Free Legend of Michael by Lisa Renée Jones Page B

his desk and flung it against the two-way shatterproof glass panel. The computer hit the floor with a thud, plastic pieces bouncing off the tiled floor.
    Silence swelled in the room while the two other men, one GTECH and one human, stared at each other. Adam waited for one of them to say the wrong thing—that would let him know which one would die today. Because one of them needed to die.
    “Red Dart is the reason Powell was reinstated—with I might add, a promotion,” Lucian argued defensively, anger seething in his voice as he glared at Reed. “It’s why they created the role of security advisor to the secretary of state and acquired funding for a new Nevada air force base twice the size of Groom Lake’s Area 51. He is calling it Dreamland. The government is afraid of the GTECHs, all of us. They only pretend allegiance to the Renegades to gain their protection from us. Powell promised the joint chiefs of staff that his company, PMI, is no more than a few weeks from having Red Dart GTECH-ready. There are troops being transferred to Powell’s new Dreamland facility to prepare for a full-scale attack on both the Zodius and Renegade bases even as we speak. I’m working on getting more details about his attack plans now.”
    Reed pressed his dark glasses up his nose and straightened. His lower lip quivered with fear. “While this information sounds quite daunting, nothing in the data Lucian has given us supports such claims. This file holds nothing but a detailed documentation trail of failed attempts to use Red Dart against enemies of the United States government. They were able to bind the alien chemical component to the humans’ blood, which makes them sensitive to sound waves. When they activated the sound device for torture, it killed the humans. Painfully. It became a kill switch rather than a torture mechanism. Red Dart was ruled inhumane and terminated. The file was sealed fifty years ago.”
    Adam jerked around and leaned on Reed’s desk, shoving his face into the other man’s. “And what’s wrong with a little inhumane?” he asked. “Fucking. Love. It. And I fully intend to use it on both humans and GTECHs. Do you understand?” Reed nodded, turning ashen, and Adam continued, “Then you get me Red Dart ready for humans while we wait on the GTECH formula, and you do it now.” A little torture, a few high-profile dead bodies, and he’d own the White House—hell, he’d own every government in existence. Once he had the GTECHs fully controlled as well—there would be no stopping him.
    “Red Dart is administered by a laser,” Reed said, his voice shaking. “The laser is created by a crystal. I have to have that crystal or there is no Red Dart.”
    Adam pushed off the desk, ready to fling the doctor through the window this time. Already the man had failed to re-create the GTECH serum. The alien DNA protected itself from duplication, and they did not have the original DNA sample. Now, while Adam’s scientists sought a way around the problem, Adam was forced to grow his following with lesser beings, with humans. But he was dealing with the problem the way all great leaders dealt with problems—creatively. If he could not convert the humans, they would simply have to become his pets.
    “I still think we should ransom Cassandra Powell for the crystal.” The female voice came from the doorway.
    Adam looked dismissively past Lucian, to find his Lifebond, Ava, standing in the doorway, her long, red hair draped over her lab coat, and one of the many wolves Adam commanded at her feet. Adam’s gaze traveled possessively to the beginning of a baby bump lifting around Ava’s stomach, the heir to the kingdom he was building. One day soon, Ava would discover the secret to creating Lifebond matches who would produce GTECH offspring.
    “Powell won’t negotiate,” he told her. “Not even for his daughter. No general worth his salt would.”
    She looked thoughtful, walking farther into the room. “Then send