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Bench placed his still secured hands on the table. No one was surprised when he flexed and broke the bands, proving he wasn’t defenseless.
Byte returned and kneeled down by Voodoo and Carter, then placed the slightly damp cloth over Voodoo’s forehead.
Carter gently stroked his wife’s face. It had been five years since he’d been able to touch, hold, or kiss the only woman he’d ever loved. But he knew better than to brush his lips over hers, no matter how tempting it was.
“She’s waking up,” Byte turned and reassured the group.
Carter was still supporting Voodoo with his body, but loosened his hold and placed her in the chair Byte had pulled out. Reluctantly, he moved away. He didn’t want Voodoo to come alert and be scared. He’d let Ivy and Ghost give her an update. Despite the betrayal she felt toward her employers, she trusted them.
She’ll trust me too... eventually.
* * *
She could hear Ivy speaking,but the daze seemed to linger. She’d passed out, that she was sure of. But why?
When she’d finally become aware of her surroundings, she saw Carter kneeling, pleading with his eyes, for something. What could she offer to the man who’d changed her life?
“Carter,” she whispered his name, almost as if she was testing it on her tongue.
“I’m here, Gwenie. Please don’t run. Not until you’ve heard everything,” he pleaded.
She couldn’t miss the tears welling in his eyes. He’d dropped all his walls and let her see his vulnerability.
“Say the word, Voodoo,” Bench reassured with a growl.
“Stay put, big guy,” Byte said.
“Where’s Daisy?” That was what had her leaving the bar, leaving the undercover job she’d been assigned. She remembered looking at the television above the bar and dropping her water with lime when her sister’s name flashed on the news.
“Turn it up,” she demanded.
The barkeeper reluctantly did so, just in time to hear the name Chaos. Why was she on the news? She wasn’t going to waste any time finding out the answer. With the bar being outside of San Antonio’s city limits, they were less than half an hour away from ALIAS.
Gathering her purse, she pushed past the crowd and walked out the door. She heard Bench running after her, calling her name, but she didn’t have time to explain. She had to get to the hospital.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when he finally reached her car.
“I’ve got to go. Something is wrong. My sister...”
“Move over. I’m driving,” he ordered.
“Your job. The mission. I can’t ask you to leave... You’ve worked so hard.”
“Get inside the car. It will look as if we went home together. That will give you enough credibility. But I don’t care about the job. Family is everything, and if your sister is in trouble, that’s where you and I should be.”
Voodoo agreed. Leaving the bar together would be enough, at least for the moment. She also wasn’t sure she could drive without causing an accident. She had so many questions. Her aggravation only increased when no one at ALIAS answered their phones.
“Nothing,” Bench asked?
“No!” She tossed her phone into the empty cupholder. “What is going on?” she asked, not expecting an answer.
“We’ll find out in a few minutes. I think we should go to ALIAS first. The more information you have, the better. For all we know, this could be a setup by your husband.”
“He doesn’t know about Chaos. He knows Daisy, of course, but not that she is the notorious hacker.”
“Then let’s get some answers. Either way, know that I have your back.”
She believed him. Bench was one of the good guys. While on the surface he looked like someone you’d be wise to avoid, he had a soft heart. It just went to show that you shouldn’t prematurely judge people.
