by Amy McKinley
Keegan had kneeled by Andrea, a syringe in his hand.
“What are you doing?”
He cleaned her arm then inserted the needle before answering me. “It’s a mild sedative, enough to keep her unconscious for a few hours. It protects these people here and wherever we take her so she can’t tell Ahmed much.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t even thought to ask if he had anything like that. Immediately, I felt better about being in Janie and José’s home. Then I remembered the files. “With everything that’s gone on, I forgot to show you want I found.” I reached into the cup of my bra and maneuvered the push-up cushion to reveal the pockets. With the tips of my fingers, I eased the thumbnail drives and drone out. “Here.” I dropped them into his hand.
“What the fuck, Kara!” His head snapped up after looking into the sharpie cap. “You had this on you? Close to your skin?”
I shrugged. “How else did you expect me to get it out?” Anger climbed my spine. That’s the thanks I get for risking my neck riffling through Ahmed’s office?
“Goddammit.” He set everything down with care before scrubbing his face with his hands. “You could’ve gotten killed. We don’t know what this one is. It could have been an explosive, or poison could have leaked and gotten onto your skin.” He was scared for me.
I laid my hand on his bicep. “I’m okay, and we, not Ahmed, have that now.”
“I—” He gripped my shoulders and pulled me to him. “I can’t lose you.”
In his arms, I trembled. I wanted a future with him, but he couldn’t keep me safe all the time—I was a grown woman. “It’s what we do.” I kept my voice soft. “We take risks. I would do it all over again to keep Ahmed from having something that dangerous.”
After another tight squeeze, he let me go, and I gave him a few minutes to come to terms with what I’d said. He knew I was right. Keegan bent down, withdrew a metal box, and put the drone in it. We would be okay, so long as we made it out of Venezuela.
“Before we leave”—Keegan’s gaze met and held mine—“we could call Lily. I’m sure she’s worried about you.”
Tears sprung to my eyes. “Yes.”
He withdrew his cell and made the call. After he chatted for a brief moment with one of the men he worked with and told him about the drone, he handed me his phone. My hand shook as I accepted it. All that mattered to me was that my daughter was free and safe. “Lily?”
“Mama! Aunt Liv has clay! I made a bowl. Aunt Stel and Aunt Mari made potions. Are you coming now?”
I almost fell to my knees at the sound of her excited prattle. “Potions?”
“Glitter and something. Mine’s pink. It’s fairy dusk, Mama.”
“Dust,” a woman in the background said. “Fairy dust.”
“I said that.” Lily’s response was muffled as she talked to the other person.
The exasperation in her voice made me laugh, and tears fell from my eyes in a happy stream.
“When’ll you be here?”
“As soon as I can, baby girl.”
“Daddy wants to talk to you,” Lily said in a rush. “Love you, Mama.”
“I love you more, my sweet.” Samir had to have been why she wasn’t hysterical in a new environment. I held in the urge to curl into a ball and cry at the sheer relief of hearing that my baby girl was happy and safe.
“Kara.” Samir’s gentle voice sent another wave of gratitude through me.
“Hi, Samir. She sounds good.” I swiped at my cheeks, whisking the tears away.
“She is. Are you on your way?”
“Soon. We have one thing to take care of first. How’s David?” David of Meyer Ancestry Labs was to Samir what Keegan was to me—he was Samir’s world. They’d met last year during a conference Samir attended. After David hired Samir as a consultant, they worked closely through David’s business, and a relationship quickly developed. “Have you told him?”
Samir had helped me enough, and when I insisted he not come back, I’d meant for him to find his happiness with the love of his life, David. Samir had read between the lines. We’d spoken many nights about what-ifs when we were alone together.
“No.” He sighed. “David had a hacker attempt to download sensitive files yesterday, and he’s at the office, working with IT to ensure their data is safe.”
My gaze shot to Keegan’s. “I just had a horrible thought. Do you think that’s the reason why Ahmed was interested in Samir’s connection to Meyer Ancestry Labs? To establish a back door into David’s confidential DNA records?”
