Page 165 of Dark Night of the Soul

“You’re no rookie,” he said, sounding impressed.

“No,” I said.

If only he knew what the last twelve months had done to me.

“They were expecting us,” I said. Because I didn’t know who else to talk to. My gaze flicked up to his.

“They knew, yes,” he agreed.

“How?” I demanded, eyeing him with suspicion.

“You hit two other facilities,” he said. “They were ready for you.”

Iskenderun and Tuzla, of course, but…

“How did you know about that?”

“Kincade told me,” he said. “We should have planned better.”

His grim expression was lined with regret.

“I never got to detonate those charges,” I said.

The words burned. That meant they still had all that surveillance. And my life was still on full display for anyone to see.

“There’ll be another time for that,” he said.

“Will there?” I wasn’t so sure.

“He’s stable. For now.” The doctor’s voice interrupted our conversation.

My head snapped up.

“But he can’t stay on the kitchen table,” he continued. “We move him once. Carefully. Then he doesn’t move again.”

Ludwig and Ulrich were already moving toward him. I got up too fast and regretted it. I swayed, caught myself on the edge of the sofa.

They lifted Kincade, every movement deliberate. He made a low sound in his throat and my chest clenched hard enough to hurt.

His lashes fluttered. That was all.

They carried him down the hall and into the bedroom to the bed. Clean. It would have to be enough.

I followed.

They laid him down like he was breakable.

The doctor followed, already giving orders, already working.

I stayed in the doorway.

Watching.

Breathing.

Waiting.

Chapter 44 | Anna