Savage Redemption - By Alexis Morgan Page 0,77
research. But I’ve got to tell you, I wonder if there isn’t more to it. Maybe something in those files that would tie the fire at the lab as well as your friend’s death to Eddington and his friends.”
The helo’s spotlight was flickering through the trees overhead. “How do you think they found us?” she asked, trying to stay calm.
“Same way Ambrose will. Tracking the chip in Dwayne’s transport. I’d guess there’s a pack of Coalition chancellors headed straight for us, too. In fact, I’m sort of counting on it.”
Great. If they weren’t dodging bullets from the bad guys, they’d be ducking the ones from the good guys. She had to laugh, although she was pretty sure there was a large dose of hysteria in it.
Conlan was grinning, too. “Yeah, it’s one helluva party, don’t you think?”
“You’re crazy, you know.”
He whooped and laughed as they hit another deep rut. “Yeah, I am, but that’s what makes me so lovable.”
Before she could respond to the truth of that statement, they broke free of the woods and headed straight for the bridge. She angled around to look behind them. The helo hovered over the trees, looking like a huge insect waiting to pounce. Or maybe one of those predators that hunted in packs. Had those mercenaries been chasing them or actually herding the two of them?
“What’s going on back there?” Conlan asked.
She checked one last time. “They seem to have backed off for the moment.”
“Good,” Conlan said, but he didn’t slow down. “Now tell me which way to go.”
“When the road splits up ahead, stay to the right. We’ll go about another five miles before we come to where another road intersects this one. Take a left, and then I’ll tell you where to go from there.”
Memories of that night, including the explosion and the resulting fire that had lit up the sky for miles in all directions, washed over her. The pain never faded, always feeling like shards of glass jabbing her in the heart. She blinked several times to clear the tears.
“That night I left you, Meg died instead of me. I slipped out to retrieve the flash drive from where she kept a mailbox, intending to bring it back to you, trusting you’d know what to do with the information. When I got there, the box had had been pried open, and it was empty.”
She’d handled the whole mess wrong. “Without the data, I couldn’t prove my innocence, and you would’ve had no choice but to carry out the execution order. Looking back, I still should’ve gone straight back to you. But the guy behind the counter told me the box had been vandalized right after my sister had picked up her mail... and I panicked.”
It was hard to breathe, all the memories churning up the old pain. “I called Meg and told her to take the girls and go into hiding. She was supposed to leave the flash drive for me and go, but instead she waited for me. If I hadn’t taken the girls and their suitcases outside to her transport when I did, they would’ve died, too. I hid the flash drive on the estate, took the girls and ran.”
Conlan immediately reached over to take her hand. “Don’t think about it, and don’t blame yourself. You’re not the villain here, Kat. Eddington and his people are. Remember that.”
“But if I hadn’t—”
“No buts, damn it. Kat, all you were guilty of was being young and naive.” His voice rasped with emotion. “Those bastards preyed on your innocence. You had no way of knowing what they were up to. That institute had a solid reputation.”
“I wasn’t so innocent in what happened to you. After I called to warn Meg, I took off without even thinking about what that would do to you.”
He didn’t deny it, but then, it was the truth. She’d known what would happen to him if she left, and she’d done it anyway. Regardless of her reasons, she’d caused him so much pain. “How can you even stand to be near me?”
“Because you mean something to me, Kat. You did three years ago and you do now. I’m here because I want to be. I’m sorry if that’s hard for you to accept or if it makes you feel guilty, but deal with it. Once this mess is finally over, you can walk away with a clear conscience.”
His face looked as hard as his words. She’d hurt him again without meaning to. There was only