Chapter 16.

Natan gave the order to halt. "It's dead ahead."

"This is definitely the place," Ava said. "If Boyer is here, he will have seen us coming. How do you want to proceed?"

"We outnumber him nearly fifty to one," Natan said. "We could rush in."

Mikael shifted nervously, playing with his sungla.s.ses.

French dug out binoculars from his pack. "Are you willing to risk your men? Boyer might be cracked, but he's not stupid. It's not by accident that he's kept his ident.i.ty a secret this long."

Remy felt the stir of rage build in him. He'd like to take a rocket launcher and blow the place to toothpicks, taking Boyer with it.

Remy didn't know what he was more infuriated by: the fact that Boyer was a traitor, that Remy trusted Boyer and was used like a lab rat, or that he lost Ava because he blamed the wrong person.

As he looked back, it was laughable.

And maybe that's what gnawed at him. Remy could've accepted Boyer's betrayal, but Remy was the one who betrayed Ava. That was unacceptable.

"He's in there," French said, still peering through the lenses. "There is someone with him."

"We'll take them both out," Natan said.

"No," French said, looking to Ava and Remy. "It's David. Boyer just injected him with something."

"We have to get in there," Ava said. "We have to help him. Maybe we can stop it before the chemicals take hold."

A memory flashed, taking Remy aback. A long needle stabbed him and then again . . . and again.

Remy placed Ava down on the ground and pulled out his sidearm. "There might be time. He injects multiple times." He looked at Ava. "Stay here. I'll be come back for you."

"I'm coming with you."

Remy dragged Mikael over to her. "Stay with her or I'll shoot you."

"Remy!" Ava shouted. "I'm coming with you!"

"Try to catch up," he said, running toward the building. He heard French swear and take off after him, but Remy wasn't concerned about anyone but David right now. Boyer had to be stopped before he finished the injections. If not . . . Remy didn't want to think about the consequences.

d.a.m.n it! How did Boyer even get David over here? He must have ambushed David. David should've been at home with his wife. Oh, G.o.d. Mya. How was he supposed to explain this to her?

Remy was within a hundred feet of the building, and there were no shots fired to stop him from continuing. Boyer had to know Remy was out there. Why wasn't he defending? The only reason Remy could think of was because he was trying to finish off David before Remy stepped through the door. If David survived, he'd be out of his mind with the chemical flood.

Boyer was going to use David as his temporary, disposable weapon. Remy wouldn't harm his friend, and Boyer d.a.m.n well knew it.

Remy reached the door, flattening himself next to it. French caught up with him, his breathing labored.

"Whatever you do, don't shoot David," Remy said. "I'll take care of him. Just get Boyer."

French gave a tight nod.

Remy swung around, kicking the door in. "Boyer! Hands up!"

"s.h.i.t! Where did he go?" French said.

"Find him!" Remy ordered, running to David's side where a pile of empty syringes lay discarded on a metal table next to him.

David convulsed on the table, spit flying from his mouth. His eyes rolled back, leaving the eerie whites exposed. "Christ!" David was dying. Remy was about to unstrap David but thought better of it. There were no hospitals to bring him to, and he'd be a hazard to himself if let loose.

Natan.

Didn't Ava say Natan was a doctor?

Feeling absolutely useless and frantic, he bellowed for Natan.

"Hang on, David. Just hang on," Remy said.

Natan rushed in. His face fell. "Where's Venom?"

"Gone. Help David. Please." Remy scrubbed his hand over his face. "He's going to die otherwise."

Natan took one look at David and pressed his lips together. "He's overdosing. What was he injected with?"

"I don't know. The needles are here."

"Get out of my way," Natan said, switching spots with Remy. "Search the tables and cabinets. I need to know what kind of substances Venom might have used."

While Natan took David's pulse, Remy scoured the tables and cabinets. "s.h.i.t! I don't know. Only two bottles are labeled. Haramine and Nalozone."

"That doesn't make sense," Natan said. "Nalozone treats opioids. Haramine isn't an opioid."

"He's got a whole shelf of unlabeled bottles. There must be an opioid somewhere in there." Whatever the h.e.l.l that meant. "If it's a treatment, just shoot him up with it."

David grew a pasty white as his violent shaking turned into shivers.

"Do something!" Remy ordered.

"Find tubing. I'll have to make an IV."

Remy knew he had seen some on the table. They were connected to several vials and chemistry-looking gadgets. He quickly ran over and ripped the tubes off, bringing them over to Natan.

"See if you can disinfect it first," Natan said. "We don't know what's been in that tube."

