Page 76

Stella

Jefferson National Forest

Outside Roanoke, Virginia

S omething woke Stella. Still feeling the effects of the drug, she’d slept for longer than an hour, that was for sure, probably closer to three.

She laid still in the darkness, curled up in the corner of the old shed, and listened.

A branch cracked. Silent as a ghost, she crawled out the empty window frame, stood on the sill, and pulled herself up to the roof.

Stella spotted three shadows moving in the night; there would be more she didn’t see, equipped with night vision and assault weapons.

A soft beam of light illuminated her, then vanished as a drone zipped away into the night.

They had found her. Stella squeezed her eyes closed as a tear leaked out and searched in vain for her resolve.

She’d have to run. The mercenaries were weighted down with gear.

She might have a chance if she could mislead them and get a head start.

Stella was formulating her plan to throw a rock in one direction and sprint in the other when the roof of the shed collapsed, sending her crashing to the ground.

Without hesitation, she pushed to her feet and ran.

She made it fifty feet before she heard the gunshot, and the stabbing pain of the bullet brought her down.

Stella rolled to her back and coughed up blood. She couldn’t breathe.

One of the mercenaries approached. He looked like a killer robot in camo with his face concealed. Her breaths were shallow pants, and Stella couldn’t feel her arms or legs. Another gunshot sounded, and the man before her fell backward.

Then, in the darkness, a painted face appeared with the most perfect, beautiful hazel eyes Stella had ever seen.

She never really believed in a merciful God, but she thanked Him now for giving her the vision of Ren Jameson kneeling before her.

Wearing fatigues and carrying a weapon, her professor looked like a one-man army.

“Are you a ghost?”

“Flesh and blood, Stella. Let’s get you safe.” He touched her face. His hands were warm.

“Safe is nice. Safe in your arms.”

Ren brought his face an inch from hers and shined a penlight in her eyes. Stella flinched and turned away. “That wasn’t a kiss,” she pouted.

There was a smile in his voice. “Did they give you something?”

“Mmm, truth agent, but I resisted. You’re pretty.”

“Thank you. I’m just going to put this clotting powder on your wound. Hold still for me.”

“I love you, you know.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. Sofria, Sabrina, Samantha, they all love you.”

“What about Stella?”

“Stella loves you the most. She’s head over heels.”

“Good to know. Okay, are you ready for me to lift you?”

“Ren, watch your back. That robot killer isn’t alone.”

“I know. Let’s get you out of here.”

“Am I dying?”

“Not a chance.” Ren kissed her forehead. His lips were soft.

A shadow appeared over Ren’s shoulder. “I’m afraid I have to disagree.”

Stella looked up as Theo Stritch placed the barrel of a gun at the back of Ren’s head.

“I don’t usually do my own dirty work— but if you want something done right and all that.

Stella, you have five seconds to tell me if you have any evidence implicating me in the research theft, or I’ll shoot Dr. Jameson.

I’ll start with the knees. I’m told it’s quite painful. ”

Stella’s panicked eyes met Ren’s steel gaze.

He winked.

Ren said, “There’s something you should know before you start shooting, Stritch.”

“Oh, and what’s that?”

“Do you remember that video Casper Capelli took of you selling research?”

“No, I don’t because no such video exists.”

Ren spoke over his shoulder. “Here’s the thing. If there’s no video, how do I know you were in Bergdorf Goodman handing over top-secret research to Zao?”

Stella couldn’t make out Theo’s expression in the darkness, but his anger was palpable.

“How do you know that?” Theo shoved the weapon harder into the back of Ren’s head.

“Someone is always watching, Stritch.”

Theo paced away, then turned back to them and said, “Then I’m onto Plan B. Eliminate you two and head for the sunny beaches of Brunei.”

Stella felt consciousness slipping away. “How could you?”

“Me? How could you ? I did everything I could to knock you off the scent, but you just couldn’t let it go. There’s an expression, Stella: don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

Ren turned back to Stella and ran his thumb down her cheek. “Are you in position?”

She didn’t understand. “What?”

Ren kept his back to Theo Stritch and said, “There’s another expression you should know, Stritch: many hands make light work.”

The space around them lit up like a movie set. Theo was surrounded by a team of operators in fatigues, all with their weapons trained on him. Another dozen men were chasing down the fleeing mercenaries. In seconds, the operatives had Theo bound with a black sack over his head.

The senior spec-ops officer saluted Ren, who returned the gesture.

“I gave Senator Branch a sitrep. He has hospital staff standing by.”

Ren replied, “Copy that.”

Stella squinted. Even in the light, Ren was blurry. “How?”

Ren brushed her hair from her face. “I went over his head.”

Steady knelt beside them. “How you holding up, Stella?”

“It’s hard to breathe.”

Ren said, “It’s a through and through, lower right side. Looks like it nicked the lung. We gotta move.”

She recognized Steady’s voice in the distance. “Helo’s standing by.”

Stella couldn’t hear them after that. She felt her body being lifted, and all she could see was the pink sky through the trees. Dawn was approaching.