Page 29 of Dark Flame

“So, what do we do, Kane?” asked Aislinn.

“We do nothing right now, baby,” he said, hugging his wife. He looked down at the concern on her face. “Any nightmares? Dreams?”

“No, nothing significant. She’s passed through my dreams, as you’re well aware,” she said, smiling up at her husband.

“Good, then we have nothing to worry about right now.” He looked at the others, all looking to him for advice.

“We all need to be extra vigilant. Let the construction teams know that if they see anyone they don’t know, they should contact us immediately. We have no idea if she knows where we are or not. If they were tracking us, then they have the last location unless the software was destroyed in the fires.”

“How do you think she found Groome? He thought he was safe,” asked Uri, filled with concern for his wife and daughter.

“I’m guessing he had a chip in him as well,” said Kane. “We found one in you, Uri. We should have thought to try and find Groome and warn him.” Uri nodded, remembering that Groome was once a good man and, in recent months, tried to make up for his many errors.

“He’s not dead,” said Spook calmly, staring out at the landscape.

Valentina stood quietly next to him, her hand sliding into his own larger one, laying her head against his shoulder. She tried to take some of the pain and grief oozing from his body.

“What?” came the cries in unison from behind him.

“He’s not dead. He’s tapping Morse code. He’s in a moving vehicle, but he’s so far away I can’t… I can’t,” he said, frustrated.

Spook gripped the side of his head as if to tune into the sounds more effectively, frustration racking his body.

“It’s okay, brother,” said Flip, gripping his shoulder. “We’ll find him.”

“He’s tapping stay away, stay away. Don’t try to find me,” Spook ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck! He’s telling us to not follow him. It’s a trap, and she knows we’ll try to come.”

“What do we do, Kane?” asked Mary.

“We stay away.”

He looked at the faces of those around him. He knew what they were thinking. If they were taken, would he be as cold and callous as to not try and find them?

“Groome knew what he was doing by hiding out alone. He took his chances. I think warning us is his last act of compassion and goodness. Maybe we should be grateful that he found himself again.”

He looked at those around him. He had no words of wisdom for them, but he knew that he was not going to risk the lives of dozens of people for one man who tried to kill them all at one time.

“I think Kane is right,” said Flip. “Groome knew what he was doing. He had the option to come with us and thought he would be better on his own. Don’t forget that this man would have willingly taken over for the colonel, and potentially, he could have been chasing us down instead of Viskoff.”

“I don’t think…” Uri’s voice trailed off with the protest that had been resting on his lips. “I don’t know what to think. Groome was a ruthless bastard under Viskoff and the colonel. I’d like to believe that he would have just taken the money and run, but honestly, I can’t say that for sure. I hate thinking about what that woman is doing to him, but again, I can’t condone more lives to save him.”

It was quiet for several moments, and then Spook spoke once again.

“I know where they are,” he said quietly. “If anyone wants to know. I know where they are.” He turned and walked away, Valentina close on his heels.

“Flip? Make sure the construction proceeds as it should. We need those homes completed by the end of next week. Uri? How are we coming on the remaining medical equipment?”

Kane was back to business as usual, but his thoughts were with Groome. He knew what Viskoff was capable of, and he knew that Groome would not survive the torture she would delight in.

Flip watched his friend’s face and knew that he was already formulating a plan to rescue Groome, and he knew that he would go with him. Now, his only thought was how to get Nat to stay behind.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Aislinn could see Groome’s broken body laying out on a steel table. The anguish in his features was evident, even with his eyes closed. She could feel the icy coldness of the metal table on her body, the sterile smell mixed with the metallic taste of blood. He was breathing, but he was in agony, and most certainly, he wished he were dead. Shewalkedaround the room, eyeing the horrific tools that served as his torture. Saws, knives, scalpels, a hammer, all covered with blood – his blood.

He was alone and cold, terrified, yet repentant.

Come back to me, Aislinn. Baby, don’t get lost in there. He knows you’re there, but she might too. Come back, honey.

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