have no reason—I know what was done, and why. Anthony would shout my ears bloody if I didn’t help you.” A gentle smile crossed the older woman’s face. Anthony’s smile.
“How did you know I was here?”
“We have been building a network for years. They found you and John, at a great cost.”
Maura swallowed, well aware of the price those courageous people paid. “Can you help John?”
Celeste closed her eyes briefly, but not before Maura saw the flare of anguish. “I am here to get you home―
“I’m not leaving until I know he’s safe.”
Celeste cradled her face, and Maura braced herself for bad news.
“What you can do for John, what he wants, is to know that you are out of this. I understand how difficult it is for you, but this is not your fight. And now,” she shifted, wrapped one arm around Maura’s waist, moving slowly along the wall. Maura was surprised to see that only a few people remained in the terminal, scurrying to the exit. “It is time to get you home.”
“Not until I know John—”
“There are others here, Maura. People who care about him, and will see that he is safe. Now I’m going to do the same for you―”
Her voice choked off when they rounded the corner.
Darwin stood in the empty corridor.
“Go!” Maura pulled out of Celeste’s grip and ran straight at Darwin, giving her time to escape. He yanked her off her feet, muffled her shout with one hand and dragged her down the corridor.
More angry than scared, she lashed out, tired of watching him hurt without retaliation. Her foot whacked his shin. He cursed, loud and furious. She added to injury and bit his hand.
With an echoing roar he threw her against the wall. She slammed right side first into cold steel, slid down the length of the wall. Agony clawed her bruised shoulder.
“You chose the wrong side, little girl.” He closed his hand over that shoulder—and it took all the control she had left not to scream at the contact. “Help me trap Wolf, I’ll let you go.”
He would sooner let John walk free. He knew she was a writer.
“I will—never help you.”
She braced herself for rage. He gave her resignation.
“He’s got to you.” One hand brushed through his hair, pulling the short strands into water-tipped spikes. “Don’t you see? He’ll poison everyone who’ll listen, turn them away from order, away from the law—”
“Your law is wrong.”
He grabbed her chin, ice-grey eyes staring into hers. They revealed an anguish she had not seen before, knowledge of what he did, every day, to uphold his law.
“It saved my world.” Cold anger swallowed the anguish. Darwin caught her arms and pulled her up. She fought back the nausea that burned her throat, her head throbbing from the movement. He let her go, left her to stand on her own. Only desperation and the wall at her back kept her upright. “You’re gonna help me stop—”
A flying blur slammed into him. Maura clutched the wall as both bodies hit the marble floor. Tangled and dark with sweat, blonde hair curtained John’s face as he pinned Darwin under him.
Darwin freed one arm, drove his fist into John’s bloody shoulder. With a choked gasp, John recoiled, losing his grip. It gave Darwin the moment he needed—his gun cleared the holster, the barrel smacking against John’s left cheek. John arched backward, collapsed on the floor and lay still. Blood puddled under his left shoulder, ran from the gash in his cheek.
Darwin leaned over him, pressed the pistol into his chest. A horrifying, familiar whine split the air.
Maura pushed off the wall, shouting as she fell.
“JOHN!”
He jerked his left arm up and slammed it against Darwin’s wrist. The pistol fired over his head, a deadly arc of gold that blasted the far wall instead of its intended target. They both grappled for the pistol, John hampered by his injured shoulder.
Maura crawled forward, terrified she wouldn’t reach him in time. John lost his grip and Darwin punched
“How did you know I was here?”
“We have been building a network for years. They found you and John, at a great cost.”
Maura swallowed, well aware of the price those courageous people paid. “Can you help John?”
Celeste closed her eyes briefly, but not before Maura saw the flare of anguish. “I am here to get you home―
“I’m not leaving until I know he’s safe.”
Celeste cradled her face, and Maura braced herself for bad news.
“What you can do for John, what he wants, is to know that you are out of this. I understand how difficult it is for you, but this is not your fight. And now,” she shifted, wrapped one arm around Maura’s waist, moving slowly along the wall. Maura was surprised to see that only a few people remained in the terminal, scurrying to the exit. “It is time to get you home.”
“Not until I know John—”
“There are others here, Maura. People who care about him, and will see that he is safe. Now I’m going to do the same for you―”
Her voice choked off when they rounded the corner.
Darwin stood in the empty corridor.
“Go!” Maura pulled out of Celeste’s grip and ran straight at Darwin, giving her time to escape. He yanked her off her feet, muffled her shout with one hand and dragged her down the corridor.
More angry than scared, she lashed out, tired of watching him hurt without retaliation. Her foot whacked his shin. He cursed, loud and furious. She added to injury and bit his hand.
With an echoing roar he threw her against the wall. She slammed right side first into cold steel, slid down the length of the wall. Agony clawed her bruised shoulder.
“You chose the wrong side, little girl.” He closed his hand over that shoulder—and it took all the control she had left not to scream at the contact. “Help me trap Wolf, I’ll let you go.”
He would sooner let John walk free. He knew she was a writer.
“I will—never help you.”
She braced herself for rage. He gave her resignation.
“He’s got to you.” One hand brushed through his hair, pulling the short strands into water-tipped spikes. “Don’t you see? He’ll poison everyone who’ll listen, turn them away from order, away from the law—”
“Your law is wrong.”
He grabbed her chin, ice-grey eyes staring into hers. They revealed an anguish she had not seen before, knowledge of what he did, every day, to uphold his law.
“It saved my world.” Cold anger swallowed the anguish. Darwin caught her arms and pulled her up. She fought back the nausea that burned her throat, her head throbbing from the movement. He let her go, left her to stand on her own. Only desperation and the wall at her back kept her upright. “You’re gonna help me stop—”
A flying blur slammed into him. Maura clutched the wall as both bodies hit the marble floor. Tangled and dark with sweat, blonde hair curtained John’s face as he pinned Darwin under him.
Darwin freed one arm, drove his fist into John’s bloody shoulder. With a choked gasp, John recoiled, losing his grip. It gave Darwin the moment he needed—his gun cleared the holster, the barrel smacking against John’s left cheek. John arched backward, collapsed on the floor and lay still. Blood puddled under his left shoulder, ran from the gash in his cheek.
Darwin leaned over him, pressed the pistol into his chest. A horrifying, familiar whine split the air.
Maura pushed off the wall, shouting as she fell.
“JOHN!”
He jerked his left arm up and slammed it against Darwin’s wrist. The pistol fired over his head, a deadly arc of gold that blasted the far wall instead of its intended target. They both grappled for the pistol, John hampered by his injured shoulder.
Maura crawled forward, terrified she wouldn’t reach him in time. John lost his grip and Darwin punched
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