Page 85 of Ground Zero

She made it to the parking lot without being stopped, though she felt eyes on her the whole way.

Once in her car, she typed quickly:

On my way. 20 minutes. Stay hidden.

Then she deleted both messages and pulled out of the lot at a normal, unhurried pace. No sudden moves, nothing to trigger suspicion.

But once she was out of sight of Blackout headquarters, she pressed harder on the accelerator.

Twenty minutes might be too long.

What kind of condition was Maverick in right now? Even if he was unharmed, he was still being hunted.

Her phone rang. It was Cook.

She let it go to voicemail.

Another call. This time from Morrison.

Sheridan turned off her phone completely and took a hard right, heading for the lighthouse. She was now officially off the grid, disobeying direct orders, and aiding a fugitive.

If she was wrong about Maverick’s innocence, she’d just destroyed her life.

But if she was right, she might be the only thing standing between him and death—and the only hope of stopping an attack that would kill thousands.

The lighthouse came into view, its white tower blending with the gray sky.

Somewhere in those woods, Maverick was waiting for her help.

She wouldn’t let him down.

Not this time.

CHAPTER 47

Maverick heard the car before he saw it—the careful crunch of tires on the access road, the engine cutting off well before the parking area.

He prayed it was Sheridan and not the FBI or Sigma.

Just through the trees, he saw movement.

It was Sheridan, he confirmed. He could barely see her emerging from her vehicle.

She checked her surroundings, her hand near her weapon. Even from a distance, Maverick could see the tension in her shoulders, the worry etched on her face.

The sight of her caused something to shift in his chest—something that had nothing to do with his injured ribs.

Sheridan moved through the woods quickly but cautiously.

When she finally spotted him, she dropped to her knees in front of him. Her hand went to his face, checking his temperature. The touch was professional, medical, but her eyes . . .

Her eyes held something else entirely.

“You’re hypothermic.” Her voice sounded carefully controlled, but he heard the emotion underneath.

“I’m alive.” He caught her hand before she could pull it away.

For a moment, they just looked at each other.