Cut and Run (Phoenix Code 1 & 2) Page 24

  In Grafton, Scott took over the lead and guided Ethan and his passengers through remote mountain roads ever deeper into the woods, until they were driving only on unmarked paths that could barely be considered roads. There were no street names, no power lines, no signs of civilization. But Scott knew where he was heading. Sheppard had made him memorize every bend in the road, every tree, and every creek. Although he’d not visited the place in several years, he was confident he’d find it with his eyes closed.

  When he finally saw the familiar structure peek from between mature trees and thick shrubbery, Scott sighed with relief. Finally, they could all rest.

  He slowed the Ducati to a crawl and raised his hand to give Ethan behind him a sign to stop. Then he parked the motorbike in the middle of the dirt path and got off. He walked the few steps back to where Ethan’s car idled. His fellow Phoenix had already opened the driver’s side window.

  “That it?”

  Scott nodded. “Sheppard must have known one day we’d need a place like this.”

  “You sure it’s safe?”

  “We’ll know in a minute. Wait here.” He glanced into the back of the car, locking eyes with Phoebe for a short moment. She gave him a hopeful smile.

  Marching back to his motorcycle, he unlocked one of the side cases and rummaged through the contents. He found what he was looking for and pulled the small handheld device from it. It was square and a little larger than a cell phone, though its screen was much smaller, and there was a number pad below it. Scott pressed the on button and allowed the device to boot up.

  In the meantime, he pulled a spray can from the case and crouched down to the ground. He released the gas from the container, pointing it low on the ground toward the house. As it dispersed, red laser beams crisscrossing the area leading up to the property became visible. The booby trap Sheppard had set up was still intact.

  Scott looked back at the device in his hand. When a green light flashed on the tiny screen, he typed a ten-digit number into it, then pressed enter. A moment later, he sprayed more gas toward the laser field, but it was gone.

  He rose to his feet and placed the can and the device back in his side case and mounted his motorcycle. He turned to wave to Ethan to follow him.

  Moments later, they were both parked in a wood shed next to the house. Scott watched as Ethan and his passengers opened the doors. When Phoebe stepped out of the car, Scott took her hand and pulled her to him. “You okay?”

  “Much better now,” she replied.

  “Good.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and turned to Ethan and Tori. “Let’s go inside.”

  Ethan took Tori’s hand and walked to the front door, then motioned toward the area they’d just passed. “Laser field?”

  Scott nodded. “In case anybody finds this place and approaches, the person would blow up.”

  Tori tossed him a curious look. “What about the animals around here?”

  Scott smiled involuntarily. “The system is pretty sophisticated. It can distinguish between human and animal.”

  Ethan clicked his tongue. “Looks like Sheppard had a few aces up his sleeve, excuse the pun.”

  “He did, but it didn’t save him in the end.”

  He exchanged a look with his fellow Phoenix. Ethan’s estranged father had met with the same fate, killed by the assassin in Ethan’s tail. While at the house in Memphis, Ethan had revealed everything that had happened.

  Phoebe squeezed his hand. “Maybe it wasn’t meant to save him, but all of you. The Phoenix.”

  Arrived at the front door, Scott unlocked it and entered. The interior smelled stale. Nobody had opened a window here in years. The house consisted of a large living area with adjacent kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom. It was comfortably furnished, but not luxurious.

  Scott invited the others to enter then closed the door behind them. He flipped the light switch, and the living area was suddenly bathed in warm light.

  “I didn’t see any electrical lines in the area,” Ethan commented.

  “Solar energy from panels a few miles away, and a backup generator running on diesel,” Scott explained.

  Ethan pointed to the sink in the kitchen. “And the water and sewer?”

  “A private well and a leach field.”

  “And nobody’s ever found this place?”

  Scott shook his head. “Sheppard made sure it can’t be seen from the air. That’s why it’s surrounded by mature evergreens. They provide a thick canopy. And that’s why he put the solar panels off site.”

