Lethal Game (GhostWalkers 16)

Amaryllis raced around the two men rolling on the floor to try to stem the blood flowing like a river from Billy. His gaze jumped to her face. He lifted his hand and touched a tear there. “Tell Malichai to get out, his friend too. Get out.” His body shuddered and he was dead.

Amaryllis closed her eyes for a moment and then turned her head slowly to see Owen punching Malichai’s leg. Not only was Owen enhanced, but he was bulked up with immense muscles in his arms and chest. The power he generated when he smashed his fist into Malichai’s leg was enormous, but Malichai showed no reaction. He kept applying relentless pressure to Owen’s neck. Owen was beginning to actually feel it now, that impressive power Malichai had.

She stood up slowly, skirted around Gino, who feinted toward Owen the first with a knife and then circled to his left, giving her the room to get past him. She did, moving without haste. She had the gun in her hand. Billy’s gun. The gun Owen had used to shoot a man who had nothing whatsoever to do with Whitney or his pairing schemes. His breeding schemes. Or this latest cloning mess. What did it even mean? Was she supposed to go home with three Owens? One was bad enough.

She went right up to Owen and pressed the gun to his throat. He went still instantly. His throat was one of the few vulnerable places on him. Malichai held his head so it was impossible to move. There was a sudden stillness in the room.

“It would be murder, Amaryllis,” Owen said. “You pull that trigger and it’s murder.”

He didn’t struggle. He just waited, his fate in her hands. A small taunting grin slipped over his face. He knew she couldn’t pull the trigger. She tried. She tightened her finger, but something stopped her every time she made the effort. She wanted to scream.

A gloved hand reached over her shoulder, took the gun from her. Rubin pushed the barrel against Owen’s throat. “Never had any trouble distinguishing between a varmint and a gentleman. Where I come from, we get rid of the varmints.” The voice was very soft and carried a slight accent. “Ma’am, I’d appreciate it if you’d look away.”

When Amaryllis looked up at him blankly, Rubin gently laid his free hand across her eyes and he squeezed the trigger. The bullet tore through Owen’s throat and out the back of his skull. For good measure, Rubin angled the barrel upward and fired a second time to make certain he killed the supersoldier. He dropped the weapon onto the floor and walked away, in keeping with his role of a hit man if anyone was watching.

Malichai sank back onto the floor, breathing through the horrendous pain in his leg. Marie’s floors were covered with blood, but the house itself was still intact. Billy was dead, and that was a huge loss. He’d liked the man. Even respected him, but Billy had been mixed up with Callendine and they’d needed him. They’d had a tail on him, but he’d shaken it before he’d met up with his contact, and now they weren’t going to have another shot at finding out just what Callendine planned. They could assume he was going to try to blow up the San Diego Convention Center. And they could assume he was going to do so on opening day, but assumptions, when it came to people’s lives, didn’t cut it. They preferred real data.

Gino joined him, streaks of blood on his chest and face. He flashed a quick grin. “Three of those bastards were three too many.”

“I agree.” Malichai took Amaryllis’s hand as she sank down beside him.

It was too late to do any cleanup before the guests arrived. The Navy sent out their people fast, and they quickly cordoned the entire front of the bed-and-breakfast off so all guests had to come through the back door and couldn’t go down the hall to the front. The Navy investigators dealt with the police and fielded questions as they surveyed the damage to the inn. It had been kept to the front room and would have to be repaired as soon as possible.

“I expect poor Marie will never have any more guests,” Amaryllis said. She leaned her head against Malichai’s arm.

“Don’t underestimate people’s morbid curiosity. Most of these guests will return. These are great stories to tell their friends and families, even if they have no idea what’s going on.”

“If Billy’s involved, why would he warn you to leave? He said to tell you and your friend to get out. He was very urgent about it.”

“We’re certain they plan on having Rubin carry out their hit man’s plans to use the bed-and-breakfast as a diversion for whatever the real target is. If all the cops and fire trucks are here, Callendine and his crew will have plenty of time to do whatever it is they’re planning and then get away clean. Billy was a man who believed in service to his country, so it’s odd that he got caught up in all this. He clearly doesn’t want Trap or me to be here when the place is burned to the ground,” Malichai mused.