“I wouldn’t put anything past your father, but what would he gain from doing that?” The hatred Samir had for Ahmed clung to his words.
Keegan swore and motioned for the phone. “Put Chris on,” he snapped before he hit the speaker button.
Seconds passed before another voice filled the air. “Chris,” Keegan barked. “Would the drones respond to DNA coding?”
“They could,” Chris confirmed. “If they have genetic samples for any of those in the council or even the president, they could infect one of the members with a targeted virus that would morph into a deadly virus when they sneezed around the intended victims. It would eliminate the need to go near the meeting at all and provide a path of escape and limited detection for the one who set the process in motion.”
I took a breath. “That would be an ingenious method to cloak both Ahmed and the Venezuelan president’s hands from being dirty with pending deaths.” More and more of the puzzle pieces fell into place. “They must have gained intel about the agenda of the meeting.”
“That’s the consensus,” Chris said. “They were voting on adding the Venezuelan president to the kill list. I’m not sure if there was anyone else, too, but that alone would topple the current government to make way for new blood.” Chris’s voice was muffled as he spoke to someone else. “I’ll get a list of the clients who have used David Meyer’s ancestry testing.”
After disconnecting the call, Keegan put the capped syringe into his bag, probably to dispose of later. “Help me wipe down the room. After we eat with the family, we’ve got to go.”
I helped him clean all the surfaces while trying to make sense of his conversation with Chris. “I don’t understand why one person coughing at a meeting would cause such harm.”
“We’re worried that Hugo plans to program one of the nano drones to infect a specific carrier’s DNA with a virus. It would be aimed to attack another with a known DNA sequence. When the germs are released into the air, there could be a secondary function of the infection that unlocks and targets the intended recipient with a deadly cocktail that would result in death.”
“Ahmed relies heavily on his position and has a great deal of power and influence with his connection to the president.” I cleared my throat. It all made sense. “And it’s something I could see Ahmed involved in.”
Janie called to us, and we paused our discussion to have a quick meal with them. I found out all Keegan and Jack had done for them in return for shelter. I think I fell in love with him even more. Love? Oh God, I do love him.
For as long as I could remember, I’d wanted him, looked up to him. But after he’d saved Lily and risked his life for us, I couldn’t fight the hold he had on my heart any longer. Shoving my recent revelation aside, I helped Janie clean up before we said our goodbyes. Keegan and I went back into the room one last time.
Keegan waved to the lump against the wall. “We need to figure out what to do with Andrea.”
I nodded, mulling it over. “We have to get her out of here before she wakes or hears anything. I wouldn’t risk my friends, should she decide to tell Ahmed.”
“Do you have any suggestions? I planned to dump her in an alley somewhere.”
“I know two people who are mixed up in express kidnapping. We could leave her with them.” It was risky, but we had to do something. “They’re not dangerous, not really. Just trying to provide for their families.” Again, I glanced at Andrea’s still form. “We can take her
to them.”
“I’m not sure this is the best time of day for us to venture out.”
Keegan was right, but Andrea couldn’t stay with us. “I won’t risk them.” I notched my head to indicate the owners.
He crossed the room to my side. “You need a disguise before we go out. See if your friend has a scarf for your hair and a pair of sunglasses. And different clothes, too. Maybe a dress?”
That would not have been something I would ordinarily wear, so it made perfect sense. “I’ll be quick.”
“I’ll get Andrea into the Jeep. Meet me there.” Keegan picked her up and hefted her over his shoulder.
It took less than five minutes for Janie to get what I needed and then for me to change. I slid into the passenger seat next to Keegan, who’d put a hat and sunglasses on. His hair curled in loose waves, and I longed to run my fingers through it. I loved his hair. It was so different than the crew cut he’d worn when I’d first met him. That and his sheer size changed how he’d looked all those years ago. He did not resemble the boy who’d protected me while I slept in a deadly training camp.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
I gave him directions to Raphi’s. They would be holed up in an abandoned building. I didn’t like what they did, but at least they never targeted people whose families couldn’t afford to pay something. We weren’t far, and it didn’t take long to arrive.
