Nemesis by Bridget Balentine

Author:Bridget Balentine [Balentine, Bridget]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-10-28T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Paramedics must have gotten here. I feel someone kneel next to me, gentle hands pressed against my neck as they check for injury. My eyes flutter open, but all I see is a blinding, blurry white. My eyes quickly close once again.

The pain is too much now, I can hardly think anymore.

Maybe I just don’t want to.

Dad must be here somewhere, watching over me. I let myself sink back further into the growing abyss in my mind, too exhausted to deal with anything else from him right now.

There is a stinging jab in my arm, and soon enough the blissful narcotic haze that finally offers me some relief from the constant agony of the last few days. Torture that was apparently inflicted on me intentionally, out of revenge for the torment my father had some hand in allowing. I want to protest, to say it’s not my fault and I didn’t ask for this, but then I suppose neither did she.

My body is tilted as I am jerked up onto a stretcher. There's something strapped to my head, immobilizing it and even though on some level I understand why, it leaves me feeling an irrational spike of terror. My hands frantically reach up to free myself and I am held down.

Someone takes my hand firmly, but with still gentle fingers. I crack my eyes open again, knowing it must be Teresa.

“You hang in there kiddo. I’m not going to leave your side, okay?”

I nod, at least as much as the brace allows.

The trip down the elevator will attract far more attention than anyone involved in ARC or the Stargazer Network wants it to. Dad and the rest stay behind in the offices while Teresa and I go alone. But as they wheel me outside first and she hangs behind, flanked by my father on one side and Reirdon on the other.

“...orders,” Dad is saying, his voice slightly muffled by the glass, “...isolated...take her out.”

“Respectfully sir, …prudent,” Reirdon seems to be arguing, my foggy mind struggles to keep up “...public safety...discretion.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lower ranked officer argue with my Dad before. Judging by his face, he’s not really happy about it, either.

“Cady’s safety is my priority,” Teresa’s louder voice reaches my ears. “...a part of this program, it’s also my responsibility.”

Wow, he’s not going to like that. Although she’s right. She’s not even officially under the command of Director Walsh. As the head of security for the ARC, which is technically a separate entity in order to keep any outside interests from commandeering operations, she is the one who is most directly responsible for my safety. Outside of Chief Decker, but he doesn’t seem to be included in the current argument.

I don’t think any of them will convince my father of that, though. But Teresa doesn’t seem to be intimidated, despite his best effort. She storms out the door toward me.

I can see the holster to her weapon under the hem of her jacket as she walks beside me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.