Page 19 of A Ballad of Blackbirds and Betrayal (Dynamis Security #4)
“It must be difficult,” Sabrina said carefully, fiddling with her ring again. “Working together in such dangerous situations. The constant worry about each other’s safety.”
Eden’s expression turned thoughtful. “It’s easier, actually. We trust each other completely. There’s no room for doubt in what we do.”
“And no room for doubt in what you feel,” Sabrina added, understanding dawning.
“Precisely.” Eden’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Which brings me to you and Atticus.”
Sabrina focused intently on her coffee, certain that the flush she felt rising to her cheeks was visible despite her best efforts to appear unaffected. “There is no me and Atticus.”
“There could be,” Eden countered. “I’ve known him for eight years. He doesn’t look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
Heat crept up Sabrina’s neck. “I think you’re misinterpreting professional respect.”
“I’ve killed more people than I care to count with methods ranging from a sniper rifle at two thousand meters to my bare hands,” Eden said conversationally.
“I’m trained to noticed things.” She lifted her coffee cup with her left hand, and Sabrina noticed the calluses on her palm—permanent marks from weapons training and combat.
“There’s nothing professional about the tension between you two. ”
Before Sabrina could formulate a response to this startlingly frank assessment, Cal’s voice came through the lab’s intercom system.
“Ladies, sorry to interrupt, but I’ve completed the deep analysis of the bioweapon structure. Sending it to your workstation now, Doc. It’s…not great news.”
The screen on Sabrina’s station lit up with molecular diagrams and chemical formulations. As she scanned the data, her stomach tightened with dread.
“This can’t be right,” she murmured, enlarging one section of the molecule. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, hair falling loose from her ponytail as she leaned forward to study the complex structure. “The binding mechanism is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s what I was afraid you’d say,” Cal replied. The slight tenseness in his voice suggested he’d become more than agitated while working through the data.
Sabrina’s mind raced, medical training kicking into high gear.
“It’s a synthetic hybrid. The base structure resembles VX nerve agent, but the delivery method is biological, not chemical.
It’s designed to attach to specific cellular receptors in the respiratory system and then migrate to the central nervous system. ”
“In English for those of us who didn’t go to medical school?” Eden prompted, setting down her coffee cup and leaning forward with intense focus.
“It’s the worst of both worlds,” Sabrina explained grimly, pushing back the stray hairs that had escaped her ponytail.
“Spreads like a virus, kills like a chemical weapon, and targets with the exactness of a sniper bullet. And based on these test results…” She swallowed hard, forcing herself to maintain clinical detachment. “It’s lethal within hours of exposure.”
“Can you develop a countermeasure?” Cal asked, the usual lightness gone from his voice.
Sabrina studied the formulation, already calculating molecular adjustments that might interfere with the binding mechanism.
“I think so,” she said slowly. “But I’d need samples of the actual agent to test it. Theoretical models will only get us so far with something this advanced.”
“Nate and I will get you those samples tonight,” Eden promised, rising to her feet with the fluid grace that belied her injuries. “In the meantime, do what you can with what you have.”
Left alone in the lab, Sabrina lost herself in the work, time becoming meaningless as she mapped molecular structures and calculated potential counteragents. The familiar rhythm of scientific inquiry calmed her, giving her mind purpose beyond the chaos of the day’s events.
She didn’t hear the door open hours later, didn’t register another presence until a coffee mug appeared beside her hand.
“You need to rest,” Atticus said quietly.
Sabrina startled, glancing up to find him watching her from across the workbench. The lab’s overhead lights had dimmed automatically with the evening hours, casting his face in shadow and highlighting the concerned set of his mouth.
“I need to finish this analysis first,” she replied, reaching for the coffee with gratitude. “But thank you for this.”
“You’ve been at it for six hours straight,” he pointed out. “Even the best minds need downtime.”
“Says the man who probably hasn’t slept more than four hours a night in eight years,” she countered, taking a sip of the perfectly prepared coffee—splash of cream, no sugar, exactly how she preferred it.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “My habits aren’t in question here.”
“No, just my stamina,” she said, returning her attention to the molecular model rotating on her screen. “I’m close to something. I can feel it.”
Instead of leaving as she expected, Atticus circled the workbench to stand behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.
“Show me,” he said simply.
Sabrina indicated the complex structure on the screen.
