Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) - Karen Rose Page 0,221

because Graham was right but because her son was usurping Pastor’s authority.

“This boy did not bring a computer into Eden,” the old woman continued. “Now, I’m not going to question Pastor. He must believe that we need this machine.”

“Well, then,” Graham said, still on the floor, his words slurred but his disgust still clear. “He’ll be really angry when he comes back. Mr. Genius here broke the solar panels. Nothing works without a power source.”

Oh no. Oh God. That was it, then. They were fucked. She looked to Graham, who held up one finger, then shrugged.

One e-mail? she mouthed.

Cameron, he mouthed back.

The murmurs had resumed and it seemed that the entire group took a giant step back, distancing themselves from Joshua.

“I didn’t know the solar . . . things were his,” Joshua said, sounding like a petulant child.

“I’m sure he’ll understand that,” his mother said. “But he won’t if you usurp his authority. Put the boy in the box for now, Joshua. Get him out of your sight and cool your mind. Then, once Pastor returns, he can choose the boy’s fate.”

“Cast out,” the group said, almost as one.

Hayley shuddered, because it was damn eerie. And then she gasped when the first real contraction gripped her, stealing her breath with its strength. Shit.

“Now look what you’ve done,” Rebecca spat. “She’s gone into labor. Go. Everyone go!”

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1:30 P.M.

I need to get out of here. DJ had been pacing in Coleen’s bedroom for hours, watching the news with mounting dread. The Feds now had his photo on every network, and for a brief time he’d been trending on Twitter. They even knew he was now bald.

At least they didn’t know he was here. They didn’t know anything about this place. So he was safe. For now.

But Gideon and Mercy had won. For now.

He’d retreat. For now. But he wasn’t leaving here without Pastor—or at least Pastor’s cash. He’d find his sunny island and pay someone else to take care of Gideon and Mercy. It wouldn’t be as satisfying as putting a bullet in their heads himself, but the job would get done.

He consolidated the bags he’d brought with him, adding the fake license plates and magnetic signs to the weapons bag. The laptop didn’t fit, but it didn’t matter. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to ditch a laptop. He’d bought a model with a removable hard drive for just this reason. He popped the drive and tossed it into the duffel.

He’d turned for the door when it opened, and Coleen entered the room. She closed the door behind her and leaned on it. And said nothing, simply watching him.

New dread coiled in DJ’s gut. “Where is he?”

“Back in the solarium after his nap.”

“What did he do while he was there?”

“He met a little girl earlier, and they chatted. He wanted to feel the sun on his face, so I took him back and left him with his nurse. I wanted to talk to you.”

“What did they chat about? And who’s with him now?”

“They chatted about all kinds of things. His kids, you know, his real kids. Bo and Bernie.”

“That doesn’t hurt me like you think it does,” DJ said. “I never wanted to be his kid.”

“He told the child his name was Ben.”

DJ stared. “He what? Has he gone senile?”

“The nurse said it’s probably an aftereffect of the anesthesia. That sometimes people get confused. I looked it up on the computer there—” She pointed to the computer the facility provided for the suite. “And it’s true. But I also looked up all kinds of other things.”

“Like what?”

“Like the news. Lots of stuff has happened in thirty years, you know? I kept up with medical news on the computer you gave me, but it seems most of the Internet wasn’t available. I wonder why that is.”

Because DJ had blocked their access. “Stop talking unless you have something to say.”

Coleen tilted her head. “Mercy Callahan.”

Fuck. “I don’t know that name.”

Coleen smiled. “Well, she went by Mercy Burton back then. She looks just like her mother. It’s uncanny. Oh, and she’s alive. Which you knew because you’ve been trying to kill her.”

“I killed her thirteen years ago. I told you that.”

“Either you were mistaken or you lied. Either way, you’re trying to kill her now. And not doing such a good job of it.”

He took a step closer, annoyed when she didn’t flinch. “And how do you know this?”

“Because I saw a report this morning, before I took Pastor