Ahmed’s soldiers were not in the streets, but I wouldn’t let my guard down. Keegan had led them to believe we’d fled in the opposite direction. They wouldn’t have expected us to loop back right under Ahmed’s nose. Soldiers would be crawling over the ports and airport. Eventually, they would come back and look for us. I hoped that we’d be long gone by then.
I wished we were on the Ducati, with my arms wrapped around Keegan. I wanted to be closer, to touch him. After we got rid of Andrea, I hoped we would take the bike as our means of escape.
“Turn here.” I pointed down a side street in an industrial area. A man leaned against the doorway of a mechanic’s shop. The next few shops were boarded up. As we neared the building where Raphael would be, I had Keegan slow. “Pull around the side.”
When he pulled to a stop beside the building, I hopped out. I rapped my knuckles on the door. “Open up, Raphi. It’s Kara.”
I felt rather than heard Keegan. The heat of his body loomed over me, protective and fierce. While I found that sexy as hell, I didn’t need him watching my back.
Raphi opened the door. His gun jerked up and his eyes bulged when he took in Keegan. “Who is this?”
I smacked his gun down. “He’s with me.” My frown matched Raphi’s. “We have a drop-off for you.”
“Oh? What’s with the disguise?” He grinned, and his posture relaxed. “You’re joining the cause? Finally getting away from the big bad dad?”
I rolled my eyes. “The getup is because I’m out of Ahmed’s house and away from his influence, but not by his grace. And I’m not joining your business.” I pursed my lips. That wasn’t entirely true. “Except for this one little favor. I need you to hold someone for me. Ahmed won’t pay, but you can try to ransom her.”
“What kind of trouble are you leaving at my door?”
Keegan stepped forward, and I instinctively leaned back. God, I wanted nothing more than to leave that place and be with him. With Samir and me both soon to be free, I might be able to live the dream of being with Keegan for real. But it was not the time. “Andrea, my daughter’s nanny, betrayed us to Ahmed. Please hold her for three days. You can try to get money from Ahmed if you want. If you’d rather stay under the radar, keep her blindfolded, but release her after that time.”
I withdrew a wad of cash. “For your trouble.”
“I would have done it for free for you, Kara.” Raphi’s features tightened. “Get far from here.”
I flung myself at Raphi, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. When I pulled back, my eyes had misted. “Take care.”
Keegan retreated to the Jeep as Raphi and I exchanged our goodbyes. Andrea was over his shoulders, her wrists bound and eyes covered. After he passed her to one of the men Raphi waved over, we got back in the Jeep and sped off.
“Are you okay?” Concern laced his words.
I melted even more. “I will be.” If only we could escape Venezuela without any more problems.
27
Keegan
Wind rushed through the open Jeep. I glanced at Kara. Her features, or what I could see of them in the dim light of evening, were tense. We’d had a pretty good run of luck. We were so close to going back to Maine, but I had a bad feeling it was about to end.
We didn’t need anything to leave aside from our escape boat. I had supplies in my backpack. She had the clothes on her back. When we arrived in Maine, Liv and the others would make sure Kara had whatever she needed. I maneuvered the vehicle through the streets. We’d put a good ten miles between us and Andrea. Kara remained silent by my side. I knew she was scanning the area, too, looking for an ambush.
“Not much longer, and we’ll be at the water.” I wanted to reassure her. Aside from a possible run-in with patrols, there was a small chance we would have to wait for our boat to arrive. Either way, we were one step closer to getting out of Venezuela. I never wanted to come back.
“I hope so.” Her hand tightened on the gun tucked against her thigh.
“When we get—”
My words were lost in the metal on metal explosion as another car T-boned us on Kara’s side. The Jeep lurched then spun. The seat belt bit into my chest as the accident registered. We skidded then were hit again. The Jeep rolled. Kara’s scream filled my ears over the impact. My head rang when the Jeep stopped, and my left side felt as if it had been sandpapered off by concrete.
