Free The Pact (A Sarah Roberts Thriller Book 17) by Jonas Saul Page B
Authors: Jonas Saul
hide and cry for days. She wanted to be alone. Even the draw to pull her hair came back and everything was wrong with the world again.
Aaron .
Someone bumped her from behind. She jerked sideways and elbowed a man who had his back to her.
Without offering an apology, she kept meandering through the crowd. Controlling her ire, she saw an end to the multitude of humans conglomerating in one spot, leaving an egress available.
Another person bumped her from behind. She almost spun around to push them back, but hopped by an overweight woman, then turned toward an opening and jumped through.
Hands landed on her shoulders. They clamped down and forced her to turn around. Just as Aaron taught her in those long grueling hours of self-defense training, she allowed the hands to spin her, giving her momentum.
Fist clenched at the end of the turn, she raised it and swung. Something blocked her fist. He was fast. Too fast.
She dropped her center of gravity, snapped out another punch, had it blocked too, then lunged forward with her shoulder.
The person spun sideways and yelled her name.
Sarah lost her balance in the lunge as she hit nothing. After two extra steps, she collected herself and stood to her full height. When she faced the person assaulting her, the strength in her knees caved and she almost dropped to the polished tile floor of the Toronto airport.
“Daniel,” she moaned and rushed into his arms. No wonder she couldn’t land a punch. Daniel was one of Aaron’s best teachers at the dojo.
He hugged her hard. “It’s okay, Sarah.”
She cried in his embrace.
“No, Sarah,” he added. “You don’t understand.”
Her shoulders shook with the tears.
“Sarah,” he whispered. “Stop crying. It’s okay.”
She jerked away from him. “Aaron’s dead, Daniel. How is that okay?”
Daniel scanned the crowd.
“What?” Sarah asked. “Who are you looking for?” She was thoroughly confused.
He studied her face.
Sarah put her hands on her hips. “You gonna talk?”
“Come with me.” Daniel offered a hand. “We need to discuss things.”
“We can talk right fucking here,” Sarah said, her voice coming out louder than she wanted.
Daniel glared at her. He leaned closer and spoke through gritted teeth, his jaw hardened. “Keep it down. Draw no attention to yourself. Come with me. Now.”
His voice was so stern, so commanding, Sarah listened to him. She owed him that. Daniel was Aaron’s friend long before he met Sarah.
Daniel led her along a corridor that angled to the right. After passing several sliding doors that opened to the outside, he led her through one. Sarah followed, eyes roving, constantly alert.
Once outside, the noise of traffic and a gathering of a strong afternoon wind would drown out any kind of conversation for casual listeners.
“What is it?” she asked. “Why the cloak and dagger?”
Daniel reached out for her hand. She placed hers on her hips.
“It’s about Aaron,” he said.
“I know. I heard about it on the plane. The dojo’s gone, too.”
Unable to contain them, tears streamed out of her eyes again.
Daniel shook his head and took another look around.
“Only the dojo is gone. Insurance will cover that.”
She frowned and sniffled. “What?”
“Aaron’s alive. Everyone’s alive. Sarah, I came to get you so we could tell you before you heard about it on the news. But it looks like I’m too late.”
“Aaron’s alive?” she whispered in a daze, her mind racing through a thousand calculations. The fear of raising her hopes only to have them dashed quelled her belief.
Daniel nodded. “He’s here. Waiting for you in the car. Come on. We have a girl to save, too.”
Sarah lost most of what he said as she stumbled and caught herself on a cement beam to her left.
Aaron’s alive.
She gathered her
Aaron .
Someone bumped her from behind. She jerked sideways and elbowed a man who had his back to her.
Without offering an apology, she kept meandering through the crowd. Controlling her ire, she saw an end to the multitude of humans conglomerating in one spot, leaving an egress available.
Another person bumped her from behind. She almost spun around to push them back, but hopped by an overweight woman, then turned toward an opening and jumped through.
Hands landed on her shoulders. They clamped down and forced her to turn around. Just as Aaron taught her in those long grueling hours of self-defense training, she allowed the hands to spin her, giving her momentum.
Fist clenched at the end of the turn, she raised it and swung. Something blocked her fist. He was fast. Too fast.
She dropped her center of gravity, snapped out another punch, had it blocked too, then lunged forward with her shoulder.
The person spun sideways and yelled her name.
Sarah lost her balance in the lunge as she hit nothing. After two extra steps, she collected herself and stood to her full height. When she faced the person assaulting her, the strength in her knees caved and she almost dropped to the polished tile floor of the Toronto airport.
“Daniel,” she moaned and rushed into his arms. No wonder she couldn’t land a punch. Daniel was one of Aaron’s best teachers at the dojo.
He hugged her hard. “It’s okay, Sarah.”
She cried in his embrace.
“No, Sarah,” he added. “You don’t understand.”
Her shoulders shook with the tears.
“Sarah,” he whispered. “Stop crying. It’s okay.”
She jerked away from him. “Aaron’s dead, Daniel. How is that okay?”
Daniel scanned the crowd.
“What?” Sarah asked. “Who are you looking for?” She was thoroughly confused.
He studied her face.
Sarah put her hands on her hips. “You gonna talk?”
“Come with me.” Daniel offered a hand. “We need to discuss things.”
“We can talk right fucking here,” Sarah said, her voice coming out louder than she wanted.
Daniel glared at her. He leaned closer and spoke through gritted teeth, his jaw hardened. “Keep it down. Draw no attention to yourself. Come with me. Now.”
His voice was so stern, so commanding, Sarah listened to him. She owed him that. Daniel was Aaron’s friend long before he met Sarah.
Daniel led her along a corridor that angled to the right. After passing several sliding doors that opened to the outside, he led her through one. Sarah followed, eyes roving, constantly alert.
Once outside, the noise of traffic and a gathering of a strong afternoon wind would drown out any kind of conversation for casual listeners.
“What is it?” she asked. “Why the cloak and dagger?”
Daniel reached out for her hand. She placed hers on her hips.
“It’s about Aaron,” he said.
“I know. I heard about it on the plane. The dojo’s gone, too.”
Unable to contain them, tears streamed out of her eyes again.
Daniel shook his head and took another look around.
“Only the dojo is gone. Insurance will cover that.”
She frowned and sniffled. “What?”
“Aaron’s alive. Everyone’s alive. Sarah, I came to get you so we could tell you before you heard about it on the news. But it looks like I’m too late.”
“Aaron’s alive?” she whispered in a daze, her mind racing through a thousand calculations. The fear of raising her hopes only to have them dashed quelled her belief.
Daniel nodded. “He’s here. Waiting for you in the car. Come on. We have a girl to save, too.”
Sarah lost most of what he said as she stumbled and caught herself on a cement beam to her left.
Aaron’s alive.
She gathered her
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