by L. N. Carson
* * *
Hathor stood outside the police station talking with Amun-Ra over the phone.
“I was able to shut down the press conference,” she told him.
“Good—although I’d have found a way to handle it had you not taken care of it. What else did you find out?”
“I overheard a young officer telling one of his friends about a hot woman he’d met. She left because a fugitive was on the loose. The officer gave her his card and noticed she drove out of the park in a red Camaro.”
“A red Camaro, huh? Find that woman, Hathor. She’s bound to have been the one who helped Atum escape.”
“We’re already on it. Montu is at the guard shack now.
Pick up right where the story leaves off!
Chapter One
When Kathleen awoke the next morning, she realized she was alone in the room. She listened intently but didn’t hear Sam moving about in the bathroom.
He’s gone. He kept to his word and got his own room last night. That, or he left without me to find his friend.
She hopped out of bed and glanced around the room.
Did he even leave a note?
Comprehension dawned, and she grabbed her purse. Her car keys were still there. He hadn’t taken the Camaro.
She went into the bathroom to see if maybe he’d left a note near the sink.
Nothing.
Why had she let down her guard so fully with him? He could’ve stolen her car. It wasn’t because she’d done anything to prevent that from happening. She was afraid to be so trusting even with her friends and family. Why had Sam been the exception to that rule? Was it because he’d needed help? Because he was gorgeous? Because she was a thrill-seeker and his predicament promised to be an adventure?
She wandered back into the bedroom and sank against the pillows, swallowing the lump in her throat.
What is the matter with me? Did that bungee jump shake something loose in my brain?
A little voice reminded her that she’d picked up Sam long before the jump, but she could justify that by telling herself that he was in trouble. She’d have stopped to help anyone who’d had an accident.
But she wouldn’t have brought him all the way here. She wouldn’t have fallen asleep in a hotel room with him.
Her heart lifted when she heard a noise out in the hall. More than likely, housekeeping was approaching, but—
No. It was Sam. And he had breakfast. Her mouth widened in a broad smile.
“Good morning,” he said. “You look well-rested and cheery this morning.”
“I am.” She nodded toward the drink holder and bag he placed on the table by last night’s greasy pizza box.
“Hungry too. What have we got?”
“The closest place was a doughnut shop. So, we have coffee and glazed doughnuts. If you don’t like doughnuts, we can go somewhere else.”
“Doughnuts are good. But isn’t it risky for you to be out like that? You should’ve woken me up. I’d have gone for food.”
“No one paid me a bit of attention. I watched the local news this morning before I left, and nobody mentioned a fugitive. I’m guessing Amun-Ra killed the story.”
“Why would he when he’s so desperate to find you?”
“He doesn’t want the publicity.” He handed Kathleen a coffee, some sugar and creamer, placed the other coffee on the nightstand, and grabbed the bag before sitting next to her on the edge of the bed.
She sat upright, curling her legs beside her. “Thanks.” Removing the lid from the cup, she inhaled the coffee before stirring in the sugar and creamer. “This is just what I needed.” She licked her spoon, then shot him a glance. “So why go to the police at all?”
“At that point, he needed help to find me. Given his position, he can easily control a local law enforcement agency.” He sipped his coffee. “But if the feds were to get involved, it would become much more complicated for Amun-Ra.”
Smiling, Kathleen placed her coffee on the nightstand and took a doughnut from the bag he held out to her. “Then nobody’s looking for us?”
“Oh, you can bet Amun-Ra hasn’t given up. He’ll use every resource available to him to find me.”
“But there’s one resource he can’t use anymore, right? Horus is free.” She bit into the sweet, sticky bun.
“Horus is free, but he wasn’t Amun-Ra’s only falcon. There are a lot of animals programmed to do whatever he asks.” He put his coffee cup on the nightstand, turned toward Kathleen, and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. “He’s a dangerous man, and the longer you help me, the more I’m putting you at risk.”
“He’s looking for you—not me. As long as I’m hiding you and helping you, we’re home free. Right?”
* * *
Hathor and Montu drove toward the town where Atum and Kathleen Freemont—the woman he was presumably with—were last spotted. After gathering information from the guard shack at the campground yesterday evening, the alert they’d put out on Kathleen’s red Camaro had gotten a hit this morning at a hotel.
It had been twenty-four hours. They should’ve had Atum back at base by now. Amun-Ra certainly felt that way. He’d been pleased they’d discovered the driver of the Camaro. After all, what were the odds they’d had spotted a red Camaro so close to the accident scene and then also at the campground where Atum’s GPS had pinged?
Hathor longed for a hot bath and a meal she could sit down and enjoy, but she knew she wouldn’t get either of those until Atum had been returned to Amun-Ra.
Glancing to her right, she saw Montu texting his wife again. The man had a nasty streak a mile wide, but he adored his family, and being away from them had been hard on him. Sure, it had only been a day, but they hadn’t realized what getting Atum back would entail.
When Montu sabotaged Atum’s motorcycle, they’d thought the man would be in custody by midday. Hathor had no idea what Amun-Ra was planning to do to Atum, although Amun-Ra wasn’t above killing someone. He’d done it—or had her and Montu do it—in the past. She hoped it wouldn’t come to that with Atum. She’d always liked him. He’d never been anything but nice to her and the rest of the staff, and his love for the animals he worked with was heartwarming.
Amun-Ra had reported that Horus never returned to the compound. The new guy—a grad student named Khonsu—said that the system had been hacked last night and that Horus had been deprogrammed.
Hathor wondered how Atum had been able to summon the falcon. It liked him, she guessed. Even though she was a trained assassin, she’d made the choice to pursue that career. The animals under Amun-Ra’s command hadn’t asked to become guinea pigs for government weapon testing. And although she’d do whatever it took to capture Atum—and kill him if ordered to do so—she was glad he’d been able to liberate at least one of Amun-Ra’s weapons from its captor. But, of course, she’d take that secret to her grave.
Keep Reading!
Keep reading Book Two of this Amazon-exclusive serial!
About The Author
L. N. Carson
L. N. Carson worked in the legal field prior to embarking upon a career writing thrillers.
