The first thing Graham noticed was the mixed look on Dade’s face—both elation and concern. He was smiling as he rushed forward to give Graham a hug, but his eyes were frowning.

A blond woman hung back a few feet. She had to be Blair.

Kate’s eyes were wide as she grabbed Dade next and hugged him just as fiercely. When she was finished, she held him at arm’s length and looked him up and down. “You look fantastic. What’s all this shit about you having aplastic anemia?”

Graham had to agree. Dade looked better than ever for a guy who was presumably dying. “What are you doing here?”

Dade reached behind him and pulled Blair up to his side. “Long story. This is Blair.” He kissed her on the forehead and turned back to face Graham and Kate with the biggest smile Graham had ever seen on any human. It was obvious Dade was very much in love, and the way Blair was looking back at him told Graham she felt the same.

Graham sensed their connection filling the room as if it were palpable. He wanted that. He wanted it with Kate.

“Nice to meet you both,” Blair said.

Dade nodded toward Graham. “Meet Graham Wentz and Kate Bauer.” He glanced back and forth between them. “Two members of my team who are unexpectedly standing very close together and touching each other. Interesting development, but we don’t have time to dissect that right now.” He released Blair and pulled a backpack off his opposite shoulder to set it on the bed.

“What’s going on?” Kate asked.

“We’re getting you out of here first. When we get somewhere safe, I’ll explain.” He opened the backpack and produced track pants which he tossed at Graham. “Kate, grab whatever you want to take. You ladies wait for us in the hall. I’ll help Graham, and then we’re out of here.”

He was both talking fast and moving fast. In fact, he took Blair and Kate by the shoulders and nearly shoved them from the room.

Graham pushed himself to sit up taller. “I have zero strength and no ability to walk. But you know that, so while you help me get dressed, start talking. My brain is a hundred percent.” Graham tossed the sheet off his body.

“Good. I knew I could count on your mind. You’ve probably read two medical journals and developed a better way to organize the app store already. But, I’m also fully aware of your physical state on day three. I’ve got you. You’re going to have to trust me. I don’t want you here in this clinic another minute. It’s not safe. When we get to a safer location, I’ll explain further.”

Graham’s heart was racing. He wasn’t sorry to be leaving the clinic, but he was concerned about the state of the team. His mind was also working hard to keep up. “App store?”

Dade shook his head and chuckled, but he didn’t answer Graham’s question. He worked efficiently and fast, helping Graham into the pants and then pulling a pair of tennis shoes out of the backpack. “I’ll get you to the SUV in a wheelchair and then lift you inside.”

“Who knows you’re here?”

“Blair. You.” He grinned. “Oh, and Kate. You two seem awfully chummy.”

Graham groaned.

Dade continued talking while he kneeled to tie Graham’s shoes. “Serious shit has hit the fan. I know it’s a lot to take in, and I’ll explain everything, but you need to understand that I don’t trust very many people.”

“Maybe it would help if you informed me exactly who you trust.”

“Ryan. Emily. Kate. Ryan’s parents. Zeke. Michelle.”

“Temple?”

“Nope.”

Graham flinched. “Please tell me you’re kidding.” They’d worked for Temple for years. She was the general over the entire operation. She was a genuinely good person.

Dade stood. He set a hand on Graham’s shoulder and met his gaze. “I’m not saying she’s dirty. I don’t know for sure. But everyone is guilty until proven innocent these days, and she’s in the middle of the shit storm.”

Graham stared at his friend. “You do realize I woke up three days ago. I haven’t even seen outside directly yet. It’s a serious stretch for me to believe Temple would ever do anything to harm anyone on our team.”

“I know. And I’m sorry to spring this on you so fast, but there’s nothing I can do to change the facts. It’s possible someone higher up is either controlling Temple or using whatever information she reports to her superiors to sabotage us.”

“Someone above Temple?” Graham said sarcastically. “You can’t be serious.”

Dade shrugged. “It’s all we have to go on right now. Someone is getting information. Either they’re passing it on directly or an innocent source is. We know they’re getting a lot of it from hacking into the computers. But who’s running this operation?”

Graham took a deep breath and ran a shaky hand through his hair while Dade spun around and then returned ten seconds later with Kate and Blair and a wheelchair.

“We have to go.” He lifted Graham into the chair without a word and pushed him out of the room.

Marcie held the back door open. Obviously Dade had spoken to her before he entered Graham’s room.

Kate had a backpack and a suitcase with her. She must have rushed upstairs and packed everything she could grab quickly.

Blair held several things also, probably whatever she had helped Kate gather.

The sun was bright, and it felt amazing on Graham’s face. He squinted up at the sky as Dade wheeled him a few yards to an SUV that was not even in a spot. It was just haphazardly pulled up to the back door.

Blair opened the rear passenger door and then rushed around to the hatch to deposit Kate’s things.

Dade lifted Graham easily and set him in the back seat. When he reached for the seat belt, Graham swatted him away. “I’ve got it. I’m not that helpless.”

Dade nodded, his brows drawn together.

Kate spoke for a few more seconds to Marcie, and then she ran to catch up with them. She rounded the SUV and climbed into the other side next to Graham.

The entire thing took less than ten minutes from the moment Dade stepped into the clinic.

Dade twisted to face the back seat. He looked toward Kate. “Do you have a phone?”

She reached into the bag she’d set at her feet and pulled it out. “Yes.”

“Turn it off.”

Graham watched her fumble with the device with unsteady hands.

Dade nodded. “Good. Don’t turn it back on. We can’t take the risk that someone might track it.”

“You don’t have a GPS tracker, right?” Blair asked.

Kate shook her head. “Zeke took it out before we left the bunker.”

“What about Graham?” Dade asked.

Kate shook her head. “Ryan didn’t put one in him.”

“Good.” Dade turned back around and started the car.

The second Dade pulled out of the parking lot, Graham cleared his throat. “Start talking.”