Page 53 of Unnatural (Men and Monsters #2)

“If it was the shooter’s body in the morgue, you would know it. He had surgeries like me, but far fewer. His name was Amon,” Sam offered sullenly. “I don’t know his last name. If we had real ones, we never used them.”

“Who, Sam? Who kept your last name from you? Who trained you?” Mark held his breath as he waited for Sam to give him the name of just one person involved in this evil, just one. Or refuse.

“Dr. Heathrow was in charge of our medical treatment and our training.” An expression of deep despair crossed Sam’s features before he quickly added, “He tried to help us though too. My organs were tumor riddled. My bones were brittle.”

Dr. Heathrow. The same man in charge of Autumn’s medical treatment. The same man Mark had read about online. The one who’d been so interested in human augmentation. Another buzz of dread moved through Mark, his eyes moving from Sam’s peculiar white hair to the scars on his temples.

Mark’s gaze moved to the scar that started at the base of Sam’s throat, wondering how many surgeries he’d had and for what exactly.

And though that information would help Mark form a more complete picture, it was still private, so for now, he’d take what Sam offered and no more.

“The surgeries…they were experimental then?” he asked.

“Of course, Agent Gallagher. But it was worth the risk,” Sam said.

The statement sounded rehearsed, but Mark let it go.

If Sam was lying for the man who’d essentially spearheaded his brainwashing, it wouldn’t be a surprise.

And maybe the surgeries were worth the risk.

Sam was obviously healthy and strong, even if his coloring was strange and he sported a concerning and unusual number of surgical scars.

Mark could see Sam was becoming slightly agitated with questions about Dr. Heathrow, so they’d come back to that later. “Why were you at Deercroft that day?”

“I went to the apartment, the one the program kept in the city. Amon was there. He seemed off, and I caught sight of an address where he was heading. Something wasn’t right, and I…” He shook his head. “I don’t know why. I just did.”

“Do you know the address of the apartment?”

Sam nodded, and he gave it to Mark. Mark texted it to one of his trusted associates in New York City.

Surprisingly, the text sent, even though he only had one bar on his phone.

He wasn’t expecting much to come from it though.

If experience with the way this whole operation worked told him anything, the place would have been cleared out after the man named Amon completed his job, especially one that included such heavy police involvement.

Likely, they’d rented another one somewhere else already, but Sam wouldn’t know where that was.

Sam wouldn’t be trusted with anything regarding the program ever again.

Mark considered the man, sitting there still and silent.

He was obviously struggling, and Mark felt a wave of compassion.

In answering Mark’s questions, Sam was going against everything he’d been trained to protect.

In essence, Mark was pushing in the wrong direction toward a mental and emotional magnet.

He’s strong. Not of body, though that was certainly the case too, but of spirit.

He doubted Sam knew it, but Mark did. And Jak would too.

“The program can’t be happy with you for involving yourself in another member’s mission.

For taking bullets for those who were supposed to increase the casualties. ” Innocent children.

“No, but that was already the case. I was kicked out of the program weeks before that.”

“By Dr. Swift?” Mark asked.

Sam’s eyes flew to him, obviously surprised that he knew the man’s name. His features evened out, and he nodded. “He gave the order to Dr. Heathrow.”

“Why?” Mark asked.

“Because I didn’t follow an order,” Sam said, looking away.

Mark studied him. He was being evasive. That’s okay. We have time. I’ll earn your trust, Sam.

“Do you know where Dr. Swift lives, Sam?” Mark asked, though he mostly knew that Dr. Swift didn’t have permanent dwellings.

And the others had already told him that no one knew of his whereabouts for more than an hour at a time and never in advance.

It was wiser that he stayed on the move.

But unfortunate for Mark and the others attempting to hunt the evil bastard down.

“No. I never met with him in person,” Sam said woodenly, confirming what Mark already knew.

“I don’t suppose you still have the phone given to you by the program?”

“No. It was confiscated when I was…dismissed.”

“They expected you to commit suicide, didn’t they, Sam?”

Autumn sucked in a small breath, looking at Sam with equal parts shock and dismay.

Mark knew enough to know that if you were dismissed from the program, you were removed in shame.

The final mission was to take your own life.

And thus far, from what he knew, all of them had obeyed.

But these people were brainwashed and terrorized in countless ways.

Tread carefully, he reminded himself. Triggers abound with men such as Sam. How could they not?

“Yes,” Sam said. “I was going to… I kept meaning to…”

“Sam,” Autumn whispered, her knuckles turning white as she squeezed his hand.

“What stopped you?” Mark asked.

Sam looked at Autumn with the same worshipful look Mark remembered Jak giving Harper so many years ago, not to mention the last time he’d seen them. “She did,” Sam answered.

“I see.” He studied them, noted the way they continued to lean into each other.

“So you two met at the hospital? That’s how you know each other?

” That was one part of the puzzle he hadn’t been able to figure out until now.

Until Sam had told him he too had been under Dr. Heathrow’s care.

Although knowing what he knew, care likely wasn’t the appropriate term.

But there was still lots of digging to do concerning that.

Autumn confirmed, telling him about the newer building she’d lived in next to the lab, which had also been Sam’s home. Her eyes cast to the side as though she wasn’t giving him the complete story, but again, now was not the right time to push. Mark was holding a few things back too.

The lab. Mark had a million questions about the lab, and he wanted to start volleying them at Sam right that minute. But he knew from experience that patience must reign.

“We have a lot to talk about and a lot to try to work through,” Mark said.

“I sense you need a team. And I’d like to be part of that, if you’ll trust me.

” He looked between the two of them again.

So young. So deeply uneasy. Autumn hopeful, Sam guarded.

Mark was hopeful too, and in anticipation of this meeting, he’d made a few arrangements that he knew would make things easier.

“I called and asked Jak, the man I told you about, the first one rescued, and his wife, Harper, to meet us at a house on the river. It’s only a thirty-minute drive from the town you live in, Autumn.

Will you both come with me? We can all figure out what to do from here. ”

Sam glanced at Autumn. “You can keep her safe? No matter…what happens?”

Mark paused. No matter what happens. What he meant, Mark surmised, was if Sam was harmed or chose to leave.

Mark would not lie to this deeply distrustful man, not when trust was so tentative.

“From what I’ve gathered, Autumn’s identity isn’t known.

Law enforcement doesn’t have her name or a photo of her.

” He looked over at her and then back at Sam.

“We’re dealing with very dangerous people, Sam, but I have no reason to believe anyone except you might be a target.

And this safe house we’d head to isn’t listed in any official databases.

We wouldn’t stay long—just long enough to gather more information and figure out next steps. ”

Mark saw Sam’s expression settle into resolve. Autumn and Sam shared a look, and then Sam turned to face Mark, appearing somehow both certain and defeated. Autumn’s safety was obviously essential to him. His own mattered much less.

“Yes, we’ll come with you.” Sam hadn’t said he’d trust him, but Mark hadn’t expected him to.

That’s okay, Sam. I don’t mind working for that.