  “Smart man.”

  “We’re staying here for the night?” Tori asked.

  “Yes. You guys can take the fold-out couch. It’s pretty comfortable. I slept there when I was a child.” Scott motioned to the door leading to the bedroom. “Phoebe and I will take the bedroom. But first, I think we need to sit down so Ethan and I can work out a plan of action.”

  Ethan nodded in agreement. “Yes. Tomorrow Tori and I will leave and get to work.”

  “So soon?” Phoebe asked. “Why?”

  “It’s best if we split up. We can get more done that way. Not that I don’t like this charming retreat, but I doubt Scott meant for us to move in.” Ethan grinned.

  “I don’t want to seem inhospitable, but Ethan is right,” Scott agreed with a smirk. Then he turned serious again. “Let me just get us all settled.” He looked at Phoebe and Tori. “Are you hungry?” They’d stopped for some food hours ago.

  “Now that you mention it, a bit,” Phoebe admitted. She looked around. “I doubt there’s anything here. We should have gone shopping first.”

  “No worries. There’s a cellar.”

  Scott walked to the kitchen and crouched down next to the wall. He pulled away the rug and reached for the latch, lifting the large trap door and revealing a wooden staircase into the darkness. He reached inside and flipped a switch, illuminating the cellar.

  Behind him, Phoebe let out a breath. “Impressive. What’s down there?”

  Scott turned his head to her. “A couple of large freezers, some dry goods, and a hell of a lot of canned food to survive the apocalypse.”

  Phoebe exchanged a look with Tori. “Guess we won’t starve.”

  “As long as one person here can cook,” Tori agreed and sat down on the loveseat in the living room.

  Ethan joined her.

  Scott pulled a notepad from the small desk that stood at one wall and sat down on the couch facing Ethan.

  “Looks like you have a plan,” Ethan started.

  “I do. I had a lot of time to think while driving.”

  “Let me hear it, then.”

  From the corner of his eye he noticed Phoebe standing next to the sofa. He glanced at her and reached his hand out to her in invitation. She sat down next to him, and knowing that she was here with him, alive and well, soothed him. He gave her a warm smile then looked back at Ethan.

  “We know there are others like us,” Scott started.

  “Yeah, but we don’t know who, how many, and where they are. Sheppard kept that information to himself.”

  “Well, not all of it. He gave me a list of the codenames of all members of the Phoenix program.”

  “Where is the list? Let me see it.”

  Scott tapped his temple. “In here.” He put a pen to paper. “I’ll share the list with you.” He started writing down the names, starting with Ace, his own codename, and ending with Zephyr, Ethan’s codename. Then he handed the list to Ethan. “Memorize it. Then burn it.”

  Ethan ran his eyes over the piece of paper. “That’s quite a lot of agents. You wouldn’t by chance know their real names?”

  “I’m afraid Sheppard thought it would be too dangerous for me to know.”

  “Well, we can cross two names off, you and me. Which leaves us with what, a couple dozen others to figure out?”

  “Right.”

  “Looks quite impossible from where I’m standing.”

  “I know. But we need them. If we’re right, and
each of us has the same premonition, then something big is going down. Something we need to prevent. But we can’t do it alone, nor can we figure it out on our own. Everybody seems to have one piece of information. And only if we can get our hands on all the pieces will we see the big picture.”

  Ethan hummed to himself. “I agree, but it won’t be easy to draw the others out. They’re hiding, just like we are. They must assume anybody wanting to find them is doing it in order to destroy them. They’ll be careful.”

  “I wouldn’t expect them not to use caution. But we have to use methods that will tell them we’re their allies. Something that will identify us to them as Phoenix, while making sure we won’t give our positions away to our enemies.”

  “Do you trust your contact in the Deep Web?”

  Scott raised his eyebrows. “You mean despite the fuck-up about the time? Yes.”

  “We might be able to use him to put out a few feelers for us.” Ethan tossed a glance around the room. “Do you have internet access here?”

