagined if Edward continued along his button-pushing happyways. Fuck, the last round had almost brought him to the edge ofletting loose his full potential, but that would still leave himstuck in the wheelchair, unable to walk. It would also bring thatability to the light of day, and the proverbial Pandora’s box wouldbe opened for others to know the truth about what he coulddo.
Ghost worried it was inevitable. Thetime would come when he’d have no choice but to expose himself, andhe couldn’t help but wonder if this was that time. And if that didhappen, would the team want him back? Would they trust him aroundthe people at the lake house or the ranch? Or would they exile himto a life alone yet again?
His mind was playing a continuous loopwith ever-worsening scenarios coming to life, but no matter howhard he tried, Ghost couldn’t get the one man who never wanted himout of his mind. Ray. Ghost imagined him sitting poolside in Vegaswith this mystery man, drinking and sharing intimate looks andtouches.
“Why are you growling?”Rose asked as she walked into his room carrying a tray.
“Sorry, didn’t know I was.”He had to get control of himself.
“I understand. I know thepain these collars bring, and on top of your injuries, it’s so muchworse. I wish there was something I could do to help,” Rose said asshe set the food tray on his bedside table. “I’ve often wonderedwhat it would be like to have a useful mutation instead of beingable to see inside people.”
“Youareuseful. You help people. You savelives by finding the problem so that it can be fixed. Don’t everthink you’re less because you don’t have a more physical ability.Trust me when I say it’s not all cracked up to what you think itis.”
“I’ll have to take yourword for that. I’ve brought you something to eat. You need to keepyour strength up so your body can heal the damage.”
“Yeah, so Edward and I cango another round.” Ghost grinned. He didn’t enjoy the pain, but thesatisfaction of driving that asshole into fits of rage was worthanything he had to go through.
“Why don’t you do what hewants to avoid the pain?” Rose asked as she absently adjusted hercollar.
“I’ve never been good atdoing what I’m told,” Ghost joked, making Rose smile as he’d hoped.“Truthfully, I’ve been bullied my entire life for being different.I never knew who I could trust and who’d turn their backs on me.Sad to say, but Edward’s simply another bully in my eyes, and I’dsooner die than submit to one more asshole. I’m done.”
