Christine Feehan - Deadly Game

The sound of a door slamming down the hall alerted her. Mart's heart nearly stopped beating. She grabbed Ken's arm and shoved him. "Get out of here. They're coming. I mean it, go now."

He gathered the front of her shirt in his fist and yanked her against him. his mouth coming down hard on hers. "You get into any more trouble, you call me. I mean it, Mari-you try to handle a couple of enhanced soldiers again, bent on beating the shit out of you, and I'm going to turn you over my knee." He brushed fingers down her bruised face. "This has got to stop."

"We're almost there, Ken. I swear, I'll go with you as soon as possible. Give me a little more time."

He crushed her mouth under his, teeth tugging until she opened for him, tongue sweeping in and taking over. She could taste anger and desperate fear. No one had ever cared that much about her before. She felt empowered by his concern. Mari kissed him back, a breathless moment of hot silk, sizzling electricity, and welling passion, and then she resolutely pushed him away.

"Go. They're coming now."

He still hadn't released her shirt. "You be safe, Mari. You hear me? You be safe. Whatever happens, whatever that son of a bitch Whitney manages to do. I'll get you out of here. Understand? Stay alive and know I'm coming for you."

The hot lick of desire mingling with his fears for her turned her heart into a melting pot of mush. She pushed at the wall of his chest again, feeling a little frantic. "I will. Just go. You have to go."

His thumb slid down the curve of her cheek; he pressed the bloody knife into her hand, and he was gone, slipping away just as she heard voices down the hall. Mari stepped back, away from the two bodies, straightening her clothes and waiting for Whitney with her chin up.

The doctor stopped abruptly when he saw the door to her cell open and both of his supersoldiers lying on the ground unconscious and his guard dead. His gaze flicked to the darkening bruise on her face and then to the knife in her hand.

"Marigold. You seem to have had a little trouble."

She spread her hands innocently. "The two of them came up looking to give me a shot for no apparent reason. They said something about vitamins, but you know what a phobia I have about needles."

Violet cleared her throat, looking suddenly nervous, her gaze sweeping the hall and ceiling, even the floor. "Come on. Ed, let's get out of here." Violet said, tugging at his arm. "This isn't our business." She signaled to her team and they surrounded the senator, pushing him toward the elevator.

Realizing they were reneging on their deal, Whitney called for his guards and then stepped back watching, as he always did, detached and unemotional, waiting to see what would happen as if he were in the middle of a scientific experiment and not a life-and-death drama being played out before his eyes.

Violet's team and Whitney's men went at each other, fighting viciously.

Violet shoved the senator ahead of her. "Run for the elevator!"

"There's no escape." Whitney said, complacent.

She ignored him, running behind her husband, a gun in her hand. Mari scooped up a gun and started to follow her. A downed security guard grabbed her ankle, tripping her. She went down hard.

"Stop them," Whitney ordered.

Before anyone else could move, Sean stepped forward and, in one smooth, efficient motion, swiped at Whitney's throat with a razor-sharp knife.

The soldier closest to Whitney yanked him back and down. The blade sliced across the back of soldier's arm. As he whipped out his gun and leveled it at Sean, Whitney yelled, "'No! Don't kill him. I need him alive."

Sean didn't look at any of the security team. His gaze was solely on Whitney, as if he were a robot programmed to destroy. In spite of the men who were surrounding the doctor, he waded in. fists flying, trying to achieve his goal.

Mari struggled to her feet. Violet and the senator were already at the elevator, and they weren't waiting for her. She was left on her own, facing Whitney, his supersoldiers, and a demonic Sean. She took a deep breath and inched toward the hall. Most of the guards were watching Sean, trying to find a way to subdue him without getting hurt. He was fast and dangerous, and most of them had at one time or another been bested by him.

She couldn't use the elevator, so the stairs were her only option. She made it about six feet before Whitney turned his attention to her. "Stay where you are, Mari. You don't want Rose to get hurt, now. do you?"

Rose? Are you out ? Mari hesitated, needing reassurance.

Kane made me run. He fought off a couple of the guards. Someone, must be your friends, provided covering fire. I'm over the fence and running free. Someone tried to stop me; he kept shouting they could get me out, but I don't trust anyone. I'm sticking to our original plan. Scatter and evade. I can get to the stash of money and take my share.

Mari knew she had hesitated too long. Most of Whitney's supersoldiers in the vicinity wrestled Sean to the ground. He was making animal noises and still trying to crawl, with the security force on his back, toward Whitney.

Cami. Are all the girls safe and away?

We're close We'll scatter and will meet you at the rendezvous point , Cami confirmed. Are you out? I'll come back and help .

The doctor sighed. "You're a lot more talented than I ever suspected, aren't you, Mari? And to think I nearly gave the order to eliminate you. Are you pregnant with Norton's child?"

"You sent Sean to me last night. I won't know until after it's born, will I?" She took another step back, but two of Whitney's guards were locked onto her. Each step she took, they mirrored, so they were doing a macabre dance with her.

It was bizarre and very difficult to be in a deadly dance and yet hold a telepathic conversation with her sister. Of course Cami would risk her life and return to aid Mari. Mari would do it for her. No! Keep moving. I'm going with Ken to his home in Montana . She sent the images of its location she'd picked out his head.

"I don't understand how I could have missed your abilities ail these years." Whitney frowned and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

"I knew you were psychic. You use touch, don't you?" she guessed shrewdly, hoping to throw the guards off by talking to Whitney. She gained a few more inches, but the entrance to the stairs was still so far away. She was fast, very fast, but Whitney's team was enhanced.

No ! Cami objected Don't trust any of them. Stick to our plan .

Go, Cami. I'm in a fight right now. Get away!

"Very good, my dear. Of course I do. I have a superior brain as well as being psychic. There are very few true strong psychics in the world." He glanced toward Sean. The man was pinned down and secured with flex-cuffs on both his ankles and wrists. He was still fighting to get to Whitney. "You controlled his mind, Mari. You planted a suggestion, a nasty one at that. He hasn't touched you, has he? He simply thinks that he has. Yet Brett…" he said thoughtfully, a small frown of concentration on his face.

Mari leapt to cover the distance, using enhanced physical ability to gain the stairway. She grasped the railing, leapt onto it, and. using it as a springboard, jumped half a flight of stairs. She raced up to the third-level landing. She heard Whitney yell to his men to go after her. and she caught the second banister and made a second jump.

Ken. I'm on the run. Are the other women away clean ? She didn't like that almost Cami had given her and wanted him with her. She could hear the men. one leaping after her, the other galloping up the stairs, talking into a radio, and telling someone to cut her off. Someone was waiting on the next staircase: she heard the radio and the buzz of men's voices.