SATURDAY. CDC, ATLANTA, Georgia.

Adam opened the passenger door and held it for Heidi.

She stood there staring at him, her head tilted to the side, lips tightly pressed together.

He’d almost had her safe and home, a whole country away from this bullshit. Now, they were smack dab in the middle all over again.

“I get that you’re upset, but please—listen to what I’m saying for a moment?” She didn’t budge from where she stood.

“Get in. Please?” He gestured at the waiting SUV. Their FBI baby-sitters would be there any moment to return them to the damn safe house where they’d do nothing but cool their heels.

“If I can help, we need to stay in Atlanta.” Heidi slid into the back seat of the truck

Adam climbed in next to her. The others were already gone since there’d been nothing for them to do all day. Heidi turned toward him and grasped his hand.

“Léo said John is sick. Whatever his perception of me and you is, it’s not right.”

Adam knew that, but he couldn’t help but wonder what Heidi might have said to John during the years Adam had been away from her to give John the idea that Heidi needed to be saved from him. If John’s focus had been her parents, hell, Adam would have probably offered to help. What was it that Heidi had told John that led him to believe she’d been hurt to the point of gross abuse?

He knew they’d hurt each other over the years given the distance and not dealing with what was really happening between them. He’d except his role in that and kick himself for the rest of eternity over it.

To find out that this whole thing, Heidi being kidnapped and their chance at sorting out their problems, was because of this lunatic? Well, Adam didn’t know what to think. He’d become a pawn in someone else’s game.

The front doors opened two agents climbed in, one of whom was Jade.

“Ready?” the driver asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Heidi replied.

She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed it back.

He wasn’t mad at her, he was just mad. Someone else had wanted to rescue his wife—his Heidi—and he was one of the reasons behind it. Heidi had tried to lead with the idea that due to the India lab imploding, he’d needed her skills first, but with someone unhinged like John, Adam had to wonder if the emotional drive mattered more.

Jade turned to face them.

“My advice is to not take anything Léo says too seriously. From the sound of it, John has quite the god complex, and he has no doubt warped the way Léo thinks and reasons. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“It’s so strange to think of John as having a god complex. I’ve met plenty of self-important doctors.” Heidi chuckled and shook her head.

“I bet, but they are all—”

The SUV lurched and Adam was thrown up against the door, his head cracking against something solid. Heidi’s smaller frame driving into his ribs and side. Metal crunched, glass shattered. It felt as though Adam’s mind and body were separated. He could feel pain, his limbs flying about, but it was as though he were experiencing a memory. Screams sounded distant, far away.

He needed to get up.

This was a car accident.

He tried to lift his head, but it was too heavy. Everything was black and growing darker by the moment.

Adam...

He heard the whisper like a barely there memory.

“Heidi?”

He forced his eyes open. The light felt as though it were stabbing his skull.

Figures moved. Hands reached for him.

Heidi’s face creased, her mouth opened and she grasped at him, but she was too far away.

SATURDAY. UNKNOWN, Atlanta, Georgia.

Heidi sucked down deep breaths and tried to not look at her arms. The deep gashes from where glass had cut her were oozed. She didn’t want to think about what that meant, the damage, how it would affect her in the future. If she moved her neck too much, it hurt. Hell, if she breathed it hurt.

Buildings whizzed by. She closed her eyes, but her stomach protested. She opened them, but the rapid fire movement of things past the vehicle had her tasting bile.

The car took another sharp turn, throwing her into the passenger door, jarring her arm. She bit the side of her cheek harder, but the whimper still came out as a strangled, pitiful sound.

Don’t make him remember you’re here...

She stared at John’s profile, still unable to grasp what he was doing. How all of this was happening.

He turned another sharp right at an intersection, cutting off a car and barely scraping by without another accident. She hadn’t been entirely coherent when he’d pulled her out of the wrecked SUV and dragged her into a car.

“I waited all damn day for you, you know that?” He glanced at her, his usually kind features sharper, crueler.

