“Hardly.You threw them off the scent with that little invisible trick.You’re a pro.”
A thread of pride bloomed in Rowan’s chest.“You think so?”
“I do,” he replied.“Try to get some sleep, angel.I’m going to get us out of range.You did good work.I think we’ll get out of this yet.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
I toldher that to comfort her,Delgado thought grimly.They’re tracking us.I don’t know how, and I’ve got to figure out how to lock her down.
She was like a beacon, apparently, especially without the dampers.If he hadn’t set up countermeasures they would have been caught in the hotel room, and he didn’t like the idea of fighting free of two full teams and a net.He wouldn’t get out of that without shedding blood—hisandtheirs.
Don’t think about that.Dawn had broken, and Rowan had finally fallen asleep.What was he supposed to do?He’d never run an extraction with a psionic who couldn’t be dampered before.
I’ve either got to teach her something, or drug her until we get to Headquarters.
He saw a blue Rest Area sign and decided to chance it.They had made good time.
Rowan woke with a violent start as soon as he slowed down and took the exit.“What is it?”she gasped.
“Easy there.”He applied the brakes, and they were soon neatly pulled into a parking spot.“Need a break.You should probably stretch your legs too.”
“I guess so.”She looked out the window at the trees and green grass, pulling at the collar of the white dress shirt.He’d given her a pair of jeans and the dress boots too.“I always wanted to come out this way.North.”
“We’re actually northwest, but it’s the same thing.We’ll double back east for a while after we get far enough north, and then hook down.”
She shook her head.“It might be best if you don’t tell me,” she said dully.“If they catch us?—”
“Don’t even worry about that.”She shouldn’t be thinking about that; it was his job.“If they catch you, you tell them whatever they want to know.They might hold off on the Zed if you’re compliant.You just wait for me to come get you.”
“What if you can’t?”Her green eyes were dull.She tucked a strand of pale hair behind her ear and regarded him steadily.
She definitely shouldn’t be thinking about that, either.“Unless you see them decapitate me,” he told her evenly, “you can be sure I’ll come and get you, Rowan.They trained me well.Maybe too well.”
“What did they do to you?”The colorless tone hurt even more than the dull lifelessness in her eyes.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” he lied, and unlocked his door.“Let me worry about Sigma, Rowan.That’s my job.I promised Henderson I’d bring you in safely, and I promised you I’d take care of you.I don’t promise things I don’t do.”He raked stiff fingers back through his short hair.
“I’m tired.I don’t want to do this.”
“Neither do I.I want to be back at Headquarters, with you safe and sound and learning whatever you want to learn to keep that talent of yours in check.That’s what I want.Don’tworry, Rowan.I’ll take care of it.”
“I don’t even know you,” she whispered, and that cut him all the way down to the bone.
“You don’t, but you have to trust me.I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
That earned him a bitter little laugh.“Oh, yes, safe fromwho?”
Oh, shit.I’ve said the wrong thing.He decided to play a get-out-of-jail card.“I didn’t tell anyone about your talent, Rowan, even though you used it on me.And who gives you the willies more, me or Sigma?”
She shrugged slightly, her breasts moving underneath the white cotton.He tried not to think about that, or about the dress boots and how they would make her legs look even longer.Or about the fact that he’d handled the bra she was probably wearing.
That was the wrong thought to have, too, but her face eased a little as he studied her.
“I suppose them.Every time they get near, my head starts to hurt.”
Understanding hit him, right between the eyes.They might be using a scanlock on a migmeter.Of course.She’s high enough on the scale that they can do it.Christ, why didn’tIthink of that?
“Oh.I might be able to fix the problem, then.Come on, let’s take a break and then figure out where to find some decent coffee, all right?”
