Page 4 of Critical Alliance (Rocky Mountain Courage 3)

And he was fully capable of being everywhere.

She weaved through the vehicles and dodged a few too. Finally, gasping for breath, she approached the shiny new Audi. William’s car. Not hers. In the distance, she focused on the Ferris wheel. The lights and screams and laughter. A couple of blocks away, Lake Michigan’s waves rolled against the shore. Comforting and soothing. She longed to be there.

If she’d gone walking on the beach tonight, would Julian have followed her there too? What did he want?

His face grim, William unlocked his car and opened the door for her.

“Thank you.” She slid into the taupe leather seat, and he shut the door.

Once he was in the driver’s seat, he started the vehicle and the quiet hum of the engine proclaimed power in complete contrast to the cranky motors of the traveling carnival rides.

“You wasted your money at the carnival. I’ll make it up to you.”

“You can make it up to me by telling me what happened back there. Something spooked you.”

“Can we please just get out of here?”

In response, William steered slowly through the parking area, then turned onto the street. Mackenzie owed him something. Though not an explanation of what happened tonight, she definitely owed him the truth. But words failed her as images of Julian staring at her shuddered through her. A slow pounding started in her head, matching the palpitations of her heart.

To his credit, William didn’t press her further.

Now that she’d had a moment to catch her breath, though, she could share at least something with him. “I saw someone I knew a long time ago. I was just surprised to see him, that’s all.”

“He must have made some kind of impression on you to upset you so much.”

“It’s complicated.”

His lips pursed. At the corner ahead, she spotted a man. Glasses. Dark hair. Green jacket. He stepped into the street at the crosswalk and jogged forward to cross two lanes. A vehicle heading north in the opposite lane seemed to speed up.

Watch out!

All her muscles tensing, she gripped the seat. Julian suddenly stopped as if in shock. Mackenzie closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

The next few moments held excruciating sounds. A thump. A speeding car.

William sucked in a breath and swerved to the side. “Did you see that? Someone just got hit by a car. It’s a hit-and-run. Call 911!”

He jumped out and ran across the street, failing to close the car door behind him.

Other vehicles stopped. People rushed forward—curious onlookers and those who actually cared. Mackenzie called for emergency services and learned that someone had already called. Help was on the way.

She wouldn’t jump out of the car to join the gathering crowd. She could offer no help. The two of them—she and Julian—should never be seen together. Instead, she wanted to curl into herself, but with the door wide open, the gruesome scene was framed perfectly for her to witness every minute.

Moments later, sirens rang out and lights flashed. Emergency vehicles—law enforcement cruisers, a fire truck, and an ambulance—arrived on the scene. She caught a glimpse of medics kneeling next to the body. What could she do? Nothing. Except, well, she could pray. She closed her eyes, but tears sprang up instead of heartfelt words to God.

She started to cross her arms, but her shirt remained sticky, so she thrust her hands into her jacket pockets. In her right pocket, she felt something that hadn’t been there before. Mackenzie tugged it out.

A business card for Hanstech—short for Hanson Technologies—her father’s brainchild. And on the back? A QR code. What is this?

Using her cell, she scanned the code. An animated image popped up.

Mackenzie gasped. Freda Stone, her favorite character from Knight Alliance, the MMO—Massively Multiplayer Online—game she and Julian had played together as kids, whirled around with her sword.

“You’re vulnerable to deadly attacks. They’re taking the stronghold!”

Mackenzie watched the short graphic again.

And again.