Free Project Genesis by Michelle Howard

what you would like me to believe, soldier?”
    “Yes, sir.” Curtis
response came out calm as ever. His southern drawl thick. Not by a twitch did
he betray the reason for not using his power.
    “Then maybe
Michaels here can explain the woman who was caught on video footage from the
street side security cameras with you all during the Rekabian fight.”
    Holy shit. Vin
hadn’t thought of the video or he’d have fried the tapes himself. It was Harkum
who answered. “Not for nothing, sir, but she’s a civilian. An employee trapped
in one of the buildings near the location you sent us to retrieve the Vice
President from.”
    Slade didn’t bat a
lash and didn’t look away from Vin during the explanation. Hands fisted under
the table, Vin held himself still. No way would he look away first. David Slade
could push and probe all he wanted, Vin’s position would still be secure. The
military needed him. Needed all the men on the teams they’d mutated in their
fuck-me program.
    “Is that the case,
Michaels?” Slade’s eyes dared Vin to add more.
    Worded the way
Harkum had, it was the truth. Vin shrugged. “Yes.”
    “Then why is Helen
Scott here on the premises?” David’s smile twisted in a cruel slant as he left
the question in the air.
    The fact he that
he knew Helen’s name meant he’d already done a surface check on her. Vin didn’t
worry. He’d covered his tracks too well for a middle man like Slade to bust
him. His relationship with Helen had been as secretive and informal as he could
make it for her own protection. “We couldn’t leave her there.” Vin’s absence
from her life over the last six months would support his claim of disinterest
if necessary.
    “Civilians aren’t
allowed at the Command Center here for obvious reasons, Michael’s. Project
Genesis is top security clearance only.”
    Vin nodded and
relaxed his fists. Giving Slade any emotion would allow the man leverage for
later. For some reason, the dick had a hard on for Vin that none of them could
decipher and Vin was never quite sure how hard to push back.
    Slade broke the
staring match and gathered all their statements and the folders. “Make sure
she’s gone asap.”
    “Yes, sir.” Vin
was glad he’d taken her phone. He’d contain any accounting she gave of today
ensuring Alpha Squad remained out of the retelling.
    Everyone came to
their feet at once, mutually agreeing the meet was over. They filed out in a
single line, none of them making eye contact. If Slade thought their team
encouraged the bonds of friendship beyond what he considered acceptable,
he’d reassign them in a heartbeat. Then again, maybe not. The few times he’d
tried, the suggestion was kicked back from the higher ups due to the success
rate of Alpha Squad’s assignments. No one wanted to ruin a good thing.
    In the hall, Vin
paused when Slade signaled him to wait. Once the team disappeared down the
hall, Slade spoke, brown eyes glittering. “Make it clear to Ms. Scott that she
doesn’t breathe a word of anything she’s seen or heard today.”
    Slade wasn’t
saying anything Vin wasn’t planning to do anyway. The muscle in Vin’s jaw
locked but he grit out the required, “Yes, sir.”
    He turned to leave
but Slade leaned in close to murmur. “Don’t think for a minute that a woman
like Helen Scott would be interested in a low level grunt like you, Michaels.
She’s used to men of a higher caliber and won’t give you the time of day even
if you did play hero this evening.”
    Vin kept walking,
not bothering to respond to the taunt. Slade’s words were a fishing expedition.
He wanted to know if Helen held any importance to Vin. Because if she did,
Slade would make it a point to tie Vin in more knots. Vin wasn’t so sure he’d
keep from killing their handler if anything happened to Helen. She’d become his
weakness two years ago without him even realizing it. Nothing could happen to
her.

Chapter 7
     
    Helen dragged in a
deep breath and immediately