“The bioweapon uses a multistage delivery system. First, it attaches to these receptors in the pulmonary system—that’s what makes it so effective as an aerosol agent.
From there, it migrates to the central nervous system through the bloodstream. ”
“Similar progression to what we witnessed with Cho, though her symptoms were caused by the acid,” Atticus noted. “Rapid onset, starting with tissue damage.”
“Exactly. But what’s unique about this weapon is the binding mechanism.” She rotated the model to highlight a specific molecular structure. “See this? It’s synthetically engineered to target specific protein markers. In theory, if we can develop an agent that blocks these binding sites?—”
“—you could neutralize the weapon before it takes effect,” he finished.
“Yes. Or at least delay its progression long enough for conventional treatments to work.” She glanced up at him, surprised by his quick grasp of the concept. “You understand chemical biology?”
“Enough to follow,” he said. “I make it a point to understand the threats I’m facing.”
The casual statement reminded her once again of the complexity of the man standing behind her—not just a security expert or former military operative, but someone whose intellect matched his physical capabilities.
“We’re fighting against time,” she said, returning to the model. “Nate and Eden should be at BioGenix by now. Once I have actual samples?—”
A security alert flashed across the screen, interrupting her explanation. Cal’s voice came through the intercom immediately.
“Atticus, we’ve got movement at Sabrina’s condo again. Different team this time. They’re installing something.”
Atticus straightened, all traces of their momentary connection gone. “Show me.”
The molecular model disappeared, replaced by security footage of two men methodically placing small devices throughout Sabrina’s home.
“Explosives,” Atticus identified immediately, his voice hardening. “They’re wiring the place to blow.”
Sabrina stared at the screen, a cold knot forming in her stomach as she watched strangers plant bombs in the space that had been her sanctuary. The clinical part of her mind cataloged the placement—gas lines, load-bearing walls, electrical panels—designed for maximum destruction.
“Mitchell’s escalating,” Atticus said, already moving toward the door. “He’s eliminating all traces connecting you to Cho.”
“Including me,” Sabrina said quietly.
He stopped, turning back to face her, something fierce and protective flashing in his eyes. “That’s not going to happen.”
Before she could respond, Cal’s voice returned, tension evident in his tone. “Atticus, we have another problem. There’s been a breach at the Georgetown campus security system. Someone’s trying to access Anna’s dormitory security protocols.”
The change that came over Atticus was instantaneous and chilling. Every line of his body went rigid, his expression hardening into something Sabrina barely recognized—cold, lethal focus that reminded her exactly what kind of man commanded Dynamis Security.
“Lock it down,” he ordered, already striding toward the door. “I want a full security team on Anna now. And find me who’s trying to get to her. Cal, I’ll be in command in two minutes.”
He paused at the threshold, turning back to Sabrina with an expression that combined determination and apology. “I have to?—”
“Go,” she said immediately, understanding perfectly. “Your daughter needs you.”
“Thank you,” he said, before he disappeared through the door, leaving Sabrina alone with the image of her home being rigged to explode.
She stared at the screen for a long moment, watching as the men finished their grim work and departed. The implications were clear: If she’d gone home after the café instead of coming to Dynamis, she would already be dead.
With renewed determination, she dismissed the security footage and returned to the molecular model.
Mitchell was willing to kill innocent people to demonstrate his bioweapon’s effectiveness.
He’d murdered Cho in broad daylight and tried to eliminate Sabrina.
Now he was threatening Atticus’s daughter.
This had escalated beyond professional duty into something deeply personal.
Sabrina’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she refined her theoretical countermeasure. She would stop this weapon, not just for the forty-seven people at risk or for Atticus’s daughter, but because men like Mitchell needed to learn they couldn’t play God without consequences.
When Eden appeared at the door hours later, face flushed with success and a sealed container in her hands, Sabrina was ready.
“We got it,” Eden announced, setting the container carefully on the workbench.
Her tactical gear was smudged with what looked like soot, and a thin scratch ran along her cheekbone, but her eyes were alert with triumphant determination.
“Sample from the BioGenix primary storage facility. Please tell me you know what to do with it.”
Sabrina opened the container, a grim smile touching her lips as she removed the vial of clear liquid.
“Oh, I know exactly what to do with it,” she said, meeting Eden’s gaze with determination burning in her eyes. “I’m going to make it Mitchell’s worst nightmare.”