“No, not really.”
“You should. I grew up with a Shepard—love those dogs, but they have a highly developed need to protect. They are loyal to a fault to those they consider their own, and aloof with outsiders. The best way to keep this hybrid safe is to keep those he considers his family safe. He will run right up to danger fearlessly and attack if he believes his people are threatened.”
“Thank you doctor,” Evan said, looking over at Meg and hearing the truth in the vet’s thoughtful words. “We appreciate everything you’ve done for Maze.”
“All animals are worth saving, but this one…this one really needed another chance. I’m glad I could give him that.”
“When will he be ready to come home?”
“I’d like to keep him for at least one night, possibly two. I need to monitor his heart while I keep him sedated for pain management. We have to keep him still so his body can heal.”
“I understand.”
“Tell that tired little dark-eyed girl to come visit him. He seems to have a special connection with her.”
“Yes, sir. When she wakes, I’m sure she’ll be insisting on heading to your office.”
“Good, they both need their rest for now.”
“Thanks again, doctor.”
“Goodbye for now, son.”
Chapter 18 Thrashing the Bushes
Senator Arkdone retrieved a Cuban cigar from his humidor and ran it under his nose. “Deliciously sweet with a hint of nut and cedar,” he mused to himself before clipping the end with cigar cutters.
“You have always had excellent taste in cigars, Senator. Excellent.” Adrian Roth gave Arkdone a mock bow and reached out with a lighter. Absently, the Senator leaned forward to accept the light, puffed several times, rolling the tobacco in his fingers to allow the flame to work its way evenly across the tip.
“Let’s get right to it, Roth. Where is she?”
“Well, you are already aware of the night your men, Trent and Kerry, tracked Williams’ chopper to a crash site in the Appalachian Mountains. Inside was the body of Miro Resnikov.”
“Yes, yes…but where’s the girl?”
“She disappeared until just last night.”
Arkdone moved to the edge of his seat, his expensive cigar forgotten in his hand.
“They slipped up. Someone used Dr. Theodore Andrew’s credit card at a rest stop just outside Pulaski, Tennessee three nights ago. Then it was used again in Memphis, Oklahoma City and finally in Flagstaff. They drove straight there stopping only for gas and food. The trail stopped in Flagstaff. I cross-matched known associates with both Theodore and Margo and found a guy named Greg Burns. They’re staying with him in Arizona right now.”
“Excellent! Excellent work, Roth!”
“Thank you, sir. I’ve dispatched Trent and Kerry to the location. They’re already there awaiting your orders.”
“Have they made visual confirmation of the girl?”
“They have. She’s there with them.”
“I’m not going to even try to figure out how they found her, but I’ll be damned if they’re going to keep her!”
“Yes, sir.”
“We need to get to her before Williams does. Let’s flush them out.”
“Sir?”
“That family has been hiding from the world too long. It’s time to introduce the world to the metahumans. Instead of allowing them to slink away, I’m going to force their hand.”
It was Roth’s turn to sit on the edge of his seat. He had always been the expert at political twists—a “spin doctor” by trade. But working with the Senator for the past two years had proved he was nothing compared to a true master of manipulation.
“Get Delacourt in here. It’s time to go hunting.”
Chapter 19 Water
Meg was exhausted. After the family sat around the homey third-floor hospital waiting room and talked for three hours, Meg felt dizzy with emotional overload. Now that they were back at Greg Burns’ house, she was going to finally be able to get some much needed rest.
It’s really your fault, she scolded herself. No one forced you to walk around to read everybody’s emotions. You’re the one who wanted to fill in as many blanks as possible. They warned you to slow down, but no. You had to conduct seven readings, eight if you count the cop whose house they’d been hiding out in.
That was one thing she was glad to hear the family decide. Now that everyone was back together in one piece, the whole family was going back to their home in Texas and going to hunker down there.