She swallowed down her words. Now wasn’t the time for conversation.

“All of this was for you. After everything you’ve been through, you should appreciate what I’m trying to do.”

Adam. He was talking about her husband. Léo had said as much. She still didn’t understand. None of it made sense to her.

“Why did you go to Peru? Why did you help the others find me?” It was the one thing she couldn’t wrap her head around.

“I needed you. They were going to take you away from me. I needed to be there—with them—to protect you. But did you want protecting? No.” John stared at her, snarling his words.

“I’m sorry, okay?”

“You will be. I’m done putting others first. After what you did? I should kill you all. Burn your corpses.”

Heidi swallowed. No one would know better how to engineer the spread of a disease better than John. That was what he did.

“Nothing to say about that?” John demanded.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Your husband took my son, so I’m taking you. I want Léo back, and you’re going to help me get him.”

“They took away my badge, my security clearance. I can’t get to Léo.” Heidi wouldn’t help him. That spelled danger, period.

“I don’t need you to get to him. Your husband is going to bring him to me.”

Adam would never. Besides, the FBI would to have something to say about that. Unless John had another trick up his sleeve.

What if she was right, and he had another person on the inside? What then?

She needed to get away, but in her current condition she couldn’t go far or fight back. She needed an unguarded moment to call for help, but the way John was driving that wasn’t going to happen.

She’d wait. Be patient. Just like what she’d done in Peru. Time had provided her the chance to escape, it was simply kismet that Adam was there to pull her ass out of the fire.

SATURDAY. CDC, ATLANTA, Georgia.

Léo paced his cell. The doctors had begrudgingly admitted that he did not appear to be a vector and was otherwise perfectly healthy. No doubt his blood posed some interesting questions given the number of vaccines he’d had over the last couple of years.

He’d given Heidi and the FBI a good deal of information. It wasn’t everything, but he was not yet confident about how far he could trust them. The man from the DOJ had produced paper for Léo to sign, but he didn’t truly know what he was looking at.

Could he trust them to uphold their end of things? Find John and keep him safe?

If they could, Léo would give them the rest of the keys. Until then, he had to keep something in reserve.

The door opened and three men stepped into the space outside Léo’s glass prison.

Adam, the FBI agent and a woman Léo still didn’t know. Adam was banged up, bandages on his head. Dried blood smeared on his face, neck and clothes.

Something had happened. Something bad.

Was this why the room had cleared earlier?

He’d wondered.

The FBI agent went straight for the microphone and flipped it on.

“You didn’t tell us everything,” the man said in a steel tone.

“What do you mean?” Léo crossed to the speaker.

“How were you communicating with him?”

“I wasn’t.” Léo’s gaze slid to Adam. He was glad for the wall between them. “What happened? I can help.”

“Two hours ago John smashed a delivery truck into the transport vehicle taking Heidi to a safe location. He then dragged her out, put her in a car and left. Who is helping him?” the agent asked.

“You almost had him?” Léo gaped at them. Their inability to grasp the present they’d been given was astounding.

“Where would John take Heidi?”

“Why did you let him get away?” This could have all been over. Léo curled his hands into fists.

“Your dad sent us this.” Adam pressed his cell phone to the glass.

A video began rolling. Heidi sat in a chair, blood soaking her clothing. The gashes Léo could see were deep and nasty. One of her eyes was swollen, making her face a little lop sided.

“I can’t hear,” Léo said.

Adam moved the phone close to the microphone.

“He wants to trade me for Léo. Léo is his whole world—”

“Enough,” the agent said and flipped the microphone switch.

Léo continued to stare at the place where the phone had been.

This changed everything.

He’d expected John to be upset at the turn of events, maybe disappointed, but nothing like this. John had attacked the FBI, taken a woman hostage and issued demands, not for his own gratification, but for Léo.

Léo swallowed, warm, fuzzy feelings spreading through his chest.

John still cared about him. Julie and Crane would have thrown Léo  under the buss without hesitation. Instead of going forward with their plans, John had refocused. On Léo.

