Lightning Game (GhostWalkers 17)

Rubin sighed. Of course Whitney would. He would want to show off his genius to another scientist. It wouldn’t occur to him that a man interested in developing weapons for his country might not be a great patriot. He might want to sell out his country. He might want his own soldiers to be used for his own ruthless purposes.

“So, Chandler was able to get his hands on how Whitney enhanced soldiers.” Rubin made it a statement, but he was skeptical. Whitney wouldn’t share that information, and he wouldn’t leave it lying around.

Sean frowned. “I don’t know exactly how he managed to find out the process. I wasn’t around at that time. I had been sent to Chandler’s property to guard him and the laboratory because he developed weapons for the United States, so I did know a little more than some of the others. I was recruited thinking I was applying for the actual GhostWalker program. I met all the requirements and was given an invitation to apply.”

That very well could be true. That was how many of them had been recruited.

“You still haven’t told me where in Louisiana your home is. You know where mine is, but you are refusing to give me the location of yours. I have to tell you up front, that makes me very uncomfortable. We have women and children to protect. Whitney periodically makes a try for those children. If this is one of his elaborate schemes to get them, and you’re a part of that …” Rubin allowed the threat to just trail off.

He waited a heartbeat or two. “You have your men to protect. I have women and children to protect. It seems we may be at an impasse. If that’s the case, we’ll call it a day, you walk away, I take Jonquille with me and we disappear. I will say if you or any of your men come after us, you won’t get a second chance. My team and the members of the other teams will be after you, and they don’t miss.”

Rubin. Jonquille was clearly heartsick. Her mind dripped with tears, but nothing showed on her face.

Rubin wanted to take her hand, but hands were weapons. He didn’t tie up one of his weapons, not even to comfort her.

I know, Lightning Bug. I like him too. I wish we could help, but he has to be more forthcoming.

“Sean, you have to trust someone,” Jonquille said. Like Rubin, she kept her voice very low. Soft. She looked him straight in the eyes. “You obviously were taking me to this place for a reason. You thought I could help you. Eventually, you would have had to tell me what I was there for. Tell Rubin what he wants to know. I guarantee you, the GhostWalkers will find out very fast where you are anyway. You’re one of them. You don’t work for Whitney. You don’t work for Chandler. You’re enhanced. That makes you a GhostWalker. They have loyalty to one another. They’re not going to betray your trust if you’re worthy of it.”

Sean glanced up toward the woods and then out over the ridge, the lines in his face more pronounced than ever. Rubin felt sorry for him. This man carried a tremendous burden. Sean turned his attention back to Rubin, studying him for a long time.

“I own an island in the swamp. It’s about forty minutes by boat from where you are. I know we have a mutual friend, Donny. He owns an island close to mine. He’s the one who helped me with electricity and plumbing.”

If Rubin were a swearing man, he would have said a few choice words. Donny certainly could have warned them what was going on just forty minutes away from the fortress they were building to protect the children. But Donny played everything close to his chest. He was a Vietnam vet and loyal as hell to his friends. A nightmare to his enemies. If you asked him to keep something confidential, he wouldn’t talk if his life depended on it.

“How is it Chandler doesn’t know about this island of yours?”

“I’d never been there. It was land my maternal grandmother inherited. It was in her name. I inherited it from her. The title goes way back in our family on my mother’s side. To be honest, I’d forgotten about it until I needed somewhere for my men to go. I only told three of my men about it and contacted Donny to help me set it up for the others to stay there.”

Rubin nodded. Luther was looped into the conversation through Diego. He was then texting to Colonel Joe Spagnola, the commander of Rubin’s unit. They were leaving nothing to chance. If something went wrong and Rubin and Diego were killed, his team would find Sean and the others and take them out. Or, if Sean and his men did have another agenda and were after the children, Rubin’s team could be prepared. While he was conversing with Sean, facts could be checked.