believe that Riley is meant to kidnap Vivienne and bring her back to Link. But again, it’s speculation.”
Vivienne takes a deep breath and places her head in her hands. Exhaustion begins to overwhelm her. “How do I stop him?” she mumbles.
“You, my dear? No, you don’t stop him. We stop him.” Red says, and Andrew, Celeste and Connor step forward.
“You cannot do it with the four of you. You will need Mikah too,” Elizabeth says, her voice a whisper that resonates throughout the room as if shouted through a megaphone.
Vivienne begins to sob. She understands what the potential consequences of Mikah helping are, and she can’t even begin to process the idea. “There has to be another way,” Vivienne cries.
Elizabeth kneels down in front of her. “Vivienne, believe me, I wouldn’t send him to fight if there was any other way. I don’t know what kind of fight this will be, but I can assure you that we have the advantage.”
All eyes immediately turn to Elizabeth, and Vivienne raises her head to look at her.
“What do you mean?” Mikah says hesitantly.
Elizabeth smiles slightly. “Well, for one, we’ve taken away their element of surprise. With the level of protection that is in place around both of you, Riley cannot find you until we’re ready for him to do so. That is why he tried to get you to the rehab center.”
Mikah stands and takes a few steps away, trying to figure out where his mother is going with all of this.
“Mikah, I suggest you both plan to stay in your apartment, versus the one downstairs, for the foreseeable future. Though both are protected, your penthouse has more layers of protection, along with fewer access points.”
“Alright, but please tell me that’s not all we have in our arsenal. I don’t know if that will be enough.” Mikah’s pessimism drives a valid point.
Andrew chimes in for the first time. “Do you honestly think that whoever was sent with him will leave Riley alone, unsupervised?”
“No, Andrew, I don’t think they will leave him alone, at least not intentionally. And no, the penthouse is not your only weapon, though that may be the wrong word for it.” As Elizabeth speaks, Zirah and Seraphina move to stand alongside her.
“Please stop with all the vagueness.” Mikah’s patience is wearing very thin.
“I cannot tell you how your battle will end because we do not know. I can only give you some strategic help. With any luck, that will be everything you need to survive. Our first advantage is being able to control when and where Riley sees Vivienne. We will know they are coming and we will set them up, luring them into a trap of our own. Vivienne herself is the second advantage.”
TWENTY-TWO
“Wait, I don’t understand. How am I the second best thing we have to beat these guys?” Vivienne stands and walks toward Elizabeth. “I’m nobody, I haven’t got a clue how to fight and wouldn’t even consider it.”
“Though you will need to be the one to lure Riley out and into the trap, you will not need to fight. Your talent lies elsewhere. Over the course of the last month or so, have you ever wondered how you were able to heal so quickly from your injuries?”
A flood of images runs through Mikah’s mind: Vivienne nearly dead in her apartment; her lying in that hospital bed; her body healed, almost as if the attack hadn’t happened at all.
Though Vivienne was unconscious through the entire ordeal, she recalls that, other than exhaustion, she felt no pain. She was unable even to determine the level of injury she incurred during Riley’s last attack, so much so that she had to ask Dr. Alston whether Riley had raped her.
“Yes, I’ve thought about it, but what does that have to do with us trapping Riley?”
Zirah joins the conversation. “Everything, Vivienne. It means that no matter what happens during the fight, or whatever happens with Riley, you can save your guardians. Your extraordinary
Vivienne takes a deep breath and places her head in her hands. Exhaustion begins to overwhelm her. “How do I stop him?” she mumbles.
“You, my dear? No, you don’t stop him. We stop him.” Red says, and Andrew, Celeste and Connor step forward.
“You cannot do it with the four of you. You will need Mikah too,” Elizabeth says, her voice a whisper that resonates throughout the room as if shouted through a megaphone.
Vivienne begins to sob. She understands what the potential consequences of Mikah helping are, and she can’t even begin to process the idea. “There has to be another way,” Vivienne cries.
Elizabeth kneels down in front of her. “Vivienne, believe me, I wouldn’t send him to fight if there was any other way. I don’t know what kind of fight this will be, but I can assure you that we have the advantage.”
All eyes immediately turn to Elizabeth, and Vivienne raises her head to look at her.
“What do you mean?” Mikah says hesitantly.
Elizabeth smiles slightly. “Well, for one, we’ve taken away their element of surprise. With the level of protection that is in place around both of you, Riley cannot find you until we’re ready for him to do so. That is why he tried to get you to the rehab center.”
Mikah stands and takes a few steps away, trying to figure out where his mother is going with all of this.
“Mikah, I suggest you both plan to stay in your apartment, versus the one downstairs, for the foreseeable future. Though both are protected, your penthouse has more layers of protection, along with fewer access points.”
“Alright, but please tell me that’s not all we have in our arsenal. I don’t know if that will be enough.” Mikah’s pessimism drives a valid point.
Andrew chimes in for the first time. “Do you honestly think that whoever was sent with him will leave Riley alone, unsupervised?”
“No, Andrew, I don’t think they will leave him alone, at least not intentionally. And no, the penthouse is not your only weapon, though that may be the wrong word for it.” As Elizabeth speaks, Zirah and Seraphina move to stand alongside her.
“Please stop with all the vagueness.” Mikah’s patience is wearing very thin.
“I cannot tell you how your battle will end because we do not know. I can only give you some strategic help. With any luck, that will be everything you need to survive. Our first advantage is being able to control when and where Riley sees Vivienne. We will know they are coming and we will set them up, luring them into a trap of our own. Vivienne herself is the second advantage.”
TWENTY-TWO
“Wait, I don’t understand. How am I the second best thing we have to beat these guys?” Vivienne stands and walks toward Elizabeth. “I’m nobody, I haven’t got a clue how to fight and wouldn’t even consider it.”
“Though you will need to be the one to lure Riley out and into the trap, you will not need to fight. Your talent lies elsewhere. Over the course of the last month or so, have you ever wondered how you were able to heal so quickly from your injuries?”
A flood of images runs through Mikah’s mind: Vivienne nearly dead in her apartment; her lying in that hospital bed; her body healed, almost as if the attack hadn’t happened at all.
Though Vivienne was unconscious through the entire ordeal, she recalls that, other than exhaustion, she felt no pain. She was unable even to determine the level of injury she incurred during Riley’s last attack, so much so that she had to ask Dr. Alston whether Riley had raped her.
“Yes, I’ve thought about it, but what does that have to do with us trapping Riley?”
Zirah joins the conversation. “Everything, Vivienne. It means that no matter what happens during the fight, or whatever happens with Riley, you can save your guardians. Your extraordinary
Similar Books
