“Copy on Hell’s status. Copy on alert to Number One and Number Nine. Our men around the perimeter are reporting high activity. Keep driving while I communicate with the others, over.”
“Copy.”
“Who are they?” Hell asked.
“No idea,” the man said.
“Umm, I think I was shot with some kind of drug. I can’t move very well.”
The man turned to her again. He checked her body, turning her on her back, lifting her arms and finally pulling something out of her side. “Tranq,” he muttered. He studied her. “You should be out like a light by now.”
“Yeah, well, supersoldier-spy and all that,” she quipped, with a weak grin. “Like the Energizer Bunny, I just keep going and going.”
“No pain?” he asked her.
“Nope.” She closed her eyes. “But your mentioning that I should be out like a light is making me feel weaker.”
“Of course,” he muttered. “Psychological.”
“Dr. Kirkland’s going to have a hell of a time when I get back,” she said with a smile. “The serum’s a success, though.”
“Hmm,” the man said. “They didn’t want to kill you. They fired real shots at me, but not you.”
“Probably wanted to capture me,” she suggested, opening her eyes. “They know about the key, then.”
He nodded. “I think it’s a good assumption that their plan was to get either you or the key, or both.”
“Thanks for coming to my aid,” she said. “What’s your name again?”
He paused, then replied, “Heath.” Abruptly, he stood up and said, “Why are we slowing down?”
“The vehicle behind us just turned left, sir.”
Heath looked back briefly. “Guess they’re giving up for now. Helen, you still have the item, right?”
“As far as I know,” she said. “There’s a small pocket inside my suit.”
He came to kneel down by her again. “Which side?”
She sighed. “I suppose you want to put your hand in my clothes.”
“Just to make sure it’s there. You were in some kind of trouble before you came out of the building.”
“There was no one with me,” Helen said. But how could she explain what had happened in there? She shrugged. “The drug was probably bothering me. Right side.”
She watched as he pulled down the zipper of her bodysuit. He adjusted his position so he could slide his hand inside. Their eyes met.
“You know, Heath, I usually don’t let my men touch me there on the first date.”
A glimmer of amusement touched his lips. “Your men?” he asked, raising his brows. He moved his hand and she felt him nudging the card against her chest. He continued holding her gaze as he pulled her pants back out, then added softly, “There’s touching, and there’s touching.”
Helen blinked and studied him for a second. Built like an athlete. Nice square jaw. His eyes reminded her of her favorite dog, Mimo, whose angelic eyes hid an imp that would rip apart a whole trash bag to go after the bone in there and then look at her with those heartbreaking hazel eyes when she got home. Mimo always got what she wanted from any man, woman or child by just looking at them, whether it was a gruff pat from the surly neighbor or a child to share his ice cream cone. Mimo was evil like that. And she had adored her.
“De Clerq, status has turned green,” Heath said, as he stood up. “Our pursuers tranqued Helen, so there was another agenda. I’d make a list of those people who would know about our Hell and RV program. Give me status of others, over.”
“Number One is on his way to airstrip. Number Nine retrieved just one target. The others escaped and there wasn’t time to run after him. Number Five’s waiting at airstrip. We want to know Helen’s status. As for the list, do you know the names that are going to be on it? Some of them are major players in the agencies, over.”
“Not my problem,” Heath said, looking down at Helen. “Helen can’t walk just yet, but she can talk. She might need to be carried. Maybe Number Five will make himself useful today. He hadn’t done much.”
