Lightning Game (GhostWalkers 17)

“Do all of you have the same problem?”

“All of us have similar issues, although some have extreme medical side effects and psychic hiccups.” Sean gave Jonquille a faint smile. “That’s what we call them. Hiccups.”

“You mean like my lightning? Misdirecting it?”

“Yeah. Just a little hiccup.”

Her laughter did that same thing to Rubin, the notes feeling like a physical touch to him. He took a deep breath. Healer or predator. Always at war.

Don’t do it. That was Diego. Reading his mind. His need.

I need to know. We need to know. If he’s telling the truth, we have to help them. We have no choice. They’re GhostWalkers. We have to get them comfortable, safe, triage them so we know who is in the worst shape and start there. We don’t leave them behind.

He was serious about that. They were fellow soldiers if it came to that. He wasn’t going to lose them if they were in need.

I can do it. I can examine him, Jonquille offered.

Rubin turned his head to look at her. Her eyes met his. There was silver ringing the blue. Her otherworldly eyes. Those long lashes sweeping down and then back up, giving him that slow assault on his stomach. That mouth of hers. Lips pressing together and then her semiconfident nod. She wasn’t certain, but she was willing to try.

You can talk me through it, Rubin.

Great. Then both of you are concentrating on the major, and anyone can pull something unexpected. Just stay out of the way of my shot. I mean it. You try to step into my shot, I’ll move and take him out. I’m not playing games here. I can’t protect you from everyone, and you’re making it as difficult as you possibly can.

His brother was definitely against the idea. Rubin understood. They were out in the open with a dozen rifles aimed at them. There had to be a better way to do this. Diego would take the shot if one of them stepped into his line of fire, and when examining a patient, a healer easily lost themselves in what they were doing and forgot about their surroundings.

Not now, Jonquille.

“It’s possible I can help you. Or Jonquille can. Perhaps both of us. There is an entire unit of GhostWalkers ready to help if you are what you claim. I can’t take you to my home, but I’m willing to accompany you to your island and check you and the others out.”

The hell you will. Diego’s rage spread through the woods straight to them. The black emotions unsettled the birds in the trees so that the hawks rose into the air and screeched repeatedly, as if defending their territory. You are not going anywhere with these people without protection, Rubin. We have to know everything about them and we don’t know anything. How do we know he’s telling the truth? Get away from him. Back off now. You can wait for our unit.

Diego was really angry. He was throwing off so much powerful energy, it was coming across the little ravine straight to Jonquille, drawn like a magnet. Along the way, the dark emotion filled every crack, every nook, stuck to every blade of grass. Every man hiding with their weapon trained on the group was shaken by the force of that rage.

“What’s wrong?” Sean asked immediately.

“My brother didn’t like my suggestion. He believes everyone is out to kill me. Probably because I’m a pain in the ass,” Rubin said easily, giving Sean a faint smile.

You are a pain in the ass. Rubin, you never think about security.

He thought about security all the time. Just not for himself. He thought about it for Diego. Now he’d be thinking about it for Jonquille.

“Tell your men to stand down, Major. We’re going to let that plane land, if he’s able, in the meadow, and see what the pilot has to say. Then you’re going to your island and I give you my word as an officer in the United States Air Force that my unit will come to you and bring your men aid if we can in any way help you.”

“We’re running out of time. We have two men that are pretty sick. Chandler abandoned seven men that he determined were defective from the last batch he had enhanced. He thinks they were executed and buried. We took them to the island. They aren’t in the best of shape. I’ve got a couple of my men pretty sick.”

Rubin didn’t react, but Jonquille did. Her hand went to her stomach, pressing deep. “This Chandler, the man you’re assigned to guard, just ruthlessly ordered seven soldiers executed? How is he going to explain their deaths?”

“The way they make all soldiers disappear. They were on an operation and ambushed. Or their vehicle went over a mine. Their plane went down. There are so many ways now to explain the deaths of multiple soldiers.” Sean sounded bitter again.