physical searches of the building. How do you find someone who is not on-line?
Earlier I was watching Emma in the banquet hall. She was looking out the glass doors that face the meadow, and the sun was illuminating her, and she looked like a goddess. I find that moment. Who is she?
I see her image, just as she is turning towards the kitchen door. The man approaches her. My heart stops. I scan his image. It doesn’t register. He is not on-line.
I jump up and run out the door, almost knocking over a student in the hallway. I hear Max call after me. I should go back, and tell him what I found, but I don’t have time. I left her alone.
I run down the stairs; I think I miss about half of them in my race to get to Emma. I grab the rail as my feet hit the landing, but I still manage to wipe out, slamming my elbow hard on the tile. I scramble to my feet and leap down the last flight. My elbow is throbbing, but I ignore the pain.
I push through the double doors that lead into the forum and zigzag my way through the students getting ready for the assignments. The office is backstage. I run down the hall. I see the door. It’s closed. My heart is slamming against my chest as I reach for the handle.
CHAPTER TEN
Emma
He leaves, and I sit at the desk. There’s a book sitting on the corner. I pick it up, flip the cover open, and gently thumb through the pages. The words consume my thoughts. I don’t look up when I hear the door open. I wait until I finish the sentence. I smile and look, expecting to see Quinn.
“I have the order, and you are coming with me,” the man says. “Where is Captain Calder?”
“He had to go check on some details,” I say. “He’ll be right back.”
“I don’t have time to wait,” he says. “Let’s go.”
I hesitate. “I think I should tell him,” I say.
“It’s not necessary,” he says. “He has no jurisdiction over you.”
“Am I in trouble,” I ask? “I thought Adam just wanted me to be protected.”
“That information is not available to you,” he says.
“How is that possible,” I ask?
He grabs my arm and pulls me away. We leave the forum and head to the upper level. I keep looking over my shoulder for Quinn, but I don’t see him. I wonder if he’ll think I left on my own or is he will look for me.
We walk into a room in the administration wing. I’ve never been in this room before, and I take a quick glance around before he has a chance to notice my disobedience. There are several computers lined up in front of a wall of monitors and to my left there are more electrical devices stacked against the wall.
“I have a meeting,” the man says. “I will be back for you when I am done.”
He closes the door, locking it from the outside. I try the handle, but it won’t budge. I pull harder. I step back and look at the door. I don’t know what to think. Why would he lock me in here? There are no windows. I walk over to the wall of monitors. I look for anything that I might be able to use to escape. There’s nothing. I sit down. I have nothing else to do. Almost an hour goes by before I hear the lock release and the handle turn. I stand up and face the door.
I prepare to run past the man. My plan is to catch him off guard and just keep running. The door opens, and I charge. But I am not met with the man; it is Quinn.
He grabs me, and I collapse into his arms. Our bodies are touching. I can feel his warmth and his heartbeat. My face rests on his chest. I’m flooded with memories, images of us together. He pulls away from me. I stand less than a foot away from him, but our connection is electrifying.
“Are you okay,” he asks? “You’re trembling.”
I nod.
“Where did he go?”
“A meeting,” I say. “He should be coming back soon.”
“Did he harm you?”
“No.”
He sits down and enters something into the computer. The screens light up, and my heart sinks. On the monitors are pictures of rooms and common areas throughout the POE. I see
Earlier I was watching Emma in the banquet hall. She was looking out the glass doors that face the meadow, and the sun was illuminating her, and she looked like a goddess. I find that moment. Who is she?
I see her image, just as she is turning towards the kitchen door. The man approaches her. My heart stops. I scan his image. It doesn’t register. He is not on-line.
I jump up and run out the door, almost knocking over a student in the hallway. I hear Max call after me. I should go back, and tell him what I found, but I don’t have time. I left her alone.
I run down the stairs; I think I miss about half of them in my race to get to Emma. I grab the rail as my feet hit the landing, but I still manage to wipe out, slamming my elbow hard on the tile. I scramble to my feet and leap down the last flight. My elbow is throbbing, but I ignore the pain.
I push through the double doors that lead into the forum and zigzag my way through the students getting ready for the assignments. The office is backstage. I run down the hall. I see the door. It’s closed. My heart is slamming against my chest as I reach for the handle.
CHAPTER TEN
Emma
He leaves, and I sit at the desk. There’s a book sitting on the corner. I pick it up, flip the cover open, and gently thumb through the pages. The words consume my thoughts. I don’t look up when I hear the door open. I wait until I finish the sentence. I smile and look, expecting to see Quinn.
“I have the order, and you are coming with me,” the man says. “Where is Captain Calder?”
“He had to go check on some details,” I say. “He’ll be right back.”
“I don’t have time to wait,” he says. “Let’s go.”
I hesitate. “I think I should tell him,” I say.
“It’s not necessary,” he says. “He has no jurisdiction over you.”
“Am I in trouble,” I ask? “I thought Adam just wanted me to be protected.”
“That information is not available to you,” he says.
“How is that possible,” I ask?
He grabs my arm and pulls me away. We leave the forum and head to the upper level. I keep looking over my shoulder for Quinn, but I don’t see him. I wonder if he’ll think I left on my own or is he will look for me.
We walk into a room in the administration wing. I’ve never been in this room before, and I take a quick glance around before he has a chance to notice my disobedience. There are several computers lined up in front of a wall of monitors and to my left there are more electrical devices stacked against the wall.
“I have a meeting,” the man says. “I will be back for you when I am done.”
He closes the door, locking it from the outside. I try the handle, but it won’t budge. I pull harder. I step back and look at the door. I don’t know what to think. Why would he lock me in here? There are no windows. I walk over to the wall of monitors. I look for anything that I might be able to use to escape. There’s nothing. I sit down. I have nothing else to do. Almost an hour goes by before I hear the lock release and the handle turn. I stand up and face the door.
I prepare to run past the man. My plan is to catch him off guard and just keep running. The door opens, and I charge. But I am not met with the man; it is Quinn.
He grabs me, and I collapse into his arms. Our bodies are touching. I can feel his warmth and his heartbeat. My face rests on his chest. I’m flooded with memories, images of us together. He pulls away from me. I stand less than a foot away from him, but our connection is electrifying.
“Are you okay,” he asks? “You’re trembling.”
I nod.
“Where did he go?”
“A meeting,” I say. “He should be coming back soon.”
“Did he harm you?”
“No.”
He sits down and enters something into the computer. The screens light up, and my heart sinks. On the monitors are pictures of rooms and common areas throughout the POE. I see
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