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“Because the eggs they want to implant are fertilized by a donor they choose.”
“Oh God, Emma, you have to get me out of here.”
“I’m going to, but you have to pay attention and do as I say. I caused a problem this morning, which meant the children had to be moved to the safe house.” She slides her hand into mine, and I feel a piece of paper but don’t draw attention to it. Closing my fingers around it, I wait for her to continue.
“Lara is at the safe house with the kids. She knows what to do. She’ll keep them safe until you get there. I’ve left information with her for you. Do with it what you will. It’s all I could get without being caught.”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m planning on taking down these bastards for good. Now listen. Once James texted that you were secure, a chopper was sent to pick you up. Knowing your man, or men, would need a way to find you, James took the tracking device from one of Apex’s vehicles with him. Hopefully, they’ve figured out what’s going on by now. And with the means to track you, they’ll be on their way. Tell Hawk and Creed I said thank you. I don’t hold any ill will toward them. As much as I hate it here, I wouldn’t have survived what those bastards in Somalia had in store for me.”
She looks at her watch before nodding. “It’s time. In a minute, an orderly will come to wheel you down to the clinic. You’re in the gown to not arouse suspicion, but I’ve left your jeans and found you a pair of running shoes to wear. In a second, I’m going to pretend to administer something to knock you out. So, I need you to lie still.”
I do as she asks. She turns and grabs something before facing me once more. She leans over me, needle in hand, making me panic for a second before she starts whispering to me. “There is a gun under your pillow and a set of master keys that will open the interior doors if you need them. But once I activate lockdown, the exterior doors will lock and won’t open without the override code, which I don’t have. If you aren’t out before the building locks down, you need to hide until someone overrides the system. Then get to the safe house as fast as you can. There won’t be time for you to wait for a rescue because once they have this building back in their control, they’ll go for the children.”
I nod in understanding, her words triggering a memory—something I’d forgotten all about.
You might not need it today or tomorrow—maybe you’ll never need it at all—but if you do, if you find yourself locked down, then the 8-digit key is home. Do you understand, Avery? Home, not the house—your heart.
“Now pretend to fall asleep,” she murmurs, pulling me from my memories that, at the time, I thought were the ramblings of a guilty man.
“When you get to the safe house and find the kids, tell my daughter I love her.”
“What?” I reach out to grab her but stop myself, knowing I can’t give myself away now.
“Bella is my daughter. They did to me what they’re about to do to you and then kept her from me, using her as leverage. And as long as they have her, I’ll do anything they ask of me. Do you understand that? Anything. She’ll never have a life as long as these bastards can dangle her in front of me like a carrot.”
The door opens, stopping me from saying anything else, my heart threatening to beat right out of my chest, and I close my eyes.
“She’s ready.”
I keep my eyes closed as I feel someone approach the bed.
“Gross. I just stepped in puke.”
“She was hit on the head and drugged. Of course she was sick. She’ll be fine now that she’s out.”
“I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” the orderly mumbles as he pushes the bed.
“I’ll follow you down. I need to talk to one of the doctors.”
“I should warn you, they’re all in a pissy mood.”
“Aren’t they always?” Emma replies. As I listen to them talk, the only other sound is the squeak of one of the bed’s wheels.
“True,” the orderly chuckles. “But this time, I think it has something to do with one of the big bosses coming to visit.”
I hear Emma’s footsteps falter for a second before she recovers. “Do you know which one?”
“No. They just kept calling him Boss Man, but they’re all boss men to me.”
I try to keep my breathing even so that I don’t give myself away, even when I feel Emma give my leg a comforting squeeze. Though it’s true most of the main bosses are referred to as “boss,” in person we use their names. Only one man is called Boss Man at all times, and I think that’s to hide his true identity. That man is the only one that truly freaks me out because there is something off about him. Thankfully, I’ve only met him twice, but that was more than enough for me.
I hear more doors open a second before I feel Emma squeeze my leg once more. I realize a second later that it’s a warning when a robotic voice yells through the speaker system.
Warning. Initiating safeguarding protocols.
“Shit, I’ll take her. You better get out of here before they lock us down.”