Léo could still save him, which meant he had to help get Heidi back.

“Hey.” He knocked on the wall. He might not know exactly where John intended to execute his plans, or if they were still on, but Léo knew better than anyone what the plans could be. “Promise me—again—that John will be taken alive, that he’ll get help?”

He had it in writing, but he needed more. He had to have the personal promise of Heidi’s husband, the man who’d already moved heaven and earth to find her.

“That is what our signed deal says,” the agent said into the microphone.

“I want to hear him say it.” Léo pointed at Adam.

ADAM CURLED HIS HANDS into fists. There was no way he was agreeing to that deal. If he got his hands on Léo, after what he’d done, Adam wouldn’t hold back.

Abigail reached out and turned the microphone off. She pivoted to stand with her back to Léo, facing Adam.

“This is for Heidi. I understand you’re angry right now and you want to take something from John or Léo, but not right now. Not this way. If we’re going to get Heidi back, we need his help.”

“What do you know?” Adam was sick and tired of everyone else being in on something while he was left out.

“Nothing.” She didn’t flinch or glance away or anything, but the answer didn’t put him at ease.

Adam frowned. Since the very beginning Abigail had been interested in Heidi, this case. Why? He hadn’t paused to wonder why the company wasn’t asking for some sort of payment or who was footing the bill. It was time Adam asked a few questions before he made agreements that might risk his wife’s life. He needed to know exactly what was on the line.

“What are you getting out of this?” he asked.

Abigail stared at him for several moments, perfectly collected. He liked her, respected her sacrifice and work, but when it came to Heidi, he didn’t give a rats ass about what anyone else wanted.

“Brooks? Will you give us a moment?” Abigail glanced at the FBI agent.

“Sure.” Brooks nodded and strode around the corner, pulling out his phone.

“What’s going on out there?” Léo asked.

Abigail turned and pressed the mic button.

“We’re having a little chat, is all. Be with you in a moment.” She turned the microphone off and faced Adam again. “Personally, I get nothing.”

“What’s Aegis Group getting out of this?” Adam narrowed his gaze.

“A dedicated government retainer. This isn’t the first time we’ve helped out. We’re just proving our track record.”

“And?”

“Troy Team is going to shift from focusing on protection details to being contracted to the DoD.”

“I see.”

“My deal with my ex-husband died with him. Keeping my identity a secret was too difficult. Besides, we can use my skills and connections to do a lot of good, Adam.”

“So play nice, do my part?”

“No. No, that’s not what I said.” Abigail held up her hands. “What I’m saying is, help Heidi and anyone else like her by being a team player. Think about the contracts we can’t take because it’s too dangerous, too sensitive, too—whatever. Working with the government like this means less red tape, support, more lives saved.”

There was still risk though. Look at his team. They’d done one job and almost lost three guys. The kind of work Abigail was talking about was more dangerous. But guys lined up to be on teams. They went in knowing the risk, which was why Adam had steered clear of both Troy and Omega Team. The way Abigail was talking, nothing was changing for him and his.

“Think about Heidi. If you don’t personally agree to his terms, he won’t help us. Everyone is searching for him, but we don’t know where he is. Léo might be able to point us in the right direction. He’s not getting off. He’s not getting a deal—John is.”

Adam reached around Abigail and pressed the mic button.

“The deal’s still on,” Adam said.

“Good.” Léo seemed far too chipper about this.

Adam smelled a rat, but he had to play along. At least for now.

“Brooks?” Abigail waved the FBI agent back over.

“What does the rest of the video say? What other demands does John make? And can I look at it again?” Léo was operating in rapid fire now.

“He wants you for Heidi, nothing else is stated,” Abigail said.

Adam pressed his phone to the glass, replaying the video.

“First thing you’ve got to do is arrest a Doctor Williams, here at the CDC. John works with him, on and off the books. I’d be willing to bet that John wants you out chasing this while Williams, or someone else, springs me.”

