Free Colby Core by Debra Webb Page B

statement. The anger in his eyes faded away and sympathy replaced it. That didn’t make her feel any better. She didn’t need his sympathy. She needed a new plan. Now!
    Letting go of her arms, he pushed himself upright, then offered his hand to pull her up.
    She stared a long moment at his broad hand and the long fingers that seemed to be offering help. But what he offered was just for her…for now. That wouldn’t help the children…wouldn’t save Sophie.
    Despite that cold, hard reality, she put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
    â€œTell me what’s going on with you.” His voice was softer now, kinder.
    The Master could speak oh so gently and kindly as well. That didn’t mean anything. “I knew this truckwas here.” No point in lying. “I planned to use it to set my plan in motion.”
    â€œWhat plan?”
    She looked into his eyes, let him see the hurt and fear in her own. “To save the children. To escape a monster.”
    He dusted the snow and leaves off his jeans. “How exactly did you plan to do that?”
    â€œI was going to enact the evacuation.”
    Lines of confusion formed across his brow.
    â€œAt the compound,” she explained, too weary to fight the inevitable any longer. “We have an evacuation plan if there was the threat of being invaded.”
    â€œBy the police?”
    She shrugged. “By anyone.”
    He nodded. “I guess he has plenty of enemies.”
    â€œMore than you can imagine.” She closed her eyes and blocked the ugly images. The Master was cruel and uncaring. He had no feelings for who he crossed or who he hurt. Collateral damage was of no concern to him.
    â€œHow would the evac plan help save the children?”
    Smith asked, drawing her attention back to him.
    â€œI know the route.” She summoned a deep, calming breath. “He would leave with Brooks.” She would be sent with Howard…once he had taken the other steps that terrified her to even consider. “The children and the patients would be Howard’s responsibility.”
    Her throat tightened at the idea of what exactly his responsibility was. “I would neutralize him and escape with the children.”
    â€œWhat about the rest of the security personnel?”
    â€œThey would act as decoys, unknowing bait, for whoever was invading.”
    â€œYou assumed you could take Howard on your own,” Smith suggested.
    She leveled a long, telling look at him. “I know I could take Howard as long as Brooks wasn’t around.” Tessa considered that point for a moment. The scenario didn’t add up. “How did they manage to take you?” She felt confident that at one time the two men had been the best. Otherwise the Master would never have assigned them as his deputies. But they had grown soft and lazy in their higher-level positions, particularly Howard. “You don’t seem like the type of guy to be taken by two sloppy thugs.”
    Smith blinked. To cover whatever flashed in his eyes. She’d caught just a hint of something…challenge maybe. Then she understood. “You wanted to be captured. You let them take you.”
    He wasn’t one of them…he was a cop or something, like he said. She’d sensed that possibility even before the meeting with his colleagues.
    Before she could say as much, he said, “Let’s just say that things worked out the way I wanted them to.”
    Dear God. Finally someone had come…
    Her gaze fell to the device around his neck. And in about forty-six hours he would be dead.
    â€œUp to a point,” he added, touching the device she stared at.
    â€œWe have to contact Renwick,” she said. “It’s the only way.” But there was a problem…that she couldn’t tell him about until she was sure she could fully trust him.
    His gaze held hers. “What about your plan? Sounds like it could