This type of surgery wasn’t the same as trauma surgery. There wasn’t an exchange so much as an actual surgery. It was just time-consuming because one had to use the mind to move everything inside the body. It was extremely difficult and took an amazing amount of energy, draining the body and mind until one felt as if they couldn’t move or even think.
Time passed and Jonquille staggered. Joe caught her and lowered her into the chair they’d provided, quickly pushing water at her and wiping her face. Rubin sank into the chair behind him. They needed to continue. They had to take a break after hours of work, but they were both exhausted.
“We need some way to get energy fast, Diego,” Rubin said. “If Jonquille could absorb it, she could feed it to me. We’ve got several more hours of work to do.”
“That’s what you need, Rubin?” Ezekiel asked.
Rubin sighed. “A lot of it. She’s like a magnet. She can absorb it, but everyone here is so low-level …”
“I can give her whatever she needs,” he said. “The others need to go to the other side of the room for a few minutes though, just leave us.” He waved them away.
Joe, their team leader, stood looking at Ezekiel for a moment, shook his head and then followed the others across the room.
Ezekiel crouched down beside Jonquille’s chair. Bellisia took her hand. “You really can absorb energy, Jonquille?” Ezekiel asked quietly.
She nodded but kept her eyes closed.
“It’s going to be dark and powerful.”
She gave him a faint smile. “Best kind.”
Around them the air crackled, began to heat. Power amassed in Ezekiel and poured off him in waves. They could see sparks snapping all around Jonquille, as the dark energy streamed straight to her and was swallowed up immediately until her body was glowing. Humming. Static electricity made her hair stand out. Little dots of light snapped and crackled, leaping from Jonquille to Rubin.
Ezekiel sank all the way to the floor and pulled Bellisia onto his lap. “That’s the first time anyone’s ever taken energy like that. It’s never happened before. I didn’t think it could happen.”
“There was no way for anyone to see what happened,” Bellisia answered. “It was gone too fast. I think your secret’s safe.” She looked to the couple. “Right? His secret is safe?”
“It goes without saying, Bellisia,” Rubin said quietly. “Thanks, Zeke,” he added. “Jonquille? We’ve got to get back to work.”
It took several more hours of complicated surgery, and blood from Bellisia, before Rubin and Jonquille were able to turn the rest of the process over to Joe and Wyatt so they could once again collapse. This time, neither one bothered to try to open their eyes, even for the boat ride home.
19
Colonel Joseph Spagnola to see Oliver Chandler. I will also need to see Major Sidney Kingsley immediately. Have him meet me now and walk with me to Chandler’s office.” Joe spoke with complete authority. On either side of him were Ezekiel and Gino, both in full uniform. Flanking them, in rows, came Draden, Mordichai and Wyatt, and then Trap, Malichai, Diego and Rubin, also in full uniform. All officers. All were armed and all were grim-faced.
The guard at the gate blanched. “Yes, sir. I’ll call the major now. I didn’t know you were coming. You’re not on the list.”
“Get the major here now,” Joe said crisply. He continued to walk briskly, not even slowing down.
“Yes, sir. Yes, sir.”
Heads turned as the GhostWalkers continued up the broad cobblestone walkway leading to Oliver Chandler’s sprawling building. The layout had been studied and committed to memory. They had not only the satellite images, the plans Major General Tennessee Milton had provided, but also the meticulously drawn blueprints Sean and his men had given them as well.
This time, their unit had not come alone to this piece of property Oliver Chandler owned and thought he protected with his government-paid employees. He was so certain he could get away with anything. He had created his own army without permission, going beyond his contracts, using his protections and believing himself above the law, believing he would never have to answer to anyone. Oliver Chandler had more money than he knew what to do with. He liked his position as a respected and high-level security defense contractor. Most likely, having a couple of colonels and a full unit of GhostWalkers coming to investigate the disappearance of a team that had gone AWOL would make him very happy, although Chandler and his guards would have no way of knowing the officers coming to see him were GhostWalkers.
Two men approached them, angling across the grass to cut off their direct trajectory to the building. Joe halted his forward progress when the major and his companion, a tall, well-built, athletic-looking man, were directly in front of them. Joe waited, looking the two men up and down in that way he had. Rubin wanted to smile. The major’s companion came to attention immediately, saluting. The major was much slower, but eventually—and sullenly—followed suit. Only then did Joe deign to speak.
“I’m Colonel Joseph Spagnola, Major Kingsley.” Deliberately, Joe used the major’s name to show he knew exactly who he was. “I want you to call your men out onto the field now. Immediately. All of them.”
Kingsley looked over the group of men in their uniforms, managing to look insolent. “I’m afraid I can’t do that … sir.” The major flashed a barely there smile. “Had you called ahead, we could have accommodated you, but today is a bad day. Mr. Chandler is testing weapons today, and we don’t allow any outsiders on the premises while the tests are being conducted. I’m sure you can understand.”
The man standing beside him gasped and swung his head toward Kingsley, frowning. When the major glared at him, he looked at the ground. Rubin knew that was Jarod Barnard, recruited from the elite Marine Raider Regiment. He was a good soldier with an excellent record.
Joe raised an eyebrow. “I gave you a direct order, Major Kingsley. I didn’t ask for an excuse.” His voice was low, but there was a whip of command in it—one that said, I’m a commanding officer and you had better remember that.
The smile vanished instantly from the major’s face. His shoulders straightened as he stiffened, annoyance crossing his features. It was clear that few ever questioned him, probably since he’d been enhanced. The fingers of his right hand curled into a fist. “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”
Joe looked bored and turned away from him, dismissing him, knowing that would aggravate him more than anything else. This was a man who had suddenly discovered he had a small kingdom and ruled it with an iron fist. They needed to see just how far gone he really was, and they needed to know very quickly. These men were sworn to uphold their duty to their country. They served in various branches of the services, but they were all men who had served with distinction, and they upheld their code of honor with pride.
Rubin felt bad for Kingsley. They had no idea what kind of DNA had been put into him. He was in the Air Force and his record was spotless. He wouldn’t have been chosen for this assignment had it not been. He never would have passed the requirements for the GhostWalker program if he’d had any kind of psychological problems. Whatever had been done to him had caused the damage. The enhancement had pushed his natural aggression and testosterone levels off the charts, ripping away his basic kindness and humanity. Fortunately, his training kicked in and he obeyed his commanding officer, albeit reluctantly.