Keeping his arm around Carmen, Rick followed Landers to a black Escalade with dark tinted windows. With shiny chrome accents everywhere, it was not the most inconspicuous vehicle. Who knew? Maybe they wanted it that way.
As they approached, the driver stepped out and opened the back door, motioning for Carmen to get in first. Moving with her usual fluid grace, she climbed inside. Rick followed her, trying unsuccessfully to avoid staring at the gleaming length of shapely leg her short skirt displayed.
Once the door closed, Landers got up front, riding shotgun. “It’s about a thirty-minute ride, depending on traffic,” he said.
“Off-island?” Carmen asked, frowning.
“Not too far, but yes. La Marque.”
This surprised her, Rick knew. Surprised him, too. La Marque was a small town. Building a quality lab and running an operation of that size without attracting unwanted attention would be more difficult in a place like that.
As they drove, Landers turned around several times, making innocuous comments about the passing landscape. His frank stare assessed Carmen, as if weighing what options he had as far as trusting her.
Feeling the need to reassert the fact that he and Carmen were a team, Rick took her hand and clasped it firmly. Though he felt her briefly tense, her expression remained smooth and unruffled. And beautiful. He couldn’t blame Landers for repeatedly checking her out. Hell, even Rick fought a constant battle to keep from staring at her.
Finally, they exited 45 and turned left, passing under the freeway and by the single motel, eventually leaving pavement for a gravel road. The houses here were small frame structures, and the flat landscape and sparse vegetation made everything visible.
For the first time, Rick wondered what they’d gotten into. He squeezed Carmen’s hand, telling her silently to be ready in case this was some sort of trick. She squeezed back, cutting her gaze to connect with his to let him know she’d thought the same thing.
One more turn and they found themselves surrounded by pasture. Cattle grazed and vultures circled in the cloudless sky above. They continued on until they reached a black wrought-iron gate, which was closed. The driver punched a code into a keypad and the gates swung slowly open.
After turning in, they continued on to a low-slung stone ranch house. Nearby were several outbuildings, one of them a well-constructed barn that appeared to be new. There were black burglar bars over the windows.
Which meant that had to be the lab.
As they rolled to a stop in front of the house, two armed men stepped outside to greet them. Though inside Rick tensed up, he kept his posture and expression relaxed.
Again, the driver jumped out and opened the door, this time on Carmen’s side so she could get out first. And she did, with an impressive display of leg. Her sky-high heels made her look both dangerous and sexy. Exactly his kind of woman, except for her being a Vampire. Too bad.
Head high, expression cool, she looked both of the newcomers up and down. Rick hid his smile.
Landers came around and told them to follow him. Once they’d gone up the steps onto the porch, someone pushed open the screen door and stepped out of the way. Rick reached for Carmen’s hand as they went inside.
The small room had been sparsely furnished. Three men looked up as they approached, though they all remained seated. Eyeing them, Rick wondered which of the three was the leader. Landers made the introductions in a clipped voice. The short, wiry man with the long white beard was Tommy. The bald guy who looked like a linebacker gone to seed was called Holt. And the thin, pale dude with the flat dark eyes was Gus.
They all dipped their chins in greeting. If Landers found it odd that no one spoke, he didn’t show it. He motioned that Rick and Carmen should sit, so they took the empty spot at one end of the soiled couch.
“We got the shipment,” Landers announced, filling the others in on the explosion Rick had engineered as a diversion. They listened carefully. Rick couldn’t help but notice the way their gazes continually went to Carmen, as if they hadn’t seen a woman in too long. For the first time since meeting her, he was glad she was a Vampire. At least he knew she could defend herself against any human male’s unwanted attention.
“She’s the biologist,” Landers finally said, gesturing at Carmen.
“I’m thinking Sheldon’s not gonna be real happy about her,” Holt said, scratching his double chin.
“Maybe not,” Landers replied. “But he could use the help. And look at her. What red-blooded man could stay mad in the face of such beauty?”
Though Rick’s stomach twisted hearing this, he pretended not to care.
Carmen, however, apparently had heard enough. “I’m right here,” she said, her voice clear and hard. “I can hear you, you know.”
While Tommy and Holt fidgeted, each appearing embarrassed, Gus simply continued to stare. The hair on the back of Rick’s neck lifted. Something was off with that one. He bore watching, in case he turned out to be especially dangerous.
Landers laughed. “True. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ll try to do better.”
“I’m not your sweetheart.” Yanking her hand free from Rick’s, Carmen pushed to her feet, eyeing them with clear disdain. “I’ve changed my mind about helping. I don’t see anything here that makes me think you could actually pull off engineering something as complicated as a new virus.”
Damn. What the hell was she doing? Did she really think these people were going to just let them go? Not likely, especially since they’d now seen their hideout.
“And,” she continued, “even if this Sheldon person is some kind of biology genius, I fail to see how you could use something like this to your benefit. Thanks, but no thanks.”
Though he had to tamp down his alarm, Rick stood, too. He hoped Carmen knew what she was doing. “Well, the boss has spoken,” he drawled, while keeping his eye on the others to gauge their reactions. “I guess this means we’re out.”
“Not so fast.” Landers placed himself squarely between them and the door. “It’s too late. You can’t quit now. You know where we are and you’ve seen all of our faces.”
Rick decided he’d take a chance. “Maybe so, but none of that matters. We haven’t laid eyes on your boss, so I’m thinking we’re good to go. If you’d just pay me for the explosion, we can call it even.”
Landers narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean, you haven’t seen the boss? You’ve been dealing with me all along.”
Unsure whether to laugh or take the other man seriously, Rick realized it would be prudent to play it safe. “You’re in charge here?”
Immediately, Landers nodded.
“No, he’s not,” Carmen put in, her voice cool. “It’s the quiet one, Gus. He’s the leader here.”
Landers froze. Judging by the panicked look he shot Gus, Carmen was right. Good instincts.
“Grab her,” Gus ordered, his tone bored though his expression seemed furious. “Put her in my bedroom. It’s time she and I had a private, one-on-one chat.”
Rick stiffened, ready for whatever might happen next. To his relief, Carmen allowed Landers and Tommy to manhandle her, leading her from the room. The glint in her eyes told Rick she was actually enjoying this.
Rick started after her, but Holt, moving surprisingly fast for such a large man, blocked his way. “You wait with me. The boss will let us know when he’s finished.”
* * *
There was nothing Carmen loved better than taking down a power-hungry idiot who thought he could dominate her. While she knew she had to be careful so she didn’t blow this important mission, there was no way in Hades she’d let this Gus person push her