Remy dashed over to a sink on the far side of the room. "Could it possibly be worse than what he has in him?"

"Just do your best," Natan said. "And hurry."

Christ.

At the sink, he turned the handle. "There's no water!"

Remy pounded his fist into the metal counter, denting it. A gurgling sound prevented further damage. Remy nearly shouted for joy, but when he looked at the faucet, there was still no water. Where in the h.e.l.l was the d.a.m.n water?

"Hand me that scalpel!" Natan ordered.

Remy grabbed a medical knife and rushed it over. Realizing it was David who was making the watery sound, Remy bent over, clutching his side.

"Don't look if you're squeamish," Natan warned.

Remy didn't think he was a lightweight when it came to blood, but seeing Natan poise a knife over David had him looking the other way.

"I tried to stop her," Mikael said from the doorway. "You should have warned me it was impossible." He stopped. His jaw swung open as he watched Natan insert the knife. "What are you-" Mikael crumpled to the floor at Ava's feet.

"What do you need me to do?" Ava asked, hopping over to Natan.

"Find a sterile needle," Natan said. "I'll have to inject the Nalozone."

"I'll find it," Remy said, already scouring the tables. "Ava, sit down."

"I can help," she insisted.

"I know you can. Sit, please. For me," Remy said, finding a needle that looked sterile, but how the h.e.l.l would he know? He brought it over to Natan.

David's face was a bluish white, his body still.

Remy swore. "Tell me he isn't dead."

Natan took the needle and filled it with Nalozone. "If this works, he'll wake up within moments."

Ava slipped her hand into Remy's as they watched Natan deliver the dose.

Nothing.

"What else can we do?" Remy demanded. "I'm not giving up. Tell me what to do!"

"Hang on," Natan said.

Hang on? While his friend was dying in front of him?

David's eyes flew open wide as he sucked in breath, wheezing. It was painful to Remy's ears, but he could only imagine what David was feeling.

He stood by David's side, peering down. "David, are you okay?" When there was no response, he looked to Natan. "Is he going to be okay?"

"We'll wait and see," Natan said. "He seems to be having a different reaction than what my cousin had."

"Could Boyer have changed his formula?" Remy asked.

"Yes, it would be easy to do."

David looked around the room, his eyes not focusing. He began speaking, but it was gibberish to Remy's ears.

"What's he saying?" Remy asked.

"It doesn't sound like words," Ava said.

"Haramine is a psychedelic chemical," Natan said. "He might be hallucinating."

Hallucinating . . .

Something about this, beyond David's condition, bothered Remy. It was almost as if a memory was right in front of him but he couldn't grasp it. It whispered to him, telling him to remember.

"Remy?"

Ava's soft touch on his arm s.n.a.t.c.hed the memory from him. Clasping his hand on top of hers, he held tight.

"Where is Jeremy?" she asked.

"He went after Boyer."

"He'll need your help," Ava said. "Go after him."

Remy glanced from Ava to David. She was right. Natan was taking care of David. French would need help with Boyer.

"Only if you sit down," Remy said.

Ava hobbled over to a padded leather stool and sat down with crossed arms. "There."

"And stay."

Remy's hand automatically reached for his sidearm as he ran out the back door. When it came to tracking people by footprints, he wasn't an expert. But out here, it wasn't too much of an issue. If he looked hard enough he could see that they had headed north. A natural path led through a winding section of barren slopes.

Remy took off in that direction, hoping he wasn't too far behind. It was only moments later when he heard the rhythmic thumping of propellers cutting through the air. He was too late. Boyer was getting away.

A small helicopter poked up above the next hill. It tilted from side to side as if the cyclic was broken. He could just make out two people inside, and from the look of it, there was a struggle. The helicopter shot right, then left.

They were going to crash.

Ava sat on the stool as Remy had requested. The sad fact of the matter was that she was no good to anyone right now, and her leg was throbbing. She badly wanted to prop her foot on something and rewrap her leg, allowing it extra room for the swelling. But she would need help. Natan was busy tending to David. The rest of his crew was outside, waiting. And Mikael was still pa.s.sed out at the door.

She focused her attention on David. Ever since the Nalozone, he'd begun stirring to life but was still babbling incoherently. She hoped he would survive this-and not like Natan's cousin.

"Can I help?" she asked Natan.

"No, there's nothing more I can do. I don't know the formula that was used on him. It's the same situation my cousin faces." His hands rested on his hips as he looked down at David, frustration set in his shoulders. "I don't think either will make it. My only hope is that Venom hands over his lab notes."