“Why the fuck do they want him? He and his brother are nothing but a couple of rich playboys,” a third grumbled.
“Who are you to question why he is wanted? Just do as you are told,” the fourth man replied.
The slight French accent in the fourth man’s voice sent a chill down her spine.
She tilt her head back and clenched her fingers around the wad of money, trying to understand what was going on.
“Why do they wanthim, though?” the third guy asked.
“That’s not important. We were told to bring him, so we bring him. What the Founders do with him is their business,” the man with the French accent replied.
Kiki’s heart raced, the words wrapping around her mind like vines, tightening.
The Founders.
She closed her eyes.Eight years.
Eight years ago, she and Brie had been on that mission in the Middle East? What did they mean it’s been eightyears?
Her eyes opened wide as comprehension filtered through her.
The soldier.
Nikos.
Had he been the soldier hanging next to Oscar? The one taken to their camp? The one?—
She swallowed the dread pooling in her stomach. She had never seen the soldier up close.
Brie had.
Brie had healed him.
Kiki had overheard their handlers talking about him. He had been in bad shape. They didn’t think he would make it. The Founders wanted to test Brie’s skills, see if she could heal the man—before they killed him.
Only he escaped at the same time we did thanks to the unexpected attack on the compound.
These men wanted Brie. They planned to get Brie through Nikos.
Kiki felt hot and cold all at once.
The first voice lowered with earnest frustration. “I don’t like this. The Aetos are rich. It isn’t like they can disappear and no one notices or cares.”
“The two are in fucking security with bodyguards. It would have been nice to have a full team to back us,” the second man muttered.
“I told you, it doesn’t matter. We do what we were ordered to do. If you can’t handle it, I’ll tell the Founders. I’m sure they’ll be understanding,” the first man retorted with heavy sarcasm.
“No need for that,” the second man hastily said.
“What do we do if he doesn’t know where this girl is?” the third man asked.
“We use him to draw her out. She’ll come,” the man with the accent said with confidence.
“How do you know? It’s been eight years,” the third man said. “Hell, she might not even remember him, much less give a damn.”
“She’ll come for him. I feel it. She’s not the only one with certain… talents,” the man murmured.
Kiki stiffened, finally placing the voice beyond a doubt. It could be no other, though now the voice was older, deeper.
