Page 109 of Critical Mass
It sounded reasonable, like her father was the victim, not the perpetrator.
But her gut screamed that this was wrong. That her father’s explanation was too neat, too convenient.
Her father only wanted to get her away from here because there was going to be a chemical attack. In his own way, he wanted to protect her.
“I need to think.” She rubbed her temples.
“There’s no time to think. We leave in thirty minutes. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Her father left her alone in the study, and Natalie’s mind spun.
What was she going to do?
Hudson tested the zip ties for the hundredth time, ignoring the burning in his wrists where the plastic cut into his skin.
Dimitri had done his job well—the restraints were tight, the straps positioned where Hudson couldn’t reach them.
But the Russian had made one mistake: He’d secured Hudson to a wooden chair. Decades of salt air had weakened the joints.
However, Hudson would have to be careful. One wrong move, and he’d fall into the water, still bound.
That would be a possible death sentence.
But he had to take the chance.
Hudson rocked his weight, testing the chair’s structural integrity. There was a slight give in the back left leg. Not much.
But enough.
He’d been working at it for twenty minutes when he heard voices outside the boathouse. Ravenscroft’s voice sounded urgent and commanding as it carried across the lawn.
“Helicopter arrives in thirty minutes. Have the car ready. Dimitri, make sure Natalie’s bag is loaded.”
“Yes, sir. And the other matter?”
“We moved up the timeline. The shipment is now at five, not seven. We need to be gone before anyone realizes what’s happening.”
Hudson’s blood ran cold. Five o’clock. Not seven.
He had to let his team know that the timeline had been accelerated.
If he was calculating the time correctly, that still left him with two hours.
“What about your daughter’s boyfriend?” Dimitri asked.
“Leave him. By the time he’s found, we’ll be airborne. Let his people clean up their own mess. My daughter will never forgive me if I hurt him.”
Hudson supposed that should be a relief. But his muscles remained taut.
With an imminent chemical attack, this was no time to relax.
The voices faded, and Hudson renewed his efforts to escape.
The shipment was arriving early. His team would miss it. And Natalie was being taken away—not to safety, but to keep her from interfering.
He had no time to waste.
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