Chapter 9

"Project Falcon. Code Red, General." My voice was steady. It left no room for argument.

General Thompson stared at me. He was speechless. He studied my face, then my posture. He turned and left the office. He didn't say a word.

A man in a sharp black suit entered. He moved with silent efficiency. "Miss Curry," he murmured. "Garth sends his regards."

A sudden chill ran down my spine. My instincts flared. Something felt wrong.

Before I could react, a deafening explosion ripped through the building. The world went black.

I woke up in darkness. My head throbbed. My arms and legs were bound. I was in a confined space. Rubble pressed against me.

Cassidy's voice. Distorted. Filled with a manic glee. "She' s finally caught! The traitor! She leaked our mission! It's all her fault!"

"She kidnapped Benedict!" Her voice rose to a shriek. "She' s dangerous! The Curry heiress is missing because of her!"

Cedric's face appeared in the dim light. His eyes were cold. Filled with a terrifying emptiness. "She endangered Benedict. She will pay for this."

"We will use her body as a warning," he said. His voice was flat. Deadly.

He looked down at me. His eyes were devoid of emotion. "You chose this, Eleanor."

"Set the charges," he ordered. His voice was calm. Too calm. "Bury her. Let the rubble crush her."

His gaze was unsettling. "Her blood will be a sacrifice for Benedict. And for the Curry Group. They won't question it."

I thrashed against my bonds. A surge of adrenaline. I needed to get out. I needed to tell him. To tell them all.

I saw a sliver of light. A small opening. I strained. I pulled. I crawled. My fingers scraped against the rough concrete.

Almost free.

Then Cedric's finger. He pressed a button. A remote detonator.

A blinding flash. A deafening roar. The world exploded around me.

My parents. Their faces, smiling. My wedding day. The white dress. The vows.

"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

My tears fell.

Cedric's comms device crackled. A frantic voice. "Sir! Urgent! The Curry Group has located the heiress! They're mobilizing!"

"They'll be on site in thirty minutes!" The voice was urgent. Desperate.