AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why would you have him hurt me?” She had to keep him busy for as long as possible. She had to give Jack whatever time he needed to do whatever he was going to do. “Why, Caine?”
“Distraction.” Caine shrugged. “I had a very delicate shipment coming through Barboursville, and Mac was getting nosy about some things he’d heard. After that night Mac became rather busy, and Jack disappeared again.” He shrugged. “I assumed that at the least, Wayne had managed to frighten you, resulting in his death.” He shot Jack a mocking grin. “I mean, you did seem rather protective of her.”
Jack shrugged, his gaze flickering to the AI before he shifted his stance and glanced back at Caine.
“We ready to get this started yet?” He sighed as though bored.
“Energy capacitors will be at full strength in thirty minutes.” The voice that came from the AI was subtly southern, and so human it was shocking.
“Well, you have your answer.” Saige walked over to the figure and stared back at her with a pleased smile. “What’s your name, AI?”
“Currently, my identity is listed as AI,” it answered. “That identity will soon change.”
“What is your assignment, AI?” Saige asked.
It looked at her, her head tilting one way, then the other, as though considering the question.
“Saige Tamara Dawson,” it said, watching Saige closely. “Authorized handler and contact only. I’m sorry, Ms. Dawson, you’re not authorized in the particulars of my assignment.”
Saige stilled at the answer, anger crossing her formerly gloating expression as she swung around to Caine, frowning. “Is this your doing?”
Surprise filled his expression as his lips parted.
“Caine Christopher Crossfield. Authorized handler and contact only. Along with Saige Tamara Dawson, assigned to provide security and backup in the upcoming assignment. Unauthorized in the particulars of said assignment,” the AI finished.
“Is your backup and protection team authorized in your assignment?” Jack asked.
“Once all systems are properly powered, cables disconnected, and weapons provided, I am then authorized to read the protection and backup team into my assignment. They in turn can inform the handlers if they so wish,” it answered.
Poppy watched the AI carefully, closely, aware Jack was doing the same. She felt as though she were in the Twilight Zone. This was sci-fi at its most frightening. It couldn’t be possible.
But it was.
It was possible, and playing out before her eyes.
She lifted her head once again, watching the AI as Saige and Caine moved off alone, whispering, their expressions perplexed and angry.
The AI was staring at her, her gaze alive even though her expression wasn’t. How did a fucking robot have such expressive eyes? And there was a warning in them.
Poppy slid her gaze to Jack.
He was watching her, though not directly. He had a way of watching her from the corner of his eyes. Even when she was a teenager, he’d do that. Watch her without seeming to, whenever her brothers were around.
He switched his gaze between Caine, Saige, and the AI. And Poppy could have sworn that at one point, the AI met his gaze before moving it back to her.
“This is ridiculous,” Saige snapped at whatever Caine said long minutes later. “Get ahold of our contact. I want control of this.”
She wanted control? Yeah, that was Saige. She was all about controlling things and having complete authority. She and River fought over that often.
The AI slid her gaze to Saige, then back to Poppy.
“You can’t control everything, Saige,” Poppy warned her, fighting the rage and pain building in her.
“Oh shut up, Miss Goody Two-Shoes,” she sneered. “You and the others sicken me with your bullshit concerning my control. Caine’s and my control and refusal to back down is what made Crossfield-Dawson. River would still be a nobody in this town if it weren’t for us.”
Poppy barely contained her disbelief. River had never been a nobody where his business was concerned. Even after he returned from the military nearly broken, he’d fought to ensure the business survived.
She was aware of Caine on the phone, his voice, though low, strident and filled with disbelief. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was damned sure pissed.
