Page 5 of Sinner's Salvation

“I think I’m going to throw up,” Brian mumbled.

He followed up his words by stumbling closer to her bed and vomiting into what she hoped was a garbage can.

Whoever was monitoring them was going to think he was inept. Or a horrible actor.

A metallicthunkwas followed quickly by a door opening, once again letting in fresh air, noise, and more than one person. Two sets of footsteps came into the room.

“Sir, take a seat on the chair,” a man ordered.

Brian heaved again. “S...sorry,” he managed to say in between loud burping sounds.

“Sir.”

A woman’s voice this time. “Take the garbage can and go over there in the corner.” she ordered.

Brian and his gastric orchestra moved toward her feet.

A squeaky wheel announced the entry of some kind of equipment.

“How long will this take?” the new man asked.

“A few minutes. I have to get her hooked up to the heart monitor, draw some blood, and start an IV.”

Something brushed and bumped against her arm. Metal and plastic.

Well, this wasn’t good. She couldn’t allow anyone to test her blood or perform any of the other tests the Homeland Security agent wanted.

Another opportunity to learn more about what was going on wasn’t likely to come. She’d have to make this one count.

Brian let out a huge burp and heave.

Anna opened her eyes and yanked at whatever was holding her wrists down. Metal shackles of some kind. They both snapped with metallicpings.She rolled off the gurney and onto her feet, staggering as if she were disorientated.

The man in the doorway was dressed in urban camo, wearing the usual gear for a soldier, and carrying one of those fancy rifles that fired way too many bullets per second.

No helmet though.

She threw herself forward, as if overcompensating for her stumble. Her shoulder connected with his midriff. She smacked him into the wall. He ended up on the floor, one of his feet extending far enough to stop the door from closing.

Anna glanced over her shoulder to see Brian holding the woman, dressed in fatigues and a lab coat, with a needle at her throat. She was staring at Anna as if she were the villain in a horror movie. Pasty face, rigid body, and rapid breathing.

Anna looked around the room, taking in the stark concrete gray walls and floor, and the four cameras placed around the room. One in each corner.

Oh, yes, the room was definitely under surveillance.

Lovely.

The sound of footsteps, a lot of them, echoed out in the hallway, coming closer.

“Release her,” Anna said to Brian in a pleasant tone.

After a moment’s hesitation, he did as she asked.

The woman jerked out of his grasp and plastered herself against the wall as far away from Anna as she could get.

The sounds of footsteps died and were replaced with the inhale and exhale of several people breathing heavy.

“The door is open,” Anna called out. “Please feel free to come inside and collect your people.”

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