or I'll swoon."
Whoops. He hadn't meant to be so open.
"I'm not sure you can be anything else at the
moment. Got any feeling in your legs yet?"
He shook his head. Then realized what he'd
done.
"Is that supposed to be a smile?" she teased.
"Here's the plan. I'm taking the stretcher out, dropping it and
shoving you into the car."
"Such thoughtfulness and care. Now I might
swoon."
She laughed and he marveled that she could in
the midst of this ridiculous stress. He was immediately grateful
for her warning as the gurney bounced and jarred him head to toe.
He tried to smooth the way with his telekinesis. It was easier with
his vision back, and he was soon settled in the passenger seat,
feeling content. Then she stole his breath and all coherent thought
when she leaned that sweet, power packed body across his chest to
buckle his seatbelt.
"I’m just strapping you down for safety while
I drive us out of here."
In the next moment, she was behind the wheel
and the Mustang was roaring away. He closed his eyes, trying to
hide grateful tears, and soon he was asleep.
* * *
"Jaden, wake up!"
Jaden was on her feet and alert before he
sister finished speaking. "You've found them." Not a question. She
rolled her shoulders and lit up the map board. "Where?"
Petra waved to Jaden's attention to the
holograph. "Leavenworth. The alert you set to go off if Dad's codes
were breached."
She paused to absorb that. "You're sure it's
Kelly and Nathan? Are they okay?"
"No idea. I only know they're alive because
Kristoff is after them."
"I thought you killed Kristoff."
Petra shook her head. "You wish. I just
sidelined him."
"You've been in contact with him all this
time?"
"Of course not," Petra snapped. "He's been
hiding himself from me as well as the authorities."
Jaden shook her head. She still didn't quite
get all that her sister could do with her mind, preferring to use
weapons she could see, hold and apply as needed.
"Now I'm using the back door he built into my
head against him."
Jaden silently wished for Gideon, Petra's
husband to appear. A warrior himself, he made her feel a bit more
secure around Pet's odd talents for empathy and flying through
space without her body.
"You've got the worried face, Jaden."
"I've earned it." She gave up trying to
smile. "Tell me what to do." Her cell card skittered on the table.
"Hang on." She glanced at the display and groaned. "Who texts these
days? Except for you," she amended. Petra was nothing if not in
touch with the retro side of technology. Speed Voice was so much
more efficient for short messaging. Unless you didn't want to be
overheard.
On that thought, she slid her cell card
through the receptor on her keyboard and set the holographic map as
the monitor so Petra could keep up.
'Sending intercept coordinates and
antidote.'
A stream of numbers poured forth, followed by
an odd list of what looked like Latin. It was all laid out in white
text on a black background that blanked the map from Texas to North
Dakota.
"Hit record, save, whatever," Petra scrambled
for her pen and notebook and started to copy the words.
Jaden secured the data and started to send a
reply.
"Don't."
"Okay." Sometimes it was a little creepy that
Petra could read her like that. "What do you want me to do?"
Jaden tried to be patient, but her foot
started tapping long before Pet answered.
"Gideon's on his way with the Commandant.
We'll plan an intercept. If I can find Lorine, she can start
brewing an antidote for Nathan."
"He's been poisoned?"
Petra nodded, still making notes. "Shot with
Paracuron, most likely, based on the counter agents listed."
"Nathan plus Paracuron equals we can't stay
here." Jaden did a slow circle, taking in the library her husband
had set up in their reconfigured warehouse. The upper levels were
home and the lower levels provided studio rooms for various martial
arts and fitness instruction. She had excellent security but no lab
capabilities. "Slick Micky's our best
Whoops. He hadn't meant to be so open.
"I'm not sure you can be anything else at the
moment. Got any feeling in your legs yet?"
He shook his head. Then realized what he'd
done.
"Is that supposed to be a smile?" she teased.
"Here's the plan. I'm taking the stretcher out, dropping it and
shoving you into the car."
"Such thoughtfulness and care. Now I might
swoon."
She laughed and he marveled that she could in
the midst of this ridiculous stress. He was immediately grateful
for her warning as the gurney bounced and jarred him head to toe.
He tried to smooth the way with his telekinesis. It was easier with
his vision back, and he was soon settled in the passenger seat,
feeling content. Then she stole his breath and all coherent thought
when she leaned that sweet, power packed body across his chest to
buckle his seatbelt.
"I’m just strapping you down for safety while
I drive us out of here."
In the next moment, she was behind the wheel
and the Mustang was roaring away. He closed his eyes, trying to
hide grateful tears, and soon he was asleep.
* * *
"Jaden, wake up!"
Jaden was on her feet and alert before he
sister finished speaking. "You've found them." Not a question. She
rolled her shoulders and lit up the map board. "Where?"
Petra waved to Jaden's attention to the
holograph. "Leavenworth. The alert you set to go off if Dad's codes
were breached."
She paused to absorb that. "You're sure it's
Kelly and Nathan? Are they okay?"
"No idea. I only know they're alive because
Kristoff is after them."
"I thought you killed Kristoff."
Petra shook her head. "You wish. I just
sidelined him."
"You've been in contact with him all this
time?"
"Of course not," Petra snapped. "He's been
hiding himself from me as well as the authorities."
Jaden shook her head. She still didn't quite
get all that her sister could do with her mind, preferring to use
weapons she could see, hold and apply as needed.
"Now I'm using the back door he built into my
head against him."
Jaden silently wished for Gideon, Petra's
husband to appear. A warrior himself, he made her feel a bit more
secure around Pet's odd talents for empathy and flying through
space without her body.
"You've got the worried face, Jaden."
"I've earned it." She gave up trying to
smile. "Tell me what to do." Her cell card skittered on the table.
"Hang on." She glanced at the display and groaned. "Who texts these
days? Except for you," she amended. Petra was nothing if not in
touch with the retro side of technology. Speed Voice was so much
more efficient for short messaging. Unless you didn't want to be
overheard.
On that thought, she slid her cell card
through the receptor on her keyboard and set the holographic map as
the monitor so Petra could keep up.
'Sending intercept coordinates and
antidote.'
A stream of numbers poured forth, followed by
an odd list of what looked like Latin. It was all laid out in white
text on a black background that blanked the map from Texas to North
Dakota.
"Hit record, save, whatever," Petra scrambled
for her pen and notebook and started to copy the words.
Jaden secured the data and started to send a
reply.
"Don't."
"Okay." Sometimes it was a little creepy that
Petra could read her like that. "What do you want me to do?"
Jaden tried to be patient, but her foot
started tapping long before Pet answered.
"Gideon's on his way with the Commandant.
We'll plan an intercept. If I can find Lorine, she can start
brewing an antidote for Nathan."
"He's been poisoned?"
Petra nodded, still making notes. "Shot with
Paracuron, most likely, based on the counter agents listed."
"Nathan plus Paracuron equals we can't stay
here." Jaden did a slow circle, taking in the library her husband
had set up in their reconfigured warehouse. The upper levels were
home and the lower levels provided studio rooms for various martial
arts and fitness instruction. She had excellent security but no lab
capabilities. "Slick Micky's our best
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