by Chandra Ryan
“Damn.” He leaned closer to the machine as he typed. “It looks as though I found the spy.”
“Who?” Her heart stopped. She needed to know but she didn’t want to. It hurt to actually imagine any of her friends responsible for the betrayal.
“Dr. Antihway, of course. But more specifically, the Type Three he has working for him.”
As the realization sank in, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief fill her. None of their people had betrayed them. “He has someone with Technokinesis?”
“So Little Miss Prophet doesn’t know everything, huh?”
“Sorry.” She made sure to put enough sarcasm into the word to know she wasn’t sorry at all. “My top priority is keeping us alive. I didn’t have time to run through Antihway’s employee records.” Just trying to remember the steps she had to take when they got to Antihway gave her a headache.
“No need to get your panties in a twist. I was just giving you a hard time.” Mitchel turned and the genuine warmth of his smile made most of her angst disappear. “He most definitely has a Three working with him. And, according to these time stamps, they’ve been in your system for a while.”
“How did he get past the firewalls?” They had the best available. With the work they did, they needed them.
“Didn’t have to. He made your machines think his were behind the firewall from the get-go.” He nodded to one of the captives who was currently glaring at all of them. “I’m guessing it’s him. But we’ll find out for sure once we have a chance to interrogate him.”
“Thanks, Mitch.”
“Aw, yeah. I’ve got a nickname now. I’m growing on you.” He turned back to the computer after he threw a wink in her general direction.
“Yeah. Just like mold,” she said dryly. “Now get those damn shields down.”
She left a couple of guards behind to protect Mitchel and to watch the hostages but she took the rest of the group with her. She was going to need them.
They walked down two more corridors before they had to stop. There was a small group of Dr. Antihway’s men just around the next corner. There were only three of them guarding the passage. Her people wouldn’t have any problems taking them. But they had to do it quietly. No weapon fire. Everything depended on the element of surprise.
She gestured for two of her men to walk out and draw the guards’ attention. Dr. Antihway had given orders that only necessary force was to be used so her men should be safe from any real harm. But the guards would definitely pursue them. When her people led them back into her corridor her men overwhelmed then and then gagged them before tying their hands and feet. After the men were secured she assigned four of her people to stay behind with them to make sure they didn’t escape or warn Antihway. When she was certain they had everything under control she set off again.
There were only three of them left as she made the final turn toward her goal. This hallway led into a room. A room she was betting had a skylight. She signaled for Harlow to watch one side of the door and the last remaining guy to hotwire the palm reader. She needed to be the one to walk through that door.
As the door slid open she found that the room was exactly as she remembered it being in her vision. Dr. Antihway was standing behind a large desk and had two armed men with him. One was on each side. His people had taken her weapon when they’d put the bracelet on her but she didn’t need it. Not this time.
“You just don’t stop, do you?”
Rowe smiled as she took a step into the room. Her men stayed outside in the hallway as lookouts. She couldn’t have any of Antihway’s men sneaking up on them. “I’m persistent. It’s in my genetics.”
He shook his head. “Yes it is. The government was willing to pay for persistence.”
“Then I guess I have them to thank for it.”
He slammed his hands down on the desk loudly enough that it made her flinch. “No. You have me to thank, you ungrateful bitch. Without me, you wouldn’t exist.”
“Without the government, you wouldn’t have had a reason to create me.” Under normal circumstances she’d never pick a fight with a sociopath. But she needed time. Just a minute or two would do it. And challenging him was the only way she’d seen where she’d gotten that. Still, her heart raced and her stomach cramped as the guards placed their hands on their weapons. She took a step to the side but that small distance wouldn’t be enough to save her if they fired.
Thankfully Antihway lifted a hand and his men relaxed. “You were supposed to have survival instincts as well. What happened to those?”
“They’re still there.” Oh boy, were they ever. And she was fighting against them every step of the way.
“I disagree. I could have you killed. Right now.”
She shook her head. “You could. But you won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Oh I think you know why I’m so sure.” She took another step away from the small group of people. She needed to be in the corner of the room. “You’re the one who created prophets after all. And what good is a prophet without visions?”
“My prophets can’t recall their visions.”
She smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong. They couldn’t recall them. Past tense.”
His brow creased and his mouth puckered with apparent disbelief. “That’s not possible.”
“But it is. I’m living proof.”
“How?”
It was almost time. Just a few more seconds and they’d be past the point of no return. There would only be one path left to them. And that would be the one of her salvation. “You made us an adaptable species. I’ve adapted. And I’m guessing more will adapt given time and proper instruction.”
“You’re bluffing.”
But suddenly it didn’t matter what he thought anymore. Their fate was locked. She could feel the inevitability settle around her like a comforting blanket. “Maybe. I certainly have spent time around the best.” She shrugged as she held up one hand and took another step. “I guess we just have to wait and see.” She put one finger down. “Four.”