“There’s someone else in the building working with John?” Brooks said.

“Yeah.” Léo rubbed his fingers on his chin.

“Heidi and Cindy both thought there was someone else on the inside,” Adam said.

“Keep him talking.” Brooks strode to the door, no doubt to get someone on to finding Williams.

“Go back about fifteen seconds?” Léo pointed at the phone screen.

“How many people are working with John?” Abigail asked.

“Hard to say. There are a lot of people who owe him a debt of gratitude.” Léo frowned at the screen. “Was there anyone helping him in the crash? Did a man or woman help him?”

“No one,” Adam replied.

“Huh. Okay. That’s good. Strange, but good.” Léo rubbed his chin again. “I wonder...”

“What?” Adam snapped. They were wasting time talking to Léo when they could be out looking for Heidi.

Abigail laid a hand on Adam’s shoulder, as if that would sooth the need inside of him.

“My assistant forced me out. I assumed earlier that my absence wouldn’t matter to John and that he’d continue with his plans regardless of my involvement. I wonder what really happened?” Léo stared off into space. “Did you locate the list of people I gave you?”

“We’re working on it,” Brooks replied.

“Did you find a Matt Crane, or a Julie Espinoza?” Léo asked.

“Why are they important?” Abigail countered.

“Because Crane was my assistant and as far as I knew Julie wasn’t on our regular payroll. They’re both devoted to John.”

“Devoted?” Brooks prompted.

“Yes.” Léo grimaced. “When we decided to expand into a business, the first few people we brought in were once we’d helped, previously. They were grateful. They had a reason to be loyal. There was this one woman, a nurse. She started calling John our father that he’d saved us and we are all his children. John didn’t care for it much, but I encouraged him to allow it. Fanatical followers will do anything—”

“You made him into a cult leader,” Brooks said.

“I guess. That was one of the aspects that made mingling people we hired with our original base difficult. One group just wants to get paid, the others feel like they’re serving a higher purpose. It caused...problems, as you’ve seen from what’s left of the former India location. If John’s alone, if the others aren’t up his ass trying to help, that probably means we have a real chance here.” Léo leaned forward and nodded at the phone. “Any orders? Demands? If he wants to trade there has to be a location or something.”

“Nothing,” Brooks replied.

“Then where are the others? If they aren’t with him, are they still on the job? Have they fled?” Abigail asked.

“And is Cindy at this location with Heidi?” Brooks chimed in.

“Possibly, though I wouldn’t bet on it. John saw Cindy as a means to an end. Now that he has Heidi he doesn’t have a use for her unless she promises to coperate.” Léo slumped in his chair, frowning.

“We’re wasting time. This room, do you recognize it?” Adam pointed at his phone.

“I do, but that doesn’t do you any good. He won’t be there. Now, the real question, why no demands? No orders?” Léo pushed to his feet. “The accident—how long ago was it?”

“Over two hours ago, at least,” Brooks replied.

“The video—when did he get it? It was sent directly to him, right?” Léo pointed at Adam.

“Yeah.” Adam wasn’t going to like where this was going.

“Have you found Williams?” Léo turned toward Brooks.

“Not that I’m aware of, yet,” Brooks said slowly.

Léo’s mouth opened, but he didn’t speak.

“What?” Abigail demanded.

The hair on the back of Adam’s neck rose.

Something hit the heavy door granting entrance to the hallway.

“They’re in the building.” Adam whirled and charged the door.

The security pad beeped.

The handle twisted, and it cracked open.

He threw his weight against the metal surface, forcing the door shut with a clang. Abigail was right behind him, shoving her shoulder against the door while Brooks was a moment behind him.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Léo chanted.

“How many?” Adam bellowed.

“I don’t know!” Léo threw his hands up. “Two? Ten? Twenty?”

Again, someone with a fair amount of strength shoved at the door.

“Williams had to have let them in.” Abigail grunted. “Couldn’t be more than three or five.”

