Page 122 of Blind Prophet

Her mouth opens slightly, and her eyebrows lift.

“What is it?”

“There’s been an explosion. Five simultaneous detonations across the country.”

A terrorist event will kickstart emergency protocols. Futures are going to nosedive.

“Dorian, we’re under attack.”

CHAPTER29

CAROLINE

Sophia picks up on the first ring. “Where are you?”

“About an hour north of the office. Research,” I add, answering the question before she can ask.

“Get to the office. Keep your phone on. Blackouts in the top five metro areas. The military is en route to protect remaining substations.”

Dorian says, “I’ll drive. You can have your hands free.”

It’s a good suggestion, so I head to his car.

“Is this a rental? Do you want to take mine?” But he’s already in the driver’s seat.

“Is everything okay?” Rory calls from the stoop.

“I’m going to leave my car here. I’ll be back to get it.”

Dorian rolls down the passenger window and says, “Tell her to stay home. If there’s an escalation, we’ll be back to get her.”

“Depending on what happens, we might not be able to get back here.”

Doomsday scenarios mean freeways turn into parking lots. Any travel completed by foot. An hour by car is a lot longer walking, and it would be dangerous.

“Trust me,” he says, reading my thoughts. “If we have to fly by helicopter, we will.” I need to remember that I’m with a billionaire. There’s no scenario that he believes he can’t manage. A scenario where his wealth doesn’t work for him is unthinkable.

“Stay here,” I shout across the yard. “We’ll be back. You have my number.” It’s not a question. We exchanged contact information before I left.

“Should I tell her to watch the news? Pack a bag?”

“Caroline, get in the car.”

I swing the door open and do as he says. Dorian hits the accelerator, and I wave goodbye to a concerned Rory.

“Caroline, who are you with?” Sophia’s voice reminds me she’s still on the line.

“I’m with Dorian, and I have you on speaker. We just left his mother’s house.”

I don’t miss the flex of his jaw, but it’s not a point of debate. She is his mother.

“Haven’t turned onto the freeway yet. How’s traffic?”

“You should be fine getting here. The cities with blackouts are under control. Still daylight.”

Daytime attacks are unusual, suggesting either desperation or a larger strategy we’re not seeing yet. Coordinated infrastructure hits usually come at night.

“Are you expecting an EMP attack?” Dorian asks.

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