Page 3 of Devoted

"Thank God, Tennyson. I thought we'd lostyou."

I'm crying, making it hard to catch my breath. I pull my face from his chest. "Captain—" I start. I can't even say the painful sentence out loud. Another round of shoulder wracking sobs shudder through me. I'm so overcome with grief and relief, I can barely stand on myown.

A voice comes through the radio on his shoulder. "Captain, no sign of Freestoneyet."

"Keeplooking."

I glance quickly around the room. "He was just here. Then the lights went out. He was right next tome."

Clark's protective arm goes around my shoulders. "Let's get you out of here. I'm sure you've had enough of thisplace."

I peer back into the office as Clark walks me into the hallway. There is no sign of Kane, just the empty office and the desk. Streams of light crisscross the corridors as officers traverse the passages looking for others. The last few months have been so bizarre, I can almost convince myself they were just an illusion. But the solid rock that sits in my chest where my heart used to be assures me it allhappened.

I hold tightly onto Clark's arm working up the courage to tell him. Everything is a blur, including that past few months, as he whisks me through the maze of passages. Lights from the search team lead the way, and we make it easily through to the incline that leads to the garage and the exit. We are leaving Kane's complex. I'm leaving Lace Underground forgood.

Daylight pours through the opening at the front of the giant garage. The vans and limo are being searched. Every part of Kane's secret world is being torn open and scrutinized. Where is he hiding? How did he get out of the officeunseen?

My legs are weak and shaky as we climb toward the surface. "Captain Clark," my frail voice echoes off the tunnel like passage. "He's gone," I sob. "They threw him in the ocean." I draw in a deep breath. "Maddox isdead."

Clark doesn't seem to be paying attention. It seems he thinks I'm delusional or drugged. And I might very well be both but of one thing I'm sure. I stop him just before we step out into the fresh air. "Clark," I say sharply, "did you hear me? They killedMaddox."

Clark gives me that fatherly, protective smile he's thrown at me many times. "I think Maddox might have something to say aboutthat."

I blink at him, confused, dizzy from the craziness of the past fewminutes.

Clark motions with his head toward a group of law enforcement vehicles. The sun is still high in the sky, showering its warmth and light over the chaotic scene and the surrounding desert landscape. I squint toward the activity. There, standing in the middle of the circle of people and vehicles is Detective JamesMaddox.

Clark catches me as my knees give way. Another sob, this one from joy, burbles from my lips. I release my hold on Clark and will my feet forward. It's only a hundred yards but it feels like a hundred miles. My feet movefaster.

"Ten," Maddox says on abreath.

"I thought you were—" I cry as I jump into hisarms.

Maddox squeezes me tightly against him. "Not that easy to take down JamesMaddox."

I hold onto him for a long time, afraid that if I let go he'll vanish and the last few minutes will evaporate as a dream. But he's there, solid in myarms.

I finally find the courage to release him. He doesn't disappear. It's allreal.

Maddox wipes the tears from my cheeks with his finger. My eyes are bleary from crying and the harsh sunlight, but every feature on his face is so clearly etched in my mind I can see himperfectly.

"But there was no island or land nearby. How on earth did yousurvive?"

"Strangest thing happened. I was treading water, thinking I had about ten minutes before I finally sank below the surface to my watery grave. Then a boat motor sounded in the distance. It was a small motor boat and guess who was drivingit?"

I stare up at him, completely puzzled by thequestion.

"It was the other bodyguard, Jason. It seems Freestone had it all planned. He wasn't trying to kill me, just give me a good fucking scare. And that he did. While I was out there, my life passed before my eyes. Funny thing, every scene had you init."

"You're full of shit." I press myself against him once more. "But for now, I'm going to let myself believe you." It's hard to let him go. I peer up at him. "I've been so sick with despair. I just wanted todie."

Maddox reaches up and places his palm against my face. "I've been sick with worry too. Jason took me straight to the airport, handed me a plane ticket and watched to make sure I boarded. He wouldn't answer any questions. But I knew Freestone wasn't going to hurt you. I decided the best thing I could do was get back and help Clark's team narrow down the airports. Turns out, his plane was taking off from Las Vegas. Probably could have guessed that. From there, we located a contractor who knew of a mining site that had been converted to living quarters. We zeroed in fromthere."

"Kane must have figured you'd eventually track him down. He was prepared for this. Everyone is gone. Including me," my voice wavers. "I'm so glad you found me," I hug himagain.

"Hate to break up this cute reunion," Clark says from behind. "But we need to get Tennyson into the ambulance and off to thehospital."

I spin around. "No, not theambulance."

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