Page 110 of A Touch of Treachery
Crack!
A third guard farther down the corridor screamed and tumbled forward.Gabriel whirled around, but the man was already bleeding out on the floor.
“And that’s twice now that I’ve repaid the favor,” I rasped.“So I would say we’re even—again.”
“I suppose you’re right.At least until the next time you get into trouble.”Gabriel eyed the burns on my hands, arms, and face.“You look like death warmed over.”
“Nice to see you too, Gaby,” I drawled.
“Desmond!Desmond, are you okay?”
Charlotte sprinted over and skidded to a stop beside us.She reached for me, but at the last second, she bit her lip and lowered her arm, as if she didn’t want to exacerbate my injuries by hugging me.I stepped forward and cupped her cheek with my hand, stroking my swollen, shiny red fingers over her smooth skin.
Charlotte shuddered out a breath and laid her fingers over mine, giving them a gentle squeeze.“What happened?”she asked in a low, strained voice.“What did Henrika do to you?”
“She injected me with her newest weapon—Redburn poison.”
Horror flared in Charlotte’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fury, and her sapphire aura spit, hissed, and crackled with the same emotion.“I’m going to kill Henrika for hurting you again.”
“Not if I find her first,” Joan chimed in.
Her voice was just as low and furious as Charlotte’s, and even Gabriel looked angry and disgusted on my behalf.
Charlotte looked past me.“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.I killed Bryce and escaped from the lab, but Henrika had already left.You didn’t see her?”
All three of them shook their heads.
“Take us to the lab,” Charlotte said.“Maybe she left some clue behind about where she’s going.”
“Or how we can get out of this maze,” Gabriel muttered.
I jerked my head to the side.“It’s back this way.”
Gabriel and Joan moved in that direction, their guns up and ready to deal with any more guards.
Charlotte stepped closer to me.“Oh, Desmond, I’m so sorry we didn’t get here sooner.If I had just realized Henrika had never left the area and that the whole point of inviting us to the resort was to kidnap you ...”Her voice trailed off, guilt tightened her face, and tears gleamed in her eyes.“Maybe none of this would have happened.”
I stroked my thumb over her cheek again.“There’s no need to apologize.We both know how smart Henrika is.”A crooked smile curved my lips.“Lucky for me, you’re even smarter.”
Charlotte returned my smile, but it quickly faded away, and her gaze swept over my burned skin again.
“Where is my father?And the strike teams?”I asked, looking past her.“They should have reached our position by now.”
Charlotte winced.“They’re not here.”
“Why not?”
“Take me to the lab, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
I nodded.Charlotte put her arm around my waist.I leaned on her, and together we left the dead guards behind and headed toward Henrika’s lab.
Charlottetoldmethewhole story, including how the General had blamed her for my kidnapping and suspended her from Section 47.
I sighed.“He’s just pissed Henrika got the better of him again, and he took his anger out on you.”
Charlotte shrugged.“He’s not wrong.I’mthe one Henrika baited into coming to the resort.I waltzed right into her trap, and I dragged you along with me.”
