Page 66 of Freeing Savannah

CHAPTER 27

Voodoo wokebefore the sun crested the horizon over Beijing. The smog-filtered sunlight through the tall windows of their suite in the Rosewood of Beijing, casting a pale orange hue across the room.

Two days had passed since the chaos in Guangzhou. Two days since Tomas had been handed off to Mustang’s team and flown out under the cloak of darkness. Two days since Savannah had collapsed into his arms, spent and raw, after baring every last nerve in a performance that had nearly broken her.

He hadn’t left her side.

The heavy curtains were drawn, but enough light filtered through to cast a faint glow on Savannah’s face. She was curled against him, one hand resting over his heart, her features finally relaxed after days—hell, weeks—of tension. He didn’t move. Barely breathed. Just watched her.

Exhaustion had caught up to her. So had the weight of truth about the Senator, about her role in the tour, about the lies woven around her life like a noose.

She may have looked peaceful. But he knew better. The weight she carried hadn’t disappeared. It was just sleeping.

His mind wandered as he listened to the rhythm of her breath. The way she’d fallen apart that night, both emotionally and physically, had gutted him. He’d felt it in his bones, that desperate need to feelsomethingagain, to feelalive. And he’d given her everything he had in that moment. And every moment since.

Now, holding her, he couldn’t help but think ahead. Because the world wouldn’t stop. Not for her healing. Not for his protection. And definitely not for the bastard pulling strings behind the curtain.

His phone buzzed from the nightstand.

He moved carefully, easing away from Savannah with a gentleness that felt reverent. She didn’t stir, just shifted into the warm space he left behind, sighing softly.

He grabbed the phone and his Condor tablet and stepped into the adjoining suite, leaving the door open behind him in case she needed him.

He put the coffee on while his tablet booted up and went through all the encryption processes Haley had put in place. The rich aroma filled the suite as Voodoo unlocked his phone, checking the text from Haley.

Comms when you get up.

He grabbed his mug and took a bracing sip as he prepared himself for whatever Haley had to tell him next.

He put the comm in his ear and activated it with a tap. “Morning,” he said, voice low.

“Morning from your favorite paranoid nerd,” Haley replied dryly. “You ready for the next trip down the rabbit hole?” Voodoo heard a throat clearing. “Oh, and the bossman is here as well.

How’s Savannah?” Flint’s immediate concern for Savannah before getting down to business, buoyed Voodoo. That alone spoke volumes about the type of man he was, his true nature.

“She’s hanging in there. Tired, though. And a little disheartened.”

“I can understand that,” Flint replied.

“I’d send her a gift basket, but you guys would be on to the next city before it could arrive,” Haley mused with a hint of disappointment.

Voodoo smiled. Haley was truly the heart of Condor’s Overwatch. “Thanks for the thought, though, Haley.”

“Anyway,” Flint said steering them back to business. “Haley’s got some more info for you.”

He leaned back in the chair. “Hit me.”

Voodoo glanced down at his tablet, seeing what looked like a travel itinerary that Haley had already sent over displayed on the screen. “Interpol just shared a classified file with us. Our favorite megalomaniac visited Beijing six months ago under a false diplomatic itinerary?”

Voodoo should have seen this one coming. As the tour neared its end, it became apparent that the Senator had been involved in various dealings in every city they’d visited on this last leg. “Of course he did.”

“Yup. And he wasn’t alone. The manifest had Tomas listed as an ‘aide,’ and two Chinese nationals who’re currently on Interpol’s gray list for international arms smuggling. The kicker? They met with executives from a front company operating out of Daxing District.”

“Weapons?” Sawyer asked.

“And surveillance tech. State-sponsored spyware. Stuff that looks like Tamagotchi code compared to SYBIL but could still be detrimental.”

Voodoo’s jaw tensed. “Any idea if it ties to Savannah’s tour directly?”

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