  “I have a secure satellite system I can hook into when I need to.”

  “Good. I’m assuming there’s no phone out here.”

  “No. But I have a secure cell you’ll be able to reach me on. And there’s more equipment buried underneath the shed outside. We have everything we need to set up a command center here. It’s as safe as we’ll ever get it.”

  “Good. Let’s do that. We might be able to find others that way.”

  “Good idea. But there’re other ways too. You were alerted to me because I acted on my premonition. We have to assume the other Phoenix will eventually act on theirs. We need to monitor the news.”

  “I can help you with that,” Phoebe said from beside him.

  Scott and Ethan turned their heads to her.

  “You don’t need to get involved in this,” Scott said.

  “I already am. You might as well let me use my skills. I’m in this too. That jerk was going to kill me!”

  Scott felt a cold shudder race down his spine at the memory of Phoebe in the hands of the assassin.

  Ethan chuckled. “My suggestion is to give in.” He glanced at Tori. “I’ve learned that once a woman has made up her mind, all resistance is futile.”

  Scott locked eyes with Phoebe. “We’ll talk about it later.” Then he gave Ethan a sideways glance. “And I thought as a fellow Phoenix you’d be on my side.”

  “I am on your side.”

  “Why is it called the Phoenix program, anyway? Seems an odd name for some agents with premonitions,” Phoebe commented.

  Scott took her hand in his. “Have you ever heard of the Stargate program?”

  Lines formed on Phoebe’s forehead as she visibly searched her memory. “The name sounds vaguely familiar. But I can’t place it.”

  “I remember hearing about it,” Ethan said. “Got declassified sometime in the 90s, right?”

  Scott nodded. “Yes, the Stargate program was a top secret CIA program the government started in 1975. They were trying to train a select group of agents in remote viewing and extrasensory perception. However, the results were disappointing. The CIA shut it down in 1995. Sheppard was involved in Stargate. It hit him hard when it didn’t succeed.”

  “But you have ESP. You have premonitions. So it must have worked,” Phoebe insisted.

  “Because Sheppard made sure the program was resurrected—in secret. He made it his mission in life to find people like him, people who possessed the gift of premonitions. He knew they existed, because he found me five years before Stargate was shut down. When I turned eighteen, he used his influence to get me into the CIA training program and in secret, he created the Phoenix program with me and him as the first two agents. He called it Phoenix, because the program rose from the ashes of Stargate. He believed in this. And he was proven right. The Phoenix had a gift. And it’s real.”

  “I never knew that about Sheppard,” Ethan admitted.

  Scott looked at him. “He was dedicated to his work. It’s time for the Phoenix to rise again.”

  Ethan smiled. “Where do we start?”

  “We’ll have to monitor the news. We know our enemy is doing the same. That’s how whoever hired the assassin must have been alerted to me. We have to be faster than he is.”

  Ethan nodded. “We know what we’re looking for. We know how the others think, how they were trained. You of all people can run this. That’s why Sheppard gave you that list. He wanted you to take over should anything happen to him. He wanted the program to survive. I think we owe him that.”

  “This time nobody will be able to stop us,” Scott prophesized. “Because this time we’ll work together, not in isolation. That was the only flaw in Sheppard’s thinking. He kept us separate from each other, thinking we’d be too powerful if we worked together.”

  But together they could prevent the impending disaster that both Scott and Ethan had seen in their visions, and fulfill their destiny.

  24

  Phoebe watched as Scott entered the bedroom, his hair still damp from the shower. He wore pajama bottoms, but no top. The sight of his virile body made her feel better instantly. The anxiety caused by her ordeal at the hands of an assassin was finally seeping from her and making way for more pleasant sensations. She was safe now. Safe with Scott, and because of him.

  “You tired?” His rich melodic voice sank deep into her body as he walked to the bed.

  She shook her head. “Not that tired.” She pushed the duvet lower, exposing her naked torso.

