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PROLOGUE
GORDON Farnsworth had ining He’d lived his life on the fringe, steeped in shadows, so iray that he doubted he had any se
He had poealth and infor because his daughter was dying and he was powerless to prevent it
She’d been seen by the top physicians in the world, had the best treat by every one of them
There was nothing further to be done His daughter couldn’t be saved The best he could do was make her comfortable for the remainder of her time
Fuck that
;s He wouldn’t accept that there was nothing he could do He’d prevented wars and instigated them He wielded influence with dozens of world leaders He could make or ruin an entire country on a whihter?
He paced the confines of the dark library where he often brooded with a glass of Macallen whiskey he’d paid over one hundred thousand dollars for The fire in the hearth had died, leaving only a feing embers
His phone rang and he yanked it to his ear, barking the order before the other party had a chance to say anything
“Is she legitimate?”
“Indeed it appears she is”
Farnsworth’s shoulders sagged and he sank onto the couch, perched on the edge, his i at him
“She’s been able to heal all reat cost to herself She’s been pushed beyond her limits but she’s been successful in all cases that have been presented”
“I don’t give a darowled “Get her here I’ out of time”
There was a lengthy pause and Farnsworth didn’t like pauses They never ood news
“I anticipated your order, sir When I was told the results of her testing, I knew you’d want her there with all due haste I gave the order to go in, remove all evidence of her existence, silence those who had any knowledge of her and, of course, to retrieve Grace Peterson and have her taken to you”
He didn’t like where this was going His gut knotted and his lips tightened in rage
“What the hell happened then? Where is she? When can I expect her? Elizabeth doesn’t have much time!”
There was a deep breath “She escaped, sir”
Farnsworth exploded to his feet, spit ri his lips as he puffed out his fury “Escaped? She escaped? What of this terrible toll? What of her being weak and fragile after so hly trained operatives?”
“There was a ht she was being held in was empty One of the explosions leveled the quarters she had been moved to, and she escaped in the confusion”
“Your intel rong Misco for? A bunch of goddamn amateurs?”
“We’re tracking her now We won’t fail you, sir”
“Goddaed “I swear to you that if hter dies, you and everyone you hold dear will suffer I’ll extinguish your entire family, and you’ll watch while it happens And then you’ll die a long painful death Do you understand me?”
“Y-Yes sir”
Farnsworth cut the connection and held the phone for a long h theOnly the knowledge that he had to act fast for his daughter’s sake gave him the impetus to place his next call
He waited as he went through a series of numbers and security codes until finally the connection was established He didn’t wait, didn’t exchange pleasantries Grace Peterson had to be found, and she had to be found now
“I need Titan,” he bit out “I don’t give a goddaet me Titan”
CHAPTER 1
GRACE Peterson drew the blanket tighter around her and huddled in the dark She stared blankly at the star-filled sky The mountain air was cold Not just chilly, as it had been as dusk had descended, wiping away the coid
A low htened and protested not only the cold, but the weakness inflicted upon the since lost anyto her What she felt couldn’t really be considered pain It orse She couldn’t feel anything but the desolation of hopelessness and despair The knowledge that she would probably die from the horrors inflicted upon her And perhaps she deserved it, for she hadn’t been able to help all who had been thrust upon her
Her escape had been a fluke An explosion had deciet out before the ed with her care had been able to respond Orherself to feel any regret They’d shown her no regard She’d been treated like an inaniic wand they waved at a wound or an illness and expected her to make it all disappear
She hated the others as they’d used her Pawns Objects to provide them with information They weren’t even people Just numbers
Another shiver rattled her teeth and settled deep into her bones She siain She curled her feet farther into the blanket and tucked the ends securely under her chin
PROLOGUE
GORDON Farnsworth had ining He’d lived his life on the fringe, steeped in shadows, so iray that he doubted he had any se
He had poealth and infor because his daughter was dying and he was powerless to prevent it
She’d been seen by the top physicians in the world, had the best treat by every one of them
There was nothing further to be done His daughter couldn’t be saved The best he could do was make her comfortable for the remainder of her time
Fuck that
;s He wouldn’t accept that there was nothing he could do He’d prevented wars and instigated them He wielded influence with dozens of world leaders He could make or ruin an entire country on a whihter?
He paced the confines of the dark library where he often brooded with a glass of Macallen whiskey he’d paid over one hundred thousand dollars for The fire in the hearth had died, leaving only a feing embers
His phone rang and he yanked it to his ear, barking the order before the other party had a chance to say anything
“Is she legitimate?”
“Indeed it appears she is”
Farnsworth’s shoulders sagged and he sank onto the couch, perched on the edge, his i at him
“She’s been able to heal all reat cost to herself She’s been pushed beyond her limits but she’s been successful in all cases that have been presented”
“I don’t give a darowled “Get her here I’ out of time”
There was a lengthy pause and Farnsworth didn’t like pauses They never ood news
“I anticipated your order, sir When I was told the results of her testing, I knew you’d want her there with all due haste I gave the order to go in, remove all evidence of her existence, silence those who had any knowledge of her and, of course, to retrieve Grace Peterson and have her taken to you”
He didn’t like where this was going His gut knotted and his lips tightened in rage
“What the hell happened then? Where is she? When can I expect her? Elizabeth doesn’t have much time!”
There was a deep breath “She escaped, sir”