Cloud Dust: RD-1 (R-D #1)(70)

*

Notes—Colonel Hunter

"It was embedded in the back of her neck and almost too tiny to find," Dr. Farrell said. "I sent it away from here to be destroyed."

"Corinne told you to look for it?"

"With that mental ability she seems to have, yes."

"What was Ms. Evans' reaction to the unplanned surgery?" I asked.

"She threatened to kill me before I had her sedated," Dr. Farrell smiled.

"Do you have anything planned this afternoon?" I asked.

"Nothing at the moment."

"Would you like to visit Silver Spring with me?"

"Of course."

"James," I called out. "Get Rafe. You can go if you want. Get Nick, too, he can drive."

*

Armed with a photograph of Corinne, we left the vehicle parked in front of Bryan Kellogg's office, leaving Nick behind to guard it. Once inside the building, the receptionist informed us that we didn't have an appointment.

"We do, now," I flashed an official ID I carried for emergency purposes. I hadn't been named Secretary of Defense, yet, but I had all the perks of the office already.

Following her down a long hallway, we walked into the lawyer's office. "We need information on Sarah Fox," I said.

"I haven't heard from her in months," the lawyer sputtered. "I've never actually seen her; all our transactions are carried out through mail or e-mail."

*

Ilya

I wasn't satisfied with his answer. Pulling the photograph away from James, I shoved it under the lawyer's nose.

"That's not Sarah Fox," he insisted. "That's Carol Dane."

*

"That little hellion," Colonel Hunter complained the moment we were inside the vehicle. "All this time she's been publishing under two pen names."

"I like Carol Dane's books," James muttered. "Almost as much as I like, well, f*ck. Corinne writes both."

"James, I want information on any property transactions, rentals, you name it, that you can find for Carol Dane," Colonel Hunter demanded. James began the search on a small tablet immediately.

Ten minutes later, we were on our way to the nearest air base. We were flying to Myrtle Beach, and I hoped Corinne would be there when we arrived.

"Last book she published as Carol Dane was six months ago," James reported as we swung onto a highway. Nick knew his way around; that was easy to see.

Colonel Hunter was on his phone quickly, ordering a military jet for our flight. It would take roughly an hour to get there. Once again, I hoped Corinne would still be there. She'd bought herself the beach house she wanted under a second pen name. It was exactly what I would have done.

*

Corinne

I hadn't slept the night before, so I decided to attempt a nap. I woke minutes after I'd fallen asleep. I knew two things. One had to come first, though.

Maye, get everybody out of the villa, I shouted mentally. Do it now. Don't wait!

*

Notes—Colonel Hunter

Halfway between the air base and Myrtle Beach, I received word from Shaw. The villa was now a pile of smoking rubble. Everybody had gotten out after Corinne warned Maye.

Everybody except the two prisoners, that is. There hadn't been time to get them out. Mary Evans and the clone were dead.

Twice now, Corinne had saved lives, although I felt she'd be upset that Mary Evans was dead. That source of information was gone. The clone had given us everything he could, but that wasn't much.

"The villa has been destroyed," I announced while the plane descended toward the airport. "Corinne warned Maye, so the prisoners were our only casualties."

"Mary Evans' backer had enough information from that f*cking chip," Rafe muttered. "Next time, I want to be more difficult to find."

"I'm with him," Richard nodded in Rafe's direction.

"Right now, an underground bunker sounds really good," James hunched his shoulders.

"I hope you backed everything up," I told him.

"I always do," James said. "We just lost paper copies, that's all."

*

Corinne

I had a car—I could have driven away.

They would have found me eventually—the car was registered to Carol Dane and they had that identity, now.

I'd played my hand. I'd lost this round.

I waited for their arrival, feeling exhausted, hungry and defeated. Auggie was in a hurry—it took him twenty minutes to get from the airport to my condo, and that included getting a rental car.

*

At least they knocked first before kicking the door in.

"What the hell is that?" I yelled as they stood outside my condo. "I was on my way to open it for you." I pointed at the door, which now lay flat on the entryway tiles. Ten seconds earlier, it had been happily connected to the door hinges, guarding (ineffectively) the entrance to my condo. "You're gonna pay for that," I shouted at Colonel August Hunter.

He didn't have time to reply. Rafe stalked in, but Ilya pulled me into his arms. I cried while he whispered soothing words.

*

"The others are at the building in Arlington," Auggie sighed as he studied my empty refrigerator. "Corinne, when did you eat, last?"