Free Deviation by A.J. Maguire Page A

but she knew it would curve around to the back of his head. She'd given him that scar in the third book. Jellison was easy to recognize as well, what with his boxy features and bent nose. The only thing off was their clothing. They weren't in the trademark uniforms of the Field Arcs.
    "Only if she makes trouble," Hedric said. "It's going to be difficult just getting Mesa out of here without raising suspicions."
    "Kate," Reesa corrected him before she knew what she was doing. "Her name is Kate, not Mesa."
    Hedric straightened and turned to her. "Miss Zimmerman, I think I know my own wife when I see her. Now I don't know what my mother wants with you and I don't care, either. What I care about is getting my men out of here safely. The only reason I'm keeping you awake is because you probably have information useful in our escape. If you don't, we will dose you and carry you. Your choice."
    Numb with shock, Reesa saw Freeman begin to jostle Kate, reaching into the bag at his side for something. The sight of her friend nudged at her instincts, trying to bring her out of the prolonged stupor but she felt it only as a distant twitch. Reality was somehow out of reach and the vision in front of her had to play itself out.
    Just as the syringe was pulled into view Reesa found her voice; "I have a car."
    Freeman paused.
    "Perfect," Hedric nodded to Freeman, who put the needle away.
    Sirens came muffled through the window, grabbing their attention. Jellison cursed. Freeman slung Kate over his shoulder. Hedric turned to her, scowling and drawing his own weapon. The movements were all coordinated, practiced, exactly how Reesa would have written it. When Hedric took hold of her shoulder and turned her back to the door, she wondered if maybe she'd fallen overboard the Ho'ola Jane and was drowning or something. That seemed to make more sense than the men in her room. Maybe Kate was trying to revive her and having trouble.
    She wouldn't give up. Kate never gave up. Not even when Reesa was rude and callous.
    Before she knew what she was doing Reesa found herself halfway down the stairwell. That disjointed part of her psyche remembered that hypnotists sometimes used stairs to put people under and wondered if her descent wasn't two fold. And then they were at the front doors of the complex, police vehicles parked just outside with their lights flashing.
    "Is there a back way?" Hedric's voice startled her.
    "Side door," she said.
    "Where?"
    "Here Captain," Jellison led the way to the private door.
    Hedric relayed commands, knowing the police would still be in the way when they left the building. She caught some of what he said. Most of it was to Freeman and Jellison, ordering them to hold their fire unless absolutely necessary. The important thing was that she was to lead them to her car, wait for Freeman and Jellison to load, and then take the driver's seat. Reesa had only managed to nod acknowledgement before Hedric kicked the door open.
    The barrel of Hedric's gun angled at her temple as the man slid behind her. Terror snagged in her chest, her mind flipping back to that moment just before Jake had been shot. She could still see the blur of the slide, the ejected round from the chamber. Worse yet, she could still hear the sound of it cracking through Brady's Belfue Bookstore. Frozen in place, Reesa barely registered Hedric's voice behind her. Then he hit her, hard enough to make her eyes well up with tears, and she refocused on the moment.
    Reesa could see her car, a little sporty thing she'd bought as celebration when the Lothogy novels made the New York Times list. It was navy blue with a tan soft top - which for some reason struck her as a bad choice. Soft top, she thought, easy to shoot through. There wouldn't be much cover.
    It disturbed her considerably that she was thinking like Hedric.
    They made a swift procession to her car, where Reesa found the presence of mind to take the keys out of her purse while Freeman and Jellison piled in.