Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (59 page)

Interrogation
kit?
Jon
didn’t
like
the
sound
of
that.
The
improvised
stuff
he
could
take,
but
if
they
started
on
him
with
the
real
professional
shit,
he
probably
wouldn’t
last
long.
It
had
nothing
to
do
with
how
much
pain
you
could
take,
but
the
drugs
played
with
your
mind.
He
knew.
He’d
used
them
before.

The
good
thing
was
there
was
nothing
he
could
tell
them.
The
only
thing
would
have
been
the
location
of
El
Cazador
,
but
he’d
given
Rico
plenty
of
time
to
get
away.
El
Cazador
would
be
long
gone
by
now.

“Yes,
Sergeant.
Where
do
you
want
it?”

“Where
the
fuck
do
you
think
I
want
it?
Bring
it
over
here.”

He
placed
the
black
case
on
the
desk
close
to
the
chair
where
Jon
was
chained
and
opened
it
up.
Jon
tried
not
to
stare
at
the
contents.
The
sadistic
bastard
took
his
time
choosing
what
to
use.
Jon
forced
his
muscles
to
relax,
but
he
could
feel
everything
tensing
up.
The
sergeant
selected
a
syringe
filled
with
a
pale
yellow
liquid.
He
attached
the
needle,
held
it
in
front
of
Jon’s
face.

Jon
swallowed
down
the
hot
bile
that
rose
in
his
throat.
He
really
wasn’t
looking
forward
to
this.

“Last
chance,”
the
sergeant
said.
“Where
are
your
friends?”

“I
told
you—”

He
didn’t
get
a
chance
to
finish.
Without
warning,
the
needle
was
stabbed
into
the
muscle
of
his
thigh.
Instant
agony
shot
through
his
body.
His
muscles
tried
to
convulse,
but
the
chains
held
him
in
place.
He
locked
his
jaw
so
he
wouldn’t
scream
as
the
fire
raged
along
his
nerve
endings
as
though
he
burned
from
the
inside.

His
head
fell
back,
and
he
closed
his
eyes
and
tried
to
ride
the
pain.
Finally,
it
receded
until
he
could
think
again.
He
blinked
open
his
eyes
as
another
needle
came
down,
and
this
time
he
couldn’t
prevent
the
scream
that
tore
from
his
throat.

Everything
went
black
for
a
brief
moment
of
respite.
When
he
came
around,
his
whole
body
was
one
big,
throbbing
mass
of
hurt.

He’d
thought
they
wouldn’t
go
too
far
until
they
were
sure
he
didn’t
have
anything
useful
to
say,
but
it
looked
like
they
wanted
payback
for
their
friends
more
than
they
wanted
the
information.
And
they
were
in
a
hurry.
The
Collective
were
on
their
way.

One
of
the
things
he
hated
about
dying
right
now
was
the
fact
that
he
still
had
no
clue
what
was
going
on.
Had
Aiden
Ross
really
committed
suicide?
And
if
so,
why?
And
who
was
trying
to
stop
Jon
from talking
about
it?

He
was
avoiding
thinking
about
the
other
reason
he
didn’t
want
to
die,
but
Alex
kept
insinuating
herself
in
his
thoughts.
Was
it
selfish
of
him
to
hope
that
she
would
be
a
little
bit
grieved
by
the
news
of
his
death?

He
clung
to
the
thought
as
another
needle
arced
toward
him.
Would
this
be
the
one
to
finally
finish
him
off?

…

Alex
stood
on
the
ramp
of
El
Cazador
and
stared
at
the
speeders
in
disbelief.
Rico
and
Janey
were
in
the
first.
Janey
was
slumped
in
the
passenger
seat
with
her
eyes
closed.
Skylar
was
alone
in
the
second.

No
Jon.

Her
mind
searched
for
an
explanation
but
came
up
blank.

She
hurried
down
as
Rico
got
out
of
the
speeder
and
leaned
in
to
pick
up
Janey.

“Where
is
he?
Where’s
Jon?”

Rico’s
expression
remained
blank.
“We
left
him
behind.”

“You
what?”
The
question
came
out
as
a
shrill
scream.
Alex
didn’t
care;
sheer
terror
filled
her
mind.
“You
left
him
behind?
How
could
you?”

Janey’s
eyes
flickered
open.
They
were
dull
with
pain.
“He
offered,
Alex.
We
couldn’t
stop
him,
and
we
wouldn’t
have
gotten
out
without
him.”

Alex
wanted
to
scream
that
she
didn’t
care.
They
should
never
have
left
him.

She
had
to
get
out
there—find
him,
save
him.
He’d
saved
her
twice
now.
How
could
she
leave
him
when
he
needed
her?

“We
have
to
go
back.
We
have
to
go
get
him.”

“Will
you
shut
the
fuck
up
for
one
second,”
Rico
snarled.

For
once,
he
didn’t
intimidate
her,
and
she
opened
her
mouth
to
argue
as
Tannis
appeared
at
the
top
of
the
ramp.
She
took
one
look
at
Janey
and
hurried
down.
For
the
first
time,
Alex
noticed
how
ill
Janey
looked.
Alex
had
never
seen
her
less
than
immaculate;
now
her
hair
was
mussed,
and
a
sheen
of
sweat
gleamed
on
her
pale
skin.

“Is
she
all
right?”
Tannis
asked.

“She
will
be,
but
she
needs
treatment.”

“I’ll
take
her.”

“No,”
Rico
said.
“We’re
going
to
need
you.
Where’s
Daisy.”

“On
the
bridge.
Readying
for
takeoff.”
She
looked
around.
“Jon’s
not
here?”

“No,
he’s
not.
Look,
comm
Daisy—tell
her
takeoff
is
delayed
and
to
meet
me
in
the
sick
bay.”

He
disappeared
inside
the
ship
with
Janey
cradled
in
his
arms.

Alex
gnawed
on
her
lower
lip,
trying
to
cling
to
the
little
gleam
of
hope
his
words
had
brought
to
life.
If
takeoff
was
delayed,
maybe
Rico
meant
to
go
back.
Alex
would
go
alone
if
she
had
to,
but
she
had
no
illusions
that
she
would
succeed
without
help.
She
couldn’t
stand
still
when
Jon
could
be
somewhere
hurt
or
dying—some
things
you
had
to
do
even
if
you
knew
from
the
start
they
were
doomed
to
failure.