Page 119 of Shadowing You

“Better. Thanks for the meds.” He looked at Gavin’s screen. “Anything good?”

He clicked through files. “There’s a massive amount of information here.”

“But will it prove what she thinks about Lu Feng?”

“I’m probably going to need more than thirty seconds to answer that.”

“Sheesh, what’s the holdup?”

Gavin chuckled, and Ethan leaned back against the opposite seat, stifling a yawn.

The engine roared to life.

A minute later, Mei Lin ended the call and handed Ethan the phone, still smiling and still crying. “She would keep talking, but we are going to take off, yes?”

“I think so. Did you talk to your dad?”

“He wasn’t there.” She rested her pillow against the window and leaned on it. “I’ll call him when we land.”

“Recline the seat.” He looked at Gavin. “She can, right, even though we’re taking off?”

“Yeah, get comfortable.” He didn’t look away from the screen.

Mei Lin laid the seat back and curled up as the plane rolled gently forward.

Ethan’s eyes felt like sandpaper every time he blinked, but Gavin was looking at the evidence, and he wanted to know what was on that drive.

His dad looked up at him. “Get some rest, son. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“I want to see…” The words were killed by a yawn.

Gavin smiled. “The thumb drive and I will still be here when you wake up.”

Mei Lin looked so comfortable.

“Okay. For a few minutes.” He sat beside Mei Lin, deciding to close his eyes for a few minutes. Then he’d find out what Gavin had learned.

The plane lifted off the ground, and the world went fuzzy around the edges.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Mei Lin woke to a steady hum.

She listened, afraid she’d open her eyes and find herself back in that cold, damp cell. But there’d been no machines there to hum—no heat or air conditioning, and certainly nothing as loud as the rumble she heard.

Her eyes were scratchy and dry when she opened them, but they weren’t hot like they’d been the night before.

The plane’s cabin was dim, lit by soft lights along the floor and sunshine glowing around the closed window shade.

When she swallowed, her throat burned, but her temperature was lower, if still a little elevated, and her mind clear.

The strangest thought occurred to her. Though fear still hung on like the fever, she was out of China, meaning she was safer than she’d been in years.

When was the last time she’d felt truly safe?

Thank You, Father. Thank You.

A murmur came from the row in front of her, and she peeked between the seats at the back of Ethan’s head, the dark hair at the nape, the curve of his shoulder where he leaned forward. He was talking to Gavin across the aisle.