“Is there another way out of here?” Adam couldn’t see one, but what did he know?

“No,” Brooks replied. He had his phone to his ear, gun in hand. He was the only one of the three armed. “The agents on duty aren’t picking up.”

Adam was willing to bet whoever was out there had entered the building and systematically taken out anyone who posed a threat to their goal. The three of them couldn’t keep those people out forever, but they could control when they let them in.

“Brooks, how good of a shot are you?” Adam’s boots slid on the slick floor.

“Good enough,” Brooks said between breaths.

“Line up your shot. On three we’ll let them open the door, you fire,” Adam said.

“No,” Brooks said on autopilot.

“Listen to him,” Abigail pleaded.

“I vote for the big guy’s plan,” Léo said.

“Damn it.” Brooks shoved off the door and took a few steps back.

This was going to be loud.

Adam shifted, so he had his palms flat against the door and his weight on the balls of his feet. Abigail followed suit. They locked gazes, the better to move as one.

“One,” she gasped.

“Two, three!” Adam straightened.

The door flew open a few feet until it ran into his boot.

Simultaneously Brooks fired three shots, the blasts ringing in the enclosed space.

A pair of feet flew up before hitting the ground, half in the room and half in the hall. Abigail bent and grabbed the body, dragging him into the room and clear of the door. Thick streaks of blood were left in the fallen man’s wake. He didn’t move or groan. Adam doubted he was ever getting up again.

A shot rang out from the hall. Brooks flattened himself against the wall. Adam shoved the door shut again.

“That’s Crane,” Léo called out from his prison.

“Uh, guys?” Abigail nodded at a chunk of Plexiglas that’d been blown out of Léo’s prison.

“How many?” Adam asked.

“Three that I saw. Five rounds fired, three in him, one in a woman and the last shot went into the wall.” Brooks spoke without emotion. The man was on autopilot. “There’s a lot of bodies out there.”

Fuck.

“Okay, we’re alone with at least one able bodied attacker, male, big, and one female, injured attacker.” Abigail blew out a breath. “Williams has to be helping them, but he’s not a physical threat. He might even be fleeing right now.”

“Guys? The woman is going to be Julie. Do not underestimate her,” Léo said.

“You’ve got ten rounds left?” Adam asked Brooks.

“Yeah.”

“What about him? Abigail, check the body.” Adam nodded at the fallen man.

“He dropped his gun outside,” Brooks said.

Abigail bent and began searching the pockets, what was attached to the man’s belt.

“I’ve got a knife,” Abigail said.

“Shouldn’t there be a lockdown or something?” Adam asked.

“It’s late, most people have gone home. The only ones working late are the FBI and people attached to this case,” Brooks replied.

Léo’s rescue was well planned. John would know the routine when the building was least secure. He probably even had plans for the security measures.

“I’m going out there,” Adam said. They couldn’t wait for the fight to come to them.

“No, let’s wait for back up.” Abigail grabbed his arm.

“We wait, Heidi dies. We need to take one of them alive and find out where John is holding Heidi and Cindy. We need to know if they’re still going to release whatever bio-weapon they’ve cooked up now.” Adam took a step back from the door. “Close the door behind me.”

“I can’t let you do this,” Brooks said.

“Here.” Abigail held out the knife. “He’s right. This could be our best chance to get a leg up on John.”

For a moment Brooks stared off across the room. He was a federal agent. He was doing his job protecting people, but the problem wasn’t what Brooks handled. These tense, dug in situations were some of Adam’s specialty.

“They’re going to be waiting,” Abigail said.

“I know.” Adam spun the knife in his hand, getting a feel for its weight, how it handled.

“Ready?”

Adam nodded.

Abigail opened the door.

Adam ducked and stepped out, going to a knee.

A large man, roughly his same size and weight, whirled from where he’d been bent over the smaller form of a woman. Adam charged, before the guy could get his arm and gun up, and slashed with the knife. The other man grabbed Adam, and they went toppling over sideways, tripping on limbs and landing on the tile floor. The gun clattered, sliding just out of reach while they grappled for control of the knife.

