I shook my head. “How did we get like that, Natalie? Don’t you see how twisted all of this is? I mean, is there some damaged goods database the SS uses to find the most screwed-up people for agent training?”
She looked almost pityingly at me. “You buy wholesale into the bogeyman stories, don’t you? People who do nothing have the luxury to throw stones at those who protect them. You don’t know the savagery of the animals outside the Havens. They use the word ‘resistance’ to cover the most atrocious acts, while becoming folklore heroes to settlers who don’t know any better. But I know what they’re capable of firsthand.”
I studied her face. “They hurt you.”
She gave a dismissive shrug. “It was a long time ago. When I was weak. I was caught off guard on a routine training assignment. A band of the so-called resistance captured me and a few other students.” Her face contorted in rage. “And boy did they work us over. Male, female — it didn’t make a difference to them. They had their fun.” Her eyes glazed, staring into the beyond. “No one survived except for me. If you can call it survival.”
Her gaze focused, glaring as if daring me to sympathize. “I was found by a Haven patrol. They nursed me back to life. Trained me to channel my rage into something extraordinary. When I was ready, we pulled up the DNA samples they found in and on me when I was rescued. I was given absolute impunity to hunt those bastards down and make them suffer for what they did.”
“You killed them all.”
“Of course I did — when I was finished hurting them. Do you think you would have done anything else?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because the truth hurt.
“You might not have, of course. You were always different. Most of the agents were bred to enter the Service. Reared in specialized camps.” She shrugged. “We were raised in a sterile community by synthetics. They educated us, trained us, and selected the best candidates for particular duties in the Havens. You were a different case. Troubled orphan. That’s why you never took completely to the program. You were corrupted by abandonment issues. In a way that made it easy to manipulate you. But in the end you were never satisfied with what your orders were. You wanted to know why.”
“And that’s where you came in.”
“That’s where I come in.” Her eyes practically steamed. “Come on, Michael. You know this isn’t what you want. I took care of you. I gave you guidance. I gave you someone to confide in. I gave you mental, emotional, and sexual stability. Don’t tell me you want to throw all that away for a trench coat and a fedora.”
“A flogger and a Bogart, you mean.” I tapped the brim of mine. “You think I want to head back to Psychoville with you and your SS pals so we can butcher some women and laugh over drinks? Think again, sweetheart. I got a new start in New Haven. I’m fine right where I am.”
“You’ll be dead right where you are. You should know how we operate. Newman’s mission failed, so they sent me. If I don’t bring you back, they’ll send someone else. Maybe the Wolf next time. This city will bleed, Michael. And it will lie on your head.”
“Why? What’s so important about one lousy agent?”
Her face practically seared with scorn. “You still think it’s all about you? You have no idea what the endgame is, do you? Think about it — you were sent here for a reason. You at least must have found out what that was.”
“To kill Dr. Faraday and recover his data.”
“Bingo. Faraday’s dead, but his data was never recovered. Tell me where the god lode is and I promise I’ll leave. I’ll tell them I killed you and no one will be the wiser. You can live your life in peace.” Her eyes turned pleading. “Just tell me where you hid the god lode.”
“Sorry.” I took a swallow of vodka. “Can’t help you. Don’t know nothing about this god lode. Wouldn’t tell you if I did.”
Her eyes narrowed. “So what is this, Mick? I know you’re not going to kill me. You’re reportedly still soft on killing women.”
“Ask the Red-Eyed Killer about that.”
Her smile was twisted. “Please. You told Newman that kill was set up by an auto-defense system hotwired to your car. You didn’t have to guts to do it yourself. And you don’t have the guts to do it now.”
I shrugged. “You got me. I’m not gonna kill you, Natalie. You’re damaged goods and a verified psycho, but we got history and I can’t just rub you out like it’s nothing.”
“So what are we doing here?”
“Stalling. You killed two women, Natalie. That’s something I can’t let you walk away from. I made a call before I got here. I’m afraid you gotta pay your debts, sister.”
“You called the police? That’s rich.” Her shoulders shook with mirth. “I’ll be out in the time it takes to show my badge.”
I paused with my glass upraised. “Who said anything about the brass?”
Her humor vanished. She looked at me with pensive eyes.
“You didn’t know? Sophia ‘Scarlet’ Flacco was the daughter of Moe Flacco — New Haven’s biggest Don. That’s who’s coming to pick you up, Natalie.” I turned at the sound of a vehicle outside. “In fact I think that might be them right—”
I knew it was a mistake right about when Natalie kicked the table, overturning it and sending me sprawling across the floor.
Chapter 20: Most Dangerous Dame
The Mean Ol’ Broad tumbled from my hand when I fell backward. My head rebounded off the floor, giving me double-vision long enough for a worm’s-eye view of Natalie’s feet sailing over the table. Both were planted in my chest, crushing the wind out of my lungs. As I writhed and gasped for air, she kept moving. Somersaulting off my body, she landed smoothly and snatched up the Mean Ol’ Broad. I thought she had forgotten about the bio-recog and would try to shoot me again.
Instead she whipped around and caught me square in the chin with the pistol grip. Stars exploded across my vision and the coppery taste of blood laced my tongue as my head snapped back. Natalie didn’t stop moving. She dropped the Broad and snapped off one of the table legs. Her eyes were wild when she hoisted it above her head.
“You had to go and ruin everything. You always were the weak link.”
The table leg blurred as she swung downward. There was a sharp crack as I blocked the blow with my arm. I couldn’t tell if it was the wood or my arm that splintered. From the agonizing jolt of pain that flared from wrist to elbow, I figured the latter.
She raised the leg again. “I told you I’d kill you before I ever let you walk away. You obviously don’t remember I always keep my word.”
I kicked the side of her knee before she swung. I couldn’t put much power into it while lying on my back, but it was enough to buckle her leg and stagger her. I leapt to my feet, trying to flank her long enough to make a grab for the Mean Ol’ Broad.
Natalie wasn’t having it. The table leg blurred in her hands when she charged with a snarl. I took a hard shot in the chest that nearly cracked my sternum, but I managed to latch on to the leg and rip it from her grasp. My bum arm prevented any counterattack and Natalie took full advantage, seizing me by the collar with an enraged scream. Her forehead battered my face, knocking me nearly senseless. My vision blurred as I groggily tried to shove her away. Her knee slamming into my groin put an end to that. I ate the carpeted floor with a groan, queasy from the explosion of pain in my guts.
Her hair flailed across her face. “I took you in, Michael. I protected you when everyone called you soft. I saw the potential in you and I knew you would come around in time. I made you one of the best, and this is how you repay me.” Each sentence was punctuated by a savage kick. I barely felt the impacts, still occupied with the earlier blow to the nether regions. Somehow I managed to catch her foot and shove. She stumbled back, tripped over the discarded table leg and fell.