Reality seeped in, more slowly than I would have liked. Kara hung from her belt, unconscious and listing toward me. With my good hand, I released the button for the seat belt and fell partially onto the road, my legs still inside. I grasped for my gun.
Hands curled around me, and I was pulled from the Jeep, the weapon stripped from my grip. Ignoring the pain, I lurched to my feet, and their hands fell away. There were three men. Two had guns pointed at me, and at the center stood Jamal.
I recognized one of the Dark Wing soldiers. A menacing gleam shone in his dead eyes. There was history between the soldier, Kara, and me. All those years before, in the camp, I’d ensured her safety from him at night. There were others that had caused concern, but he was the worst of the lot.
The soldier approached the overturned vehicle, and I reacted. No way would I let him touch Kara. As I lunged, my fingers curled around a knife in a side pocket. I let it fly. With a thunk, it found its target. Blood welled then spurted around the protrusion in his neck. A wet gurgle sounded as he staggered back. I should have done that a long time ago.
Too focused on Kara, he hadn’t anticipated my action. Mistake. That left two. Easier to manage. I lunged to the fallen soldier and relieved him of the scimitar strapped to his side.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Jamal motioned to the other man to retrieve Kara then attacked.
I ducked as Jamal swung a curved sword at my head. We engaged, blade against blade, and Jamal had the upper hand. The clang of metal rang through the streets. Our fight was practiced due to many years of training together. But I’d learned new things and was younger and quicker. Then again, I hadn’t landed a single blow.
Throughout our deadly dance, I wanted to check on Kara but couldn’t spare the focus. Jamal was a skilled warrior, and it seemed he was besting me. I had to step up my game. I was better than that.
Pain lanced my arm as his blade grazed off it. Dammit. I bent and weaved. We traded blows in a combination of martial arts and street fighting. It could have gone on for a long time and needed to end. With each movement, I assessed him for weakness. Jamal had few, but as a teenager, I’d managed to best him once. I would do it again.
Metal sang as I flipp
ed his sword into the air. In an arc, I sliced my knife down and reopened the scar on his cheek. A river of red flowed down his face, but he didn’t react. He jerked another blade free of his clothing and whipped it at me. Pivoting, I almost avoided it. The weapon lodged in my arm. Blood dripped from the wound then off my fingers. We circled one another, ready to attack again.
Neither of us would tire anytime soon, not until one of us lay at the other’s feet. With a twist, I landed a kick to his chest as he jerked the blade from my arm. Two steps back, and we regrouped.
“Stop or she dies.”
I froze. Not taking my gaze off Jamal, I caught a glimpse of Kara, still unconscious and on her knees. A stream of dark red trailed from her temple. A large lump had formed on her forehead.
The other soldier had a fistful of hair, holding her head up. Her eyes remained closed. But the knife at her throat wasn’t something I could ignore. There was a chance they wouldn’t kill her, that Ahmed wanted her alive. But I wasn’t sure. That was enough to still my hand. Goddammit!
We were in a world of trouble.
28
Keegan
Buildings then houses flew by as the SUV bumped along uneven roads. I sat in the back with Jamal, who pointed a gun at me the entire way. Sweat beaded on my forehead as my gaze strayed to Kara time and again. Please be okay. She hadn’t regained consciousness yet, and her body listed to the side in the front seat, making the driver’s job an easy one. If we’d had a few minutes, I could’ve made sure she wasn’t seriously injured.
Zip ties cut into my wrists. Thankfully, they’d secured our wrists so that our hands were bound in front. Foolish, especially from them. Jamal must have grown complacent over the years, running things by focusing on cushy cash-rich jobs like the ones with Ahmed and not actively participating. They would never have made mistakes like that when I was there. It was possible that they were looking for more sport, should we attempt to escape. Then anything concerning our delivery, whether dead or severely wounded, would be game.