The woman lurched sideways, grasping for the weapon while Adam kept his eyes on the knife blade slowly inching its way toward his throat. He shifted, shoving his weight into the other guy, but he didn’t budge. Adam brought his knee up, but only got the guy’s thigh. The knife inched a bit closer.

Either the woman got the gun, or Adam lost the fight with the knife.

Behind Adam, a door banged open.

“Stop right there, FBI,” Brooks called out.

Adam stared into the bloodshot eyes of the man intent on killing him

A shot rang out. The man flinched, his muscles momentarily relaxing. Adam roared and threw his weight into the man. The knife turned, and he sank it into the guy’s shoulder.

“Drop the knife.” Brooks stood over them, the gun trained on the man.

Adam rolled away from the guy. Abigail produced two sets of handcuffs they used to secure both of the intruders. Only then did Adam allow himself to glance at the three bodies lined up in the hall. They must have been surprised, which would account for how quiet the attack had been.

“Where’s Williams?” Brooks asked.

The man coughed a laugh and tilted his head back.

“She’s bleeding out,” Abigail said over her shoulder.

“Where’s Williams?” Brooks asked again.

“It’s not Williams you should be worried about.” The man chuckled.

“How many of you are there?” Brooks asked.

Fuck.

Adam pushed to his feet and took one of the guns off the fallen agents. Usually he wouldn’t dare touch a federal firearm, but if they were under direct attack, he’d defend himself and the prisoners.

He pulled out his phone and jogged to the end of the hall, calling Grant directly.

“Hey, any word?” Grant didn’t bother with much of a greeting.

“We’re at the CDC. Some of John’s people just attacked us. There may be more on their way.” Adam peered around the corner.

A person lay in front of the elevators. It was hard to tell who they belonged to, but it wasn’t difficult to see they were dead.

“We’re on our way,” Grant said.

“Coordinate with the FBI and bring all the gear.”

Léo was going to tell them something, and then Adam would bring Heidi home.

“See anything?” Abigail called out.

“It’s clear,” Adam replied. But for how long?

He jogged back down to quarantine room. Brooks and Abigail had dragged the two injured into the room with Léo. Adam took up a post in the doorway where he could see the end of the hall.

“I need to see what’s in their pockets. Empty their pockets,” Léo said.

“I’m losing her,” Abigail said.

“Pockets,” Léo chanted.

“I hear you,” Brooks snapped.

Adam glanced up and down the hall once more then let the door close. He crossed to the man who continued to glare at him, the knife still sticking out from between his clavicle.

“Don’t take this the wrong way.” Adam shoved his hand in one pocket them the other, pulling out odds and ends.

“The wallet. Look in the wallet.” Léo crouched by the side of the wall.

“You working with them now?” the man aimed his glare at Léo. “Is this how you show Dad you care?”

Léo snorted, but didn’t reply.

Adam held out the wallet to Léo and pulled card after card out. No two had the same name on them.

“He’s a forger, works for John. He does good work, but he’s kind of a junky. I’d put two sets of cuffs on him.” Léo’s voice was a bit strange since he wasn’t speaking directly into the microphone. “There. That one. Stop.”

Adam stared at a simple, white security card badge. No name, no picture, nothing.

“Fuck. That’s...well, that’s the way this is going then.” Léo pushed to his feet and paced.

“What does this mean?” Adam slapped the card against the wall.

“You’re giving Dad up?” the forger roared.

Léo whirled and snarled, “I’m saving him.”

“What the fuck does this card mean?” Adam demanded.

Léo kept his gaze on the man. “It’s for the Clayton water plant, specifically accessing the pump room where they mix all the post-ingredients. They’re going to poison the water supply to most of Atlanta—and the airport. Whatever they’ve cooked up will be on planes all over the world before most people know they’re infected.”

Abigail locked eyes with Adam.

“Go,” she said.

He didn’t have to be told twice.