Tempting Evil (Riley Jenson Guardian 3)

"Good." I rose and headed for the bathroom I'd seen my last time here.

Iktar followed, watching as I soaped up and washed the blood and sweat and fluids from my skin. If he was at all aroused, it wasn't showing. "What is your plan? You cannot hope to hold him forever."

"I know." Even as I rinsed the soap away, I could feel the muted ache behind my eyes beginning to grow. I may have controlled people this completely before, but never one who was psychic. Controlling Merle took a whole lot more power - and strength - than I thought it would. "Who has access to the main security area?"

"Merle, Moss, and those guards who man it. Access is thumbprint and key-coded and there's armed guards at the entrance and exits."

Joy. "Is there one man or two on each shift?"

"Generally three, but because of the kitchen and the loss they incurred there, they've pared it down to two so they could put a watch on the rebuilding crew until new recruits arrive."

Well, at least Nerida's action had achieved one good thing. Not that it pacified the dead. Their need for revenge still heated the air. I couldn't see them, though, and of that I was glad. Vampires were dead enough for me - I didn't need to cope with the truly dead as well. "You'd better pray that the bomb controls are in central security, because there is no way in hell I am willingly going back into Starr's rooms."

"We had an agreement - "

"Have you ever been to Starr's rooms? Have you any idea of the security he has in there? I wouldn't get two steps in and I'd be dead."

I stepped out of the shower and he handed me a towel. "If you can control Merle, maybe he - "

"Starr is a powerful telepath. He'd sense my leash on Merle the minute I got within range of him."

Iktar was silent. I asked, "What of the labs on the second floor? Would there be a key stored in security?"

He shrugged. "I would guess so."

"Are all calls to there monitored?"

"As far as I know, only outside calls are monitored and recorded."

I threw the towel in the laundry basket and finger combed my hair. "Is it shadowed enough outside for you to disappear?"

Amusement briefly sparked in his eyes. "There only needs to be the slightest hint of dusk and I can be gone. The spirit lizards Starr makes do not match our natural skills."

A scary thought. "So would it be possible for you to arrange for the power in this place to be temporarily shut down?"

The amusement deepened. "At what time would you like this possibility to occur?"

I blew out a breath. Merle had a six o'clock appointment, which didn't leave me a whole lot of time to play with. Especially given I had to be back in the arena by seven. "In ten minutes."

I might be able to use Merle to get me in there, but I didn't want any physical record of me actually going near the place. Which meant we had to take the cameras out.

"You realize they have maintenance on standby to cater for such problems. The main power will not be out for more than ten or fifteen minutes."

"Then maybe you need to smash up the power box a bit more, so it takes them longer to find that many replacements." I hesitated. "What about backup systems?"

"They have several emergency generators that will kick in immediately. The main one provides power to the security systems if the main source goes down. There are also smaller units in the labs and security area to provide them with lighting and electrical systems."

"And if we shut down the main backup?"

"Everything will lock down. You would not be able to get in anywhere."

"Ah. No point in doing that, then."

I rubbed my temples wearily then spun and walked back into the bedroom. Merle was still prone, his mind still caught tight. I dove deeper, taking control of his speech and movement centers, then forced him to reach for the phone and dial the security center.

"Security. Harris speaking."

Merle's thoughts told me Harris wasn't the main man, security wise, just one of the plebes who watched the cameras and monitored phone calls, and maybe that was just as well. A man who was only there because he had to be was a far easier target - and one more likely to stray.