Free A Shadow's Embrace by Cara Carnes Page A

then dump the data streams from the other day secondarily. We can all review it together.” Kaeden looked at Ace. “The backup networks ready?”  
    Ace nodded. “Ready. Let’s rock it.”  
    Indeed. She reached out and established contact with the network before anyone could change his mind. Finding Rider was all that mattered right now. Well, that and figuring out exactly why all this started in the first place.  
    Trusting strangers to have her back was daunting, but they were SEO—the elite of Conver’s super soldiers. Besides, Dagan trusted them. The magnetic connection cemented a foundation with him. If Dagan was at their back, so was she.  
    The data stream remained intact in its original location. Fear compounded, adding a brushfire of desperation, when she saw Rider. Ravaged by an obviously brutal beating, he remained unmoving, defenseless thanks to the collar around his neck. The horrid device had been the bane of their existence years ago. They’d all vowed to never be booted like that again.  
    I’m so sorry, Rider. I’ll get you back, no matter the cost. Don’t give up.  
    Unable to process her emotions when seeing him brutalized, she sorted through all the files, flinging copies to the backup servers Ace had set up. Maybe having Dagan and the others here was a good thing. They didn’t know Rider. They’d be immune to the personal rage festering in her. They could ignore the cloying need for retribution that mottled her vision.  
    Sensing more than seeing Dagan within her mind, she took a few calming breaths. Waves of warming comfort enveloped her. She braced herself within the fortifying strength and moved onward, retracing the path she’d taken the other day. Get in, get the data, and get gone.  
    Since she didn’t know precisely what had gotten her on Conver’s radar, she dumped everything she’d discovered. Every bit of data she’d studied and decoded, all the feeds she’d yet to review.  
    Then she moved to the surveillance streams. They were bulkier, harder to navigate and maneuver to Ace’s system because of their sheer volume. It astounded her. The prick must’ve kept every second of every facility here to gloat and preen over his accomplishments and cruelty. Sadistic bastard.  
    She’d reviewed only a few of the streams that spanned decades. She experienced a moment of hesitation. Perhaps she shouldn’t copy all of these.  
    Most of them probably featured the people in the room with her, their upbringing and rigorous training. She’d glanced at a few minutes of some of the streams, and they’d sickened her. The things they’d survived as defenseless babies hardened her resolve to destroy Conver.  
    Exhaustion plagued her limbs, dulled her thoughts, but she continued copying and dumping anything she came across. When she filled the last sector of space available, she contemplated the remainder for a moment, only to discover another huge vat of space opened up by Ace. The man was a God. Cadence would surely worship at his altar along with her. She totally needed to hook the two of them up so they could have little god and goddess geek babies.  
    She backtracked, dumping the remainder of the files, along with several other sectors she’d considered potential dumping grounds for Conver’s associates—the senators, governors, and other assholes who’d screwed psychics of their humanity for the sake of greed and power. She’d meant to do this before but had never had the bandwidth to download it all. Now, thanks to the Ace—aka the god of all-things-metadata-storage—the opportunity was here.  
    “Devyn.” Dagan whispered a reminder he was here, watching. Protecting.  
    “Just a minute longer. I almost have it all.”  
    He remained silent, but she sensed him behind her, a strengthening presence. She settled against him to offset the growing weakness plaguing her. A few moments later, she relaxed her grip on the data stream and awakened to discover herself on a