“They don’t have my sisters?” She winced as Ken grabbed a second white-coated tech and slammed him into the wall. He bounced and Ken dragged him into the small room. “Not a single one?”
“Your sisters aren’t very trusting.” His vivid gaze pinned her. “You knew they wouldn’t be. You all discussed it ahead of time, didn’t you?”
To avoid his glacier-cold eyes, Mari bent down to pull the jacket from the tech. “Yes. I knew you wouldn’t be happy.” And he’d be even less happy knowing she was supposed to get away from him and meet them as soon as possible.
“Just because my men are risking their lives to get the women out? Your sisters knew they were going to be there, with bullets flying and a helicopter waiting, and they went over the fence and scattered into the woods.” He reached down and pulled her to her feet. “Are you planning to do the same thing?”
She avoided his eyes. What was she planning? She was going to see Briony. She was going to try with Ken. “I’m planning on going out with you, fighting for all I’m worth and gaining freedom. You know that word that is supposed to represent the American way? Freedom, Ken. We wanted the freedom to make our own decisions.”
“They’re psychic, most without anchors, the same as you are. How are they—or you-going to survive without aid? And do you really think Whitney is just going to let them go? He’ll send every soldier he has to get them back. We could have protected them.”
“And exchanged one prison for another?”
His heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. “Is that what you think you’re doing, Mari?”
Their eyes met. He counted his heartbeats. She had talked with her sisters about taking off on her own. He had handed her his soul, and she was thinking of walking away from him. And why not? Life with him would be a form of prison. He couldn’t deny it—not even to himself. He would want to run her life, wrap her in bubble wrap and keep her hidden from the world and any danger it might present. She desperately wanted, needed—and deserved—freedom.
Ken swallowed everything he wanted to say and took the jacket from her, shrugging into it. The coat was too small, and pulled across his arms and back, but it would do getting down the corridor. With explosives going off every few minutes, he doubted Whitney was staring into the security cameras. Ken had taken a great deal of time setting the charges for maximum chaotic effect.
Mari caught his arm before he opened the tool room door again. “I don’t think I’m exchanging prisons, Ken. I’m just afraid. Terrified, in fact. I don’t have a clue what to expect outside this facility. I feel as if I’m going AWOL. I need to find out who and what I am and if I can even live with the rest of the world.”
She didn’t add before I can be in a relationship, but he heard the echo of the words in his heart. Maybe he heard them in her head. And a relationship with him would not be of her choosing, once she was out in the real world where normal men, with maybe a penchant for romance and gentleness, were available to her.
Ken. Jack’s voice intruded, sharp with command. All hell is breaking loose up here. Can you get to the first level? Logan and Neil are making their way to you. I’m backing them up, but if I don’t see your ass in the next few minutes, I’m breaking protocol and coming to get you. Get moving now. There was urgency in Jack’s voice.
Ken knew his brother would too. Jack would place his own life and anyone else’s in danger to get Ken out of trouble, just as Ken would do for him. I’m on my way. We’re on the second level trying to make our way up to the first. Give me a few minutes.
You might not have a few minutes. Oh shit! There was a moment of complete concentration.
Ken recognized the blank, emotionless will of iron in his brother that meant he was sending a bullet into someone. He waited, knowing something bad had happened.
One of the security guards guiding the senator to the plane just shot him in the head. Violet took the son of a bitch out and pulled her husband into the plane, but it doesn’t look good. We can’t tell the bad guys from the good guys, Ken. You’ve got to get out of there and make it to the helicopter. They’re pouring out of that building like bees.
Roger that. Ken cracked open the door enough to peer into the hall. Mostly techs ran for the stairs. A few security guards and soldiers pushed through the corridor trying to see the individuals, which told him Whitney hadn’t given up hope of finding them.
Anyone spot Whitney?
You and I both know he’s got himself a tunnel or two. He’s not going to get trapped here. He’s probably halfway to his next lair. He pushes a button on a computer and his data is sent to other computers and he abandons this lab.
Ken pulled Mari close. “Stay close to me. Walk directly to the stairs. Keep the gun in your pocket and ready to use. Don’t look up toward the cameras, just walk with the flow of the other techs.”
“They’ll recognize me. They don’t have women techs here. Whitney thought it too much of a distraction.”
“Your hair isn’t that long. You can pull the jacket up around your neck. We’ve got to go now, Mari. And if I say run, take off and don’t look back.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“I’ll be right behind you. I’m not a hero, honey. I’m not about to let Whitney hook me up to some machine for the rest of my life.”
She caught the front of his jacket. “I may have been afraid and even hesitating, but I plan on going with you. See that you’re right behind me. I mean it, Ken, because I’ll go back for you.” Doubts of the future aside, she’d never leave Ken to Whitney’s mercy.
“You sound like my brother, and I’m warning you, Mari, you do anything stupid like that and I’m going to put you over my knee.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve been caned, Ken. The threat of a spanking doesn’t scare me much.”
He gave her a little shove. “Get moving. Keep moving.”
She was going with him. He had a reprieve. He had no idea how he was going to keep her, but at least she wasn’t going to go over the fence and strike out on her own. The women had been planning an escape for some time, and even though Ken and his team had been there offering protection, they hadn’t taken a chance on deviating from their plan. They believed in one another and no one else. Even Violet was out of their circle. It worried Ken. If the women turned on Mari for choosing to stay with him, would she eventually resent him?