  Scott’s lips curved upward, turning into a smile. “I’d hoped for that.” He loosened the knot that held his pajama pants up and let them drop to the floor.

  Instantly Phoebe feasted her eyes on his nakedness. His cock hung heavy between his legs, thick and long…and rising with every step he made toward her.

  When he lifted the duvet and slid underneath it, her mouth went dry. It felt like an eternity since he’d made love to her, and only now did she realize the extent of her need to feel him inside her. But this would have to wait for a few minutes, until she’d said what was on her mind.

  Scott reached for her.

  Before her courage could desert her, she said, “I’ve decided to move in with you.”

  Scott froze in his movement. “Phoebe—”

  “No, please hear me out,” she interrupted him and clamped her hand around his wrist. “About what I said to you and Ethan today, I meant it. I can help you. I know how to get the news before the general public does. I have contacts. I can find out stuff that you and Ethan won’t have access to. Please!”

  He sighed. “Phoebe…”

  “You need me. And you know as well as I do that I can’t go back to my old life. Whoever sent the assassin will send somebody else, and then they’ll force me to give up your hiding place. And I can’t stand much pain. I’m going to crack. That’s why I’ll to have to live with you.”

  A chuckle broke from Scott’s lips.

  Surprised, she glared at him. “What’s so funny about that?”

  “You, making a case for why you want to live with me.”

  “But those are all valid reasons.”

  He shook his head. “There’s only one valid reason why I’d let you move in with me.” He freed his wrist from her grip and slid his hand to her nape, pulling her face closer to his. “So, are you gonna give me the right reason, or do I have to torture it out of you?”

  Her eyes searched his, and her mind went blank. One valid reason? What was he talking about?

  “Phoebe, I’m waiting.” There was no menace in his voice. Rather, he sounded amused.

  “I…I…I’m thinking.” Still, her mind remained blank. Maybe she didn’t do as well under pressure as she’d previously thought.

  “Oh, Phoebe, is it really that hard? Maybe I should tell you the reason why I was going to ask you tonight if you wanted to stay with me.”

  “You wanted to ask me?”

  “Yeah, but I guess your mouth works a little faste
r than mine. I suppose since you’re a reporter, that’s to be expected.” He chuckled. “Though it seems you’re a little tongue-tied right now. Maybe I should use this opportunity to say what I have to say.” He stroked her jaw with his thumb. “I’ve fallen in love with you, Phoebe. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. When I saw the assassin’s hands around your neck, it felt like he was choking me instead of you. I never want to feel like that again. You see, that’s why you need to move in with me. Because I can’t live not knowing whether you’re safe. And the only way to make sure you are is to have you by my side.”

  Her mouth dropped open and her eyes welled up with tears. Scott loved her.

  “So, how about you tell me now why you really want to move in with me, hmm?” he murmured, his breath ghosting over her lips. “Preferably before I throw you under me and make love to you all night.”

  “I love you.” The words suddenly burst from her.

  “Now was that so hard?”

  Scott’s lips descended on hers and robbed her of her breath. His mouth was warm and his tongue demanding as he kissed her. His hands on her skin wiped away the last of her tiredness, arousing her body and her mind.

  He pressed her into the sheets, and she welcomed his warm and hard body and let herself fall. His hands explored her, caressed her heated skin, touched her naked breasts and squeezed them gently, almost reverently. As if he worshipped her. She wrapped her arms around him and slid her hand to his nape, caressing him there.

  Phoebe greeted the visible shiver that raced over his back with female satisfaction. She clearly wasn’t the only one who was out of control.

  Scott drew his head back and looked at her. “I need you, baby.”

  Phoebe felt a smile tug at her lips. “You have me, body and soul.”

  Lust and passion shone from his eyes. “Then you won’t mind if I take what I need, will you?” His hand moved down her front and slid between her legs, cupping her sex.

  Her breath hitched, and she licked her lips. “Anything you want.”

  “Anything?” The glint in his eyes turned wicked.