Page 68 of Lion's Share
Just as we were beginning to drift off, the sound of vehicles approaching made Ben and me sit bolt upright. Through the window, I saw the sweep of headlights through the trees, multiple vehicles moving fast along the farm’s access road.
“They found us,” Ben said grimly.
The doors to two of the vans opened, and men in combat vests and guns drawn piled out.
Dear God. This wasn’t just Dr. Rosenthal’s search team.
No, as far as I could tell, this was a full tactical response unit, armed and ready for a fight.
Clearly, Dr. Rosenthal was done waiting, done negotiating.
She’d come for us…and she’d brought enough firepower to ensure we had no choice but to obey.
Chapter Twenty
Shit. Shit.
Stupid of them to have come back here. They should have hidden out in the forest somewhere, should have stayed away from the Henderson farm. But Ben had seen the way Sidney seemed to droop with exhaustion after they’d climbed out of Agent Morse’s SUV. A night sleeping under the trees wouldn’t have helped at all.
Besides, he’d kind of hoped that Agent Morse would be able to hold off Dr. Rosenthal until their planned rendezvous in the morning.
Clearly, that hadn’t happened.
Sidney padded on bare feet over to the spot where he stood by the window. “How many?” she asked. Her voice sounded remarkably steady, considering the circumstances.
Ben sent an appraising gaze over the harrowing scene outside. “At least twenty agents,” he replied after a moment. “Maybe more.” He turned to look at her, taking in the determined set of her jaw and the way her hands had curled into loose fists at her sides. “We don’t have to do this. We could still try to run.”
At once, she shook her head. “Where would we even go? They’ve got the whole property surrounded, and Agent Morse said they have thermal imaging drones. We wouldn’t make it fifty yards into the forest.”
She was right, and they both knew it. Ben had been running through escape scenarios in his head just in case the planned meeting with Rosenthal went sideways, but every option ended pretty much the same way — with DAPI agents tracking them down and Sidney being taken into custody under circumstances far worse than what they might face by surrendering voluntarily.
At least, that was Agent Morse’s theory. Ben wasn’t entirely convinced that voluntary surrender would make much difference to Dr. Rosenthal’s plans.
“I think I’d better put my shoes on,” Sidney said next, still sounding far too calm. “No point in letting these assholes know they caught us while we were trying to sleep.”
Had he ever loved her more than he did in that moment? He didn’t think so…but he also hoped they would have plenty of years ahead where she’d give him even more instances where he realized all over again that she was the most amazing woman in the world.
She went over to the couch and sat down. Luckily, her hiking boots had been waiting right next to the sofa, and she immediately pulled them on and began lacing them up.
A sharp knock came on the front door, and Ben stiffened, even while Sidney kept working on her hiking boots. That hadn’t been a polite tap, but the brisk rap of someone who expected them to respond immediately.
All the same, he had to hope the agents weren’t quite ready to knock the thing down.
“Ms. Lowell, Mr. Sanders,” came Dr. Rosenthal’s voice through the door, crisp and professional. “I know you’re in there. Please come out so we can discuss this situation like reasonable adults.”
Ben looked at Sidney and raised an eyebrow. She nodded once, her jaw set but her expression otherwise utterly calm.
“Together,” she said quietly as she rose from the sofa and came over to join him at the window. “Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”
Ben took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “Together,” he repeated.
They went to the front door, and Ben opened it slowly. Dr. Rosenthal stood on the small porch, flanked by two agents in tactical gear. Although it was the middle of the night, she appeared brisk and alert, her dark eyes cold and assessing behind their wire-rimmed glasses. Just past her, he could see more agents positioned around the guest house, their weapons lowered but ready.
He prayed that the Hendersons in the big farmhouse a few hundred feet away knew enough to keep their heads down and not interfere.
“Dr. Rosenthal, I presume,” Ben said, keeping his tone conversational despite the hammering of his heart.
“Indeed.” Her cool gaze moved from Ben to Sidney, and he saw the older woman’s expression shift to something even more calculating. “Ms. Lowell. You’ve caused quite a stir, haven’t you?”
