Page 34 of Nothing to Fear

“Borrowing.”

Brow furrowed, she stuck her arm through the crack in the window. Even on her tiptoes, she couldn’t reach the knob.

“I’m going to lift you, okay?” He scanned the parking garage. Still alone.

Once she nodded, he put his hands on her hips and lifted. A vicious twinge ripped into his chest from where the bullets had struck the vest. She grasped the knob and pulled, unlocking the door. She scooted inside to the driver’s seat, unlocked the other door, and climbed back to the passenger’s side as Gideon hustled around the car.

He jumped in and removed the panel of the steering column. Glancing around, he felt for the right wires, stripped the tips, and tried them until he sparked the engine and the beater started.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“We have to make a couple of stops. Then we’re going to see a friend about passports.”

She clutched her purse, face riddled with worry.

“I’ll keep you safe and we’ll figure out who’s framing you. Everything will be okay.”

He left out the part about how things would get a hell of a lot worse before they got better.

13

Gray Box Headquarters, Northern Virginia

Friday, July 5, 10:23 a.m. EDT

Chaotic chatter filled the halls. Every cubicle buzzed. Black Ops was a flurry of activity in the wake of one of their own violating protocol and breaching the lockdown.

Cobalt had waited and waited, but daring to delay a minute longer was suicide. Rushing from the facility immediately after the lockdown ended would’ve drawn attention and raised dangerous questions, but the phone call had to be made. Now.

Everyone was focused on Stone and Harper. No one noticed Cobalt slip into the elevator.

None of the horrible, ugly things Cobalt had done had been easy to pull off or stomach. Most orders involved passing along information, and following those instructions was habit at this point—an ingrained routine. No thought, just action.

Other orders, such as sabotaging Harper’s brake line, had left Cobalt’s mouth dry and heart palpitating in a wild streak like a train about to derail. Endless hours spent wide awake at night, replaying deeds stained in blood…but that was good. Caring meant one still had a soul.

A soul that was going to burn in hell.

Buck up!

The elevator doors opened on the ground level. Cobalt strode off as if the world wasn’t in a tailspin with everything about to crash and burn. White dust blanketed the concrete floor and marble security desk. A choking odor of ammonia permeated the lobby.

Stone had no clue he’d been spotted taking the fire extinguisher off the wall and ducking into the elevator with Harper. If I’d called security sooner, this disaster could’ve been averted and the two of them detained. The plan was falling apart, collapsing in on itself.

Harper had been chosen with time and care. The perfect patsy.

After reality sank in that there was no way out of working for Daedalus—besides in a body bag—a scapegoat had to be found for a rainy day. Boy oh boy, it was pouring now.

If Harper had died in her car yesterday, everything would be as it should today.

In the event the analyst survived, measures were in place to eliminate her while she was held for interrogation. Except Cobalt had no contingency plan for Harper escaping.

Damn it! Every minute ticking by with Harper and Stone on the run was one minute closer to Cobalt getting a bullet in the back of the head.

Stone’s interference couldn’t have been anticipated. No link between him and the girl existed, much less anything that would drive him to make such a risky move to help her.

Daedalus won’t care to hear about circumstances beyond my control.

But he would care that Gideon Stone had meddled.