* * *
Olivia waveredon her feet and glanced up to see Gabe giving her a critical look. “You need to get some sleep. But we should eat something first. Um, is there anything around we can grab?”
“I’m not much of a cook, but I have takeout from some of the best restaurants and delis in town.”
“What do we have?”
“Let’s find out.” She led him to the kitchen and began taking cartons from the fridge.
Gabe selected some kung pao chicken. Needing something lighter, she went for a beet salad with grapefruit, feta cheese, and pistachio nuts.
“You actually like beets?” he asked, as he waited for the microwave to warm up his food.
“Yes. Try them. You may like them.”
“I’ll leave them for you.”
It was fully dark by the time she and Travis went upstairs to her bed, where she changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt.
“You’re wondering if you’re going to have to make a quick getaway,” Travis said.
“Unfortunately, I can’t lie to you,” she answered.
* * *
Goddard rarely wenton missions with his operatives, but this time was an exception. There had been too many cock-ups lately, and he was going to make damn sure nothing else untoward happened.
He selected two good men, not including Roka. One of them, Kentwell, had been on the kidnap operation. The other, Green, had not been along, but he was an excellent choice for the evening's work. He had a lot of technical experience, he knew how to work quickly and quietly, and he was a helicopter pilot.
He had Green prep the helo as he looked at some online maps for a suitable landing spot. Not near the Langston house, because that might alert her. Was the detective keeping her company? That would be convenient. They could deal with him at the same time.
After finding a landing place, he arranged for a vehicle to be on site when he got there.
Harold quickly gathered the equipment he needed. It also helped that Olivia Langston’s house was an old one. There’d be lots of opportunities for penetration.
Everything was in place before midnight.
He was whistling a jaunty tune as he went out to board the helicopter. Soon he’d know exactly what had happened to Roka.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Travis knew something was wrong. First, there was the muzzy feeling in his head. It shouldn’t be there. He had no body, no physical brain that was failing to function. Still, he had to fight for coherent thoughts. The only firm idea that stuck in his mind was that Olivia was in danger.
Fear and something else he couldn’t identify would have cut off his airways if he had needed air to breathe. Feeling a deep stab of dread, he turned to Olivia in the darkness.Wake up. You have to wake up.
In response, she made a choking sound and started to cough.Yes. Wake up,he urged.
She blinked, her eyes drifting partially open, but she didn’t come any closer to consciousness.
Something’s going on.Desperately, he tried to reach her mind, but his thoughts were too fuzzy to do it. And he sensed that hers were even more impaired.
Summoning every ounce of strength he could pull together, he grasped her shoulder, but he got no further response from her.
Desperation kept him trying to break through to her.You have to wake up. You have to get out of here.
But it was already too late for escape. The bedroom door burst open, and figures rushed in. In his stupor-like state, he couldn’t figure out exactly what they were. Animals? Men?
They had recognizable arms, legs, and bodies, but there was something badly wrong with their faces. Instead of noses, they had elongated snouts like something out of a horror movie. Or an old Star Trek episode he’d seen in reruns about a salt monster that sucked the life out of people
