Page 57 of Todd
Each discovery sent fresh waves of nausea through Sadie’s compromised system, though she couldn’t tell if the reaction was pharmaceutical or emotional.Focus. Document everything. Get the evidence that will destroy this place.
But as she worked to install backdoor access to the final computer system, her vision began to blur at the edges, her fingers struggling to find the correct keys. The drugs were winning their battle against her, and time was running out faster than she’d hoped.
“Todd,” she called out, her voice carrying more urgency than she’d intended. “I need to finish this quickly. I’m starting to lose focus.”
He appeared beside her within seconds, his hands steadying hers on the keyboard as she completed the final installation. The warmth of his touch anchored her to the mission, reminding her that she wasn’t fighting this battle alone.
“Almost done,” she whispered, watching the progress bar crawl toward completion. “Just a few more seconds.”
The computer chimed softly as the program finished installing, creating permanent access routes that would allow LSIMT and federal investigators to retrieve every piece of evidence they’d discovered. Dr. Selinski’s conspiracy was now exposed in its entirety, documented and preserved in ways that couldn’t be destroyed or denied.
We did it. We actually did it.
But even as triumph flooded through her chest, Sadie knew their most dangerous moments still lay ahead. They’d gathered the evidence, but getting out alive with proof of what they’d discovered would require more than cyber skills and determination.
It would require the kind of tactical expertise that Todd had spent years perfecting, and the hope that her deteriorating condition wouldn’t make her a liability when they needed to move fast.
“Time to go,” he said, sliding his arm around her waist to provide physical support that was becoming increasingly necessary. “Let’s get you home.”
Home.The word had never sounded so precious, so full of promise for a future that suddenly felt possible despite everything that had tried to destroy it.
Together, they moved toward the exit, carrying with them the evidence that would finally bring justice to Serenity Dunes and the women who’d suffered in its carefully hidden nightmare.And I’m getting out just in time!
28
Todd guided Sadie toward the exit of the administrative building, and her unsteady gait sent spikes of protective fury through his chest with every step. The evidence they’d gathered would destroy Dr. Selinski’s operation, but he knew Logan didn’t give a shit about the evidence if anything happened to his Keepers. The top priority was escaping, staying safe, and making it to the rendezvous pickup. Sadie’s condition made every second of delay a gamble with odds that kept getting worse.
Suddenly, Casper warned them that a roving guard was near the door they had entered.
“We can go out near my room,” Sadie whispered.
“Casper, check the guest quarters. If we head toward her room, we can go outside the way she had gone when she met me earlier,” Todd whispered into his comms device, supporting Sadie’s weight as discreetly as possible while maintaining the appearance of casual movement.
“Copy that,” he immediately responded through their earpieces. “Security feeds are still looped, but the way is clear.”
He knew the schematics of the spa, but Sadie’s steps were steadier as they slipped into the guest quarters. She nodded toa door on the left, near the end of the hall. They made it inside, sealing them into the sanctuary of Sadie’s quarters.
“While I’m here, I’ll gather some things.”
“Grab only what you can,” he said, his mouth close to her ear. “We want to get out of here.”
She already had her phone and grabbed a small bag. As his gaze wandered around the luxury space she’d lived in for the past week, he kept note of her movements. She grabbed a few items and shoved them into a small bag. He couldn’t help but smile—his Sadie was practical.
His Sadie…he liked the sound of that. It might not have been overt, but he’d felt that way since the first night they’d met.
As she passed him, her movements slightly wobbly, he offered a steady hand as she grabbed a few items of clothing. She looked over her shoulder, saying, “Just in case we can’t meet up with Cole immediately, I want to be prepared.”
He nodded, but before he had a chance to respond, Casper’s voice came over the comm.
“I’m seeing movement in your sector. Someone’s approaching the guest quarters from the east entrance.”
Todd straightened as he processed the implications. Their extraction route was compromised, and Sadie was in no condition for extended evasion throughout the spa. She was pale, causing him to want to carry her to safety, consequences be damned.
“How much time do we have?” he asked, already calculating alternate routes while his arm tightened protectively around Sadie’s waist.
“One minute, maybe less. You need to be prepared now.”
Sadie moved with him like they’d been partners for years, her compromised coordination still sufficient to match his tactical requirements. He darted into the bathroom, keeping out of sightwhile being able to see and hear what was happening if someone came into her room. He pulled his weapon from his holster.