“What are you doing?”
She put another finger down as she took another step. “Three.”
“Stop.”
“Two.” She was almost there.
“Guards, restrain her.”
“One. Time’s up.” She jumped for the corner and crouched down on the floor with her arms covering her head just as the skylight exploded. Even in the corner as she was, glass still rained down on her. But they were small pieces. And she didn’t have any of the raiding team land on top of her as they rappelled from the hovering helicopter.
“Freeze. Hands up. All the way. You so much as twitch and we open fire.” That was Jack’s voice. She looked up only to see a man in riot gear holding a weapon on her. He definitely wasn’t Jack. She slowly put her hands up just in case the soldier didn’t recognize her. “Where’s Rowe?”
“I’m here.” But she didn’t take her eyes off the man holding a weapon on her. “In the corner.”
“What the hell, Rowe?” He shoved his way through the crowd. “Why aren’t you with the rest of the group? Our heat imaging showed they were on the ground floor of the building.”
She held her hand out to him so he could help her up. “Somebody had to get the guy with technokinesis to a workstation so he could lower the shields so you could find us. Then secure the guards so you wouldn’t be caught unaware in the middle of the crossfire. And distract the good doctor here so he wouldn’t look up until it was too late.”
“You? You did all that?”
“What can I say? It was a life-defining moment.”
He shook his head. “Guess you found what you were looking for, after all.”
She pulled him to him and gave him a kiss. “I did.”
“And you know what I just realized?”
“What?”
“Even when I come to your rescue, you end up saving me.”
“We make a good team that way.” The men w
ere starting to clear out of the room. They had Dr. Antihway and his guards in cuffs and were taking the bad men out with them. “We should probably get out of here. They’re going to want to debrief us.” She grabbed his arm as she rested her head on his shoulder. “But at least this time I don’t need to be in the hospital.”
Two hours later Rowe was finally free. The Prime Minister was happy, which made Seeth ecstatic and that made her feel at peace—as if everything was finally as it should be. Now she wanted to find Jack and share the currently popular jubilant state of being with him.
She didn’t have to look very long before she found him in one of the conference rooms. “The captain says I’m going to get an award.” She threw herself into his arms and gave him a long kiss.
“You deserve it.”
“Yes I do.” She looked up into his eyes and smiled. “And we weren’t betrayed. Antihway had our systems hacked.” She’d never been happier than when they’d had Mitchel’s hunch confirmed.
“That’s what I hear.”
“So? Are you ready to admit it?”
“What? That I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with you?” He kissed her, his arms wrapping around her back. “I think I always have been. From the moment you marched into our office and refused to leave.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I love you too.” It was nice to be able to say the words without worrying about his reaction. So nice that she found she had to kiss him again. “But that’s not what I meant.”
He pulled back and looked at her quizzically. “What did you mean then?”
“It all worked out, didn’t it?” She pulled her shirt off just to underscore her point.
“What are you doing? We’re in the office.”
“And? You haven’t said it.” She undid her pants and started to slide down the zipper.
“Someone could walk in here anytime.” But she noticed he wasn’t watching the door. He was staring at her.
“But they won’t. And you know why. I know you do.” She shimmied as she slid her pants and underwear off. “Come on. Just say it.”
As she started undressing him she noticed he was no longer trying to get her to stop. “You know you want to say it.” She pulled a condom out of his pocket before she pushed his pants and boxers down around his ankles. After she’d slipped the sheath onto his cock she jumped up on the conference table.
“Okay. I’ve got to say, this is pretty hot.”
“And do you know why?”
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Because I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.” He thrust into her pussy as he said the words. “And everything will work out just fine. It always does.”
She lay back on the table and wrapped her legs around his waist. “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear.”
About Chandra Ryan
Being from a rather nomadic family, Chandra Ryan loves to travel and meet people. But she’s found that sometimes, like when you’re stuck inside because of a good old-fashioned Southwestern heat wave, you have to make do. Fortunately for her and her loving family, who don’t like seeing her suffer from cabin fever, she’s found creating new people and places equally as fascinating. Also, you’re a lot less likely to spill your ice tea.
Chandra welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Chandra Ryan
Bond Betrayed
Ink in the Blood
Universal Defiance 1: Ulterior Motives
Universal Defiance 2: Shared Objectives
Universal Defiance 3: Extreme Circumstances
Universal Defiance 4: Hostile Intent
Universal Defiance 5: Subservience
Print books by Chandra Ryan
Bond Betrayed
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Covert Desires
ISBN 9781419992322
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Covert Desires Copyright © 2014 Chandra Ryan
Edited by Beverly Horne
Cover design by Kelly A. Martin
Cover photography by Maksim Toome, lithian, agsandrew, diversepixel
Electronic book publication June 2014
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