Christine Feehan - Conspiracy Game

Jebediah let out his breath in a slow hiss of comprehension. “He was developing a superior soldier, a weapon, using physical and psychic enhancement.”

“Exactly. Briony, you’re one of his girls.”

“Dr. Whitney,” Jebediah said. “My parents were approached by a man named Peter Whitney. He was a billionaire. Checked out completely, had all kinds of ties to several governments, here in Europe as well as in the States. He knew the president and just about anyone who was anyone. He said his wife died and he just couldn’t raise his daughter alone. He wanted her in a loving environment, but somewhere she could develop her unusual skills.”

Kadan nodded. “We don’t know everything. Supposedly Whitney was murdered, but none of us believe he’s dead. We’ve retrieved three of the girls, now grown women, of course. Lily, Dahlia, and Iris, and now you, Briony. We’ve been looking everywhere. I know you’re not an anchor. How have you managed to survive all these years without one, in such close proximity to others?” There was open admiration in his voice.

Briony gripped Jebediah’s hand hard. “Do you know a man named Luther? Enhanced physically and psychically just as you are?” Deliberately she hit him with her certain knowledge.

Kadan shook his head. “I’m sorry, no. There are two teams of men I’m aware of. If there are others, Whitney enhanced them in secret.”

“What did he do to them?” Tyrel asked.

They all had questions. She had a hundred questions, but they didn’t know this man. If Luther and Sparks were after her, it was possible Kadan Montague represented the other persons Luther said wanted her and the baby dead.

“It’s an involved process,” Kadan said. “If you come back with me, to the States, Lily can explain it. She’s one of the girls bought from the orphanage. She’s been working not only to find the other girls, but to find a way to help those who aren’t anchors to better be able to live in the world without constant pain.”

“You mean that’s real?” Seth asked.

“Oh, yeah, it’s real,” Kadan said. He leaned across the table. “You’ve been able to do that, Briony, when even most of the men have problems, and they were adults and strong. Your input would be invaluable to the rest of us.”

Jebediah’s face darkened with anger as he read through his sister’s file. Much of it was in scientific terms he couldn’t understand, but the gist was there and it was horrendous. “Does Jack know about this?”

“Not yet. We believed Briony was in the most immediate danger. Is she pregnant?”

There was a long silence. Kadan looked around at the set faces. He tapped the file. “We just received the information that you’re pregnant or we would have moved sooner to alert you. We hacked into Whitney’s computer and this indicates she’s pregnant. If the child is Jack’s and both of you are enhanced, do you have any idea what that could mean? Whitney would do anything to get his hands on the baby. And from what I’ve been told, Briony, he’ll do whatever it takes, including killing everyone you love, to get you back. He’d like to use you in his breeding program.”

“This is scaring the hell out of me, Jeb.” She looked to her oldest brother. “I couldn’t bear it if any of you were hurt because of me.”

Kadan tapped his briefcase. “They won’t stop, Briony, and sooner or later they’ll kill your brothers and take you back to the lab. You need protection. Come back with me, and we’ll make certain Whitney never gets his hands on you or the baby.”

Jebediah continued to frown down at the file. “Why would you be so willing to put yourself in harm’s way for my sister?”

“Because she’s one of us,” Kadan said.

“Luther volunteered to protect me too. He murdered Tony,” Briony said, watching Kadan’s face carefully. It didn’t do her much good; the man never changed expression.

“Who is Tony?” he asked.

“The father of my baby,” she lied.

Kadan blinked, his only reaction. “Not Jack?”

Briony shook her head. “Not Jack. Unfortunately when I went to the doctor, thinking pregnancy impossible because I was on birth control… ”

“They were giving her placebos,” Jebediah snapped. “Damn them. Where did you get this file?”

“We hacked into the doctor’s computer and stole it. He’s been trying to maneuver Jack Norton and your sister together for this past year. He didn’t count on her being able to be with another man. Not being an anchor was his safeguard against Briony finding a relationship.” Kadan’s voice was devoid of expression as he imparted the information. His eyes stared straight into Briony’s. “Like Whitney, I can’t imagine how you could possibly have a sexual relationship with a man who isn’t an anchor.”

Briony shrugged. “He didn’t think I could stand living with my family either, but I have for all these years. I also perform in front of thousands of people. Did anyone think I could do that?”

“Briony.” Jebediah simply said her name softly, emotion moving through the depths of his eyes. “We should have known about this. We would have been… ” He broke off, looking helplessly at his brothers.

“Better with you, more understanding,” Tyrel finished.

“I’m fine. Mom always said I was strong enough, and I am.” She touched Jebediah’s arm because he looked so distressed. Fortunately, with Kadan so close she couldn’t feel his distress.

“Wait a minute,” Ruben interrupted. “None of this makes any sense to me. Why would this Dr. Whitney want to get this guy Jack together with Bri?”

“Dr. Whitney was-or is-a genius, a man with connections all over the world, well respected, the highest of security clearances and a drive to succeed at everything he does. We know for certain that he conducted experiments on orphans, the young girls he basically bought in Europe and brought back, hiding them away while he perfected his method of enhancing them psychically and eventually physically. Everyone thought those girls were adopted out, but we’ve since found that Briony has been the only one we know of. Whitney then conducted tests for psychic abilities among the Special Forces and performed his experimental operations on several of us. No one at that time knew about the girls. We only found out after Whitney was supposedly murdered. We believe he is still alive and now is continuing and escalating his experiments, sanctioned by some covert organization within the government.”

“Son of a bitch,” Ruben growled. “Is this for real?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I’m giving you information that could get us all killed. At the very least, if he finds out we have it, that we know he’s alive, Whitney will go underground and cut off the leak and we’ll never find him. I risked my life coming here to warn you, to offer protection. The least you can do is give me the truth.”

“What makes you think I’m not telling the truth?” Briony asked.

“I’m psychic too. The things he did to you, he did to me. I can help you. My team can help. You know as well as I do, Briony, that as your pregnancy advances, you won’t be as fast. You won’t be able to escape and it will fall to your brothers. They might get one or two of the men he sends after you, but not the enhanced soldiers. Those soldiers will wipe out your entire family and never look back.”

“That’s enough,” Jebediah snapped. “We have to think about this, not go off half-cocked. I have friends who will check you out for me. I’m not turning my sister over to anyone until I know who they are and what they want.”

“You may not have the luxury of waiting for an answer,” Kadan said and signaled the waiter over. “I don’t think these people are going to wait while you call your friends. If I can find you, they can find you.” He looked at the bandages on both Tyrel and Briony, his gaze jumping to her swollen, black and blue face. “Again.”