No matter how big the asshole was that was carrying her, he wouldn’t stand a chance against his boss. When he set his mind on something, there wasn’t a thing the man couldn’t make happen. That was the only reason Jimmy was still listening to the demented asshole. It was uncanny how he managed to get everything he wanted.
Jimmy watched as the vehicles drove out of sight and toward the compound. He shimmied down the trunk of the tree and high-tailed it out of the overgrown forest to his hidden car he’d parked out of sight and off the traveled path. “I need a fucking raise, if I have to keep putting up with this crap.”
He unlocked the door and climbed inside starting the ignition. His legs protested and ached reminding him that he needed a long soak in a tub when he got back to his hotel.
He let out a sigh as the cool air blew out from the vents somewhat lessening his foul mood. Now all he needed was food and a stiff drink to take the edge off before he could put his plans into action. He pulled his phone from his clip. Mr. Floyd’s annoying gruff voice answered on the first ring. “Tell me you’ve got good news.”
Jimmy swallowed the lump in his throat thankful that he did have good news. No matter how much working for Mr. Floyd annoyed him, the man reeked of power and disappointing the man was never a good thing. Bigger men than him had fallen for saying the wrong thing to his boss. “They just landed and they’ve got the girl.”
“Hmm.” His boss sighed. “Excellent. Keep an eye on them.” Floyd ordered before he disconnected the call.
Jimmy tossed his phone in the passenger seat and clenched the steering wheel. How the hell did the old man expect him to do that without being able to gain access to the compound? He shook his head. “I need a drink.”
Jimmy drove back down the long dirt road until he hit asphalt and headed back into town.
****
Lydia glanced at her surroundings. The unfamiliar area where their plane had landed hadn’t given her an idea of where the hell she was. Mountains in the distance in front of them and a thick forest lay behind them. She’d been shocked to wake up already at the compound. She lifted her hand and rubbed her arm where the needle puncture still hurt. She hadn’t seen that in one of her visions. Her visions were shot to hell when Thompson and Briggs had decided to tag along. She tilted her head from side to side trying to undo the knots that were tightened in her shoulders. She turned her glare on the man beside her. “Where are we?”
Rick shrugged. “Don’t know. The General said he’d debrief us when we got here; wherever the hell here is.
Briggs let out a sigh. “We were only in the air for 15 minutes and we flew north.” Briggs pointed to the mountains in the distance. “If I had to guess that is the Searing Mountain.” Briggs turned in his seat before turning forward again. “I’m not familiar with the towns in the valley around the mountain, so which town we’re in; I have no idea.” Briggs shrugged. “But I could get us out if we needed to leave in a hurry.”
Lydia felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. Her family had sent Briggs to keep her safe. Thank god she had someone else to count on besides Rick who had let her get knocked out.
The ride to the compound in the distance took mere seconds. The butterflies in her stomach hadn’t stilled and she guessed that they wouldn’t until she had more answers. If she didn’t get them soon, she was going to take Briggs up on his offer to get them the hell out of here. Lydia raised her brow at the armed guard as the General motioned them into what looked like a security room. Security monitors surround the walls. Men sitting behind computers clicking away on keyboards barely glanced in their direction as they passed.
“Jonah, everything okay here while I was gone?”
The computer geek grinned. “Everything’s been smooth here boss.”
General Lister nodded and walked over to the panel and placed his palm on the metal box. A green light lit up on the monitor above it with his name and picture. The General motioned for Briggs and Thompson to do the same.
The computer geek spoke up. “This is only so we can get you in our system and give you access to the areas you’re allowed to be in.”
First Briggs and then Thompson laid their palms on the box while the computer geek typed away at the keyboard. When Thompson’s name popped up, he raised his brow at the geek.
Jonah shrugged. “I knew you were coming. You were on the flight manifest so I already started programming each of you into the computer.”
The geek motioned Lydia for her turn at the box. “Ms. Stevens, your turn.”
Lydia placed her palm on the box just like the rest of them had done. Just as soon as she placed her palm on the box, the man in the white lab coat walked into the side door across the room. Unconsciously Lydia’s temper flared at the sight of the man who’d stuck her with a needle. Her face grew hot. The hairs on her arm stood up as she focused on the man in white, never taking her eyes off the jerk in case he decided she needed to go back to sleep.
Sparks flew from the box and around the screen. She jumped pulling her hand away and clutched it close to her chest.