Page 80 of Unnatural
Next to her, Sam was very still. And she had no doubt that should it become necessary, he would use the weapon in his waistband or fight this man. But though she had no idea who this agent was or how he’d found them, her gut told her he wasn’t a threat. At least not physically. And at least not yet. She looked past him. He’d come alone.
“How…how did you find us?” Autumn asked.
“I located you after watching hours of street camera footage. I retraced your steps to your social worker. She was able to give me your name.”
Fear continued to creep through her system. Would this agent ask them to come with him? What was Sam going to do? He’d made it clear to her he would not be taken into custody.I’ve done illegal things.
“May I please come in?” the agent asked. “I’d like to explain more about who I am and the agency I work for. And I think we can all help each other quite a bit.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Mark rubbed his hands together, the warmth of the fire easing the cold from his bones. He looked across at whereAutumn and the man she’d introduced as simply Sam sat staring at him cautiously.
How familiar this was. Yet how apprehensive he still felt. He’d experienced a buzz of excitement driving here, knowing he was likely about to meet one ofthem.But he never knew how one ofthemwas going to react. Or behave. Or…accept.
Sam.His name was Sam. And he was tall and big and muscular just like all of them were. Only Sam’s looks had surprised him. While most of them shared the same linebacker build—at least thus far—Sam was different. His hair was an unlikely shade of white, while his skin was tan and his eyes almost black. His coloring was very unusual to say the least. Something had been done to him, and though curiosity drummed within, so did dread. Mark almost didn’t want to guess at what had been used to achieve such a thing or the justification behind it.
“First, I want you to know, I’m not here to arrest you, detain you, or anything of the sort. I’m hoping for yourcooperation because I’m looking for the truth, but I’m also here to offer you the help I believe you need.”
“Help us?” Autumn asked. Sam simply stared.
“Yes. I’m prepared to give you temporary housing and any protection you might need while we sort all this out.”
“Even though we didn’t come forward after the shooting?” Autumn glanced at Sam. She was obviously choosing her words carefully, though Mark sensed she was more concerned about him.
Autumn leaned infinitesimally closer to Sam. Mark wondered if she even knew she’d done it. And it eased his worry, because from what he knew of this girl, she was rational, and she was beloved. It had to mean she had more than a modicum of good judgment. And she’d obviously deemed this man worthy of her affection, if not more.
It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was a good start. And far better than he’d had with the others. Excluding Jak, of course, who had had Harper. And it’d made all the difference. Maybe it would in this case too.
The muscular man sitting next to her looked as taut as a wire. And Mark could see that if he threatened Autumn in any way—not that Mark was planning on that, quite the contrary—Sam would react swiftly and probably violently.
They were all wired differently. From each other but especially from other, more average humans. Yes, Mark knew Sam would fight if he had to. After all, he’d been trained to do so.
“I understand why you didn’t come forward. And before I ask you to trust me, to be honest with me, I want to be honest with you. I work for a task force dedicated to finding those who have been unwillingly and sometimes unknowingly enrolled in a program that seeks to create…supersoldiers for lack of a better description.”
Mark saw Sam draw back slightly right before he caught himself, stilling completely. Yes, that had gotten his attention. Autumn glanced at Sam and then back to Mark. She wasn’t overly surprised either. Sam had already confided in her—at least some of it.Good.
“Unwillingly…” Autumn murmured.
“Meaning it’s done when they’re babies…or children. The first man I found in this program is named Jak. I’ll tell you a little more about him later. Since Jak was rescued, the task force has located two additional groups. There were only five survivors, all of whom…didn’t adjust well to outside life and have subsequently been institutionalized.” He looked back and forth between Autumn’s and Sam’s rapt expressions, thinking about those poor souls he’d just mentioned.Didn’t adjust well.There was a whole world included in that description, but he didn’t have time to go into it now. He could tell by the way Sam’s eyes had widened when he’d said it though that the man had some concept of what he alluded to.
Mark had left his weapon in the car so as not to pose any threat. But Sam likely had one somewhere close by that he would use at a moment’s notice and with the skill of a trained professional if it even became remotely necessary. But he was digesting Mark’s words, and he was obviously attached to the woman sitting next to him. Both extremely positive signs. There had been one success story, and God, but he hoped for a second.
“How did you find them?” Autumn asked.
“I became interested in a series of crimes where each perpetrator had several of the same defining qualities as the men in these programs. To simplify, they were all large,strong men who appeared more like athletes or soldiers than the typical criminal element. Flimsy evidence at first, I realize, but the more I looked into the situations and the accused, the more I became convinced these men were who I thought they were. Eventually, they led back to the groups I mentioned.”
“What sorts of crimes did they commit?” Autumn asked, suspicion creeping into her tone.
Mark looked at Sam, who remained still and silent. Mark had the impression he already knew the answers to the questions Autumn was asking. He appeared neither surprised nor curious, simply stoic.
“They varied,” Mark said. “Mostly shootings. A stabbing. The other thing that made the crimes similar was that they occurred during a time that was extremely advantageous to someone who was facing a major scandal in the news cycle.”
“There’s always a major scandal in the news cycle,” Autumn noted.
“Seemingly so. But not all are willing to pay the price to change public focus.”
A flare of surprise widened Sam’s eyes before his shoulders sank as if with understanding. He leaned back slowly against the couch cushions. Autumn glanced at him, worrying her lip again as she focused back on Mark. “Willing to pay…” Autumn all but whispered. “Are you saying someone instructed the men in these programs to commit crimes in order to take the spotlight off them?”
